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About The Book

Join the fight! Save the girl!

From an early age Mark Castle has possessed abilities like very few others. He can see auras, speak to animals, and make people do things with a mere thought.

From the onset of these Gifts, Mark's been having strange, vivid dreams. He dreams of a beautiful young woman floating in front of him, just out of his reach. And each time he sees her, she asks for the same thing. She begs for him to find her and release her from her torment.

In a quest to help the mysterious girl, Mark and his high school friends - Shane and Doug - contact the Netherworld and meet a spirit guide that claims he can help.

Is their spirit guide on the level? Is he really who he claims to be? Or, will Mark and his friends become trapped like the girl - suffering in the Netherworld for all eternity?

"Defiled" is the first novel in the Castle Chronicles. A series that follows the life - and afterlife - of Mark Castle as he comes to grips with his fantastic powers, and his extraordinary ability to contact beings from the Netherworld.

Excerpts

“Find me! Find me please,” she said again, much louder – much stronger.
I wanted to say something. I wanted to tell her I’d help her. To tell her everything would be alright. But I couldn’t. I tried to speak but no sound came out. I couldn’t breathe within the mist that was now surrounding me – enveloping me.
“Find me please!” she yelled again, and it sounds as loud as a hammer’s strike. I wanted to – Lord knows I wanted to – but I couldn’t breathe! I just couldn’t breathe!
“Please ... please ... please!” she screamed in horror – in pain. “Please ... please ... please ... please ... please ... please ...”

I blinked once or twice to clear my vision and focused on Shane. He, too, was stirring as if waking from a dream. I watched as he shook his head a little then glared at me in disbelief.

“What ... what did you do?” he asked accusatorially.

“What do you mean?”

“Something happened. I felt ... something. Like something was happening. And you ... you stopped it!”

“I don’t know what you mean, man.”

“Yes you do. I felt it. I felt like it was going to work. I felt like we were doing it. And you stopped it. You stopped it!”

Staring at Shane, my vision suddenly changed. I could now see his aura - his power. I could see how it boiled and raged and screamed to be released. And, not only could I see it, I could also feel it. I could feel the energy twist and turn in him as it looked for a way to get out.

At first I couldn’t find anything. The area in front of me felt like an empty bowl filled with nothing but air. But then, unexpectedly, I felt something brush by mind like a cloth gently touching the back of your hand. When it touched me – or I touched it – I instantly felt a sensation of wrongness. A corporeal contact as if my mind was touching stinging bees or course sandpaper. A wrongness that prickled my senses as the blackness flowed from the circle.

I was used to sensing emotions, feeling the waves of anxiety or pain or happiness as they touched the air outside of one’s consciousness. This felt like just the opposite of those things.

Readers’ Reactions

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Rich Follett

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"In Mark Castle, Vassel has created an adolescent anti-hero perfectly in step with the interests of 21st-century young adult readers. Young readers will no doubt see themselves in Mark Castle and his band of buddies, and the camaraderie of the coven will appeal to teens who are curious about life outside of the mainstream. Defiled casts a spell that will enchant readers of all ages."
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K.J. Simmill

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Defiled is a gripping and interesting young adult fantasy with some great characters. Mystery, intrigue, and magic combine to create a well-paced and fun read that will entertain from the first page to the last."
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K.C. Finn

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"Defiled is a delightfully creepy work of young adult fantasy and horror ... Irreverent, spooky and very, very fun, Defiled is certain to be enjoyed by all lovers of playful macabre fantasy tales, mysteries and spine-tingling stories. A fantastic start to what promises to be a really exciting and enjoyable young adult series, and I would highly recommend it to all fans of pop horror and slightly more grown up Scooby Doo mystery fun."