Juno Lucina

by Mandy Hager

Overview

Her mother is a psychic artist, driven near to breaking point by a husband bent on conformity and control. The ugly childhood scenes have burrowed into Tess's mind and festered there. Buried, too, are Tess's own fledgling artistic and psychic abilities – unwanted 'proof' of the same inherent evil that has destroyed her family and stalked her dreams into adulthood. Tess flees into the safety of a teenage marriage, not realizing that the price of safety is her sense of self. When her husband, Alan, is tragically killed, the anger and dissatisfaction boil over and threaten to consume her. Sent upon a reluctant journey into the world of full moon rituals, witchcraft and unexpected violence, Tess is finally forced to confront the 'wolf' of her nightmares. She must learn anew to trust – her mother, her psychic instincts, and also Jeff, an unheralded admirer from her past.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940167017177
Publisher:	Wings ePress, Inc.
Publication date:	07/27/2023
Sold by:	Draft2Digital
Format:	eBook
File size:	355 KB

About the Author

Mandy Hager lives in Wellington, New Zealand, with her husband and two teenage children.

She trained as a primary school teacher and later specialised in teaching adults and children with learning disabilities. She also has an Advanced Diploma in Applied Arts (Writing) from Whitireia Community Polytechnic. In 2001 she worked as a tutor and mentor for the Writing Programme at the polytechnic, and now works as a mentor on a part-time basis. She is involved in the NZ Book Council's Writer In Schools scheme, and has run workshops for the Nestle Write Around New Zealand competition.

Mandy's first book, "Toms Story" (pub. Mallinson Rendel Ltd) is a picture book dealing with the topic of grief, and won an Honour Award in the 1996 New Zealand Aim Children's Book Awards. It has also been produced for radio.

Since then she has published three novels for the 11+ age group. The fast-paced, high action thriller/adventure, "Run For The Trees" 1999 (Steele Roberts Ltd) was adapted for audiotape in 2000, and short-listed for CanRead 2000. "Double Danger" and "Stumpy's Secret" 2000 (Learning Media) are currently released through schools in USA, Singapore, Canada and Australia.

Mandy has also had short stories and poems published in New Zealand. Juno Lucina is her first novel for adults.

Read an Excerpt

As she brushed off the dirt, voices--disconnected and haunting--wafted down the hill. Thud-thud, thud-thud--her pulse pounding in her ears. The rhythm of a chant seeping into her, matching its beat with her own.

She reached the crest of the hill. Perched above the crashing swell of the sea, the Cook Strait an infinity of water. And above, the moon. Huge and fierce. Spotlight for the stage below.

There they stood on a grassy plateau. Six or seven...no, eight figures circling the feeble flicker of a candle. The tops of their heads shimmering in the unearthly starkness of the moonlight.

Tess dropped to the ground, grazes smarting, and crabbed gingerly towards a stand of manuka--to burrow amongst the scratchy branches. Shouldn't be here.

The women stomped around the candle, their voices loud and powerful. "She shines for all, She flows through all."

She eased the camera from the duffel bag and attached the lens. The 600mm. Perfect for capturing their faces, even at night. She'd used the lens before, many times. But never like this. Never to--spy.