Today I have Author Charlene A Wilson with her
new release that came out yesterday, Cornerstone Deep Echoes.
Charlene is going to explain foreshadowing for us and then I have a
sneak peak into Cornerstone Deep Echoes!
blurb
new release that came out yesterday, Cornerstone Deep Echoes.
Charlene is going to explain foreshadowing for us and then I have a
sneak peak into Cornerstone Deep Echoes!
How many of you have read a book and, when you came to the end, were like, “Aha!” Things that happened vaguely throughout and, though they fit in the scene at that moment, actually proved to serve a bigger purpose.
Some readers might not realize what’s happening to them when you introduce tight, preplanned introductions to future events and they become wrapped up in the story and have to turn that next page.
Recently, a dear friend read a book and mentioned how predictable it was. In fact, several times, as she related the experience while reading it, she guessed ahead of time what would happen next. And she was right without fail. Foreshadowing should create anticipation, both on a conscious and subconscious level. Admittedly, there are those avid readers out there that can zero in on the smallest of hints and guess correctly. ; )
When I write, I go back several times while revising to add small (and sometimes lengthy) passages to help foreshadow coming events. For instance, (and I’m giving away a big one here) in Cornerstone Deep, Anna’s first experience in her new home after being harvested for service provided more than just a look into how she’d been changed by the spell that was cast on her. It provided a foundation for how she would react at an important turning point in the plot…a reaction Cole hadn’t been prepared for.
The door close. Finality. Abandoned-again. Anna looked over the room with apprehension. A burgundy comforter hugged the wide bed. A desk and chest of drawers stood against the wall. Stained-glass lampshades with matching light posts adorned the bed stands and a sculpture of a human form stood in the far corner.
Anna took in the scene as a whole. Fear held her gaze. The items seemed to leer and play with her mind. They morphed into rudimentary shapes and blended against the wallpaper backdrop.
Shocked, she ran through the vanity hall slamming the bathroom door behind her. She spun the water knob on and a wide stream of fell from the marble ledge. Stripping off her clothes, she slipped into the tub. Droplets nettled her legs, pressing the urgency further. She pulled her knees to her chest. “She’ll be back when I’m done.” The words reassured her.
She turned off the flow and slid the soap across her hair and body. Dipping under the water to rinse, she was done.
The gown clung to her wet skin as she pulled it over her head and down her torso. She swiped her hair aside. Darting through the vanity, she halted as motion caught her attention. She looked back around the door frame.
A woman. Comforted by the sight, she stepped back into the little room and took a seat in front of the counter. Adornments, perfumes, lotions, and puffs lined the narrow shelf. Seated on the other side, the lady’s big blue eyes stared back at her. Anna smiled at her. She smiled back. Her angelic face was flushed red. Her long dark hair looked straggled and wet. The nightdress she wore stuck to her body as if drenched by rain, but the woman didn’t appear to care. She simply watched Anna, smiling at her with childlike dimples.
This person liked her. She didn’t turn away as the others did. Anna waited to see what she would say, but the woman remained quiet.
No matter. She watched, content, in the little room of her new home.
It’s a terrible thing—being left alone—with no soul to guide you. Poor Anna.
And, in Cornerstone Deep Echoes, he missed another important hint that would have help curb a situation that went far too out of control…to the point of losing her, by her own choice, to the very Grand Marshal he saved her from.
Cole knelt beside the vanity and awaited Mianna’s reaction. She stared at her reflection; color drained from her face. He wasn’t sure if it was caused by the illumination from the florescent bobbles in the mirror, or sheer shock.
Bright shimmers reflected from her blue eyes and the small curves that turned up at the corners of her mouth pressed into a straight line. Her long lashes batted. Her lips parted.
Should I say something?
A weak laugh puffed from her lungs. Her hand patted the counter and she shook her head.
“Mianna?”
Her fingers fumbled as she reached for the wide brush and began stroking her hair. She upped her brow and squinched a grin at her image. “Honestly, Cole. If you wanted me to have a new look, you didn’t have to go through all the trouble.” She glanced at him, mirth seeping from her gaze. “It took you four hundred years to find just the right body to meet your liking and it turns out to be practically the same as the old one?”
She chuckled a melody and he couldn’t help but join in. He snatched her into a tight embrace. “Oh, my love. How I’ve missed the sound of your laughter.”
Mianna wrapped her arms around his neck and set her forehead to his. “I knew life would be amazing with you. Imagine. A chance at living my life again. In a whole new world.” Cole detected a flash of emotion pulse from her but it disappeared as she pulled back enough to look him in the eyes. Her soul sang to his heart and love coursed through his veins. “You’ll have to fill me in on what happened the first time around.”
A wide smile touched his eyes and he kissed her dainty nose. “I think maybe I should fill you in on how to make things happen in this life first.”
“You mean there’s more than instant candles?”
He nodded. “You said you wanted to bathe.”
“Yes.”
“How about a hot shower?”
Her quizzical gaze turned to a gasp as chunks of marble shattered the guestroom window. Mianna jumped from his arms and stumbled over the vanity stool as she fled back into the adjoining room. The figure of an arm bolted past her and gouged the wall before it rammed into the corner wing-chair.
Cole growled. Rushing to her side, he waved his hand around them. An opalescent sheen thickened the air, causing the medium to warp as it expanded to fill the space.
Mianna set a hand to her heart. Her posture slumped as she released a shaky breath. “Oh. I must have moved too quickly.” She wavered, closing her eyes.
He wrapped his arms around her and as she returned the embrace, he grasped anew the blessing of her in his life. “It’s okay. It’ll take time to get used to everything.”
A smile touched her lips and she peered up at him. “What’s to get used to? I’ve been around your brothers long enough to know the manor gets destroyed on a regular basis.”
Cole’s long hair skimmed along her shoulder as his cheek brushed hers. “Mianna, you’ve been through a lot. You just don’t remember.” He caressed her slender back. “I’ll take care of this. I have a feeling it has to do with what took place. I need to fill James and Vince in on it. They don’t know about everything either.”
She rested her forehead on his chin and her hot breath sketched down his neck. Heat pooled in his stomach. “I’ll get cleaned up and be down soon.”
He blinked to the side. “Why don’t I come back in a short time? I’ll help you with that shower.”
Do you see the pending problem? Cole was so wrapped up in having her back that his love for her drowned out the possibility that something was really wrong…other than that she was fatigued. Of course, he’s a character and led by his heart. He’s only following the personality I painted for him. Readers have a chance at being the omniscient seer if they can catch it.
Have you found yourself disappointed when you came to the end of a book and found it was far too predictable? Or worse, the conclusion was so far-fetched and unrealistic that you wanted to (or did) chuck the thing into the recycle bin?
Mianna’s return heals Cole’s soul and he promises to follow her for the rest of his existence. But the past isn’t what he believes. The fight for her has only begun.
Lord Dressen’s obsession grows as unexpected knowledge is revealed. His search for Mianna has spanned six life times and he won’t give up now. The courts stand behind him. Power pulses through his veins. Determination peeks and not even Cole Shilo can stop him. He will win his prize.
Struggling to stay ahead, Cole’s anger explodes. Nothing is sacred when it comes to keeping his love—not even covenants made with gods. But, through all his efforts, lofty or damned, the truth remains. Will echoes of another life cause him to fail?
Chapter One
Exhaustion racked Cole’s body. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath to cleanse his lungs. The harm he’d caused Anna pulsed through his fatigued mind in fits of memory—distorted flashes that reminded him of the deceit, broken covenants, and ethereal anger. Pressing his palms onto his brow, his head sank deeper into the pillow. Did his actions really cost her soul six life times?
He dragged a hand down his face and blew air through his pursed lips. He’d bound her soul and even with his formidable skill with spells, he was unable to undo his wrong. Whatever cost Arylin saw fit to impose, he was grateful for the intervention. Only the Goddess of Love, with her boundless benevolence, would have found a way for them to continue their souls’ progression.
The God of Life’s fury rang in his ears as scenes of the night before haunted him. “You have defiled that which is sacred. No Meridian Griffin
His gaze returned to his love at his side and he listened to the sweet sound of her steady breathing. Strands of sleep-messed hair fluttered along the pillow each time she exhaled. Griffin
As the morning sun’s light inched up the comforter’s patchwork pattern, he hitched his knee around her legs, forming his body to hers. For Arylin to return Anna’s soul to a previous life blessed them both beyond his dreams. It freed the binding and... He buried his face in her long waves and the scent of roses filled him. He had Mianna back.
“Mianna.” His whisper warmed his lips as it pooled against her neck.
She stirred and he pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “Cole.” Her sleepy eyes fluttered open but closed as if her lids were too heavy. “Have you been awake long?”
He smiled as the sound of her voice dispelled his mind’s troubles. “A while. How are you feeling?”
Her hand lifted and she brushed his long hair with her fingers before resting it at her side. “So tired. I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired.” Her soft voice turned to a mumble. “You couldn’t have given me a better wedding gift but,” she drew a deep breath, “what did it do to me? What does Unsigh mean?”
Cole blinked to the side. She doesn’t know what Unsigh means? He lifted his head to peer at her cherubic face. Did she say wedding gift? Realization flushed his senses. Arylin returned her memory to our wedding night. We truly are starting our life together over.
He pulled the comforter up to her chin and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Unsigh means one heart, my love. It joins our passion when you create the symbol and utter the spell. It’s an enchantment only you can call on.”
“Oh,” she breathed. “It’s amazing…really. It’s just…I’m so…” As she drifted back into sleep, Cole’s brow furrowed. Mianna’s spell had never caused her fatigue, not even when her soul called upon it in Anna’s lifetime.
A spray of sun’s rays pitched across his face as they hit the wide dresser mirror. With a scowl, he squinted at the glare and twitched his hand at the window. The crepe sheers whipped closed followed by a thick swish from the burgundy drapes. The room plunged into darkness. As his eyes adjusted, dim light from the vanity area competed with the beams’ peek through the gaps around the window coverings. He sighed and sat up, resting his arm on his knee.
Perhaps it was everything she’d been through and she just needed rest. She’d experienced more trauma in the last week than he had in the last twenty-five hundred years. Her life as Anna had hardly been easy—abandonment, loss, and then manipulated by a man whose attention she’d refused. He raked a hand over his scalp. Then to nearly lose her life while they tried to unbind her soul, only to be saved by grace at the price of six life times’ progression…
Cole gazed over at the petite form beside him. He shook his head and brushed the dark hair from her face. How could Anna’s features be so similar to Mianna’s? The gentle slope of her nose, the curve of her bowtie lips. He tilted his head and gently stroked her cheek with his finger. Or was it the love he held in his heart that colored his view? A smile blossomed from his lips and he leaned to her, touching his brow to hers. His black hair fell to the pillow like a sheet of satin, deepening the shadows. No matter the reason. He had her back. And he vowed to never lose her again.
~ * ~
A satisfied grin tugged at Lord Dressen’s lips as he looked out over the gathered noblemen. Low voices filled the stately hall. Marble bracing columns led way to the arched beams in the domed ceiling. Sunbeams poured through the twelve-foot windows, filling the space with a yellow haze. The gold that framed the life-sized portraits along the walls appeared to glow, accenting their subjects.
The turn-out was as hoped. He had the majority of the Grand Marshals’ court in attendance and every member seemed dedicated to support him. His heavy brow furrowed and he lifted his chin. Cole Shilo, you’ll pay for taking Anna from me.
The dull rumble of conversation subsided as he stepped to Officiator’s stand and took his chair at the center of the table. He nodded to the two uniformed gentlemen who stood guard at the entrance and they stepped out, closing the doors behind them.
Lord Carrington tugged at his vest as he strode up the center aisle. A more trusted friend he’d never had. The tall man moved with trained temperance. An admirable trait; grace under pressure. Taking his place at Dressen’s side, he leaned to him with a hushed voice. “Ninety-nine are in attendance. Lord Standish’s men are the only ones not to sign in.”
“We can do without them. What are twenty-two votes against ninety-nine?”
Carrington nodded and ran a hand along his tailored beard. “One concern I feel I must voice, Kyle.” He looked at his friend and his brown eyes twitched. “Standish may not hold the court’s majority, but he’s a strong believer in tradition. The men here control a vote, but many of their wives and family are faithful to the Gods, including my own. They practice religious rites and that encompasses the Shilos as Sentinels. If this isn’t handled with care it could become nasty.”
Dressen sighed and he glanced at the portraits that lined the room. Every Grand Marshal that had held a senior position was portrayed. His gaze gravitated to the depiction of Sylis Shilo at the center of the hall. The founder seemed to watch his every move—his coal hair, onyx eyes, and square features set firm. Dressen sneered. A wizard surrounded by noblemen.
“Sentinels.” He scoffed. “They’re aliens. Nothing more. And their own laws protect us from their dimension’s powers. What superior race agrees to such an arrangement? They’re weak. Their kind has no place on Terra.”
“Never-the-less, the faithful could rise up to protect them.” Carrington looked down at his cufflink as he straightened the gold piece. “And I’ll be frank. Even though I see nothing wrong with how you achieved your goal with the girl, many will see it otherwise. Having the wizards bend her will as a servant was one thing, but calling for total compliance pushed the agreement’s intention.”
Dressen scowled. “The Wizards of Shilo Manor accepted my bid as any other. She broke the law and she was harvested. With the new curfew in play, she was no different from the homeless.” He softened his voice. “It was the only way to get her past the idea that my standing separated us. Once she joined the household, she admitted she wanted to be with me all along. She told me she loved me. Always had. She was happy.”
He looked at his comrade and his narrow features leered. “Cole Shilo’s desire to have her took her from me.” He pointed a finger to accentuate his view. “I know he has her up at that manor.”
Lord Carrington cocked his head. “We have no jurisdiction within the walls of the Sentinel’s home.”
“You just deal with the charges.”
“The only real proof we have is the vision you shared from that night she disappeared, Kyle. And that’s another issue. You were only able to share it by way of the magical means Cole Shilo gifted you.” His friend quirked his cheek. “There’s talk of a loss of integrity at the expense of…”
“A thief?” A growl rumbled in Dressen’s throat as his blood seethed.
“A Sentinel, Kyle. You have to view this from these men’s perspective. I know you’re not religious, but religion is going to play a large part in what they decide.”
“Then use their beliefs against them. Look into the covenants the wizards have made. Their long lives will show something. In two thousand years, no man can live without error.”
Carrington ran a finger under his collar as if it suddenly became too small. “I’ll make the assignment. But how do you expect to get to the girl if she’s up there?”
A crooked smile crept its way to Dressen’s lips. “I’ll find a way. You just start by calling them in for questioning and I’ll do the rest.”
About Charlene:
A writer of paranormal romance, Charlene loves what magic can add to relationships. She currently lives in a small rural town in Arkansas and enjoys close family ties with her two beautiful daughters.
Charlene’s interest in writing began in her early teens and she took any creative writing courses available. As she married and started a family, she had to set aside her writing and focus on the more pressing matters of job and family.
Many of the attitudes and personalities woven into her characters were taken from those she worked with while serving as a Deputy at a large detention center. From kindness to bigotry, the variety of personal outlook was amazing. As time now affords her, she is able to pursue her love of writing and incorporates those experiences into some of her work.
Her first novel, Cornerstone Deep, was published in November 2010 by Class Act Books. Her second, Cornerstone Deep Echoes, was released February 2012, also by Class Act Books. The stories keep coming and she keeps typing. On to the next!
Author Links
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/charlene-a-wilson/15/989/1b8
Thanks again for being here today, Charlene.
ReplyDeleteWe had 56 shy lurkers stop in and read all about it...
Good luck with your new release, I myself will be lurking along on your tour.
:)