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Ok, friends! For your enjoyment! An excerpt from Owl Manor – the Final Stroke, third and final book of the Gothic suspense trilogy, coming this fall!

“The manor loomed through the haze, a dark, slumbering structure cloaked in a mysterious past. What stories lurked within those walls? As I stared at it, it seemed to wrap around me and pull me in. I shook my shoulders to dispel the sensation.

Then, we saw them. Rows and rows of stone owls all around the rooftop, the retaining walls around the stairs, and the molding over the doors and windows. And when we stepped inside, we saw them again on the ceilings, in niches in the walls, on windowsills.

And I felt the house. It seemed to swell and throb through the grime, the stench of rot, the years of moisture build-up, as though it were bursting out of a tomb. Then it exhaled, releasing a long-held breath, disturbing the cobwebs, sending a flurry of dust and dry leaves swirling up to the stone owls…”

Owl Manor – the Final Stroke, Book Three of the Gothic suspense trilogy, by Zita Harrison.

This is a classic tale of good versus evil, centering around eight mystical stones that will give the person who possesses them unimaginable power. It is Draxta’s mission, with the help of a priest with magical powers, to collect all the stones and take over the Lands of the Faith. When the leaders of the lands and custodians of the stones fail to protect them, the job of stopping Draxta falls to three adolescents: Lara, a princess; Arlan, a boy from the skinhouse training to be a fighter; and Jethro, an apprentice to a painter. Their courage and determination as they set off without hesitation to rescue the world are inspiring. Draxta’s army, however, under the protection of the Azakel’s magical powers, is unbeatable. One has to wonder what Azakel is getting out of helping an evil entity take over the world. Does he have an ulterior motive?

I really enjoyed the author’s straightforward writing style, which is easy to follow, but not lacking in eloquence. Right from the beginning, he instills a sense of mysticism with beautiful descriptions which paint pictures for the reader: “…shivering in the night chill, their black robes swirling around their ankles as the breeze off the sea picked up.” The paintings continue as the story progresses, depicting exotic lands and cultures, more magic.

The growing attraction between Lara and Jethro never becomes the focus of the story, which I think would have distracted from it. Arlan’s steadfast, level-headed presence, unhindered by romantic notions, impressed me the most.

The tail-end of the book is a little convoluted and made my head spin, but the twist at the end was very satisfying, even though I did wonder about it.

Took this photo in Sorrento, on the coast of Naples, Italy. Just fell in love with the colors. I have an ocean ripple on this to soften and diffuse it. Like the way it turned out.