*My Review of Demon will be posted soon, but if you would like to read my Review of Book 1 (Phantom) then CLICK HERE :)
When Justyn and Rebecca set off for the New York School of
Performing Arts, they think their dreams are about to come true. To their
dismay, they aren’t in high school anymore, and the competition is steep.
Rebecca must compete against accomplished singers for a role in the production
of Demon Barber, including a stunning Gothic diva with her sights set on Justyn
It doesn't help that things keep disappearing from their apartment
or that Rebecca's father refuses to accept that Justyn is an essential part of
her life. Yet, all this seems minimal in comparison to the serial rapist
terrorizing the campus.
Consumed by fear and obsessed with revenge, Rebecca and Justyn
start living the story of Sweeney Todd—both on and off the stage.
Blurb:
Phantom, Dark Musicals Book #1:
The “Phantom” was a musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always
found enchanting. She had no idea that her life was about to mirror the play
that was her obsession. When her high school drama club chooses “Phantom” as
their annual production, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of an unlikely
love triangle and the target of a sadistic stalker who uses the lines from the
play as their calling card.
Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva, and like
her character, she is torn between her two co-stars—Tom the surfer and
basketball star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing
Goth who is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist.
Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to happen
both on and off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People are
hurt in true phantom style. They all seem like accidents until Rebecca receives
notes and phone calls that hint at something more sinister. Is Justyn bringing
to life the twisted character of the phantom? Or in real life are the roles of
the hero and the villain reversed? Rebecca doesn’t know who to trust, but she
knows she’s running out of time as she gets closer and closer to opening night.
Only when the mask is stripped away, will the twenty first century phantom
finally be revealed.
For Those That Have Not Read These Books, Here is a Book Excerpt from Book 1: Phantom
The orchestra tuned for its virtuoso, and Justyn
stood ready. But no one else was ready for the magical performance he began.
Beside her, Carmen was rambling on about something mundane. Rebecca elbowed her
to silence so she could listen to the perfectly thrilling tenor. As she
listened to the song unfold, the world around her started to slip away. Gone was
the high school auditorium. Gone were the rowdy teenagers. The Gothic stranger
on the stage had become the embodiment of Erik, and Rebecca watched him in all
his dark glory, belting out his tormented love through the words of his song.
And she was as breathless with wonder as Christine herself must have been when
the masked stranger serenaded her in the candlelit labyrinth of the opera
house. In that moment, Justyn wasn’t just portraying the phantom. Justyn was
the phantom.
“Let
the music touch your soul.
Let the darkness make you whole.
Do not fear what is unknown.
Your true path has now been
shown.
Listen to the words I sing.
Embrace the peace that night will bring.”
As he continued to sing in his deep but somehow
angelic voice, Rebecca found that she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him.
With every line, her heart began to beat faster. She truly felt the arms of night wrapping her in a warm
embrace. She could almost feel the hands of the phantom glide along her body as
the words poured forth. The music caressed her. It possessed her—mind, body and
soul. Each word left her longing, yearning for more.
She was gawking so obviously, it was hardly
surprising when Justyn felt her eyes on him and steadily met her gaze. She
realized her mouth was hanging open in stunned awe, and she quickly snapped it
shut. His lips moved into just a small hint of a smile. He never took his eyes
off her while he sang the final verse, making her cheeks flush to the point
that she felt almost feverish. But it wasn’t embarrassment but excitement,
arousal even, which was sending her mind spinning in so many directions.
When the song was over, and Rebecca had recovered
just a hint of her composure, she couldn’t help but burst into a healthy round
of applause. A few scattered people joined in, including Debbie and Carmen
after she nudged them in the ribs. But only Miss King seemed to truly
appreciate the brilliance of his talent as much as Rebecca did.
“That was amazing, Justyn!” the teacher gushed.
“Lord
Justyn,” he corrected as he stepped down from the stage.
A few
others complimented him as well, but he took in all in stride. In fact, his
serious expression never faltered as he stepped down from the stage. He seemed
almost bored, like it was all he could do to hold back a yawn, despite the
smiles and words of encouragement.
But not everyone in the crowd was pleased as Justyn
glided down the aisle, so ethereal in his dark garments that he still resonated
the spirit of the Opera Ghost. Miss King might have been excited about the
newest male addition to her cast after being limited for many years, but Tom
and his group of boisterous companions glared at him as he passed them by. Jay sneered and tossed a balled up
piece of paper in Justyn’s direction, but the Goth was quick, and caught it in
his hand without missing a beat.
“I think you dropped something,” he said.
His speaking voice was no less melodic than his
singing voice, but something about his tone made Rebecca shiver. He tossed the
paper back at Jay, who was nowhere near as coordinated as Justyn. He
practically fell off his seat in his efforts to catch it.
“Hey vampire,” Tom called when Justyn went to walk
away. “Are you sure you can handle the competition?”
Justyn smiled, a cool, sarcastic half-smile, and
crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you?”
Miss King didn’t notice the short confrontation,
and Justyn vanished from the auditorium as quickly and mysteriously as he had
appeared. Only Rebecca had noticed the very real tension between the two boys.
She wondered if it was a bad omen for them to start off the production with
hard feelings and envy. That could only lead to trouble. The kind of trouble
that could end with someone getting hurt.
The kind of trouble that Rebecca would do whatever it took to avoid.
AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
Laura
“Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four
children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young
at heart. In addition to writing
fiction, Laura is also the editor of a popular review blog called New Age Mama.
She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying
Wicca for close to eight years.
Her current works include Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan,
Player, and Demon.
Social
Media Links:
http://authorlauradeluca.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/authorldeluca
www.facebook.com/authorlauradeluca
http://pinterest.com/authorldeluca/
http://www.goodreads.com/authorlauradeluca
If
you haven't read the first book in the series, now is a great time to get your
copy. To celebrate the release of Demon, Phantom is now on sale for only $1.99
exclusively on Amazon!
Smashwords:
Barnes
& Noble:
Buy Links for Demon:
Amazon:
Smashwords:
Barnes
& Noble:
Giveaway Details!
Laura will be awarding to a US Only Winner: a signed copy of Phantom with original cover, crystal geode, rough crystal point, stone pendant, sterling silver pentacle pendant, mini Buddha figurine, smudge stick with abalone shell, 2 Gothic style key chains, incense set with leaf holder and lavender purification bath salts to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
*The More You Comment on Posts, the better chance you have in Winning*
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