The Everett Exorcism by Lincoln Cole
Something strange is
happening in the city of Everett, Washington and Father Niccolo Paladina is
tasked with investigating possible demonic activity. Nothing is as it seems,
however, and things quickly begin spiraling out of his control.
When his path crosses
with that of an old rival, they discover that things are worse in Everett than
either of them could ever have imagined. As his world collapses around him,
Niccolo will be left with one terrible question: what is my faith worth?
Excerpt
“Come out, come out, wherever you are!”
Father Paladina knelt in his uncomfortable position beneath
the staircase, eyes closed and struggling to control his breathing. Each gasp
sounded like the cracking of a tree branch, and he couldn’t fight down an
occasional sob of terror. His heart beat in his ears, and his veins seemed
about to burst open.
“I can smell you, Priest. I know you didn’t run far. Where
are you?”
The voice came from upstairs in the local priest’s office.
Niccolo couldn’t remember a time in his life when he had been so on edge and
afraid. It felt like a sickness in his stomach, as all of his muscles tensed
simultaneously. It made his body shake, and he worried that he might throw up
at any moment.
“We both know how this will end. If you come out now, I’ll
do it quick. If you make me come and find you, though …”
Niccolo struggled to control his breathing as hot tears ran
down his cheeks. He reached into his front-right pocket for the single item he
kept there. His rosary, which he held between his fingers and pressed against
his lips, praying as hard as he could for the strength to deal with whatever
was happening to him.
Not to overcome it, though. Part of him—if he were honest,
a large part—knew he was about to die alone in this church, and the only
thing he prayed for was the strength to die well.
After all, right now, not only his life hung in the
balance: so did his everlasting soul.
“This basement has no exits. I know this church. This is my
church. Not yours,” the man—if still a man—said from just upstairs. “I
never thought I would actually get to kill a priest here. This is delightful!”
What is he waiting for? Niccolo wondered, in
fear. Tim Spencer—or whatever controlled him—seemed to enjoy taking his time.
Every muscle in Niccolo’s body ached, and he had to fight to keep from sobbing.
Why is he doing this? Why is he waiting up there?
It felt like he’d been hiding under the stairs forever, but
it had probably lasted for less than a minute.
“We’re having fun, aren’t we, Priest?” Tim asked.
Niccolo couldn’t contain a shudder, and the movement caused
his shoulder to bump against one of the boxes behind him. The noise it made
wasn’t that loud, but to Niccolo, it rumbled like an explosion in the stillness
of the basement.
If his pursuer heard, though, he didn’t let on. Tim hummed
to himself as he took his first step down the staircase. It creaked heavily
underfoot, and Father Paladina winced when dust fell on his head.
Another step; the sound of the boot on the stairs sounded
like a nail in the priest’s coffin. Tim kept on coming, humming a tuneless
tone, until the father could see muddy boots in front of his face.
“Priest? You know I’ll find you. You can’t hide from me.”
Niccolo’s whole body trembled, and the man had called it
true. His hiding place seemed weak and pathetic now. As soon as Tim reached the
bottom of the staircase, he would spy Niccolo. The priest had backed himself
into a corner and had nowhere to go.
He shouldn’t have stayed here at Saint Joseph’s Cathedral
alone. Should have gone with Father Reynolds to his home; splitting up had
turned into a terrible idea, and one that might well cost him his life.
Author Interview
Tell us about your latest release, including
its genre. Does it cross over to other genres? If so, what are they?
I tried
to blend together horror and action in this novel, because they are two of my
favorite genres and it fits in with the Raven’s Peak series that is already
written. I like mashing up different things and making it feel like the world
isn’t just one note.
Why
did you write your book (or series)?
A lot of readers told me they wanted
to know more about Arthur and what happened earlier in his life after reading
Raven’s Peak. He was such a broken character in that novel that I really wanted
to flesh him out more.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a
writer?
I’ve
always been writing stories, and it’s just something I do for the fun of it. I
don’t really want to get stuck in a position that I have to write to make
money, but I do love to finish new projects.
What
do you find are the best and worst parts of being an indie author?
You have complete control over your
career and what you choose to do, but it also means you have to do it all
alone. That makes things a lot more difficult and means that you have to write,
market, publish, research, and more tasks that traditional authors can avoid.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Watch TV
with my wife or go on walks with my dog, Luther.
Do you have any pets at home?
Yep, my
pugamonster Luther. He likes to sit on the back of our couch and watch out the
window. You know, because he’s weird.
How
much of your personality is in your main character?
A little bit of my personality ends
up in all of my characters, and I try to also give them more than just one
element. I want them to feel real and interesting.
What
advice would you give to an aspiring writer?
Have fun with the writing, and don’t
be afraid to market and promote. You’ll make mistakes along the way, but in
general people who don’t market don’t sell, and if anything that trend is
getting worse.
Are your stories driven by plot or character?
Character.
I design plots, but the characters never follow along with my original outline
and I find the story changing as it moves forward.
What
book, movie or TV show has most influenced your life or writing?
I love the television show Supernatural,
and I also loved reading The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher.
What are your current projects and plans for
the future?
I want to
wrap up this series and move on to a horror/sci-fi series I want to write that
will be totally bonkers. It fits into my graveyard of empires series and tells
an entirely new story.
Author Biography
Lincoln
Cole is a Columbus-based author who enjoys traveling and has visited many
different parts of the world, including Australia and Cambodia, but always
returns home to his pugamonster and wife. His love for writing was kindled at
an early age through the works of Isaac Asimov and Stephen King and he enjoys
telling stories to anyone who will listen.
If you would like to sign up for his newsletter
and receive news and special offers, then please go to: LincolnCole.net
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Other Books by Lincoln Cole
The
Vatican Children
After the events in
Everett Washington, Father Niccolo Paladina decides to assist Arthur in hunting
down the Bishop and bringing him to justice for the crimes he has committed. He
knows that the Bishop has something big planned against the Church.
Arthur, on the other
hand, is hoping to find some redemption for his actions against The Ninth
Circle and atone for his mistakes. Atonement, however, can be difficult to come
by...
Especially when the
stakes are so high.
The
Bishop’s Legacy
Everything is falling
apart for Niccolo Paladina as his mistakes come back to haunt him. He's been
reminded once more that the shadowy world in which Arthur inhabits is not his
own.
He is ready to face the
consequences for his actions, but not until he has dealt with the threat he's
helped to create. Things are getting desperate, though, and they are worried
that more people will be hurt before they can bring things to an end.