Title: Merry’s Ghost (Romantic Hauntings Book1)
Author: Peggy Jaeger
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Mystery, Later in life romance, Ghosts, Hauntings
Book Blurb:
When writer and paranormal investigator Chase Seacort comes to spend a few weeks at a friend’s Hampton getaway, all he wants is to be alone, finish his current book about East Coast hauntings, and try to put the horrid events of his past year behind him. All thoughts about a quiet respite alone vanish when he meets his quirky, gorgeous neighbor. The blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty captivates him with her perpetual smile and free and easy personality. Merry June lives a quiet life in her beach house, devoting herself to her two loves – art and photography. Once she discovers Chase’s identity, she can’t wait to introduce him to her great-grandaunt Davinia. But Davinia rarely shows herself to others. You wouldn’t either if you were a ghost trapped between this world and the next. With Chase’s help, he and Merry investigate the mystery that’s kept Davinia’s spirit prisoner in the house for over 100 years, and in so doing discover a history of infidelity, heartache, and murder. When a face from Chase’s recent past puts Merry’s life in danger, he must fight two battles for the woman he’s come to love – one on the spiritual plane and one in the physical world.
Excerpt:
She moved in front of him, a candle in one hand. He turned to follow her but a sudden movement by the fireplace caught his eye and stopped him cold.
"Merry."
She turned back at the urgent entreaty in his voice.
"It's Davinia."
Standing by the mantel, tall and regally poised, head high, was a white light, outlined in the shape of a woman. Chase watched, absorbed, his mouth gaping open as he watched her move, across the hearth, from side to side, a handkerchief dabbing at her eyes. He stood affixed to the floor, unable to move, afraid to breath, lest the apparition leave.
Merry walked passed him and put the candle back down on the table. "Hello, Davinia," she said, her voice warm and welcoming.
The woman towards Merry's voice, but it was to Chase that her gaze locked. Head bowed, she lifted the handkerchief again. After blotting at her eyes, she glared at him.
His heart shuddered, his breathing slowed.
"Don't be afraid of her," Merry said. "She won't hurt you."
"I know," he said. "She’s not real."
A hint of a smile traipsed across her lips, as Merry turned back to the figure at fireplace. The sound of muted sobbing competed with the roar of the thunder jarring the sky from without.
"She's crying," he said.
Merry nodded and stayed silent.
A burst of lightening and thunder together irradiated the room. A powerful gust of wind flew through the deck doors, slamming them open. Together, Chase and Merry ran to the doors, each grabbing one to try and close the storm out.
Chase was the first to secure his as Merry continued to struggle against the wind's force. He ran behind her, molding his body to hers, one shoulder firmly jarred against the plated glass, and together they managed to close and latch it.
The floor and rug around them were soaked, as were their clothes from the assault of the rain and wind.
When Chase looked down and saw her breasts, the nipples hardened and straining against the fabric of the cloth, it was too much for him. The brief memory of his body outlined against her back, the fresh scent of her hair, undid his resolve.
Watching one another, their breathing heavy from the exertion, wet and disheveled, they each knew a desire that neither of them had ever experienced before.
Who moved first would never matter. They flew to one another in a riot of passion.
His hands were everywhere, molding, feeling, and stroking every inch of her wet skin. His fingers laced into her hair, pulling her head back, dragging her deeper in his kiss, drawing her tighter in his embrace.
Never had he felt such fire from a woman. She was a furnace, stoked hotter with every touch of his hand, every caress. The force that he'd felt bound from her throughout the day now transferred to him, energizing his system, jolting it into life.
His tongue parted her perfect, swollen lips and entered, bent on ravaging, bent on satisfying its own straining need. When he heard the moan slip up her throat, the knot that formed in his stomach exploded, and he wondered whose need was being fulfilled more.
When his head jerked back he stared down into a face consumed by passion.
Her body shook against his.
"You're cold," he said, his voice choked with raw need.
“I'm wet," she answered, the smile coming as fast as the reply. "In case you hadn't noticed, we both are."
She pulled back, wrapping her arms across her chest, shivering. "I'll get us some towels."
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
It’s a brand-new year, full of possibilities. Did you make any resolutions/goals for 2022? If so, please share one.
I certainly did! First and foremost I am committed to writing every single day again. 2021 kicked me in the teeth between family crises, death, Covid, and other things that cropped up to cause me to waylay my writing.
My #1 goal for 2022 is to write 3000 words minimum 5 days per week, no matter what!
Why is your featured book a must-read in 2022?
Merry’s Ghost is not your typical romantic suspense haunting story. Merry June actually lives in peace with the spirit of her 100+ year old ancestor. But when a paranormal investigator moves next door, the secret behind the reason for the haunting puts the co-existance in a whole new light. If you like a not-average ghost story with a strong romance leading it, this is a must read 2022 book for you!
Giveaway –
One lucky reader will win a $75 Amazon US or Canada gift card
Open internationally. You must have a valid Amazon US or Amazon CA account to win.
Runs January 1 – 31, 2022.
Drawing will be held on February 1, 2022.
Author Biography:
Peggy Jaeger writes contemporary romances and rom coms about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them.
Family and food play huge roles in Peggy’s stories because she believes there is nothing that holds a family structure together like sharing a meal…or two…or ten. Dotted with humor and characters that are as real as they are loving, Peggy brings all aspects of life into her stories: life, death, sibling rivalry, illness, and the desire for everyone to find their own happily ever after. Growing up the only child of divorced parents she longed for sisters, brothers and a family that vowed to stick together no matter what came their way. Through her books, she has created the families she wanted as that lonely child.
As a lifelong diarist, she caught the blogging bug early on, and you can visit her at peggyjaeger.com where she blogs daily about life, writing, and stuff that makes her go "What??!"
Social Media Links:
Website/Blog: http://peggyjaeger.com/
Twitter:https://twitter.com/peggy_jaeger
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00T8E5LN0
Pinterest:https://www.pinterest.com/peggyjaeger/