Stage Fright by Diane L. Kowalyshyn is a well-written novel and one that grabs your attention right away. It opens with a stage performance and sets the tone well for the rest of the novel. Skye Andrews, the actress on stage has inherited something from her late Aunt, a journal, one that reveals her Aunt's true wishes, to be buried in Scotland. Soon Skye meets a reluctant to-get-involved man, at least with Skye, and from there the story takes off. The author skillfully inserts a paranormal theme, immersing you in a story that is both involved and magical. Truly a captivating story and one that is recommended. Highly recommend. ( )

Author Diane L. Kowalyshyn made her literary debut with CROSSOVER - the thesis that earned her Master of Fine Arts degree from Seton Hill University – and that served as the first volume of her trilogy CROSS YOUR HEART AND DIE. Not one to rest on her laurels, she subsequently added SKADEGAMUTC: MONSTER IN THE MIRROR, CATCH.22, and now STAGE FRIGHT– a novel that embraces her ‘overwhelming need for happily ever after.’

Diane has discovered the impact of setting the tone of a story in the opening lines and she underscores that gift as this novel begins with a lovers’ quarrel between a Pansy and a Rex that is actually a stage performance in action, then ‘A hush blanketed the theater. Skye Andrews stood on her mark with Pansy Parker’s horror plastered on her face. She froze. The lights dimmed, the curtain dropped, and the applause started. In seconds, stagehands surrounded her and disassembled the set for the second act.’ And how that onstage moment hints at the content to come proves Diane’s skill.

A tightly condensed overview of the plot – ‘Broadway actress Skye Andrews inherits a journal from her soothsaying aunt, and sets her career aside to fulfill her aunt’s final wishes to be buried in the family plot in Kilmarnock, Scotland. Captain Jet Dalry, a recuperating war veteran, helps Skye slice through the cemetery’s red tape. Despite their mutual attraction and her persistence, Jet is a tormented man who repeatedly pushes her away. Skye discovers the journal is enchanted. It reveals how Skye and her aunt lived parallel lives. Under its magical lens, Skye discovers a jealous psychopath is stalking her. Will the mystical unveiling be enough to save the man she loves from certain death?’ The manner in which Skye’s life parallels her deceased aunt’s journal revelations makes for a terrific drama.

Creating visually convincing, credible characters and capturing sensitive moments of drama, Diane Kowalyshyn continues to impress with her talents. Highly recommended. ( )