Secrets
and Souls
Prequel
to The Soul Guide
by
Kelly Stock
Genre:
Urban Fantasy
Set
forty years before The Soul Guide, this is a story of Bertram and
Mellissa…
"You
think I don't know that you’re keeping secrets from me? I am not
the only liar here..."
The
last thing Bertram expected after his grandfather’s death was to
find himself the owner of Clayhill Manor, a decrepit mansion with
little going for it other than musty rooms filled with moth-eaten
furniture and mice. But at least he gets to maintain the solitary
life he’s used to. That is, until red-headed beauty, Mellissa,
walks into his home and changes his life forever.
With
one touch of her hand, Bertram finds himself part of world he never
knew existed. Where he is the Caretaker, and Mellissa the Soul Guide.
Where doors appear out of nowhere and he’s the only one who can see
them.
Together
they must face a strange new world hidden just beneath the surface. A
world which contains the pure of soul and malevolent creatures that
lurk in the dark.
But
Mellissa holds secrets within her, secrets that hurt her heart. With
a past that she’s unwilling to share with a man who is falling in
love with her, can they put their feelings aside and fulfil their
roles or will her secrets tear them apart?
Apart
they are weak, together they are stronger, and the Mephisto are
always watching.
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“See
that there,” she said pointing to the cluster of stars that looked like nothing
more than a misty cloud to the uninformed. “That is Praesepe, the Beehive
Cluster of stars. Some say it is the gateway where souls entered Earth from
Heaven.”
“And
is it?” Bertram asked, his breath warm on her neck. She hadn’t realised he had
got so close. She shifted sideways, giving herself some space. She felt his
disappointment before she saw it.
“Well,
I guess that depends on what you believe. Is there a heaven? I’m not sure I
know the answer to that, even now. What I do know is that there is more to this
world than what I understood before. There is magic, and mystery, and there are
souls. Souls that I am responsible for, Bertram. My duty is to take care of
them now.” Mellissa felt her hands shake at the confession. Up until a few
months ago, everything had been so different. No matter how much it killed her
to say it, her life had taken a path she couldn’t run away from, despite all
that she’d left behind and how much her heart was breaking.
The Soul Guide
The Soul Guide Series
Book 1
When
university student Sybil is stung by a bee in the middle of a winter
snowstorm, she finds herself chosen as the latest Soul Guide. With
only a few days to reach the Veil; the place of souls, and complete
the Passing Over ceremony, she begins to question everything she ever
believed to be true. But dark forces will stop at nothing to prevent
Sybil from fulfilling her destiny. Struggling with such a huge
responsibility, and afraid for her life, Sybil has no choice but to
put her trust in two complete strangers.
Meet
Bertram, the Caretaker. Despite his anguish at losing the love of his
life, he has a job to do. Sybil is his responsibility now. He must
guide her to the Veil - no matter the cost.
Then
there’s Alec, who’s drawn to Sybil the moment he lays eyes on
her. Overcome by the sudden need to protect her, Alec will risk his
life to ensure her safety. Or does he have darker designs...?
Can
the reluctant Soul Guide, the grieving Caretaker, and the obsessive
stranger work together? Only one thing is certain: the future of both
Earth and the Veil hang in the balance, and the dark are
rising.
Reviews:
“I've
just finished the soul guide and I'm feeling very impatient for book
2! This is a great fantasy read, intriguing, with characters you
really want to know more about! It's hard to believe this is the
author’s first novel, there's so much detail and depth to the
characters and story. Well worth a read.”
“Wow!
I could not put this book down. The way Kelly writes encaptures you
and takes you to another place. Her vivid imagination and the way she
describes every detail enables you to picture in your mind being
there with Sybil on this spiritual journey. It only took me two days
to read and I can't wait for the next instalment to see what happens
next.”
“This
book, well written and with a great story line, had me hooked from
the start and I can't wait for the next one in the series.”
“The
Soul Guide is a unique, fast-paced, beautifully-written book.
Immediately it sucked me in, and it was hard to put down. Kelly Stock
has woven together a story with interesting characters and a truly
imaginative plot. In a way, reading this felt like gazing upon
beautiful artwork. Every chapter revealed a new layer of the story,
intriguing me further and making me even more curious about what was
to come. What a treat this book was to read!”
“Are
you alright?” Alec asked, concerned.
“I
can’t breathe,” she choked out, grabbing Alec’s arms as her legs suddenly lost
the ability to hold her upright. Alec caught her as her body began to shake
uncontrollably.
“Christ,
hold on,” he said and pulled out his mobile phone dialling for an ambulance,
only to find no signal. “This bloody weather,” Alec cursed, shoving his mobile
phone back into his jacket pocket. “We need to get you to a hospital, Sybil. I think
you’re allergic. I’m going to take you back to Carlo’s, ok? I’ll call for an
ambulance there.”
Sybil
could see that Alec was talking to her but she couldn’t respond. She was
finding it difficult to breathe and had started to draw in short, sucking,
breaths. The surrounding snow blurred into a white mist as Alec’s face went in
and out of focus. Sybil felt Alec lift her off her feet, the movement causing
her head to jolt against his shoulder. The tightness in her chest felt like
two, huge hands squeezing the life out of her. A light film of sweat was
covering her, but she was on fire as if flames were rippling over her skin.
Even the falling snow did nothing to cool her. Within moments, she could hear
raised voices, but the words were muffled and distant like they were talking in
another room. Sybil tried to open her eyes but found that they were swollen
shut. She felt herself being lowered down onto something soft.
Then
darkness took over.
Back
outside on the street her bag of books was rapidly being covered by the falling
snow. Not far from where they lay a thin, dishevelled looking man, stepped out
of the shadows sniffing at the air. He blinked twice and his eyes were replaced
by black, hollow orbs devoid of any life.
Tortured Souls
The Soul Guide Series
Book 2
Releases
October 21st!
Still
reeling from the secrets revealed within the Veil, Sybil finds
herself getting more than she'd ever bargained for. Having to manage
her new gifts is hard enough let alone having to cope with the
barrage of memories that aren't even her own.
Could
becoming the Soul Guide be the biggest mistake of Sybil's life or her
bravest decision yet? She couldn't tell you, to busy dealing with the
responsibility that her new role brings and avoiding the growing
residents of Clayhill to find out.
And
yet, hiding away isn't an option.
With
the arrival of terrified young Estelle, Sybil is forced to face
reality and become the warrior she was destined to be. There are far
worst things happening beyond the safety of Clayhill and she doesn't
have the option of turning a blind eye, especially when the 'worst
things' involve her own beloved dad.
With
Estelle's revelations, action must be taken. Can the unlikely group
work together to save the children locked away in the depths of the
Masters home or will the Mephisto succeed in tearing them apart? Read
book two of The Soul Guide series to find out.
In
Tortured Souls, alliances are made, friendships are forged, hearts
are broken and the battle of light versus dark has truly begun.
Estelle
was clean, dry and dressed in a plain, floor-length gown. The room they stood
in was richly decorated with twin chandeliers, a soft red carpet and dark red,
velvet seats. Despite the warmth of the room, Estelle could still feel the
ice-cold of the shower she and the others had had to endure. Every drop of
water had been like a razor blade cutting into her skin. Yet, despite the pain,
she would do anything to be back under the water once again. She wanted, no,
needed, to blot out the images that were now making her scream endlessly inside
her own head. No more, no more, no more. But, like a puppet, she was forced to
watch them suffer, knowing she was going to be next. Tears slipped down her
cheeks as the other boys and girls’ terrified faces flashed before her eyes.
Most of them cried, some had pissed themselves and the acrid smell of their
fear filled the room like a suffocating shroud. The rest held an emptiness in
their eyes and she knew they had already given up, retreated within their minds
to try to spare themselves from the horror of what was coming. But it mattered
not, because one by one, death had come for them all.
Born
and bred in London, UK, Kelly is a 38 year-old multitasking mum,
wife, colleague, friend, daughter, sister and lastly, but by no means
least, writer.
Her love of
writing started when she began her Creative Writing degree at North
London University in 1999. She hasn’t always wanted to be a writer,
her first job of choice was a Vet, but that dream died when she
realized she was allergic to most, small, furry animals. But, she has
always loved to read, and that’s where her passion for writing
began.
After finishing her
degree in 2002, she didn’t put pen to paper, or fingers to
keyboard, until thirteen years later. Life, in all its wonderful
glory got in the way. Then when her youngest went to school full-time
she had precious time on her hands. It was during this time that
Bertram, Sybil, and Alec were conceived and her first novel, The Soul
Guide was born.
In her spare time you
can find Kelly, reading, bringing up her kids the best way she knows
how, and trying desperately not to make a fool of herself on social
media.
Follow
the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
3 comments:
All of the books look amazing.
Your books look like a good read.
Sounds Incredible.
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