Welcome author S.J. Clarke to the Mystique!
Lets get pulled into the web of her wonderful book Mind Over Matter.
___________________________
Mind Over Matter
By S.J. Clarke
Rebecca McKenney
grieved the loss of her daughter for three years. Now, a vision showing Sabrina
three years older, suggests her baby is still alive, and the FBI agent who gave
up the search is the only one who can help find her.
Special Agent Dan
Cooper is haunted by a tragic mistake made early in the investigation of
Sabrina's disappearance. Now to ease his conscience he agrees to help Rebecca
search.
Together they
fight inner demons, all to real bad guys, and an attraction neither wants to
admit to. Each step closer to finding Sabrina is a step deeper into deception
and evil.
Can Rebecca and
Dan save Sabrina before it's too late?
__________
A reader came up to me the other day to
share his thoughts on Mind Over Matter. What struck him the most was my use of
setting,and the way I kept going back to it throughout the book. I can't tell
you how much that meant to me.
I put a lot of thought into the setting for
this book. After all, the story can't go anywhere until it has a place to call
home. For Mind Over Matter I knew setting especially important. I needed an
extreme climate to provide conflict, but I also wanted that conflict to
resonate with the story's theme.
The moment an article on the Superstition
Mountains fell into my in-box, I knew my setting had found me.
Of course, tales of vanishing hikers,
spirits of gold diggers, and the Apache Thunder God who protects the mountain,
abound. But the real treasure of the Supes for my story are
the legends. The Superstitions are said to imbue its visitors with psychic
abilities, or at the very least, enhance those already in existence. This drove
the story.
Now this I could work with. Whether
these legends are fact or fiction is irrelevant. It's enough that they exist.
Once I added in a second, though equally important, element of the setting, the
the small-town vibe, the stage was set. Secrets are hard to keep when everybody
knows your name and your business. When that business involves murder, it's
darn near impossible.
Mind Over Matter
Rebecca knew from
experience she didn't have much time left. A vision came at her, hard and
strong...
The child’s face from the milk
carton, about six or seven years old, hovered before her, similar yet
different. Shivers wracked her body as she huddled in a corner, her long brown
curls limp and dull. Smudges on her face spread when she used a dirty forearm
to swipe away tears, and a cut bled through the tear in her dress. A flickering
light illuminated the dark room, hinting at secrets in the shadows. The sound
of water dripping, slow and steady like a leaky faucet, met Rebecca’s ears and
her nose crinkled at the stench of urine and human waste. The child looked up.
All trace of color drained from her face when a deep voice crept out of the
darkness.
It ’s time.
“Rebecca, did you hear me?”
Ruby’s voice penetrated the fog surrounding Rebecca’s mind.
“W-What?” She lifted her head,
taking in the dining room around her. The tourist family still sat waiting for
their breakfast. “I’m sorry Ruby, what did you say?”
“You okay, hon? You were in
another world there for a minute.”
“I’m fine. Really,” she added at
Ruby’s doubtful expression. “Didn’t sleep well again last night, I guess.” She
forced a grin. “Good thing you caught me before I nodded off and started
drooling in my coffee.” The mention of coffee drew Rebecca’s gaze to the carton
of milk again. The girl’s innocent face stared back. Something seemed wrong. Rebecca
leaned in, reading the caption under the photo. Nicole Wilson; missing for six
years, before Bree even.
“I hope you don’t mind that I
helped myself to the milk,” Rebecca said, and explained what happened. “Didn’t
want to be a bother.”
“Honey, it’s no problem at all,
but you didn't have to do that.”
“Not to worry, it’s over and done
now.” Rebecca looked down at the pancakes and fruit before her and knew little
would make it past her lips “Breakfast looks delicious, as usual,” she lied.
Ruby looked over at the
children’s order of pancakes in front of the empty seat across from Rebecca.
She moved her gaze back to Rebecca for a moment longer, before nodding as if
confirming something in her head. “Okay then. Enjoy.” Ruby picked up the milk
carton as a bell dinged from the kitchen area. “Let me know if you need a
refill on your coffee.” Smiling, Ruby went off to deliver the next order.
Rebecca’s stomach roiled at the
thought of eating. Nausea and a headache overwhelmed her. She needed to get
home where she could decipher what this vision meant. With Ruby monitoring her
every move, coming up with a way out of the diner proved difficult.
Forcing another smile, Rebecca
picked up her fork and knife and waved them in the air for Ruby to see. At
Ruby’s disappointed frown, Rebecca cut the pancakes, and placed a small piece
between her lips. Once Ruby smiled and turned away, Rebecca spit the bite out
into a napkin. She spent another few minutes cutting and moving food around,
hiding small bits under the second pancake. Pulling some money out of her
wallet, she kept an eye out. As soon as Ruby went back to the kitchen for the
next order pick-up, Rebecca threw the bills down on the table and made her
escape.
Rebecca’s first deep breath came
when she sat safe inside her car at the other end of Main Street. Home. She had
to hold it together until then. Shoving the key into the ignition, she crossed
her fingers, and then groaned at the dull grind that met her ears.
“Crap. Not today!” Rebecca cursed
for putting off taking the car in to Joshua. Hands shaking, she tried again,
holding her grimace until the engine caught.
The edge of another vision crept in while she
pulled into the driveway. “Shit. One more minute, come on, one more minute.”
She fumbled at the keyhole, hands shaking too
hard to fit the key in the lock. Rebecca crossed the threshold and fell to her
knees as the pain sliced in again, worse this time. Never before had two
visions come so close together. What the hell?
Rebecca’s
world faded and in its place…
Sabrina appeared. Her baby. Sitting on the
floor in a room of shadows, chin resting on drawn up knees. “Where are you
Mommy? Why haven’t you come?” The shadows opened up, pushing forward to swallow
both the light and Bree.
“Nooooooooo.” Rebecca came back tears
streaming down her face and fell to the floor. Limp, she laid there, an arm
thrown across her eyes. “So close.”
Rebecca rolled as her stomach
revolted, giving up its meager contents. Pushing herself to her knees with the
last heave, she drew the back of a hand across her mouth.
The memory of losing Sabrina
burned in her mind forever, but these fresh images; God, they made it so much
worse. Rebecca crawled the few feet to the still open door, shoved it closed
and leaned against it, shaking with sobs.
The late morning sun shone
through the windows when she refocused.
Struggling to her feet, she took in the scene around her.
Clean
this mess up, and then shower.
You can deal with the rest later. Rebecca tossed the soiled clothes in
the washing machine on the way to the bathroom.
Revived by the hot shower,
Rebecca poured a glass of iced tea. She curled up in the big chair in the
living room, rested her chin on her knees, and tried to make sense of the
morning’s events. Break it down. Concentrate on one thing at a time. Tackle the
vision at Ruby’s first.
Who are you, Nicole Wilson, and why are you in my
head?
__________
About The Author
S. J. Clarke has published over fifty articles as a
columnist and regular contributor for a variety of lifestyle and human interest
websites. She is a grateful member of the Writers' Community of Durham Region,
and proud to sit on the Board of Directors for The Ontario Writer's Conference.
Sandra also co-authored Touretties, a touching tribute
featuring testimonials from patients and and their loved ones living with
Tourettes.
Mind Over Matter, released in November, 2011 through
MuseItUp Publishing, is her first novel.
Check out my new website at: http://sjclarke.com
Friend me on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/jzcSq4
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/sandrajc
Join me on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/home?trk=hb_tab_home_top
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2 comments:
Thanks for having as a guest today, Mila!
Thank you SJ!! I'm completely digging your excerpts!!!
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