In My Dreams by Cameo Renae
Hi Everyone!
My name is Cameo Renae and I’m introducing you to my Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance novel. It was actually my debut, but I’ve recently revised and updated it.
It also has a new cover from Steph’s Cover Design.
This story is dear to my heart, and was written after my mother-in-law passed away. If you pick it up, I hope you enjoy it. Get ready for an emotional rollercoaster ride!!!
XOXO,
Cameo
Available on Amazon: http://smarturl.it/inmydreams2
Blurb:
The dreams were happening again.
It was something seventeen-year-old Elizabeth Hayes thought she’d outgrown. She didn’t want them anymore; detailed premonitions of how people would die.
One night, Lizzy’s worst nightmare occurs. She dreams of her boyfriend, Michael Young, and soon discovers his car was found in a river, along with his lifeless body.
Confusion settles deep within when Michael appears alive in her dreams. He warns her, attempting to keep her safe from the very person who murdered him.
Awake, Lizzy must pull on her inner strength, not only to save herself, but also her friends whose lives are in danger.
In My Dreams is a story of trust,
friendship, courage, and true love that lives beyond the grave.
Excerpt: Chapter 1
I staggered through darkened woods.
The air was dense and musty. A white mist concealed the cold, damp earth beneath my feet while a thick overgrowth of tangled trees surrounded me. Although the moon’s faint glow illuminated my immediate surroundings, an ominous, eerie feeling lingered in the air, shooting chills up my spine.
I needed to get out of here, quickly.
Looking to the moon as my guide, I began to maneuver through the wooded maze, searching for an exit. My bare feet continuously slipped on moss-covered roots, and a carpet of old, damp leaves. Cracking branches alerted me to something lurking in the shadows, very near. I turned, only to see the looming darkness and forged on, desperately seeking a way out.
Why the hell am I here?
Branches snapped again, this time even closer. I glanced over my shoulder as a dark hooded figure layered in shredded cloaks emerged, hovering just above the mist. A wave of dread surged through my veins, awakening my senses. I wanted to run, but my legs were weighted with fear. The terror continued to approach, but my body was frozen and my knees buckled, causing me to fall.
“Get up, Liz. You need to get up,” a voice shouted from the darkness.
I knew the voice.
“Michael,” I screamed, twisting my head in all directions to catch any glimpse of him.
“Liz, run!”
“Michael, where are you?” I called, anxiously scrambling in the direction I’d last heard his voice.
A glowing orb flitted among the trees just ahead of me, and then slowly began taking a human shape. Michael stood with his hands outstretched, beckoning me to come. His gleaming brown eyes were comforting; his countenance luminous, resembling a porcelain angel.
“Michael,” I cried, reaching out to him.
I slipped right before we touched, falling hard to the cold earth. I glanced up, focusing on his glowing face. His smile immediately brightened everything around me. Reaching out to him, he disappeared, and I was alone in the dark again.
Dozens of red eyes blazed in the darkness, attentively watching my every move. Vociferous cackles resonated like wicked hyenas seeking their prey. I pushed on, struggling through the thick brush, hurting, clawing, and lacerating my skin. Every effort to leave the dark labyrinth of hell seemed futile. I was weak, I was exhausted and I was ready to give up when I finally pushed out of the trees into a clearing.
A small cabin rested directly in the center, peacefully silhouetted in the moonlight. Without a second thought, I raced for the shelter. I didn’t turn back. I couldn’t, sensing the dark creature was still in pursuit. When I arrived, the door was ajar so I easily pushed it open and slammed it shut behind me, pressing my back against it. I tried to catch my breath, shivering at the thought of whatever else could be lurking in the pitch-black room. I rubbed the walls on either side for a light switch. Nothing. Only cold, hard wood.
The cabin shook violently just before a door directly across from me burst open. Then, two more doors on the opposite walls thrust open, slamming hard against the outside walls. My heart hammered, echoing through my head as my palms cupped hard against my ears.
A chilled wind swirled through the three open doors, whistling a song of terror. I forced my quivering legs to the first door, but as soon as I shut it, the door I’d just left flew open.
What the hell?
As I glanced through the opening, I witnessed the dark creature emerging from the woods, heading straight toward me. My heart beat furiously against the walls of my chest, begging me to run.
A normal person would’ve run, but I'd never been so scared in my life. I was one of those irritating people who froze - like in the movies. The characters I frustratingly yelled at. They could have run and got away but froze instead.
“Michael, where are you?” I screamed. Tears streamed down my cold cheeks. My legs wavered, barely holding me up, but I gathered every ounce of strength left in me to shut the remaining doors.
I shivered with fear as a high wind wailed around the cabin, followed by all four doors simultaneously flying open, bashing hard against the outside walls. I stood helpless and terrified as the cabin tremored around me.
Everything from that point seemed to move in slow motion. I dropped to the ground, pushing myself back to the furthest corner and watched as the creature hovered through the front door. The air became ice cold.
The figure stopped inches from me. Its face was shrouded in an over-sized cowl, torn and shredded, and through those rags, I saw death. Decayed skin clung to the bones of a shriveled corpse-like face. The putrid stench of rotting flesh burned my nostrils. Weathered robes dripping with crimson were tainted with the smell of copper and salt.
My breath ceased as the creature slowly lifted its withered appendage. A decrepit hand with long shriveled fingers shot toward my face. I screamed, clenching my eyes shut and shielding my face with my arms.
“No!” A familiar voice yelled.
I opened my eyes to witness a blinding white light shoot through a side door, straight into the center of the creature. It stumbled back, screaming and writhing in pain, grasping the scorched flesh where the light entered it. Agonizing screams reverberated off the cabin walls, piercing my eardrums. Streams of light shot from its orifices as the brilliant light intensified. Then, the creature exploded, shattering into a million tiny sparks which were carried out the door by the wind.
Breathless, I awoke on my couch. My forehead was drenched in sweat, my mouth was bone dry. Shaken from the dream, I stumbled to the kitchen for water.
The last time I’d had such vivid dreams, actually nightmares, was as a child. They’d haunted me to my core. Over time, I learned these dreams were not merely dreams but actually warnings of what was to come.
These weren’t the kind of dreams which left you with warm, fuzzy feelings. They were dreams of death – details of how people would die.
Premonitions are what my grandmother used to call them; a gift of foresight given to a chosen few. To me, it was a curse. I was too young to possess such a gift. The dreams terrified me, and I was never allowed to tell anyone outside of our family about them. It was a secret. One my parents weren’t very proud of.
At the age of seven, the dreams suddenly stopped. At the time, I was thankful to finally be rid of the affliction because I’d been dealing with the divorce of my parents.
About the Author:
Voted 2013 Break Out Author by Young Adult & Teen Readers, and 2013 Book of the Year (Hidden Wings).
Cameo Renae was born in San Francisco, raised in Maui, Hawaii, and recently moved with her husband and children to Alaska.
She's a daydreamer, a caffeine and peppermint addict, loves to laugh, loves to read, and loves to escape reality. One of her greatest joys is creating fantasy worlds filled with adventure and romance, and sharing it with others.
One day she hopes to find her own magic wardrobe, and ride away on her magical unicorn. Until then...she'll keep writing!
HAPPY READING!
For updates on Cameo you can visit:
Website: http://cameorenae.com
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Cameo-Renae/e/B004X2PEH0/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CameoRenae
Check out the other authors in the blogfest!!!
Great extract. Really well written and fast faced story.
ReplyDeleteI have read all your Wings books, but have this book in my library waiting to be read. It looks awesome!!!
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