Title: The Island
Author: Clarissa Johal
Genre: Paranormal Horror
Release Date: August 5, 2015
Editor: Marisa Chenery
Publisher: Booktrope Publishing
Summary:“Exploring a remote island can sometimes get you into trouble.
Especially when you stumble upon a cave and awaken two demons.”
Emma Keller’s estranged grandmother has been missing for seven years. Emma journeys to her grandmother’s private island with the task of readying it for sale. Local rumors say it’s cursed, but she dismisses them as superstition. While there, she unearths a hidden cave, and is visited by two men soon after. Itu is well-spoken, though he hides his face in shadow. The other is more of a worry; with skin of alabaster, Thim’s feral presence sets her on edge. Emma discovers the island has a dark past. The two men aren’t human, but awakened demons…and they have their sights set on her.
The dark-haired man stood several steps from the front door. In daylight, she saw little more than she had the night before. His head was bowed. Long, dark hair hid his face. His broad torso was heavily muscled. His skin was like mahogany. He was easily a foot and a half taller than she was. The man he called Thim stood several paces behind him.
In spite of the cold seeping from the glass window, both were still dressed in loincloths. “Why are you dressed like that? It’s cold outside.”“It is what we have,” the dark-haired man answered.
The albino brazenly met her gaze. Though he was several inches shorter than his counterpart, his demeanor was by far more intimidating. Something restless and calculating lurked behind his colorless eyes. His skin was flawless, his body angular, and his limbs, long and athletic. Muscles tense, he looked ready to spring at a moment’s notice. Emma’s gaze traveled down to the albino’s hip. One of the ties on his loin cloth was almost undone.
She quickly averted her eyes. “Where is my grandmother right now?”“She is in the cave,” the dark-haired man replied. “You saw her.”
“And then I woke up here.”
“We brought you home. We are concerned for your wellbeing.”
“I have bruises,” she accused.
The dark-haired man turned his head slightly as if to consult with his counterpart. “Thim may have been heavy-handed with you,” he answered, his voice hardening. “He will apologize.”
The albino tilted his head and raised a pale eyebrow. His look was anything but an apology.
“Go away!” Emma said.
“We need to speak to you.” The dark-haired man asserted. “We wish you to come out.”Emma laughed at the absurdity of his request. “I don’t think so.” Backing away from the window, she scanned the room. The hammer was missing, the knife she’d been carrying the night before was god knows where, and she had nothing in the cabin to fight with.
“Come out, Emma.”
She froze. “How do you know my name?”
I’ve always been a half-way house for every stray animal that roams the neighborhood. There was a time, before kids and my husband, that I housed no less than twenty cats. Sad, but true. The downtown area I lived had a huge stray problem and for some reason, they always ended up on my back porch. I worked hard to assure they had proper veterinary care, and yes, it helped that I was in the veterinary field.
Nowadays, I seem to get less strays coming my way. Different neighborhood, I suppose. But what about attracting strays when it comes to writing? Is that possible? My first paranormal novel BETWEEN came to me “out of the blue.” I was working on my fantasy series when I was hit by two characters that didn’t belong. Though I kept setting them aside, they wouldn’t leave me alone and seemed determined that I write their story. Which I did. Four novels later, I’m still writing in the paranormal genre, and the ideas come faster than I can write them down. THE ISLAND spawned from a childhood experience, but once I started writing it, the characters seemed to take over. I was merely their tool.
This gives me pause for thought. Can writers attract “strays” when it comes to the Otherworld? Is that possible? We’re open to ideas and thoughts and commit them on paper. Given that there are probably many entities with stories to tell, would it not make sense that the Otherworld would take advantage of that? I guess we’ll never know but it’s certainly up for debate.
In THE ISLAND, Emma Keller encounters two entities from the Otherworld. And they have their sights set on her…
Clarissa Johal is the author of paranormal novels, THE ISLAND, VOICES, STRUCK, and BETWEEN. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s dancing, taking pictures of gargoyles, or swinging from a trapeze. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters, and every stray animal that darkens their doorstep.
*Member of the Horror Writers Association
*Member of the Authors Guild
THE ISLAND
Coming August 5, 2015 from Booktrope
VOICES
(May 2015) Permuted Press
STRUCK
(2014) Musa Publishing
(2015) Clarissa Johal
*Second place in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2014
*Winner of the Indie Book of the Day Award
BETWEEN
(2012) Musa Publishing
(2015) Clarissa Johal
*Second place in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2012
*Winner of the Indie Book of the Day Award
PRADEE
(2010) Clarissa Johal
*Second round finalist in Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award Contest 2012
Short stories:
PIGEONS (Susurrus Literary Journal)
THE ROPE (Susurrus Literary Journal)
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