To save the modern world, psychic Vivien Kelly channels an ancient Celtic life of treachery and murder—at the peril of her own soul.
Bay of DarknessThe Kelly Society
Book One
S.K. Andrews
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Date of Publication: October 2, 2019
ISBN: 1509227792
ASIN: B07WDL6HT6
Number of pages: 418
Word Count: 95,000
Cover Artist: Debbie Taylor
About the Book:
After witnessing her fiancé’s murder and almost dying herself, Vivien Kelly’s mission is to destroy Dagda—a Celtic God turned demon. When Vivien discovers she worshiped Dagda in an ancient life as Boudicca, the Celtic warrior queen, she’s compelled to the quaint Northern California town of Half Moon Bay.
There Vivien finds Dagda’s creatures tormenting the locals—from a Fear Dorcha, to the Headless Horseman. The Kelly Society is then born—her own paranormal cleansing team and the race is on when people around her begin to die.
While banishing a Banshee, Vivien meets Neal Harrington—a soul partner who can promise true happiness. But when Dagda’s black vapor creates a New World of darkness, her time is up. Can Vivien abandon everyone she loves and succumb to Boudicca’s barbaric force to defeat the demon? Her actions not only determine her future—but the future of the modern world.
Read an Excerpt:
Announcing her
presence, Vivien slapped open palms against the bedroom door. Shrieking
stopped, as the Banshee tried to stab into her intuitive power—not even making
a dent.
Julie I’m here
to help. Don’t be afraid. After sending her telepathic message, she felt a
definite shift. The young girl now had hope.
Sensing another
female entity in the bedroom, Vivien tuned in sharper. A spirit connected to
the house stood in front of Julie, also protecting her.
“That horrible
noise stopped.” Neal eyed the door urgently. “Is that good or bad? I mean, is
Julie safe?”
“Yes, she’s
safe. I put a protective light around her.”
Heaving a sigh
of exhaustion, he rubbed his temple. “Oh, right—the light thing. This is all so
weird.” Neal’s head popped up. “No offense.”
“None taken.”
She grinned like a debutant about to dance with the coolest boy in school.
“What now?”
Vivien
desperately prayed for someone to slap her in the face. Where was Donna when
she needed her? Clasping her hands tightly, she pressed on. “I go in and—” Her
mouth stopped moving. A dustbowl of black energy swirled through the house
coming from Neal, as well as Julie’s friends. “Please bring the other girls to
me. Tell them we need to help Julie.”
“What?” His
horrified face reflected his confusion.
“Do you trust
me?” Relaxed eyes connected with his.
Neal’s voice
came out in a whisper. “I do trust you. I don’t even know why.”
The universe
ceased movement while they gazed at each other again. Finally, Vivien cleared
her throat and Neal turned on his heel. “I’ll get the girls.”
After he rounded
the corner, Vivien’s head dropped into her hands. He distracted her to the
point of possible error, and that she couldn’t afford. Why did she have to meet
him on a case? A damn weird one at that. Bringing her head up, Vivien found
three nervous girls peeking out from behind Neal’s legs.
Neal looked down
upon them with an encouraging smile. “It’s okay. Vivien is here to help.”
They gawked at
her like fawns caught in the headlights of a tanker truck. A red-haired,
freckled girl held Neal’s hand, a brown-eyed girl grasped his thigh like a rope
tow on a ski slope, and a sandy-haired, blue-eyed girl sporting a pink kitty
shirt clung to his second hand. All three held guilty faces.
Then it hit
Vivien like a shot to the chest— they believed they’d abandoned Julie to a
horrible fate. Neal got them out, but before Julie could escape, the creature
sealed the door with an oozing black substance. “I want to tell you all
something—and you too.” Neal looked at her with surprise. “Yes?”
“I feel and can
see the terror you’re all in right now. Everything in this world has energy,
and you’re sending out powerful fear. That’s what the creature wants. So, when
you’re scared, you’re actually feeding the banshee and making her more
powerful.”
Her helpful
speech made the girls burst into tears. Stretching out her arms, she kneeled in
front of them. “Wait! I know how we can fix this.”
“We didn’t mean
to! We really didn’t!” The girls proclaimed between sobs.
“Now, listen to
me.” Beautiful young eyes gazed back at her expectantly. “Go back to Neal’s
bedroom and sit in a circle. Hold hands and think of the best, most fun memory
you have with Julie. I see you all at the beach making sand- castles. Use that
one, or another, but focus on the joy of that day. It’s like a daydream. Keep
that vision going until I’m done.”
Neal came forward.
“I’ll do it with them. Let’s go.”
Amazed at his
instant acceptance of her task, she stood.
Suddenly the
girls sprang to life, all smiles and nods. They pulled Neal down the hallway,
chattering about which memory they would choose. Neal walked with them, but
gave her a last, concerned glance before turning the corner. He wanted to
protect her but didn’t know how.
Glowing from the
inside out, Vivien realized it had been a long time since a man worried about
her well-being.
Meet the Author:
When Starra Andrews wasn't swimming the Pacific Ocean in her hometown of Laguna Beach, California, she busied herself by writing fantasy stories and acting on stage.
Having grown up watching Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone and Night Gallery shows on TV, Starra quickly fell in love with paranormal tales with a message of wisdom and love. Also, being a fan of romance novels and non-fiction ghost stories, she decided to marry the two and write paranormal novels of suspense, adventure, and intrigue with a strong romantic foundation.
The sense of adventure inside her came from summers of camping with her family in Mexico (Baja California) and walking along beaches with no other footprints but hers, as her family members unpacked the camper and got ready to collect clams right off the shoreline for dinner. Starra attained a B.A. degree in Theatre from University of California, Irvine, and a Professional Acting Certificate from LACC Acting Academy. Starra is also a member of the International Thriller Writers, which hosts the Thrillerfest writers conference every year in NYC.
The beautiful Hudson Valley in upstate New York is where Starra now calls home. She loves being a quick train ride from New York City, but also enjoys country life. Her two tabby cats Audrey Hepburn and Vivien Leigh are her constant writing companions, and love to curl up on the table next to her laptop.
Her heroine, psychic/paranormal cleanser Vivien Kelly and her team are in a race to rid the modern world of deadly Celtic creatures in her book trilogy, The Kelly Society. Bay of Darkness is the first book of the series.
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