01 / THE BOOK

THE CHOICES WE MAKE

Something is waiting
on the other side
of the dream.

Wings. A sword wrapped in white fire. Las Vegas beneath him. Each morning, Josiah wakes with his heart pounding and the taste of ash still on his tongue.

On the eighth night, the dream changes. Two voices speak in the darkness. They know his name.

The Choices We Make is Book One of the planned Celestial Vessel trilogy.
YA low fantasy · Supernatural thriller

CHRISTIAN DEVOTIONALS

Faith for everyday life.

Two Becoming One by Michael DeMarois

Two Becoming One

A 30-day Christian devotional for strengthening your marriage.

Front cover of Faith for the Journey by Michael DeMarois

Faith for the Journey

A 30-day Christian devotional.

30 Days of Prayer by Michael DeMarois

30 Days of Prayer

A devotional journey into a deeper life of prayer.

The Way of Peace by Michael DeMarois

The Way of Peace

A 30-day Christian devotional on conflict resolution.

FROM THE PROLOGUE

“For the first time in the dream,
I felt something looking back at me.”
02 / THE AUTHOR
Michael DeMarois smiling, wearing glasses and a gray hoodie

MICHAEL DEMAROIS

About Me

I’m Michael DeMarois, author of The Choices We Make, the first book in the planned Celestial Vessel trilogy. Books Two and Three are currently in rough draft, but the entire story is already written, beginning to end—in black and white!

The series blends YA low fantasy with supernatural thrills. Now, don’t let the YA label fool you: there’s plenty of crossover appeal for older readers, too. I also write Christian devotionals exploring faith and its place in everyday life.

I’m also a United States Marine. I hold a BA in Christian Ministry and have completed some graduate work in Religious Education.

When I’m not rooting for the Chicago Bears on Sundays, I’m spending time with my wife of thirty years, writing, or playing video games—pretty much in that order. We live in Las Vegas, and all three of our daughters are grown and out of the house.

Want to know more about the series, upcoming releases, or anything else about my writing? Use the Contact Me link. I’d be glad to hear from you.

GET IN TOUCH

Contact Michael

Have a question about a book, or a thought you’d like to share? I’d be glad to hear from you.

michael@michael-demarois.com

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THE CHOICES WE MAKE

CELESTIAL VESSEL · BOOK ONE

Prologue

For seven nights, I dreamed I could fly.

Not the way people fly in dreams, drifting over rooftops as if gravity had forgotten them. I flew with purpose. The wind tore at my face. Great wings beat behind me, each stroke powerful enough to shake the clouds. Far below, neon lights laid across black earth. Las Vegas.

Freedom always ended when my feet touched ground. A sword appeared in my hand, blade wrapped in white fire. The weight did not bother me. It felt like an extension of my arm, too familiar, as if I had been using it for years.

Shapes came at me through smoke, filling my mouth with the taste of burnt ash. They moved too quick to see clearly, but were human enough that I hesitated and monstrous enough that something in me did not.

I woke every morning with my heart hammering and ash clinging to my tongue. On the eighth night, the dream changed.

END OF THIS EXCERPT