The Devil Pulls the Strings Podcast Series

Welcome to The Devil Pulls the Strings by J.W. Zarek

Do you like when time travel, twisted history, and secret societies collide?The Devil Pulls the Strings, described as The Librarians meet The Magicians, is an epic fantasy adventure set in modern-day Wentzville, MO, New York City, and 1813 Genoa, Italy. It weaves bromance, Slavic mythology, secret societies, Paganini’s music, and time travel.Boone Daniels, 22, has problems, debilitating panic attacks, gut-wrenching guilt, an evil spirit wendigo haunting him since age six, and now he almost killed his best friend in a joust. But when he fills in for his injured friend at a New York City gig, he ends up meeting the gig’s contact, Professor Stone, at his NYC brownstone where his body falls from the balcony and the place explodes with gun fire.Boone barely escapes but uncovers a sinister plot to perform a rare Paganini piece that summons the Devil to trap Baba Yaga and destroy modern-day New York City and finds himself on a race through time to capture the cursed melody. Along the way, a crazed immortal, steampunk vampires, and Baba Yaga set the stage for war, and Boone shall have to risk death for redemption. Because all Boone wants is to keep a promise to a friend. The same friend he almost killed last Sunday during a joust.Can a small-town Missouri musician outplay the supernatural and save NYC’s soul?The Devil Pulls the Strings is the pulse-pounding first tale in the Archivist series. If you like when tortured heroes, epic battles, time travel, twisted history, and secret societies collide, then you’ll love J. W. Zarek’s spectacular story.This audiobook is narrated by award-winning, professionally trained multimedia performer and audiobook narrator Curt Bonnem. And for music lovers, it includes music by world-renowned musicians Oleg Bezuglov, Natalia Bezuglova, and Vladimir Gapontsev. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prologue – THE PROPHECY

A prophecy scroll found by Scottish Warrior Laureus in the Lavender and Roses Society’s caverns and tunnels beneath New York City, is given to Professor Stone who sighs. “You know what must be done,” and gives Laureus a horn.  “But that means one of our own must die,”  Laureus takes the horn, leaves Stone, and travels through a portal to the jousting arena at the St. Louis Ren Faire in Wentzville, MO.Enter this steampunk dark fantasy knowing that once you begin, it will be hard to tear yourself away.Buy the full audiobook at https://bit.ly/DevilPullsStrings. Learn more at jwzarek.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ACT ONE Chapter One – PROMISE ME

Scene opens at the same jousting arena minutes earlier.After four years of bumps, bruises and preparation, twenty-two-year-old Boone Daniels gets the opportunity to joust his best friend Flynn Michaels. As their lance tips cross, the horses are spooked by the sound of a loud horn, and Flynn is thrown onto Boone’s lance.The wheel of time rolls forward in this paranormal fantasy series.Buy the full audiobook at https://bit.ly/DevilPullsStrings. Learn more at jwzarek.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ACT ONE Chapter Two – CRUSHED

On the bus ride from Wentzville, MO to New York City, Boone has a waking dream he’s traveled back in time, to 1793 Genoa, Italy, and watches an argument between thirteen-year-old violinist, Niccolò Paganini and ten-year-old Ambrozij Serafin Sinti.An epic time travel adventure.Buy the full audiobook at https://bit.ly/DevilPullsStrings. Learn more at jwzarek.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ACT ONE Chapter Three – FIRST TIME ANYWHERE

Boone arrives at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in NYC, and with no time to walk to Stone’s brownstone, he finds a taxi. Outside Stone’s brownstone, Boone steps out of the taxi and catches sheet music for Paganini’s sonata, Le Streghe.A girl carrying a violin case barrels into Boone. Then another body crashes onto the pavement next to them. Boone grabs the girl’s hand in an attempt to escape in the same taxi Boone exited moments earlier.Contemporary humor for teens and young adults.Buy the full audiobook at https://bit.ly/DevilPullsStrings. Learn more at jwzarek.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ACT ONE Chapter Four – NY RED TOP TAXI

The taxi is teleported to the address provided by the girl. And the driver demands payment in song. The taxi driver hands Boone his card, and Boone and the girl exit the taxi.Gothic LitRPG - Literary Role Playing GameBuy the full audiobook at https://bit.ly/DevilPullsStrings. Learn more at jwzarek.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ACT TWO Chapter Five - FEED ME

At a public quad in front of the NYU Stern Building, Boone finds out the girl’s name and her involvement with the murder they just witnessed. Boone finds out the girl is Sapphire Anjou. Boone tells Sapphire they should go to Stone’s office to call the police, and are interrupted by a nearby homeless woman, a sister of a powerful witch called Baba Yaga. Baba Yaga’s sister enchants Boone to bring her food. Boone does, and she rewards him with a magic silver comb, and warns him about Sinti. A folklore magic book that will entrance you.Buy the full audiobook at https://bit.ly/DevilPullsStrings. Learn more at jwzarek.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ACT TWO Chapter Six – HAT AND WATCH

On a bench in the quad in front of the NYU Stern Building, Sapphire shares something significant with Boone.A small watch on Sapphire’s porkpie hat plays Paganini’s Concerto No. 1 for the violin, her mother’s favorite. A sword and sorcery steampunk novel.Buy the full audiobook at https://bit.ly/DevilPullsStrings. Learn more at jwzarek.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ACT TWO Chapter Seven – FANCY FOUNTAIN

While walking with Sapphire to Stone’s office, Boone has a waking vision, and finds himself back in 1794 Genoa, Italy, in front of an ornate fountain. There is something familiar about Mélusine. A time travel adventure, the way of kings.Buy the full audiobook at https://bit.ly/DevilPullsStrings. Learn more at jwzarek.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ACT TWO Chapter Eight - STEINHARDT BUILDING

Sapphire and Boone go to Professor Stone’s Office in the Steinhardt Building to call the police and find Paganini’s sheet music. They find an unpleasant surprise on a copy machine. A commotion inside Stone’s office draws their attention. Can they escape the gunfire?Game of Thrones dark fantasy.Buy the full audiobook at https://bit.ly/DevilPullsStrings. Learn more at jwzarek.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices