“Something sinister lurks within the Thompson house, within the old and weedy garden lot, among the trees and on the winds… and it is now winding its way tightly around Vera’s life… evident in the moon’s cool glow and a doll’s glowing red ember eyes… Spellbound, my second novel, kept a strange hold on me the whole time I was writing it.”

Crossing genre lines and bringing magical realism back to the literary forefront are just some of the things that make Jennifer Adele an exciting local author to watch. Her first book, The Haunting of Willow Tree Court, blasted onto the scene here in St. Louis in December 2012 as a breakthrough novel, and it brought many of the concepts of classic, old school horror back into the spotlight. Now, she’s at it again with a second book that came out just in time for the harvest season of 2013… Spellbound.

This second book is admittedly a bit less risqué, lacking in some of the adult content that fit so seamlessly into the plot of the first novel, but it is not without its own engaging twists and turns, its own undeniable lure. Spellbound may lack hard core adult content, but it takes us to different levels of consciousness; it brings us face to face with many components of the human psyche, both dark and light. It challenges us to examine our feelings and beliefs in regards to both fate and free will. And, it is full of many of the elements of horror, suspense, and romance that readers have come to expect from the author.

Spellbound, written in third person, predominantly tells the story of Vera Norton. Growing up as a girl in the rural Midwest, Vera is fascinated by the Thompson house next door to her grandmother’s home. She is enraptured by the lush gardens, the lovely architecture, and the massive oak tree that resides at the center of it all. She is also very attached to her ancient and mystical neighbor, Lillian Thompson. But when Lillian dies and Vera is thrust into adult commitments, a chain reaction is set in motion, and for better or worse Vera’s life, and the lives of those dearest to her, are forever changed. This creative working is the story of curses and consequences, of dark stirrings and primal callings, and of eternal hope through all that we do and experience along our personal paths.

The book not only captures the sentience inherent in nature and structure, but also in the many different aspects of human awareness. It tackles the concepts of fate and free will, curses and spells, and overcoming both through personal triumph. And, it leaves the reader to answer their own reflective questions in a pensive exploration of modern life and ancient mysteries.

Jennifer Adele is also a monthly contributor to two nature columns in the international publications of Mystik Way Magazine and The Spirit, and she is a regular feature writer for Walrus Publishing. In addition, she is the author of several intriguing short stories: The Summoning, Jaguar Woman, Echoes from the Quarry, The Witch of Sea and Sand, The Letter, Misplaced, and The Mausoleum. Both her educational nature articles and short stories are available on her website as free downloads at www.jenniferadele.com. Her first and second novels are also available on her website and through CreateSpace.com and Amazon.com… as well as through a few of local shops in the St. Louis area. Jennifer lives in St. Louis County with her husband, Jeff, and is mother to three dogs and three cats.