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Jennifer Kacey: Aslan’s Stranger Cover Reveal and #Giveaway
Friday, October 16th, 2015

So right at this very moment I’m writing….umm….three books and somewhere in the process of editing/publishing….err….four more I think. Could be five…

Whichever it is, I have a lot of irons in the fire and a whole lotta characters swimming in my head. And I’ve been tossing around the idea of a series containing nine novellas. Cause I don’t already have enough to write!!

Each of the novellas is based around the same two people. Aslan and Zeke. So not just one MORE book to add onto my writing schedule but nine. I know length wise they’ll all add up to the same big book, but I want each of the stories to more or less stand on their own.

The series name is Fantasies A-Z because of their names, and the first story I’ve written is Aslan’s Stranger. I brought along the cover made by the amazing Syneca Featherstone and decided no better place to share the smexy. Here it is!!! What do you think?

JK_FantasiesA-Z_AslansStranger_400x600

I absolutely love it! It’s so fantastic, and I can’t wait to share the start of their journey with all of you!! Here’s a little something to whet your appetite until I have pre-order links to share!!

Aslan’s Stranger

Kinky sex with a stranger. One of Aslan’s deepest fantasies. To fulfill it, only one man will do. Her husband.

Wanting more, needing it, craving a kinky edge to sex is exactly what Aslan lives with every day. Days and months and years of unfulfilled fantasies filtered down to one life-altering decision.

Approach the sexy man sitting at the bar or walk away? Keep trying to fit into the mold she’s been told to conform to or find herself lost somewhere in the gray? Close the seemingly insurmountable distance between wishes and reality or let her dreams go? Once and for all.

Everything she’s ever hungered for sits within her reach if the one man she trusts to take her there will finally let his monster free.

Her Stranger. Her fantasy. Her husband.

To find her forever she must give it all to him. Her fears, her power and her consent. One night is all she’s asking for but what she gets in return will change their lives…forever.

Soooo to make room for all that awesome above — I have a HUGE bag of conference swag to give away! Print books, a bag, bookmarks, pens, buttons and maybe a few naughty somethings throw in to make your heart go pitter pat!! How do you enter to win? Easy!

Just comment below and let me know something you’ve done to keeps things nice and spicy in the bedroom!! Could be your SO or a one night stand with a stranger or a spouse or yourself. Hey I’m not picky!! I’ll pick a random winner tomorrow or the next day. Good luck!!

Decadently Yours,
Jennifer Kacey

Need something to cream your twinkie while you wait to see if you won goodies??

May I suggest a delicious bite out of the Members Only series…….. 😛

jkBookCoversMembersOnly

The books in the Members Only Series can be found here…

Together In Cyn
Haleigh’s Ink
A Very Ménage Christmas
Duke’s Valentine
Orgasm University
Accidental Voyeur
Roman’s To-Do List
Jenna’s Consent
Laila’s Lies

Stand Alone

jkBookCoversStandAlone

Buried Permission
Beneath the Pages
Nico’s Curse
Elite Metal
Final Surrender
Violet’s Shadow in Romancing the Wolf Anthology

jk10178312_10203571568597727_1797997400_nJennifer Kacey is a writer, mother, and business owner living with her family in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less.

Website – http://www.jenniferkacey.com/
Newsletter – http://jenniferkacey.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=f09bd32b8c279cebcc930950e&id=2a45c210e8
Blog – The Decadent Divas – http://www.thedecadentdivas.blogspot.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.kacey.7
Facebook Author Page – https://www.facebook.com/jenniferkaceyauthor
Twitter – https://twitter.com/JenniferKacey
Amazon Page – http://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Kacey/e/B00GXHUB30/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d9_al1?_encoding=UTF8&refinementId=618073011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0G8ZPDQJVKJPKXNBRY10&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6941549.Jennifer_Kacey
Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/jenniferkacey/

Kathy Kulig: Hauntings at Ancient Ruins & Excavations
Thursday, October 15th, 2015

Many ghost stories and hauntings begin in old houses where people have lived and died, often tragically through illness, accident or murder. If you believe in the existence of ghosts or at least accept the possibility, then you must also accept the possibility of their presence in ancient ruins.

If people from ancient times lived and died there, shouldn’t there be ghosts too? Then perhaps archaeologists work at potentially haunted job sites. Do they ‘stir’ up the dead when they do their work to uncover mysteries?

When I did research for my book His Lost Mate, I spoke with an archaeologist who had worked over 30 years in the field and he agreed about the presence of haunted ruins. He spoke of a dig in upstate NY near a river that a colleague of his was on. No one was around, but she heard voices like women and children playing and washing clothes in the river, and men catching fish with spears. She even smelled the fish being smoked over fires. But there were no campfires burning anywhere. Haunted? Or imagination?

Here are a few famous haunted places in the world:

Gettysburg Battlefields – in Pennsylvania. So many died at one time and so many reports of ghosts. A popular spot for ghost hunters.

Aokigahara or Suicide Forest in Japan – many people for unknown reasons commit suicide there. Considered a haunted forest.

Bhangharh Fort– a 16th Century fort in India said to be cursed. It is forbidden to stay there after dark.

Eastern State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania – was abandoned in 1971 and is said to have a lot of paranormal activity.

Pennhurst Asylum – another place in Pennsylvania it was opened in 1908 and is now an attraction http://pennhurstasylum.com/history/

Stonehenge – in Wittshire, England is more known for its mysteries and possible powerful energies, but ghosts have also been sited there.

Berry Pomeroy Castle – Devon, England. Pick pretty much any ancient castle and the locals will report a ghostly presence or two.

There are way too many ancient haunted places to list. I’m sure with a little research you could find a haunted place or two in your own neighborhood!

kkhis-lost-mateBlogIn my book, His Lost Mate, such a ghost haunts an ancient pyramid in the jungle. He’s a Mayan shaman. Back in his time, their king was desperate because of a long drought, food was scarce and human sacrifices were made to the storm god in hopes to appease him so the rains would come. This Mayan shaman knew his daughter was next in line to be sacrificed and could not convince the king to spare her. So he begged a warrior to take her out of the city and escape into the jungle to save her. His daughter and this warrior who were lovers were lost and died a tragic death.

Reincarnated hundreds of years in the future, these two lovers have a chance to find each other again. The ghost of the shaman returns to help his daughter because there are new dangers that threaten the couple again. They don’t even know they were the lost lovers from ancient times. But the heroine is now an archaeology student and also a psychic. She’s reliving bits of that life in visions and dreams. The warrior is now the lead archaeologist and professor and doesn’t believe in the esoteric world or ghosts. It’s a little like an Indiana Jones adventure and love story. They have more to overcome than their differing beliefs, while their love life heats up and becomes more passionate, the dangers threatens them and their team. Unless they both discover the secrets in the jungle in time, they could again be lost forever.

If you’d like to check out the book, here are the links:

KindleUS: http://amzn.to/1PFavkz
KindleUK: http://amzn.to/1J4XMrP
KindleCA: http://amzn.to/1IPPjpr
KindleAU: http://bit.ly/1MMOy1b

Find more info. about Kathy:
Website: www.kathykulig.com
Amazon Page
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kathykuligauthor
Twitter: @kathykulig
Blog: www.TheLustyView.com
Goodreads

And please sign-up for her newsletter for monthly prizes, news and fun stuff.

Carol Braswell: Justin’s Gamble and Halloween
Wednesday, October 14th, 2015

Thank you Delilah for inviting me to your blog. It is an honor and pleasure to be here.

It’s October. One of my favorite months. The colorful leaves are falling like a slow rain, air has cooled off, and the grandkids are getting excited for Halloween.

We are big on Halloween in my house. We start looking for scary costumes in August. The scarier the better. On the big day, the little guys show up around four to wow me. Of course, I pretend to faint from fright and then invite them in for pizza. By six, we head through the neighborhood to trick or treat every house that has a light on.

I’ve often wondered what the kids would do if the resident asked them to do a trick first. Anyway, when the bags are full and my feet are ready to fall off, we come back to grandma’s house to check out the loot and have dessert. The kids love it. I do, too.

Besides spending time with my hubby and grandkids, I love to write. In the last three years I have published three books in a series. All three are stand-alone. The final book in the Garrett series, Justin’s Gamble is a sexy, fast-paced, suspenseful romance.
cbjustin's gamble

An annual veterinary convention in Las Vegas turns into anything but routine for Justin Garrett. Bored, tired, and a little too much to drink, Justin left the ho-hum conversations in the Blue Room to get fresh air before going to his room for the night. His short walk for a break is interrupted by a beautiful damsel in distress. He learns pretty quick she’s not what she seems when he is ordered to perform a service for a biker gang and their leader who is running an illegal dog fight. When his expert doctoring fails, he believes his life is over. He is beaten unrecognizable, and shoot trying to hide from the evil men. Unable to locate him, the bikers believe he is dead or dying and leave him for the buzzards. It didn’t matter. He’s lost, bleeding, and alone in a remote area. He was going to die, anyway.

Mara had been on the streets of Vegas since she was sixteen. She had seen a lot of things but nothing compared to the gentle hands and medical skills of the handsome vet. He had worked tirelessly to save the wounded animal. She had to find him and see if he was still alive. She watched the bikers leave the secluded desert and fired up her Harley. Even though she finds and saves him, she underestimated the threat of her ex-boyfriend and his gang of bikers.

They have to get out of Vegas and back to the safety of Justin’s ranch in Texas. Around every corner the pair have to run for their lives.

Buy at Amazon

I’m excited about the next few months, discounting cooking Thanksgiving dinner and shopping for Christmas. My next book is titled, My Name is Grace.  It is totally different from the Garrett Series. It is a love story that is an emotional rollercoaster. Grab your tissues. Faith, hope, and belief is all Grace has left after waking up on a railroad track, bruised and battered, with no memory. Of course, there is murder and crime involved that leaves a tall, sexy, small-town sheriff scratching his head. The book ends with a huge surprise. I can already hear you saying, “I didn’t see that coming.” I will have it out within the next couple of months. Watch for it.

Carol Braswell
www.carolbraswell.com

Elle James: MONTANA SEAL (Contest)
Tuesday, October 13th, 2015

I love Montana. I mean, who wouldn’t? It’s like the contemporary version of the wild west with wide-open spaces, big, blue skies and mountains so rugged they pierce the horizon. My grandmother’s family is from Montana and many of them still live there. Her grandmother crossed the prairie in a covered wagon to stake a claim on the grasslands with a view of the Crazy Mountains in their back yards. My great-uncle was the sheriff of the small town where they grew up. He was also the mail man. When there were only so many people to do the jobs, you had to double up to get them done. The ranchers and farmers who still live there are as rugged as the hills and take care of their own.

I couldn’t think of a better place for my SEAL Hank Patterson to call home. He knew hardship and discipline before he joined the Navy and trained to become a SEAL. His upbringing made him the man he is. Now he’s back and starting a new life in the place of his birth. Saddle up and come along for the ride.

MONTANA SEAL

Brotherhood Protectors Series Book #1
Coming November 17, 2015
Free on Kindle Unlimited. Preorder now!
Amazon  | Amazon UK

ejSEALMontana

Former SEAL and shining Hollywood starlet struggle against their burgeoning desire while trying to stay alive in the crosshairs of a murderous stalker.

Hank “Montana” Patterson never thought his call to duty would force him to leave his band of brothers in the Navy SEALs to return to the family ranch in the foothills of Montana’s Crazy Mountains. News that his father was shot, sends him rushing home to take over the reins of the Bear Creek Ranch. His forever belligerent father refuses his help, insisting Hank find the person who shot him. What Hank learns is the bullet was meant for the neighboring ranch owner, a Hollywood celebrity, a beautiful actress who once stole Hank’s heart.

Hometown girl, now a Hollywood temptress, Sadie McClain shot to fame and fortune on the big screen, earning her star on the walk of fame and a stalker who won’t back off. Escaping to her ranch in Montana, Sadie hopes to avoid her stalker, only to be hunted there as well. In need of a bodyguard with combat skills, Sadie hires her old flame, Hank to do the job.

Together they struggle to overcome their rekindled desire while fighting to stay alive in the crosshairs of a madman.

About the Author

Join my newsletter for a chance to win this great prize. Only subscribers are eligible for the drawing. I’ll choose a winner on Nov 1st when my next newsletter comes out.

ejHighCountryPrize

Elle Jame’s Newsletter

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author ELLE JAMES also writing as MYLA JACKSON is an award-winning author of stories including cowboys, intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edges of their seats. With over eighty stories in a variety of sub-genres and lengths she has published with Harlequin, Samhain, Ellora’s Cave, Kensington and Avon. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, snow-skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories.

Elle’s Links: Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Newsletter | Amazon Author Page

Lindsay McKenna: How the Delos Series Was Created
Monday, October 12th, 2015

lmCaptureMy husband and I took the Celebrity ship, the Solstice, on a cruise that took us to Istanbul, Turkey for two days and a day in Kusadasi, Turkey.  I went to the Blue Mosque that was built in Istanbul by the Moslems five hundred years earlier.  It was beautiful, deeply peaceful feeling and all the people who visited it from around the world, fell in love with it.  You didn’t have to be of one specific religion to appreciate the beauty of the architecture, the respect and humbleness of all those who set foot inside (without shoes), to feel that incredible ambiance.  I sat there with a scarf over my head thinking that if only I could take the utter love within this mosque and spread it around the world, we really could have peace on this poor war-torn planet of ours.

On that same cruise, we sailed to Greece.  This was a lifelong dream fulfilled for me.  I wanted to go to the Acropolis, Pallas Athena, goddess of wisdom, temple.  I got to go there and sit and admire the incredible beauty of the alabaster columns in the sunlight, knowing that where I walked, Athenians over two thousand years before, had walked.  The Greek people were welcoming, warm, playful, and in love with life.

I wanted to take these incredible experiences I had and create a global family saga. I created Dilara Culver, the mother of Tal, Matt and Alexa, her children.  She owns and runs the largest charity in the world: Delos.  The nurturing qualities of the Turks, their fierce love of family, of supporting and being responsible toward the community, were all a part of her.  And because she came from one of the wealthiest family’s on the planet, she wanted to give back to those who had little or nothing.  Delos charities were born.

I took all the sights, the sounds, the tastes, the scents, the textures and colors of these two countries and decided that I wanted to build a family saga out of them.  Turkey sits between two huge continents….Europe and Asia.  It is a cosmopolitan, forward-looking country.  Dilara Badem fell in love with handsome USAF Captain Robert Culver.  When they married, they brought three continents together between them with their love.  And from that love came three children, Tal, Matt and Alexa.  They were fifty percent American, forty percent Turkish and ten percent Greek.  They mirrored our world that we live in today.

To find out more about them?  Just go here: About the Delos Series

I had to make family trees of the far-flung family.  And I had to go back several generations especially in the Turkish family, which was a lot of fun.

There is the American tree, the Turkish tree and finally, the Greece tree: The American Family Tree

You can also download Dilara Badem-Culver’s Greek and Turkish family tree here: Greek and Turkish Family Tree

Nowhere to Hide

lm2CaptureReleases October 13th!

Lia Cassidy left the Army scarred physically and emotionally after a vicious attack by two fellow soldiers. She turns to helping others, working at a Delos Home School Charity in Costa Rica that aids abused women and children. But when the deadly drug lord, La Arana, attacks the school, Lia finds herself on the run for her life. The only person she can trust is the ex-SEAL sent to protect her.

Cav Jordan is strong, honorable and gorgeous…and intrigued by Lia. He knows she has suffered pain in her past, and he is determined to break through her barriers and earn her trust. But as Cav slowly chips away at the walls Lia has built, ghosts from her past threaten to destroy their fragile relationship.

Caroline Clemmons: Bride Brigade
Sunday, October 11th, 2015

Fall is my favorite time of year. In addition to cooler weather, the excitement of the approaching holidays crackles in the air. Spring colors enchant me; Fall creates electricity which enlivens my imagination.

My latest flight of imagination is a new western historical romance series called BRIDE BRIGADE, and JOSEPHINE is the first release.  Eventually there will be seven books in this series. Names of the diverse heroines to follow are Angeline, Ophelia, Cassandra, Lorraine, Rachel, and Prudence. Due to fitting these around other scheduled projects, Bride Brigade books will be spaced out over the next six or seven months. I hope you’ll read each one.

I have to admit I love the name of my fictional town, Tarnation, located in the Palo Pinto Mountains of North Central Texas just north of present-day Interstate 20. Every state has numerous unusual town names. This one makes me smile every time I use the word but I know why the town is called by that name. You have to read JOSEPHINE to find out.

csJosephine final 6X9Here’s the synopsis of JOSEPHINE:

Josephine Nailor is desperate to escape a terrible situation. When the opportunity arises via a newspaper ad, she and her best friend slip away from their oppressive fathers and head for Richmond.  Neither can relax until they’re far away from their tiny hometown. With wealthy young widow Lydia Harrison’s help, Josephine and six other young women have a new life waiting in Tarnation, Texas.

Michael Buchanan is fairly content running his mercantile and being mayor of Tarnation. The town is dusty and tiny, but it’s growing. He believes it holds all he needs to be happy—except a wife. There are no available women in town, but he hopes Lydia Harrison’s Bride Brigade will offer a woman he can wed. He is immediately attracted to Josephine.

But Josephine has every reason to mistrust men in general and politicians in particular. Will her misgivings ruin her chance at happiness?

Here’s an excerpt from JOSEPHINE:

Josephine stepped from the stage and stared at the men assembled. Every muscle and bone in her body ached from the long ride from Fort Worth. A breeze swirled dust from the street without cooling her skin.

She thought she’d been prepared for a small western town, but Tarnation shocked her. There were only a few stores. Surrounded by low hills she learned were called the Palo Pinto Mountains, the town must not have over two hundred residents.

One of the tallest and most handsome men she’d ever seen stepped forward and removed his western hat to display thick dark hair. His electrifying blue gaze locked with hers until she pretended to check her purse.

He said, “Welcome to Tarnation, ladies. Nice to have you back, Mrs. Harrison, Mrs. Gaston.”

Lydia brightened in spite of her exhausted appearance. “Girls, this is our mayor, Michael Buchanan, who owns the mercantile. The man beside him wearing a badge is Sheriff Adam Penders.”

Inwardly, Josephine cringed. Barely off the stage and already she encountered the mayor and the sheriff. While they were both nice looking and neither leered, she certainly wouldn’t trust either man. She’d hoped to reach a safe haven where no one knew her and she’d be free of her father and crooked politicians.

Josephine had no intention of being at the mercy of any man ever again. She’d look for some means to earn her own way. Glancing around the businesses, she realized her choices were severely limited.

The other men pressed forward and Josephine took a step backward. Mayor Buchanan raised his arms. “Gentlemen, please don’t crowd. You’ll all have a chance to meet the ladies soon. They’ve had a long journey and are doubtless tired. Give them time to get settled. In the meantime, give a hand with the luggage.”

In an instant, the trunks and cases that weighed down the stage were unloaded and hefted. Lydia led the girls, many of whom chattered excitedly. Following behind, men joked and talked while they carried the women’s belongings.

Lydia turned in at a neat gray clapboard home trimmed with white and wine. A painted picket fence surrounded the front yard. The house was huge, by far the largest in sight. Josephine believed this home would have been elegant in Virginia before the War. In this dusty Texas town, the effect was astonishing.

Lydia smiled graciously. “Thank you for your help, gentlemen. I’ll be sending each of you an invitation to our social events later.”

*~*~*

Buy Links include:

Amazon http://amzn.com/B015M4FJUY  in print or e-book
Apple https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1041863831
Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/josephine-25
Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/josephine-caroline-clemmons/1122676778;jsessionid=93795F25673A572EB3B4D1AC1378BDCA.prodny_store01-va10?ean=2940152308112  in print or e-book.

Caroline Clemmons is an Amazon bestselling and award winning author of historical and contemporary western romances. A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars, she has taught workshops on characterization, point of view, and layering a novel.

Caroline and her husband live in the heart of Texas cowboy country with their menagerie of rescued pets. When she’s not indulging her passion for writing, Caroline enjoys family, reading, travel, antiquing, genealogy, painting, and getting together with friends. Find her on her blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, and Pinterest. Subscribe to her newsletter here to receive a FREE novella.

Thanks to Delilah for sharing her blog with me today.

Lexi Post: The Paranormal Sweet Spot (Mask Giveaway)
Wednesday, October 7th, 2015

Well, it is October so discussing paranormal romance seems appropriate :-} Besides, it ties in so nicely with the lovely Venetian mask I’m giving away 😉

I write erotic romance inspired by the classics. That focus allows me to follow wherever the original story leads me. So far it has led me to contemporary cowboy romance, sci-fi romance and paranormal romance. Erotic paranormal romance is what I call my sweet spot. I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy reading paranormal because I’m never sure what kind of world I’ll discover.

Like most, I’m a fan of a good shifter or vampire romance as much as the next person. But I also like angels, ghosts, curses, special powers and anything else that might make the ordinary, extraordinary. In my own stories, I have all different types of paranormal:

In Masque, there are 73 ghosts and a hero who has been alive for over 150 years.

In Passion’s Poison, the heroine is cursed with genetic poisonous orgasms.

In Passion of Sleepy Hollow, the Sleepy Hollow village of 1790 appears in present day only one weekend a year.

And in my soon to be released Pleasures of Christmas Past, the Spirit of Christmas Past falls in love.

What type of paranormal romance is your favorite? Has there been one that was truly unique that you enjoyed? It seems a good time of year to take stock. After all, Halloween is at the end of this month 😉

That’s why I’ve made October my annual Mask Giveaway Month. I can’t leave Delilah’s blog without giving readers a chance to win one of the 7 hand decorated Venetian masks I’m giving away this month! And to celebrate this year, I have re-released Masque with a hot new cover. Here’s a short excerpt for your reading enjoyment, and don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win. Good luck!

Always, Lexi
www.lexipostbooks.com

 

LP_Masque_600x900

Rena Mills plans to turn an abandoned abbey into a haunted bed-and-breakfast to prove she can be successful without her ex-fiancé. What she finds inside is Synn MacAllistair, the distinguished, self-proclaimed Ghost Keeper. Her dreams soon fill with sexual cravings for him. But are they dreams?

Synn, born in 1828, is determined to free the souls of the resident spirits, blaming himself for bringing the Red Death that killed them. When Rena steps into the old Pleasure Palace, he’s sure he can take her through the after-midnight Pleasure Rooms and stoke her passion to complete the Masque so the souls can cross over. Her innocent fire makes him crave more, but it’s far too late for him.

As Rena begins her erotic journey, her heart becomes more involved with every sensual caress until she discovers by completing the Masque she would lose her ghosts. Synn’s betrayal wars with her compassion for her ghostly friends. Torn, she must make a choice between her financial security and freeing seventy-three trapped souls. Either way, she could lose her Synn.

Masque Excerpt:

Rena spun at the deep voice that caressed her senses. Before her stood a woman’s wet dream come to life, though as a respectable woman, she shouldn’t be having wet dreams, or so she’d been informed.

The man looked as if he’d stepped out of a nineteenth-century drawing room, except his coffee-brown hair hung loose about his shoulders. She was pretty sure it should have been tied in a queue to be proper. His entire demeanor projected upper class from his sharp nose, to his angular chin outlined by a neatly trimmed beard, to his broad-shouldered stance. A rather tall stance it was too, with one snugly encased leg crossed over the other. But his eyes stupefied her. They appeared gray, ancient, yet flickered with bright shards of blue.

Valerie recovered first, brandishing her tightly held candelabra as she stepped forward. “Who are you and what are you doing in here?”

He straightened and gave them a formal bow. “My name is Synn MacAllistair. That is Synn as in S Y N N. I’m the caretaker of the ghosts.”

Rena took a deep breath. She could feel her cheeks heating as his voice reverberated through her body. Sin fit him. When he moved his gaze from Valerie to herself, his intense scrutiny warmed her. She swallowed. “Uh, I didn’t think anyone lived here.”

His stare held hers captive. “I do.”

Valerie retreated to stand next to her. “Oh really. With a padlock on the outside of the gate?”

He raised his right brow, the look of arrogance worthy of Mr. Darcy. “There is a postern gate.”

Rena racked her brain. She’d heard that word before. Oh yes. “I thought only the owners of a castle knew the secret to that rear exit.”

He raised his brows together. “That is true but I desi—discovered it while following a small boy around the Abbey.”

Valerie crossed her arms. “A small boy?”

“Yes. The children in the neighborhood dare each other to get close to the Abbey. They want to see the ghosts, who are quite harmless to humans.” He gestured to the housekeeper. “Mrs. McMurray here will become more solid as the full moon approaches and will be pleased to help you in any way she can.”

They turned and stared at their ghost, having forgotten her. The older woman nodded vigorously, her white cap covering her gray hair falling to the side. Mrs. McMurray’s plump frame included pudgy arms sprouting from a short-sleeved blouse and a white apron that protected her skirt, but from the knees down, she didn’t exist at all.

Rena’s heart pounded. A real ghost. If what Synn said was true, that the ghosts would become solid, the possibilities for her new venture were endless. Could the ghosts serve breakfast to the guests? How would she pay them? She couldn’t resist asking. “Are you the one who keeps it so clean in here?”

Mrs. McMurray blushed and nodded again. She actually blushed.

Synn clarified. “She and a dozen maids have kept this place clean for centuries in the hopes that someone would come here to live. Do you plan to stay?”

She turned to answer him, but Valerie gave him a disapproving look. “The real estate agent didn’t say anything about anyone living here.”

He sighed, clearly bored. “No, I imagine he didn’t. He is what we refer to as a lickfinger.”

Rena chuckled at the strange word. She couldn’t help it. It sounded backward.

Valerie didn’t find the expression funny. “Well, you need to know, Rena owns this castle now, abbey, whatever you want to call it, and she has the right to throw you out.”

Rena grabbed her arm. “Valerie.” She changed her warning tone to a more pleasant octave as she addressed the sexy man in front of her. “You are of course welcome to stay, Synn. Perhaps you can help us understand the ghosts, the history of the Abbey and anything else that might be helpful.” She smiled encouragingly. She didn’t want him to leave.

He gave her an arrogant nod. “I would be happy to be of service. Perhaps I should start by helping you to bring your personal items upstairs as the footmen will not be solid enough to lift anything for another week.”

Another week? How strange. She didn’t remember seeing anything on television regarding ghosts changing with the moon. “Thank you. That would be perfect.” She could tell Valerie didn’t trust him. She, on the other hand, was thrilled to have him in the Abbey. Anyone who could help her succeed was welcome. The fact that the man was incredibly hot didn’t hurt either.

He nodded once and held his arm out to her. She looked at her friend and shrugged, then looped her arm with his. The second they made contact, a sizzling sensation raced across her skin.

He didn’t move. Did he feel it too? He gazed down at her, his face serious. “Shall we?”

She nodded, her throat having closed at his look. There was something sensual about his lips. They were strong, full and serious and made her want to taste him. Sheesh, hadn’t she learned anything from her failed engagement? She needed to keep her libido under control. Men like Synn wouldn’t appreciate her scandalous thoughts. Besides, who used phrases like “shall we”?

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