Surgery Fundraiser

My son (5 years old) is scheduled to have a hole in his eardrum repaired. I have to come up with the surgeons fees BEFORE the surgery can take place. So I'm giving out my supernatural ebook for only .99

Review for Gateways

Gateways: The Initiation by Michele Casteel is the first book in a new series. The book follows Melanie and her four friends as they deal with a horror which they have mistakenly unleashed. The girls are all High School seniors and appear to have a penchant for the unknown. One evening, the girls all gather at Melanie’s house and they decide to try out the new Quija Board. It starts off innocent enough, until the ghost which they’ve contacted begins to become more and more aggressive. Frightened by the turn of the events the girls give the Quija Board a rest. Unfortunately for them, the damage has already been done. The spirit has been unleashed and it refuses to leave. So the girls must gather courage and finally send this unknown entity back whence it came.

Gateways was filled with the unexpected, at times I felt as though I was reading a script for a movie. I have always enjoyed an intriguing ghost story and Gateways managed to whet my appetite. My one concern however, is the length of the book. The book was only 66 pages long; therefore, a lot of the scenes came across as rushed at times. Also, the characters would have been better developed as a result of a longer book. Perhaps I am being a bit picky because I am so accustomed to reading much longer books (sometimes too long). I haven’t read a book as short as this one since grade school. However, thankfully, Gateways did keep me glued to each page and I was anxious to know what exciting turn Casteel would take the reader on next.

Gateways ends on just the right note and readers are left with the impression that there are more books to follow. I look forward to delving further into the adventurous world of Melanie and her supernaturally inquisitive friends.

Excerpt from The Initiation (copyright protected)

Melanie’s heart pounded in her ears. She was sure that it could
be heard in the quiet night air.
I’ve done this a dozen times, she thought, of course everyone was
asleep.
Staring at the lit windows, Melanie motioned behind her.
Shadows broke from behind trees and bushes darting to the backyard.
Melanie took a deep breath, grabbed a roll of toilet paper and tossed
one end into the tree above her. It draped over one limb and another
before falling to the ground with a thud. Melanie snatched up another
roll and tossed it into the branches of a smaller tree. It didn’t cover
nearly as many limbs. She grabbed the roll and began to wrap it around
the trunk of the tree. Her heart beat faster. Just a few more rolls and
we’ll be done.
“Car!” a loud whisper came from the darkness.
Melanie and the others dropped to the ground. Did they see us?
Melanie pressed against the damp grass hoping the ground would
shield her from the car.
Headlights. In the driveway.
Oh, no.
Melanie watched someone get out of the dark SUV and approach the
front door. A knock. The door opened. Caught!
Not yet, she thought. “Now!” Melanie yelled. She jumped up
and sprinted for the side road where her car lay waiting. Shadows rose
from the ground and dashed behind Melanie.
“Hey! Stop!” a voice yelled.
The girls dove into the rust colored Oldsmobile Cutlass and
slammed the doors. Melanie started the car and threw it into drive.
Knowing the only way out was in front of the house they had just
rolled, Melanie sped up.
“Turn out your lights so they can’t see your tag.” one of the
girls yelled.
Melanie flipped off her headlights only moments before
spotting the SUV in the middle of the road. Her heart stopped. The
SUV was blocking their only way out. A sharp drop lay on the left and
a woman stood on the right. Taking a deep breath, Melanie swerved to
the left, grazing the edge of the drop off. Screams filled the air as the
car tilted sideways. Stomping on the gas, Melanie jerked the steering
wheel to the right. She swerved into the far lane, barely missing the
SUV. Seconds later she slammed on the brakes. Red Light.
“They’re coming after us!” Amber yelled.
Glancing down the empty roads, Melanie gunned the engine
again, turning right. Seeing a side road, she touched the brakes lightly
and twisted the steering wheel to the left. Tires squealed and girls
moaned as they were thrown on top of one another.
Melanie’s heart raced and her stomach flipped over. Looking
in the rear view mirror, she saw nothing. She ran the stop sign anyway.
“Hey, Mel, that was a stop sign back there.” Kara said.
“I know.” Melanie said. “But I don’t plan on getting caught.”
“Red light.” Kara announced.
Melanie didn’t slow down.