Circle of Sun Series
Book 1
Kim Luke
Genre: Fantasy
Cover Artist: Anne and Marshal Tezon at Personal Chapters
Book Description:
Something is wrong in White Oak, MO After a deadly climbing accident, 30-year-old Quinn Clarke loses her job and retreats to the sleepy Missouri riverside town of White Oak to heal her fractured body and rebuild her life. But the tourist village, with its wineries, quaint shops and rich history, turns out to be anything but sleepy.
Something is wrong with the water in White Oak. Birds are dying and bizarre weather conditions threaten the town’s future. Quinn is sucked into the chaos, beginning with a mystery woman who delivers a message suggesting her climbing tragedy was no accident. Quinn meets handsome detective Keefe Remington, then visits nearby Royce Estate. She loses her way and her peace of mind on that visit and is confused and unprepared for what lies behind the massive stone walls and how she is somehow connected to the Royce family.
The first book of the Circle of Sun series takes Quinn from main street bookstore owner to unlikely heroine and straight into a darkness that could turn White Oak into a battlefield . . . and into her destiny.
Excerpt:
Circle of Sun Prologue
No one will visit his final resting place.
In death, as in life, his name had long been associated with broken promises,
broken rules and broken lives. He embraced nothing, and was embraced by
nothing. His only lasting impression was darkness, keeping even the most
forgiving souls from speaking a kind word about him, even in death. A brisk
October wind forces a tighter clenching of the scarf covering her throat. The
only sound heard is the crunch and swish of fallen leaves as she walks to the
pauper's section of the cemetery. She pauses, and kneels with devotion to the
memory of Colton LaMont. Melanie clears debris and places a few flowers upon
the site. Sorrowful tears fall for her undeclared love, and the parched and
thirsty soil drinks.
Chapter 1
Brilliant sunlight floods the rock face we
climb. The quartz veins in the limestone shimmer near my gloved hand. The two
of us scale the forty-five foot challenge with ease. We take pictures of one
another.
Alec teases me about my pink camera, and
my sloppy climbing technique. We gather our gear and walk across to the next
plateau, passing crevices and brush. He leads, and I follow. His sandy hair
dances with every September gust. Alec's shoulders are broad and he is tall
compared to my petite frame. His body is fit and the bronze of his skin reveals
seasons of living to the fullest. Alec is beautiful. The adage might be true
that opposites attract. He is dark, and I am fair. Alec thrives on adventures
while I find adventure in books and history. I am not glamorous like the women
I would pair with his kind, but his love for me is pure. I don't have to be
anything more than what I am, making me love him even more, if it were
possible.
The azure sky is a breathtaking backdrop
for puffy white clouds to sail by. This day is magical only because I am alone
with him.
Alec jogs back in the direction of our
last climb when I realize my camera is missing, and I continue on the trek to
set up for our next climb. I grow uneasy; does he need my help? He's been gone
too long, and I try to stay calm as I make my way back to the top of the ledge.
"Alec...Alec!" I say, but no
answer comes.
Eyeing the ledge, my fear mounts and can
no longer be ignored. Panic grips me and without hesitation I make my way to
the drop off. I slowly peek over. His voice behind me says my name.
"Quinn!"
Turning, I am blinded by the searing rays of
the afternoon sun. I see only a tall shadow before large hands violently shove
my shoulders with such force I am thrust over the rock wall. My scream fills
the canyon. I am free falling down, down.
My lungs ache for a breath in this deep darkness. I am suffocating. I
experience excruciating pain and ultimate despair. All hope escapes my
consciousness.
Sound and sight
are extinct now. My world is black.
Warmth surrounds my feet and travels
slowly up my body. My afflictions are gone. My eyelids are open, to a foreign
place. I rise and begin to walk, but my feet don't touch the sand. I float
along a quiet shoreline. The sterling sea is calm. Without sun or moon this
place is neither day nor night, but dusk-like. Through the mist a figure
approaches.
Her body glides towards me. She is draped
in shimmering silver, her face expressionless. Her gaze is not at me, but
beyond me.
Curious, I turn, only infinite shoreline.
My quivering hands cover my racing heart.
She seems to sense my fear as she studies
me. Large round eyes peer into mine, into my soul. Her blank expression is
replaced with tender mercy. Her friendly eyes promise no harm. I am no longer
afraid. I can't see, but I feel her smile. She is blissful; her immense joy
radiates around her like sparkling crystals.
My face is now wet from the mist, yet her
ivory skin is smooth and dry. Before I can form words, she does.
"No one can prepare for a time as
this. The sun itself fades in brilliance a bit with each passing day. Eyes look
but do not see. Purity drains from the hearts of good men. Find the Circle of
Sun. A tender seed must push through bitter soil to survive," she says and
points behind me. "Let the prints lead you."
The
footprints behind me are mine.
She interrupts my thoughts.
"Follow their path to your sun."
I bask in her radiant warmth as her
graceful hand touches my face.
Her gaze never leaves me as she glides
away.
I watch as she melts into the distance. I
want to follow, but she is gone. Few and unclear were her words. All I can do
is begin. I turn and take the first step.
My heavy eyelids open to blurred edges of
brilliant color, strange bouquets cover the ceiling. I blink to focus and the
scene becomes clear. Taped to the ceiling are vivid crayon-filled pictures,
children's artwork thoughtfully placed for those waking up.
Suddenly a face casts a smile down at
me.
"Dr. Crenshaw is here to check in on
you," says a nurse.
"Quinn, how are you feeling? Your
surgical procedure went very well, and with your recent progress, we can begin
to discuss getting you out of here after all of these months. I am sure you are
ready," the doctor says.
I am completely baffled by this
conversation and I struggle to communicate. My confusion is obvious to him and
he pats my hand. Me? In the hospital for months? I am disconnected to reality,
free falling again.
"You are still groggy, I will be back
in the afternoon to check in on you," he says kindly.
My drowsy state can only mean I am still
dreaming. The memory of the misty grey ocean beckons and I remember the
mystical place. Desperate to return to the silver shoreline, I fall into sleep
hoping to see her again.
During the next week reality rolls in like
an unwelcomed storm. Added to confusion is loss. Alec is gone. Pain permeates
every fiber of my being, and the waves of grief crest and ebb. Hikers found us
at the bottom of the rock face, Alec dead and me clinging to life. In death,
Alec saved my life, his body breaking my fall. I am horrified at the picture
this paints in my mind. Alec is gone, and even though I survived the accident,
I will need months of recovery. Investigators did not seriously consider what I
told them about being pushed. My pink camera was never found, perhaps it never
existed. Trauma can produce false memories, they explained. The only logical
theory of what happened on the cliff has been difficult to accept. Alec fell
and my shock at seeing him dead, caused me to fall too. Although I could not
identify who the shadowy figure was, I know it was Alec's voice making me to
turn. How is it possible? If he pushed me, how could his body break my fall? I
can't put the pieces together. As my body heals, answers elude me. I recall the
panic as I approached the edge. I heard Alec's voice behind me saying my name.
I was blinded by the sun. I remember hands forcefully pushing me. It's not
possible. Alec would never hurt me. I reluctantly accept their version of the
accident as reality. Logically it makes sense, so I struggle to recapture my
confidence and stabilize my mental state.
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Circle of Sun Series
Book 2
Kim Luke
Genre: Fiction Fantasy
Date of Publication: March 28, 2015
Number of pages: 218
Cover Artist: Anne and Marshall Tezon
Personal Chapters
Book Description:
The second installment in the Circle of Sun series finds the Guardians on a quest to save a city of innocent souls from potential decimation by illness and some seemingly innocuous chocolates.
As some of the Guardians are battling unseen evil away from home, their former leader and patriarch is falsely imprisoned and his daughter disappears. What does it take to recover another Fidesorb?
The discovery of a secret society of Guardians has created a new reality for Quinn Clarke and her friends in the little riverside town of White Oak. The first Quest with Quinn as the Polaris to the Circle of Sun transports our Guardians to a suspended season in time. Wearing the armor of faith, will they be able to rescue a city of innocent souls spellbound by a faceless enemy? Is the return of tranquility to White Oak after the defeat of the River People only the calm before the storm?
As new ties of friendship are laced, they quickly become restrictive and threatening. A tragic turn of events puts Romulus in danger of losing his freedom, and Sapphire is missing, leaving the Circle of Sun fractured and vulnerable.
Will a victorious Quest cost lives on the home front? What secrets lie within the lush rolling vineyards, hidden oak barrels, the Grand Royce Estate and even Fireside Books?
In the second installment of the Circle of Sun, our characters must grow into courageous defenders of light, if they are to break free of the vast and sticky web of deceit that threatens them. Their goal is to recover another precious Fidesorb so it can be returned to its rightful place in the angelic realms.
Excerpt:
Black
Inferno Prologue
Quinn can't sleep. She takes in the view
of the rolling Missouri hills from her window at Royce Estate. At first glance
she could be any woman, but Quinn Clarke Royce is no ordinary woman, not any
more. Since discovering her family and being chosen as the new Polaris to the
Circle of Sun, there is little remaining of her former life. Quinn and those
she loves navigate in a new world as Guardians. The lack of sleep is a fraction
of the price she will pay while growing into a leadership role that defies
reality. Few days remain before the announcement of the Quest. A selected
Guardian must accept before knowing any details about the Quest, and only Quinn
knows a Quest can take them to a place untouched by the passage of time.
Her past days of collecting and selling
books, merchandizing and marketing, are replaced by a crash course in the angelic
realms. She's learned the various ranks of Guardians, Sleepers, Pathfinders and
Knights and the existence of Living Stones and how they are used to measure the
balance of goodness. Like opening the cover of a book and reading a fantastic
tale of the battle between light and dark, her journey now spans the ages.
Quinn's homeland, identified in the
angelic realm as Nadellawick is peaceful this night, but only a short time ago
the battle raged, destroying the evil Petulah and her River People. The victory
over the darkness and recovery of a missing Fidesorb in Nadellawick was
celebrated by everyone except one. A storm brews and bubbles and a thick fog
moves in from the river.
Chapter One
White Oak, Missouri
Present Day
There is nothing good about a bad dream,
except waking up. His new reality is a walking nightmare. The initial shock
faded but his hopelessness remains. The
emptiness is constant, his existence black like this moonless night.
The windshield wipers cannot compete with
the driving storm. Wheels careen around a sharp curve high on the bluff. The
lost soul pushes harder on the accelerator, inching closer to the white line.
Air fills his lungs as he inhales for the last time. A loud and deafening crack
of lightening jolts the senses of this broken man and illuminates the road and
a figure before him. Thud! A sudden impact thrusts the car into a spin, ripping
a path into the opposite ditch. He lies motionless, sprawled across the seat.
Regardless of his intent, consciousness returns in fuzzy lined scenes. The
engine is dead, but he is not. Headlights show nothing but pellets of rain
cutting through the darkness. For a moment he forgets the incident that put him
there. Nothing happens when he turns the key. The driver side door can't be
opened so he slides to the passenger side for exit. With the vehicle at a steep
angle, the weight of the door flies open and dumps him into the saturated
roadside.
Attempts to stand are thwarted by the
relentless wind. Not wearing boots his shoes fill with water as he sloshes
through the tall grasses. Relieved when his feet reach pavement, he scans the
perimeter for a victim. The gusts whip drops that sting, making the search
difficult. A flickering light between boulders at the bluffs edge captures his
attention. Could it be a signal for help? The massive rock is slippery, but his
second attempt finds a small foothold to boost himself up. The boulder places
him even higher above the dangerous rim. Unsteady against the punishing winds
he crouches down. The source of the mysterious flashing illuminates his
wide-eyed gaze and nature muffles his terrified gasp. The empty man searches
for signs of life amidst the blood and bits of fur. Motionless, he stands as
the familiar moves and reveals itself to him. On this night, seconds before his
life should have ended, he finds the reason to go on.
Book Video
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About the Author:
Author Kim Luke once had to help a customer at her family Christmas tree farm chop down a fresh tree in a business suit and heels. She was comfortable in that attire, the “uniform” of her marketing profession. She was not as comfortable as a Christmas tree farmer, but she’s learned to be supportive in this family endeavor.
The tree farm is located in Missouri, the setting for both of Kim’s two novels in her Circle of Sun series. A literature major in college, Luke has always enjoyed a good story and loves using her imagination. Of her many passions, writing has been with her the longest.
The cornerstones in her life are her faith and family. Kim and husband Bob are blessed with three children, incredible in-laws and three grandchildren. The Lukes live with their Alaskan Malamute dog on a beautiful 20 acre farm, where Kim indulges her love of books, coffee, wine and positive thinkers.
Author Links:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Tour giveaway:
Copy of Book-1
$25.00 Amazon Gift Card
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