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Selena Parker’s journey into the unknown begins in her dreams, but the
consequences are carried back into her conscious life and she soon realizes paranormal forces are at work. Her shadow has become more than just an image;
it is a gateway to a sinister new world where mysterious creatures roam and she
is confronted by danger that challenges her will to survive. She finds the man
whose fate is linked inexplicably to her own but she knows nothing of him and
doubts his true nature. Her only option is to place her life in his hands while
they search for a way to stop the shadows claiming them forever.

 

 At first, I couldn’t breathe, and once again my skin stung
as though an unseen force might rip it from my body. I clamped my eyes shut and
waited until the stagnant feeling in my lungs dissipated.

 

Darkness surrounded me, and the sound of crickets clicking
became louder, as though they had paused upon my arrival and were beginning to
relax. The forest floor was soft and moist, sinking as I crouched. I checked
the ground was stable before I stood up and found my balance. The crickets
stopped again. No other threatening sounds reached me and yet instinct warned
me danger was nearby. Something wet crawled over my foot. I struggled to
withhold a scream as I jumped to the side. Another warm body collided with me
and a hand curled over my lips before I could cry out.

 

“Shh.” Warm breath exhaled over my neck.

 

I struggled to break free, but the hand tightened.

 

“Who are you?” he whispered.

 

I couldn’t reply. He shuffled to the side dragging me with
him as he moved. The trees rustled, and the light of the moon crept in to join
us. We were surrounded by dense foliage, too conveniently wrapped around to
have grown that way naturally. He released, and pushed me away in the same
movement and finally I saw his face. Brayden. He looked completely different to
the man unconscious in the hospital bed. His eyes were sharp—almost accusing.

 

“How did you get here?” he asked.

 

“Do you remember me?” He stared at me with fierce eyes, and
I struggled to continue. 

 

“You spoke to me in the restaurant.”

 

“How did you land here?” his voice came out cold.

 

It didn’t matter where I’d landed, I needed to know why this
was happening. “You warned me about this—about the shadows—”

 

“Tell me how you passed here.”

 

“I went to visit you in the hospital.”

 

“You shouldn’t be in the hospital. You shouldn’t be here.”

 

I edged further away. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

 

Suddenly his back straightened, and he leaned outside to
check our surroundings. Seconds past and he gradually turned back, his gaze resting
by my feet. “If they find you they’ll kill you.”

 

He must have been talking about the men with the grey eyes.
“What are they?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

The crickets chirped again. “The other day I was chased by
one—”

 

He nodded.

 

“You were there,” I prompted.

 

“It’s not just them, the ones with the grey eyes. There are
animals too.”

 

Eventually, he leaned back against a tree; his demeanour
flat. Shouldn’t he be eager to hear my story? Didn’t he want to share
information so we could find a way to save ourselves? Instead, he closed his
eyes, as though he had nothing else to say.

 

I stepped forward. “You grabbed me when I was being chased.
Why did you do that?”

 

“Your shadow is the only way to escape,” his voice hollowed
out—detached.

 

“Did you push me through it on purpose?”

 

“The more the shadows take you, the faster they come back
for more. The only way to escape is to force yourself back through.”

 

In the darkness I could barely make out my own hand, there
was no shadow. Did that mean there was no way to go back? My chest tightened as
I realised I would be trapped with this stranger until morning hit. Back in the
hospital, it had been late in the afternoon. Soon the sun would set there and
perhaps that was when morning would break here.

 

I couldn’t help wondering if I’d made a mistake coming here.
There was something about him that made me uneasy. Not just his silence but the
impression that he was lost. Both physically and mentally. Although his posture
had been tense under the moonlight, he didn’t actually seem afraid. Not the way
I was—with wide eyes and shaking hands.

 

He turned, his eyes wandering blankly before they focused.
“Soon it will be morning; that’s when they hunt. As soon as the sun hits, you
need to force your way back through your shadow. Throw yourself at the ground,
as hard as you can. The longer you spend here, the harder it is to go back.”

 

I blanched. I’d waited for the shadow to take me from the
hospital. I’d almost come by choice but that only made things worse. “And then
what?”

 

“Then you hide from them.”

 

My lungs swelled with air, but I couldn’t force myself to
exhale. “But I can’t. It doesn’t work.”

 

“There’s no other way.” He took my hand abruptly. I wanted
to pull back, but he held on too tight. “I’ll try to come back with you.”

 

“Where are we going?”

 

He pushed the ferns aside and held a finger to his lips for
silence. “We can’t stay here.”

 

Anna Hub

 

Featured
Book: Beyond the Shadows 

Hello readers! I’m a paranormal thriller author from
Perth, Western Australia (yes, I have a funny accent) and I’m so excited to be
involved in the Dark Legends boxed set. There are so many amazing authors in
this project, I can’t wait to unleash it upon the world!

Welcome, Anna! How long have you been a writer and how did you come to
writing? 

When I was a child I wanted to be an author, but as I
grew up society somehow managed to convince me it wasn’t a good career choice.
So when I left high-school, I studied nursing instead but as soon as I started
working in that field, a deep sense of dissatisfaction stirred in me. Something
was missing and that sense of being lost led me to my first novel. The more I
wrote, the happier I became and I haven’t looked back since. Now my motto is:
if you can’t do it with passion, don’t do it at all!  

How did you come up with this story line?

Shadows are constantly used to represent fear of the
unknown in an audience, whether it be via movies, music or performance. I felt
drawn to them because they can evoke such powerful emotions. I wanted to work
on something dark and mysterious but not just to scare, rather to use as a
contrast for the light. 

I thought, what if there was a good reason to fear your
own shadow? What if it was the gateway to a sinister new world? 

The idea would leave my protagonist completely powerless,
because no matter how fast she ran or how hard she tried to escape it, her
shadow would always be one step behind her. I wanted to take her to the very
edge of her survival ability, then give her the strength to overcome it.
Because that’s what we all do in life, we fight to survive the bad things that
happen to us.

               

What are the best and the worst aspects of writing?

Writing a book is one of the hardest things I’ve ever
done and that never seems to change, whether it’s my first or my sixth novel.
Because every book is different and they can’t be written the same way. Some
days it really does feel as though every minute is just one tiny step in an
impossible journey. But although it can be torturous, that is exactly the same
thing that makes it so incredibly rewarding! It’s not worth winning if you
don’t have to fight for it. All the frustration, long nights and aching neck
muscles make the words ‘The End’ feel like such a victory. It’s within the
struggle that there’s glory! 

What inspires you to write? 

I’ve always been in love with dark concepts of ghosts,
witches, magic and demons. I want to believe the supernatural exists in our
world, even though we can’t see it. Writing books is the best way for me to
find myself in their world. It truly is like living multiple lives at once. And
I find the more I write, the more I learn about myself. It’s a way to digest
the things that are happening in my life. Things that make me happy, things
that break my heart and things that inspire me to be a better person. 

How did you conduct your research for Beyond the
Shadows? 

I had so much fun researching for Beyond the Shadows! I
used a combination of Google searches and library books. My favourite was an
SAS survival guide. So if the zombie apocalypse comes, you want to be with me.
I know all about how to find food in the wilderness!

What is your favourite quote from Beyond the
Shadows? 

“You spend so long fearing it,” his gaze lingered on his
shadow, “but everything here is opposite. The very thing that brought you
nightmares can be the thing you hope for.”

What would your friends say is your best quality? 

I’m a good listener and a loyal friend. Once you’ve got
me, you’ve got me for life 🙂 

Are reader reviews important to you? 

Reader reviews are so important to me. When you think
about it, creative jobs are one of the few career choices where you don’t have
a boss telling you how well you’re performing. I rely on readers to be honest
in their feedback because it helps me learn and grow as a writer.

What do you do when you don’t write? 

I love picnics with my boyfriend, BBQs with friends and
we have the most beautiful beaches in Western Australia so I love being there
too. 

I also love love love yoga. It’s been a part of my life
for many years now and I find it keeps me balanced both in mind and body. 

And of course, I love reading in the bath!

Tell us about your other books? 

Beyond the Shadows is the first book in a four part
series, The Shadow Series. I also have a standalone paranormal thriller about
ghosts, called The Ninth Hunter. And at the moment, I’m working on a YA novel
about grim reapers.

One thing you’re sure to find in all my books is a unique
take on mythology or a completely new concept all together. I love to explore
uncharted ideas, although it can be torturous to edit, it’s totally worth it.
Readers often comment on the depth of imagination that goes into my world
building, and it’s so much fun to write!

If you could share one thing about yourself that you
would like readers to know what would it be? 

I already mentioned this in one of my earlier answers but
I love to preach passion. I live my life by this concept but I think we should
all find something we can fall madly in love with. Whether it be cooking,
sport, reading, painting, whatever! Find something that makes your heart sing
and give time to it. The riches of happiness are far greater than anything
else.

I absolutely love meeting new readers and fans of the
fantasy/paranormal genres so we can share book recommendations. So don’t be
shy, come and find me through the social media links!

   

Anna Hub is a paranormal/thriller author from Perth, Western
Australia. She qualified as a nurse in her early twenties but in 2007, decided
to chase her childhood dream of becoming an author instead. Since then, she has
surrendered her heart and soul to writing. Although terrified of horror movies,
Anna loves to write on the dark side and explore uncharted mythologies. She
believes our imaginations are infinite and inside the pages of a book, there is
no limit, no exact destination and our minds are free to exist in many worlds.