INTO
THE LIGHT
By
Aleatha Romig
Publisher: Thomas
& Mercer
Publication
Date: June 14, 2016
Sold
by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Blurb
An
investigator's search for a friend draws her into a world darker than she could
have imagined.
Sara
Adams awakes blind, unable to remember the most basic details of her life, but
her darkness seems a blessing when she discovers the terrors of The Light.
Stella
Montgomery investigates the news on the mean streets of Detroit, where she’s
noticed a disturbing trend: young women are vanishing. When her best friend
disappears, Stella investigates—despite warnings from her police detective
boyfriend—following a twisted trail that leads her through the city’s most
dangerous and forsaken precincts. There she uncovers something more sinister
than she could have imagined: a shadowy organization known as The Light, led by
the enigmatic Father Gabriel.
As
Sara struggles to understand her place in the strange world she’s awakened
to—an oppressive cult demanding unquestioning obedience—and her feelings for
Jacob, the husband she can’t recall and whose harsh and tender attentions
confuse and beguile her, Stella risks all to discover the truth. But
enlightenment always comes with a price...
Purchase Links
Published through Thomas and Mercer and
scheduled to be released June 14, 2016
Exclusive Excerpt
Sara
Mute
as I was, with my eyes covered and my hand encased in Jacob’s, no one but my
husband noticed my lack of participation. I remained still as he continued to
relay my nonexistent responses, leaving me a bystander to my own story and
unable to affect its outcome.
Maybe this wasn’t real, maybe it was a bad dream and the scene would soon fade. My stomach twisted as their exchange continued and they discussed my insubordination and correction. Each time Brother Timothy condemned, Jacob reminded him that my transgressions were alleged, not proven. It was as if suddenly I were on trial in my hospital room instead of in a court of law.
It wasn’t until I heard the word banishment that their conversation again registered. Whatever had been said had apparently been the parting word. Murmurs floated above the sound of various sets of feet exiting, then finally there was silence. When the door clicked closed I released my breath.
Maybe this wasn’t real, maybe it was a bad dream and the scene would soon fade. My stomach twisted as their exchange continued and they discussed my insubordination and correction. Each time Brother Timothy condemned, Jacob reminded him that my transgressions were alleged, not proven. It was as if suddenly I were on trial in my hospital room instead of in a court of law.
It wasn’t until I heard the word banishment that their conversation again registered. Whatever had been said had apparently been the parting word. Murmurs floated above the sound of various sets of feet exiting, then finally there was silence. When the door clicked closed I released my breath.
Turning
toward my husband, I waited for an explanation. Nothing. I was about to pull my
hand away when I felt a tug on my right arm and a woman spoke.
“Brother
Jacob, Dr. Newton would like to examine Sister Sara now.”
So
many brothers and sisters. So unfamiliar.
“Are
you giving her more medicine?” Jacob asked.
“After
the doctor comes. He’d like her to be awake.”
“Tell
him he’ll need to wait until morning. She’s had enough commotion for her first
day.
Bring
her medicine, something to drink, and let her sleep.”
I
pressed my lips together in protest. Not that anyone noticed. They were doing
it again. Discussing me while I was right there. Why does no one else find this
wrong?
“I’m
sorry,” the woman, who I assumed was a nurse, said. “The Commission hasn’t
approved her intake of fluids. Refusal of nutrients is an approved decree.”
Jacob’s
grip tensed. “I’m quite aware of the Commission’s approved decrees.”
“I’m
sorry, Brother. I didn’t mean to . . .”
“It’s
been over a week. She needs more than what she’s getting from that needle.”
“I
believe they’ll discuss it in the morning since Brother Timothy was able to see
and talk to her. They should have a revised decision by tomorrow. I can’t go
against . . .”
Jacob
sighed and his grip remained tight. “I understand,” he conceded. “Then bring me
ice chips. If we hurry before they melt, they’ll be solids and not liquids.
That won’t violate the Commission’s authority.”
“Brother?”
“Bring
me ice.”
Title: Into the Light
Author: Aleatha Romig
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Contemporary Romance
Series or Standalone: Series ( The Light #1)
Rating: ★★★★★
Reviewer: Melyssa
Reviewer: Melyssa
Just based on blurb
of the story alone, I had to read this book.
I had no previous
knowledge of the author’s previous works, writing style, nothing. So I jumped
into this one with a whole lot of blind faith that it would be just what I was
after. That the story would deliver on
the hook and draw that the blurb promised.
It did. Boy, did it
ever.
Before I jump into
what might possibly be the vaguest review I’ll ever write (because based on
content alone, this one is going to be very hard to review without giving pertinent
detail away), I will state a couple of things most readers should know before
delving in.
While this book does
have romance within its pages, it’s honestly secondary to everything else
contained within. It also needs to be stated that as it is part of a series, it
does end in a very cliff-hanger sort of way. One hell of one too based on the
final lines of the story.
That being said, if
you’ve made it this far, I will admit next that for the first 20 percent of the
story, I had a rough time with it. Now with that being said, I’m sure you’re
wondering how it still pulled out a 5 star review if I struggled at all with
it. Here’s why. It’s been a long time since I sat down and read something that
wasn’t saturated with falling in love, sex, you name it, anything to do with romance
driven stories really. It’s very rare lately for me to pick up something where
romance fell to the backburner, and being new to the authors writing style, I
had to be walked through it.
This plot though, it
intrigued the hell out of me. Still does. It’s one of those books that
consistently makes you think. And what you think you know, you don’t know at
all. From one minute to the next, I thought I had things nailed down. Who the
players were, bad guys versus good guys, I truly thought that I had figured it
out long before things started being revealed.
Nope.
I know and I knew
nothing.
My hat is off to this
author because where this story with as drawn out as it was should have
eventually put me off, it didn’t. I ate up the information I was given. I
treated every piece like it was a puzzle and I continually tried putting them
all together in a complete picture. I never could of course, not until near the
end when the real bombshells starting coming out. The pacing for this story,
the time in which things were delivered and real character motivations and such
were shown was brilliantly done. It is a longer story, but where the author
could have chosen to still just dropped it all at once, she didn’t. She used
that length to her advantage, creating one heck of a spell binding take in the
process.
There are multiple
POV’s here and at first, you wonder how it’s all going to intersect. How all of
these people are going to eventually come across each other and enter each
other’s lives. It doesn’t take too long to see how Stella plays into Sara and
Jacob’s tale, or even how Stella’s boss does, along with her officer boyfriend,
but it’s a slow burn getting to just how deeply everything runs and I loved it.
I loved getting to know these characters individually the way I did, before
things really hit the fan. It made connecting to the story they told that much
easier and enjoyable.
I’m not sure what
else I can say here. As I said, this book, it’s got a lot of moving parts and
at any given point, giving away just one of those parts, would expose the
entire thing. It’s definitely a book that needs to be read in order to
experience and it’s my hope that people do just that. Give this a chance even
though it might be a departure from the author’s earlier work, because I do not
believe they’ll be disappointed. As a newcomer to this author, I definitely
wasn’t.
My thanks to the author
and all others involved in letting me read this story before official release.
This was a journey I am so glad that I took and one that I eagerly await to
continue when book 2 is released. Absolutely incredible read.
About the Author
Aleatha
Romig is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in
Indiana. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is
currently living south of Indianapolis. Aleatha has raised three children with
her high school sweetheart and husband of nearly thirty years. Before she
became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her
nights writing. Now, when she's not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns,
she likes to spend her time a with her family and friends. Her other pastimes
include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams!
Aleatha
released her first novel, CONSEQUENCES, in August of 2011. CONSEQUENCES became
a bestselling series with five novels and two companions released from 2011
through 2015. The compelling and epic story of Anthony and Claire Rawlings has
graced more than half a million e-readers. Aleatha released the first of her
series TALES FROM THE DARK SIDE, INSIDIOUS, in the fall of 2014. These stand
alone thrillers continue Aleatha's twisted style with an increase in heat.
In
the fall of 2015, Aleatha moved head first into the world of dark romance with
the release of BETRAYAL, the first of her five novel INFIDELITY series. She
also began her traditional publishing career with Thomas and Mercer. Her books
INTO THE LIGHT and AWAY FROM THE DARK will be published through this
mystery/thriller publisher in 2016.
Aleatha
is a "Published Author's Network" member of the Romance Writers of
America and represented by Danielle Egan-Miller of Browne & Miller Literary
Associates.
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