Chiara

Chiara Marino and the Demons of Darkness

“The most powerful weapon to conquer the devil is humility.
For as he does not know at all how to employ it, 
neither does he know how to defend himself from it.” 
-St. Vincent de Paul
Chiara Marino was a typical high school girl
 Except that she was incurably nerdy. 
And she was a devout Catholic. 
Oh, and she could see diabolical entities that threatened to drag humans into the miseries of sin and death. 

 But other than that, she was normal.

Then her life changed when a new student arrived at school. He seemed normal, too.
Except that he had manners.
And he saved her from a fatal accident caused by a vindictive demon.
Oh, and she happened to see him glowing blue as he battled with a man possessed by an evil spirit. 

 But other than that, he seemed normal.

 Filled with nerdy humor, painfully awkward moments, a heartfelt romance, and thrilling, superpowered fights with chillingly evil spirits, this book has it all... plus the radiant beauty of Catholicism.

 Join Chiara on her adventures deeper into her faith as she tries to overcome the demons of darkness in her small town and in her own personal life.



Book two is now available at Barnes & Noble!






Check out this awesome preview:

The morning sun cascaded through the windows of the suburban home as Chiara Marino studied herself in the mirror. Her dark, curly hair was impossibly frizzy, her hazel eyes were too small, and her smile showed too much of her large front teeth.

I look like a mouse, she thought. A boring, plain mouse.

She finished with a sigh and pulled her hair into her signature style of a messy twist held in place with a pen. Simple and practical.

“It’s okay to admit defeat sometimes,” her older brother’s voice sounded from behind her. “Especially when something is a lost cause.”

He was standing in her doorway with his arms folded casually and his dark hair smoothed back with gel. His appearance was tall and dominating – muscular from years of athletics.

She fixed him with a scowl. “What do you want, Adrian?”

Then she nearly jumped when she saw a dark billowing cloud of smoke appear on his shoulder. As she tried not to watch, the cloud shifted in and out of a lizard-like appearance, digging its claws into her oblivious brother. It looked like a zombie iguana, with molting scales and rotting flesh hanging off skeletal features. It was the stuff of her personal nightmares.

This nebulous reptilian parasite was almost like another sibling to her. It had lived in their home for years, leaping from shoulder to shoulder and bringing out the worst in her family. It had grown fat on their negativity.

She had been able to see these creatures for years and yet they still filled her with fear. She felt a chill in the air and the pressure of predatory eyes focused intently on her.

“Just here to remind you about the rules,” Adrian continued, unaware of his diabolical accessory.

Chiara held her breath as he strutted closer. “Right, right,” she agreed quickly and counted on her fingers: “No talking to you; no talking about you; and no telling anyone we’re related.”

“Good.” He pinched her nose tightly, knowing that she hated it. “Just follow the rules and I won’t have to punish you.” He slapped her cheek with a playful air, but the act had left a sting. “Have a good first day, dork.”

She exhaled as she watched him leave. The exchange had gone surprisingly well.
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