REMNANTS OF FIRE

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Looking for a fresh start, Sara Woods takes a job as a news reporter in a small town. Her first assignment for the Ralston Courier is to investigate of a string of deaths, all young women, all her age.
To deal with chronic back pain, she seeks help at a local healing center. She soon becomes convinced that there is something strange about the Goldstone Clinic. Its doctors and nurses are all the picture of perfect beauty and health, while their patients at first seem to improve and then mysteriously deteriorate.
Dr. Rick Paulsen, a physician at the local hospital, offers to teach Sara how to access her internal power, enhancing hidden skills and revealing secrets from her past.
Police officer Brendon Zale also takes an interest in Sara, watching her every move.
The deeper she digs into the Goldstone, the harder it is to deny links to the paranormal. Can she figure out what is going on and who to trust before it’s too late?

AWARDS

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N. N. Light 2023 Book Award Winner for Best Fiction

SALES & FORMATS

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PAPERBACK (Amazon) [EAN 978-1-949187-56-4 | ISBN 1-949187-56-X] 6x9 trim (192 pages) | Average Price: $11.99

PAPERBACK (Barnes & Noble) [EAN 978-1-949187-57-1 | ISBN 1-949187-57-8] 6x9 trim (192 pages) | Average Price: $9.99

HARDBACK (Barnes & Noble) [EAN 978-1-949187-58-8 | ISBN 1-949187-58-6] 6x9 trim (192 pages) | Average Price: $19.99

EBOOK [EAN 978-1-949187-59-5 | ISBN 1-949187-59-4] Industry Standard EPUB and Kindle (73,000 words) | Average Price: $4.99

Print editions are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more. Find ebooks at retailers, lending libraries, and subscription services, including: Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Blio, Everand, Kobo Books, Smashwords, and more.

READ AN EXCERPT

CHAPTER 1:

OF all the corpses I'd seen in six years as a news reporter, Lily Kimball's hit me the hardest.
Found in a drainage ditch along Route 24, two inches deep in snow, she wore only a shabby pair of Banana Republic jeans and a red jersey shirt, with a dried clot of blood on her forehead where she’d taken a header into a discarded bottle.
In the half-light before dawn, two CSI-types crouched in front of the body taking pictures and samples, thick parka vests protecting them against the thirty-degree early March chill. Each breath left their cold lips as a mist of water vapor.
"Weirdest thing I ever saw," the lead investigator said to the waiting medic from the volunteer ambulance service. "Why would some girl be out here in the middle of a snowstorm without shoes, without a coat?"
Good question as far as I was concerned. I was freezing my butt off, despite a hoodie under my jacket, black sweat pants and fur-lined boots. I couldn’t return to the office until I had some answers. So far, all I had was her name, thanks to the CSI techs.
No evidence of blunt trauma, no gunshots, no bruising. It didn’t even look like the girl had been tossed out of a car. I angled my pad to catch the headlights of the cop car and scribbled some notes, numb fingers slipping on the pen. "Your tech pulled a bank debit card from her pocket. Maybe she needed cigarettes or something." I gestured toward the lights of the Kwik-E-Mart a mile or so further along where the road intersected with Declan Highway.
The officer's glare roasted his techs for sharing information, and then he eyed me. "Who're you again?"
"Sara Woods, for the Ralston Courier." I tilted my laminated badge, so he could read it.
He squinted at the black and white picture of a pixie-like brunette with a slightly crooked smile, and then compared it to my pixie-like face, much more florid in the wintry wind. I tried for the smile, too, in case it helped. "New blood, huh?"
"Just started. I'm covering for O'Neal this weekend."
The officer chuckled. "He'll be ticked. He loves dead bodies." The medic snickered along with him and they walked away, back to the running patrol car. The heated, running patrol car.
With a disappointed shiver, I observed the techs. They hadn't disturbed the body much, other than to rule out major trauma. Lily's skin was icy white, her black hair patchy, so thin it lay atop the snow. Bony stick fingers and toes were dark red, almost violet, from frostbite at the bare tips. It seemed like she'd simply fallen into the ditch. Just let go, dead.
Satisfied with their photos, the techs turned over the stiff body. The girl's pale, sightless eyes stared into the gray miasma of the late winter sky. Nausea crept from my stomach toward my throat. She had to be about my age, twenty-something; about my size too, although those fingers were wickedly thin. What would have compelled me to leave home in a blizzard, half-dressed, ending in a frozen ditch with my life sucked out?
I didn't know what could cause such desperation.
But the goosebumps that rippled across my skin told me it was still out there, lurking.

[Copyright ©2024 Alana Lorens | No unauthorized reproduction or distribution]

READ REVIEWS

NNL 5-Stars

"I couldn’t put this book down. REMNANTS OF FIRE isn't your typical paranormal novel. And that's a good thing. It starts out unassuming enough. Sara Woods, recently divorced, takes a reporting position at a newspaper in a small town in western Ohio. She immediately begins to investigate a string of dead women — all too young to die. They only have one thing in common. They were all clients of a New Age health institute, Goldstone Clinic. Sara initially visits the clinic for her back pain. Her intuition tells her something’s not right there. With the help of an all-too-handsome doctor at the local hospital, she’s determined to discover what role the clinic plays in the mysterious deaths. Then the story takes a veer in a direction I didn’t see coming. It’s a fascinating twist that literally had me on the edge of my seat as I read it. I was pulled into the story from the first chapter, thanks to the author’s impeccable sense of storytelling. Told in the first person, we tag along with Sara in the opening scene where she views a dead body and its inexplicable location and situation. The first-person point of view works well, as we know only what Sara does — and it's typically too little, too late. That naturally amps up the drama. Alana Lorens tells a compelling, spellbinding story. She slowly and patiently gives us clues to what’s next and builds suspense expertly. The ultimate reveal of the truth is nothing less than stunning as she eventually shows us what really is happening at the Goldstone Clinic. But not without having us biting our nails about the safety of our intrepid heroine. REMNANTS OF FIRE is a paranormal novel in a category all its own. And it's left me wanting more." ~ reviewed by Terry for NN Lights Book Heaven [FIVE STARS]

Goodreads

"I was hooked from beginning to end. REMNANTS OF FIRE is a well-written riveting story that is fantastical but at the same time realistic. The author did a fantastic job of bringing the story to live. I felt like I was actually experiencing what the characters experienced. The main characters were likable and relatable, but not without flaws, which is difficult to pull off. And the other characters in the story were great. I felt like I knew them all in real life. Highly recommend!" ~ reviewed by T. P. Warren at Goodreads [FIVE STARS]

Bookbub

"I just finished reading a review copy of REMNANTS OF FIRE by Alana Lorens, and I LOVED it. The protagonist is Sara Woods, a newspaper journalist investigating suspicious deaths in her small town. The only apparent connection between the dead women is that they were all clients at a local new age energy healing clinic. Not only is Sara a sensible heroine I could get behind, other female characters are strong, too. I particularly loved Sara’s boss, a no-nonsense editor-in-chief with a heartbreaking connection to the mystery who’s always chain smoking out a cracked window in her office. In fact, all the characters in this novel are distinct and realistic. Three men made intriguing romantic possibilities, and I loved not knowing which one I could trust. The story's pace never slacks. Emerging clues kept me reaching for the next chapter. Plot twists hooked me all the way to a satisfying conclusion." ~ reviewed by Naima Haviland at Bookbub [FIVE STARS]

"When newspaper reporter, Sara Woods, tries to start a new life in a small town, her first investigation is the mysterious deaths of several young and presumed healthy women. The deeper she digs, the more entangled she becomes in a mysterious local wellness clinic with rumors of vampires. Convinced that the deaths are not due to paranormal causes, she gets close to the people involved. Too close. Should she trust the handsome Doctor Rick? Should she distrust the ever-present Officer Brendon? What is really going on? Why are people associated with the clinic hyper-focused on her? As a supernatural thriller, REMNANTS OF FIRE delivers in every way possible. It is superbly written with interesting characters, small-town ambience, wry humor, and a climax for the ages. It's definitely a 5-STAR read." ~ reviewed by Amber Sparks [FIVE STARS]

"Sara Woods is a news reporter in a small town. She usually reports on the society pages and other light pieces, but when the hard news reporter is out of town, she fills in, and thus begins her investigation into a string of deaths of young women. As she digs deeper into the deaths, she becomes involved with a local doctor who teaches her about energy. At first, she doesn’t believe in him, or the clinic where she gets help for her chronic back pain. But she can’t deny that what they did to her helped. She also can’t deny that something strange is happening and it’s all connected to the clinic. She’s also a bit freaked out by the intense consideration she gets from the local police officer, Brendon. And the clinic's administrator, Chal. With three men after her, she’s not sure who to trust. — Definitely recommended." ~ reviewed by Vicky Burkholder for Sparkling Book Reviews [FIVE STARS]

"Lorens takes you on a journey of good vs evil when reporter Sara Woods discovers dead women — with no apparent reason for their deaths. How are they linked to the Goldstone Clinic? Who can she trust? Sara discovers an internal source of power inside her that a gorgeous doctor helps her to understand and nurture. He explains about psychic vampires, but can she really believe this mumbo-jumbo that he spouts? Then there’s the nosy, full-of-himself young cop. He seems to follow Sara everywhere. More deaths occur, as Sara is drawn deeper into a web of deceit. Will she escape before it catches her? REMNANTS OF FIRE is hard to put down, and the end leaves you cheering and wanting more! Highly recommended!" ~ reviewed by Janyce Brawn [FIVE STARS]

"Investigating strange deaths, newspaper reporter Sara Woods fights for her own life. In REMNANTS OF FIRE, Alana Lorens crafts a page turning thriller with Sara unable to trust anyone, not even herself. Paranormal fiction readers won’t want to miss the creative climax. Romantics will be satisfied, too." ~ reviewed by Janet Wells [FIVE STARS]

"Sara Woods takes a new job as a newspaper reporter, and gets dragged into a huge mess almost immediately by her editor. REMNANTS OF FIRE is so many things! It starts off as a perfectly normal investigative work by a reporter, but then it talks about all different sorts of healing techniques, and how they are used for good and maybe evil. It's scary enough that there's a trail of dead women in this small Ohio town, but as Sara starts discovering who might be behind it, at the same time she's scrambling to protect herself. It’s just — wow. And what's up with this junior cop creeping on her all the time? I loved the story, could really see it as a movie, the author is so good with her scenes. Recommend!" ~ reviewed by Suzi Taylor [FIVE STARS]

"Wow! I couldn’t put this book down. I started reading at ten in the morning and finished at around midnight that evening. It has been a long time since a book compelled me to take a day off and read straight through. Although I am not typically a sci-fi or fantasy fan, I found this well-crafted story gripping. The author threw in some unexpected twists, too. I guess the aspect I liked best was how the details brought me into the story. I could picture everything so clearly. If you like well-developed and intriguing characters, an unusual storyline, and murder mysteries, be sure to check out REMNANTS OF FIRE." ~ reviewed by Amy Bovaird [FIVE STARS]

"Seeking a better life, Sara takes a job as a smal-ltown newspaper reporter. When several beautiful women her age are murdered by strange means, her investigation leads to a mysterious local healing center called the Goldstone. As she tries to figure out what's going on, she has to deal with a crusty chain-smoking newspaper editor, a handsome doctor who says he needs her help, a good-looking police officer who seems to be stalking her, and the peculiar behavior of various townspeople. Something odd and possibly paranormal is afoot at the Goldstone Clinic. REMNANTS OF FIRE is a thrilling and steamy paranormal whodunnit with an ending not to be missed." ~ reviewed by Allen Dale [FIVE STARS]

"Alana Loren's REMNANTS OF FIRE defies the typical stereotype of horror, mystery and fantasy to provide a story that has twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat, reading and wanting more. A suspense novel with a plot equal to anything Dame Agatha Christie could imagine. A must read for the young and young at heart." ~ reviewed by Janet Pierce [FIVE STARS]

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