About The Children of Darkness:
A thousand years ago the Darkness came—a terrible time of violence, fear, and social collapse when technology ran rampant. But the vicars of the Temple of Light brought peace, ushering in an era of blessed simplicity. For ten centuries they have kept the madness at bay with “temple magic,” and by eliminating forever the rush of progress that nearly caused the destruction of everything.
Childhood friends, Orah and Nathaniel, have always lived in the tiny village of Little Pond, longing for more from life but unwilling to challenge the rigid status quo. When their friend Thomas returns from the Temple after his “teaching”—the secret coming-of-age ritual that binds young men and women eternally to the Light—they barely recognize the broken and brooding young man the boy has become. Then when Orah is summoned as well, Nathaniel follows in a foolhardy attempt to save her.
In the prisons of Temple City, they discover a terrible secret that launches the three on a journey to find the forbidden keep, placing their lives in jeopardy, for a truth from the past awaits that threatens the foundation of the Temple. If they reveal that truth, they might once again release the potential of their people.
Yet they would also incur the Temple’s wrath as it is written: “If there comes among you a prophet saying, ‘Let us return to the darkness,’ you shall stone him, because he has sought to thrust you away from the Light.”
Against all odds, Orah and Nathaniel have found the keep and revealed the truth about the darkness, initiating what they hoped would be a new age of enlightenment. But the people were more set in their ways than anticipated, and a faction of vicars whispered in their ears, urging a return to traditional ways.
Desperate to keep their movement alive, Orah and Nathaniel cross the ocean to seek the living descendants of the keepmasters’ kin. Those they find on the distant shore are both more and less advanced than expected.
The seekers become caught between the two sides, and face the challenge of bringing them together to make a better world. The prize: a chance to bring home miracles and a more promising future for their people. But if they fail this time, they risk not a stoning but losing themselves in the twilight of a never-ending dream.
EXCERPT;
Excerpt
Orah
had spent that afternoon with Nathaniel sitting on a log by the pond.
The leaves in the surrounding forest had completed their autumn
change, and stunning hues of red, yellow and orange reflected off the
still water. She stared at the colors, struggling to find a way to
convince him. After her fifth try, she stood and planted her hands on
her hips.
“I
forbid you to come,” she said.
“Since
when are we in the habit of forbidding each other.”
“Since
you’ve come of age and grown too bull-headed to take care of
yourself.”
She’d
been close with Nathaniel for as long as she could remember. Even as
a small boy, he’d wondered what the world must be like beyond their
tiny village, but now he was an adult and she on the threshold. She’d
always been the mature one, bothered by his childish notions. Time to
forego his fantasies and become more responsible.
Yet
he resisted, stubborn as always. “What would you have me do, Orah?
Cower in my father’s cottage.”
“Not
cower but be less conspicuous when the vicar arrives.”
“Only
one in three are taken.”
She
bent low and pressed her palm to his cheek to force him to face her.
“It’s not worth the risk. Have you forgotten the look of those
who’ve been taught, the far off gaze, the dreams seemingly ripped
away?”
He
grasped her wrist and eased her hand aside. “What good are dreams
if they stay unfulfilled?”
***
About the Author:
The urge to write first struck at age sixteen when working on a newsletter at a youth encampment in the woods of northern Maine. It may have been the wild night when lightning flashed at sunset followed by the northern lights rippling after dark. Or maybe it was the newsletter’s editor, a girl with eyes the color of the ocean. But he was inspired to write about the blurry line between reality and the fantastic.
Using two fingers and lots of white-out, he religiously typed five pages a day throughout college and well into his twenties. Then life intervened. He paused to raise two sons and pursue a career, in the process — and without prior plan — becoming a well-known entrepreneur in the software industry, founding several successful companies. When he found time again to daydream, the urge to write returned.
Using two fingers and lots of white-out, he religiously typed five pages a day throughout college and well into his twenties. Then life intervened. He paused to raise two sons and pursue a career, in the process — and without prior plan — becoming a well-known entrepreneur in the software industry, founding several successful companies. When he found time again to daydream, the urge to write returned.
David and his wife split their time between Cape Cod, Florida and anywhere else that catches their fancy. He no longer limits himself to five pages a day and is thankful every keystroke for the invention of the word processor.
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GIVEAWAY:
$25 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
+ a second winner wins paperback copies of The Children of Darkness and The Stuff of Stars (US)
Ends Feb. 10
Prizing is provided by the author, hosts are not responsible. Must be 13 or older to enter and have parental permission if under 17. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win.
$25 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
+ a second winner wins paperback copies of The Children of Darkness and The Stuff of Stars (US)
Ends Feb. 10
Prizing is provided by the author, hosts are not responsible. Must be 13 or older to enter and have parental permission if under 17. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win.
This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.
thank you for the chance to win :)
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