Description:
Rift Healer is the first installment of the 'Forest Magic' series, a Young Adult Fantasy/Romance set in Central and Western Massachusetts.
After a minor earthquake, the enchanted forest in Bidwell, MA, is infested with monster-spewing rifts. Gisele Westerfield's great nephew, the gifted Micah, and his distant cousin, Selena, arrive to assist. Together with Gisele's summer students, twins Haley and Lacey, they will try to heal the magical forest.
Much to the consternation of the beautiful Selena, Micah identifies Haley as The One whom he'll share his future. But after witnessing a terrifying display of Micah's Gift, Haley cools to his advances and unexpectedly discovers her own Gift-- she can heal the earth.
Monsters, mayhem, and teenage angst follow the small group as they confront evil in the forest and a dangerous prediction that 'one will fall'. Will they heal the rifts in time? Can they save the unicorns? And is Haley really destined to be with Micah?
EXCERPT:
He tore his eyes from the ceiling, caught and held her gaze. “I can make people do anything on command.”
“Like, hypnosis?” she asked, blinking under the over-bright fluorescent lights, her spoon halfway to her mouth.
“Almost,” he said. “Except, a hypnotist is unable to persuade his clients to do anything they wouldn’t ordinarily do. And I can.” He shrugged his shoulders, almost as if he were apologizing.
Haley frowned as she sorted through this weird information. “So, let me get this straight. You think you could tell me to do something—anything–and I’d do it?” Her brows knitted together and she shook her head in disbelief.
“I don’t just think. I…know.” He lowered his voice as he leaned forward. “I could make you run around doing cartwheels in the parking lot if I wanted to. You would be unable to refuse.”
At that, she sat straight up, staring at him. She didn’t believe it—not quite, but she was too afraid todisbelieve.
“It’s true.” He nodded. “Fortunately, I have a strong code of honor that I adhere to and I do not abuse my Gift. But I could make you do whatever I want.”
She shook her head. “I don’t believe you,” she said in a low voice.
“I guess I’ll have to prove it to you. Put that spoon down,” he ordered.
She looked at it, all but forgotten until now. Realizing she wanted to let go of the spoon, she frowned. “No,” she said between clenched teeth as she fought the urge to comply.
“Haley,” he took a deep breath. “Put the spoon down.”
The fingers holding her spoon twitched as she looked into his eyes and said, “No,” in a voice she almost couldn’t hear herself. Her mouth went dry with the effort.
“Put-the-spoon-down-now.” His glacial blue eyes bored into hers. Her right hand trembled with the effort of resisting his will. Then she watched, wide-eyed, as her traitorous thumb lifted on its own, causing her spoon to waver and fall to the table with a clatter in the quiet restaurant, spilling its load of ice cream.
She swallowed. “How did you do that?” she asked, now truly frightened.
“I told you, it’s my Gift,” he said, using his napkin to wipe up the mess. “It’s not one I use often and never on my friends. Never, ever.”
Haley swallowed once or twice while wondering how fast she could get away from this beautiful, fascinating, irresistible boy with his dangerous Gift. Terrified, yet inexplicably still drawn to him, she slapped her palms down on the table and leaned forward, ready to shove away, to flee at any moment.
His eyes softened as he saw the movement and he covered her small hands with his. Her breath caught. What’s he going to do to me?
“Don’t be afraid,” he pleaded. “I would never, ever, take advantage of you. Please believe me.”
“Are you doing it again?” she asked, because all of a sudden she did believe him. And she knew she would always believe him. Could she ever trust her own feelings around him?
“No, I’m not doing it again, but I am telling the truth. And now, let me tell you about another Gift I have.” He never blinked as he readied himself.
“I don’t think I want to know–”
“You do. I promise you do,” he said, holding her there with his eyes.
She drew in a breath, steeling herself against whatever was about to come.
He touched a spot in the center of his forehead. “In my mind’s eye, I see people who will be important to me in my future.”
She frowned and shook her head slightly, not understanding. “And–”
“And you are all over my future.” He smiled as if that should explain everything.
EXCERPT:
He tore his eyes from the ceiling, caught and held her gaze. “I can make people do anything on command.”
“Like, hypnosis?” she asked, blinking under the over-bright fluorescent lights, her spoon halfway to her mouth.
“Almost,” he said. “Except, a hypnotist is unable to persuade his clients to do anything they wouldn’t ordinarily do. And I can.” He shrugged his shoulders, almost as if he were apologizing.
Haley frowned as she sorted through this weird information. “So, let me get this straight. You think you could tell me to do something—anything–and I’d do it?” Her brows knitted together and she shook her head in disbelief.
“I don’t just think. I…know.” He lowered his voice as he leaned forward. “I could make you run around doing cartwheels in the parking lot if I wanted to. You would be unable to refuse.”
At that, she sat straight up, staring at him. She didn’t believe it—not quite, but she was too afraid todisbelieve.
“It’s true.” He nodded. “Fortunately, I have a strong code of honor that I adhere to and I do not abuse my Gift. But I could make you do whatever I want.”
She shook her head. “I don’t believe you,” she said in a low voice.
“I guess I’ll have to prove it to you. Put that spoon down,” he ordered.
She looked at it, all but forgotten until now. Realizing she wanted to let go of the spoon, she frowned. “No,” she said between clenched teeth as she fought the urge to comply.
“Haley,” he took a deep breath. “Put the spoon down.”
The fingers holding her spoon twitched as she looked into his eyes and said, “No,” in a voice she almost couldn’t hear herself. Her mouth went dry with the effort.
“Put-the-spoon-down-now.” His glacial blue eyes bored into hers. Her right hand trembled with the effort of resisting his will. Then she watched, wide-eyed, as her traitorous thumb lifted on its own, causing her spoon to waver and fall to the table with a clatter in the quiet restaurant, spilling its load of ice cream.
She swallowed. “How did you do that?” she asked, now truly frightened.
“I told you, it’s my Gift,” he said, using his napkin to wipe up the mess. “It’s not one I use often and never on my friends. Never, ever.”
Haley swallowed once or twice while wondering how fast she could get away from this beautiful, fascinating, irresistible boy with his dangerous Gift. Terrified, yet inexplicably still drawn to him, she slapped her palms down on the table and leaned forward, ready to shove away, to flee at any moment.
His eyes softened as he saw the movement and he covered her small hands with his. Her breath caught. What’s he going to do to me?
“Don’t be afraid,” he pleaded. “I would never, ever, take advantage of you. Please believe me.”
“Are you doing it again?” she asked, because all of a sudden she did believe him. And she knew she would always believe him. Could she ever trust her own feelings around him?
“No, I’m not doing it again, but I am telling the truth. And now, let me tell you about another Gift I have.” He never blinked as he readied himself.
“I don’t think I want to know–”
“You do. I promise you do,” he said, holding her there with his eyes.
She drew in a breath, steeling herself against whatever was about to come.
He touched a spot in the center of his forehead. “In my mind’s eye, I see people who will be important to me in my future.”
She frowned and shook her head slightly, not understanding. “And–”
“And you are all over my future.” He smiled as if that should explain everything.
About the author:
Diane has lived in Massachusetts all her life where early on, her
artistic talents were fostered, though her skills as an "excellent
report writer" were often noted in previous employment. On her brother
Rick's birthday, November 16, 2004, seven months after his death, she
woke from an amazing dream which would not fade. She outlined the dream,
made a few quick notes and days later produced a 12 page short story.
After deciding her story was interesting but incomplete, she began
writing her first novel, using her dream as its climax. She now believes
the dream to be a 'Spirit Gift,' sent by her brother. Diane continues
to reside in Central MA with her husband and a very naughty Basset Hound
named Basil and his new adopted sister-Basset, Ruby, both of whom
cleverly wreak havoc on the Haynes' formerly well-ordered lives. She
spends her time writing, reading books about writing, talking about
writing, painting with watercolors, antiqueing and attempting to train a
very reluctant Basil and a willing, but highly comedic Ruby. 
3 comments:
Pare destul de interesanta cartea!!Mi-ar placea sa o citesc! :D
Si mie mi-ar placea sa o citesc!!
Thank you for hosting this portion of my Blog Hop--I really appreciate it. And I love the comments by the two Andreas!
Blessings of the Enchanted Forest,
Diane M. Haynes
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