Most of us have intuitive insights into situations and
people. We get “gut reactions”, “vibes” or “feelings”. Often, we’re gratified, even
surprised, when our gut reactions prove correct, and we spend a few minutes
wondering why our guts are smarter than some people’s minds. Or why our guts
can’t help us out more often. Like, which slot machine should I play? Which stocks should I buy? Is this man all he claims to be?
Clairvoyance
is a skill that my heroine, Athena Butler, has in abundance. “Clairvoyance”
comes from the French, meaning “clear seeing”. It refers to the power to see an
event or image that appears in the past, present or future. This type of sight
usually does not occur with our physical eyes but with our “inner eye”. Or, as
Athena refers to it, using her higher mind to tap into the Flow.
The Flow,
to her and others of the Delphi bloodline, is an unseen dimension of energy
that encircles the planet and which contains the information and historical
records of the human race from the dawn of man to the timeless future. It can
be compared to a universal memory bank of the human mind and soul, or as the
Hindus call it, the Akashic Records for all mankind. Like a repository of human
energy and knowledge for all time, it exists on a level or dimension that
cannot be measured by any of today’s instruments. Some physicists believe this
dimension vibrates at a different rate than the energy given off by the
material world. If string theory proves correct, these energy strings and their
vibration might enable scientists and engineers to make it possible for all of
us to access this dimension.
But for now and in more common
language, we call it the “spiritual dimension”. As the modern-day descendants
of a powerful bloodline, Athena and her mother have inherited the extraordinary
abilities of this “inner eye” or “higher mind” that allows them to access this
other, unseen dimension.
When
Athena’s mother makes the mistake of letting down her guard and revealing to a
group of elite Washington, D.C. power players how her powers work, she and her
daughter become the focus of a tycoon’s ruthless plot to control and exploit
the bloodline’s powers. After her mother is kidnapped off a Baltimore street,
and Athena becomes the next target, it’s all she—and her Guardian, Kas
Skoros—can do to avoid the same fate. Although they clash at first, Athena
realizes that Kas’s mother is, herself, one of the modern-day heirs to the
bloodline, and Kas has assumed the duty of
Guardianship. Guardians of the Delphi bloodline have historical, genetic
links to the warrior-bodyguards who once protected the ancient Greek priestesses
of the Temples of Aesculapius. Together, Athena and Kas run, hide and
eventually fight back to stay alive and free, and to preserve the bloodline.
So how can
the rest of us mortals, who are not heirs to the Delphi bloodline, develop our
own clairvoyant abilities? There are numerous books on the subject and private
institutes for psychic research can be found in the United States. Many of these institutes conduct workshops
for those who want to develop their intuitive talents. There are ESP/psi labs in
highly reputable academic institutions, also, such as Stanford Research
Institute (SRI), Princeton and the University of Virginia. The Department of Defense has recruited and
trained members of the Stargate Program to be remote viewers (clairvoyants who
can “see” specific targets such as foreign missile silos and drug-running
ships). Make this topic YOUR special
hobby and soon you’ll be “seeing” things more clearly.
I did, and
I do.
Blurb:
Present day descendants of the
ancient, psychically powerful Delphi bloodline face the threat of extinction
when an evil tycoon hunts them for his own nefarious intent, a global spy
network.
When artist Athena Butler, the
modern-day descendant of a powerful, ancient bloodline of psychic women,
realizes she’s the target of mysterious and dangerous kidnappers, she gets help
from strange sources—the spirit of an ancient ancestor and a handsome man who
claims to be one of her bloodline’s Guardians. Her mental powers and his brawny
skills keep them one step ahead of the mastermind behind these kidnappers.
Until the time when an FBI task force decides to use Athena as bait.
Excerpt:
Chapter One
Pyramid Valley, Nevada
Thursday AM
Athena Butler’s eyes blinked open and
she sat up.
Coming back from The Flow was always
jolting. Emerging from the stream of spirits was like a water skier lurching
out of the water, pulled by a strong, invisible force. The mind caught up later
to the body as if it required a rough snap to break free.
Likewise, to go there was like
jumping out of a plane and feeling the air rush to your face, your limbs
weightless and wobbly. Most of the time, it was a joy to enter this world of
unseen spirits. Athena welcomed her visits, especially at night when she found
herself invariably alone.
When she was a child, she’d often
emerge from The Flow with a fearful whimper and a cry. She’d wept and wanted to
stay in The Flow. Now, at twenty-six, Athena had grown accustomed to her mental
flights. They were no longer fear-inducing for she understood their purpose.
But her exits were still mind-wrenching and she often lay in bed afterwards,
disoriented.
This morning, fear clutched her
heart and she could barely breathe. With a trembling hand, she reached for her
phone.
Breathless, she raked her other hand
through her hair and kicked her legs over the side of the bed. Six AM,
Nevada time. She punched her mother’s mobile numbers. It was nine o’clock in
D.C.
“Thank God, Mama! Where are you?”
“I’m in Baltimore, near the—.”
“Mama, I had a dream about you. A
Flow Dream. The spirits—they want me to warn you! Whatever you’re doing right
now, get off the streets. Go home and lock the door. Call the police!”
Her heart felt like a ticking bomb
in her chest. Athena could barely speak. But her mother knew her and
understood her Flow dreams. They were seldom wrong though sometimes a little
off in timing.
Today, a threat was imminent. She knew it.
“Slow down, Thena. Take a deep
breath and tell me slowly about your dream. I don’t doubt you but we must be
able to interpret it correctly. You know how these Flow Dreams are. Sometimes
the symbolism is strange and difficult to interpret.”
“Okay—just go home and lock the
door. Now, Mama!”
Athena had to swallow hard and take big gulps of air in order to speak. Losing
her mother was unthinkable. She’d already lost her father, and in a way, her
brother.
“Where are you, Mama?”
She inhaled and counted to five. Her
mother wasn’t in Georgetown, where she lived with her second husband. Athena
sensed water nearby, a large body of water. Her mind jumped ahead. The body of
water in her terrifying dream was vast, a bay leading to the ocean. The
Baltimore harbor—of course!
“Near downtown Baltimore. I’m
heading toward a section of the city where I believe a little girl’s body was
hidden. The police need the evidence from that location. They think she
was hidden somewhere, killed and then a day or two later dumped into the bay. I
think I’ve found the monster’s hideout.”
“Mama—”
“I had a session with the homicide
detective last night. I handled a few articles of the poor child’s clothing,
what she was wearing when they found her. I got some visions so I drove up here
to pinpoint the location. It’s not in a very nice part of town but I thought
I’d drive around, and then call Detective Bonner when I got something.”
Athena groaned. Her mother was at it
again. Getting involved with homicide cases and trying to use her powers
to bring killers to justice.
“Mama, get out of there, please! Go
home—”
“I’ve had no sense of this danger,
Athena, not to me personally,” her mother said. “Listen, we must talk soon.
There are other dangers that I’ve seen…but don’t fret, my car doors are locked,
I’m driving my big SUV. I’m in traffic, so relax.”
“Maybe you’re too focused on that
homicide case,” Athena stressed. Her mother had no idea the danger she was
putting herself in. First-hand experience had taught Athena that working with
the cops was a dangerous business. Let them do their work and solve their own
cases.
I’m done with all that.
Her mind darted back to the vision
in her dream. She took a deep breath and steadied her voice.
“I saw you in your car, Mama. You
stopped to get out. A black car pulled in front of you and another one—a long
white one—blocked you in back. There was a woman driving the car in front and
she was with men who had guns. Someone grabbed you and carried you to the
white car. I could smell salt water and then they took you away. Some place far
away. And then I was in the mountains, the Sierras, searching for you.”
Athena bent over, clutching the cell
phone, her lifeline to the one person she loved most in the world.
Her
stomach cramped into a hard ball.
There was silence. “Mama, go home,”
she repeated.
“Okay, Thena, I’m turning back
toward the freeway. The harbor shops are on my left. Remember that eight-sided
tower, the one with a great view of the harbor and breakwater. The octogon
tower. You remember going there on your last visit here, don’t you?”
More silence followed then as an image sprang to Athena’s mind. Yes, they’d had
lunch there…
Her mother gasped loudly. A
screech of brakes, metal crunching, glass breaking. Her mother cursing a blue
streak in her native Italian.
“What happened, Mama? Are you all
right?”
“Yes, dear. Just a stupid fender
bender. Merda! Daniel’s going to throw a fit. My second one this year! I’m
getting so distracted with these cases—not paying attention to what I’m doing.
I swear this car pulled right in front of me, cut me off. It’s not my fault
this time.”
More angry muttering followed.
“Dio, I really smashed up that rear
end! Thena, I’ll call you right back as soon as I exchange insurance
information with the driver. Be right back, Thena.”
“Mama, don’t get out of the—”
The line went dead. With a
cry, Athena sank to her knees on the cold, tile floor. Shivers of dread rippled
through her. Her mind went numb with panic.
For God’s sake…Think! Get help!
Author Bio:
My pen name is Donna Del Oro and I live in Northern
California near the Sierra Nevada foothills and Folsom Lake. After retiring
from high school teaching, I decided life was too short to waste. Thus, began a
journey doing what I'd been wanting to do for many years--write fiction. I sold
my first novel, OPERATION FAMILIA, right away and this book went on to win an
award for the Best 2010 Latino Books into Movies Award. Following that first
sale, I published three more women's fiction books, then branched out into
writing my first love, romantic thrillers. This year, 2012, saw the launch of A
BODYGUARD OF LIES and THE DELPHI BLOODLINE, both ebooks and available on
Kindle, Nook, Apple, and elsewhere. If you have read any of my books, I welcome
your input. Leave me a review on Amazon and your name goes into a pile for a
$50 gift card at B&N, my favorite bookstore. You can email me:
donna@donnadeloro.com.
Thanks for dropping by!"
