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Offering Extraordinary Books by Talented Authors TM
The Golden Talisman
Book 1 of the Talisman Chronicles
Hidden within the deep woods of rural Alabama, along the forgotten southern course of the Tombigbee River, lies an unseen world feared for centuries by the residents of the tiny town of Carlsdale. Only one person has ever survived a visit to this place long enough to tell about it. His name is Jack Kenney.
Thirteen years old at the time of the event, Jack and his family were forced to flee Carlsdale and head north to the larger city of Tuscaloosa. The menace from their former home left them in peace for nearly eight years. But after the brutal murder of a noted archaeologist and teacher at the University of Alabama, everything changed. Jack and his older brother, Jeremy, attend the University and are close friends of the late professor. Within days of his death, they are abducted by the FBI, held against their will in a secret holding facility near Manassas, Virginia.
Frustrated by the brothers' seeming refusal to cooperate, the agency's interrogations become increasingly violent, until Jack gains a welcome reprieve when Special Agent Peter McNamee arrives from the FBI's Richmond office. He befriends Jack and gains his trust, drawing upon a similar supernatural event from his own youth. Willing, finally, to talk after so many years spent in sworn silence, Jack leads Peter on an extraordinary roller-coaster ride involving a mystical and deadly realm located in America's Deep South... |
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About the Author
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J. Stefan Jackson began writing stories in the summer of 1997, after spending fifteen years pursuing a career as a songwriter. Many of his songs dealt with the mysteries of the supernatural, where he explored the angst and personal struggles that often result from broken human relationships. It was a natural progression for him to leave this mode of expression and venture into the world of a different type of wordsmith: the novelist. Residing just south of Nashville, Tennessee with his lovely wife and two teenage sons.
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Excerpt
...Despite my sleepiness, I managed to flick on every light along the way up to my bedroom. I despised the upstairs spookiness, and often wished that either my grandfather or my surly brother would join me, at least until I’d reached the safety of my bedroom. But, since Grandpa’s bedroom was downstairs and Jeremy rarely went to bed before the wee hours of the morning each night, I’d learned to cope with the shadows, bumps, and noisy creaks as best I could—regardless of the fact I was by then a teenager and no longer a mere child.
After stopping briefly in the bathroom to brush my teeth, I moved swiftly to my bedroom, opening and then closing the bedroom door the very instant I was safely inside my room. Even in darkness, this was my sacred hideaway. This was my refuge, as none of the spookiness or creepy feelings that existed in various points throughout the house ever followed me there.
I remember the moon was one night shy of its fullness, and beams of white light poured into my room, clearly illuminating everything around me. I got undressed, but before I crawled into my bed, I walked over to my window and looked out toward the majestic oak in the backyard. During the summer months, all I could usually see was the great expanse of the oak and its dense foliage. Only in fall and winter, like I mentioned earlier, was I apt to find a clear view of the woods rising beyond the backyard’s rear wall.
That night, however, I was able to see part of the wood’s tree-line glistening in the moonlight through the gaps in the oak tree’s leaves and branches. A gentle breeze pushed the branches back and forth, revealing even more of the woods' beauty than I’d expected to see, thanks to the brilliant light from the moon. At least that’s what I originally thought it was.
I pressed my face against the glass pane of my window for a better look at the light. It wasn't 'white' like the moon beams were. On the contrary, the light was golden in color and, through the small gaps in the oaks’ branches, I could tell this unusual light was extremely bright. It seemed to grow even brighter by the second and soon rivaled the very brightness of the sun. The entire oak became a darkened silhouette in front of this magnificent light.
"I stood in awe at this strange spectacle and at first couldn't move. I wasn’t even aware that my mouth had fallen open. Nor was I fully aware of the soft moaning sound coming from deep within my throat. I finally managed to look away, but not before I heard my grandfather calling to me from the bottom of the staircase.
"‘Are you okay, Jack?"
"Yeah, Grandpa...I'm fine!" I replied, and moved quickly over to my bedroom door. I was just about to open it, when all at once the golden light that’d begun to fill my bedroom suddenly receded, and nearly disappeared altogether within the next few seconds.
I walked over to the window and peered out into the backyard again. All that remained of the mysterious golden light was a much softer glow that hovered near the edge of the woods where my grandfather had thrown the strange object earlier that evening. I stood there wondering what I should do next, as I wasn’t sure if I should alert Grandpa and Jeremy about the light’s presence. I didn’t want to upset my grandfather again and I was certain that my brother would’ve climbed over the wall and tried to retrieve the object that most likely caused the strange light. Yet, if I didn’t tell anyone about this, what could happen if the light was more sinister than beautiful?
The light continued to dim, and since Grandpa was likely on one of his surveillance rounds when he called up to me, I decided to let the matter rest. I figured it could probably wait until breakfast the next morning, unless Grandpa or Jeremy encountered something unusual before then. I seriously doubted that either one had seen the magnificent light, for I would’ve surely known it by then.
I stood at the window for a few more minutes until the light completely disappeared. All that remained was the natural glow from the moon as it continued to bathe the earth below it. Satisfied that my home was safe for the present time, I moved over to my bed and quickly crawled under the covers.
Once comfortable, I peered out toward the window once more. The light from the moon filled my room, illuminating nearly everything around me including the cherished pictures of my mom and dad that I kept on top of my dresser. I drew comfort from having those photographs close by, and never gave up hope that my parents would someday be found alive.
I laid there awhile thinking about them and all that had happened that day, until finally I drifted off to sleep. I remember thinking I heard a wild animal like a wolf crying from somewhere in the woods. Soon after that, I was drawn into a night of strange dreams.
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