welcome blog: Guest Post: Sherry Soule talks Urban Legends in the Spellbound Series & Read An Extract of Beautifully Broken!

Beautifully Broken by Sherry Soule || Release date: July 2013.

They say every town has its secrets, but that doesn’t even begin to describe Fallen Oaks. The townsfolk are a superstitious lot and the mystical disappearance of a local teen has everyone murmuring about a centuries old witch’s curse.

When sixteen-year-old Shiloh Trudell takes a summer job at Craven Manor, she discovers a ghost with an agenda. That’s where she meets the new town hottie, Trent Donovan, and immediately becomes enchanted by his charms.

Finally, Shiloh’s met someone who is supercute and totally into her, but Trent is immersed in the cunning deception that surrounds the mysterious Craven Manor. So much so that he may lose sight of what is truly important to him. And she can’t decide whether she wants to shake him or kiss him. Yet neither one of them can deny the immediate, passionate connection growing between them.

With cryptic messages from a pesky wraith, Shiloh will finally begin to understand the mysterious significance of the strange mark branded on her wrist and decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to protect the other teenagers in town.

Unfortunately, for Shiloh, not all ghosts want help crossing over. Some want vengeance.

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Guest Post: Sherry Soule on Urban Legends in the Spellbound Series

Fun Fact #1

Shadow People, (also known as Shades) are usually vague human shapes, completely black or dark in color, with no discernible facial features. Sometimes they appear as mere silhouettes, generally lacking any characteristics of gender.

However, there are many types of shadow beings; there are hooded shadows, cloaked ones, solid or wispy, and even smoky shapes. They dart into corners, through walls, into closets, or behind bushes, and buildings. Sometimes they simply fade into the dark recesses of the night. Lacking in the description is one common denominator unifying the many different types of Shadow People that enter our world—they are all thought to be “intensely dark.”

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines paranormal as an adjective meaning “not scientifically explainable.”

In the Spellbound books, Shadow People are ominous creatures that were once slaves of a band of fallen angels. When they rebelled, the Fallen hexed these creatures to spend eternity in a hell dimension. A few have found a way to slip through the gateway. The real worry is—what happens if they ALL escape?

Spooky, huh? So, do you believe in Shadow People?

Fun Fact #2

One of my inspirations for the über spooky town in my YA series was the video game, “Silent Hill.” Readers of the Spellbound series have often wondered if the town had a real-life counterpart, and if there was a particular town that inspired the haunted area, we’ve come to know and fear in the books…

Actually, there have been many speculations, and now here’s a place you can actually visit for REAL...

So, while researching the different elements of Fallen Oaks and looking for a foggy and woodland area, I came across Marin County in California. The popular SF Bay Area tourist spot planted the seed for what developed into what we’ve come to know and love as, Fallen Oaks. The coastal town is actually located in the Madrone Woodlands near Larkspur, California neighboring Muir Woods. (You need to use a Bing map to locate the region.)

Echoes of the tragic disappearances still plague the town. When the season passes and all the tourists leave, the haunting memory of past events once again shatter the peace of the inhabitants of Fallen Oaks...

Have you ever been to the coastal towns of Marin County?

Fun Fact #3

Werewolves and Lycans (shortened form of the word lycanthrope, which means shape-changer) are two completely different species. The terms are definitely NOT synonymous. The werewolf can only transform on a full moon, and they represent more of witchcraft and curse, unlike the lycan who can transform into a wolf at will. The lycan species are also considered shapeshifters, but can ONLY shift into wolves—not into other animals. Lycans are also capable of walking on their hindquarters, and are much more muscular than werewolves. Lycans and werewolves do share these qualities; they both have enhanced physical attributes, enhanced strength, reflexes, coordination, speed, and regenerative abilities. However, these traits seem to apply to lycans, even when in human form.

Furthermore, lycans can retain their human intelligence and personalities while transformed, whereas werewolves become pure animal, devoid of any memory regarding their actions once they shift. Silver is the lycans only weakness, as they seem to be violently allergic to it.

In MOONLIGHT MAYHEM, (second book in the series), the story hinges on a terrible secret guarded by some of the town’s residents as one-by-one teens are attacked by a mysterious creature.

Do you think it’s a lycan or a werewolf stalking the kids in Fallen Oaks?

Fun Fact #4

A Grimoire, or in some cases it’s called a Book of Shadows (BoS), is used to store magical information, like a textbook of magic spells, rituals, supernatural-related data, and invocations. Some grimoires can even be a sort of magical journal that keeps a record of a witch’s magical experiments and exploits.

Overall, a grimoire is used predominantly by Wiccans; however, this does not mean that those outside of Wicca can’t use a grimoire. Nor do you have to be in a coven, like the Blood Rose Circle or Generation Hex.

I used the grimoire concept in a different way in my YA series about a teenage witch, where the magical book is used more like that of a diary and contains prophecies, a demon index, and spells, which was written by her ancestors and passed down through the generations.

Do you have a grimoire or personal journal?

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Thanks to Sherry for stopping by the blog today as part of the Spellbound Winter Book Tour. All previously published books in the Spellbound series have recently been re-worked to included more epic romance and suspenseful thrills! The new versions also include exclusive bonus material and brand new scenes.