Matriarch

by Shauna Kelley

Lenora Scheid finally seemed to have built a life for herself. After more than a century of traveling the earth to visit scenes of the dead and dying, life was finally beginning… At long last, she discovered that she was Vetala, a member of a secret race of not-exactly-vampires but not-quite humans. She saved Michael, her naliyah and soul mate, from her father, a man bent on the destruction of humanity. She reunited with her mother, a woman she hadn't seen in more than a century. But Lenora’s idyllic peace lasts only a moment as she realizes that her time with Michael has left him fighting for his life. To save him, she must square off against her father and the Matriarch, an ancient organizations that rules over her kind. The quest to save Michael seems to uncover more secrets than answers. With her mother and some new friends by her side, Lenora learns more about what it means to be Vetala, and what it is going to take to save her family, and humanity, from the man who raised her.

171 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 26, 2015

About the author

Shauna Kelley was born in Silver Spring, Maryland to two very young, encouraging, and idealistic parents. She has been writing stories and poems since the third grade, and wrote the initial draft of a shorter version of Max and Menna while in high school. She attended Goucher College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English with a Creative Writing concentration.

Kelley currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland, with a mangy, 10-year-old Jack Russell that will always be known as her puppy. Her favorite pastimes include exploring Baltimore, watching Paranormal State or True Blood, and cooking decedent desserts. She reads voraciously, is an avid lover of action and horror films, and can’t live without Joe’s Squared pizza or Chiyo Sushi.

Kelley welcomes comments, feedback, and questions from her readers. Find her online:
Email: mmshaunakelley@yahoo.com
Twitter: shaunak101
Blog: http://mmshaunakelley.blogspot.com/

Reviews

[Anneka Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome second instalment

Brilliant second book in this series and I can't wait for the next one. The storyline has great depth and the characters are developing more and more. I need to know what happens next... books like this one are perfect!

[Tia Bach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Lenora. After everything she went through in book one (see link to my review below), her life only gets more complicated. She must determine who to trust, and nothing is simple. Even her love for Michael, her naliyah and soul mate.

In a race to save Michael's life, she must travel the world and ultimately face her father. Just as important, she must figure out who's telling the truth... or at least, which truth will save them.

LOVE this book. Too many times, a second book is filler in a series, or worse, a letdown. This is neither. Instead, it's a fast-paced, series-building, didn't-see-it-coming adventure. But it's not just action. There's a lot of emotion and mind-play. Lenora is torn in so many directions, especially with Michael. During one highly emotional scene between the two loves, I cried from the raw intensity of it.

Most of all, I love Lenora as a character. She's determined, yet has a huge heart. Sometimes the heroine is strong until it comes to a relationship, and then she's a big pile of goo. Not Lenora. She loves intensely, but she's not going to do it one-sided. And I adore that about her.

Plus, this series is a truly unique paranormal story with a memorable character you'll love to root for. I highly recommend!

Note: I was a beta reader for this novel (lucky me!). A positive review was not requested or guaranteed; the opinions expressed are my own.

[Pratibha Pandey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little too short. .. 3.5/5

[Kelly Hager · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series!