Synopsis: When you have a connection to the Darkworld, nowhere is truly safe.
Ashlyn has found a new home in Blackstone, but when a spate of grave robberies across the country spark fears that someone is practicing illegal sorcery, she comes under the radar of the Venantium, the protectors of the Barrier between her world and the Darkworld, who are suspicious of any sorcerer unaware of their origins.
The trouble is, what Ash does know might just get her killed.
Sufferers of the dangerous condition known as the vampire’s curse are being brutally killed, and the latest victim is Leo’s guardian, the ex-head of the Venantium. Ash determines to help Leo find out what’s really going on, but it isn’t long before events are spiralling out of control. The dead are rising from their graves, and the barriers around Blackstone are threatened by a demon which looks exactly like Ash herself…
And here's more information on the first in the series, Darkness Watching (Darkworld #1)
Eighteen-year-old Ashlyn is one interview away from her future when she first sees the demons. She thinks she's losing her mind, but the truth is far more frightening: she can see into the Darkworld, the home of spirits– and the darkness is staring back.
Desperate to escape the demons, Ash accepts a place at a university in the small town of Blackstone - little knowing that it isn't coincidence that led her there but the pull of the Venantium, the sorcerers who maintain the barrier keeping demons from crossing from the Darkworld into our own world.
All-night parties, new friendships and a life without rules or limits are all part of the package of student life - but demons never give up, and their focus on Ash has attracted the attention of every sorcerer in the area. Ash is soon caught between her new life and a group of other students with a connection to the Darkworld, who could offer the answers she's looking for. The demons want something from her, and someone is determined to kill her before she can find out what it is.
In a world where darkness lurks beneath the surface, not everyone is what they appear to be...
Reviews
“In the vein of Buffy and Supernatural, DARKNESS WATCHING found that perfect balance between the freaky and the fun.” - YA author Jen Estes
"Demons, Sorcerers, evil, and secrets. Could you ask for a better supernatural suspense set-up?...It's full of suspense, danger, evil and dark humor. The plot is original, and completely gripping. From the first page, this book had me hooked." - Rose at Desert Rose Reviews
"A suspenseful first part to an intriguing new fantasy series." - Sharon Stevenson, supernatural author
“The story is extremely well-written with effortless, flowing prose, and the original magic-user mythology and Darkworld creatures are very entertaining. The author took what might have been over-done premise and twisted it into something very fresh and exciting.” - Lexa Cain, author of Soul Cutter
"This is a wildly different story than any I have read about demons...I loved it!" - Kathy at Bookmarks, Spoilers, and Happily-Ever-Afters
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/images/cleardot.gifFear's Touch: A Darkworld Novella is also available now!
This is a standalone novella, intended as a prequel to the Darkworld series. As it takes place one year before the events of Darkness Watching, it doesn’t contain any spoilers (although it does hint at things which will come into play later in the series).
Freakish powers and staring demon eyes aren’t part of Claudia’s plans for the future – and neither is ending up stuck at the gloomy, isolated University of Blackstone. But bad life decisions are the least of her problems, when a split-second decision to help out another magic-user puts her in the crossfire of both the shadow-beasts and the creepy organisation which hunt them down.
Claudia’s never had to worry about making the right choice before, but every decision matters when you have a Darkworld connection. Soon, she’s going to have to make a choice: turn her back on the crazy and try to live a normal life, or take the monsters down.
But in a world where everyone seems to have secrets, can she really trust her fellow magic-users – or even herself?
Emma spent her childhood creating imaginary worlds to compensate for a disappointingly average reality, so it was probably inevitable that she ended up writing bizarre, fantastical stories. She was born in Birmingham, UK, which she fled at the first opportunity to study English Literature at Lancaster University. In her three years at Lancaster, she hiked up mountains, skydived in Australia, and endured a traumatic episode involving a swarm of bees in the Costa Rican jungle. She also entertained her creative writing group and baffled her tutors by submitting strange fantasy tales featuring dragons and supernatural monsters to workshops. These included her first publication, a rather bleak dystopian piece, and a disturbing story about a homicidal duck (which she hopes will never see the light of day).
Now a reluctant graduate, Emma refuses to settle down and be normal. When not embarking on wild excursions, she edits and proofreads novels for various publishing houses and reads an insane number of books. At the age of 21, she signed a publishing contract with Curiosity Quills Press for the first book in her creepy urban fantasy Darkworld series. DARKNESS WATCHING was published in October 2013, the first in a five-book series. Emma’s books tend to contain monsters, magic, and wildly inappropriate humour.
Excerpt
The world flipped over. I was suddenly overwhelmed by the stench of earth and leather. There was something else lurking beneath, a more subtle scent, metallic and salty. Blood. My arm throbbed.
I rolled out of the way of my attacker―a big man, broad and wild-looking. He wore the tattered remains of what must once have been a pristine suit, which was now torn and stained with mud. His steel-grey hair was matted and his teeth were bared in an inhuman snarl.
“I found you,” he hissed.
I couldn’t move. Even though he wasn’t touching me, I felt as though I was frozen to the spot. It was like one of my nightmares which ended in sleep paralysis, with me unable to even move a limb, or scream for help. He must be a magic-user, a powerful one.
But before anything else could happen, there was an explosion of fiery light and the man leapt aside, roaring in pain. Claudia faced him, and she looked incredibly pissed off.
“What,” she said, “is your problem?”
“This is none of your concern,” he growled.
“I’d say it is,” said Leo, and threw himself at the man.
This was an incredibly foolish thing to do, given that his opponent was twice his size, but the guy clearly hadn’t expected such a direct assault. They both fell away down the hill, and judging by the flashes and yells of pain, both were using magic. I hesitated to follow, not wanting to get in the way. I’d never seen Leo display the slightest bit of aggression before, but now he looked livid. I was ashamed at myself for holding back, but it didn’t seem a bright idea to get in the way of the flames. Being half-demon meant I’d never be able to summon fire myself, although I could still overwhelm a demon using ice that burned like flames. But I couldn’t make myself immune to burning, like Leo and Claudia could. In a fight like that I’d burn alive.
“Get away from her!” yelled a voice.
I’d forgotten about Conrad. He ran toward us, but his feet slipped on the wet grass and he went head over heels. I would have laughed at him if I didn’t have more pressing matters to deal with.
Ignoring my throbbing arm, I contacted the Darkworld and felt the familiar surge of coldness, of pure energy, rush through me. Without thinking, I threw myself after the other two. Claudia hung back, perhaps hesitant to shoot a fireball in case she hit Leo by accident. But I didn’t really have a plan. I just wanted to get him away from Leo.
Ice spread out from my palms rapidly as I latched onto the man from behind.
“Leo, let go of him!” I shouted, not wanting him to get caught in the spell, too. He backed away, gaping as the man before him rapidly turned into a statue of ice.
Drained, I dropped to my knees.
“How in hell did you do that?” said Leo. “I’ve never seen magic like it.”
“I have no idea.” Light-headedness swept over me. I pressed my forehead to the cold ground, my body trembling. This big guy just attacked me for no reason. “Tell me I didn’t just imagine that. Who was he? A werewolf?”
“No, he’s another vampire,” said Leo, and he wasn’t laughing. “His name’s Bill Melmoth, and he’s my guardian.”
