en en en en en en en en en en en en en lb ca en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en es en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en ru en en en en en en en en es en en el fr de en en en en en en en en en gl eo en en en en en en en en en en en en en cs en cs en cs en da en en en cs da en en en de nl da en da de en en cs da en en en en da da en da de en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en de da en en en de da da en da en en en cs da en en en cs cs en en
In between making soap and learning about her peculiar family history, Regina stumbles across two brothers with problems of their own.
Jason and Landon swear that the woods she wanders through aren’t haunted, but it seems the ghosts of Regina’s past are set on colliding with the ghosts of Falken’s Woods.
Date of Publication: July 6, 2013
Cover Artist: John Hofmann at 640 Media Solutions
I raged silently in my loneliness, staring out the windshield as we followed the marshy fields along the coast. It might have been nicer if it had been an ocean and not just a lake. I used to love going to the beach near my home. Now, I was going to be trapped in a world so different than my own.
My aunt’s house is further upstate in a town that you couldn’t find on a map. I was moving in with a woman I didn’t know in a town no one had ever heard of. How’s that for loneliness? I stared blankly out my window, ignoring the bubbly hymns she sang softly as she drove. At least the emptiness of her town meant no one would be calling and visiting all day and night, disturbing me while I reveled in memories. I hate how people think they’re your friend after you’ve suffered a tragedy, but were never around when you truly needed them.
Aunt Liddy’s property bordered against a forest on two sides. The closer side of her yard lead to a cornfield. There was a clear separation between her lawn and the shadowy woods as if the trees and birds knew where the property line rested and wouldn’t dare to encroach on her private residence. The two-story farmhouse was weather-worn, but clean. It reminded me of the old houses where monsters lived in horror movies. The wraparound porch boasted several chairs and couches and even a dining set. Nobody would keep their furniture on a porch back home. Nobody back home would eat on a porch, either. I dreaded to see the interior.
“This house has been owned by our family for four generations. My great-grandfather built this house after he asked my great-grandmother to marry him. Maybe one day, it will be your house,” she watched me as she spoke, expecting a response no doubt. I just stared blankly out the windshield, pretending not to hear her. There was no way I’d live out here on purpose. Liddy shook her head as if she could hear my thoughts.
The front door yawned open and we walked inside. I gazed into my new prison. Several windows filled the house with natural light. Even on a cloudy day, she didn’t need to turn on a lamp. The furniture appeared worn and faded and the floorboards looked warped and groaned under our feet. I eyed a sagging couch that occupied the living room and wondered if the furnishings were four generations old, too. I expected the smell of mildew and moth balls to overwhelm me when I entered. It smelled pleasant, however. It reminded me of a gentle mix of flowers and berries.
“You can take the bigger guest bedroom upstairs. It’s the last door to the left,” Liddy instructed me. “The bathroom is right next to it if you want to clean up. If you can’t find anything or if you need fresh towels while you’re here, let me know.”
I opened the door to my corner guest room and stared at it before entering. The wooden floors and plaster walls were painted a repulsive olive green and the mission style furniture seemed as if they were at least as old as Aunt Liddy. The mattress sagged on the decrepit bed. Two walls boasted bare windows, letting in what little light they could, but it still seemed far too bright.
I hesitated, unsure if I should bother unpacking. She hadn’t told me how long I would be welcome. Instead, I set my bags on my bed and stared out the window toward the forest behind her house. Even in the heat of summer, the woods looks cool and soft, inviting.
I had never even slept away from home before, not that I found myself sleeping much at all these days. I was seventeen, I could have refused to come with her. My voice had once again failed me as she led me to her car. Instead, I had silently watched in horror as she packed my things into suitcases and drove me away from the only home I knew. I wanted to tell her that she had left so much behind. She forgot things I couldn’t imagine living without, even for a little while. I knew she wouldn’t let me go back and get my things, so I silently mourned the loss of everything I couldn’t have.
Liddy appeared beside the doorway and shook her head. “I’ll let you get settled in today,” she sighed in a way that made me feel as though I would be staying with her longer than I expected. “But you need to get fresh air in those city lungs starting tomorrow. There are a few deer trails that lead into the forest and a big garden out back. I’ll show them to you later if you’re feeling up to it. That wardrobe is empty so you might as well use it.”
I carefully placed my clothes in the drawers of the wardrobe, noticing it smelled faintly of cedar, and settled my belongings in the room while learning my surroundings a little more. I took an inventory of the clothes she had brought for me and what was left behind. Once I finished, I showered and laid on the quilted bed and stared at the hideous olive ceiling.
The house whispered and groaned as old houses tend to do, but that was the only noise I could hear. At least now there weren’t dozens of people invading my house, making themselves comfortable on my mother’s furniture as if I had invited them into my seclusion. At least here there were no intruders who refused to give me peace. I knew they thought they were helping. Some things that you think will help, won’t. Silence in a strange world was better than invasion in my home.
“It isn’t bedtime yet, Regina,” Liddy returned to my room and her mouth tightened into a thin line. I had been wrong about being left in peace. I could tell by the tone in her voice she was already frustrated with my mood, but that was unavoidable. “Come on downstairs and let me show you the kitchen, I can give you a little tea that will help you feel a little better. Maybe we can get that voice of yours working again, hmmm?”
Liddy started heating water on her stove for tea as I sat at the table in her eat-in kitchen. The floors throughout were a dark wood, but the plaster walls had been painted a bright yellow with matching cabinets. I watched her with empty eyes while she pulled mismatched teacups from the cabinets, found a small jar of honey on the counter and placed it all on the table in front of me.
“I know what you are dealing with right now is unimaginable,” she paused to stroke my hand affectionately. I expected her tanned skin would have softened with age. Instead, her touch felt similar to gritty sandpaper. I was overcome with the urge to leave and go back home. I wanted to shudder at feel of the old woman’s rough skin on my own. “I want to give you a chance to heal, but healing means moving ahead, Regina. It’s not really considered living if you’re holding so tightly onto past instead of living your own life. We’ll find you a way to occupy your thoughts while you’re here in Foster.”
“It’s too soon,” I whispered without looking into her eyes. Aunt Liddy seemed surprised by my voice.
的 know, dear. She raised her voice over the whistling teapot. 典ake your time, but not too much. The longer you stand still, the harder it is to walk again.”
Sara-Beth Cole lives in Southeastern Michigan with her husband and two children along with her rescue dog, Rufus, and cat, Clara. She loves reading and sunshine and combines the two as often as possible.
Are you afraid of ghosts?
Thank you for commenting! Don't forget to enter the Comment Incentive Giveaway. The link can be found at the top of the page!
Posted by Brenda Demko at 1:00 AM
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Labels: Bewitching Book Tours, spotlight
mikiJuly 15, 2013 at 4:45 AM
i guess i hope ghost are protectors more than anything so i don't want to fear them.... i don't think i would have answered the same a few years ago ( oh i still thought they were protectors but i was a little afraid or ill at ease) now i guess i hope my father is watching and helping us so fear would be a bad response^^;;
VampedChikJuly 15, 2013 at 5:26 PM
I have to believe that our loved ones who passed are looking out for us. I like to think of my grandma as the angel over my shoulder.
Brenda DemkoJuly 15, 2013 at 5:35 PM
I want to think they would all be kind and caring but then I see all the bad in the world and it makes me wonder. I would never go out looking for ghosts like some people do, visiting old asylums and abandoned prisons etc...
VampedChikJuly 15, 2013 at 6:45 PM
I went on a ghost tour once but it was just a walk through a downtown area where he told a history. It was quite boring actually. One of the so called most haunted places in the town was the house behind where my mom grew up. I started laughing when we got there and said told everyone I used to play in that backyard. The tour guide didn't like me after that. :( LOL But i couldnt go to a prison or asylum. To much bad stuff happened there that you know there has to be bad energy there. Why would you want to subject yourself to that?
VampedChikJuly 15, 2013 at 6:48 PM
I will admit that I do like watching Ghost Hunters. If they want to go do it more power to them. I just like hearing the history of places. Im a HUGE fan of Destination Truth though. They occasionally do ghost hunts but they mostly hunt monsters based on claims of different areas. They dont ever really find anything but they go to basically see if they can help verify claims or whatnot. The go all over the world so its fun to see these places that I would never go to.
mikiJuly 16, 2013 at 4:54 AM
i never watched that kind of show and i'm not interested in it now that being said i don't want to go visist haunted house either^^ i prefer to let them be in peace^^
VampedChikJuly 15, 2013 at 5:25 PM
I dont know. I believe in them but I havent ever had anything happen to me to make me afraid. I believe that there are good and bad spirits so yes some may cause harm so then I would be afraid. But I guess I would be a little uneasy around them until I figured out intentions or whatnot?
Brenda DemkoJuly 15, 2013 at 5:31 PM
mikiJuly 16, 2013 at 4:55 AM
uneasy is a minimum until we ould get used to them ( if that's ^possible) and yes probably they are good anbad ones but i hope the "bad" one are just good one taking revenge on those that wronged them...
VampedChikJuly 16, 2013 at 8:26 PM
Yes we could hope? :)
Newer Post Older Post Home
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
I am a middle aged wife and mother of three boys. Because life is often hectic, I self medicate with good books! It is a cheap form of therapy. I have found that it does wonders for my sanity! lol! My favorite types of books to read are paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy,and young adult.
View my complete profile
Promote Your Page Too
Subscribe in a reader
Brenda has read 4 books toward her goal of 200 books.
4 of 200 (2%)
Follow Me on Twitter!
Brenda has read 22 books toward her goal of 175 books.
22 of 175 (12%)
If you are an author, publisher, or publicist that would like me to review a book, email me: brendem7@comcast.net.
Mostly I read paranormal and contemporary romances, young adult, and urban fantasy. I do not like historicals or horror!
I try to post reviews in a timely manner and in addition to posting them on my blog, I will post them on Goodreads, Amazon, Kobo, and B&N. Posts are also on my Twitter and Facebook as well. I look forward to working with you.