The Threads That Bind - paranormal suspense - sequel
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Thirty-nine years later, the threads that bind the generations begin to reconnect for the final battle in The Threads That Bind. By quirk of fate, Mandy Gray, whose last and best friend was Fredrika Marsh, leaves her secluded profession as a research psychologist in 2019. She takes a position as a guidance counselor at Briarton Academy where the orphaned and wealthy Jillian Missildine is a student. They become fast friends, but it is four years before they discover the thread that connects them.
Once this connection is made, all the others - those connected to the past through Freddie and her nemesis - flow swiftly toward each other. The patterns of their lives become tangled and knotted, and the decision has to be made about who will survive.
"Sometimes the threads of one's life fit neatly together and a pattern begins to emerge that has great promise. Other times, the threads become tangled and knotted, and the pattern gets lost. When this happens, it is best to snip the threads and begin again, for the pattern always awaits you." -The Book of Metanoia
Once this connection is made, all the others - those connected to the past through Freddie and her nemesis - flow swiftly toward each other. The patterns of their lives become tangled and knotted, and the decision has to be made about who will survive.
"Sometimes the threads of one's life fit neatly together and a pattern begins to emerge that has great promise. Other times, the threads become tangled and knotted, and the pattern gets lost. When this happens, it is best to snip the threads and begin again, for the pattern always awaits you." -The Book of Metanoia
"The Threads That Bind" is the sequel to "Second Chances." The characters in these two books are bound together through three generations by a common thread of paranormal abilities that can empower or destroy. The battle that begins with Fredrika (Freddie) Marsh draws all those after her into a final confrontation between those compelled by their gifts to seek power in the outside world and those motivated to use them as tools to increase their inner power.
I wrote the first book years ago. Once I had a lot more writing under my belt, I went back to it and did a lot of rewriting. Then it seemed that "The Threads That Bind" simply flowed out of the first. My other writings are nonfiction, and I discovered that it is true there is something special about weaving a tale that is totally unique to your own imagination.
There were times when I was writing about the evil characters in these books that I had to take a break because their personalities were overwhelming me. There were times when I cried with my characters and times when I laughed with them just as I would have if they were literally in the room with me.
There is an addictive aspect to writing fiction: the high you feel from being so intimate with the thoughts and feelings of your characters, who have become totally real to you. I hope that you enjoy the ride as much as I did!
I wrote the first book years ago. Once I had a lot more writing under my belt, I went back to it and did a lot of rewriting. Then it seemed that "The Threads That Bind" simply flowed out of the first. My other writings are nonfiction, and I discovered that it is true there is something special about weaving a tale that is totally unique to your own imagination.
There were times when I was writing about the evil characters in these books that I had to take a break because their personalities were overwhelming me. There were times when I cried with my characters and times when I laughed with them just as I would have if they were literally in the room with me.
There is an addictive aspect to writing fiction: the high you feel from being so intimate with the thoughts and feelings of your characters, who have become totally real to you. I hope that you enjoy the ride as much as I did!
Review by Sandy Wolters, author of Maggie Mae - 5 stars
THE THREADS THAT BIND by DANNYE WILLIAMSEN is the sequel to SECOND CHANCES. While these are two very different books, I highly recommend that you read them in order. I read and reviewed Second Chances in January 2012 and a year later, I find that I still think about this book and one character in particular, so I was thrilled to pick up THE THREADS THAT BIND to meet Darian's son, Fredrick.
THE THREADS THAT BIND picks the story up thirty-nine years later. We get reacquainted with some of the characters from SECOND CHANCES and meet new characters, all of whom were written so masterfully that I found myself really caring about them and their relationships with each other. I'm going to tell you a little secret. Avatar is back in this book. I was so pleased that this magnificent creature was back that I found myself smiling and audibly cooing. I loved this very spiritual being in Second Chances and he did not disappoint in this book. Also we get to meet Mandy, a spunky and funny character who provided many laugh-out-loud moments in the book for me.
THE THREADS THAT BIND is a story of families and friendships torn apart by death and brought back together by those wonderful unseen ties. As a reader, I felt the deep sorrow of the characters and their trials at overcoming guilt about the circumstances of their loved ones deaths that touch their lives for many years afterward. The remaining family members and friends are drawn together and find that the deaths of their loved ones were not accidental but brought about by the hands of a psychopath.
Once again, Ms. Williamsen has created a character that is easily despised. Throughout the book, I kept wondering how that maniac was going to get his in the end, and BAM, Ms. Williamsen made the reader's heart go out to him in the end. I found that I wanted to wrap my arms around him and let him know everything was going to be okay. I just can't believe that an author has the ability to make a reader revile a character in such a way and then change that emotion to complete and utter compassion. AMAZING!
This book has it all. Beautiful writing, suspenseful moments, thrills that will have you jumping up and screaming, "No!!!!", tender interactions between the characters and a story line that sucks you in and won't let go. At times, I found myself struck by how profound some of the sentiments made from mother to daughter or father to daughter were. So much so, that Jillian, while too young to understand what her mother was telling her, she would write the statements down in her journal knowing that one day they would make sense to her and make a difference in her life. These statements were so thought provoking, so inspired that I, myself, highlighted them so I could re-read them and continue to think about them.
I highly recommend this book!
Review by Greta Burroughs, author of Patchwork Dog and Calico Cat - 5 stars
The Threads that Bind is more than just a title to this novel, it is the theme that ties all the characters and plot together in this book. Dannye Williamsen started the tale in her first book, Second Chances in which the protagonist, Freddie had to confront her misguided and "evil" brother, Darian. Darian and Freddie both had the psychic ability to manipulate others; Darian in a negative manner, Freddie used her talent rarely but in a positive way. Instead of the usual good verses evil, good destroys evil type of plot, the author showed how love can overcome the worst in of all people.
In The Threads That Bind, Freddie's granddaughter, Jillian discovers that her closest and dearest friend, Mandy had been a associate of Jillian's grandmother. Another one of Jillian's friends/allies is actually Darian's son who also knew and admired Freddie. As the story progresses, the threads bind together as the characters discover the ties associated with their past. They use their knowledge and abilities to pick up the task initiated years earlier by Freddie to overcome the blatant misuse of psychic power, but now it is in Jillian's time. The true beauty of the story is the way in which the antagonists go about that task without destroying any lives.
The story is very well written, with good character development and a fast pace that keeps the reader glued to the story. The author created a very believable tale with a moral that can be carried over into our everyday lives. We can all learn a lesson from this story: we have a chance in life to change our path and make a difference no matter what is expected by others because love underlies everything.
I highly recommend Dannye Williamsen's novels to all readers.
Review by Patricia Caldwell, SoundForLife.net
"Dannye weaves a story line that grabs hold of you and doesn't let you go until the very last word. I love her novels because they are intelligent and logical as well as original and spellbinding!"
Review by Annarita Guarnieri, author of Cats: Instructions For Use - 5 stars
When I read Second Chances, and got to the last page, I knew I simply had to read it’s sequel, Threads that Bind, but between my job and contingent problems, it took me almost one year before I could lay hands and eyes on it.
As I expected, I got hooked from the very first few pages, so much so that, in spite of having a pressing job deadline on my head, I found myself spending a whole day… from nine in the morning to six pm… lost in the microcosm of Jillian, Mandy, Frederick and Nathaniel, so masterfully created by Dannye.
This second book was to me all the previous one had been and much more. As usual, I won’t give away anything of the plot… every reader must have the pleasure of discovering it on his/her own bit by bit. All I can say is that on the one hand this novel is the perfect sequel to the previous one, and on the other it is an even more complete book.
There is the suspense of discovering how events will develop, there is a thread of mystery about some unexplained deaths, there is a little hint of romance, not so much that the real plot gets suffocated by it, but enough to add some spice here and there, to make the taste perfect.
And there are the characters, fully and artfully developed, and their interaction that offers to the author the occasion to delve deeply in the workings of the human mind.
I found this work even more complete and deeper than the previous one, loved all the new characters it introduces (Mandy most of all) and was so very happy at finding an old friend, Avatar, again.
This is one of those novels that, once read, stay with you forever because the characters are so alive and real, the story so mesmerizing, that it is impossible to forget either.
A must for all those who want to read a really good book!
Review by Alex Canton, Book Junkie Reviews
I always look for a description which will allow me to rate the flow of the book I've started to read. "…the aggressiveness of the red lights gave way to the greens and blues until nothing remained but the night sky." This was the "go," which was difficult to maintain even for very practical reasons. Along the way I was bound by my favourite genre -- paranormal -- about which Dannye Williamsen is an expert.
The author's use of the first person to handle one of the lead female characters sensitizes the reader to the character's search for a maternal identity. Add the fantastic knowledge of clinical psychology necessary to handle the mechanics of mind reading and dealing with such concepts as "alternate reality vs. virtual reality" and "TRV—technical remote viewing—a path connecting to Jung's collective unconscious." The former makes the whole plot believable.
Review by K.L. Napper, author of Full Moon Trilogy - 5 stars
Tops among the positives regarding author Dannye Williamsen is how clearly she cares about the art and craft of her storytelling. She plots her dark fiction to reveal deeper spiritual issues even as she entertains her readers. For those who enjoy the writing style of Darcie Chan (The Mill River Recluse), Carmen DeSousa (She Belongs to Me) and metaphysical twists to their reads, Ms. Williamsen will not disappoint.
THE THREADS THAT BIND by DANNYE WILLIAMSEN is the sequel to SECOND CHANCES. While these are two very different books, I highly recommend that you read them in order. I read and reviewed Second Chances in January 2012 and a year later, I find that I still think about this book and one character in particular, so I was thrilled to pick up THE THREADS THAT BIND to meet Darian's son, Fredrick.
THE THREADS THAT BIND picks the story up thirty-nine years later. We get reacquainted with some of the characters from SECOND CHANCES and meet new characters, all of whom were written so masterfully that I found myself really caring about them and their relationships with each other. I'm going to tell you a little secret. Avatar is back in this book. I was so pleased that this magnificent creature was back that I found myself smiling and audibly cooing. I loved this very spiritual being in Second Chances and he did not disappoint in this book. Also we get to meet Mandy, a spunky and funny character who provided many laugh-out-loud moments in the book for me.
THE THREADS THAT BIND is a story of families and friendships torn apart by death and brought back together by those wonderful unseen ties. As a reader, I felt the deep sorrow of the characters and their trials at overcoming guilt about the circumstances of their loved ones deaths that touch their lives for many years afterward. The remaining family members and friends are drawn together and find that the deaths of their loved ones were not accidental but brought about by the hands of a psychopath.
Once again, Ms. Williamsen has created a character that is easily despised. Throughout the book, I kept wondering how that maniac was going to get his in the end, and BAM, Ms. Williamsen made the reader's heart go out to him in the end. I found that I wanted to wrap my arms around him and let him know everything was going to be okay. I just can't believe that an author has the ability to make a reader revile a character in such a way and then change that emotion to complete and utter compassion. AMAZING!
This book has it all. Beautiful writing, suspenseful moments, thrills that will have you jumping up and screaming, "No!!!!", tender interactions between the characters and a story line that sucks you in and won't let go. At times, I found myself struck by how profound some of the sentiments made from mother to daughter or father to daughter were. So much so, that Jillian, while too young to understand what her mother was telling her, she would write the statements down in her journal knowing that one day they would make sense to her and make a difference in her life. These statements were so thought provoking, so inspired that I, myself, highlighted them so I could re-read them and continue to think about them.
I highly recommend this book!
Review by Greta Burroughs, author of Patchwork Dog and Calico Cat - 5 stars
The Threads that Bind is more than just a title to this novel, it is the theme that ties all the characters and plot together in this book. Dannye Williamsen started the tale in her first book, Second Chances in which the protagonist, Freddie had to confront her misguided and "evil" brother, Darian. Darian and Freddie both had the psychic ability to manipulate others; Darian in a negative manner, Freddie used her talent rarely but in a positive way. Instead of the usual good verses evil, good destroys evil type of plot, the author showed how love can overcome the worst in of all people.
In The Threads That Bind, Freddie's granddaughter, Jillian discovers that her closest and dearest friend, Mandy had been a associate of Jillian's grandmother. Another one of Jillian's friends/allies is actually Darian's son who also knew and admired Freddie. As the story progresses, the threads bind together as the characters discover the ties associated with their past. They use their knowledge and abilities to pick up the task initiated years earlier by Freddie to overcome the blatant misuse of psychic power, but now it is in Jillian's time. The true beauty of the story is the way in which the antagonists go about that task without destroying any lives.
The story is very well written, with good character development and a fast pace that keeps the reader glued to the story. The author created a very believable tale with a moral that can be carried over into our everyday lives. We can all learn a lesson from this story: we have a chance in life to change our path and make a difference no matter what is expected by others because love underlies everything.
I highly recommend Dannye Williamsen's novels to all readers.
Review by Patricia Caldwell, SoundForLife.net
"Dannye weaves a story line that grabs hold of you and doesn't let you go until the very last word. I love her novels because they are intelligent and logical as well as original and spellbinding!"
Review by Annarita Guarnieri, author of Cats: Instructions For Use - 5 stars
When I read Second Chances, and got to the last page, I knew I simply had to read it’s sequel, Threads that Bind, but between my job and contingent problems, it took me almost one year before I could lay hands and eyes on it.
As I expected, I got hooked from the very first few pages, so much so that, in spite of having a pressing job deadline on my head, I found myself spending a whole day… from nine in the morning to six pm… lost in the microcosm of Jillian, Mandy, Frederick and Nathaniel, so masterfully created by Dannye.
This second book was to me all the previous one had been and much more. As usual, I won’t give away anything of the plot… every reader must have the pleasure of discovering it on his/her own bit by bit. All I can say is that on the one hand this novel is the perfect sequel to the previous one, and on the other it is an even more complete book.
There is the suspense of discovering how events will develop, there is a thread of mystery about some unexplained deaths, there is a little hint of romance, not so much that the real plot gets suffocated by it, but enough to add some spice here and there, to make the taste perfect.
And there are the characters, fully and artfully developed, and their interaction that offers to the author the occasion to delve deeply in the workings of the human mind.
I found this work even more complete and deeper than the previous one, loved all the new characters it introduces (Mandy most of all) and was so very happy at finding an old friend, Avatar, again.
This is one of those novels that, once read, stay with you forever because the characters are so alive and real, the story so mesmerizing, that it is impossible to forget either.
A must for all those who want to read a really good book!
Review by Alex Canton, Book Junkie Reviews
I always look for a description which will allow me to rate the flow of the book I've started to read. "…the aggressiveness of the red lights gave way to the greens and blues until nothing remained but the night sky." This was the "go," which was difficult to maintain even for very practical reasons. Along the way I was bound by my favourite genre -- paranormal -- about which Dannye Williamsen is an expert.
The author's use of the first person to handle one of the lead female characters sensitizes the reader to the character's search for a maternal identity. Add the fantastic knowledge of clinical psychology necessary to handle the mechanics of mind reading and dealing with such concepts as "alternate reality vs. virtual reality" and "TRV—technical remote viewing—a path connecting to Jung's collective unconscious." The former makes the whole plot believable.
Review by K.L. Napper, author of Full Moon Trilogy - 5 stars
Tops among the positives regarding author Dannye Williamsen is how clearly she cares about the art and craft of her storytelling. She plots her dark fiction to reveal deeper spiritual issues even as she entertains her readers. For those who enjoy the writing style of Darcie Chan (The Mill River Recluse), Carmen DeSousa (She Belongs to Me) and metaphysical twists to their reads, Ms. Williamsen will not disappoint.