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Dee S. Knight: “An Awareness of Evil” in Black Velvet Seductions Mystic Desire (Excerpt)
Monday, September 16th, 2019

My main character in my short story, “An Awareness of Evil”, is Amanda McMasters, a psychic, living in the small town of Milford, Idaho. One day she senses a girl who is horribly frightened of something. As the days go by, the sensations increase and expand until full-blown visions assail her. Suddenly, there is no question in her mind that she knows the girl and finally, she knows where to find her.

I’ve always been drawn to psychics. When I was growing up in Virginia Beach, I made frequent visits to the Edgar Cayce’s Association for Research and Enlightenment. What a fascinating place! Through them I found a local psychic. She didn’t really tell me much that I found to be personal. But the experience of going was half the fun. When my dad was transferred to Florida my senior year of high school, I visited Cassadaga, a small town known for its psychic community. This visit was much more satisfying. The psychic there told me things about myself and about my boyfriend (and future husband), things no one could have known. I was hooked. And though I haven’t been back to other psychics, I have read about them, a lot. When I think of paranormal, a psychic is what comes to mind first.

An Awareness of Evil
inside Mystic Desire

Amanda McMasters is a psychic living in small town, Idaho. Far from the usual episodes where she can sense a person needing help, Amanda is suddenly thrown into full-blown visions of a little girl who feels threatened. She feels the girl’s terror, sees the poor state of her home, and smells strange and awful things—like the blood pooled around her mother and the faint whiff of a body beginning to decompose. With the help of her visions and Detective Brendan Gilchrist, Amanda races to save the little girl before she meets her mother’s fate.

Excerpt:

“There’s not much more frightening to a child than hearing a parent cry.” Amanda McMasters clutched her purse in her lap and tried to keep from twisting her hands. She stared at the nameplate on the front of the desk. Det. Donny Connor. He looked older than the other detective and probably had more experience but she wished she were speaking with the younger guy, doodling as he listened to her and his partner. He sat sideways to his desk with the chair pushed back onto two legs, looking as though he hadn’t a care in the world. But something told her that he heard every word.

“I can imagine,” Detective Connor said in a low voice. He seemed as though he were trying to sound soothing but a note of frustration hit between his words. “And so, you heard someone crying.”

“Not exactly.”

Detective Connor blew out a breath, laid his pen on the desk and then picked it up again. “Ms. McMasters, you’ve been trying to tell us what’s up for the past fifteen minutes. Why don’t you just say it and let us decide what’s important or not?” The detective looked to his partner sitting at the next desk. Detective Gilchrist gave him a bare nod. So far, that was the most interaction she’d seen from him.

Amanda took a deep breath and braced herself to tell the men what she’d been trying to avoid. “I don’t actually hear crying.”

“You don’t actually hear—”

“More like I sense it.”

The detective slowly placed the pen on his desk again. “You sense it.”

“Right.”

Detective Connor stretched his arms and folded his fingers behind his head. “So you don’t see the person crying. You don’t hear anyone crying. You don’t actually see a child.”

“That’s right.” She knew what was coming but knowing didn’t diminish the frustration. Or the pain in once again not being believed. “I’m something of a psychic.” She hadn’t meant to sound small, but that’s how it came out anyway.

Detective Connor dropped his hands to the desk and jerked the pen off the notepad. “You’re psychic.”

“Yes.”

“I see. And you’re sensing that this child you can’t see or hear is frightened.”

“I know it.”

“Okay, where is this child? We’ll be sure to check it out, won’t we Brendan?”

“Absolutely.”

Now Amanda didn’t bother trying to keep her hands still. She squeezed her fingers and released. Squeezed and released. “I don’t know.”

“Ms. McMasters, what exactly do you expect us to do? You don’t have any idea of who the kid is or how we can find it.”

“Her. I’m sure it’s a little girl crying.” She shook her head and narrowed her brows in worry. “I don’t know. I thought maybe you’d had a report of a domestic disturbance or something I might be able to draw on. I’ve been sensing her for two days now. It’s getting worse. She’s scared and I don’t know how to help her.” Her voice had risen to the point that people at desks around them had stopped to look. Amanda took another deep breath. “Look, I’m sorry. If I had more information, I’d tell you. But I can’t keep this to myself anymore.”

“Can’t keep what to yourself, miss? You haven’t told us anything.”

“Amanda McMasters,” murmured the other detective. “I think I’ve heard that name before. Have you been involved in another police case?

“Yes, last year in Spokane.” She had lived there until moving the eighty or so miles to Milford, Idaho. Once she had helped the Spokane police solve the murder case, she’d lost all privacy. People called morning, noon, and night asking for help in finding everything from lost dogs to lost keys. Or worse, more lost children. The stories had broken her heart and the constant requests had destroyed her peace. When her landlord told her she’d have to move or control the numbers of people banging on her door, she had little choice but to leave the Washington town. She’d chosen a smaller place in the more rural neighboring state. The last thing she needed now was to have the same problem start up again.

“I remember now. The boy lost in the state park. You located him just as he was on death’s door.”

“I am blessed with a gift, or maybe it’s a curse. But I’m not making anything up,” she said defensively.

“I believe you,” the younger detective said, meeting her gaze.

*~*~*

Buy links for Mystic Desire:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/322Ziq3
Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/4j1AD2

Mystic Desire, a supernatural anthology from Black Velvet Seductions is available for pre-order until October 1.

Authors included:
Dee S. Knight: An Awareness of Evil
Zia Westfield: Bewitching the Wolf
Lora Logan: Calling All Angels
Callie Carmen: Dream Catcher
Anne Krist: Life Saving
Patricia Elliott: Love from the Mist and also Love Knows No Apocalypse
Carol Schoenig: Love that Binds
R.M. Olivia: Love’s Ghost
Richard Savage: The Anniversary
Suzanne Smith: The Mortal Vampire
Alice Renaud: The Sweetest Magic of All
Jan Selbourne: Through the Veil
Breanna Hayes: Unconditional Lust

About the Author

A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex. Writing was so much fun Dee decided to keep at it. That’s how she spends her days. Her nights? Well, she’s lucky that her dream man, childhood sweetheart, and long-time hubby are all the same guy, and nights are their secret. For romance ranging from sweet to historical, contemporary to paranormal and more join Dee on Nomad Authors. Contact Dee at dsknight@deesknight.com.

Author links:
Website: https://nomadauthors.com
Blog: http://nomadauthors.com/blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DeeSKnight
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeeSKnight2018
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/265222.Dee_S_Knight
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B079BGZNDN
Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/h8t2y6
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/dee-s-knight-0500749

18 comments to “Dee S. Knight: “An Awareness of Evil” in Black Velvet Seductions Mystic Desire (Excerpt)”

  1. Dee S. Knight
    Comment
    1
    · September 16th, 2019 at 9:43 am · Link

    Delilah, thanks so much for hosting me today!



  2. Callie Carmen
    Comment
    2
    · September 16th, 2019 at 9:51 am · Link

    Hi Dee and Delilah,
    Great blog.
    Thank goodness Amanda is able to figure out how to find the child.
    I love shows that use a psychic to help the police or psychics that come on America’s got talent. They amaze me every time.
    I know I’ll love your story.
    Callie



  3. Dee S. Knight
    Comment
    3
    · September 16th, 2019 at 10:06 am · Link

    Thank you, Callie! I think we’re all waiting impatiently for Oct 1!



  4. Richard Savage
    Comment
    4
    · September 16th, 2019 at 10:10 am · Link

    What a great blog post. I had the chance to read an ARC copy of Mystic desire, I love your story Dee. In fact, I enjoyed all the stories in the book.

    Thank you so much, Delilah Devlin, for hosting the blog



  5. CAROL SCHOENIG
    Comment
    5
    · September 16th, 2019 at 11:28 am · Link

    Dee,

    This is a great interview. Your story sound rivetting. Pysics fasinate me and sometimes I wonder if I have some ability to read premonitionn. I know of two occassion that I dreamt something and in came true.

    I look forward to reading your storying!

    Carol



  6. Gibby Campbell
    Comment
    6
    · September 16th, 2019 at 11:58 am · Link

    I love hearing psychic success stories. I was personally raised in an “odd” family, and we all read tarot cards. I’ve never had a premonition, though. I think that would scare the living stuffing out of me! Am looking forward to reading this story and all the others in the anthology.



  7. Sassy Brit @ Alternative-Read.com
    Comment
    7
    · September 16th, 2019 at 12:28 pm · Link

    Spooky! Sounds just right up my alley. Can’t wait to read this.



  8. Dee S. Knight
    Comment
    8
    · September 16th, 2019 at 12:47 pm · Link

    Ric, thank you! I really appreciate being in this anthology and with so many other writers whose work I enjoy.



  9. Dee S. Knight
    Comment
    9
    · September 16th, 2019 at 12:49 pm · Link

    Carol, thank you! For better or worse, I have no psychic sense at all. 😉



  10. Dee S. Knight
    Comment
    10
    · September 16th, 2019 at 12:52 pm · Link

    Gibby, my mom was always fascinated by Tarot cards but she never got involved in learning how to read them. Like you, I’ve never had a premonition–I don’t even have any intuition! But my best friend has had some amazing experiences with…shall we say help from beyond. She’s the most logical, left-brain person you could imagine but she definitely believes in some facets of the supernatural!



  11. Suzanne Smith
    Comment
    11
    · September 16th, 2019 at 1:08 pm · Link

    Love the vision Dee! Dark and creepy- right up my alley. Lol. Can’t wait to read your stories.



  12. Alice
    Comment
    12
    · September 16th, 2019 at 2:25 pm · Link

    What a fascinating story! I can’t wait to read it. I love the idea of a whole town of psychics, there’s a story in there begging to be told!



  13. L. J. Dare
    Comment
    13
    · September 16th, 2019 at 2:41 pm · Link

    Dee-
    Can’t wait to read your fascinating story. My very best to you,–L.J.



  14. Jan Selbourne
    Comment
    14
    · September 16th, 2019 at 3:15 pm · Link

    A great interview. I was fortunate to be given a sneak peak of this nail biting story and loved it because its so true to life. Psychics do help police many times.



  15. Dee S. Knight
    Comment
    15
    · September 16th, 2019 at 7:35 pm · Link

    Suzanne, thank you!



  16. Dee S. Knight
    Comment
    16
    · September 16th, 2019 at 7:37 pm · Link

    Alice, I just remember driving into an area with a bunch of cabins within sight of each other, Spanish moss hanging from live oaks, and silence. It was very atmospheric!



  17. Dee S. Knight
    Comment
    17
    · September 16th, 2019 at 7:38 pm · Link

    Jan, and I’ve had a peek at your story, Through the Veil. I loved it. I’m a sucker for reincarnation stories! Thanks for your comment!



  18. Suzanne Smith
    Comment
    18
    · September 16th, 2019 at 7:53 pm · Link

    You are welcome!



Comments are closed.