Luke is a very mysterious main character and I want to find out moreabout him from the first book"...". One thing I liked about the book wasthat you don't really need the first book to understand his behaviourand how he solves a mystery"... "a great plot. That little bit of pastblended in with black magic, Luke's psychic abilities and the mysterythat comes with Dr.Bethany,..". "You tend to suspect everyone in thestory until you get to the end, and there the twisted ending leaves youwanting to go back and read the first book just so you can understandLuke's character better" " Luke is a passionate character that deservesattention...". " ...author's words were poetic and the scenery wasbeautiful, yet chilling at the same time... " "Even the screechingseagulls had quieted, their feast having been whisked from them in athick black plastic body bag."
"Murder. Some romance. And of course, uncovering thetruth"..."The plot pulled me in... I couldn't wait to finish it"... "if I had todescribe one emotion that was significant from beginning to end, it was fear.Even as a reader, you always fear that something is going to go wrong..."
From the Inside Flap
Readwhat Amazon and Kindle readers are saying about Leigh Podgorski's debut novel, The Women Debrowska:
Jack Maxwell: ...vividly told, weaving together the story ofone family and Polish history... a particularly powerful love story from themoment she is whisked away from the bridge to the moment she dies at the age ofonly 25 from a gunshot wound to the chest...
Maureen Serra:...beautiful,powerful, and deeply touching ...a love letter to Poland and to all those whobelieve in freedom and are willing to take a stand against oppression...
Paul G. White...Flowing withgreat energy and speed... contains passages... of beautiful vivid descriptions.[t]he tale not only of a family but of a nation. I could smell the snow and theblood in the air.... You won't be disappointed.
Douglas Glen Clark: AlthoughPodgorski's story begins as personal quest, it quickly evolves into a discoveryof Polish heritage and a family tree ravaged by oppression, revolution and apassionate attachment to homeland.
Dr. Chris Herron: When the planecrashed...carrying the Polish statesmen...I felt sorrow as if they were brothers ofmine. Ms. Podgorski's saga told the story of Polish history in a way that madeits memories mine
Arpine Ovesypian:...a captivatingtale sure to become an instant classic....eloquently crafted plot deviates fromtradition and keeps the reader on the edge of his/her seat......
Andfrom Ouray's Peak:
Ifyou can put this book down after you pick it up, you are a stronger person thanI am..., I couldn't stop reading. You won't either. Read this book. (B.R.A.G.H)
Thisis one of the best novels I have read of late. Leigh Podgorski paints a scenicpicture of the Colorado mountain country and the Indian reservation in thisbeautiful, memorable, coming of age story.... I applaud her unique storytellingtalent and look forward to more from this author. Thank you Ms. Podgorski, Ididn't want the story to end! (Jacqueline Bryant)
Iread this in one sitting! Gripping story, strong characters..love Leigh'swriting style!
Irecommended her books to all my friends. (Ann)
From the Back Cover
"Murder. Some romance. And of course, uncovering the truth"..."The plot pulled me in... I couldn't wait to finish it"... "if I had to describe one emotion that was significant from beginning to end, it was fear. Even as a reader, you always fear that something is going to go wrong..."
It has been thirteen years since Luke's confrontation in the desert with his nemesis, black magician Armand Jacobi. Luke's wife Consuelo, whom he met at Eppie Falco's Desert Inn and Café has died, and Luke has placed himself once again in exile. This time, his wanderings have brought him to the seaside village of New Camen, New Hampshire.
Into his self-imposed solitude drops Dr. Bethany Rutledge. Accused of the murder of her eight year old daughter, stripped of her license to practice medicine, her marriage to politician Adrian Mountzaire in tatters, Beth Rutledge is haunted nightly by the chilling vision of a young woman's brutal death by hanging.
Adding to this mix is the disappearance of an adolescent boy that appears to be centered in the tiny hamlet of New Camen. Then, Adrian Mountzaire turns up dead with his estranged wife Beth Rutledge lying in the sand beside him.
Despite his best efforts to resist the temptation, Luke is falling in love with Beth Rutledge, and she with him. Beth has unlocked the frozen reaches of his heart--the heart that was frozen when his beloved Consuelo was taken by breast cancer several years before and he could do nothing to save her.
Now, Luke must not only find the lost boy, but find the real killer of Adrian Mountzaire in order to save his beloved from the save fate that haunts her restless dreams.
Gallows Ascending blends the centuries old true life story of Ruth Blay with the fictional murder mystery of Dr. Beth Rutledge and tracker psychic Luke Stone in the second book of the Mystical Stone Quest series.
About the Author
LeighPodgorski is the author of, plays, screenplays, and novels that reflect herscholarship and fascination with the diverse cultures of the Earth and themysticism, mythology, symbolism and history that color and influence theuniverse within and without us. Select titles include:
The WomenDebrowska
Ouray's Peak
TheStone Quest. Series:
Book One: DesertChimera
Book Two:Gallows Ascending
Book Three:Neuri Shape-shifter
Comingin late 2014 and early 2015 Book Four Stone Quest: Redemption: The Long Road Home and Leigh's first romance novel: Western Song, a contemporary westernromance.
Receivinga grant from the California Council for the Humanities as well as grants fromseveral California Indian tribes and individual donors, Leigh adapted her play We Are Still Here taken from the oralhistory of elder Katherine Siva Saubel to a documentary: DVDs available on herweb site.
"Thefilm also portrays the Creation mythology of the Cahuilla, performed by aNative American cast, which is well done and sustains viewer interest. Thereare a lot of important ideas and traditions illuminated here."libraryjournal.com/article/CA6704052.html
Leighis a retired Assistant Professor of Basic Skills at Glendale Community College.
![Gallows Ascending (Stone Quest Book 2) by [Leigh Podgorski]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51yuoEwX8OL._SY346_.jpg)
