Authorpreneur Dashboard – Linda Watkins
RETURN TO MATEGUAS ISLAND
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
A young woman, searching for answers …. A man, trying desperately to remember what he has forgotten …. What secrets lie buried? What mysteries are waiting, patiently, beneath this island's pristine exterior? Come back … back to the mythos, passion, and magic …. RETURN TO MATEGUAS ISLAND! From multiple award-winning author, Linda Watkins, comes the eagerly-awaited sequel to her highly acclaimed novel, MATEGUAS ISLAND! FINALIST IN HORROR ~ 2014 READERS' FAVORITE INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARD COMPETITION "Fans of Watkins's MATEGUAS ISLAND will welcome this solid sequel…Watkins smoothly integrates the paranormal with a complex family drama." ~ PUBLISHERS WEEKLY "This is a quick-paced story portraying a wide range of human emotions, deadly supernatural forces and ancient Native American beliefs that may help the characters survive the ordeal in store. It explores the depths of love and loss, dedication and defiance, innocence and desire - all in spite of the threat of losing everything. This is supernatural fiction at its best with a hint of coming-of-age enlightenment to appeal to younger readers as well as readers of all ages." ~ Melinda Hills for READERS' FAVORITE
Book Bubbles from RETURN TO MATEGUAS ISLAND
Mekwi Mikoa Lore Master
This excerpt describes Terri's first meeting with one of the lore-masters in RETURN TO MATEGUAS ISLAND. Mekwi Mikoa (Charlie) works as an antiquarian at the Native American Museum in Portland. Terri has come into possession of the little bone knife that once was her mother's. The knife exerts a strange and powerful hold on the young woman and, in an attempt to understand this, she seeks out the old Indian. Charlie and his friend, Shaman Harry Three Feathers will play prominent roles in RETURN TO MATEGUAS ISLAND, guiding and helping Terri control and understand the magic that surrounds her.
Who is John Doe?
In the beginning of RETURN TO MATEGUAS ISLAND we are introduced to a mysterious man who is a resident of the Bangor State Hospital. Who is this man? And, what impact will he have on Karen and her family? Find out when you read RETURN TO MATEGUAS ISLAND, award-winning modern gothic fiction!
STREET PHANTOMS
In this 'bubble', Terri has her first real encounter with the dark magic that is Mateguas. She has found the old box that contains relics she and her sister played with when they were children and has taken it to Charlie, the antiquarian at the Native American Museum in town. Following their meeting, she is on her way back to the ferry terminal when she finds her grasp on reality severely challenged.
PROLOGUE - ON MATEGUAS ISLAND
This is the opening of RETURN TO MATEGUAS ISLAND. "RTM", as I call it, is the sequel to my debut Gothic novel, MATEGUAS ISLAND and was a finalist in Horror at last year's Readers' Favorite Awards. The novel, which received favorable reviews from Publishers Weekly and Midwest Book Review, takes place ten years after Karen and her children fled back to California following the tragic events that took place in the woods behind their house during a ferocious Nor'easter. In this prologue, we're back at that house and again, a storm is raging...
Memories and Moonlight
This chapter marks a pivotal point in young Terri Andersen's life. She has found the strange little bone knife that obsessed her as a child and, now, caught up in its power, attempts to wield it. From this point on in RETURN TO MATEGUAS ISLAND, Terri, like her mother before her, will become immersed in the arcane magic and darkness that is MATEGUAS and will ultimately discover the power that lies within her.
Ghosts of Mateguas, A Mateguas Island Novel
Literature & Fiction
The body of a young girl, found floating in the icy waters of Scarborough Marsh... Six men, over a span of thirty-five years, disappear without a trace... A harbinger of evil, so ancient it defies memory, surfaces on the rocky shores of Mateguas... Journey, with Karen and her family, back to the mythos, passion, and magic, and join her as she seeks to finally lay to rest the ... GHOSTS OF MATEGUAS. GHOSTS OF MATEGUAS is the third full-length novel in highly acclaimed, award-winning, MATEGUAS ISLAND SERIES. "Those who love stories with some touch of mystery will not be disappointed with this one. The story, for sure, will grip readers at different levels. First off, Watkins writes with moving simplicity, a kind of prose that tantalizes and is difficult to put down, because it rings with an eloquence that is akin to the spell of the ghosts sauntering along the rocky shores of Mateguas. The setting is perfect for a tale that involves the herald of evil: the rocky shores, the eternity of the sea, the marshes… The story is fast paced; the suspense is so skillfully built into the story to have the reader turning the pages, and the characters are solid enough that any reader will care about what happens to them. One would say that Ghosts of Mateguas comes with a spell that makes the book impossible to put down. Beautifully written by a writer of a rare caliber." ~ Romuald Dzemo for READERS FAVORITE
Book Bubbles from Ghosts of Mateguas, A Mateguas Island Novel
The Beginning
This is the beginning of GHOSTS OF MATEGUAS - an unnamed man driving on an unknown road to a destination that is also unknown. All we, the readers, know is that it is 'urgent.' GHOSTS OF MATEGUAS is the third novel in the MATEGUAS ISLAND TRILOGY and continues to explore the saga of the Andersen/Pierce family as they try to navigate the magic that is Mateguas. GHOSTS OF MATEGUAS was named a Finalist in Thrillers in the 2017 Book Excellence Awards and a Finalist in Horror/Suspense in the IAN Book of the Year Awards.
Return To Puffin Island
In Return To Mateguas Island (Book II in The Mateguas Island Series), Bill Andersen, who was abandoned for two years on Puffin Island, regains partial memory. However, he still cannot remember his two years on Puffin and how he managed to survive there. In Ghosts of Mateguas he is manipulated by his girlfriend, and TV reporter, Susan LeVeque into going back to the island in an effort to discover the remains of other men who have gone missing over the years. This excerpt, marks the beginning of his return to Puffin and what effect it has on his psyche, which is, to say the least, very fragile. Ghosts of Mateguas: "DARK, FAST-PACED, AND INTENSE."
AN UNWELCOME GUEST
In this bubble, Terri manifests the magic that resides deep within her - which, as you will see, is not always gentle and benign.
Ghosts of the Past
GHOSTS OF MATEGUAS is not only about the supernatural forces that exist in and around Mateguas Island, it is also about facing other ghosts - ghosts of the past. In this excerpt, one of our characters is remembering a time long before and a girl whose memory haunts him. As Salman Rushdie said in THE SATANIC VERSES, "Now I know what a ghost is. Unfinished business, that's what." GHOSTS OF MATEGUAS is currently on preorder at Amazon, NOOK, Kobo, and iBooks - it will be released in eBook format on March 15th, 2016. The print version will follow in April. ENJOY!
Descent
In this chapter, Bill, who survived two years alone on Puffin Island, is forced to confront the fact that he will have to return to the place that once was his prison. It marks the beginning of his possible descent into madness.
Mateguas Island
Literature & Fiction
On a remote island, a troubled family is trying to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and start over. But unbeknownst to them, the property they have inherited is steeped in ancient magic - magic that could seek to destroy and devour them. An arcane locked box, a strange and foreboding trail into the woods, a seductive young woman, and tales of a malevolent Indian spirit are just some of the perils Karen Andersen must face in order to find a way to save her family.
Book Bubbles from Mateguas Island
Dreams
Dreams in MATEGUAS ISLAND often foreshadow events that may occur in the future. In this early segment, Bill dreams he is being pursued by a woman ... is it Karen? Or is it something else entirely? MATEGUAS ISLAND, bestselling and award-winning modern Gothic fiction, is available in print, eBook, and audio formats. For more information about the book, the island it is based on, and the legends and symbols used, please visit www.mateguasisland.com
Into the Storm
This chapter comes on the eve of the fated storm that will change the lives of the Andersen family forever. Terri and Sophie, 8-year-old twins, are awakened by lightning and find something truly magical happening outside amidst the wind and the rain. But, like most of the wonders of Mateguas, the fantasy turns dark and the girls find they must ultimately make a choice - a choice that could prove deadly.
Dex and Karen
This bubble marks the beginning of the romance between charismatic fisherman, Dex Pierce, and MATEGUAS ISLAND'S reluctant heroine, Karen Andersen. Their love story will play out through the three full-length Mateguas Island novels. Interestingly, Dex was originally planned as a very minor character, used to move Bill (Karen's husband) from one scene to another. However, as I wrote him, I discovered I liked him and he quickly evolved into a romantic interest for Karen and became one of the six pivotal characters in the series. For more information about the series, please visit my website, http://mateguasisland.com/ or blog, http://lindawatkins.biz/
Meet MATEGUAS ISLAND'S Maggie!
Maggie is a pivotal character in my novel. She's an island girl, born on Mateguas, who is looking for something more - and that something turns out to be Bill Andersen. When I first envisioned her, she was going to be the heroine of the story -- but she had other ideas! For more information about Maggie and the other characters in MATEGUAS ISLAND, please visit my website, www.mateguasisland.com.
Chapt. 1, THE FERRY
This is the opening chapter of MATEGUAS ISLAND. Bill and Karen Andersen, along with their twin daughters, are on their way to their new home on the island. Mateguas, an unconnected island, off the coast of Maine, is accessible only by boat and is modeled after an island I lived on for seven years. Chebeague Island, Maine, located in Casco Bay, boasts a year-round population of approximately 350. It was while I was on this island that I wrote, MATEGUAS. For more information about Chebeague and its fictional counterpart, please visit my website at www.mateguasisland.com.
