Dark Legends Author Spotlight - Anna Hub with Beyond the Shadows - Wilder: The Guardian Series by G.K. DeRosa

by
Rebecca Hamilton,
T.F. Walsh, Monica Corwin, J.L. Weil,
Laxmi Hariharan, JA Culican, Muffy Wilson,
GK DeRosa,
Marilyn Peake, Kevin McLaughlin, Carissa Ann Lynch,
Vivienne Savage, Anna Hub,
HJ Lawson, Emma Nichols, Shelley Munro, J.A.Armitage,
Leilani Love, Demelza Carlton, Xyla Turner,
D.S. Murphy, J.T. Williams

This Collection is packed with more than 20 full-length Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance reads from New York Times, USA Today, and International Bestselling Authors!

Don’t miss this collection of more than twenty unique twists in paranormal romance and urban fantasy, providing over one million words of supernatural suspense that will transport you to new worlds with smoking hot action and heart-throttling adventure!

The DARK LEGENDS boxed set includes: Mermaids, Sirens, Shifters, Vampires, Dragons, Sorcerers, Warriors, Angels, Faeries, Demons, Witches, Psychics, Ghosts, Mythology, Folk Tales, Legends, Dark Magic, Time Travel, and More!

Rebecca Hamilton
T.F. Walsh with Demon’s Mark
Monica Corwin with Soulless
J.L. Weil with White Raven
Laxmi Hariharan with Redemption
JA Culican with The Keeper of Dragons, The Prince Returns
Muffy Wilson and The Para-Portage of Emily
GK DeRosa with Wilder: The Guardian Series
Marilyn Peake with Shade
Kevin McLaughlin with By Darkness Revealed
Carissa Ann Lynch with Midnight Moss
Vivienne Savage with Making Waves
Anna Hub with Beyond the Shadows
HJ Lawson with New Order
Emma Nichols with Blood Moon
Shelley Munro with Claimed & Seduced
J.A.Armitage with Two of Clubs
Leilani Love with Violca’s Dragon
Demelza Carlton with Ocean’s Gift
Xyla Turner with Broken Treaty
D.S. Murphy with Scarlet Thread
J.T. Williams with Winemaker of the North

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Nook

Beyond the Shadows
by
Anna Hub
@AnnaHubBooks
Award-Winning
and
Int’l Bestselling Author

What if your shadow was the gateway to a sinister new world?

Selena Parker’s journey into the unknown begins in her dreams, but the consequences are carried back into her conscious life and she soon realizes paranormal forces are at work. Her shadow has become more than just an image; it is a gateway to a sinister new world where mysterious creatures roam and she is confronted by danger that challenges her will to survive. She finds the man whose fate is linked inexplicably to her own but she knows nothing of him and doubts his true nature. Her only option is to place her life in his hands while they search for a way to stop the shadows claiming them forever.

At first, I couldn’t breathe, and once again my skin stung as though an unseen force might rip it from my body. I clamped my eyes shut and waited until the stagnant feeling in my lungs dissipated.

Darkness surrounded me, and the sound of crickets clicking became louder, as though they had paused upon my arrival and were beginning to relax. The forest floor was soft and moist, sinking as I crouched. I checked the ground was stable before I stood up and found my balance. The crickets stopped again. No other threatening sounds reached me and yet instinct warned me danger was nearby. Something wet crawled over my foot. I struggled to
withhold a scream as I jumped to the side. Another warm body collided with me and a hand curled over my lips before I could cry out.

“Shh.” Warm breath exhaled over my neck.

I struggled to break free, but the hand tightened.

“Who are you?” he whispered.

I couldn’t reply. He shuffled to the side dragging me with him as he moved. The trees rustled, and the light of the moon crept in to join us. We were surrounded by dense foliage, too conveniently wrapped around to have grown that way naturally. He released, and pushed me away in the same movement and finally I saw his face. Brayden. He looked completely different to the man unconscious in the hospital bed. His eyes were sharp—almost accusing.

“How did you get here?” he asked.

“Do you remember me?” He stared at me with fierce eyes, and I struggled to continue. “You spoke to me in the restaurant.”

“How did you land here?” his voice came out cold.

It didn’t matter where I’d landed, I needed to know why this was happening. “You warned me about this—about the shadows—”

“Tell me how you passed here.”

“I went to visit you in the hospital.”

“You shouldn’t be in the hospital. You shouldn’t be here.”

I edged further away. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

Suddenly his back straightened, and he leaned outside to check our surroundings. Seconds past and he gradually turned back, his gaze resting by my feet. “If they find you they’ll kill you.”

He must have been talking about the men with the grey eyes. “What are they?”

“I don’t know.”

The crickets chirped again. “The other day I was chased by one—”

He nodded.

“You were there,” I prompted.

“It’s not just them, the ones with the grey eyes. There are animals too.”

Eventually, he leaned back against a tree; his demeanour flat. Shouldn’t he be eager to hear my story? Didn’t he want to share information so we could find a way to save ourselves? Instead, he closed his eyes, as though he had nothing else to say.

I stepped forward. “You grabbed me when I was being chased. Why did you do that?”

“Your shadow is the only way to escape,” his voice hollowed out—detached.

“Did you push me through it on purpose?”

“The more the shadows take you, the faster they come back for more. The only way to escape is to force yourself back through.”

In the darkness I could barely make out my own hand, there was no shadow. Did that mean there was no way to go back? My chest tightened as I realised I would be trapped with this stranger until morning hit. Back in the hospital, it had been late in the afternoon. Soon the sun would set there and perhaps that was when morning would break here.

I couldn’t help wondering if I’d made a mistake coming here. There was something about him that made me uneasy. Not just his silence but the impression that he was lost. Both physically and mentally. Although his posture had been tense under the moonlight, he didn’t actually seem afraid. Not the way I was—with wide eyes and shaking hands.

He turned, his eyes wandering blankly before they focused. “Soon it will be morning; that’s when they hunt. As soon as the sun hits, you need to force your way back through your shadow. Throw yourself at the ground, as hard as you can. The longer you spend here, the harder it is to go back.”

I blanched. I’d waited for the shadow to take me from the hospital. I’d almost come by choice but that only made things worse. “And then what?”

“Then you hide from them.”

My lungs swelled with air, but I couldn’t force myself to exhale. “But I can’t. It doesn’t work.”

“There’s no other way.” He took my hand abruptly. I wanted to pull back, but he held on too tight. “I’ll try to come back with you.”

“Where are we going?”

He pushed the ferns aside and held a finger to his lips for silence. “We can’t stay here.”

Anna Hub

Featured Book: Beyond the Shadows

Hello readers! I’m a paranormal thriller author from Perth, Western Australia (yes, I have a funny accent) and I’m so excited to be involved in the Dark Legends boxed set. There are so many amazing authors in this project, I can’t wait to unleash it upon the world!

Welcome, Anna! How long have you been a writer and how did you come to writing?
When I was a child I wanted to be an author, but as I grew up society somehow managed to convince me it wasn’t a good career choice. So when I left high-school, I studied nursing instead but as soon as I started working in that field, a deep sense of dissatisfaction stirred in me. Something was missing and that sense of being lost led me to my first novel. The more I wrote, the happier I became and I haven’t looked back since. Now my motto is: if you can’t do it with passion, don’t do it at all!

How did you come up with this story line?
Shadows are constantly used to represent fear of the unknown in an audience, whether it be via movies, music or performance. I felt drawn to them because they can evoke such powerful emotions. I wanted to work on something dark and mysterious but not just to scare, rather to use as a contrast for the light. I thought, what if there was a good reason to fear your own shadow? What if it was the gateway to a sinister new world?
The idea would leave my protagonist completely powerless, because no matter how fast she ran or how hard she tried to escape it, her shadow would always be one step behind her. I wanted to take her to the very edge of her survival ability, then give her the strength to overcome it. Because that’s what we all do in life, we fight to survive the bad things that happen to us.

What are the best and the worst aspects of writing?
Writing a book is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done and that never seems to change, whether it’s my first or my sixth novel. Because every book is different and they can’t be written the same way. Some days it really does feel as though every minute is just one tiny step in an impossible journey. But although it can be torturous, that is exactly the same thing that makes it so incredibly rewarding! It’s not worth winning if you don’t have to fight for it. All the frustration, long nights and aching neck muscles make the words ‘The End’ feel like such a victory. It’s within the struggle that there’s glory!

What inspires you to write?
I’ve always been in love with dark concepts of ghosts, witches, magic and demons. I want to believe the supernatural exists in our world, even though we can’t see it. Writing books is the best way for me to find myself in their world. It truly is like living multiple lives at once. And I find the more I write, the more I learn about myself. It’s a way to digest the things that are happening in my life. Things that make me happy, things that break my heart and things that inspire me to be a better person.

How did you conduct your research for Beyond the Shadows?
I had so much fun researching for Beyond the Shadows! I used a combination of Google searches and library books. My favourite was an SAS survival guide. So if the zombie apocalypse comes, you want to be with me. I know all about how to find food in the wilderness!

What is your favourite quote from Beyond the Shadows?
“You spend so long fearing it,” his gaze lingered on his shadow, “but everything here is opposite. The very thing that brought you nightmares can be the thing you hope for.”

What would your friends say is your best quality?
I’m a good listener and a loyal friend. Once you’ve got me, you’ve got me for life 🙂

Are reader reviews important to you?
Reader reviews are so important to me. When you think about it, creative jobs are one of the few career choices where you don’t have a boss telling you how well you’re performing. I rely on readers to be honest in their feedback because it helps me learn and grow as a writer.

What do you do when you don’t write?
I love picnics with my boyfriend, BBQs with friends and we have the most beautiful beaches in Western Australia so I love being there too. I also love love love yoga. It’s been a part of my life for many years now and I find it keeps me balanced both in mind and body. And of course, I love reading in the bath!

Tell us about your other books?
Beyond the Shadows is the first book in a four part series, The Shadow Series. I also have a standalone paranormal thriller about ghosts, called The Ninth Hunter. And at the moment, I’m working on a YA novel about grim reapers.

One thing you’re sure to find in all my books is a unique take on mythology or a completely new concept all together. I love to explore uncharted ideas, although it can be torturous to edit, it’s totally worth it. Readers often comment on the depth of imagination that goes into my world building, and it’s so much fun to write!

If you could share one thing about yourself that you would like readers to know what would it be?
I already mentioned this in one of my earlier answers but I love to preach passion. I live my life by this concept but I think we should all find something we can fall madly in love with. Whether it be cooking, sport, reading, painting, whatever! Find something that makes your heart sing and give time to it. The riches of happiness are far greater than anything else.

I absolutely love meeting new readers and fans of the fantasy/paranormal genres so we can share book recommendations. So don’t be shy, come and find me through the social media links!

Anna Hub is a paranormal/thriller author from Perth, Western Australia. She qualified as a nurse in her early twenties but in 2007, decided to chase her childhood dream of becoming an author instead. Since then, she has surrendered her heart and soul to writing. Although terrified of horror movies, Anna loves to write on the dark side and explore uncharted mythologies. She believes our imaginations are infinite and inside the pages of a book, there is no limit, no exact destination and our minds are free to exist in many worlds.