THE HAUNTING ON PALM COURT
Isle of Palms Suspense, #1
by Stephanie Edwards
Date of Publication: September 1st 2020
Cover Artist: Stephanie Edwards
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Paranormal
ISBN: 9781735169101
ASIN: B089QXJHPV
Number of pages: 252
Word Count: 69,786
Tagline: He refused to leave her alone, even after his death
BLURB
After Blake Nelson catches her abusive fiancé, Parker, with another woman, she seeks serenity at her late grandmother’s beach cottage. He follows Blake to the island and attempts to kill her, but instead, he dies in an accident while fleeing the police.
His malevolent spirit returns to the cottage to finish what he started. The haunting intensifies when Blake reconnects with her first love, Clint. Will Blake discover how to banish Parker before it’s too late?
Book Trailer 2: https://youtu.be/jUZboOKPHNI
Excerpt:
The last bit of
winter wind pierced her flesh as she put on the cardigan. She sat down on the
worn decking boards on the widow’s walk. Pulling the sweater down over her
knees, she allowed the waves to impart their healing magic, calming her as much
as possible.
Once she had
experienced all the bitter wind she could handle, Blake went back downstairs.
She caught her reflection in the foyer mirror. Her eyes swollen and red, and
her skin chapped from the wind. Nancy reached out to comfort Blake.
“I’m staying
with you tonight. You shouldn’t be alone. By the way, Clint is sleeping in his
patrol car in the driveway.”
“Please tell him
to go home,” Blake said.
Nancy walked
outside for a moment. When she returned, she put her hands on her hips. “He
refuses to leave you.” She gave Blake a meaningful wink, but Blake was in no
place to pick up on hints, regardless of their level of subtlety.
“Goodnight,
Nancy. Thanks for staying with me.” Blake walked upstairs to her room.
She squirmed in
bed for hours. Parker had hurt her; still, his death saddened her.
After falling
into a fitful sleep, her unrest turned into a series of disturbing dreams and
frightening images. In a state between nightmare and wakefulness, she woke in a
cold sweat, with a pounding headache. A prickly sensation tingled across her
body. She turned. Parker lay behind her, smirking. Paralyzed with fear, Blake
sat frozen in her bed, staring at him. His wasn’t the first spirit she’d seen,
not by a longshot. But seeing him, her heartrate sped up, and her breathing
turned shallow.
His face
illuminated by the light of the full moon, Parker smiled and traced the outline
of her face with his index finger. He leaned in to kiss her, but she jumped out
of bed. He began inching toward her, but Blake flipped the mattress onto the
floor.
Blake turned on
the lamp on her bedside table. When her eyes adjusted, Parker had disappeared.
She bent over to check under her bed, jumping when she accidentally stepped on
one of Willow’s squeaky toys. She breathed a sigh of relief when she kicked
aside the plush stuffed animal.
Someone knocked
on her bedroom door. She called out, “Yes?”
“What’s the
matter?” Nancy asked.
Blake opened the
door. Nancy rubbed her eyes. “I had a nightmare that Parker was in bed with
me,” Blake said. “When I woke up, he was there. It’s the creepiest feeling I’ve
ever experienced.” She shivered.
Nancy gasped and
placed her hands on her cheeks. “Oh, my word! Are you all right?”
“I’m frightened,
but I’m okay.”
Blake’s chest
caved inward. Over the past year, she had faced some traumatic, life-altering
events. As an empath, Blake was no stranger to interacting with spirits, but
Parker’s was the first who had frightened her.
“Will he come
back? If he does, how will we get rid of him?”
Nancy hugged her
but didn’t say a word, unusual for her. She had to be hiding something.
“What aren’t you
telling me?” Blake demanded.
Nancy put her
finger to her lips. “It’s a long story for another day, but you’re not alone in
seeing spirits. It’s part of your family’s past, and mine for that matter. Just
trust me, it’ll be okay.”
Blake threw her
hands into the air. “But…”
Nancy shook her
head. “Shh, honey. Not right now. Please calm down. It’s late. Get some rest.
We’ll take care of Parker all in good time.”
Emotional and
physical exhaustion had taken its toll on Blake. She returned to her bed but
did not sleep for the rest of the night. Every time she drifted off, Parker’s
dead eyes stared at her, boring a hole into her soul.
Author Info
Stephanie Edwards has been writing professionally since she landed her first newspaper column at the age of 13. Her love for the Lowcountry, the Atlantic Ocean and a good ghost story inspired her to write her first book. She lives in Tennessee with her husband, Ron, and their adorable dog, Shadow.
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with Stephanie Edwards . . .
Do you feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you? Writing flows naturally for me. I’ve been writing professionally in some capacity since I was 13 years old, so I had to find my flow at an early age.
What mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write (in general whether you are working on a project or just free writing)? I try to be calm and focused when I write. Depending on what’s going on, that isn’t always possible. On-theme music or Netflix shows can go a long way to helping me get in the zone.
Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character all the way through to the page? Do you people watch to help with development? Or do you build upon your character during story creation? I build upon my character while writing. I don’t like plotting out the details ahead of writing. It doesn’t come naturally to me.
Do you have a character that you have been working on for a long time that still isn't quite ready, but fills you with excitement to work on the story? I do. I’m writing a series of short stories about a young girl from Appalachia. I can’t wait to see all of the places she goes.
Have you found yourself bonding with any particular character(s)? If so which one(s)? Nancy helps the main character, Blake, navigate the frightening happenings she experiences. Nancy was inspired by several great Southern women who I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. She’s feisty but lovable.
What are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?
The Haunting on Palm Court: An Isle of Palms Suspense and the companion coloring book, Pearls of Wisdom, will be released on Sept. 1. I’m writing the sequel, Return to Palm Court: An Isle of Palms Suspense. I hope to release it spring 2021.
Where would you spend one full year, if you could go ANYWhere, money is not a concern? What would you do with this time? Charleston, South Carolina, is the source of inspiration for my first book series. I’d love to spend a year there and see what exciting creative projects might come out of an extended stay.
What mindset or routine do you feel the need to set when preparing to write (in general whether you are working on a project or just free writing)? I try to be calm and focused when I write. Depending on what’s going on, that isn’t always possible. On-theme music or Netflix shows can go a long way to helping me get in the zone.
Do you take your character prep to heart? Do you nurture the growth of each character all the way through to the page? Do you people watch to help with development? Or do you build upon your character during story creation? I build upon my character while writing. I don’t like plotting out the details ahead of writing. It doesn’t come naturally to me.
Do you have a character that you have been working on for a long time that still isn't quite ready, but fills you with excitement to work on the story? I do. I’m writing a series of short stories about a young girl from Appalachia. I can’t wait to see all of the places she goes.
Have you found yourself bonding with any particular character(s)? If so which one(s)? Nancy helps the main character, Blake, navigate the frightening happenings she experiences. Nancy was inspired by several great Southern women who I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. She’s feisty but lovable.
What are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?
The Haunting on Palm Court: An Isle of Palms Suspense and the companion coloring book, Pearls of Wisdom, will be released on Sept. 1. I’m writing the sequel, Return to Palm Court: An Isle of Palms Suspense. I hope to release it spring 2021.
Where would you spend one full year, if you could go ANYWhere, money is not a concern? What would you do with this time? Charleston, South Carolina, is the source of inspiration for my first book series. I’d love to spend a year there and see what exciting creative projects might come out of an extended stay.
Website: www.stephedwardswrites.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/steph_a_edwards
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/StephEdwardsWrites/
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