This year is also the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I. My hero, Seth, was a witness to the terrible events of that war as an ambulance driver. Sara discovers his letters home in a trunk hidden in the attic of the island house she's renting.
Along with the excerpts, I'll be sharing some photographs that inspired me as I was writing the novel.
Along with the excerpts, I'll be sharing some photographs that inspired me as I was writing the novel.
Today's excerpt:
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“Have you ever thought of writing your own novel?”
Sara shook her head. “I’ve thought about it, but in the end, I don’t think it’s for me. You have to love it, the way you did, or you’ll never be any good at it. I tried writing a bit when I was younger, and every word was like pulling teeth. I didn’t enjoy it and I’m not talented enough to make it worth the effort.”
“I’ve seen the bits you write between Lucy’s speeches. You’re better than many who make a living at it.”
“I don’t have a story I want to tell.”
Seth fell silent and she knew he understood the significance of her words.
“Let’s go inside,” she suggested. “It’s getting late.”
He stood with her when she got to her feet, a Southern gentleman born and bred. “Go on without me. I think I’ll stay out here a bit longer.”
“Will you—” Sara stopped and ducked her head, suddenly shy.
“Will I what?”
“Will you visit my dreams again tonight?”
Seth gazed down at her. “If you wish.”
They fell silent again, their gazes locked.
Oh, to hell with it, Sara thought and went up on tiptoe to kiss him.
Seth backed away. “I can’t.”
A hot stab of disappointment speared through her. “Why not? You said you’re no longer in love with Marcella, and you’ve fulfilled the condition of ‘til death do us part.” Even though Marcella didn’t. Sara fought the urge to blurt the words out.
Seth seemed slightly amused. “That’s not what I meant. I mean I can’t. Hold up your hand.”
Sara complied and Seth reached out as if to shake her hand. His hand passed right through hers. She felt a slight electric tingle, like the static on a television screen.
“I can’t touch the living. I can touch inanimate objects and move them, though it takes a lot of energy to do so.”
“But you hit Richard and threw him out,” she protested, her brow crinkled in confusion.
“I only touched his clothes. I hit the front of his shirt and dragged him by his coat and his belt.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “I can’t kiss you like this, as much as I might want to.”
“When you say ‘like this,’ do you mean there’s another way?”
When he spoke, his voice was so soft she had to strain to hear it. “In dreams. I’ve touched you there.”
She remembered. She remembered how wonderful it had been to be held in his arms after the terror of the zombie soldier, and the feel of his lips pressing against her forehead. She tilted her head and gave him a little smile. “I hope to see you tonight, then.” And with that, she strode into the house.
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About the book:
Newly single, unemployed, and with her savings dwindling to an all-time low, Sara thinks things are finally looking up when she lands a job ghostwriting a popular politician’s biography, and rents the affordable island home of her favorite author, Seth Fortner, who mysteriously disappeared in 1925. Strange things begin to happen as objects break, go missing, and terrifying visions appear, making Sara wonder if Seth ever left, or if she is slowly losing her mind.
She gets no answers from his family who closely guards the secret of his disappearance. Through an old trunk of letters Sara discovers in the attic of her seaside cottage, Sara unravels the mystery and becomes caught up in a tale of greed, lost love, and the horrors of WWI. Will she be the one to break the “Fortner Curse” by helping Seth conquer his demons, and heal both of their hearts in the process?
Available from:
TWCS
Abe Books
Powell's
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