Words Tell the Stories: Sometimes the dead come back

Echoes of Harmony: Sometimes the dead come back

A horror suspense adult thriller for a mature audience.

I love how the author, Miranda Nading, has subtitled her book - Sometimes the dead come back. (Scary!!!) Here is a brief blurb from the book description:

Celia Davenport worked faithfully for seventeen long years to honor her divine inheritance.

Dana Mitchell fought her way off the streets of Memphis to build a life she could be proud of. As the Director of the Department of Family Services, she was in a unique position to help other young girls beat the odds.

When a serial killer targets her girls and closes in on her daughter, Dana becomes the primary suspect of a vindictive detective. In order to stop the slaughter, she must uncover the terrible truth of her family’s past- and face the dead.

Excerpt from CHAPTER ONE ~ (Kindle Locations 58-81)

Dead leaves and branches cracked under her feet as she moved off the path and into the old forgotten cemetery. She could almost smell the woman’s fear— thick and rich, waiting to be tasted. The deep shadows of the old church stood silent and still against the starless sky on the horizon, barely visible through winter’s unadorned trees. Silent, but not lonely. A castle still waiting for the knights that had abandoned her.

She knew this place like an old friend. Every tombstone was a wrinkle around eyes that stared into her soul. They watched her as she went about her work, guarded her when she lay down to sleep each night. Stepping easily around chunks of fallen angels and temples for the long dead, she closed her eyes and inhaled , the soft smells of decaying earth embraced her. The prodigal daughter returned. They had tried to keep her away. Lied to her, imprisoned her, hurt her— but in the end, she had found her way back. And now it was her turn.

A whisper of dry leaves and muffled sobs brought a dark smile to Celia’s lips. There were times when she loved to sit in the stillness around them, watching them fight back their fear. Fear of the final judgment, which sits deep in everyone’s gut, waiting for the little spark to fan the flames. Some understood that the time had come to pay for their sins and they accepted the heavy price with quiet tears while they begged for forgiveness and mercy. Others fought against the coming darkness, screaming and bucking against their restraints , refusing to acknowledge that greed and perversity had ruled their lives even as the last ounce of life fled into the darkness.

This one, her dark flesh barely visible against the stark headstone where she lay, was the last in a long line of whores and thieves. The key. The piece of the puzzle that would lay it all on Elizabeth’s doorstep. That last and final delicious prize was almost within her reach. So much hard work, so many diligent nights— but God had rewarded her.

“With the children gone and my degree completed, we have contracted to work as civilian employees in the National Parks. This new adventure has given me the time and freedom needed to dedicate myself to writing and exploring America's most protected treasures.” ~ Miranda Nading