| Sample
Chapter For WITH BLACK AND WHITE COMES THE GREY Book 1 by
Giovanna Lagana
Prologue
A blistering wind howled with ferocity outside
Father Flannigan’s bedroom window. Its bellowing force
made the windowpane shake and its rattling sound echoed
so loudly through the unlit room that it could have awakened
the dead.
But its boisterous clatter fell silent to
the battle that raged in the seventy-five-year-old priest’s
head. He had a heavy weight upon his shoulders, so burdening
that if he were ever to unload it, the order of good and
evil on earth would be-come imbalanced.
He tapped his fingers on his antique desk
as he tried to read his Braille Bible. His rosary was beside
him, still damp from the frothing of his sweaty hands. He
could hear the tick-ing of the seconds on the grandfather
clock in the corner of the rectangular room. Having touched
his special pocket watch just a minute ago, he knew it was
nine-thirty at night.
As he sat there trying so desperately to
find refuge in the Bible, he heard a knock. “Come
in”
A petite, fifty-seven-year-old nun poked
her head through a narrow opening of the door. In a very
slight, Italian accent, she asked, “Father Flannigan,
may I come in?”
“Of course, Sister Alda, come sit
down, please.” He pointed to the prearranged chair
on the other side of his desk. Each piece of furniture was
strategically positioned in his room so that he knew where
everything was, and so he could walk around freely.
The nun hesitated for a moment, obviously
feeling un-comfortable, then closed the door and sat down
in silence. She fidgeted in the plush, burgundy chair and
cleared her throat twice, trying to muster her words.
Father Flannigan waited for a few seconds,
but when his patience wore thin, he started, “Sister,
did you place the call?”
“Yes, Father, I did.”
“Will she be coming?”
“Yes, she will. She said she would
be here tomorrow morning.”
“Good. The sooner the child is baptized,
the better. I will call Archbishop O’Malley tonight
and tell him the boy will be baptized tomorrow.”
Sister Alda cleared her throat once more.
“Um-Um”
Having known the sister for over twenty
years, Father Flannigan knew that ‘um-um’ meant
something was on her mind. Sister Alda was never one to
shy away from speaking her mind. She always made her opinion
known regardless if you asked for it or not. In directness,
he asked, “What is it, Sister Alda?”
She procrastinated for a second, as if wondering
if she should ask her question, but the father’s finger
tapping impa-tiently on his desk pulled her out of limbo.
She whispered ap-parently in fear her words would be heard
by more than the priest in front of her, “Do you think
‘He’ knows about the boy?”
In continuum with her whispered words, Father
Flannigan murmured, “No, I don’t think so. ‘He’
hasn’t found out about her yet. So I’m assuming
the boy is still safe.”
Sister Alda took a deep breath.
Sensing her continued anxiety, Father Flannigan
asked, “Now what is it, Sister?”
She looked at his blank eyes and seemed
to gather her nerve to say, “Father, I think we should
tell her who she is, now. She has a child to protect.”
Father Flannigan violently shook his head
and shouted, “No! She must not know now! Only God
knows when the time is right. He is the one who decided
when to give her powers and when to take them away. No,
Sister Alda, her fate is in His hands, not ours.”
Obviously forgetting the fear that her words
might escape the room and be heard by someone else other
than the Father, she shouted, “But she needs to know
who she is and that ‘He’ is looking for her.
And now that she has a son, ‘He’ might come
after him, too.”
“No, Sister, that will be going against
God’s wishes. By telling her, we could be jeopardizing
everything. No, we must never tell her. Mankind’s
safety depends on it!”
She bowed her head in acknowledgement, apparently
feeling the potency of the priest’s words and his
wisdom. “Yes, Father, you’re right. God will
know when the time is right.”
Father Flannigan sighed in relief. “Yes,
that is how it has to be. Now, if you don’t mind leaving,
Sister, I want to make the phone call to the archbishop
before it gets too late.” He picked up the phone on
his desk.
Sister Alda got up and walked towards the
door. “Of course, Father Flannigan, good night.”
Before she shut the door, Father Flannigan
asked, “What is the boy’s name?”
“She said his name is Jonathan.”
“Well then, Sister Alda, pray for
Jonathan’s safety—pray for hers, and ours as
well. Pray like you never have before. That is all we can
do.”
“Yes, Father, I will,” she said
as she closed the door.
While Father Flannigan waited on the phone,
he whis-pered, “And may God help us all.”
Reviews
For WITH BLACK AND WHITE COMES THE GREY Book 1 by
Giovanna Lagana
4 1/2 Hearts. "With Black and White
Comes The Grey, is by Giovanna Lagana. Ms. Lagana's ability
to project terror and fear, will have you covering your
eyes, but still unable to stop the pages from turning.
Your heart rate will accelerate and your
palms will begin to sweat. Be prepared to be frightened
out of your wits! Ms. Lagana did a fantastic job in conveying
the emotional torment of both Jonathan and his mother, Mariam.
This reviewer was impressed with Ms. Lagana's flair and
natural ease in expressing all the complex viewpoints of
each character in this story. Ms. Lagana's talent shines
through in this gripping story of good and evil's battle
for domination, that is, Black and White Comes The Grey.
This reviewer highly recommends it to all that love horror/suspense
romance!" Overall rating: Sensuality rating: Mildly
sensual Reviewer: Janalee, The Romance Studio
Rating: 5 cups "When the battle of
Armageddon begins you will be shocked at the climatic conclusion.
This book was impossible to put down. You will have to keep
reading until all hours of the night to reach the final
climax. It is a horror story full of excitement from beginning
to end." _Sherry, Reviewer for Karen Find Out About
New Books, Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
Wow! This one grabs you and does not let loose until the dramatic
climax, which left me with my jaw hanging in awe! Following
a string of romances and ‘happy ever afters’,
I was looking for something different… boy did this
one ever deliver! This is not a pretty tale of love and happiness.
It is the story of the endless struggle between good and evil,
and the chosen ones who carry out the battle while the future
of mankind hangs in the balance. It is also a story of love
and the power it's force can create in life. This tale made
me tense and nervous, at times even had me biting my nails
in anticipation of what was to come. In other words everything
you want in a good horror tale…this story delivers!
I will be anxiously awaiting future tales from this talented
new author!
Reviewed by: Johnna 4 Angels
In this novel, Giovanna Lagana weaves an
intriguing tale of terror, suspense and romance as she follows
the lives of Miriam and Jonathan James as they struggle
in an epic battle between good and evil. The detailed and
poetic descriptions, in-depth psychological characterization,
and vivid dream sequences, as well as a satisfying romance,
will keep you up reading this book all night.
Susan M. Sailors
Editor, Shadows of the Night
http://www.lulu.com/susanmsailors
WITH BLACK AND WHITE COMES GREY is a compelling story of a
Miriam and Jonathan’s battle to accept the special gifts
that can save the world from the unknown evil that walks the
earth. Giovanna Lagana will keep your eyes glued to each page
as you experience the mixed blessings of God’s gifts
in his fight to save humanity.
Romance Junkies, Blue Ribbon Rating: 4.5, By
Romance Junkies Reviewer: Briana Burress
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