Twenty-three-year-old Evie Day never dreamt she’d be back in Woodsville Arkansas, a small town in the
middle of nowhere, after having left five years earlier, but the death of her grandfather called for her
return. After discovering a photo from 1933 of a mysterious woman standing next to a tiny wooden box, a
strange vial of blood wrapped up in a handkerchief in the pocket of her grandfather’s overalls, and a key
hidden in his desk drawer that belongs to a secret safety deposit box, Evie is unwittingly thrown into a
world of evil where those closest to her are the ones to be the most feared and danger lurks around every
corner.
Hidden in the Shadows by A.D. Vancise shines a light on the darkness and reveals the underlying players
that have been hunting in plain sight.
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IMPORTANT NOTICE
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The survivors of satanic rituals and child trafficking inspired this book, along with a photo I found in my
grandfather’s family photos of a mysterious woman standing beside a tiny box. My grandfather died with
the real story of what happened. He was a police officer.
I knew I had to take this story down a dark path once I heard the victims’ stories and those who never
believed them. The killer’s POV is based on true testimonials of survivors. These horrific acts
happened and continue to happen to kids worldwide.
Having said that, I feel the importance of noting a trigger warning for intense graphic material such
as child trafficking, sadism, occult rituals, sexual and physical abuse, violence, and murder. If reading
this material evokes memories of or PTSD from abuse, please contact professionals or a safe person
immediately. This novel is in no way meant to sensualize or exploit these serious events. It requires
courage to read this story meant to bring awareness to these heinous acts and give a voice to the
children who no longer have one. It’s to shed light on a darkness that has plagued this world for far
too long. I am awed by all those who can receive this information and want to help the children. We
all need to give them a voice. Thank you for being brave enough to read this story.
Sincerely,
A.D. Vancise
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Reviews for Hidden In the Shadows
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“Writing with crisp efficiency, mordant wit, and bursts of searing terror, Vancise whets the novel’s escalating puzzles and portents with an edge of queasy uncertainty.” -Editors Pick, Booklife.
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“If you’re looking for a spine-tingling read that will leave you wondering who to trust, what dangers are lurking beneath the surface and when the next twist will come, then Hidden in the Shadows is the book for you.”-Booktrib.
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“Hidden in the Shadows by A. D. Vancise is a thrilling mystery that keeps readers in suspense from the first clue until the end.” – Five Stars. Literary Titan.
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“A.D. Vancise excels in crafting a dark, atmospheric story.” -D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
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“If you are a reader who is tired of reading the same old books that are lackluster and forgettable, then take a chance with this one…you will not be disappointed.” -The Red-Headed Book Lover.
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“The author vividly informs your mind’s eye.” – Five Stars. Readers’ Favorite.
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“Dark, disturbing, and gripping.” -Five Stars. Bookview Review.
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“A grim but exciting and compelling mystery even in its most disconcerting moments.” Kirkus Review.
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What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
Research into a story depends on the type of story being written. My first book, for instance, didn’t require much research due to it being a semi-autobiography. I knew the story, the characters, the plot etc. I may have had to research medical terms or areas that my brother and his partner had visited as well as speak to Brad, my brother’s partner, about their experiences but that was the minimal research done for that book. This book, however, consisted of close to six months of straight research if not more.
Do you see writing as a career?
I want to see writing as a career, I take it very seriously. Having said that though, my reason for writing is for the love of writing, first and foremost.
What do you think about the current publishing market?
The current publishing market is difficult on many levels. I much prefer the hybrid model. This model isn’t a vanity press, there is quite a difference between the two. A hybrid publisher you still must pitch, and they do not accept all manuscripts for publishing. When your manuscript is accepted the author pays the publisher for structural editing, cover design, copy editing, interior design, and some promotion.
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?
I read and read and read again. This I believe should be the pattern of all writers. I learn a great deal from other authors both bad and good or what I like or dislike. Some paragraphs, I’ll read two or three times when they are exceptional. I’ll jot it down in a notebook as well making sure to mark it as someone else’s work because I also jot down ideas or sentences that come to me randomly or conversations between strangers and I don’t want to plagiarize. I read reviews of books I’ve read as well, good, and bad as this also provides great feedback as to what readers want or look for in a book. My favorite genre is and always has been thriller/mystery.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
I cannot write if it’s too silent around me. I know other authors isolate themselves, but I realized at university that I couldn’t concentrate when it was quiet. I need something to block out in order to focus, so the noisier the better. I often put on music or plant myself in the middle of a room with others watching TV.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
I never saw myself writing two books at once but here I am doing it now. I’m working on the sequel to Hidden in the Shadows and Memoirs from a Killer.
Pen or type writer or computer?
When I’m working on the story, I use a program called Scrivener on my computer. I find it’s the quickest way to get the words out. When they flow, they flow rapidly. I still enjoy pen to paper as I came from the era just before computers. We hand-wrote papers or typed them on a typewriter so I will keep a journal or notebooks that I prefer to handwrite.
Do you have any advice to offer for new authors?
Advice to new authors read, read, read, and then read some more and in the genre, you’d like to write in. I hear people often say they want to write a book, but they don’t read. How do you expect to know what sells or what flows, works, or doesn’t work if you don’t read? I would also advise taking some writing courses to gain confidence. And write for the love of writing not because you want to get published. One more thing, you CAN do it, your story is important, WRITE it.
Describe your writing style.
I would describe my writing style as atmospheric. I am a visual artist and I feel that helps in my creation of a scene but it’s a fine line, too much description and you lose the reader, not enough and you lose the reader I try to set the tone of the scene through atmosphere, smells, touch, and tastes. I want my readers to feel embedded in the scene as if they are right there in it.
What makes a good story?
That depends on who is reading it. For me, a good story takes me on a journey. One with smells, textures, tastes, and with well-formed characters. What do I mean by well-formed characters? I want to know how they grew up, what friends they have or had and why, and what are their greatest fears, wants, or dislikes. A character doesn’t just enter a story at age 30 and has no background. For me, this is one of the most important things in a book. If I don’t care about a character, (good or bad) I’m not going to care what happens to them.
What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?
Outlines, oh the one question that every writer gets asked. I do not work from one. I find them restrictive like I can’t sway from the outline. My creative process I would describe as a gypsy going wherever the wind blows. Haha. Not quite that carefree but I do like to be free to write what comes next. I typically know the beginning and the ending, but everything in between is yet to be seen. I live my life the same way.
Chapters? In my first book, I just wrote not worrying about the chapter breaks but in the second I did write in chapters. Sometimes the chapters merge or rearrange but the Scrivener program is great for editing as each chapter is isolated and can be moved by clicking and dragging. It’s a great program.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I would say that I try to be original without trying to reinvent the wheel. My goal is to always give the reader what I think they want with some surprises. Truth or feeling real seems to be the most important trait for readers.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
If I could tell my younger writing self something, it would be to stop worrying about what others think, stop doubting yourself, and write anyway.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
How long it takes to write a book depends on the writer, research, and desire. My latest book took six months to write but was well over a year before being published. The current books have been over two years and still are not even halfway completed. Sometimes the words flow so quickly that you can’t type fast enough and sometimes it’s an empty canvas. I’ve heard of some writers taking ten years to complete something and some never do. I find writer’s block to be a very real thing and when it happens, I just let it be. I’ll read and write in my journal or sometimes choose a topic so far removed from my current writing topic just to spark some ideas or flow.
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A D Vancise lives in Canada. When she’s not writing, she’s taking care of her three dogs, her cat, two ducks and some chickens. Her daughter is her inspiration for all things wonderful in the world.
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