The Final Omen
Author: Heather Topham Wood /p>
Series: Second Sight #4
Publication date: November 9th 2013
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal Romance
Synopsis
Take a journey into the gritty world of political espionage through the eyes – and lies – of one extraordinary girl. A wholly original tale of friendship and betrayal from the author of The Jane Austen Academy series….
Sasha has a secret – that she can make you spill your secret with nothing more than a question. Her strange gift makes her a burden to her foster family and a total freak of nature. Not that Sasha cares. Why should she when no one cares about her?
Then the CIA knocks on her door. They want to give Sasha a new identity and drop her into a foreign country to infiltrate a ring of zealous graffiti terrorists. They want to give Sasha something to care about.
To survive a world where no one is who they seem, Sasha needs to make people trust her. But when that trust blossoms into love, Sasha is forced to decide between duty and friendship, between her mind and her heart, and whether to tell the truth or keep her secrets.
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Excerpt
Just breathe, Kate…
Hysteria bubbled up inside of Kate Edwards as she realized her ridiculous line of thinking. She couldn’t breathe. Because she was dead, and the dead didn’t need to breathe.
Grasping the edge of the kitchen countertop for support, she used her free hand to touch the side of her face. She needed assurances of the corporeality of her body. Her flesh felt real. Taking a quick inventory of the rest of her body, she saw the same arms and legs, the same ten pounds she’d been trying to lose.
Her head snapped up and Rose Corbett was still standing there, staring at Kate with a mix of emotions she couldn’t discern. Anguish floored her again as she took in Rose’s raven colored hair, the same hair of her son, Jared. The son Kate craved with her entire being. The one she’d told she loved before she died. She’d abandoned him like his parents had done. How many losses did he need to accumulate until he broke apart completely?
They were in the Edwards’ home or some alternate version of it. Minutes ago, or possibly longer since she was unsure if time worked the same, she’d been murdered by an insane masked intruder in her own home. The irony was she had a premonition of her murder before it happened. Details had changed, but the final act remained the same—she ended up in a puddle of blood on the floor, butchered, her ex-boyfriend Jared too late to revive her.
When she came to in the dining room, nary a cut in sight, she assumed it was another premonition. Her assumption being the psychic visions were once again trying to protect her. A flash of black hair in the kitchen made her tremble with relief. Jared was there! She’d confess everything to him, tell him about her premonitions, and how she feared someone wanted her dead. He’d protected her in the past and he’d do it again. Instead, Rose had stepped towards Kate, saying her name.
“Why?” Kate demanded. “What was the point of it all? Why did I have the premonitions if I was going to die no matter what I did?”
A security system and self-defense training hadn’t stopped her attack. Investigating her future murder with fellow psychic Declan Brayden hadn’t unmasked her killer. Months of knowing she could die, but foolishly believing her circumstances weren’t hopeless.
“Kate, I…” Rose began.
“You can’t…I can’t hear you say it. Because when you say the words, it’ll be real and I’ll be forced to accept that it’s all over.” She took a long minute to study Rose, taking in her thick dark eyelashes and her glossy midnight black hair, cascading in waves to her waistline. She was exquisite, unearthly beautiful in a yellow sundress. She didn’t look much older than Kate’s twenty-two. It was as if Rose was stuck in time, destined to remain the same age she was at the time of her death. “Is this my purgatory? Being stuck inside my house and forced to stare at a spitting image of him?”
Interview with Heather Topham Wood
- The Final Omen is the last book in your series, are you sad to say goodbye to the characters?
- Absolutely! There should be some sort of support group for authors that have to say goodbye to their beloved characters. I’m definitely glad to have completed the series, but I can’t say for sure Kate’s story is over. I’ve outlined a potential spin-off series featuring Kate and her psychic partner Declan.
- How exciting! What would the books be about?
- They would be standalone novels that would each feature a single missing persons case that Declan and Kate would solve together. The books would have dual POVs: Declan’s and Kate’s.
- Any other upcoming projects?
- I have a new release coming in December from Crescent Moon Press called Memory Witch, so I’m starting the sequel this month. I’m also in the process of writing a New Adult contemporary romance called Falling for Autumn. The complete Second Sight series will also be released soon as a boxed set.
- Have you found the publishing experience a lot different working with a traditional publishing house?
- Yes and I think there’s pros and cons with traditional publishing and self-publishing. With traditional publishing, you’re basically handing over your novel and telling a publisher to go have fun with it. You have less control when it comes to marketing, cover art, editing, etc. Not to say your input isn’t welcomed, but they are making the final decisions. However, self-publishing means you have to either do most of the work yourself or pay a team to do it for you. Editing, proofreading, cover design and formatting services are pricey, but required if you want a polished book.
- Where do you find your inspiration for your works?
- I am the biggest bookworm in the world. I read an average of three books a week and if my schedule allowed it, I’d probably double that amount. I love getting lost in a romantic scene in a novel and then feeling inspired to tackle a love scene in my own works. Besides fictional characters, I’m inspired by the characters in my life. My friends and family are always popping up in secondary roles in my books. Since not everyone would appreciate a gag reel of their most embarrassing moments, I change all of the names and identifying characteristics.
- What’s your favorite book?
- This question always makes me skittish because it’s so hard to nail down a “favorite.” Pride & Prejudice is my classic pick, but a more recent read I’d choose as my favorite would be Unravel Me by Tahreh Mafi. Mafi has such a unique literary voice and I love her world building.
- What’s the hardest challenge you face as an author?
- Finding the time to write is very difficult for me. I’m a mom first and foremost and I have to often put my work on the backburner often for my boys. They are still young (six and four) and although I’d love to spend more time writing, I know I’ll never get this time with them back.
- What’s the biggest perk of being an author?
- I LOVE hearing from readers. Any time I open my inbox and read something from a reader, I get a little giddy. It’s amazing to hear that these little stories in your brain touched someone in some way. Each book I write is so different and I love hearing if I made someone laugh, cry or swoon.
- Any advice for new and aspiring authors?
- Don’t put a lot of pressure on yourself. I’m my worst critic and it can often take the fun out of writing. I would read reviews and try to puzzle out ways to please every single reader that picks it up. Your book may not be perfect, but you wrote a freakin’ book! How cool is that?
About the Author
Heather Topham Wood’s obsession with novels began in childhood while growing up in a shore town in New Jersey. Writing since her teens, she recently returned to penning novels after a successful career as a freelance writer. In 2012, she published the first two novels in her Second Sight series: First Visions and New Revelations.
Heather graduated from the College of New Jersey in 2005 and holds a bachelor's degree in English. Her freelance work has appeared in publications such as USA Today, Livestrong.com, Outlook by the Bay and Step in Style magazine. She resides in Trenton, New Jersey with her husband and two sons. Besides writing, Heather is a pop culture fanatic and has an obsession with supernatural novels and TV shows.
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