Blurb:
An addiction counselor and a security guard
struggle to free a little girl and her father, two lost spirits trapped inside
an abandoned mental asylum.
Addiction counselor Laura Horton returns from college to move in with an old friend and start her career. But her homecoming is jarring. Her friend moves out, leaving Laura alone with the gorgeous but intimidating ex-boyfriend—in a house that snugs up to an ancient graveyard.
Officer Miller Stanford is a man with a shattered past. His alcoholic dad destroyed their family, a weakness Miller is terrified will consume him too. The last thing he needs is a sexy, blonde addiction counselor watching his every move. When he begins to see specters in the dark, he starts questioning his own stability.
But Laura sees her too—a pathetic child-spirit searching for her father. When Laura starts digging into old asylum records, the eerie events escalate . . . Can Miller and Laura uncover the secrets of Talcott Hall without jeopardizing their love—and lives—in the process?
Addiction counselor Laura Horton returns from college to move in with an old friend and start her career. But her homecoming is jarring. Her friend moves out, leaving Laura alone with the gorgeous but intimidating ex-boyfriend—in a house that snugs up to an ancient graveyard.
Officer Miller Stanford is a man with a shattered past. His alcoholic dad destroyed their family, a weakness Miller is terrified will consume him too. The last thing he needs is a sexy, blonde addiction counselor watching his every move. When he begins to see specters in the dark, he starts questioning his own stability.
But Laura sees her too—a pathetic child-spirit searching for her father. When Laura starts digging into old asylum records, the eerie events escalate . . . Can Miller and Laura uncover the secrets of Talcott Hall without jeopardizing their love—and lives—in the process?
Excerpt:
“Hey.
Little girl. Let me help you,” Miller tried again, and the child finally
lowered her hands. She was younger than he’d first thought—ten, maybe. Tears
streaked her reddened cheeks, glistening in the beam of his headlights. Her
pale, golden hair was baby fine and wispy, but tousled and disheveled. As
though it hadn’t seen a brush in good long time.
She
met his gaze with eyes like the man’s, clear and blue and strangely
luminescent. The sadness Miller saw behind them made his chest ache.
“Where
did your friend go, sweetheart? The man who came out with you. Where did he
go?”
She
stared at him with lips quivering before her face crumpled again. “I don’t
know. I don’t know where Daddy is. I’ve been looking and looking for him. Every
time I think I’ve found him, he goes away.”
Miller
swallowed. Yeah, that’s one way to describe the mysterious vanishing act.
He
drew in a breath and tried again. “What’s your name, sweetie? Was that your
daddy with you?”
Head
bobbing, the tears flowed freely now, and she wouldn’t take her eyes off
Miller’s face. He felt a lump growing in his own throat, as though she was
somehow transferring her pain to him. His hands, clasped in front of him, began
to shake.
When
she spoke again, her voice took on an echoed quality, as though she were
receding into an empty culvert. “I’m Greta. And I’m looking for my daddy. He
used to live here. But I keep coming back to find him, and nobody knows where
he is.” She dropped her chin to her chest and ground her knuckles against her
eyes.
“Greta,”
he repeated, a stab of pity piercing his gut. So freaking pathetic. A forlorn
little girl . . .his own memories rose up like foul-smelling steam. Swallowing
hard, he pressed on. “Greta, honey, what’s your last name?”
When she looked up, Miller gasped.
Behind her, against the fence, a bright red McDonald’s French fry box clung to
the base of the chain link. Directly
behind her, yet he could see it clearly. That’s when he realized he could see
. . .right
. . .through her.
About Claire Gem--
Claire is a multi-published, award winning author of
emotional romance—contemporary, paranormal, romantic suspense, and women’s
fiction. She writes about strong, resilient women who won’t give up their quest
for a happy-ever-after—and the men lucky enough to earn their love. No
helpless, hapless heroines here. These spunky ladies redefine romance, on their
terms.
Her paranormal/romantic suspense, Hearts Unloched, won the 2016 New York Book Festival. Her latest release, The Phoenix Syndrome, won the women’s fiction division in FCRWA’s The Beacon Contest.
A New York native, Claire has lived in five of the United States and held a variety of jobs, from waitress to bridal designer to research technician—but loves being an author best. She and her happily-ever-after hero, her husband of 38 years, now live in central Massachusetts.
Her paranormal/romantic suspense, Hearts Unloched, won the 2016 New York Book Festival. Her latest release, The Phoenix Syndrome, won the women’s fiction division in FCRWA’s The Beacon Contest.
A New York native, Claire has lived in five of the United States and held a variety of jobs, from waitress to bridal designer to research technician—but loves being an author best. She and her happily-ever-after hero, her husband of 38 years, now live in central Massachusetts.
~ Amazon Top 100 Seller in Suspense>Ghosts & Paranormal>Psychics ~
Author of Contemporary Romance & Romantic Suspense
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