About the Book

Book: The Good Shadows

Author: Carol Alwood

Genre: Young adult romance with a supernatural twist

Release Date: January 10, 2020

She believed him when he told her some Shadows were good.

When sixteen-year-old Violet Blackstone seeks to belong outside of her Christian community, she opens doors to a dark world she doesn’t understand.

Her parents’ secret separation and conflict at church fuel her desire to find something more. She sneaks out to a party at Chuckanut House and meets Dakota Selby, the mysterious new guy at Bellingham High School who reads her tarot cards and tells her she doesn’t belong. When she discovers his family owns Chuckanut House, she plans to hold her parents’ twenty-fifth-wedding-anniversary party there to reunite them in the beautiful mansion surrounded by forest and ocean—and to spend more time with Dakota to prove she fits into his world.

Violet works her way into Dakota’s life and must face the secrets and Shadows buried deep within Chuckanut House and her own family’s past. Entrenched in darkness, Violet searches for light and love as she battles Shadows threatening to capture her soul.

When her life falls apart, where will she turn?

Winner of the 2016 Orange County Christian Writer’s book proposal contest.

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MY REVIEW

Wow! This has been an experience I never thought I would have. Reading a book about Wiccan religion. The book takes readers on a journey as Violet becomes rebellious against her parents, her friends and God. Like Violet I grew up as a pastor’s kid. The church constantly watched everything we did and I was taught to keep secrets so the church would never know what happened in our home when no one was around. I understood Violet and her need to find something she could belong to. She feels like God has abandoned her so she is easily persuaded to take a walk on the wild side. There were times I wanted to tell her to stop trying to play parent and act her age. Her deviance brings her into a world where no Christian wants to be.

I am amazed at how in depth the author describes spells and the rituals that take place. It is evident the author has done much research on this subject. It was very hard to read the book at times as felt chills going down my arm. I loved her friend Owen. He and Violet have been best friends since they were little. He can sense that Violet is slipping away into darkness. His determination to save her is powerful. I don’t want readers to think this is a book to glorify Wiccan, but a book that warns us how easy it is to seek out something when you feel lost. God is very prevalent in the book and there is a strong pull of good vs evil.

The author captured my full attention and as much as I wanted to toss the book because of its content I couldn’t. I had to know if Violet turns away from God. I needed to know what Dakota was about. Violet is attracted to him even though he is not exactly a good influence on her. The deeper Violet dug into this new religion the more she became different. Her anger was almost out of control, she pushed friends away and turned her back on God. There is a verse I kept hearing as I read the book. “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he gets old he shall not depart from it.” Oh I know Violets parents held that scripture close as they fought for their daughter. There are secrets that cause a family to pull away from each other. Over and over again through the book I felt God’s presence rise as darkness tried to take innocence away. I am amazed at how good this book is and how the author handled a topic with honesty. She doesn’t hold back and allows Violet to dip her toes with curiosity into shadows that surround her in darkness. At the end of the book , the author has included a short Bible study. I highly recommend doing the study to see what the Bible says about the subject from the book. This book should be a reminder to all of us that there is always hope. Prayer is a powerful tool and when two or more are gathered in His name He is there with them.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

About the Author

Author Carol Alwood grew up in the green haven of Bellingham, Washington, the setting of The Good Shadows series. Now living in Southern California, she misses the raindrops on maple leaves, so when she isn’t home for a visit she writes stories that take place in her hometown. Carol adores fiction and is the author of the novelette, Ghost of a Girl. She also wrote Focused Backstory: The Key to Writing Deep Character Journeys, a newly released writing-craft book.

More from Carol

Magic isn’t a new topic for Christian fiction.

Many readers of this genre often enjoy spell-filled stories that take place in faraway lands because they know the narrative involves make-believe creatures and battles. But what if by becoming used to magic in stories we have allowed a gentle pathway for magical ideas to trickle into our lives? What if in one sudden moment (in the same way other things have become acceptable overnight) magic, a.k.a. magick, touched our fingertips in the real world, and we felt compelled to wield its power? Could it be that magic is already here? All one has to do is check online for tarot card readings, potion recipes, and steps for casting spells. What if while we scoffed at the thought of magic as something more than the stuff of fantasy our children stumbled upon it? From this logic, The Good Shadows was born.

Violet Blackstone is a sixteen-year-old pastor’s daughter who struggles to feel whole. Her parents hide their secret separation, she feels like she doesn’t fit in at church, and she meets a Wiccan priestess’s son who shows her another way of thinking. Nestled in the shadowy forests of the Pacific Northwest, Violet sets out on a new pathway that leads toward love and magick. Meanwhile, she uncovers disturbing information about her own family’s past. Her friend Owen tries to stop her from heading down this dark path, but she’s drawn in by a boy with forest green eyes and the desire to exercise control over her crumbling life.

What will it take for Violet to realize she has opened doors to a dark world and there are shadows are after her soul?

This award-winning book is available on Amazon in paperback and as an ebook (Kindle Unlimited). The Bible study at the end is ideal for small groups or individuals to enjoy an in-depth study on magick and sorcery. Don’t miss Ghost of a Girl, a novelette in The Good Shadows series, and The Dark Shadows (book two coming out June of 2020).

Carol Alwood is also the author of Focused Backstory: The Key to Writing Deep Character Journeys and the book’s corresponding workbook. Both are available on Amazon. While Carol lives with her husband and two daughters in Southern California, she loves visiting her hometown of Bellingham, Washington, where The Good Shadows takes place. The road to Chuckanut is a real place with stunning views and inviting forests. Check out her website for a virtual hometown tour and to read chapter one of The Good Shadows.