BLAST, BLITZ, PROMOS, REVEALS, & TOURS . . . : SPOTLIGHT - HISTORICAL FICTION SERIES - SARAH BENNETT MYSTERIES by Terry Lynn Thomas

The Spirit of Grace

Sarah Bennett Mysteries, #1

by Terry Lynn Thomas

Publication Date: November 26th 2017

HQ Digital

Genre: Historical Mystery

Sarah Bennett doesn’t remember the night her mother tumbled down the stairs at Bennett House, despite allegedly witnessing the fatal fall. There was talk of foul play, dark whispers, and sidelong glances, all aimed at Sarah, prompting her family to send her to The Laurels, an exclusive asylum in San Francisco, under a cloud of suspicion. Now, on the one-year anniversary of her mother’s murder, Sarah has been summoned home. Convinced of her innocence, she returns to Bennett House, hoping to put the broken pieces of her life back together. But when another murder occurs shortly after her arrival, Sarah once again finds herself a suspect, as she is drawn into a web of suspicion and lies. In order to clear her name, Sarah must remember what happened the fateful night her mother died. But as she works to regain her memory, the real murderer watches, ready to kill again to protect a dark family secret.

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*****

The House of Secrets

Sarah Bennett Mysteries, #2

by Terry Lynn Thomas

Publication Date: April 11th 2019

HQ Digital

Genre: Historical Mystery

Sarah Bennett has two secrets: she sees ghosts, and she is in love with a spy. When Sarah takes a job with occult expert Dr Matthew Geisler, he promises to help her understand the sorrowful spirit that seems to have attached itself to her. As Sarah struggles to cope with the ghostly presence, she runs into Zeke, the man who left her six months earlier and is recovering from injuries suffered in an alleged accident. But Zeke has secrets of his own, and when an attempt is made on Geisler’s life, Sarah finds herself caught in a struggle between the living and the dead. Unsure who she can trust, Sarah must solve the mystery of the soul determined to haunt her, and save Dr. Geisler and herself from an unknown threat.

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The House of Secrets -- Excerpt
‘I’ve known you were special since I first heard of your case, back when you were at The Laurels. Many claim to have psychic powers, and I do believe that some people are sensitive, empathic, if you will. But I’ve never in my entire life seen anyone directly contact a person who has crossed through the veil. I am amazed, and awed, and very grateful to have witnessed this.’ Dr. Geisler fiddled with his cufflink before he met my eyes. ‘I know about the burn on your hand. Zeke told me how you got it.’
I felt my ears go hot with shame, as I clenched my hand into a fist and hid it away on my lap. ‘My grandmother thought I had tried to hurt myself.’
‘That’s nonsense. I don’t know you very well, not yet, but you are not suicidal. I would stake my reputation on that. You had a dream, correct?’
I explained to Dr Geisler about the dream of the burning room. How I had rushed to the door and grabbed the brass handle to get out of the fire and into the fresh air. I had awakened from my dream with a painful burn on my hand and no logical way to explain how it got there. I gave him my hand. He unfolded my fingers to reveal the snake-shaped mark there, a pink and puckered reminder of that horrible dream last October.
‘How are you feeling?’
‘Exhausted. I don’t believe I’ve been so tired in my life. It’s as if I could sleep for a week.’
‘Have you had other visions, Sarah? Since you’ve come here, or before?’
‘Only the weeping,’ I said. ‘It started right after the ‘not guilty’ verdict. It comes and goes at random times. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but now I’m certain it’s Alysse. That’s why I take the morphine, so I can control it.’
‘It’s Alysse,’ Dr Geisler said.
‘I think so,’ I said. ‘I’m not sure what to do here, Dr Geisler.’
‘Then let’s not do anything. There’s no need to rush. You should explore this at a pace that is comfortable for you. With your permission, I’d like to document what happened yesterday.’
‘Document?’
‘I would like to publish a paper about my experiences with you—’
‘No. Please.’ I interrupted him before he went any further.
‘I won’t use your name. No one who reads my paper will know it’s you.’ He watched me for a moment. He stood and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. ‘Never mind. I can see I’ve upset you. Let’s just take a step back and proceed with caution. I will follow your direction and offer my assistance, should you need it. You will find, Sarah, I am a man of my word. We won’t speak of it again. Carry on.’
After he left, I worked straight through until eleven-thirty and had just put my completed work on Dr Geisler’s desk when a scream pierced the quietude of my office. I ran out into the corridor and followed the hysterical sounds towards the foyer. Bethany and I met in the hallway. Together we raced towards the noise.
The screaming turned into a hysterical incantation. ‘No, no. Please. No.’
Minna. She stood near the front door, a black dressing gown flowing over her bony frame like a witch’s cloak. Her hair hung in wild curls the colour of spun silver. She looked as though she could have raised her arms and cast a spell or hopped on a broom and flown away. Instead she held a piece of paper in her trembling hand. Scattered around her feet were the petals and stems of a desiccated bouquet of roses. A flower box from Podesta Baldocchi lay on its side, tossed away in the chaos.
Chloe sat at her desk, observing everything, missing nothing, her eyes huge. The maid, a young girl in a uniform two sizes too big, froze, holding the dust rag suspended in mid-air.
I moved towards Minna, desperate to help her, but Bethany waved me off.
‘Minna, what’s wrong?’
‘Sarah. Bethany.’ She waved the paper she held in her hand through the air. ‘It’s Gregory. He’s alive.’ Her breathing became heavy and deep. She tore the letter up, threw the pieces on the floor, covered her face with her hands, and wept. Deep racking sobs coursed through her body, threatening to topple her.
Bethany swept in and put a comforting arm around Minna’s shoulder. She spoke to her in the same sweet, disarming voice she had used on Mr Collins. ‘Come on, dear. Let’s get you someplace safe. We’ll lock the house and make sure that Gregory isn’t here. I’ll see to it personally.’ She spoke to the maid. ‘It’s all right, young lady. Go see Mrs McDougal for a cup of hot cocoa. There’s a good girl.’
‘You’ll protect me, won’t you, Bethany? And Matthew. He’ll come for Matthew.’
‘Of course,’ Bethany said in a soothing voice. ‘I’ll take care of everything.’
Minna allowed herself to be led away. The two women made their way towards the staircase, while Bethany muttered comforting words in Minna’s ear.
Just as they were about to reach the first landing and slip out of sight, Bethany called to me. ‘Find my husband. Tell him to hurry.’
Before heading off to search for Dr Geisler, I picked up the torn pieces of paper that Minna had thrown on the floor and tucked them into my pocket. I had every intention of finding out the truth about Gregory Geisler.

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*****

The Drowned Woman

Sarah Bennett Mysteries, #3

by Terry Lynn Thomas

Publication Date: April 16th 2019

HQ Digital

Genre: Historical Mystery

Family secrets won’t always stay buried… December 1937. When Zeke’s sister-in-law Rachel Caen was found dead on Christmas Eve, her family assumed that she had taken her own life. Now five years later, one of the emeralds that Rachel was wearing at the time of her death is discovered at a stonecutter’s house in Portland, Oregon. With his brother Simon under suspicion for Rachel’s murder and stealing the emeralds, Zeke and detective Sarah are under pressure to clear his name. But with troubles of their own and in need of a place to hide, the duo return to Zeke’s hometown where a spiritual force helps Sarah find another emerald… All the fingers are pointing to Zeke’s family; how far will they go to protect their secrets? And will Sarah uncover the killer before it’s too late?

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Author Info
TERRY LYNN THOMAS grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, which explains her love of foggy beaches and Gothic mysteries. When her husband promised to buy Terry a horse and the time to write if she moved to Mississippi with him, she jumped at the chance. Although she had written several novels and screenplays prior to 2006, after she relocated to the South she set out to write in earnest and has never looked back. Terry Lynn writes the Sarah Bennett Mysteries, set on the California coast during the 1940s, which feature a misunderstood medium in love with a spy. The Drowned Woman is a recipient of the IndieBRAG Medallion. She also writes the Cat Carlisle Mysteries, set in Britain during World War II. The first book in this series, The Silent Woman, came out in April 2018 and has since become a USA TODAY bestseller. The Family Secret is slated for release in March 2019. When she’s not writing, you can find Terry Lynn riding her horse, walking in the woods with her dogs, or visiting old cemeteries in search of story ideas.

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Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away one eBook of each title in the Sarah Bennett Mysteries series! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Sarah Bennett

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