Guardians
Touched
by Light
Book
One
Lindsay
Chamberlin
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Date of Publication: 10/31/18
ISBN: 978-1728711669
ASIN: B07JC4W5JR
Number of pages: 252
Word Count: 65,000
Tagline: You can save her. Follow
your Light.
Book Description:
Riley had spent her entire life
terrified of the shadows and darkness that followed her everywhere she went.
They ruined her chances at a normal childhood and tormented her throughout her
teenage years, labeling her the freak in her hometown, but now was her chance
to start over. After receiving her acceptance letter from Bradford University,
a chance at a new life and new friends in a town far away from home filled
Riley with such hope for the future, but never had she dreamed of meeting the
most gorgeous guy on campus. Not only was he attractive, but the shadows were
chased away whenever he was near. Riley hoped she could hold on to him, but how
could she hope for so much when she had only ever had so little?
Reymend may look like just
another student at Bradford University, but his world was greater than any
mortal could understand. He was blessed by the Light, trained to be a Guardian,
a warrior against the shadows of Midnight that plagued Touched souls in the
never ending battle of Light and darkness. It was his duty to protect those
souls, and his next Charge was Riley. She didn’t understand the shadows that
followed her relentlessly, but one day, she was going to be stronger than any
Guardian in the history of the Light, if the darkness didn’t claim her first.
Excerpt:
Riley shook her
head, scolding herself. She had made herself promise the entire four-hour drive
to Bradford that she wouldn’t dwell in the past.
Not today.
The past was
gone, and today was about beginnings.
Riley glued
another smile to her face and continued loading the cart.
Today was going
to be a happy day. No matter what.
Then Riley felt
it.
A dark, swirling
sensation weighed down on her chest as goose-bumps rose on her skin despite the
ninety degree weather. Her breath felt labored, and her hands shook the cart
handle. She closed her eyes as they stung with tears and her stomach dropped
into her pelvis.
No! Not here!
Riley’s head
felt heavy as she slumped against her car, trying her hardest to open her eyes
again, but they wouldn’t cooperate. She felt something grab hold of her body
like a vice squeezing her mid. She clamped her eyes shut, placing her hands
over her face, determined to block it all from her mind.
Please, no!
She had hoped
she had left all this behind in Alexandria.
How could it
have followed her here?
She hadn’t even
done anything to trigger it!
A deep voice
full of malice rumbled in her ear a language she had never been able to
understand, but the message was still clear. The voice grew louder with each of
her staggered breaths. The hold around her middle became crushing. She gasped
for air, begged for the episode to end, but the voice and the strength of its
hold on her, only grew.
A bright light
began to shine through her eyelids as warm hands grasped her shoulders,
spreading their fever through her frigid veins.
“Are you
alright?” The silky voice said as random shapes were drawn on her skin.
The darkness,
the gravelly voice, the pain, all receded as the light grew stronger, and the
warmth enveloped her in serene silence. Her breathing calmed, and her eyes
slowly opened. The sun blinded her for a moment with sudden flashes of light
before her eyes readjusted, but then dark hair, blue eyes, and a beautifully
white smile met her stare.
“Hey, you OK?”
the guy with the amazing smile asked again.
As Riley’s eyes
focused, she could make out the dimples on his cheeks, the stubble on his chin
and jawline, and the warm honey tone of his skin. The guy was gorgeous, and he
was touching her.
“Do you need to
sit down?” Concern washed over his features.
Riley shook her
head, but with one jerky movement, thought better of it. She always felt like
she was going to get sick after an episode as colors continued to zoom in and
out of her peripherals.
“N-no,” Riley
stammered, trying to ground herself again. “No, I’m fine. I just need a
second.”
The guy’s smile
was back in place as he released his hold and leaned against the car behind
him. “You sure? You don’t look so good.”
Riley’s head
began to clear, and her stomach returned to its rightful position. She stood
straight and took a deep, lung filling breath. The memory of the voice and
strange language was already disappearing, leaving only the distinct feeling of
pain behind, but that was how they all ended. Even though this episode had felt
stronger than it ever had before, it went away a lot faster than the usual.
Maybe that was a
good sign. Maybe this move was what she needed after all.
“I’m fine,”
Riley responded, trying to convince him or herself, she wasn’t sure.
The gorgeous guy
quirked his eyebrow at her, clearly not convinced, but Riley could only
concentrate on how striking his features were.
Riley tried
again, straightening her spine. “Seriously, I’m OK. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
Riley looked up
to him, following the sound of his voice as her eyes traveled higher and
higher. She was just now realizing how tall and muscular he was. Definitely
near the six foot mark. She stared up at him as his brighter than the summer
sky eyes searched her face.
“I promise,”
Riley said, trying to smile as warmly back.
The guy’s smile
stretched wider as his dimples dipped deep into his cheeks, and he held out his
hand. “I’m Reymend, but everyone just calls me Rey.”
“Riley,” she
responded, taking his hand in hers.
A pulse shot
through her body as hot and strong as electricity. A whirlwind of images
flashed through her mind stronger than before, bright colors and assorted
shapes, but they were all too abstract to understand before they disappeared,
and Riley was staring back at Rey.
About
the Author:
Lindsay Chamberlin is an author who
is self-publishing her works. She grew up in Northern Virginia and has been
writing since she was a teenager. She would constantly write in a journal,
including her day to day life and random thoughts that she found noteworthy.
When she graduated from high
school with English Honors and Math Honors, she knew her life would go in one
of two ways. She would either become a writer or work in finance.
Finance won. Lindsay continued
her education, receiving a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, and
found a stable job to provide for her growing family. Her husband and daughter
are her heart, and she would do anything to provide the best life possible for
them.
But writing is what keeps her
soul alive! Until recently, she did not think her dream of being a published
author would ever come true, but thanks to self publishing, she is finally able
to get her work out to the public in hopes that they will enjoy her short
stories, novels, and select poems.
Her wish for her readers is that
they will find themselves within her novels, living out every scene with the
characters as if they were there with them.
Books are meant for our silent
escape into another world that would normally exist only in our dreams. Please,
enjoy!
https://www.goodreads.com/LindsayChamberlin
Interview with Lindsay Chamberlin
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
For me, my characters tend to take on a mind of their own. I will start out with the bones of my novel in mind, an outline of what I believe are the key points in the story to develop the world they live in. This helps me to keep the scope of the novel in mind, but when it comes to dialogue or what action the character may take in a given situation, my characters dictate their own stories. I’m not much of a planner outside of the basis of the novel. I have never had an ending in my mind for any of my stories before, and every time, my characters surprise me. Not only am I creating a story for readers to enjoy, I’m creating an experience for myself as I write it out.
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
Guardians is a must read because of its characters and the journey they face. In the paranormal romance genre, we have all read stories of vampires and werewolves, and devour as many novels of them we can get our hand on, but in Guardians, I’m introducing a new breed of paranormal beings. Guardians are immortal protectors of humans against the darkness of Midnight’s demons. The male lead (Reymend) is a Guardian Charged with a mortal college student’s safety (Riley). He must protect her from the shadows of Midnight in the same manner every Guardian has protected a mortal before, but there is something about her that calls to him.
Here so enters our characters. Reymend is an alpha-male, the brawn of the fight, and always ready to respond with force. He’s well known in the Guardian world for his strength against Midnight, but through his Guardianship of Riley, he finds himself lost in a part of his soul that he never knew existed. He’s raw and vulnerable as his feelings for Riley grow. What seems like a weakness becomes his new strength, all because of the awakening of his heart.
Riley has been followed by darkness her entire life. Every memory that stands out in her mind is full of pain and mockery, but it is through that pain that she finds her determination to have a better life far from her past. What should have made her weak created the courageous woman set on finding a place in this world to start over and fill her hollow life with happiness.
It is these characters and their journey through their paranormal world and budding romance that makes Guardians a must read!
Have you written any other books that are not published?
I have written three other novels that are published, and for National Novel Writing Month (#NaNoWriMo), I will be starting a new project from scratch with the goal of 50,000 words in one month. I have a few other works-in-progress that are on the backburner, but I will revisit them one day. I’m a writer, so for as long as I can come up with an idea, I will write!
Pen or type writer or computer?
I’m a computer kind of writer. I’ve been a touch typist for a long time now, and typing out my thoughts is a lot faster than handwriting with a pen on paper for me. Not to mention my hand writing is horrible, and I’m slower than molasses on a typewriter. The computer is the place for me!
Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
To all new readers and fans, welcome to the Touched by Light series and its first installment, Guardians. I hope you enjoy and stick around for book 2 and 3! I’d love to get to know each and every one of you, so find me on your favorite social media platform and give a shout. I will always be around to like your baby/cat/food/book posts.
To all the readers and fans that have been with me since the beginning, you mean the world to me. You are the reason I keep doing what I am doing and never plan to stop! I’ve met a few of you already, but for those I haven’t spoken to yet, I know you are out there, and you are loved! Stick with me, lovelies! I’ll give you all the books!
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