It's our pleasure to welcome Jessica Damien to Heart of Fiction.Jessica is a native Ohioan who has quite an interesting past. She spent four years in the US Air Force, spent time living in England, and when she returned home, she picked up the pen and paper and has since worked as a book editor.
She's also a prolific writer, with three previous books to her repertoire. Today she adds her fourth to that list -- Heaven Sent.
Ben Garrison is an angel in training--a guardian angel working on getting his wings. After causing the death of his mortal, Dorian Marks, Ben is sent before archangel, Michael, who threatens to cast Ben out of Heaven for good.
Instead, Ben is paired with Dorian. Ben must show Dorian the ropes of being a guardian angel. If it goes well, Michael just might let Ben remain in Heaven.
Alexa Vessenti is a troubled woman who hears The Voice in her head. It coaxes her to the top of a building and sends her over the edge. Alexa is no ordinary human though. She never should have been born to human parents. Her soul was originally meant to be born to angel parents. From a very young age, Alexa knew she was different and didn't understand it until after she committed suicide, and meets Ben and Dorian whose task it is, to see Alexa safely into heaven. Neither count on Dorian falling in love with Alexa.
Now, a guardian angel herself, Alexa meets Donovan, an ancient angel with questionable motives. And soon after, an evil presence makes itself known. Ben, Dorian, Alexa, and Donovan are forced to work together, to blindly trust each other, if they're going to save the world.
Gripping stuff. This is not your average angel saving a human story, but it is classic good against evil. Ben, Dorian, and Alexa seem very much human as they come to terms with their new guardian status and the powers that come with the position. Dorian is an interesting character who has the three guessing at his movies, especially when evil lurks and the world's safety is at steak. Jessica's writing is fast paced, so pages fly by without notice. This is a well-developed plot with interesting and deep characters. I really enjoyed Ben's more realistic character. He's not a perfect angelic spirit. He's casual, easy-going, and approachable. Heaven Sent is a great way to spend an afternoon for anyone looking for a great read.
As always, there's a free book on offer today. All you need to do is comment with your email address to put your name into the draw for an ebook copy of this book.
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Guardian angels. How many miracles have been worked by these wondrous beings?
And how many mistakes have been made?
Ben's not quite an angel yet; he'll have to save an awful lot of souls before that can happen, and he's not off to a good start. After causing the death of his subject, he has to face Michael's wrath and team up with Dorian, the man who was supposed to have lived for another forty-two years.
Dorian takes it in stride. He becomes smitten with the lovely Alexa, a unique young woman who should never have been born of human parents, but because of a merry mix-up, the powers-that-be must retrieve her so she can begin to learn her place in the heavens. The world is depending on her.
Dorian realizes soon enough he has a rival, and Donovan is no lightweight. An angel from way back, when the world was young, he's virile, handsome, and darkly mysterious. Is he just toying with Alexa? Are his secrets dangerous to humanity?
When an evil and vengeful entity makes its presence known, they're all going to have to depend blindly on each other for the survival of the world and each other, in spite of all the unknowns, in spite of all the ill feelings.
It wasn’t quite what Ben expected. He had always pictured clouds and angels flying about, looking benevolent. Even the pearly gates. Reality was disappointing.
He stood in the waiting room. It was empty except for him, and he wondered what was taking so long. There was no receptionist of any sort, but he knew, much the way a dreamer knows what is about to happen in his dream, the massive oak door on the north wall would open when it was his time to speak to Michael.
Worrying, he wondered what form of address to use when he spoke to the head of the guardian angels. Sir? Your Honor? Your Holiness? Hell, if protocol was that important, they should have provided him with a set of rules. He’d just call him Michael, if he couldn’t avoid calling him anything.
He paced the room, noticing there was a full-length mirror in the far corner. Why would any visitors here need to see themselves? Curious, he stepped before it, half expecting to find he no longer showed a reflection. But he was surprised to see his familiar face looking back at him.
He didn’t look any different from the last time he’d seen himself—same shaggy and too-long, sandy-brown hair, the same unevenly-growing mustache, hazel eyes, the crooked nose that seemed to make his long face appear even longer.
He took in his clothing, wondering why he was dressed in his worn-out trench coat, ordinary trousers, and nondescript shoes when last he remembered, he’d been wearing a hospital gown, and no shoes at all. Surely he hadn’t been buried in this?
He shook away the questions he’d probably never have answers to and sat down on the sofa to wait. Idly playing with the laces of his shoes, he thought back to his time with Diane. His post-death time with her. He’d haunted her, gently driving her mad. It had enabled her to move on, and freed himself of his living ties.
But free for what? He still had no idea what was expected of him. What does one do after dying? And why had Michael asked to see him, anyway?
He fidgeted in his seat, worried the angel had objections to the way he’d handled Diane. But he’d had no guidance in the matter. He had barely been aware he was no longer alive when he’d felt the incredibly strong pull of her grief suck him right back into her world.
He’d immediately recognized the problem. She had not expected him to die—no one had. He hadn’t been an old man or gravely ill. His own doctor was probably more surprised than anyone. It was supposed to be just a routine medical procedure, but there it was. He’d died.
• • •
Jessica Damien is a longtime Ohio resident, apart from a four-year stint in the USAF and the following few years living in places such as Ipswich, England and Oscoda, Michigan. Returning to Ohio to complete her degree and launch a new career, Jessica began toying around with writing as a hobby.
She began to write about people around her, learning how to pay attention to the minor details that separate one human being from another. Soon, as characters took shape, they presented themselves in various situations, and she began to work more seriously on contemporary fiction.
Jessica works as a contract and freelance editor and as a volunteer administrator for fiction writers.
Find Jessica onlne --
Website
Tirgearr Publishing
Buy your copy here -- Kindle US, Kindle UK, Smashwords
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