Friday, June 30, 2023

Steamy #Romance + a #Haunting #Mystery for the #4thofJuly = Fireworks! #FourthofJuly #Books #FridayReads Cape Cod #ghosts + #Recipe


A dangerous ghost & an ex-boyfriend
await psychic Claire Linden in
Cape Cod's GULL HARBOR...

Who's ready for the Fourth of July celebrations?  Here on Cape Cod, the summer season officially kicks off this weekend, and things get a bit hectic!  As usual, we have a house full of guests, and plans for the beach, cookouts, and fireworks.  And while on the beach, I'll be doing my favorite thing - reading!  If you need a great page-turning beach read for the holiday, try GULL HARBOR - a spooky ghost mystery mixed with steamy second-chance romance, set here on Cape Cod's National Seashore.  A #1 Amazon and #1 B&N Bestseller with plenty of heat-filled scenes to balance out the ones that will send a chill up your spine!

To get into the "spirit" of the weekend (haha, see what I did there?), I'm posting both one of my favorite recipes for contributions to cook-outs, and a short excerpt from Gull Harbor - part of a scene where Max and Claire stop fighting their attraction and enjoy a picnic on the beach. Max still can't share his reasons for abandoning her so long ago, but psychic medium Claire is dealing with a very disturbing haunting, and she finds herself leaning on her former boyfriend for support.  And Max still feels the need to take care of her, even after all these years - so he's brought lunch for her from the local tavern he owns.  This scene sets up their date for the 4th of July - and there are plenty of fireworks on that night - overhead and between the two former lovers!  


A little teaser from later that night...🎇💖

           “A picnic on the beach is perfect.  It’s better than dinner and a movie.”
            He held out his glass, touching it to hers.  “To our first date.”  His eyebrows pulled together behind his sunglasses.  “That sounds strange, given our history.”
            She smiled as she sipped.  “We were never what you’d call traditional, anyway.”
            “How’s this for traditional—let me take you to see the fireworks on Wednesday night.  I know you’ll be at Dan’s cook-out for dinner, but I think I’ll be okay to leave the tavern by 7:30 or so.  Can I come and steal you away?”  He leaned back on one elbow and flashed her a lazy grin.  “There’s a great spot to watch them from over by the lake.  It’s very secluded; none of the tourists even know how to find the trail to get there.”
            A flood of heat that had little to do with the warm July sun surged through her.  How was it that this man aroused her so?  She could feel the sexual tension between them, thick and heady.  “I’d love that,” she said softly, dipping her head down to hide her flushed cheeks.  

Want to keep reading?  Or, you can listen now as well--Gull Harbor is an audio book too!  Links below:
Amazon -- Kindle, Print, Audible




And, as promised:

Recipe ~ Linguine with Tomatoes and Basil

1 lb Brie cheese, rind removed, torn into small pieces
4 vine-ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup fresh basil, torn into strips
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ pounds linguine
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine cheese, tomatoes, basil, EVOO, and garlic in a large bowl.  Cook pasta according to directions, drain and immediately add to bowl, tossing to allow cheese to begin melting.  Add salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Happy Reading and Happy 4th!



Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Calling #Readers & #Reviewers ~ Join the Summer Fling! #Free #Books #giveaways #amreading #readersoftwitter

If you love to read and enjoy discovering new authors, we have an event for you!  Summer Fling is a month-long, fun-filled event designed to bring readers willing to review books together with authors who can supply free review copies of their titles.  It all takes place in our Facebook event group, where readers get to view titles and select the ones that interest them!  Plus, it's a community affair, with FB parties, games with the authors, gift card giveaways, book swag, etc.  How many of the nearly 50 titles can you read?  The grand prize is a $200 gift card, and every review gets that reader an entry!

I'll be offering Ghost Moon, a steamy romance
spiked with spooky suspense!
When Lark inherits an old home, she finds
new love...but her arrival awakens a decades-
old mystery.  Will she survive the haunting
of Holloway House?
All that's required to sign up is a Facebook account (even if you don't use it all that frequently, that's how you'll see what books are up for grabs and post your review links), the ability to download e-books, and a willingness to post honest reviews on several sites.

This event is already getting going, with an official kick-off date of July 4th!  Available books will be offered by genre each week, so it's easy to find your favorite types of new reads!


Join the fun here! 🠊 Reader sign-ups

And if you're an author interested in signing up to offer books, we can accept a few more...sign up here: Author sign-ups

(Authors who love to review can sign up as readers as well!)

Hope to see you there!



Sunday, June 25, 2023

Love Paranormal #Romance & #Mystery? Visit the Virtual #Paranormal #Book Fair! #Books #BooksWorthReading



A vengeful ghost brings them together...

but will they survive long enough to find happiness?
Ready to relax and browse?  Over 70 books are listed in the Paranormal Women's Fiction Book Fair and ready for you to peruse, including Ghost Moon and The Haunting of Hillwood Farm!  These two titles are my latest ghost mystery + romance releases, so please check them out if you're a fan of romance spiked with spooky suspense!  Visit the book fair and grab your beach reads!  






Saturday, June 17, 2023

Signing #Books at #Mashpee Commons Sidewalk #Sale! #Romantic #Suspense Cape Cod #Reading #Paranormal #Ghost #Mystery


A photo from the local paper of me
outside of Market Street Bookshop
holding Gull Harbor
accompanies the article "Ghost 
Stories Meet Love Stories"



I'm thrilled to have been invited to sign my books at the Mashpee Commons Block Party on June 24th!  All seven of my titles, most set on Cape Cod, will be available for purchase at the wonderful Market Street Bookshop, and I'll be at a table outside to chat and sign books! If you’re on Cape Cod for the weekend, the summer, or year-round, come by and browse some new beach reads!  And signed books make both great gifts and great souvenirs of your time on the Cape.  You can find the book store on, you guessed it…Market Street…right next to Trevi Restaurant and the big fountain.  If you've never visited the Commons, you're in for a treat, it's a beautiful and quaint spot right in the heart of Mashpee.


In addition to the sidewalk sales, the Block Party includes live music featuring the all-women a cappella group Cape Harmony, giveaways, face painting, and balloon twisting!

Market Street Bookshop, and my community, have really supported me since my first novel was published in 2012.  The owner of the book store named one of my novels, Dangerous Currents, as a Recommended Summer Read in Cape Cod's IN SEASON Magazine.  Two of my novels, Silver Lake and Gull Harbor, have been chosen by local book clubs and featured on the shop's book clubs shelves.  My books can also be found up front on the shelves dedicated to Cape Cod, and I've done numerous book signings there.  Our local paper has written an article on every single one of my books.  I am so grateful for all the support. 


The Block Party fun will be ongoing from 11:00 - 3:00 (Cape Harmony will perform from noon to 2 pm).  For more information click here  📚 🎵 🎈 🎉 Hope to see you there!


Gull Harbor on the ^
Local Book Club Shelves!


The Summer Reads Recommendations
(from local book store owners)
article that appeared in IN SEASON

Silver Lake on the Local Book Clubs shelves ^



Dangerous Currents in IN SEASON Magazine

 



Thursday, June 15, 2023

Love Paranormal #Romance & #Suspense? Visit the Virtual #Paranormal #Book #Fair!

 


When Lark inherits an old home, she finds new
love...but her arrival awakens a decades-old
mystery.  Will she survive the haunting of
Holloway House?
Ready to relax and browse?  Over 70 books are listed in the Paranormal Women's Fiction Book Fair and ready for you to peruse, including Ghost Moon and The Haunting of Hillwood Farm!  These two titles are my latest ghost mystery + romance releases, so please check them out if you're a fan of romance spiked with spooky suspense!  Visit the book fair and grab your beach reads!  






Saturday, June 3, 2023

History of Jacob Hill Farm 1723 - 2023 #historic #Seekonk #history 300 year #anniversary

In addition to writing novels, one of my passions is visiting and researching historic sites.  Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the historic Jacob Hill Farm in Seekonk, Massachusetts.  It is now an amazing wellness center, with three of the original structures still gracing this beautiful property, 300 years after the farm was first built!  Before it became the wellness center, it was Jacob Hill Inn, Seekonk's first professional bed and breakfast.  The owners of the Inn purchased the property in 1991, and did a great deal of work to restore the landmark buildings, while also researching the property's history.  Much of this post includes information from their website and television appearance, used with permission.  Visit the site for more details and photos at HistoricJacobHill.com  and view the corresponding 3-part televised discussion on Discovering Seekonk History.   

The land itself was first deeded to Reverend Samuel Peck by the Wampanoag Tribe.  It passed through generations of his family and was eventually deeded to Thomas Allen in 1722.  With 10 children, building a large home was necessary, and it still stands today.  When Calvin Jacob, a prominent deacon, married into the family, the property eventually acquired the name Jacob Hill Farm.


The "Front House", known as the "Club House"
 during the years it was a hunt club
(and then again when it was the Inn), as it appears today

In 1915, the wealthy Grosvenor family purchased Jacob Hill Farm, in part due to their love of horseback riding.  In 1924, it became the Jacobs Hill Hunt Club, a members-only establishment possibly arising in part to the restrictions of Prohibition.  The Grosvenors donated the Front House to the club, and that became the Club House.  Members included such prestigious figures as former Governor of Rhode Island William H. Vanderbilt and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Roger Firestone, and Mrs. Gammell Cross of the family that founded what is now A.T. Cross, one of the oldest pen manufacturing companies in the world. (There are even some Knights on the list!  Probably no relation).  See the member (box holder) list from 1939 and other photos on the Historic Jacob Hill website under the History tab


The arbor was once a coach stop ~
note the seats on the sides!
In another current photo of the Front House, you can see the arbor that was once a coach stop on the Providence to Taunton route.  Note the seats on the sides for waiting passengers.  One of the other three buildings still standing today was originally a barn which was converted to a carriage house.  The third structure, known as "The Barn", was the barn constructed by the Hunt Club.  It was painted white...a symbol of affluence at the time as white paint cost more in those days than the usual red paint associated with barns on farms.  It is still white today.

The Hunt Club was active from 1924 -1943, hosting horse shows and fox hunts (where no foxes were actually harmed!  Only their scent was used for the chase).  The property passed through several families until it was purchased as an Inn.  At one point, a member of the Atomic Energy Commission resided there, and there was a phone in the Front House that connected directly to the White House.


Hello? ;)
Door to the Front
House basement
So, with such a rich history, this author of ghost mysteries had to ask about any unusual happenings.  One person told me he saw the door to the basement open by itself while standing in the current kitchen of the Front House, but of course, it is a very old (but very beautiful) building.  

Speaking of kitchens, the Front House still holds fireplaces original to the building, including the one pictured below, which was a cooking fireplace (note the long iron arm).  To the right, the small door still houses a beehive oven, once used to bake bread.



Original cooking fireplace and beehive oven (behind door)

I've posted a few more of my photos below!  Thanks for stopping by, and if you enjoyed this post, you might also want to check out a few of my other posts on historic places: Historic Mt. Washington Hotel, Historic Falmouth, Cape Cod, Haunted, Historical Barnstable, and Visiting Brewster.



Side view of the Front House




Gazebo off the Front House


Wallpaper in
the Front House




The Carriage House, now a gym and offices






Sunset at Jacob Hill