Saturday, February 12, 2011

Phantom's Rest release day!

It's release day for Phantom's Rest! Check it out HERE!

When Beauregard Barker leaves his military career due to injuries, he takes refuge at the Phantom’s Rest RV Park, expecting no more than a place to recover as he helps renovate the park. First he discovers the place is full of ghosts. Then Emmeline Fairchild arrives for her annual stay and everything changes. Beau falls hard for the shy calligrapher who’s being stalked by a killer. Whatever it takes, he’s determined to keep her safe and persuade her he’s the man for her.

Excerpt:

Narrow shafts of sunlight sneaked past the blinds to bombard
him in the face. Grumpily, Beau rolled over and pulled the
lumpy pillow over his head. A series of muffled thumps from
outside invaded his restless sleep.

Woobie whined.

Beau groped in the covers for Woobie’s “baby”—a tattered,
ragged teddy bear—and tossed it in her direction.
Then the familiar strains of a man singing something Italian
wove their way from next door. Vaguely, he recognized the artist
as one of Aunt Agatha’s favorites, though his name escaped
Beau at the moment. When the volume abruptly grew louder,
Woobie lifted her head and howled along with the singer in
a doggie duet. The music soared to a towering crescendo as
Woobie ended on a high note.

Cursing, Beau sat up and glared at the door. The melody
sounded a lot like opera—his least favorite genre of music. When
the singer switched from operatic Italian to a hypnotic Spanish
number accompanied by flashy guitar work, his patience reached
its limits. While Woobie soulfully howled along with the new
song, Beau knuckled his burning eyes, listening to his dog in
disbelief. He leaned over, groping on the floor for his clothes.
Finally, he snatched up his plaid boxers, jerking them on wrong
side out before leaping from his camper to storm his way to the
driveway next door.

His eyes were bloodshot from the inside out. Tiny leprechauns
were lustily hammering in his head. He yelped and cursed as he
stepped on a sharp stone. Hopping sideways on his bad foot, he
twisted his ankle, landing squarely on his butt in a small puddle
of water. Clapping his hands over his ears, he tried to block out
the soaring music as the singer reached a powerful finale with
Woobie howling in the background.

Abruptly, the music stopped. He closed his eyes, savoring the
exquisite relief.

And then she laughed.

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