A Symphony of Starlight
Abby Sinclair
Book Four
Allison Pang
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Abby Sinclair
Book Four
Allison Pang
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Date of Publication: 10/8/2019
ISBN: 978-0-9985343-4-3
ASIN: B07YDZFDFV
Number of pages: 304
Word Count: 97k
Cover Artist: Ravven
Tagline: Sometimes you have to go to Hell to give the Devil His due…
Book Description:
The road to Hell is paved with good intentions . . . and sometimes unicorn puke.
In the span of a few months, mortal TouchStone Abby Sinclair has been trapped in a painting, had her memories stolen, and been Tithed to Hell, killed, and brought back to life by the OtherFolk. Now she’s pregnant and torn between her incubus lover, Brystion, and her elven king of a husband, Talivar. Otherworldly love triangles notwithstanding, she’s more than content to set the political drama of magic and mayhem aside and quietly settle into motherhood. But nothing is ever that easy . . .
Years ago, Abby’s best friend, Melanie St. James, virtuoso violinist and DoorMaker to the CrossRoads, lost her soul to the Devil in return for an enchanted violin. Now the magic of her violin is fading, and the Devil is calling in her debt to serve Him as His TouchStone. In an effort to escape the terms of this reckless bargain, she flees to the CrossRoads with her lover, Nobu.
But reneging on a deal with the Devil isn’t the wisest of moves, especially when He knows Abby is the only one who can bring Him what He wants. And when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Abby and her friends to find a way to stop the violin from consuming Melanie’s soul before it’s too late, even if the journey takes them straight into Hell itself.
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Excerpt:
“Well, I’m running out of ideas.
What about the thread?” I asked Kitsune. “You gave me a spool of red thread
once to help me find Talivar or my destiny or something like that.”
What about the thread?” I asked Kitsune. “You gave me a spool of red thread
once to help me find Talivar or my destiny or something like that.”
Ion
and Talivar blinked at me. “Destiny, is it?” Talivar said wryly.
and Talivar blinked at me. “Destiny, is it?” Talivar said wryly.
“It
led me to the tent with your horses,” I explained. “I’m not sure it worked the
way it was supposed to, but you did show up afterward, so who knows?”
led me to the tent with your horses,” I explained. “I’m not sure it worked the
way it was supposed to, but you did show up afterward, so who knows?”
Kitsune
brightened. “Ah yes. The red thread of Fate. A useful spell at times, though I
don’t know if it will work for us here. Depends on how entwined you and Melanie
are. It might not even lead you through the Gate at all.”
brightened. “Ah yes. The red thread of Fate. A useful spell at times, though I
don’t know if it will work for us here. Depends on how entwined you and Melanie
are. It might not even lead you through the Gate at all.”
She
paced, her fur seeming to shimmer slightly, and then one of her tails somehow
plucked a spool from the air and deposited it at my feet. I picked it up,
Brystion craning to see it curiously.
paced, her fur seeming to shimmer slightly, and then one of her tails somehow
plucked a spool from the air and deposited it at my feet. I picked it up,
Brystion craning to see it curiously.
“And
what is that all about?” His eyes narrowed. “I don’t like the way it feels.”
what is that all about?” His eyes narrowed. “I don’t like the way it feels.”
Kitsune
cackled. “Mortals are bound by Fate more so than OtherFolk. It’s often wrapped
so tightly around them they don’t even notice it. You were never one for such
things, aye?”
cackled. “Mortals are bound by Fate more so than OtherFolk. It’s often wrapped
so tightly around them they don’t even notice it. You were never one for such
things, aye?”
He
grunted at her and rolled his eyes. For a heartbeat, I could see his natural
form, the dark skin, the antlers, the hooves . . . the bells braided in his
hair with red thread. My mouth quirked, but I said nothing. Perhaps the incubus
was bound more by Fate than he liked.
grunted at her and rolled his eyes. For a heartbeat, I could see his natural
form, the dark skin, the antlers, the hooves . . . the bells braided in his
hair with red thread. My mouth quirked, but I said nothing. Perhaps the incubus
was bound more by Fate than he liked.
I
rolled the spool in my hands, taking one end of the thread. It shivered between
my fingers, almost like touching a live wire, jolts of power zipping beneath my
skin.
rolled the spool in my hands, taking one end of the thread. It shivered between
my fingers, almost like touching a live wire, jolts of power zipping beneath my
skin.
“Focus,”
Kitsune snapped. “What is it you really want? Where do you want to go?”
Kitsune snapped. “What is it you really want? Where do you want to go?”
I
shut my eyes. Melanie, I thought. I need to find her. I need to fix this. I
need to save her.
shut my eyes. Melanie, I thought. I need to find her. I need to fix this. I
need to save her.
The
thoughts repeated over and over in my head, and as before, the spool jumped
from my hand and rolled across the ground toward the Gate. Talivar skirted out
of the way as it hurtled toward him, swearing softly.
thoughts repeated over and over in my head, and as before, the spool jumped
from my hand and rolled across the ground toward the Gate. Talivar skirted out
of the way as it hurtled toward him, swearing softly.
The
Gate lit up in an instant, the spool shunting through and disappearing in a
splash of silver and gold, the red thread trailing like a tail behind it.
Gate lit up in an instant, the spool shunting through and disappearing in a
splash of silver and gold, the red thread trailing like a tail behind it.
The
fox limped over to the Gate, sniffing at the corner. The corruption on her side
grew more pronounced, but her three tails lashed wildly, coating her fur with a
silver light. “Abby! Let’s go! Before it closes!”
fox limped over to the Gate, sniffing at the corner. The corruption on her side
grew more pronounced, but her three tails lashed wildly, coating her fur with a
silver light. “Abby! Let’s go! Before it closes!”
She
shifted slightly, her paws becoming humanoid, and she snatched at the hand
holding the thread and pulled me hard, the pair of us tumbling through the
Gate. “Wait!” We swept through the entrance, but my voice was enveloped in some
sort of film, a quiet I couldn’t seem to break through.
shifted slightly, her paws becoming humanoid, and she snatched at the hand
holding the thread and pulled me hard, the pair of us tumbling through the
Gate. “Wait!” We swept through the entrance, but my voice was enveloped in some
sort of film, a quiet I couldn’t seem to break through.
I
reached for the others, but it was as though I was looking through water, a
barrier stretched between us that I couldn’t quite reach.
reached for the others, but it was as though I was looking through water, a
barrier stretched between us that I couldn’t quite reach.
The
thread. I clenched my fist. I was still holding the goddamned thread. What
happens when the thread keeping the Gate open goes through, Abby? What?
thread. I clenched my fist. I was still holding the goddamned thread. What
happens when the thread keeping the Gate open goes through, Abby? What?
“It
fucking closes,” I said. “That’s what.”
fucking closes,” I said. “That’s what.”
I
struggled against Kitsune’s clawed grip. “We have to go back . . . The others .
. .”
struggled against Kitsune’s clawed grip. “We have to go back . . . The others .
. .”
“There
is no time.” Her voice was hollow and empty as she staggered beside me. Her
tails dragged limply across the ground, the dark magic beginning to move along
her fur again. “Must make it . . . Inari.”
is no time.” Her voice was hollow and empty as she staggered beside me. Her
tails dragged limply across the ground, the dark magic beginning to move along
her fur again. “Must make it . . . Inari.”
And
then she was tumbling forward, the track we were on abruptly disintegrating
beneath our feet. I snatched at her, and the two of us fell, fell, fell, the
red thread wrapping around us.
beneath our feet. I snatched at her, and the two of us fell, fell, fell, the
red thread wrapping around us.
About the Author:
Allison is the author of the Urban Fantasy Abby Sinclair series, the IronHeart Chronicles and the writer for the webcomic Fox and Willow. She likes LEGOS, elves, LEGO elves…and bacon.
She spends her days in Northern Virginia working as a cube grunt and her nights waiting on her kids, cat, and an obnoxious northern breed dog, punctuated by the occasional husbandly serenade. Sometimes she even manages to write. Mostly she just makes it up as she goes.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3965895.Allison_Pang
Interview with Allison Pang
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reins of the story?
I’m a panster, so I usually have an idea of where I’m headed – a beginning and an end, but how I get there is usually a mystery. Sometimes I have a vague of idea of when things should happen but usually I just let the characters figure it out for me. Sometimes that means I have to backtrack or do heavy editing later, but I’ve tried outlining and whatnot and it simply doesn’t work for me.
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
Well, that’s fairly subjective, but if you like snarky heroines, magical creatures (including a tiny unicorn who eats bacon and bites people on the ass), sexytimes and a good dollop of Japanese mythology, then this book is for you! 😊 (Also if you’ve read the other three books and you want to continue the story, well, of course you need to find out what happens next, right??)
Have you written any other books that are not published?
No. Every book I’ve written is either traditionally published or self published.
Pen or type writer or computer?
Computer/iPad, though I tend to brainstorm with a pen. Sometimes the ideas flow better if I can randomly doodle.
Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Just that I hope they enjoy the book, and I’m so glad I was able to revisit this world again!
I love this series!
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the excerpt.
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