Warning Signs

By Sheila Englehart

What harm could come from attending a séance? Kellan Brooks finds it silly until she steps into a crack between her world and a
place she could never have imagined. The local grapevine pushes her cleaning business down the drain, her boyfriend to running damage control, and a steady stream of troubled souls to the gate that has appeared in her apartment. Her writer’s block is broken, but the clear voice Kellan hears doesn’t belong to her.

Connor Clarke needs Kellan to get an urgent message to his brother. She agrees to keep the gate closed on the entity that took his life, but no way is she playing messenger for a dead kid.

Anthony Clarke seeks truth for a living and spent twenty years searching for reasons behind Connor’s suicide. He is as blind to his own problems as he is to Connor’s presence. So when the entity escapes to target Anthony, Kellan must drop everything to find him before he meets Connor’s killer face to face.

"This is a terrific, sometimes funny, sometimes terrifying book, and I recommend it to any fan of urban fantasy, supernatural,
or just plain good writing out there."
Mary Ann Peden-Coviello – Freelance Editor, www.skewednotions.com

"Warning Signs is a well told cautionary tale packed with the kinds of experiences that parapsychologists love to investigate."
Dave Roberts, Managing Editor, The Journal of Parapsychology

• Language: English
• Publisher: Indigo Sea Press
• Release date: Sep 23, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301428786

Sheila Englehart

Sheila Englehart is an author and practical tarot reader who grew up in the snow belt of western New York, spent her corporate life in South Florida before settling in North Carolina. She wore many hats in the corporate sectors of accounting, finance, real estate and medical. In between, she's written short stories, feature films, novels, and nonfiction. She gravitated to the paranormal, married in one of the most haunted hotels in St. Augustine, and traveled through the Bermuda Triangle many times just to see what happens. She learned to read tarot in her twenties as a development tool and was certified in hypnotherapy. Her first novel Warning Signs explores the consequences of dabbling in spirit communication. It won Best Paranormal Fiction at the 2013 Mother Vine Festival. Ursa Rising follows a group of damaged rockers who find themselves with the help of a psychic healer. Her first nonfiction, Psychic Savvy, answers common questions on psychic development. She is a member of The American Tarot Association and Tarosophy Tarot Association U.K.

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Ebooks Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Praise For

WARNING SIGNS

"Warning Signs will grab your interest from the beginning and keep you turning pages as you can’t wait to know what happens next. Ms. Englehart has a gift not just for writing, but for fleshing her characters and scenes out and interweaving different parts of the story in a way that makes the events real and whets your appetite for more. This novel will introduce you to some metaphysical and spiritual concepts in an authentic and non-Hollywood, stereotypical way, in keeping what authentic metaphysical practitioners experience. Warning Signs is a great read that you won’t want to pass up. When you read the last word, you’ll find yourself wishing that it would go on and wondering what happens next with the characters."

Diane Brandon, Radio Host, Author of Invisible Blueprints: Intuitive Insights for Fulfillment in Life, & Integrative Intuitive Counselor

This suspenseful story both entertains and educates by offering a broad range of opinions about the survival of consciousness after death and what may lie on other side. Scientists, spiritualists, shamans, and skeptics all have their say during the dramatic events that unfold after the spirit virgin" protagonist’s first séance. The frustrated would-be writer reluctantly embarks on a quest to understand and fulfill a spiritual mission. Surprising synchronicities lead her to the target of her search and a confrontation with the dark force that has her in its own crosshairs. Warning Signs is a well told cautionary tale packed with the kinds of experiences that parapsychologists love to investigate."

Dave Roberts, Managing Editor, The Journal of Parapsychology

Sheila Englehart has a flair for creating quirky characters that are utterly believable whether they're dead or alive.

Carol Roan, Author of Speak Up: The Public Speaking Primer

This is a terrific, sometimes funny, sometimes terrifying book, and I recommend it to any fan of urban fantasy, supernatural, or just plain good writing out there.

Mary Ann Peden-Coviello -- Freelance Editor, skewednotions.com

From Second Wind Publishing

By Sheila Englehart

Warning Signs

www.secondwindpublishing.com

Warning Signs

By

Sheila Englehart

At Smashwords

Blue Shift Books

Published by Second Wind Publishing, LLC.

Kernersville

Blue Shift Books

Second Wind Publishing, LLC

931-B South Main Street, Box 145

Kernersville, NC  27284

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, locations and events are either a product of the author’s imagination, fictitious or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any event, locale or person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright 2012 by Sheila Englehart

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or part in any format.

First Blue Shift Books edition published

August 2012.

Blue Shift Books, Running Angel, and all production design are trademarks of Second Wind Publishing, used under license.

For information regarding bulk purchases of this book, digital purchase and special discounts, please contact the publisher at www.secondwindpublishing.com

Cover design by Tracy Beltran

Manufactured in the United States of America

ISBN 978-1-935171-93-5

Acknowledgements

I applaud my first readers Pat Barber, Mary Ann Peden-Coviello, Tony R. Lindsay, Mary Kay McAllister, Carol Roan, Rachel Schneider, Debra Slack, Dr. Michael Stephan, and Susan Williamson for their critiques and support. Special thanks to Michael for being the game-changer.

I honor Sandra Ingool for sharing the journey and helping cut the path to the real story. Without your expertise, this wouldn’t have seen the light.

I celebrate Mike Simpson and everyone at Second Wind for rolling the dice and making the process a pleasure.

And most importantly, I adore my husband Bob for indulging my eclectic nature and making my writing life possible.

Chapter 1

She would have sold her soul for a story. Chalk on the blank slate in her mind made agonizing noises as her level of anxiety grew. Kellan took a couple deep breaths and rubbed her hands together to generate an imaginary spark. Day one, do or die.  She had convinced herself that the next thirty days would decide if she had what it took to live her fantasy writer’s life, or if she needed to let go of her childhood dream.

Her thumbs tapped the space bar in anticipation.

Any minute now.

After ten minutes, she typed: This sucks. Why did I think I could do this? I haven’t written more than a grocery list in three years.

She knew her day was about to go off the rails when the phone rang. The time on the computer read 4:22 AM and she didn’t need Caller ID to know who was calling. 

You need to come with me tonight. Jade never bothered with preliminary greetings.

Not with a gun to my head. The last time Kellan let Jade talk her into going out, it was Ladies-Drink-Free night at a men’s strip club. Women pushing forty didn’t belong in strip clubs.

Don’t tempt me. Jade’s southern lilt was slanted with sarcasm.

What are you doing up this early? Then Kellan remembered the Danish boyfriend was in town. His band had just begun to get airtime stateside. She could also hear Jade smoking. Putting a few clicks on the rock star?

Not writing in the middle of the night, that’s for damn sure.

Kellan stared at her twenty one words. Makes two of us.

See there? You have to come. Get your juices flowing.

I’d rather stick needles in my eyes.

Oh, come on. This is something you only get to do when opportunity knocks, and it’s pounding the door off the hinges.

Kellan’s stomach fluttered as she fingered the peeling edges of her mouse pad. Her writer’s block had been reinforced with steel, and she felt like a convict trying to dig her way through a cell with a pencil nub. But she conceded, knowing full well she’d live to regret it. No drag strips, no sex toy parties, no men’s clubs, biker bars, two-for-one tattoos, and no checking out a new band in the basement of somebody’s grandma’s house.

God, you’re worse than my mother, Jade said. I’ll have you know that this happens to be a very classy soiree at the Crestletter Mansion. Seven thirty.

Seriously? Kellan perked up. What she wouldn’t give to see inside of those gates. What are you doing, a private class?

It’s a surprise.

Jade.

You already agreed, so don’t wimp out.

I clean these people’s houses. Well, not that house, but you know what I mean. I can’t sit at the same table with them.

Trust me, Jade huffed out another puff into the receiver, tonight you can.

The words ‘trust me’ never went down without a strong chaser. The needle on Kellan’s suspicion meter swung to its highest level and she had prickling up her spine that warned her not to go. Seeing inside of the Crestletter Mansion would be worth any humiliation Jade might spring on her, right? Facing a long night staring at a blank screen was option two. Option three was nonexistent, since her boyfriend was busy dealing with a family matter.

I swear on Opal’s life, if you don’t come home with a story idea, I will. . . There was a long pause as Jade thought it over. Well, you know I’m good for something.

Kellan closed her eyes. Jade’s daughter was usually not in her good graces. If some stripper shakes sweat on me or some old fart tries to cop a feel--

There won’t be any men there.

Well, women either.

No one will sweat, slobber, or paw on you.

Wait, Kellan sucked in a breath, and her eyes flew open. What would I have to wear?

* * *

Regret set in seconds after she hung up. Kellan tried to regain focus on her word count. After typing another sixty seven, she decided a snack might help. Guilt would surely follow at this hour, but maybe just a little pick-me-up.

Four steps and she was in the kitchen unwrapping a Little Debbie Snack Cake. She was about to bite in when she got a harebrained idea. Couldn’t hurt, right? Kellan rummaged through the junk drawer by the refrigerator, found a white, briefly used birthday candle, poked it in the middle of her cake, and lit it with the long barbeque flame-thrower. She closed her eyes imagining words flowing from her fingers to the screen without effort, scrutiny, or planning.

Help me find a story, a good story, that will speak to someone. A story bigger than my boring little life. For this, I will be grateful.

And she blew the candle out.

* * *

Kellan didn’t perspire, she sweated and her clothes were now sticking in the wrong places. She adjusted the vent on the dash to blow right on her chest. This is a bad idea. One of my clients could be here.

Relax, Jade stopped her red Porsche Carrera at the intercom box. It’s going to be great.

You don’t understand. You’re a professional, Kellan said, trying not to focus on Jade’s spiked hair, layers of black eye make-up, and Japanese letters tattooed up her arms. Not to mention the red and black she could pull off anytime, anywhere. I’m The Help. I can’t sit at the same table with these people. Small town like this?

So you’ll shake things up a little. We’re here now, so just roll with it.

And before Kellan could argue, a man’s voice came through the intercom. Name please.

Jade Hayes and guest for the party.

Kellan eyed her. Party?

Go left, park in front of the tennis court.

The gate parted in the middle granting them access to a cobblestone drive. Real cobblestone long enough to warrant beverage service for the ride.

Okay, it’s not so much a party as it is a séance.

Are you kidding me? Kellan brightened. Wait. Oh, God.

What now?

Candace Litchfield. Was she invited?

Jade barely avoided scraping a hedge for staring at Kellan. Maybe. I don’t know.

Mrs. Litchfield was Kellan’s bread and butter and part of a group of women who felt if they only dipped their toes in the water and tithed to their church on Sunday all would be forgiven. They liked to put on a conservative show, but behind closed doors they dabbled with things they found naughty: strip tease parties, psychic readings, and high stakes poker passed off as bridge. They may have even had a pot party or two. Kellan had heard Mrs. Litchfield talk about Mary Crestletter yesterday on the phone as if they were bosom buddies. Why hadn’t she picked up on that sooner?

I have always wanted to go to a séance. 

I know. Surprise!

Kellan frowned. But Candace Litchfield? She’s the reason I can pay my bills. She’ll want me dead on sight.

Please, Jade grinned. I could tell you some things about her that’d have her licking the bottom of your boots to keep quiet.

Kellan’s eyes cut to Jade. Great. A séance and blackmail in one convenient stop. They were quiet for a moment. Does it always work? I mean, do you always get somebody?

Not always. So this will either be a total bust or, Jade glanced at her, some really cool material.

Isn’t this a little Scooby Doo for you? You’re not worried this kind of thing might tarnish your spiritual integrity?

Jade tossed her cigarette butt out the window.

Kellan smacked her arm. You don’t throw your butts out the window in a place like this. The world is not your private ashtray.

Jade waved her off like a gnat. Okay, so I’m a little out of my element. But if someone like me doesn’t supervise, you know what can happen? A couple martini’s, they break out a Ouija board and flat out ask for trouble. I’d rather do it right than have to clean up the mess.

Kellan eyed her with suspicion.

I’m acting in service of my spiritual integrity.

Kellan winced. How many of these have you actually done?

Plenty, okay? Jade met Kellan’s eyes. Come on, I want you to have some fun tonight, alright?

Kellan studied her in silence.

You gave me your list of no’s and this was not on it.

A flash of something dark caught Kellan’s breath in her throat. A red-tailed hawk dove down at the hood of the little car. Jade jammed on the brakes and they both lurched forward as the large raptor ascended up to the tree tops that now blocked their view of the house.

Holy. . . Kellan braced herself against the tiny dash. I’ve never seen one dive down on a car before.

Jade wore a mystified grin. Messenger.

What?

Hawks are messengers. The Egyptians and Native Americans believe that when a hawk crosses your path you are about to receive an important message.

The bird bobbed on a swaying tree branch. Kellan’s skin prickled and a strange uneasiness crept into her. Like ‘go home, stupid, before they see you here.’

Oh, please. Jade grimaced. You watch. Somebody is going to get a very big message tonight. Jade patted Kellan’s arm. And you’ll have a front row seat.

* * *

The tennis court’s white lines and tape along the net tape were bleached bright. Even the paint of the parking bumpers was void of dirt. Kellan made sure Jade stopped the car before touching one, lest some poor groundskeeper be assigned the task of removing the mark.

They examined the carriage house from the passenger window. Double doors looked wide enough for an actual carriage and a second story above could have been for tack or hay storage, maybe a tiny room for groomsmen. White brick and oak framed by gas lanterns gave it old world charm. Matching iron hooks held the upper shutters open to window boxes overflowing with peonies.

It’s going to be fine. Jade took her hand. I will make it fine.

Kellan climbed out of the car to greet a short older lady who was not as slender and toned as Mrs. Litchfield and her friends. Mary Crestletter’s hand fingered a long doubled strand of pearls against a smart lilac pantsuit. Short strawberry blonde hair, dyed to the color of her youth, no doubt, feathered as if she’d just come from riding in a convertible. What struck Kellan most were the pink bedroom slippers.

Jade was out of the car and halfway across the drive before Kellan could offer her hand.

And who have we here? Mrs. Crestletter didn’t smile as her eyes took Kellan in.

I’m sorry. If I shouldn’t be here. . . Kellan hoped for an easy out before the rest of the group arrived.

Jade linked arms with the lady as if they’d known each other for years. This is my friend Kellan Brooks. I thought we might kill two birds with one stone, if that’s all right? Kellan has never attended a séance.

Mrs. Crestletter grinned like a child with a secret. Then welcome, my dear.

Thank you, but if you feel your other guests might be uncomfortable. . .

A gray haired man in forest green coveralls opened the side door and pushed the double doors open. Inside was indeed a carriage; one with more than a several hundred horses beneath the hood. The very old, carefully pampered Rolls Royce Silver Cloud reminded her of the car in the movie Arthur with lanterns on each fender behind the rear doors. Kellan felt her mouth open then clamped it shut, hoping Mrs. Crestletter hadn’t noticed.

Grady, would you kindly set another chair upstairs for us?

He nodded without a word and disappeared.

I daresay I needn’t implore you to exercise discretion.

Of course not.  Kellan shot a laser glance at Jade.

Shall we? 

And she followed the pair up the staircase with a growing sense of dread.

* * *

Lace filled the windows beneath moss and mustard draperies. Seat cushions in various textures served to compliment the sunflower table setting with a simple white ring of carnations and a white pillar candle. Several other white, yellow, and green candles stood on lace swathed stands in front of the windows.  The floor of beautiful resin-polished tongue and groove glistened beneath her shoes. A six by eight section near the seating area draped in a heavier olive fabric invited lounging on large throw pillows.

Kellan strolled around. She could not reconcile her presence in such a place. Leave, right now. Just leave. They really won’t want you here. Demand Jade’s keys and pick her up when they’re finished. Do it, now!

But the window of opportunity closed when the rest of the ladies came up the stairs in a group. They milled away from her as expected. Kellan thought she’d choke when she saw Candace Litchfield come through the door wearing a look of uncertainty behind a practiced smile. The minutes dragged like hours before they settled into cushioned seats around a circular table. Grady hit the light switch by the door, leaving them in the golden glow of candlelight.

Ms. Hayes has brought a guest. A spirit virgin, which might help raise the energy.

What did that mean? Was she some sort of bait? An array of looks passed between the ladies. Kellan had to work hard not to meet anyone’s eyes directly.    

Shall we begin? Mrs. Crestletter gestured for Kellan to sit next to her. Great, now her clients would think she was privy to private information about them. Kellan’s face now matched the rest of the group as she sat rigid as a grave marker, trying to think of a way out. There would be uncomfortable days ahead once this was over she was certain. 

Jade offered some preliminaries and answered a couple questions before instructing them to join hands. A painfully thin Bella Truss hesitated at taking Kellan’s hand. Why did they have to hold hands anyway? She tried not to think about it. Bella took Kellan’s hand as delicately as a soiled tissue. Self-consciousness helped her swallow a snicker. To her right, Mrs. Crestletter, who before closing her eyes gave Kellan a wink as if they shared some secret.

Kellan couldn’t resist opening one eye again to see Mrs. Litchfield’s face had drained and her accusing gaze bore into Kellan. Elise Barton, recent widow, sat opposite Mrs. Crestletter, dressed appropriately in mourning black. Kay Van Kesler sat next to her several layers of gypsy rags. No one had bothered to introduce the dark woman with long black hair that shone blue in the candle light. Dark eyeliner, shadow, and lip color brought out her inner Morticia Addams. In simple shimmering silver, she exuded the elegance of a slinking panther. Kellan had trouble not staring at her, just as Candace Litchfield couldn’t take her eyes from Kellan.

If you’ll take three deep, cleansing breaths, Jade instructed. Imagine the silvery umbilical cord of your core going through your seat, down through the floor, into the ground and deep into layers of the earth. Feel yourself anchored by this cord.

Kellan felt this happen instantly, while feeling eyes still on her. She wondered for a moment if she was the only one with her eyes closed. Stop thinking about it, she commanded herself. Just let well enough alone, and try not to laugh. The moment she had the thought not to laugh, that’s all she wanted to do. The situation was quite ridiculous by anyone’s standards. The longer she fought to suppress it, the more she wanted to crack up. She forced a couple deep breaths and the feeling subsided while seriousness settled her. In minutes, the mood in the room felt smothered in wool.

Okay, when this was over, she would torture Jade. For now, go with it and be open-minded in the name of research. This could be construed as research, right?

Jade took command. We fill this space with light and love, asking the powers that be to protect us from harm. Ladies, let us imagine a column of healing light coming from above, surrounding and protecting us. We ask Archangel Michael to protect us from anything negative. In this space, no harm will come to us. Only beings of like mind and highest intention are allowed in this sacred space.

Kellan cracked an eye open to see the ladies in various stages of effort.

We ask for our loved ones who have crossed over to come forward to this safe, loving space and deliver any messages they deem appropriate. If there is anyone present who needs help, you are invited to step forward as well.

Silence. Nothing moved. This group might not generate enough spiritual electricity to disturb a candle flame. 

We call the man specifically known as Frederick Barton. Frederick Barton, if you are present, please come and be heard.

Freddie. It’s me, Elise.

Here we go. Kellan bit her lips together to keep from laughing.

If you are with us, give us a sign, please, Mrs. Crestletter added in a raised voice as if Jade hadn’t been loud enough. Kellan imagined a hand with a sign dropping from the ceiling reading, Here! Then she struggled to contain the urge to laugh again. Where was this coming from? She had gone from nervous to giddy in a few short breaths.

Someone whispered, Nothing’s happening.

Patience, Jade said. It’s not exact, and he may not be ready to come back yet. A pause before she said again. If there is a Frederick Barton here, please make your presence known.

Behind Kellan’s closed eyes, a shadow moved to her left. Was it from a flickering candle casting a shadow beneath her eyelids? She forced herself not to open her eyes.

I feel a presence, Jade said.

Male.

Kellan assumed this was the voice of the panther woman because she didn’t recognize it. Next to her, Bella caught her breath as if she had been holding it the entire time. In her mind’s eye, all Kellan saw were orange and brown swirls.

Jade tried again. If there is a loved one connected to anyone at this table who would like to relay a message, we are open to hearing from you now.

Kellan saw a bright golden bubble of woven light around her. A heavy drapery of deep purple fell around the bubble, as if a magician might make her disappear.

Blackness.

Kellan listened. Nothing. She strained to find something in a void. Jet black. No shadow, no light, no form, no movement. Silence. When she remembered to breathe, she could hear herself as loud as from inside a closed space.

The scent of freshly broken earth, moist and musty found her. She could taste it on her tongue. Kellan no longer felt in the presence of the other ladies. Where was this?

A light flash. A dark shape. Stillness. Another flash: a strobe lasting only a half beat revealed a curved shape. Kellan steeled herself not knowing what it was or if it had seen her at the same time.  Another strobe showed the edge of the largest bird wing she’d ever seen; larger than the garage door on the firehouse.

Darkness.

Her ears pricked to a soft rustling. Fabric moving? Parting of curtains? Where were the others? Feathers. It sounded like of a bird stretching a wing.

Another strobe showed a silhouette of a tall figure. Not a bird, more like a man with gigantic wings. He was three times the size of any normal man. How strange to feel on such high alert while unafraid, almost safe.

Darkness.

What are you? 

Az-ra-el came a deep whisper, forced out as if from a last breath.

Kellan’s mind searched. What was Azrael?

An-gel of Death.

You have got to be kidding. Until that moment Kellan had been sure there were no such things as angels. People thought their deceased relatives went on to become angels, but she knew, that if angels were real, they were not human, and they were not sweet and loveable. According to religious texts, there were only two humans to ever become angels, and she had never heard of an angel having black wings.

Rustling grew louder behind her. The flashes came faster, revealing more. Great black wings reached to encircle her, and climbed high over her head. 

Stillness. The sound of her own breathing was unsettling. Was this thing really death in disguise?

The blast of a train horn made her jump. She could still feel the chair beneath her. The horn came again, two more short blasts, then the rumble of the fully charged engine pushing closer, as though a track were right in front of her.

Her mind raced. There was a track she crossed at least twice a week that had not been used in many years. She could only think of one active railway that ran through the area, but it was miles east of the city. In the nearly three years she’d lived there, she had never heard a train.

Hushing her haggard breathing, she could feel another presence.

The flash of a middle-aged man standing at an iron gate confused her. He wore a white shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows. He looked familiar, but her eyes failed to distinguish clear facial features.

Reviews for Warning Signs

[sheiladeeth_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kellan didn’t really intend to go to a séance, but it was hard to get out of it once her friend had brought her there. Besides, the experience might give her a story to ease her writer’s block. But Kellan and her friend both get more than they expect when they ignore these warning signs. This “spirit virgin” finds herself “typing at a rate of speed she’d never known herself capable” while a dead young man insists on invading her dreams. Meanwhile a film crew investigate life after death, and two storylines are set to converge.In a small town where church-goers, and especially Kellan’s boyfriends’ mother, really don’t approve of the paranormal, Kellan’s growing insistence on the reality of what she’s seen, and the need to do something about it, soon leave her ostracized and alone. Author Sheila Englehart handles the conflict deftly and honorably, with pleasing quiet humor, touches of honest faith and doubt, and great characters with genuine concern for each other.The plot’s intriguing. The lifestyles of TV host and house-cleaner are equally convincingly portrayed. And the story’s an enjoyable blend of urban fantasy with very thought-provoking real-world “warning signs.”Disclosure: I was lucky enough to get a free ecopy of this novel and I’m just sorry it took me so long to get around to reading it.

[stevelindahl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kellan is suffering from writers' block. She sits at her computer, hoping something will come, but she can't find her muse. She is like Mark in the play RENT, wishing for “one song to leave behind.” In her frustration, Kellan wishes for her story on a birthday candle (actually a candle she stuck in a Little Debbie snack cake when celebrating alone). Soon after that wish her friend Jade invites her to a séance where Kellan is pulled into a terrifying story that changes her life.Warning Signs by Sheila Englehart is the story of a woman in her late thirties who is sensitive to paranormal activity and is sought out by Connor, a dead man, who needs her help. Connor wants her to contact his brother, Anthony, to explain the circumstances of Connor's suicide. He wants Anthony to finally get over the trauma and on with his life. He also wants to protect Anthony from the dark force behind his suicide.This novel has some interesting characters: a few dead people, a villain known as a leech, and a Roman soldier with a British accent, among others. It also has some gripping moments for readers interested in the occult: a séance and the use of astral projection, among others. But what I found I liked the most was the way Englehart presented real world situations within the paranormal story. Much of the story is about the attempts of two brothers trying to reconcile. And there's another story woven into the plot, about the mixed feelings a woman can have when dealing with a man who loves her, but is overly protective. Englehart's characters are real no matter what world they're from. That's what gives her novel its heart.Steve Lindahl – author of Motherless Soul and White Horse Regressions