Title: Ghostly Interference (Book 1 White Rune Series)
Author: Jan Sikes
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Book Blurb:
Jag Peters has one goal in his quiet comfortable life—to keep his karma slate wiped clean. A near-miss crash with a candy apple red Harley threatens to upend his safe world. He tracks down the rider to apologize properly. Slipping into a seedy biker bar, he discovers the rider isn't a "he", it's a "she", a dark-haired beauty.
Rena Jett is a troubled soul, who lives in a rough world. She wants no part of Jag's apology, but even while she pushes him away, she is attracted to him. When he claims to see a ghost—her brother—can she trust him? And could her brother's final gift, a magical rune stone with the symbol for "happily ever after" have the power to heal her wounds and allow opposites to find common ground—perhaps even love?
Excerpt:
Jag’s heart in his throat, he circled twice before finding the courage to take a parking space. Long seconds passed before he managed to pry his hands from the steering wheel and open the car door. He took one more deep breath, swallowed hard, and headed toward the entrance of O’Malley’s Irish Pub.
He hated confrontation almost more than he hated the taste of whiskey.
Inside, he slid onto a bar stool and surveyed the room. Leather-clad bikers yelled to be heard over ZZ Top blasting from the jukebox. Bottles clinked as the bartender chunked them into an empty bin at the end of the bar. The air thick with cigarette smoke, Jag blinked to keep his eyes from watering. Two burly men at a pool table slammed the balls with a resounding clap.
The bartender raised his voice to be heard over the noise. “What’ll it be, mister?”
“I’ll have a mineral water, please,” Jag yelled.
“This ain’t no damn country club, kid. Ain’t you a little out of your white-collar territory?”
“Sorry. Give me a draft beer.” Dammit! What had he been thinking to come in here?
“Humph.” The bartender placed a heavy mug under the tap, filled it, and placed it in front of him.
Jag continued to look around, wondering which of the leather-clad group was the one he’d almost hit.
After a sip of the bitter ale, he stood and walked toward the faded restroom sign, hoping no one paid him any attention. He had to finish what he came here for and get the hell out!
Just as he turned the corner toward the door, he collided with a stunning dark-haired woman who wore a scowl to match her hair color.
“Excuse you.” Sarcasm dripped from her tongue.
“Oh, sorry,” Jag muttered. “I wasn’t looking.”
“Yeah, well, that makes twice today I’ve nearly been run over by some bastard that wasn’t looking.” She stomped toward the bar, her black motorcycle boots thudding on the wood floor while the jukebox lapsed into a short-lived silence.
Stunned, Jag turned slowly back to the restroom. It was a girl. He’d almost run over a girl.
Inside, he splashed cold water on his face and stared into the dirty, cracked mirror. This business of keeping his karma straight turned out to be a lot of work. If he lived through the next thirty minutes, he’d be lucky.
His cell phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out. A deep sigh escaped as a text message flashed across the screen. His boss, Yvette, posted a private message that read, ‘Happy Hour! All Employees must attend!’ His thumb moved quickly to the delete button when the picture attached revealed boobs that were close to falling out of her silk blouse and a smile that was of the naughty kind.
He’d have to deal with that later. For now, he had to apologize to the beautiful girl he almost ran over and get the hell out of this place.
With squared shoulders, he wiped his hands on the remnants of a paper towel. When he stepped around the corner, he spotted the girl perched on a stool at the bar. He picked up his mug and slid onto an empty stool next to her.
Clearly annoyed at the stranger, she turned to him. “Aren’t you a little out of your league, dork breath?”
He winced at the insult but met the flashing anger in her eyes that made a guy wish he wasn’t anywhere within range. She was the most pissed off woman he’d ever seen. “I suppose. But, I’m here for a reason.”
“Yeah, and what would that be? Computer system down in the office?”
“No. Although I most likely could fix it.” He took a swig of his beer praying she didn’t notice how uncomfortable she made him.
“Well, you sure as hell ain’t here to party with a bunch of bikers who have the ability to break you in half.”
“No. I’m here to apologize to you.”
“I don’t even know you, dude.”
“I’m Jag Peters.” He stuck out his hand.
She stared at his palm as if he held rattlesnake fangs.
He continued. “I’m the bastard that nearly ran over you at the intersection down the street and I came to apologize.”
She slammed her longneck bottle down on the bar. “You damn near made me lay the bike down. I could have been seriously hurt. What the hell is wrong with you?”
He stammered, “I have no excuse. I was thinking about some problems at work, and I didn’t see you. Please accept my apology so I can get out of here.”
She barked, “You’re totally freaked, aren’t you?”
“More than you know. If you’ll just accept my apology, I’ll be on my way.” Jag wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. Perhaps he should ditch this whole karma stuff. What would it hurt? People did it every day and nothing bad happened to them.
“And what if I don’t?” She took the last swig from her beer, then reached for his mug and finished it off.
“Then I’ll go either way. At least I tried.”
As Jag stared at the small spitfire of a woman beside him, desire mixed with emotion stirred deep inside. Something he’d purposefully avoided for years. Silently, he pleaded, No, God. Please don’t let me get involved with this one. I’d be in way over my head.
Buy Links:
UNIVERSAL PURCHASE LINK: https://books2read.com/u/38QY8O
What makes your featured book a must-read?
While Ghostly Interference is a romance, it has many other layers and aspects that take the reader on a journey filled with unexpected heart-stopping moments, surprises, and even secrets. One male reviewer had this to say, “Although this isn’t my normal genre, I enjoyed the book and its unique aspects, which were woven together well by the author.” Another reviewer is quoted as saying, “the characters are well-crafted, multi-dimensional, and believable.” So, those aspects are what I feel make this book a must-read!
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $40 Amazon gift card:
Open Internationally. You must have a valid Amazon US or Amazon Canada account to win.
Runs January 10 – January 18, 2023.
Winner will be drawn on January 19, 2023.
Author Biography:
She openly admits that she never set out in life to be an author. But she had a story to tell. Not just any story, but a true story that rivals any fiction creation. The entertaining true story comes to life through fictitious characters in an intricately woven tale that encompasses four books.
And now, this author can’t find a way to put down the pen. She continues to write fiction and has published numerous award-winning short stories. She published her debut paranormal romance novel, Ghostly Interference, Book 1 in The White Rune Series, in 2020, which won a bronze medal award from Reader’s Favorite. Jagged Feathers was released on January 31, 2022, as Book 2 of that series, which won an Honorable Mention from Reader’s Favorite and took 4th place in the North Texas Book Festival Book Awards Contest. Last but not least, Saddled Hearts, Book 3, released on October 19, 2022.
She is an active blogger, an avid fan of Texas music, and a grandmother of five. She resides in North Texas.
Social Media Links: