Darci O is a story about Michael Orcini, a Hotel/Casino developer, his quest to create the finest gaming resort since Monaco, and a love story that reaches beyond the limits of a lifetime. The Mafia and Chinese Camorra, with an insatiable appetite for money and power, weave their webs to dash Michael's plans leaving tragedy in their wake. Michael and, his true love, Darci are soon parted by the hands of a ruthless killer. However, the powers of love, sorrow, and justice have granted the lovers a life together beyond mortality. The lovers can interact physically just as if both were still alive, but only when they are alone. Together they search for the killer, and vow to make their adversaries pay. Twists at every turn complicate the outcome while the adversaries make their move to take over the resort development. Time is running out as still another twist surfaces; an old romance comes to life threatening the lovers, their quest, and much more . . . William Nona, author and screenwriter, writes about some unseen and ruthless factions of modern day casino development, and folds it into a unique romantic thriller. |
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This is a real love story wrapped in colorful intrigue. Darci |
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The following is an excerpt for your consideration: |
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THE PYRAMID Prologue Celebrities and High Rollers came from all over the world to the grand opening of the most talked about gaming resort since Monte Carlo. The Hotel at Sundance Lake had been booked for more than six months by invitation only guests. Private jets of every size and shape filled the executive terminal and transient parking areas of McCarran International Airport. The overflow was directed to the Henderson Executive Airport a short eleven miles south. As an entourage of limousines made their way along the highway to Sundance Lake the outline of a pyramid rose from the water, and cast an eerie shadow across the Hotel and Casino at Sundance Lake. The Pyramid is rumored to be the home of the Ghost at Sundance Lake. It was first seen by the Resort’s architect during the final stages of his design. Many local residents have seen the phenomenon for the last year and a half but regard it as an illusion or some kind of desert anomaly or mirage. Resort clientele congregate in the hotel lobby, the casino lounges, and on the veranda that separated the main casino from the lake while they wait for the official opening. The Grand Opening Gala would start with the casino opening, which is scheduled for one hour before sunset. Intrigued by the Pyramid shadow, and the stories that the Ghost would appear at the Grand Opening, many of the clientele moved to the veranda. Suspense heightened as the sun started to set over the mountains.
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. . . . . . . Happy that the day’s work was over, Michael maneuvered his classic 300SL up the winding roads and into the hills where Darci lives. The clock in the dashboard indicates that he still has more than enough time to arrive before 7:30. On the seat next to him is a single Sterling Silver rose. He had instructed the florist that he wanted something simple, but special, for this lady with ‘just a few of the baby’s breath twigs’, and a lavender ribbon. The worsted slacks and patterned Armani silk shirt, topped with his leather flying jacket, was about as casual as he would be on their first date. He drove into the cul-de-sac at the end of the road. The address between a single carved wood door and the garage was difficult to see. “This should be it,” he told the SL as he backed up, then eased forward onto the short drive. A motion sensor turned the light on over the door and verified the address. He pushed the illuminated button, and stepped back. When the door opened, he was greeted by a smile and scintillating eyes that invited him in before a word was spoken. Michael felt a quiver inside his chest and an instant connection with this intriguing woman. Darci stood motionless in the dimly lit entry hall presenting a different image than their two previous encounters. Her hair was piled on top of her head, fashioned loosely with narrow tresses on each side of her face. She wore a simple patterned full-length skirt, topped with an elegant teal colored silk blouse. “Hi, Michael Orcini,” a delightful voice broke the spell. “Welcome to my home.” She stepped aside allowing him to enter. Michael moved through the doorway, paused, and with a shy, almost boyish transferring of weight from one foot to the other, presented the single rose. “My favorite,” she said with a softness that matched the rose itself, “my absolute favorite in the whole world. How did you know?” “It was the most beautiful at the florist. It seemed appropriate.” “Help me get a vase down from the cupboard.” He followed her down the stairs to the main level where full height windows of the two-story living room exposed the entire length of the breath-taking Las Vegas light extravaganza. They paused for a moment, then without a word continued on through the dining room and into the kitchen. “There on the top shelf, the tall tear drop crystal in the center.” She pointed, as he opened the glass door of the cupboard. He reached in and looked back at her with a questioned look. “Yes, thanks,” she said, being quite able to reach the vase herself. Darci put some water in the vase and arranged the ‘baby’s breath’ around the rose. Satisfied, she picked up the vase and walked into the living room. “Here by the window.” She glanced at Michael, “I’ll move it to my bedroom later.” Michael became aware of a small dog, sitting on a loveseat in an alcove, staring at him, but not making a sound. “Who are you?” he asked, not really expecting an answer. “That’s Puca T. Say hello to Michael, Puca.” “Arf. Arf.” The little critter responded in a sound matching his size. “Hello Puca T.” Michael went over and sat next to him, and petted him on the head. “Arf. Arf.” Puca laid his chin on Michael’s lap. “I think he likes you. He doesn’t usually like strangers. I’m famished.” “Me too! Ready?” “Yes.” “Then, let’s get going.” Darci picked up an exquisite Indian shawl, and handed it to Michael. He unfolded the woven artifact and placed it over her shoulders, allowing his arms to fold around her for a brief moment. “Thank you, sir,” she said, catching his eye as she glanced over her shoulder. When they reached the top of the stairway she stopped and set the alarm. They drove down the winding road. “This must be a scary drive in the winter with ice and snow on the ground,” Michael commented, shortly before he reached the bottom of the hill, and headed away from the bright lights of the ‘Strip’. “Everyone on the hill is up in arms about this road. We’re constantly trying to do something about it. It’s been going on for a long time. This time I’m heading up a committee to get some barricades installed along the edge. They probably won’t do anything about it until someone gets killed.” . . . . . . . |
Darci O is now available at your favorite Bookseller.To order your copy of Darci O . . .Please check back; Darci O will soon be available as an eBook |
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Coming Soon SYCHRONICITY Episode One The Chronicle of Unchangeable Changes |
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Prologue It is morning, the temperature outside our Starcruiser Totfote is about 2.7 Kelvin, and pitch dark as our interplanetary travel takes us from Alpha Centauri toward the Sun Star. Planet Theia is seen chasing Planet Earth, collides and both planets spin-off a Moon. Theia bounces back taking place as Earth’s identical parallel planet on the opposite side of the Sun. All the planets in the solar system spin faster and faster indicating the passing of millenniums. The Worlds appear to be 100 years apart, but are always in the present time, which makes it logical to transport something or somebody to the other planet without disrupting the past or future. This Trans-Dimensional travel phenomenon was created near the beginning … shortly after the ‘Spinoff’. Theia spun backwards 100 years. However, this does not preclude the imbalance that occurs when any person or object transports between Parallel Planets. Any imbalance must be corrected by the return of the person or object or its counterpart before the next February 29th or the planets will be destroyed. Interlopers and their spacecraft must also leave or face destruction, unless they undergo the RSR (Replication Synchronization Ritual). The equilibrium child's interplanetary travel does not affect planetary balance. |
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CHAPTER 1 It’s a warm summer day in Twentieth Century Midwestern U.S.A. countryside on the Planet Theia as Dimitri Talbot returns to the Softwind Farm stable riding the prize thoroughbred stallion, Runs Like the Wind. Opal Softwind, a remarkably young looking 50’s Lakota Indian Grandmother is walking into the stable with her traditional cane as Dimitri dismounts. She witnesses the Stableboy stuffing a crest into his jeans. “What are you doing?” she asks. “Nothing Mum,” he responds. “I saw you take that crest from the saddle. You know that it’s a Sacred Oglala Crest given to Waneta (Lakota Medicine Man and Shape Shifter) by the Aide to King Charles I, and must remain with the saddle.” “You crazy old woman, I took nothing.” “You put it in your pocket. Now give it here, and we’ll be done with it.” “I took nothing that isn’t mine.” Dimitri turns and runs out of the stable laughing. Opal raises her cane and shouts, “Come back here or I’ll put a curse on you. I’ll change you into a, a bird, an appalling raven” Dimitri stops, turns and walks slowly to the stable pushing past Opal. “I can put on curses too, so be careful.” “You cannot.” “I will turn this horse into a statue, and send him to the other world.” “What do you know of the other world?” “I have read the word in the Tome.” “NO ! That’s impossible. You can’t,” she looks bewildered, “the Tome is in the other…” “The other world! I have been to the other world.” Opal grabs his arm and turns him around. “Give me the crest.” Dimitri pulls away and starts to run out of the stable. Opal, with a determined look, raises her cane. A breeze comes up and unfurls a Waluta attached to the top of the cane. She begins chanting in her Lakota tongue, “Wakatanka, Aye, Aya sica hoksila, Aya sica hoksils icu Makoce,” louder and louder, over and over until a small twister forms, locks in on Dimitri. Dimitri grabs the horse and shouts, “Witko Tko Ke Wija Pi,” The horse morphs into a bronze statue. The twister scoops up the bronze statue and Dimitri, as he’s changing into a Raven, sending them into space with a sonic boom. As the Raven and horse start to go up into space Dimitri cries, “You crazy woman, you’re starting a ... ,” his words fade. Opal’s granddaughter, Ruby Softwind and her cousin Yellow Flower on horseback in an adjacent meadow, feel the shockwave, and race to the stable. The curious thirteen-year-old girls join grandmother Opal in the stable. Ruby hugs Opal and asks. “What happened, are you okay, Kusi?” “I’m just fine. It’s that terrible stable boy.” “What did he do? Where is he?” * * * * * * * The invisible interlopers are amazed. Solo asks, “What just happened?”Duo replies, “Let’s see,” as his Universal Portal Prompter materializes. Duo’s fingers work the futuristic keypad, as the Prompter shows the Raven and a bronze statue of a horse traveling in space, and landing on the Twenty-first Century Planet Earth in an abandoned barn. Suddenly the Portal expands sucking us into it, and we find ourselves traveling through space arriving on Planet Earth moments after the Raven and Bronze Horse. * * * * * * * With a brilliant flash of light and thunderous clap, the Bronze Horse lands in the center of an abandoned barn on the Bancroft Farm.In an adjacent meadow, a synchronistic day, on the Twenty-first Century Planet Earth, thirteen year old Amber Bancroft and her cousin Qingling, also thirteen, hear the sound, mount their horses, and race to the barn. Amber’s grandmother, Jade MuRong, witnessing the thunder and flash rushes from the farmhouse getting to the barn as the girls dismount. They walk slowly into the barn. Jade recognizes the horse, instantly knows it came from Theia, and that it’s going to be trouble. Amber, Qingling, and Jade MuRong are synchronistic duplicates of Ruby, Yellow Flower, and Opal Softwind. “What’s happening Popo?” Amber asks with the endearing Chinese word for grandmother. “It has happened. The worst. It has…” Qinling shouts, “What’s happened? What’s going on?” Amber looks at the statue and says, “That statue. It wasn’t there before. Where’d it come from?” There’s a faint image of the Interlopers. Solo speaks, “How’d we get here?” Duo says, “Quiet, they might hear.” Qinling looks around, and asks, “Who said that?” Jade MuRong looks around with a quizzical frown and whispers to Amber, “We’ve got some interlopers.” Amber looks around. “Inter what?” Jade searches the barn spotting the Raven perched in the rafters, “This is not good. Come along girls." She turns and leaves the barn with the girls obediently behind. They go into the country style kitchen. “I just made these cookies, anybody hungry?” Qingling darts to the refrigerator, “I'll get the milk.” Jade unconsciously cleans the cookie sheet while she stares out the kitchen window at the barn. A concerned look fills her ageless Chinese face as she realizes that the time has come to pass her legacy on to Amber, and school her in the way of the Chronicle of Unchangeable Changes. She turns to the girls sitting at the table looking at Qingling, “you should get on home. Your parents will be worried. I'll have Nigel bring your horse around,” she talks into her cell phone, “bring Q's horse around.” Qingling looks up, “Okay, but?” “No buts, off with you.” Jade is quick to command as Amber and Qingling start to run out. “Sun Nue! I want you to stay.” The girls hug, and Qingling runs out. Amber quietly helps Jade with the dishes knowing not to ask any questions. They hang the towels, Jade looks at Amber and whispers, “Come with me. It's time. But first, go get the silver box from my room.” Amber runs off, and returns with the silver box. Jade takes her hand, and leads her to a Grand Room filled with ancient Chinese treasures. They stop facing a paneled wall. Jade waves her hands and arms as she incants, “Dakai menhu”. The wall becomes transparent, and a Secret Room appears. Jade takes Amber's hand. “Come Sun Nue.” Amber is squeamish as Jade leads her through the wall. * * * * * * * The Raven peers through a window on the far side of the Grand Room as they disappear into the Secret Room. There's a large leather book resting on an elegant glass podium in the center of the room. The walls are covered with scrolls, paintings of mystical spiritual like beings, and maps of solar systems. The floor looks like water, and the ceiling seems to be a million miles away with stars everywhere.Amber looks around, and focuses on the book. “The Tome of Legends?” “Take the ring from the box, and put it on the first finger of your right hand with the diamond towards your finger tip. Things will happen that you will not understand. You must trust me, and do as I ask.” She looks softly at her granddaughter, knowing the burden she must pass on to her. “Point to the Tome.” Amber takes the Magical Transfer Ring, which has an oval amber stone surrounded by ancient writings and a small diamond, puts it on and points at the Tome. The diamond sparkles sending an amber colored laser like beam, and the Tome begins to glow as the pages start turning. She quickly pulls her hand back in fear. The pages stop turning. She looks up at her grandmother. “Don't be afraid, Sun Nue. Point!” “But, what?” Jade looks down at Amber with authority. “Okay, okay.” Amber points. The glowing pages start turning again. Jade takes a deep breath and goes into a trance. Opal Softwind speaks from Planet Theia, “I am here. You have seen the Raven and the statue?” Amber pulls her hand back. The glow fades. Still in the trance, Jade gestures and Amber points again. The Tome glows again, and Jade speaks, “How did this happen?” * * * * * * * As Amber, Qingling, and Jude MuRong on Planet Earth are experiencing the interplanetary transference, so are their counterparts on Planet Theia.
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Short Stories by William Nona include: 'Retribution', and 'The Idea' |
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