Enchanted Holidays
Haunted Hearts Excerpt
Paranormal Romance
Contributing Authors:
Kim Cox, Elizabeth Delisi, Chris Grover, Elaine Hopper, Maureen Mcmahon and Sheryl Hames-Torres
Short combined blurb:
In FATE'S LITTLE TRICK, can
Gemma McKenzie Fuller learn from a troubled child that you can go back again, or
will she have to suffer yet another Christmastime loss? Can psychic Lottie
Baldwin, the MISTLETOE MEDIUM, and
the handsome new man in her life pool their talents and solve the mystery before
the bandit strikes again?
Will Lana Malloy solve the twenty-year-old double murder of her great aunt and
her great aunt's fiancé by Valentine's Day? If she can, they'll spend eternity
together; if she can't, they'll be stuck as HAUNTED
HEARTS for another year. When a stranger and a stray cat appear at VALENTINE'S INN one cold February
morning, will Rianna Gordon realize it's the past that holds the key to her
happiness?
Is the THE CURSE OF
OSIRIS just a legend?
Four years after breaking her heart, Zane Ryan is back and determined to protect
Alexis Hart from the 3,000 year old mummy who has designs on her and the future
of all mankind. In GHOSTS OF AULD LANG SYNE,
Stacey Christian and Peter Mansfield reunite to celebrate New Year with friends
at a remote New England homestead. Are the incidents that befall the guests only
accidents, and why does the specter of a young woman walk the halls?
Romance, mystery, danger and paranormal encounters...authors Kim Cox, Elizabeth Delisi, Chris Grover, Elaine Hopper,
Maureen McMahon, and Sheryl Hames Torres provide them all in this
intriguing collection of holiday magic.
INTRODUCTIONS TO NOVELLAS:
HAUNTED HEARTS by
Kim
Cox
Lana Malloy embarks on a new career as a private investigator when
she sets out to solve the twenty-year-old double murder of her great aunt
and her great aunt's fiancé. If Lana can solve the crimes by Valentine's
Day (the anniversary of their deaths), the ghosts will be as they should
have been in life - together for eternity. Two ghosts, a hysterical neighbor
and the handsome grandson of Lana's aunt's fiancé make for a series
of comical events.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MISTLETOE MEDIUM by Elizabeth
Delisi
When Lottie Baldwin's love relationship goes sour, she impulsively
pulls up stakes and moves to Cheyenne, North Dakota, home of her best friend,
Janet Jarrett. She thinks the worst challenge she'll have to overcome is
fitting into her new small home town; after all, her Tarot cards and psychic
abilities make some people think of her as...well...eccentric.
But before long, Lottie's up to her neck in robbery, assault, and
an ex-boyfriend bent on revenge. Can she and the handsome new man in her
life, deputy sheriff Harlan Erikson, pool their talents and solve the mystery
before the bandit strikes again?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VALENTINE'S INN by Chris
Grover
After being badly injured in an auto accident that killed three of
her friends, Rianna Gordon has given up on life. Then she meets Josh Byford,
unaware that Josh is a ghost. Rianna is a lawyer, not a hotelier, but rather
than sell the country inn her family has owned for over a hundred years,
Josh not only convinces her to reopen and run it, but he finds her what he
hopes will be her perfect partner as well. As a result, Rianna discovers
the perfect answer to her prayers on the most romantic day of the year:
Valentines Day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE CURSE OF OSIRIS by Elaine
Hopper
Alexis Hart's grandparents send Zane Ryan to Egypt to rescue her.
Unbeknownst to Alexis, she wears the mark of Osiris, an ancient curse. If
Osiris is allowed to wed, and then sacrifice her at the birth of the true
new Millenium, it will be the end of the world as we know it. Dangerously
exciting Zane is the only being, mortal or immortal, that can save Alexis.
Or can he?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GHOSTS OF AULD LANG SYNE by
Maureen McMahon
In an independent sequel to McMahon's modern gothic romance, RETURN
OF THE GULLS, Stacey Christian and Peter Mansfield pair up again to solve
another mystery. Set at a secluded lake in the remote New England countryside,
Stacey and Peter join a diverse cast of characters to celebrate the New Year
holiday. From the moment Stacey sets eyes on the imposing old mansion, recently
inherited by her childhood friend, Holly Purcell, she knows there's more
to the house than meets the eye.
What begins as an innocent gathering soon turns sinister as a series
of suspicious accidents occur. To add to the confusion, Stacey is irrevocably
drawn into the tragic intrigue surrounding Clementine Kreen, the resident
ghost. The mystery behind the accidents, and Stacey's eerie experiences and
visitations, culminate in a nail-biting finale on New Year's Eve, the anniversary
of Clementine's unsolved disappearance decades before.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FATE'S LITTLE TRICK by
Sheryl Hames
Torres
Gemma McKinsey Fuller wouldn't celebrate Christmas again if you paid
her. Twice she lost everything to a greedy Christmas Eve. She survived the
first time when her fiancé chose his boss's daughter instead of her.
Five Christmas Eves later, Gemma walked away from an auto crash without her
husband, her baby, and her hearing. Although the doctors said there was nothing
physically wrong with her, she could hear nothing until she touched another
human being. Then all their sorrow and pain would wash over her like tortured
screams. The psychiatrists called it empathy. Gemma called it
insanity.
Finally, unable to take it any longer, Gemma escapes to her Grandfather's
Smokey Mountain camping retreat. Here, she can make a living renting out
the cabins without ever having to connect with another human being. Peace
at last! - or so she thinks. Everything changes the morning she's awakened
by a voice inside her head - the voice of a little girl pleading for
help.
With the dreaded holiday only a couple of weeks away, and a snowstorm
threatening, she's suddenly catapulted into the midst of this strange child's
dilemma. Now, not only must Gemma deal with her own survival, but that of
a little girl who reminds her all too much of her own lost child. More difficult
still, she must deal with the confusing feelings that erupt when she's forced
into close contact with the child's handsome
father, the fiancé she lost so many years ago.
How can Gemma possibly survive another Christmas Eve?
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Kim Cox, author of Haunted
Hearts:
Romantic Suspense Author, Kim Cox lives
in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina with her chainsaw artist husband
of seventeen years, dog and a cat. She's the mother of two grown sons, and a
grandmother. A graduate of Writer's Digest's "Writing To Sell Fiction" and NRI's
"Fiction Writing," she has been writing for 14 years--7 years seriously. With
her first sale and upcoming release, Suspicious Minds (Available now from
Amber Quill Press),
her dreams are finally coming true.
Kim is a volunteer for Careers and
Work, Writing and Publishing Forum on AOL, treasurer for
World Romance Writers, past
contest coordinator and secretary for
From The Heart Online RWA
Chapter. She's the new General Manager and part owner of the Author and Reader's
Web site, Word Museum.
Her articles of the WWI and WWII eras
were published in BlueShingles, The Writer's Research Journal; an essay she
wrote on the death of Princess Diana received a byline in True Story's Special
Edition on Diana's Death. Other publishing credits include an author interview
published in two RWA Chapter newsletters, short stories and book reviews. Her
short stories have been published in True Love Magazine, The Pen Is Mightier and
various RWA Chapter newsletters.
Kim has two shorts in
Crumbs In The Keyboard released Spring 2002 from
Echelon Press. With five more works
in process, she is also working on another romantic suspense novel and a
romantic suspense (with paranormal elements) novella for a holiday anthology.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Elizabeth
Delisi, author of Mistletoe Medium:
Elizabeth Delisi's time travel romance, LADY OF THE TWO
LANDS, will be released by NovelBooks, Inc. in April, 2003; her mystery,
FATAL FORTUNE, will be reissued by NovelBooks in July of 2003; and her
suspense novel, SINCE ALL IS PASSING (an EPPIE Award finalist and Bloody
Dagger Award nominee), will be reissued by NovelBooks Inc. in April of 2004.
Elizabeth's short story collections, PENUMBRA and MIRROR IMAGES,
are available from DiskUs Publishing. Her short story, LUCIFER’S LAST LAUGH,
is also available from DiskUs in their “Quick Picks” line. Elizabeth is
currently at work on DEADLY DESTINY, a sequel to FATAL FORTUNE,
due out from NovelBooks, Inc. in October, 2004.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris
Grover, author of Valentine's Inn:
Chris is a member of Romance Writers of America since 1985 and
has attended many national conferences and writing seminars. She is also a
member of the on-line Mystery-Suspense Chapter-Kiss of Death, and a founding
member of the first RWA chapter in Canada where she was also newsletter editor.
Chris also belongs to World Romance Writers and the Golden Horseshoe Writers
Group.
In 1997 Chris was awarded seconded place by Strictly Romance
Magazine for her short fantasy romance: Meeting Mr. Wright. In 1999, she sold
her first
Chris is currently working on a mystery series involving a
woman from Las
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Elaine Hopper,
author of Curse of Seth:
Stories and storytelling have always enchanted Elaine Hopper.
She started writing short stories when she learned to write. An incurable
daydreamer, storytelling is a natural extension of her propensity to dream of
new worlds in which romance and fantasy rule.
Elaine lives in Paradise - sunny South Florida - with her
husband Dave. They have five beautiful children and one gorgeous grandson.
Elaine draws a lot of her story ideas from her life
experience. She served in the Air Force on the Biloxi, Mississippi Gulf Coast
working on computers where she lived through several hurricanes, and her
children can honestly say their mama wore combat boots. Later she worked in SAC
(Strategic Air Command) Headquarters three floors underground, where she
not-so-affectionately traversed the "mole-hole" to get to work daily and held
staff meetings in the morgue. After hours she recuperated on the beach or
poolside.
Upon separating from the Air Force, Elaine's father claims she
started her "career student" phase of her life. She earned her Associates of
Arts degree, Business Administration of Accounting degree and then her Masters
of Business Administration degree. She worked for a few years in accounting and
proposal development before switching to business administration for a charity
that serves the poor of the Caribbean and Latin America. But deep inside, the
daydreamer longed to get out. Her creative side would not be denied.
Thus, she began writing romance novels in her spare time,
since she didn't have the luxury to quit her day job. She'd devoured them since
she was twelve and fell in love with the idea of being in love.
To date, seventeen romance novels of Elaine's are published
with one more soon to be published in January 2004. Many of her short stories
are published and she also writes book reviews, articles, and conducts author
interviews.
She invites you to visit her cyber home at:
http://www.elainehopper.com and also to visit her publishers Hard Shell Word
Factory, New Concepts Publishing, Awe-Struck Ebooks, and NovelBooks Inc. at
http://www.hardshell.com,
http://www.newconceptspublishing.com, and http://www.awe-struck.net and
http://www.novelbooksinc.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maureen
McMahon, author of Ghosts of Auld Lang Syne:
Maureen McMahon was born in the U.S. but now resides in
Australia. She was a staff writer for Australian Runner Magazine for three
years. Her novel, Shadows In The Mist, a mystery/suspense, is available
from Hard Shell Word Factory (http://www.hardshell.com).
The prequel to Ghosts of Auld Lang Syne, a romantic modern gothic novel,
Return Of The Gulls, is also published by Hard Shell Word Factory. An
anthology of her short stories and poetry, A Nightingale In The Sycamore,
is available from DiskUs Publishing (http://www.diskuspublishing.com)
in electronic format.
Maureen is currently working on a third mystery/suspense
entitled Apollo Moon. She has contributed to an anthology of short
stories entitled Crumbs in the Keyboard, published by Echelon Press (http://www.echelonpress.com)
– a support project for women writers, the royalties of which are being donated
to assist victims of domestic violence. She also has a historical romance,
The Sea, The South, The Storm, and a creative writing teacher’s manual,
50 Lessons To Better Creative Writing, currently completed and looking for
publication.
Maureen was selected in January 2001 by Western Michigan
University as one of eleven noteworthy alumni, and has been featured in the 2001
WMU Foundation Calendar.
Maureen is co-director and owner of the Electronically
Published Professionals (EPPRO -
http://www.eppro.net), an exclusive organization working to bring quality
and professionalism to electronic publishing. She is co-moderator of
Australia/New Zealand (ANZ) Authors. She is a member of the Fellowship of
Australian Writers (FAW), the Victorian Writer’s Centre, the Australian Society
of Authors (ASA) and the Australian branch of Romance Writers of America (RWAust).
She has taught creative writing locally for a number of years and over the
Internet via Writer’s Online Workshops (run by Writer’s Digest at
http://www.writersonlineworkshops.com) and also via her personal website,
Moonspinners Writer’s Page (http://www.maureenmcmahon.com).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sheryl Hames
Torres, author of Fate's Little Trick:
Sheryl Hames Torres enjoys writing romantic
women's fiction, and though
A former professional needle artist, Sher writes
fulltime now, working on
In addition, she co-hosts Literary Magic, an
online writing workshop at
Sheryl makes her home with her very own hero for
the last 20 years, Mark, Haunted Hearts by Kim cox
Chapter One
“How do you
like it?” Lucy Ann Malloy, standing at the top of the stairs, turned to the
right, then to the left as she modeled the blue and green pastel dress. “I found
it in the attic with some of my old things.” She lingered in the doorway on the
main floor. “Well?” Lana Malloy
glanced up from editing the ad for her new PI business. “Nice,” she said and
returned to her work. Lucy moved to
Lana’s side and gazed over her shoulder. “What are you working on?”
“The ad for the newspaper and magazines. I've got to figure out how to attract
some business, or I’ll never make it through the first month.” A chill filled
the air surrounding Lana and she shivered, pulling her sweater tightly around
her.
“I have an idea, actually a pretty good one. I know who your first client can
be.” Without even
glancing away from her paper, Lana asked, “And who would that be?”
“Me.”
“You?” Lana
looked up, her interest piqued. “What are you talking about?”
Lucy’s white hair shone with blue highlights as if she’d just had it rinsed
Well preserved from someone who had been dead twenty years. “Find my murderer so
I can rest in peace. How about it?” Lana’s great aunt had been with her since
she moved into the old beach house in Charleston, South Carolina five years ago.
“And who would be paying for my services?” Lana smiled, pulling her reading
glasses off and laying them on her desk. She loved her great aunt, but she could
be a card. Lucy had always been a rebel, always tried to be different from
everyone else. “Besides, you died over twenty years ago. That’s a cold trail for
sure.”
“I got money, smarty—a lot of money that no one has found yet.” Lucy covered her
mouth with both hands and then removed them. “Oh, well, the cat's out of the bag
now. I can't spend it, anyway.”
“But you died—”
“Let me finish. Shows how much you, or any of those pigs know.” She glided back
and forth across the room as if she were dancing at her coming-out ball.
“Well?”
“Get out your pen and pad and take notes.”
“Not until I’m sure what you’re telling me is the truth.” Lucy sometimes changed
details to suit herself and the moment, but she’d never talked about her death
before. Lana never questioned her because she thought it may be too painful for
her aunt.
“Have I ever lied? Never mind, don't answer that.” Lucy laughed as she stopped
in mid-air, lowered herself down to the desk and hovered in a sitting position
just above the surface. Then she crossed her legs. “It was Valentine’s Day. The
last thing I remember, I was helping Davide eat his dinner. He had been sick the
last few days, and I went over to visit. He didn't eat much of his potato soup,
and I love potato soup on a cold winter’s night. You know, that kind your mother
used to whip up?” Lucy licked her lips. “I miss that since I’ve been dead.
There’s no need to eat anymore … no appetite.”
“Get on with your murder case.”
“Oh, yeah. I tend to get sidetracked now and then.” She giggled. “Anyway, I
never left that room until I woke up in this house dead and looked down on my
body lying on the living room floor, right in front of my sofa. The next
morning, your mother came to see me and found me . . . I mean, my body. That's
it.”
“Right. You were poisoned, but your murderer was never caught,” Lana mused.
“You call yourself a private investigator? Elementary, my dear Lana. Use some
logic. How did I get from Davide’s house to my house?”
Lana chewed the eraser on the end of her pencil. “So, you believe you were
poisoned at Davide’s, but someone brought you back here either before you or
after you died?”
“By golly, I believe she’s got it.”
“Are you sure you didn’t just forget going home?”
“I didn’t forget. I was only sixty, and not senile. Someone must’ve moved me
while I was unconscious. Can’t you see that?”
Lana stood and paced the room. “It’s a possibility, I guess. What did the
police say?”
“They said, ‘the old broad croaked. No suspects.’ And they looked no further.”
Lucy moved up behind Lana. “Clue number two: I've been reading up on my ghostly
position as well. Did you know there are specific reasons why ghosts haunt
places?”
“No. What are they?”
“According to this, my reason is . . .” Lucy took out the book, opened it to the
bookmark and started to read, “’When someone is murder and the murder goes
unsolved, their spirit must wait around until the mystery is solved, usually
around the anniversary of their death.’”
“Where did you get that book?”
“Here, in this house.”
Lana sauntered into the library and fingered through the books on the shelves.
“I didn't know we had all these books on ghosts.” Lana smiled until she saw the
look on Lucy’s face. She was serious about this, and Lana felt bad that she
hadn’t realized it sooner. She loved the woman dearly, but often, Lucy kidded
around so much that it was hard to tell when the woman was genuine.
“I found them in the attic, dusted them off and put them on the shelf last
night. They belonged to your grandfather. He was into that kind of stuff. You
believe me now?”
“I don't know. I'll read over these today and see.” Lana brought a book back to
her desk as Lucy followed. “What exactly did you figure out? And if you’ve
solved it, why do you need me?”
“Not everything. Just what I need to do to get to my resting place. I was killed
on Valentine's Day, 1982.”
“So?”
“I need to find my murderer by Valentine's Day, or I’ll be stuck here until next
year, same time.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s when I died.” Lucy placed her hands on her hips. “Haven’t you
been listening? Anyway, the book says it’s the only time I will have the
opportunity to claim my eternity. It’s on page fifty-two.”
“Do you have any suspects?” Lana flipped through the pages. “This looks
interesting.”
“That old buzzard I was trying to help.”
“Davide? Your fiancé?” Lana glanced up.
“That's the buzzard.”
“You two were going to be married in a few weeks. Why would he want you dead?”
“That, I don't know. But I think he's as good a place to start our search as
any. If it wasn’t him, it was someone in his family. They were against us
marrying. Especially his son, Anthony.”
“Our search? But you can't—”
“But I can. I read about it in that book. I can leave anytime I want. I just
haven't wanted to bad enough until now. Plus, I need to attach myself to
something in order to leave. That something, or rather someone, is you.” A few hours
later, Lana looked from her book as Lucy drifted in with a tray of food—a tuna
fish sandwich with pickles and chips. “I thought you
could use something to eat. Seafood is brain food, you know.” When Lucy
floated back across the room, Lana glanced toward the window and glimpsed a
terrified face in the window. It was her neighbor, Roxie Thomas, with curlers in
her strawberry blonde hair and cold cream still covering her horrified face.
When the dress glided toward a filing cabinet and one of the drawers opened all
by itself, Roxie's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. The closed window muffled
her screams.
Chapter Two “Get back!
Roxie saw you. I mean, she saw your dress. I'll see if I can talk to her.” But
as Lana reached the door, Roxie ran away, her screeches fading as she widened
the space between their houses. “Fix this
situation before I bring her back.” Lana slammed the door behind her.
Lana’s house sat on stilts, but the one room joining the carport sufficed as her
new PI office. Trotting across the yard, she caught up with Roxie on the other
side of the hedge. “Roxie, wait up.” Roxie dashed for her house anyway. “Stay away from
me, you … you … you witch! I'm calling the cops.” She stumbled up the steps
sideways and sank slowly to her knees on her front porch. “Don't be
ridiculous! It's not what you think. Please, come back and see. Besides, how
will you explain to the police that you were peeping in my window? They don't
like peeping-Roxies around here, you know. They've already warned you about it.”
Lana leaned down to help her up, but Roxie snatched her hand away. “Don't touch
me!” Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I know what I saw. They'll believe
me this time.” “Okay, okay,
now, just calm down. I only want to help you. Where's Ralph? Can I get him for
you?” “He's right
inside, he is.” Her voice trembled. “He'll be out here any minute, so don't you
try anything. I've always known there was something weird about you, about your
whole family.” “What's going
on out here, Roxie?” A big-bellied man with thinning hair stood in the doorway. “Ralph, oh
Ralph, I'm glad you're here. She's a witch. I-I saw her.” “Mr. Thomas, I
just came to explain to your wife that what she saw was a new gadget I've
invented to dry clothes.” Lana smiled. “Your wife thinks I twitched my nose or
something to make a dress float across the room.” Ralph scratched
the sprigs of hair left on his balding head. “Roxie, you been snooping again?
How many times—” “I'm sure Mrs.
Thomas wasn't snooping. Were you, Roxie?” When Lana
offered her a helping hand this time, Roxie accepted it. “That's right. I wasn’t
snooping. I went over to borrow some coffee when I saw that … that thing flying
all over her office.” “See? I knew
she had a good reason for being there,” Lana said. “Yeah, but she
didn't have to spy on you before knocking on the door. Get in the house, Roxie,
before someone calls the cops on you again.” Roxie made her
way to the door, never taking her eyes off Lana. “Wait a minute.
Don't you still need that coffee?” Lana asked, innocently. “No. I'll just
get some at the store,” Roxie said in a defeated tone as she reached for the
screen door handle. “But I wanted
to show you the gadget. It's nothing, really. I hate to think you’re frightened
of me. We're neighbors, and I really want to show you that what you saw wasn't
what you thought.” Lana walked up the steps. Roxie opened
the door and moved behind her husband. “Don't let her hurt me, Ralph.” “Stop this
nonsense right now! Go with Lana, get the coffee, and see the thing that's
making you act like an idiot.” Lana felt sorry
for Roxie, living with a man who belittled her at every chance. No wonder the
woman was a basket case half the time, and Lucy acting up didn’t help, either.
Unfortunately, Lucy enjoyed scaring Roxie. Said it served the old snoop right,
and just might stop her busybody ways. But Lana
suspected Roxie was just lonely—stuck in the house all day with nothing to do
but wait on Ralph hand and foot without him showing her any appreciation. “Really, come
on and let me show you.” “Well …” “Please. I
promise you'll be relieved.” “Go on, woman.”
Ralph pushed Roxie out the door and shut the screen behind her. Roxie tried to
get back inside, but Ralph held the door tight, and then flipped the lock so she
couldn't escape back into the house. He chuckled when she pulled desperately on
the door handle. Lana's heart
went out to her. She eased her way to Roxie’s side and took her by the hand.
“Come on. I'll bring you right back. If I don't, Ralph will come and get you.
Won't you, Ralph?” “Yeah, sure, I
will.” He laughed again. “Stupid bitch is afraid of her own shadow, she is.” Lana wanted to
yell at him, You ignorant ingrate, you're not helping. Can't you see your
wife’s had a terrible fright? But she kept her mouth shut, knowing that it
wouldn't help and might only hurt the situation. Roxie’s body trembled, causing
the curler on her head to jiggle. As they entered
the doorway, Lana saw the dress hung on a thin clear line and thanked heaven her
aunt had known what to do. Sometimes she thought the two of them occupied one
mind when it came to fixing things.
Lucy made herself visible to Lana and winked at her, then stuck her tongue out
at Roxie. Lana rolled her eyes upward before speaking to Roxie. “See, the dress
is hung on a line.” “But … but, how
did it move from there to here, and over to there.” “See here?”
Lana followed Lucy to the desk on the far side of the room. “I pull the string
here and move it wherever I want.” She pointed above them. “And the line runs
from here to the doorway over there, going right by the file cabinets.” Roxie's face
turned a bright shade of red. “I'm such a numbskull, just like Ralph says.” “No, you're
not. Anyone would have been scared of what you saw. But, you know, you really
shouldn't peep into other people's windows like that.” She glanced at Lucy, who
was nodding her head and laughing as she glided by them. “I know. I
don't know why I do things like that. I just wanted to make sure you were up,
before intruding.” “You're never
an intrusion. Feel free to visit any time.” Lana crossed her fingers behind her
back to counter the little white lie. “Thank you,
Lana. I'm so sorry I acted like such an old fool.” Roxie shivered. “It's cold in
here. How can you stand having that air conditioner on in winter? It's cold
outside.” “Oh, but it's
not …” Lana stopped herself, realizing why the room was chilled. “I turned it on
instead of the heat by mistake, and the darn thing is stuck.” She tightened her
already crossed fingers. “I was just getting ready to fix that after I finished
hanging the clothes.” “Let me send
Ralph over to fix it for you. He's pretty handy at fixin' things, you know. It's
the least I can do.” Lana edged
Roxie to the door. “Oh, no, that's not necessary. The button just fell off and
rolled under something. I can turn it off as soon as I find the knob. Or if I
don't, I'll just use some pliers to turn it off. But thank you for the offer. I
appreciate it.” Lucy put her
finger in her mouth and pretended to gag—something she’d learned recently and
overused.
Lana pursed her lips and narrowed her brows, giving Lucy a quelling look.
When they got to the door, Roxie turned around. “I almost forgot. Can I get that
coffee now?” “Yes. It
completely slipped my mind, too. Follow me,” Lana turned toward the kitchen. “I'll wait
here,” Roxie said, backing up.
* * * Lucy watched as
Roxie slipped over to Lana’s desk and glanced over the papers stacked there.
Oh, busybody!
Lucy hated nosey people more than anything.
Roxie turned the corner of a sheet up with two fingers and tilted her head to
one side so she could see what was written on the paper under it. Lucy noticed
one drawer wasn’t completely closed on the file cabinet. She flew over and
pushed it with all her might. The drawer slammed shut with a bang. Roxie jumped,
her eyes wide as she looked around the room for the source of the noise. Lucy
whooshed by so fast; the breeze lifted one of the curlers from Roxie’s head.
Then, she hurried over, opened and slammed another drawer shut. At this, Roxie
ran for the door. “Oh, God! Let me out of here,” she cried and struggled with
the knob. “What in this
world? Roxie! Here's your coffee.” Without a word,
Roxie reached for the cup with one hand and grasped the doorknob with the other. Lana gave Lucy
another narrow-eyed look. “Here, let me help you with that.”
Lucy shrugged her shoulders. Could she help it if the woman couldn't handle loud
noises? It wasn't her fault. The old biddie shouldn't have been snooping.
Roxie's teeth chattered. The cream on her face now appeared dry and
cracked.“What do you have here? Ghosts? Poltergeists?”
“Well, I never. Can you believe she called me a poltergeist? The nerve of that
idiot woman.”
“Lucy!”
Lucy clasped her hand over her mouth when she realized Lana had said her name
aloud without thinking. As Roxie struggled, Lana was able to open the door only
after she pried Roxie's hands off of the knob.
Visit Kim at http://www.kimcox.org or
http://www.writerpages.com/kimcox
Elizabeth's contemporary romance novella, "The Heart of the Matter," is featured
in the Valentine's Day-themed anthology CUPID'S CAPERS, published by
DiskUs Publishing in February 2003. Her contemporary romance novella, "A Carol
of Love," is featured in the DiskUs Publishing holiday anthology, HOLIDAY
HEARTS (an EPPIE Award finalist), and her contemporary romance novella, "A
Cup of Christmas Charm," is featured in HOLIDAY HEARTS 2. In addition,
she has two essays in the anthology, CRUMBS IN THE KEYBOARD: Stories From
Courageous Women Who Juggle Life & Writing, published by Echelon Press; and
five articles in THE BEST OF NOVEL ADVICE, out from Novel Advice Press.
Elizabeth is a staff writer and instructor at NovelAdvice, a columnist and
workshop instructor at Word Museum, an instructor at Writers Online Workshops,
and a newspaper columnist, and has taught Creative Writing at the community
college level. She is a copyeditor for two small publishers, and edits for
individuals. She holds a B.A. in English with a Creative Writing major from St.
Leo University. She lives in Kansas with her husband, three children,
granddaughter, dog and cat.
For more information on Elizabeth and her books, visit her web page at
http://www.elizabethdelisi.com.
Chris Grover writes romantic suspense and mystery. She was born in England, but
now lives in the Niagara region of Canada with her husband and their two very
spoiled Persian cats. Chris has traveled extensively in France, Italy and Spain,
and as a devoted fan of mystery and suspense, likes to write what she most
enjoys reading: stories with a European background and a police officer as a
major character. Writing about police procedures in another country requires
careful research, and Chris has been very fortunate in this regard. A letter she
wrote to Scotland Yard was passed on to a detective with thirty years experience
in British CID, so ‘checking the facts’ is no longer a problem.
full-length romantic suspense, WHERE'S MICHELLE, which was finally published in
paperback in February 2003 by Amber Quill Press. A second romantic suspense.,
WITHOUT A CLUE, will also be published by Amber Quill in May 2003.
Vegas and a British CID officer, plus a couple of other suspense stories—one of
which is set in Oregon.
her stories are usually filled with issues such as unwed mothers, AIDS, and
spousal abuse, she's a sucker for a happy fairytale ending. This is evident
in her November 2001 released The Masquerade, one novella in the five author
anthology Seasons of Romance.
six novels at once, each at different stages of completion. She served as
co-editor with Pamela Johnson on the Crumbs In The Keyboard project, (Avid
Press, Spring 2002) a compilation of essays by women writers who have learned to
keep all their apples in the air, the proceeds of which go to a center for
domestic abuse.
Aol's Careers & Work forum, is part owner of Word Museum, and is presently
serving as Secretary for World Romance Writers. She is a 1994 graduate of
the Institute of Children's Literature.
and their two miracles, Courtney, 12, and Dusty, 10, and Willow the Furry
Feline Fiend in beautiful Northeast Georgia, within "shoutin'-and-spittin'"
distance of her mother and her five siblings. Though having lived in
Michigan, Delaware, and Florida, Georgia has always been home, and often
provides the backdrop to her stories.
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ENCHANTED HOLIDAYS
Enchanted Holidays Fallen Angels Reviews gives ENCHANTED HOLIDAYS 5 Angels http://fallenangelreviews.com/2008/February/StephanieB-EnchantedHolidays.htm
Curse of Osiris by Elaine Hopper Zane Ryan broke Alexis Hart's heart four years ago, and she wants nothing to do with him. But her adoptive family insist she listen to the still sexy cowboy's warning that he must hide her away as lives are at stake. Adopted by an Egyptian family, Alexis has never known her biological parents but has been lovingly raised in Muslim culture and religion. Supposedly now the Curse of Osiris and the Millenium Prophecy hinges upon Alexis' very existence.
Fate's Little Trick by Sherryl Hames Torres Gemma's life seems to always collapse around Christmastime. She hears voices, and recognises the current one to be that of a child. This year, Jared is on the run with his young deaf daughter, Emily, to escape the noose of a foregone child custody hearing requested by his wealthy and powerful former in-laws. Jared is totally dedicated to his child but well knows he doesn't have the finances to stand up in court to battle them. Avoiding a snowstorm in the Smokeys, he must stop at Gemma's hunting compound to rent a room. Ghosts of Auld Lang Syne by Maureen McMahon Stacey agrees to accompany her friend Holly to her new inheritance, a spooky and reputedly haunted home in New Hampshire. Holly thinks it's also a good time to resume matchmaking for Stacey, without warning her. Stacey proves oddly prone to psychic manifestations. Haunted Hearts by Kim Cox Lana is opening a new private investigation business in Charleston, and isn't a bit surprised to discover her first "client" is her own Aunt Lucy, murdered in an unsolved crime two decades earlier. Killed on Valentine's Day, Lucy needs Lana's help in identifying the killer so that she can finally rest in peace and leave her former home. The Mistletoe Medium by Elizabeth Delisi Lottie almost gets a speeding ticket in North Dakota on her drive to Cheyenne to stay with friend Janet. Deputy sheriff Harlan finds her appealing, and she psychically announces that they will become good friends; as Madame Carlotta, she reads Tarot. Harlan's not so sure, but he is intrigued. Valentine's Inn by Chris Grover Rianna must decide whether to sell her great-great-grandfather's Lake Ontario lakefront property to a condo developer. The inn had been owned by her family for a century, and it was Rianna's childhood home as well. When fate brings her a new male interest and a half-starved, freezing, black kitten while she is walking the property, life begins to add some new dimensions to the painful decision about selling her land. Enchanted Holidays is an enticing and inspiring collection of tales set around different holiday seasons. Readers will thrill to each and every one of these tales, with their varied backgrounds and settings. Contemporary to paranormal, the plots are intriguing and the characters well-rounded and appealing. The romance is gentle and subtle in the background, yet never taking a back seat to the plot. The six authors of the Enchanted Holidays Anthology have delivered a sure-fire winner for year-round reading enjoyment
ENCHANTED HOLIDAYS |
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