Keridan’s Journey by Michelle Peterson Virtual Book Publicity Tour December 2011

Join Michelle Peterson, author of the fantasy novel, Keridan’s Journey (WBD Books), as she virtually tours the blogosphere December 5-16 2011 on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

About Michelle Peterson

michelle peterson

Michelle Peterson is an avid reader and artist and it is this love that has lead to writing and painting becoming her favorite obsessions though she loves all things creative. Being a ghost writer for years, her first published book, Keridan’s Journey, not only bears her name but also her love of fantasy. She currently resides in Atlanta, GA.

You can visit Michelle Peterson’s website at www.michellepeterson.me.

About Keridan’s Journey

Project manager by day and artist by night, Keridan Patrick’s simple world ended with the death of her mother. The father she never knew showed up after twenty-five years and introduced her to a new world cloaked in secrecy and myth.

While fighting to keep some semblance of normalcy to her suddenly unpredictable world, she chanced to meet the mysterious Sahaj. Sahaj had ran for hundreds of years from the one soul he was destined to be with but was transfixed by the one he could not live without.

Would old flames and new enemies stand in the way of love?

Book Excerpt:

Chapter 1 – My Mother Kept Secrets

I saw things in my head – things that would happen, could happen. I always had an uncanny knack for knowing why someone should not do something. My mother called it a gift but it was never something we advertised. I did not want to be locked up in a crazy house.
I could only get flashes from people I knew and even then the flashes only came when they wanted to. Trust me. I used to try to get some insight on my calculus exams in college but not even a hint would flash into my mind.
After waking up for the second time, I went about my daily routine. I slept fine however I still felt unnerved for some reason. It was spring time in Atlanta, Georgia and with the exception of the high pollen count and haze, I loved springtime here. Cherry blossoms and dogwoods were abundant enough to never need perfume. All you had to do was stand outside for a few minutes and you would instantly be infused with a wonderfully natural floral smell. Today would be a good ditch day.
My daydreams were interrupted by the shrill sound of my phone echoing through the house. I knew something bad was about to happen. The ring was different. Pictures flew into my head of my mom lying in a bed. I answered the phone and listened numbly. Somehow I grabbed my keys and ran to the door. My emotions led to some really erratic driving down Interstate 85. Luckily, no cops were out today. I arrived at the hospital frantic. I never had been able to handle bad news well.
Doctors and nurses hovered over my mother. Her coppery skin was pallid and translucent. The normally small grey streaks in her black hair had seemingly taken over her entire head. Her topaz eyes locked on mine and she whispered, “Keridan.” I leaned closer. “Keridan, I need some time. Just ask them for a few minutes for me.” I turned to the closest doctor but was stopped by her hand. “Not them…just ask.” Something in her eyes made my stomach ball. Pictures flew in my head and I saw these beautiful creatures flying in front of me. I reached out to them and begged for just a few more minutes for my mom.
A lot of things happened at once. I immediately was in a forest grove with flowers around me and my mother was resting in a hammock nearby. She looked up, saw me and rushed over. “Keridan, thank you so much for asking; tell your father I said I am in debt to him again.”
Having been a test tube baby, I felt this was a strange request. I knew I was dreaming. The smells, the colors are only this vibrant in a dream. My mother was lying on a bed in a hospital gown not prancing about in a fairy dress.
“Keridan, I do not know how much time I have so let me start. There are things I never told you. There are worlds I never dared reveal. Your father was a Man Siren. You are half Siren.”
“Mom, you know my father was Number 5148691. What are you talking about?”
“Yes, that part was true but the man behind the number was a Siren. You are very special. Years ago when I found out I was told to keep it from you so you could be safe but you need to know now. Keridan, I am dying. Somehow my presence has masked you from the others but it will not be for much longer. As soon as I am gone, things will start to happen to you.”
“Mom, whoa…what are you talking about? I do not understand. What’s a Siren? What’s going to happen to me? You can’t die. I need you. I need you to not give up!”
“Keridan, baby, listen carefully. Sirens are these enchanted beings. There are like healers of the mind and soul.” The scene flicked between the forest and the hospital. “I am running out of time. You have the ability to see things sweetheart. Those flashes you always are getting, that is your gift. People are drawn to you but it will become so much more intense. Be wary of this. Trust only your heart.” The scene flicked again. I had a thousand questions. I did not know where the dream stopped and reality began.
I blinked and my mom’s eyes briefly looked afraid. “Trust your pictures. Trust your heart. Trust your father.” With that, the woman I had loved for twenty-five years was gone. Her lifeless eyes bore a gaping hole in my heart.