Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Pages: 320
Published: October 16th, 2013
Published by Createspace
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1mVJSre
Barnes & Nobles: http://bit.ly/1o0HuEq
A CHILL RUNS THROUGH HIS SKIN AS THE PHANTOM APPEARS.HE SEES THEM EVERYWHERE . . .Eric Stark is not insane. Or at least he doesn’t think so. He wishes everyone in Dust, Texas, felt the same way. But that’s not going to happen since the whole town thinks he’s crazy. Why didn’t he keep his mouth shut?No one understands. Eric is alone as he battles his sanity in a town of tormenters. Suddenly a new friendship emerges after the new kid, Kyle Barrett, moves to town.Eric reluctantly reveals his secret. Is it a curse or a gift? He isn’t certain, but with Kyle by his side he finds the courage to seek the truth.They soon realize that something sinister is descending on the residents of Dust.Is it caused by Eric’s phantoms or is it something else? Is it connected to the mysterious death of hundreds of townspeople over sixty years ago? One thing is certain—only Eric and Kyle can save them.They set out on a heart-pounding adventure and find themselves transported to a disturbed and deserted version of their small southern town. They quickly discover that this new world has mysteries of its own to uncover. What they find could prove more than they bargained for, and it only leads to more questions. Eric and Kyle must face a horrifying fact—they may never get out alive.
Will they survive their encounter with these dark and mysterious beings?Will they find a way back home?Or will they be lost forever?The Vanished from Dust series is perfect for anyone who craves a hair-raising thriller packed with mystery and suspense. This paranormal story for young adults can be compared to Stand by Me, mixed with Odd Thomas, and a twist of The Dark Tower.
Shea Norwood is an emerging author and native of West Texas that currently lives in the DFW area with his wife and son.He was drawn to writing at an early age and recently rekindled this passion after dusting off a decade-old manuscript, titled Vanished from Dust. The fictional town of Dust is loosely based on a small town south of Odessa, TX.When he’s not writing, Shea loves to spend time with this family, read, and is a frequent globetrotter. His travels have taken him to France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, Germany, and Mexico.Shea writes Young Adult Fantasy/Paranormal/Mystery.
What gave you the inspiration for this book?
Remember The Goonies? Well if you do, it was just one of my influences for writing Vanished from Dust. If not, go see it. It’s a great movie! Like most kids growing up in the 80’s we had the privilege of being exposed to some great movies, and there really were some freakishly weird movies during that time! As for The Goonies, I loved the interaction between the friends and the mysterious adventure that pulled them into a hidden world beneath the city. The story was the type of mystery that kept your eyes glued to the screen anticipating what was around the next corner. Not to mention, they were racing against time to save their town (and from some pretty disorganized criminals!).
After reading Vanished from Dust, you may say, “Hey, it really seems like the story is set in the 80’s.” Why the 80’s some might ask? Well, to those people, I say – because I wanted a story that pre-dates the Internet and cell phones. As such, it adds to the mysterious nature of Eric and Kyle’s quest to uncover the truth behind the dark presence swallowing their town. Otherwise, a quick trip to Google might answer some of Eric’s questions in the blink of an eye!
Another influencer has to be my childhood. For starters, the setting of Vanished from Dust, is loosely based on my small hometown of McCamey, Texas, which for those unfamiliar with the town, is smack dab in the middle of nowhere. Living in such an isolated community gives you a sense of family where everyone knows everyone and friendships go back generations. I like the fact that the people in these towns rely on each other and are not afraid to lend a helping hand if needed. Although Eric Stark, the main character in the story would probably disagree with me since he was tormented and ostracized due to his mental afflictions. Let’s hope his opinion changes over time.
Have you ever visited any of these towns? It’s almost like stepping back in time. Local Mom & Pop stores are still around and the overall culture often feels like you’re watching an old black and white movie (or The Andy Griffith Show). In a sense, the fictional town of Dust is a tribute to people living in small towns everywhere.
As you can imagine, there’s not much to do in these towns, so kids often have to find creative and exciting things to pass the time. One of my favorites was exploring old and forgotten buildings and houses, and some of this has carried over into Eric and Kyle’s adventures- such as the creepy abandoned theater. Another small town staple is the water tower, which is captured in a tense scene in the book. To some the water tower is a symbol of home, and for young mischievous kids like myself, a blast to climb as a dare!
The final influences came in the form of a question – What would it be like to be trapped on the other side of a mirror? Or have you ever been lying in bed and noticed what appeared to be a human-shaped shadow staring back at you? How about suddenly catching movement out of the corner of your eye? I recently learned that some people call these shadow people, but to Eric Stark in the story, they’re simply phantoms.
In closing, I owe my love for writing and fascination with parallel worlds to Stephen King. In The Dark Tower, Jake tells Roland, "Go then. There are other worlds than these." These powerful words led me to ponder the question of being trapped in a mirror and became part of my inspiration for the story, Vanished from Dust.
I’d like to thank Curling up with a Good Book for giving me the opportunity to be a guest blogger. If you’re interested in learning more, you can follow me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/sheanorwoodauthor or Twitter: @sheanorwood.
Book Two, Vanished from Dust: The Illusion of Home is scheduled to release early 2015.
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