Let’s get this tour started!!!!!! So before book #5 is released this week, let’s look at the other books in the series. So today I’m starting with book 1. Enjoy the excerpts and hopefully you will read the series as I’m beginning to do now.
Sacred Bloodlines (Book 1)
by Wendy Owens
Purchase Links: Free Everywhere – Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Goodreads
Blurb
Tragedy has defined Gabe’s short existence in this world. An ominous darkness lurked on the edge of his existence until one day in a subway, strange things start happening. A series of events lead Gabe into a new and fascinating life filled with angels and demons, but he isn’t sure if he wants to be a part of it.
Gabe is thrust into the middle of this exciting world that is full of things he has longed for in his life but it comes with a price. This new life also promises constant terrifying dangers that Gabe fears he may not be able to survive.
Excerpt #1
Feeling confident the danger had passed, Gabe climbed up onto the seat. He pulled the handle, pushing the heavy door open with his feet. On the ground in front of him, he saw Uri on his knees clutching an unconscious Sophie. Nearby, there was a small mountain of ash.
“Is she …” Gabe paused, unsure what to even ask. None of what had just happened made any sense.
“Help me get her in the back,” Uri said with a strained voice, motioning to him.
Gabe quickly ran to Uri’s side and swung around to hold her feet. Uri climbed in first, pulling Sophie in behind him as Gabe guided the rest of her. Gabe thought about how he had admired her boot clad feet when he first saw her. He wished with everything in him that she would be all right.
“You come around this side and hold her head,” Uri beckoned.
Gabe made sure Sophie’s lower half was securely in the car, then closed the door as gently as he could. He rushed to the other side of the car to take Uri’s place. As he came around the back, he saw two more piles of ash where the creatures that were looking at him had been.
He hesitated for a moment as Uri stepped out of the way, allowing Gabe to slide into place, cradling Sophie’s head in his lap. Even lifeless, she was beautiful, Gabe thought. Her skin was so pale; it had a gorgeous alabaster quality to it. He wasn’t sure how she did it, but he knew she had saved him.
Uri jumped quickly behind the wheel and searched frantically for the keys. Gabe saw they were still dangling from the ignition. Leaning forward, he placed a hand on Uri’s shoulder. Uri looked back at him; Gabe could see the worry in his eyes. Gabe motioned toward the keys, slightly clearing his throat. Uri looked down and with a sigh started the car, pulling back out onto the deserted road. Minutes passed with Uri frantically checking over his shoulder.
“How is she?” he finally asked Gabe.
Gabe looked at Sophie’s body, lying there, unsure how to even answer that question.
“Seems to be the same,” he responded honestly. “I don’t understand. What happened to her?”
Uri stared at the road.
“There’s a lot you don’t understand right now, Gabe,” Uri answered, clearly not wanting to deal with a bunch of questions. “All you need to know is Soph used every ounce of power she had to save us.”
All of the questions Gabe had wanted answers to suddenly didn’t seem important. He leaned forward and noticed Uri had increased their speed to just over one hundred miles per hour, Gabe thought it prudent to say something.
“What if we get pulled over? Might be hard to explain what’s wrong with her.” Gabe had dealt with the cops enough in his life. He knew what it would be like trying to explain a half dead girl in the back seat.
“Right, right,” Uri responded without changing speed.
“Caecus,” Uri stated in a powerful voice.
“What?” Gabe asked.
“Oh,” Uri responded realizing Gabe had no idea what was happening. As they sped down the street, Uri searched for the words.
“Look, I know this is all must seem pretty messed up and I want to explain everything, really I do, but I think it’s better if you wait and talk to Michael.”
“Can you at least tell me what you just said? I heard Sophie say something back at the roadside I didn’t understand either,” Gabe pleaded.
“At the manor we learn a lot of things, one of the things they teach us … some might call … spells.”
“Like magic?” Gabe asked, trying not to laugh. The more he thought about it the less funny it seemed. After everything he had seen, did it really seem so impossible that magic existed?
“I suppose, but it’s the source behind our magic that makes it work. It’s a divine power,” Uri explained, increasing his speed even more. “I promise, if you have any questions after talking to Michael, I will answer them for you. He’s the best one to explain all of this. I put an incantation on the car so it’s invisible.”
“Yeah, right, we’re invisible,” Gabe said in disbelief, but then suddenly remembered back to the subway and how the officers seemed to not even notice them. “Wait, like you did in the city, with all those police officers?”
Uri glanced back at Gabe, his worry giving way for a moment to an impressed stare. “Exactly, I used a distraction spell on them allowing us to sneak by cloaked.”
“So that scream wasn’t real?” Gabe asked. Uri nodded his head affirmatively.
Gabe’s head felt like it was spinning. Monsters. Magic. He had always worried about the evils he had known in the world. Now it appeared there were unknowns that he always thought were make believe to worry about, too.
He leaned back and looked at Sophie’s face, as he did, his thoughts seemed to calm. He began to stroke her auburn hair, admiring how soft it was. Captivated by Sophie, he didn’t realize his hands had begun to burn. He heard Uri’s muffled voice and as he looked up at him, he felt an overwhelming feeling of nausea and realized everything had become blurry.
Uri was turned, looking at him, shouting something, but at that point, Gabe couldn’t hear him. A moment later, Gabe felt like the car was spinning uncontrollably. The nausea overcame him and he seriously thought he might be sick. He looked down at Sophie to make sure she was still all right. His hands were holding her head gently, but they no longer seemed like his hands. There was a glowing, blue light coming from his palms. He began to hyperventilate. Everything went black.
Feeling confident the danger had passed, Gabe climbed up onto the seat. He pulled the handle, pushing the heavy door open with his feet. On the ground in front of him, he saw Uri on his knees clutching an unconscious Sophie. Nearby, there was a small mountain of ash.
“Is she …” Gabe paused, unsure what to even ask. None of what had just happened made any sense.
“Help me get her in the back,” Uri said with a strained voice, motioning to him.
Gabe quickly ran to Uri’s side and swung around to hold her feet. Uri climbed in first, pulling Sophie in behind him as Gabe guided the rest of her. Gabe thought about how he had admired her boot clad feet when he first saw her. He wished with everything in him that she would be all right.
“You come around this side and hold her head,” Uri beckoned.
Gabe made sure Sophie’s lower half was securely in the car, then closed the door as gently as he could. He rushed to the other side of the car to take Uri’s place. As he came around the back, he saw two more piles of ash where the creatures that were looking at him had been.
He hesitated for a moment as Uri stepped out of the way, allowing Gabe to slide into place, cradling Sophie’s head in his lap. Even lifeless, she was beautiful, Gabe thought. Her skin was so pale; it had a gorgeous alabaster quality to it. He wasn’t sure how she did it, but he knew she had saved him.
Uri jumped quickly behind the wheel and searched frantically for the keys. Gabe saw they were still dangling from the ignition. Leaning forward, he placed a hand on Uri’s shoulder. Uri looked back at him; Gabe could see the worry in his eyes. Gabe motioned toward the keys, slightly clearing his throat. Uri looked down and with a sigh started the car, pulling back out onto the deserted road. Minutes passed with Uri frantically checking over his shoulder.
“How is she?” he finally asked Gabe.
Gabe looked at Sophie’s body, lying there, unsure how to even answer that question.
“Seems to be the same,” he responded honestly. “I don’t understand. What happened to her?”
Uri stared at the road.
“There’s a lot you don’t understand right now, Gabe,” Uri answered, clearly not wanting to deal with a bunch of questions. “All you need to know is Soph used every ounce of power she had to save us.”
All of the questions Gabe had wanted answers to suddenly didn’t seem important. He leaned forward and noticed Uri had increased their speed to just over one hundred miles per hour, Gabe thought it prudent to say something.
“What if we get pulled over? Might be hard to explain what’s wrong with her.” Gabe had dealt with the cops enough in his life. He knew what it would be like trying to explain a half dead girl in the back seat.
“Right, right,” Uri responded without changing speed.
“Caecus,” Uri stated in a powerful voice.
“What?” Gabe asked.
“Oh,” Uri responded realizing Gabe had no idea what was happening. As they sped down the street, Uri searched for the words.
“Look, I know this is all must seem pretty messed up and I want to explain everything, really I do, but I think it’s better if you wait and talk to Michael.”
“Can you at least tell me what you just said? I heard Sophie say something back at the roadside I didn’t understand either,” Gabe pleaded.
“At the manor we learn a lot of things, one of the things they teach us … some might call … spells.”
“Like magic?” Gabe asked, trying not to laugh. The more he thought about it the less funny it seemed. After everything he had seen, did it really seem so impossible that magic existed?
“I suppose, but it’s the source behind our magic that makes it work. It’s a divine power,” Uri explained, increasing his speed even more. “I promise, if you have any questions after talking to Michael, I will answer them for you. He’s the best one to explain all of this. I put an incantation on the car so it’s invisible.”
“Yeah, right, we’re invisible,” Gabe said in disbelief, but then suddenly remembered back to the subway and how the officers seemed to not even notice them. “Wait, like you did in the city, with all those police officers?”
Uri glanced back at Gabe, his worry giving way for a moment to an impressed stare. “Exactly, I used a distraction spell on them allowing us to sneak by cloaked.”
“So that scream wasn’t real?” Gabe asked. Uri nodded his head affirmatively.
Gabe’s head felt like it was spinning. Monsters. Magic. He had always worried about the evils he had known in the world. Now it appeared there were unknowns that he always thought were make believe to worry about, too.
He leaned back and looked at Sophie’s face, as he did, his thoughts seemed to calm. He began to stroke her auburn hair, admiring how soft it was. Captivated by Sophie, he didn’t realize his hands had begun to burn. He heard Uri’s muffled voice and as he looked up at him, he felt an overwhelming feeling of nausea and realized everything had become blurry.
Uri was turned, looking at him, shouting something, but at that point, Gabe couldn’t hear him. A moment later, Gabe felt like the car was spinning uncontrollably. The nausea overcame him and he seriously thought he might be sick. He looked down at Sophie to make sure she was still all right. His hands were holding her head gently, but they no longer seemed like his hands. There was a glowing, blue light coming from his palms. He began to hyperventilate. Everything went black.
Excerpt #2
Gabe closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the cool subway tiles. The pungent smell of urine and burnt electrical wires filled his nostrils as the loud roar of a passing train erupted in his ears. His social worker’s words replayed again and again in his head, “difficulties with home placement,” “a past filled with tragic incidents,” “more time needed to find the right parental candidates.” Gabe knew what that meant, after years of being shipped from one foster family to the next, it was clear what people thought of him. He was cursed. “And why wouldn’t they,” he thought. It was even obvious to himself.
The bustle of the station increased as the train squealed to a halt. Gabe grabbed his ragged black backpack and headed to the nearest set of open doors. He twisted and turned, trying to make his way through the thick crowd. A chill came over him, one that was all too familiar and Gabe found himself filled with dread. Coming to a sudden stop he looked around at the sea of people. Just steps from the train doors he was unable to move. He was staring and searching, his breath now shallow. The voices around him were instantly silenced as a pulsing white noise consumed his mind.
Gabe’s hands were clammy and he felt his legs weaken. “Are you getting on or what?” the man behind him shouted. The man was wearing a plain, tan trench coat and carried a briefcase. Gabe looked back at him, not able to hear what he was saying for a moment, still distracted by the deafening white noise in his head.
“Come on, some of us have places to be,” the man grumbled as he rudely pushed past Gabe and boarded the subway car. Stumbling to a nearby column, Gabe steadied himself, attempting to regain his composure.
As sounds came flooding back, he heard the buzzer warning that the doors would soon be closing. Gabe looked up and prepared to make a dash for the opening. Before he could make his move, he caught sight of a young woman standing in front of the subway doors. She was wearing a long, black leather coat that was cinched at her waist. There was an odd grey color that surrounded her, creating a halo effect around her entire body. He had seen this before, actually more times than he cared to recall. He even saw the same grey aura the night his parents died.
Gabe stared intensely at her back as she stepped into the subway car. She slowly turned around, her black hair was short, cut just above the chin, which she wore slicked back, tucked behind her petite ears. Gabe thought she looked as though she were trying to remove the femininity from her small frame in any way she could. Her skin was pale; the color reminded Gabe of milk.
He watched, frozen, as the girl lifted her head and looked directly into his eyes. She flashed him a small, wicked smile as the doors closed. He saw her eyes flicker a hint of red. A moment later, the train pulled away. Gabe slid to the cold floor as the crushing weight of impending doom filled him.
Gabe had been plagued by these feelings and visions his entire life. He could remember being sent to at least a dozen different therapists all over the city. Their diagnoses were all the same; however, ‘hallucinations brought on by depression caused by the tragic loss of his parents.’ Some had him writing his feelings in journals, but most of them found it easier to load him up on medication and send him on his way. He had learned a long time ago that the easiest thing to do was to lie about the visions.
Gabe wondered if the therapists were all right. Perhaps he was just crazy with grief. His parents had died when he was only five years old. He found it hard to believe such grief could plague a person for eleven years, but what did he know, he was no …
A loud explosion suddenly interrupted Gabe’s thoughts. He reached out his hands to try and steady himself as the ground under him shook violently. He threw up his arms to cover his head, plaster crumbling and falling like rain from the high ceilings.
Gabe closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the cool subway tiles. The pungent smell of urine and burnt electrical wires filled his nostrils as the loud roar of a passing train erupted in his ears. His social worker’s words replayed again and again in his head, “difficulties with home placement,” “a past filled with tragic incidents,” “more time needed to find the right parental candidates.” Gabe knew what that meant, after years of being shipped from one foster family to the next, it was clear what people thought of him. He was cursed. “And why wouldn’t they,” he thought. It was even obvious to himself.
The bustle of the station increased as the train squealed to a halt. Gabe grabbed his ragged black backpack and headed to the nearest set of open doors. He twisted and turned, trying to make his way through the thick crowd. A chill came over him, one that was all too familiar and Gabe found himself filled with dread. Coming to a sudden stop he looked around at the sea of people. Just steps from the train doors he was unable to move. He was staring and searching, his breath now shallow. The voices around him were instantly silenced as a pulsing white noise consumed his mind.
Gabe’s hands were clammy and he felt his legs weaken. “Are you getting on or what?” the man behind him shouted. The man was wearing a plain, tan trench coat and carried a briefcase. Gabe looked back at him, not able to hear what he was saying for a moment, still distracted by the deafening white noise in his head.
“Come on, some of us have places to be,” the man grumbled as he rudely pushed past Gabe and boarded the subway car. Stumbling to a nearby column, Gabe steadied himself, attempting to regain his composure.
As sounds came flooding back, he heard the buzzer warning that the doors would soon be closing. Gabe looked up and prepared to make a dash for the opening. Before he could make his move, he caught sight of a young woman standing in front of the subway doors. She was wearing a long, black leather coat that was cinched at her waist. There was an odd grey color that surrounded her, creating a halo effect around her entire body. He had seen this before, actually more times than he cared to recall. He even saw the same grey aura the night his parents died.
Gabe stared intensely at her back as she stepped into the subway car. She slowly turned around, her black hair was short, cut just above the chin, which she wore slicked back, tucked behind her petite ears. Gabe thought she looked as though she were trying to remove the femininity from her small frame in any way she could. Her skin was pale; the color reminded Gabe of milk.
He watched, frozen, as the girl lifted her head and looked directly into his eyes. She flashed him a small, wicked smile as the doors closed. He saw her eyes flicker a hint of red. A moment later, the train pulled away. Gabe slid to the cold floor as the crushing weight of impending doom filled him.
Gabe had been plagued by these feelings and visions his entire life. He could remember being sent to at least a dozen different therapists all over the city. Their diagnoses were all the same; however, ‘hallucinations brought on by depression caused by the tragic loss of his parents.’ Some had him writing his feelings in journals, but most of them found it easier to load him up on medication and send him on his way. He had learned a long time ago that the easiest thing to do was to lie about the visions.
Gabe wondered if the therapists were all right. Perhaps he was just crazy with grief. His parents had died when he was only five years old. He found it hard to believe such grief could plague a person for eleven years, but what did he know, he was no …
A loud explosion suddenly interrupted Gabe’s thoughts. He reached out his hands to try and steady himself as the ground under him shook violently. He threw up his arms to cover his head, plaster crumbling and falling like rain from the high ceilings.
Author Bio: 
Wendy Owens was raised in the small college town of Oxford, Ohio. After attending Miami University, Wendy went on to a career in the visual arts. After several years of creating and selling her own artwork, she gave her first love, writing, a try.
Since 2011, she has published a young adult paranormal series, The Guardians, which will contain five books total, as well as a novella.
Wendy now happily spends her days writing—her loving dachshund, Piper, curled up at her feet. When she’s not writing, she can be found spending time with her tech geek husband and their three amazing kids, exploring the city she loves to call home: Cincinnati, OH.
Author Links:
Website: http://wendy-owens.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WendyLOwens
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wendy-L-Owens/191731754221996?fref=ts
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5038955.Wendy_Owens
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