A Thursday in August

Stepping out of Max’s Café, one of their favorite haunts for their standing Thursday night dinner, brown-haired, brown-eyed Kelly McKenna looked up at the stars and took in a deep breath. “You know, Suz, I should have told the guard at work to refuse packages a long time ago. Do you have any idea how relaxing it has been not getting dead roses and spiked candy and other crap every week? It’s like heaven. The past week has been pretty decent.”

“I bet,” blond-haired, gray-eyed Susan Hammond answered, “and no more dreams?”

“Not since the last one, or whatever that was that happened in the tub. At least not that I remember.”

As Kelly closed her driver’s side door and reached to open the passenger side for Susan, she glanced at the windshield and froze.

“Susan, don’t move, don’t get in the car.” Although the words were spoken quietly, Susan must have heard the absolute panic in Kelly’s voice.

“What? Why?”

Kelly herself climbed back out of the car, her voice trembling. “Susan, listen to me, step away from the car, keep everyone else away and call the police.”

To say Kelly sounded frantic and near to going out of her mind would have been an understatement. Susan looked at her friend and apparently saw the absolute terror on her face.

“Kel, what’s happening?”

“I think that’s a bomb on my windshield! Go call the police and I’ll get people away from here.”
Seeing Susan reach for her cell phone, Kelly stopped her. “No, not the cell, it could trigger the bomb. Use a land line and stop anyone else from using their cells.”

As Susan ran back into the restaurant yelling for the phone, Kelly reflected on what had seemed like just a stalking had turned into. Just a stalking? Who was she kidding? Stalkings never were “justs”. They were serious, emotionally painful invasions of a person’s life. This went beyond stalking. This was a direct threat on her life. The notes, emails, and phone calls had been irritating, childish pranks, but then they had happened when she was still in high school and just into college. The dead flowers and tampered candies were obnoxious, but any of those things could have been easily dealt with. The doll she received a few weeks ago, a Barbie, with a knife stuck where it would have had a heart—that was when things turned to actual death threats. Now he was trying to kill her. He had shifted from wanting to scare and own her to wanting to kill her.

If he wasn’t playing for real before, he was now. If she hadn’t been alert, if it really was a bomb, she’d be dead now. As she moved around the parking lot, trying to calmly ask people to stay back from her car and not use their cell phones, she searched their faces. Was one of these people the stalker?

The material she had read on stalkers was that they didn’t really want to kill their prey. They fed off the terror, always coming just close enough to really harming them, but never quite completing it. It was about possession of the person, not killing them that drove them. And they liked to watch the person’s reaction. But a bomb? That was taking it a step further than stalking.

* * * *

In the restaurant, Susan quickly reached for the desk phone and dialed 911. “My name is Susan Hammond and I am at Max’s and we think there is a bomb on the hood of my friend’s car.”

“A bomb?”

Was the dispatcher deaf?

“Yes, a bomb!”

Despite the question, Susan heard the dispatcher’s fingers fly across the keyboard and her call out, “I have a bomb threat coming in.”

“It’s not a threat, lady. It’s a real bomb-looking thing on her car!”

“Okay, calm down, my partner is getting units rolling. Can you tell me the color and type of car and where the device is?”

“It’s a red Ford Mustang convertible, near the entrance of Max’s parking lot. Kelly is trying to keep everyone else away from the car in case it goes off. Are you sure you’re coming?”

“Yes, they were rolling immediately after your call came in; it’s just that when you have an emergency, a minute can seem like an hour. Is anyone else near your friend?”

“Yes, no, well they weren’t before I came inside. She told me not to use my cell phone and I told the guy that was near us not to use his but to keep everyone else away and not use theirs. Was that right?”

“Yes, you did right. Susan…I have a unit pulling on scene, can you go out and meet him?

“Yes, I’m on my way. Oh, yeah, my friend? Well she’s being followed, stalked and this weird guy has been sending her bizarre things like dead plants. Detective Campbell knows all about it. Can you call her?”

“Campbell?”

“Yes. She might want to know.”

“Okay.”

Susan rushed up to Kelly, a small crowd standing near her. Susan scanned their faces looking for who could have done this. All she saw was curious bystanders, people looking for some excitement, something to regale their friends with over gatherings the next few weeks.

“Kelly, the police are coming; they just pulled into the parking lot. Come on, let’s go talk to them.”

Grabbing her arm, Susan dragged her over to the arriving police cars.

“Officer! Officer!” Susan called out and waved while heading towards the officer.
“Are you Susan?”

“Yes, and this is Kelly, it’s her car and this is who this guy has been stalking.”

* * * *

The frantic stance and non-stop chatter Officer Giovaneski heard from Susan contrasted sharply with her friend Kelly who stood staring like a deer looking into headlights.

“Where’s the car?”
Pointing out the red Mustang, an obviously paralyzed Susan hovered just behind the officer.

As Officer Giovaneski approached the car, he did see what appeared to be a bomb. Stepping back, he contacted his dispatch and requested the bomb squad be called out. As he turned to set a deeper perimeter around the car and check for other devices, he heard the sound of a click and a brief second later the car exploded. Officers and witnesses turned and ran for cover as hot debris rained down on the parking lot. The smell of burning metal and gas permeated the air. Sirens came alive in the background as fire moved up their response.

* * * *

A cacophony of screams, mingled with an array of “shit did you see that?” filled the parking lot. Amid the confusion and chaos, no one saw the black car drive slowly by the street beside the parking lot, the lone figure looking out at Kelly as she stood transfixed by the burning carnage that had been her car. Kelly, Kelly, I keep telling you, you can run, but you cannot hide. I will always find you because I love you. Come to me, Kelly, come to me now, this could be your final chance. Turn to me now or you may not survive the next.

Reviews For SPELL ACROSS TIME by Regan Taylor

I found all the characters are interesting and different. And, as far as I was concerned every one of them had a motive to be cruelly taunting Kelly, even those that had a minor role in her life. I kept changing my opinion of the bad guy/girl constantly through the book. But then, I am suspicious by nature, so I enjoyed pinning the threats on each of them. There are heroes and villains all mixed up in this reincarnation saga.

I always like a book that gets me interested in the first couple of sentences. The prologue was excellent. I also like and believe in the concept that you can be drawn to someone so strongly that you will go against logic to follow your heart.

If you believe in soul mates, witches, reincarnation and karma then Spell Across Time: The Pentacle will appeal.

Regan Taylor’s SPELL ACROSS TIME will have you foaming at the mouth trying to figure out who’s who in this wonderfully intriguing love story, not to mention warming your heart at the idea that true love will always find a way, even across eons of time. SPELL ACROSS TIME is a read you cannot pass up, and will no doubt haunt you ever after!

SPELL ACROSS TIME: The Pentacle is a complicated tale that could have been a jumbled mess, but instead is a well-written, excellent read. Regan Taylor is a master story-weaver and doesn't let any of the threads tangle. She keeps characters and events on track with ease. Kelly and Ryan throw caution to the winds when they give in to the attraction that pulls at both of them. Danger abounds and Kelly has to survive, something that becomes difficult when she is no longer sure whom to trust. Almost unbearable suspense keeps the reader turning pages. I recommend SPELL ACROSS TIME: The Pentacle.

Vi Janaway
Romance Reviews Today

Regan Taylor has given her readers the gift of an excellent time travel romance. Throughout time everyone has longed for their soul mate, however, few of us get the chance to actually fall in love with our soul mate. Kelly does have the opportunity over and over, but through a horrible mistake in her past she may have unintentionally put an end to the dream of a life with her soul mate. Ms. Taylor's expertly weaving in clues and paths bring the reader to a perfect beginning for Kelly and a happy ending for the reader.

I applaud Ms. Taylor for a story so well done. Kelly, Susan, Adrian, and Ryan are all very strong characters; each is a dynamic support to the story. The suspense and emotional strain of the story kept me turning pages, rushing to the end then wishing it wasn't ending. The mixture of magic and mysticism added a glistening bow as it tied it all together. I anxiously await Ms. Taylor's next book! Jan Crow from Paranormal Romance Reviews

Spell Across Time: The Pentacle blends just the right seasoning of witches, karma and just a touch of reincarnation with the characters, to keep the readers interest and the pages turning. Kelly, Susan and the other characters are appealing and diverse in their own special way. Kelly is a courageous woman, no matter what all is tossed her way. She still shows vulnerability when being stalked but I found her to be a fighter as she engages in the battle to find the stalker. Ms. Taylor’s ingenuous plot and riveting reincarnation, and the drama that unfolds, had this reader on the edge of her seat. At times, I felt like I had the person nailed that was after Kelly then some twist in the story would occur throwing me off in this fulfilling read.

Reviewed by: Linda L. of Fallen Angels

Spell Across Time is a fast moving story in which nothing is as it seems so you’ll be wracking your brain trying to predict what’s going to happen next! This intricately woven tale will take you back in history to explore past lives and the power of witchcraft and black magic that’ll have your heart pounding and your mind racing! 4 lips from Kerin of two lips.

Who is out to kill her? And why?

Regan Taylor's Spell Across Time is an edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense. The characters are all well-developed and the paranormal elements kept me spellbound until the very end. If you love an excellent mystery and an even greater romance, you will love Spell Across Time. I look forward to reading more from this highly talented author. By Linda Morelli at My Shelf.