There are so many good indie books being published, but sometimes it's hard to know where to start with these books. I'm always interested in recommendations of books that are must-reads but that haven't gotten much press, and I also wanted to help promote indie authors and their works. Hence Go Indie was born. This is a new feature on Portrait of a Book that will showcase some of these indie titles in a variety of ways, from excerpts to guest posts and interviews with indie authors.
Authors: If you're interested in having your book featured as part of Go Indie, fill out this form.
Without further ado, here is today's feature!
TRIAD AWAKENING
By: Michael Grigsby
Published By: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Release Date: March 13, 2013
Buy the Book: Amazon
Goodreads Summary: Sixteen-year-old Hagan Curtis's life is a total mess-alcoholic single father, recently deceased brother (Robin), and social invisibility-until an eerie encounter with a trio of ghostly sisters reveals he is part of the Triad. Armed with newfound battle skills and wielding his amazing split-staff, Hagan plunges headlong into training. But soon he discovers that membership in the Triad can be lethal as Spectrals, Necropeds, and Feeders from other realms show just how bloodthirsty they can be. As his team plummets deeper into their first mission, Hagan learns that his brother’s death resulted from Robin’s knowledge of the Triad, and those closest to him are keeping dark secrets. Will Hagan survive the terrifying mission to finally untangle the mystery of Robin’s death?
Triad Awakening is the first book in the Triad Trilogy. The Young Adult Horror/Fantasy is Michael Grigsby's debut novel.
Enjoy this excerpt from TRIAD AWAKENING!
I slam the book shut and turn away from the desk. I lift my eyes to catch a glimpse of the full-length mirror mounted to the closet door. There, in the reflection I see three white wispy figures floating closely together. I take a step back and stumble. My bottom smacks the floor and pain shoots up my spine. Their image flashes, is gone, and then returns again about two seconds later. This time, the spectral figures appear closer. They flash again, disappear, and reappear even closer in the mirror. I scoot back on my elbows like some insane crab retreating from an ocean predator.
On the verge of screaming, I scramble to my feet. I whirl around to find the room completely empty. My heart is pounding in my chest like a subwoofer. A cool layer of perspiration has appeared on my brow. I realize that I haven’t taken a breath since I saw the figures in the mirror. I inhale and suck the stale air of Robin’s room into my lungs.
The room is as silent as a tomb. I stand frozen in one place, too terrified to move. My ass is throbbing, but I ignore the pain. My brain is finally able to get a signal to my feet and I begin to creep from the room. After what seems like hours, I arrive at the door. I slowly reach for the knob. It opens with a creak. I step over the threshold and gingerly close the door behind me.
“Now what?” I ask myself.
Before my mind can respond, my ears are filled with a familiar sound. Static mingles with a whirring noise, not unlike a fan running on high speed. Suddenly, the strangest voice I’ve ever heard speaks. It comes from everywhere at once, and seems to be made of many voices, speaking in chorus. The voice(s) sound faraway, like wind whistling through an old well.
“Find her. Find the one who knows what was and sees what is to come. Find her, the one who knows what was and sees what is to come. FIND HER, THE ONE WHO KNOWS WHAT WAS AND SEES WHAT IS TO COME! FIND HER! FIND HER!”
Without warning, the trio appears at the end of the small hallway. I see them clearly now. Oh God, I can’t look away. Each appears to be female. They are dressed in long flowing gowns, made of some gauzy fabric. The garments are cinched at the waist with ratty pieces of rope. Their dresses at one time were probably white, but are now grimy, smeared with what appears to be ashes and soot. Wind coming from an unseen source is whipping wildly through their stringy ebony hair. Their faces appear translucent, and I swear I can see some of their skeletons beneath. Bulging blue veins crisscross in crazy webbed patterns beneath their paper flesh. Hollowed out holes are where eyes should be. They continue to speak, but their lips do not move. My eyes move wildly down their forms. I notice they’re holding hands. Their pale, boney fingers are intertwined like three young girls about to skip across the schoolyard. I feel hysteria rising within me.
The warped voices continue: “Find her. Find the one who knows what was and sees what is to come. Find her, the one who knows what was and sees what is to come. FIND HER, THE ONE WHO KNOWS WHAT WAS AND SEES WHAT IS TO COME! FIND HER! FIND HER!”
As they speak, they move closer to me. Closer. They flash, blink, disappear, and reappear. Closer, flash, blink, disappear, reappear. On and on toward me.
“What do you want???” I screech at them. “What do you want from me?”
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