Book Excerpt: Out of a Dream by Rosemary Hines
Book Excerpt: Out of a Dream by Rosemary Hines (book 1 in the Sandy Cove series)
Michelle Baron’s heart raced, pounding in her ears. She panted, gasping for every breath. Her eyes searched for an escape. The passageway was dark, narrow. A faint beam of light flickered at the end. She fought the damp, suffocating air. Footsteps from behind made louder and louder slaps on the pavement. How much farther could her legs carry her?
Michelle could feel a hand reach out and grab the back of her shoulder. Spinning, she found herself staring into the face of a middle- aged man. His gray hair was tousled and his slightly wrinkled face looked intense. The seriousness of his expression frightened her. “I’m Marty, Michelle. I can help you.”
She shook her head in fear, turned, and ran. “Michelle…. wait…. Michelle….” If only she could get to the light….
“Michelle! Hey, wake up! Are you okay?”
A hand was on her shoulder again. She awoke in a sweat, her eyes darting back and forth like a hunted animal. The sound of the wind howling outside added to her disorientation as the rain beat in a steady pattern like the footsteps, which had pursued her.
The sky was rapidly darkening as Michelle drove toward town, determined to get to the bottom of her nightmares after another restless night.
Heavy, black clouds engulfed the coastline and an onshore wind was driving the storm straight toward Sandy Cove. Michelle glanced down at the passenger seat to reassure herself that her umbrella was in its usual resting place.
A familiar anxiety began to attach itself to her heart, but she forced herself out of the car, locking the doors, and walking briskly toward her destination.
The cold wind caused her to shiver. Any apprehension she felt was rapidly replaced by an eagerness to get inside.
Glancing into the window of The New World Bookstore, Michelle caught a glimpse of the statue of a hand holding a crystal globe. It was surrounded by a selection of books poised on black velvet material. Metallic silver and gold confetti stars were sprinkled over the entire display, giving it an ethereal aura. She paused momentarily under the overhang to read the titles.
Natural Health Remedies, Eastern Thought, Yoga and Meditation, Divination, Tarot Cards & Prophecy, Spiritual Enlightenment, Dreams & The Subconscious Mind, New Age Therapies, Alternative Lifestyles, Ecology & Environmental Studies, Women’s Issues, Astrology, Reincarnation & Personal Evolution.
Pulling the door open, Michelle immediately noticed the fragrance of pine-scented incense. She could hear the sounds of flute and lyre music adding to the mystical ambiance of the softly lit bookstore.
No one was at the counter, so she began to wander through the bookshelves and table displays. The store was larger than it appeared from the street, winding back through many rows of interestingly angled shelves and islands.
Rounding one pyramid-shaped display, Michelle noticed an older woman in a long caftan-style dress perusing a large, heavy book. Her long gray hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail that was held in place by a leather-covered barrette. The woman looked up at her and smiled, wrinkle lines raying out in all directions from her light blue eyes.
“Can I help you with something?” she asked.
“I’m looking for someone named Starla,” Michelle replied, glancing down at a business card she was clutching in her hand.
“Look no further. How can I be of service to you?” The woman responded warmly as she stretched out her arms, a collection of gold and silver bangles jingling from her wrists.
Michelle felt a tightness in her throat and forced herself to swallow before speaking. “I’m in a yoga class taught by Bev Harrison. She told me you might be able to help me with some strange dreams I’ve been having lately. She said that you interpret dreams.”
Michelle’s heart was racing. Suddenly she wondered if this whole idea was a mistake. I should have waited until Monica could come with me, she thought to herself.
Starla reached out to gently touch Michelle’s shoulder. “I’d be happy to help you, dear.” She exuded the same kind of friendliness that Bev did. Michelle brushed aside her uneasiness.
“What did you say your name was?”
“Oh… it’s Michelle,” she stammered. “Sorry. I guess I forgot to introduce myself.”
“No reason to be sorry, Michelle,” the woman replied reassuringly. “Why don’t we sit down by the fire and have a cup of herbal tea? I just made a fresh pot.” She took Michelle’s hand and led her further back into the store.
As they walked through rows of books, Michelle noticed the glow of a pot-bellied stove in the back corner of the bookstore. A cluster of three bistro tables was placed in a crescent shape hugging the warm fire. Each table was draped with tapestry print tablecloth in dark burgundy and gold. On the center table sat an ornate Oriental teapot, with steam gently drifting out of the spout.
Starla released Michelle’s hand and gestured to one of the chairs, inviting her to sit down. She disappeared momentarily and then reappeared with two black and gold mugs. Michelle gratefully accepted the soothing green tea poured for her and, still wondering about the wisdom of her decision, began to tell Starla about her dreams.
And so begins a journey down a winding path toward truth, a truth that Michelle will not discover until an unthinkable tragedy shatters her world.
To get your own copy of this book go here: Out of A Dream
AUTHOR BIO: ROSEMARY HINES
Rosemary Hines was involved in the New Age movement as a teen and young adult. At age 30, she committed her life to following Jesus. She has taught a variety of women’s Bible studies and has been published in magazines such as Woman’s World and Signs of the Times. A junior high English teacher for fifteen years, she dedicated her energy to at-risk teens and to sparking a love of reading and writing in her students. Out of a Dream is the first book in her Sandy Cove series. All three novels in the series are available on Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com
Rosemary can be contacted via her author page on Facebook or her website:
https://www.facebook.com/RosemaryHinesAuthorPage