Not Quite Dead
(A Lowcountry Ghost Story)
by: Lyla Payne
Publication: April 1, 2014
ISBN: 1497319935
ASIN: B00JASQGFQ
Length: 370 pages
Genres: Mystery, New Adult, Paranormal
Blurb:
A broken engagement sends Graciela Harper crawling back to Heron Creek with her tail between her legs, but finds the sleepy little town too changed to set her life right. Not even he budding drinking problem can obscure her Gramps' failing health, or erase the mental picture of her first love happily married to her childhood best friend. To top it off, she's having a heck of a time convincing the town's dashing young mayor of her unfit-for-dating status.
When the ghost of 18th century lady pirate Anne Bonny starts insisting on a near daily audience, Graciela has to confront something else she never expected -- being certifiably nuts at twenty-five years old.
Her brand new "I don't give a crap" attitude makes it easy to dismiss the mysterious threats that seem to be tied to her search for more information on the long dead pirate, but when her family becomes a target, Gracie knows she needs to find out why the ghost insists on being a constant, reeking companion.
If Graciela can put aside her prejudice against people without a pulse, she may discover that Anne Bonny's problems are intricately linked with her own. The past harbors answers that could help the cantankerous spirit find closure, but she is, after all, already dead. If Graciela doesn't move fast, sh might find herself doing the haunting,instead of the other way around.
I ignore the hand, getting to my
feet and brushing dirt off my dress before confronting its owner.
A man with an overly strong jaw and wavy, sun-kissed brown
hair watches me with humor sparkling in his hazel eyes. Too bad he picked the
wrong girl in the wrong year, because nothing about getting knocked on my ass
strikes me as humorous.
Undaunted by the cocked eyebrow I shoot his direction, he
keeps a hand out, now poised for a shake. "Beauregard Drayton."
"That’s a mouthful," I mumble, searching the
ground for my purse. It’s lying in a puddle, which stirs up more irritation, as
does the fact that he hasn’t moved. He’s tall, at least six foot three, and
even under the blue pinstriped suit and red tie, there’s no secret why he felt
like bricks. His face is hard, too—all rough angles and sharp cheekbones.
His eyes are soft, though, and the enticing mixture of
green, blue, and gold still reflects amusement. "Well, what do you
think?"
"About you?" I shrug, even though I didn’t mean to
study him quite so openly. "Typical."
"Interesting."
"Actually, typical is the opposite of
interesting." I shoulder past him and continue toward my destination,
annoyance tightening my chest when the sound of expensive shoes clicks on the
sidewalk behind me.
Beauregard Drayton catches up, then slows his pace to match
mine. It would have behooved me to drive to the Wreck, apparently. Or skip it
all together, no matter how the thought of their fish tacos makes me drool.
"You can call me Beau, everyone does," he
comments, as though we’ve been carrying on a conversation.
"Thanks."
"What should I call you?"
It’s clear my rudeness isn’t going to make him go away, and
the part of me that was raised below the Mason-Dixon Line blushes in shame at
my behavior. Grams would tan my hide if she could see me now. The thought of
her stern, loving expression makes me relent, along with the fact that my
eventful morning has worn me out. I don’t have the energy to outmaneuver him.
"Graciela Harper."
"Lovely to meet you. Where are you going?"
The fact that he doesn’t comment on my different name moves
him up in my estimation. Still, his nosiness makes me sigh. Loudly. "To
get some lunch."
"Are you meeting someone?"
"Yes. His name is Vlad and he lives to drink the blood
of persistent, well-dressed men, so I suggest you run along."
"Really? Dracula’s making a midday appearance in Heron
Creek? Did you call the paper? Danny’s is going to be mad if he misses out on
the interview opportunity."
Lyla Payne has been publishing New Adult romance novels for a little over a year, starting with Broken at Love and continuing with the rest of the Whitman University series. She loves telling stories, discovering the little reasons people fall in love, and uncovering hidden truths in the world around us- past and present. In her spare time she cuddles he two dogs, pretends to enjoy exercising so she can eat as much Chipotle as she wants, and harbors a deep and abiding hope that Zac Efron likes older women. She loves reading, of course, along with movies, traveling, and Irish whiskey. Lyla's hard at work, ALWAYS, and hopes to bring you more Whitman University antics and at least one more Lowcountry ghost tale before the end of the year.
Lyla Payne is represented by Katleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
If you're a fan of Young Adult fiction-- science fiction or otherwise-- please check out her work that's published under the name Trisha Leigh.
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