Today, I'm thrilled to share an excerpt from one of my latest releases A GHOST TO DIE FOR.
Setup: Rooney returns to her hotel room after a seance and finds a man seated in a chair near the window.
Excerpt:
When she saw the man seated in the club
chair next to the draperies, she did the first thing that came to her mind…grabbed
a weapon. Seconds later, she faced him with a fully loaded can of hair spray in
one hand and her curling iron in the other.
He put a hand in the
air. Whoa, now, I
mean you no harm, Miss.
"How did you get in here? What are
you doing here? And just who-who are you?"
Wait…you're looking at me when you speak.
Not only can you hear me but you can see me?
"Of course I can hear you…and see
you. I'm not standing here with a curling iron and a can of hair spray to
attack the chair."
Oh, that. Won't do you any good. Both
would go through me.
He didn't look menacing. In fact, he
looked forlorn and way too calm for someone bent on attacking her. Dressed in a
pair of denim jeans and a white cotton shirt, his hair was cut
short, his features fine and symmetrical. Despite his calm demeanor, a chill
ran down her spine. A white aura circled his translucent body. Something about
the stranger wasn't quite authentic…tangible. "Don't change the subject. I
asked what you're doing in my room." She glanced toward the door.
"And how did you get in here?"
Why don't you take a seat on the edge of
the bed and I'll explain everything.
"Are you out of your mind? I have no
intention of holding a conversation with a stranger who's broken into my
room."
I didn't break into your room; I walked
through that door, or
was it the wall? He shrugged. In any event, there was no break in.
"Not listening to this, calling
security."
Rooney, that's you, right?
"Oh. My. God. You know my
name?"
He gave a sheepish nod.
I heard you talking
to your sister backstage
after the séance.
"You followed me?"
I wouldn't call it following you. I
entered the elevator with you and sort of walked shoulder-to-shoulder with you up
here.
"You weren't at the séance on stage,
so what then, were you in the audience?"
No, I was on stage, but kind of hanging
around in the background. He
put his hands in the air, palms out. I swear, I won't hurt you, but I been lurking around this hotel for two months now wondering how I was going to
get out of thismess. Then you arrived at La Bonne Chance with your sister, you know, the fabulous Fontaine sisters, the
crème-dela-crème of
psychics, and my prayers were answered.
She snorted. "I'm not a psychic,
mister. Looks like you picked the wrong sister."
"I don't want to hear you out; I want
you to get the hell out of my hotel room. Like now!" When he didn't
comply, she moved the can of hair spray until it loomed inches from his face.
"I'm going to count to three. If you
aren't out of that chair and out that door by then, I'm giving you a face full
of hair spray."
Go ahead. Maybe then you'll realize what
I am and listen.
"You asked for it." She held
the nozzle down and let him have it between the eyes. Not a muscle on his body
moved.
Much to her dismay, she didn't have the
satisfaction of seeing him blink. The aroma of hair spray hung heavy in the
air, but it didn't seem to bother him as much as it did her. Through a series
of chokes and chortles she managed to eke out the words.
"What are you, some kind of weirdo
with inhuman defenses?"
A
ghost.
"What!"
You asked me what I am and I'm telling
you. I'm a ghost.
Eyes wide, voice in shriek mode, she fell
onto the edge of the bed and glared at him. "You can't be a ghost. I don't
believe in ghosts!"
Understandable.
Neither did I until I became one.
What reviewers are saying about A Ghost To Die For
"Ms. Diablo packs a lot of punch into a 123-page novella. Between the paranormal activity, humor, action, romance, and even a bit of steam—A GHOST TO DIE FOR has everything. It kept me up reading all night. And, I agree with the person who wrote the first review. As another veteran, I love stories in which vets are the heroes/heroines.
Thanks so much, Ms. Diablo!"
"You can’t go wrong with this novella or this great author. Keta knows how to write a book to keep the reader interested and on the edge of their seats."
"I loved It! It was a page-turner, full of suspense, romance, and cleverly written.
I felt the emotions of her characters."
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