Luminous

Publisher Marketing: Eighteen year old Lily's parents have been randomly murdered and now she must brave the funeral casseroles and greedy family members alone until her brother's plane arrives. So far, she has managed the proceedings but without her brother at her side or her grandparents still around to back her up, the remaining family is a bit much to tolerate. Lily finds herself speeding down a country road angry, distracted and stuck behind another car when something jumps into the path of the other driver causing Lily to collide into him. She wanes in and out of consciousness as someone assists her and the other driver to safety. But is that really what they are doing? She rationalizes her disorientation and hopes that the bizarre hallucination of being bitten by her rescuer is simply part of the delirium that will soon pass; along with the dark figure lingering at the roadside. Are her parents coming to meet her? She falls deeply into a healing sleep and is surprised to wake with the other driver, Conor, still in the forest. Together they overhear a conversation in which they are the urgent topic; someone threatens to return at the next moon - for them. Escaping the cult in the forest, they are no longer able to deny their new talents as iridescent colors shimmer in the trees, strong scents from miles away overwhelm rational explanation and a timely supernatural sanctuary is provided by branch and bough. Lily and Conor make it to town and go their separate ways. Unsure how to explain her absence, Lily lies to her brother and finds her return unconditionally accepted. Some thirty days later, 'the change' introduces her to the wolf that now haunts her. A compelling intuition beckons her to the woods; desires are no longer hers alone. Struggling to concentrate on settling questions about her parents, she works with her brother and a private eye for answers. Why would anyone want to kill a housewife and a researcher? She discovers the crossing paths between her dad's work, the recurring incidents involving the national forest and the mounting body count. Becoming more accustomed to her new abilities, she is thrust not only into the path of a murderer, but into the mystical realm of the moon. Lily and Conor begin spending more time together working to solve her parents' murders. Just as their confidence begins to take root, it's curtailed with a confusing night in the woods; a mythical creature evades them and misdirects the trees, betraying the wolves. Lily and Conor grow tired and somewhat relaxed in their efforts. When Conor disappears for no obvious reason, Lily has to find the courage to continue forward alone realizing that the safety of both their remaining family could be at risk. Only Lily and Conor have the strength to battle what is before them and Conor is no where in sight. Lily at last ends up where her life was truly altered. She enters the darkness of the forest, this time as a wolf with an undertaking she dare not fail. Will the woods betray her again or will they share her intentions? An evil shadows the forest compelling Lily's true wolf to step forward. Born of a blue moon, she wages the war that is upon her. Untamed apparitions skim the moon's reflection. The creatures beneath the leafy veil of woodlands acknowledge an otherworldly force. And she understands now. She has been bitten; altered. Evolving within the darkness that was once a nightmare to her; now she, is the monster. No more will imagination prowl the threshold. No longer will dusk shroud the skies. A being now of creature's fierce spirit embraced by a mortal's potent will. For the moon's allure possesses smoldering magic, lucid shadow and enchanting taboo. And those of a blue moon are Luminous.