Excerpt of Bewitched, by Mark J. Harris + GIVEAWAY!!

I don't know about where you are, but in South Central Pennsylvania it has jumped from Winter to Summer with barely a pause at Spring. The windows are all open and I'm in shorts and a tee-shirt and I'm still a sweaty mess. I'm glad we have a cool excerpt from Bewitched by Mark J. Harris to read.

But, first, lets learn a little about the novel.

"Bewitched is spell-binding! A highly-unique page-turner that hooks you from the first paragraph. With complex characters and unexpected twists and turns, Harris delivers and leaves you hoping for more!" - Stephanie Keyes, author, The Star Child series

Blurb:

Is it love or is it witchcraft? He’ll never find out if he kills her first.

The first time Darren saw Samantha, she was floating above his high school gymnasium during a basketball game, invisible to everyone but him. Next time he sees her, she's sitting in front of him in class, wowing his friends and causing unexplainable things to happen that only he seems to notice. But things really get strange (and complicated) when his dying grandfather tells him that he is part of an ancient order, the “Pessum Ire,” whose duty is to destroy witches. What does he do now, since he’s almost positive Samantha is a witch…and he’s crushing on her pretty hard?

Sounds awesome, doesn't it? Well, without further ado, here is an excerpt from Bewitched:

Bewitched, by Mark Harris

The demon, bound to answer his master, twisted in agony. He had no answer and was now tortured for his reluctance to relay the information.

“Release me!” it roared. “I have told you what I know.”

“Where is this Valley of Hidden Skins? What is the meaning of this riddle?”

“Moloch hid his book in the Valley of Hidden Skins! It lies deep in a cavern,” the demon screamed in fury and pain.

“You are not answering my questions!” The warlock approached the circle that held the demon and pushed his bloody palm at it. The demon fell to its knees, screaming and weeping.

Moments passed as the demon snuffled and wailed. It struggled back to its feet. A face of terror stared back at the scarred wizard who now controlled it.

Having accepted the demon could tell him no more about the Grimoire’s location, the dark sorcerer tried a different tack. “Tell me, Mahon’s child, what guards the Grimoire?”

“A Catadromus Chamber Lock.”

            Samantha watched as the warlock considered this information. She could tell he was weighing the implications of this knowledge. No one was certain what a Catadromus Chamber Lock was, but Samantha was fairly sure it meant the book had been placed just outside the world in an inter-dimensional moment of frozen time, not too unlike the Catadromus spell her mother placed her in when she was a baby. But, to find an object enchanted with this spell would require a gholom or an Utor Uti.

            The warlock asked, “Is that all? Once I find it, if I use a counter spell, can I bring it back, or is there more to it?”

            The demon’s red eyes gazed at the ground to avoid the question. Then, it muttered something.

            “Louder demon!” barked the cloaked man.

            “Only the Key of Endor can access the book.”

            The warlock seemed to understand this, but Samantha looked quizzically at Clara. The old woman shook her head. They knew it referenced her; she was the Key. But neither had the slightest clue how, or by what power, she was to open or retrieve the book.

            “The Key of Endor,” muttered the cloaked man.

            “The Key of Endor will come in search of the Grimoire. Her prophecy is to have her mother seek her life as she seeks to destroy the witch’s kingdom. Only one will prevail.”

            The warlock turned on the demon who seemed perplexed that it had offered more information. But before the scarred wizard could follow up with another question, the demon continued. “The Northern Coven will find the valley and seek her out. Any who destroys the Key by the power of Baal shall cease to exist. Endor will seek to destroy the Key, and Ghohol will come to save the kingdom from destruction by the Warder at the window.”

            “There is no Northern Coven! And who is this Warder?”

            But the bloody smoke sucked in on itself, forming an internal spiraling tornado. The cyclone and the demon sank into the earth. The torn and scarred warlock stood alone in the dank dungeon.

About the Author

:

Mark Harris lives in Smithfield Utah, a small town located in a beautiful valley in Northern Utah. His wife,

Shaundale, and he have four terrific children, two girls and two boys and a fifth one due to arrive in November of 2012. Mark has taught English and Special Education and currently works from home teaching English to people from all over the world. Writing has always been his true passion since he was a grade schooler writing about mushrooms. "Bewitched" will be his debut novel. He has two others underway and will soon start on the sequel to "Bewitched," called "The Return of the Familiar." He hopes you enjoy his work because he is working on several series geared toward younger audiences.

You can find Mark on: www.markjayharrisauthor.com

Book available on all major outlets: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and The Book Depository

Here's your opportunity to win your own copy of Bewitched! The contest is open to the US, UK, and Canada for the hard copy, and worldwide for the ebook copy. Just click that link below... Good luck!

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