Ghosts, Love and Second Chances – Ghosted – #NewRelease @LoriMatsourani

Hello, friends! I am super excited to share a new author with you. I have not read this book, but you can bet it’s on my list now! And, what a perfect spooky season to discover a new ‘ghost’ story!Welcome, Lori Matsourani!

AMAZON LINK

Thank you, Jan, for allowing me to take over your blog today and tell your followers about my new story.

I’m a coastal person at heart, understandable since I grew up in Maryland near the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean and hanging out at the shore was a given. (Fun fact: Maryland has 3,910 miles of tidal coastline.)

When stress threatens to take over my mind, I stop and remember Maryland’s Eastern Shore and the beach—the clear sky and endless horizon; the feel of the chilly Atlantic seawater on my toes; the scent of sunscreen mingled with boardwalk French fries; steamed crabs, and the background drone of the waves along with the rumble of vintage prop planes towing ad banners along the shoreline. It’s this laid-back feeling that I try to inject into my stories.

Maryland’s coastal vibe inspired Ghosted, a sweet, second-chance romance with a nod to the paranormal. I’ve always loved romance, ghost stories, and haunted hotels. There are a couple in New Orleans and San Antonio where I’ve been brave enough to stay for a night, but the one where I actually experienced something ghostly was in Phoenix, Arizona. That’s when the idea of a ghostly romance at a small-town bed-and-breakfast on Maryland’s Eastern Shore took hold of me and led me straight to this question:

Can love, jealousy, or rage ever be erased?

These emotions have existed since the beginning of humankind, so isn’t it conceivable they can transcend the passage of time… and perhaps, corporeal existence?

For eighteenth-century plantation owner Samuel Watts, the husband of beautiful Ariella, jealousy cost him the love of his life. The resulting rage demanded an even higher price: his own life. And despair over his losses condemned his forlorn spirit to roam his plantation home on Maryland’s Eastern Shore for centuries.

But then he encounters Bethany Hendren, a love-wary guest in his house (now a B&B known as Horatio House), who strongly resembles his beloved Ariella.

Samuel reaches out to Bethany for help in unraveling the outcome of his fight with Frederick Howard, the man with inappropriate intentions regarding Samuel’s wife. The details are hazy, and Samuel wonders if murder was involved. His ghostly intrusion leads Bethany to reluctantly join forces with Nick Dorsey, the first boy she ever loved and the first one to break her heart, and help Samuel with his quest.

As Bethany and Nick follow Samuel’s clues, sparks from their long-ago romance start to flare, but Bethany shuns the idea of reigniting the flame. Nick ghosted her years ago, and she can’t bring herself to loosen the reins on her heart. But it’s Samuel’s revelations about relationships that encourage Bethany to open up to the possibility of giving Nick a second chance. It’s risky. She could face another crushing blow to the heart… or find the happily ever after she’d dreamed of as a teen.

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BLURB:

A haunted inn, a first crush, and a second chance for love with “help” from the resident ghost…

When her fiancé’s infidelity prompts Bethany Hendren to map out a new path forward, her plans are disrupted by an unexpected encounter with Nick Dorsey, who convinces her to help search for the remains of a troubled eighteenth-century ghost. Nick is the handsome summer boyfriend who ghosted her years ago, and now he wants to rekindle their relationship.

Despite her reluctance to trust him, Bethany discovers he’s still the funny, caring person who captured her heart as a teen, but giving him a second chance is risky—it could lead to love and happiness or result in another devastating heartache.

Although Bethany wants a happily ever after with Nick, does she have the courage to trust him with her future?

EXCERPT:

He opened the door and motioned her inside the large room. A vintage wrought-iron bed, as well as a nightstand with a tray of wine, cheeses, and stemware, occupied the wall on her left. An enormous stone fireplace, with an antique painting of a woman mounted over the mantel, dominated the opposite side of the room.

Nick studied the portrait as he set down the suitcase, then peered at Bethany. “Oh, wow. You look just like her.”

The woman, dressed in eighteenth-century garments, appeared to be about Bethany’s age. They had the same oval face, narrow nose, chestnut-brown hair, and caramel eyes.

“I see the likeness,” Bethany said. “Who is she?”

“One of the Worthingtons. I’m sure Aunt Margaret knows her name.”

She stepped closer to study the centuries-old canvas and encountered a cold spot in the room. A shiver coursed through her. “Is this room always so chilly?”

He frowned. “Not usually. I’ll check the thermostat.”

Bethany hoisted her suitcase onto the bed, impatient to end this unwelcome encounter with Nick. Then, without thinking, she pivoted away from the mattress and almost collided with him. He threw out his hands to steady her, his face inches away as his fingers clutched her upper arms. His dark eyes locked on hers.

“I turned up the heat.” He maintained his grasp and her breath caught as she stared back, captivated by the richness of his almost-black irises.

“Thank you.”

“And there’s something else.”

“What’s that?” Her heart pounded, sending a rush of blood to her ears. She couldn’t look away. Was he going to apologize? Explain why he’d ghosted her after that summer?

“Even though the family completely redid the inside and outside of the house, the ghost still haunts this place.”

That’s what he wants to tell me?

With a sigh, she shook off his grip and stepped out of his reach, disappointed in him for dodging the chance to explain what happened back then and frustrated with herself for letting him get to her. She’d conquered her feelings for him a decade ago and was determined to squelch any residual heart flutters.

“If you’re trying to spook me, it’s not going to work.”

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

FOLLOW LORI:

Website: https://lorimatsourani.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lori.matsourani

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lori.matsourani/

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