From Goodreads, Dallas: "Ms Allen convincingly portrays all the subtleties of teenage angst set against a backdrop of a secret world of magic where people do not seek to perform magic, but hold the magic within, only letting it loose when the moment is right, or when the learning has been completed. Kat has much to learn and the summer solstice is an important part of her journey into a secret past. "
Description:
After Katrina “Kat” Summer’s mother dies a mysterious and tragic death, Kat is hurtled into life at Apollo Beach. Her estranged and cryptic grandmother Rose fills Kat with legends of her Ancient Greek Ancestors from which the Summer family descends. Kat’s world begins to unravel as secrets from her heritage are exposed – secrets that her mother purposefully concealed.
Leading to her birthday, the day of the Summer Solstice, Kat becomes frightened when enigmatic visions and disturbing dreams haunt her. When her visions become reality, her fear turns to terror as powerful forces threaten the lives of those around her.
Amidst the turmoil, Kat meets Alec Stone, her gorgeous neighbor, who becomes her sole solace in an evocative world of mythological enchantment and evil prophecies that lurk around every corner…
Katrina Summer finally comes to terms with her enchanted skin as she is challenged with an evil that threatens the Solstice settlement of Apollo Beach...
At a private gathering on Summer Island Kat meets an entire secret society of Enchanters – and other mythological descendants of a different breed. The gorgeous Valli sisters appear forcing Kat to take a deeper look into her new existence. And when Arabella, the youngest of the sisters, befriends Kat, she learns the most disturbing Summer family secret of all.
To escape the lurking dangers of the Equinox, which brings outrage and heartbreak to the entire town, Kat accepts a job at the Island Grille where more trouble brews as her handsome, yet brooding co-worker, Johnny, makes life even more challenging. Meanwhile, Kat struggles between her lingering and undeniable attraction for Alec, the secrets that she is forced to keep from him, and a betrayal that sends them on separate paths.
Mysterious deaths, signs of pollution rising in the Bay, and discoveries of the Equinox's motives stir up an entirely new and frightening adventure as Kat finally discovers that being an Enchanter holds a responsibility worth killing for...
EXCERPT
Rose and Charlotte are both aware of my new nightly run schedule—although I may have left out the part about Alec. It’s the first night of my planned run with him and I don’t want to take any chance they will say no.
Rose is just happy I’m wearing new clothes. She compliments my black running shorts and hot pink tank top that Charlotte chose for me then turns in for the night. Charlotte stays up to clean but is adamant I leave her to do it alone.
Alec and I meet in front of his house. He greets me with bright and challenging eyes. “Alright, let’s see if you’re as good at running as you are at pool.”
I laugh, knowing I can hold my own. We stretch before taking off into the night. I follow Alec’s pace as we start with a light jog down along the coast. As our jog speeds into a run, a smile spreads across my face. There’s something about the night breeze along the coast that energizes every bone in my body and brings buoyancy to each step.
We run side-by-side. He takes me down past the private beach and out into the community streets where we run under the buzzing streetlamps, along the sidewalks of the stunning homes.
My thigh and calf muscles tighten and release with each stride. I am stronger with each second that passes. Usually, at this point in my runs, I start to get tired but it’s as if I could go on for miles.
Alec takes us in and out of the small neighborhoods around our own and I’m suddenly curious to see a map of Apollo Beach. It’s as if our path is tracing out the shape of a star.
He doesn’t begin to slow down until we are back on our community beach. I slow and look at him for the first time since we started our run. He’s sweating and breathing heavily. I assume I should be just as tired—but I want to keep running.
Dejected, I slow to a walk beside him and he looks at me. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
I make a face, twisting my lips into a hesitant smile, eyebrows raised. “I guess I just have a lot of energy tonight.”
Alec shakes his head. “We just ran five miles and you haven’t even broken a sweat.”
I laugh. “I’ve been running a lot.”
“You are a superhuman woman. Come on.”
He pulls me toward the shore and kicks off his shoes, his brief touch on my hand leaving goose bumps all over my body. He slides his shirt off his back and it lands in the sand. I turn my eyes away quickly once I realize I’m staring. I peek up at him now, though, trying not to look directly at his toned chest and abdominal muscles as I slide my shoes and socks off and meet him down at the shoreline.
Alec is up to his waist in the water when I reach him. He splashes me playfully, his eyes never leaving mine. I laugh and cup my hands in the water, but before I can retaliate, there’s a hungry rumble in the sky.
We look up just as a bolt of lightning strikes in the distance and a shower of rain pours down on us. As if reading each other’s mind, we take off for the shore and stumble our way out. Alec runs ahead and scrambles to grab our things and then we trip along the shore’s edge to our homes. The sound of our laughter is barely audible over the tropical storm now pouring down on us. His hair is sopping wet, rain dripping down onto his face. I want to reach out and wipe the drops away but restrain myself. “Thanks for the run,” I shout. The wind whips my hair around my head.
“Tomorrow night?”
I nod and turn before he can see how giddy I am, and flee into the cover of Summer Estates.
****
Today marks the sixteenth year of my life, a milestone that Rose believes to be cause for a celebration. It’s finally time for me to make my entrance to my party. I pause at the top of the grand staircase, taking one final look in the full-length mirror at the top of the stairs. Charlotte helped me get dressed, despite my resistance. With simple touches like mascara and blush, my long eyelashes are accentuated and my cheeks rosy. Light eyeliner defines my silver-blue eyes, which are becoming more silver with every day that passes.
It’s my hair that really strikes me, though. The length alone has grown so fast over the few short weeks I’ve been here and it’s now down past my shoulders, in curvy locks.
During my research, I made an effort to understand more about the day my grandmother holds so special. The summer solstice, June twenty-first, is the first day of summer. It’s also the longest day of the year as the sun reaches its highest point in the sky at noon. Since spending hours upon hours in the library, I’ve read all varieties of stories of the summer solstice and its celebrations. In general, it is a time when social code is temporarily shifted, when servants share in the merriment as equals. In some cases, their masters even serve them.
Rose’s wild stories and crazy imaginings are getting the better of me. My dream last night had been just like the first upon arriving at Summer Estates. The girl in the glass shattered the same vase. Everything about the dream was exactly the same—except the evil smile in the mirror belonged to my grandmother. This time it was she who raised her hand to make the vase burst in mid-air.
I’m disappointed that my questions are still unanswered after all the reading I’ve done. What does any of this have to do with Rose’s obsession with Ancient Greek culture and our family history? At some point today, I plan to confront her. She will tell me everything she knows, and she will explain all of the mysteries she’s been keeping from me.
I run my hands down my ribs, onto my waist, and finally to my upper thighs, all covered in a simple green chiffon, baby doll dress that reaches to a couple inches above my knees. With a deep breath, I turn and look down the semi-spiral staircase that flows down to the great room.
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About the author:
My name is K.K. Allen and I am the Paranormal / Urban Fantasy Author of the Summer Solstice series. The Summer Solstice: Enchanted and The Equinox are now available at Amazon. I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii but raised in Seattle, Washington. I currently live in Central Florida. I've always had a passion for reading and writing and have done so every day since the young age of 12. Writing has even transitioned into my Media Industry career where I wear many hats, copywriting/scriptwriting included. There's just something about telling a story that drives me in everything that I do. Whether I'm creating a content outline for a website, or pulling together assets to write to, or even putting together a video production, it's all about the storytelling. I hope you all check out the Summer Solstice: Enchanted and I look forward to connecting with you!Author's Giveaway
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