Facing Your Fears
Knot of Souls is set in October, and though it’s not
a Halloween book, it does draw on the atmosphere of fear as each of the two
main characters works on overcoming past trauma. For Joy, neglected by her
father, never feeling quite good enough, she’s afraid of asserting herself.
This is maybe why she initially hides from the spirit invading her body, rather
than fighting. But Joy has more power than she realizes, beginning with a
friend who re-imagines Halloween in an inspirational new way.
Excerpt from Chapter 6 of Knot of Souls:
“It’s almost Halloween, the time of year to face your fears,
to do something that really scares you.”
It was late Thursday evening, and we were hanging out at her
house watching a truly terrible new horror series on Netflix. So far, the only
feeling it had induced was boredom.
“I don’t think that’s what Halloween is for,” I replied.
“Isn’t it the day when the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest?”
“Is that what scares you?”
“No.”
“Then no, that’s not what it’s about.” Kristen gestured at
the TV, where ominous music suggested we were supposed to be worried about
something. Too bad the plot hadn’t gotten the memo. “People need to scare
themselves sometimes. It’s how we get what we really want.”
“Hm.” I pondered the odd new idea, but ended up shaking my
head. “People dress in costumes to hide from the ghosts. I just don’t think—”
“And if you don’t face your fears,” Kristen added
dramatically, “then what’s going to change by next Halloween?”
Christine Amsden
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Christine Amsden
Date of Publication: May 20, 2025
ISBN: 979-8283019284
ASIN: B0F7Y8YST6
Number of pages: 384
Word Count: 102,000
Cover Artist: BZN Studio Designs
Book Description:
Two souls, one body …
When Joy wakes up in an alley, she knows three things: she was brutally murdered, she has somehow come back to life ... and she is not alone. She’s been possessed by an inhuman presence, a being that has taken over her dying body. That being is powerful, in pain, and on the run from entities more dangerous than he is.
Shade, a Fae prince on the run, didn’t mean to share the body he jumped into. Desperate and afraid, accused of a murder he didn’t commit, he only sought a place to hide—but if he leaves Joy now, he faces discovery and a fate worse than death.
Forced to work together to solve multiple murders, including her own, Joy and Shade discover hidden strengths and an unlikely friendship. Yet as their souls become increasingly intertwined, they realize their true danger might come from each other … and if they don't find a way to untangle the knot their souls have become, then even the truth won't set them free.
Knot of Souls is a stand-alone buddy love fantasy that forces two very different beings to work together … and come out stronger on the other side.
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Christine Amsden is the author of nine award-winning fantasy and science fiction novels, including the Cassie Scot Series.
Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but Christine believes great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. She writes primarily about people, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.
In addition to writing, Christine is a freelance editor and political activist. Disability advocacy is of particular interest to her; she has a rare genetic eye condition called Stargardt Macular Degeneration and has been legally blind since the age of eighteen. In her free time, she enjoys role playing, board games, and a good cup of tea. She lives in the Kansas City area with her husband and two kids.
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Thanks for hosting!
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