TITLE – Spooky Sojourn
AUTHOR – Ashley Ladd
GENRE – Erotic Paranormal Romance
PUBLICATION DATE – October 23, 2014
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 50,000
COVER ARTIST – Emmy Ellis
Someone’s trying to kill Deanna, but is it the ghosts she doesn’t believe in, the rich socialite who might be a murderess, or someone else with a beef against The Gilroy Hotel and Resort that Deanna has just been hired to manage? The Gilroy’s owners want the ghosts, or whoever is causing the trouble at the hotel eliminated, and they are pressuring Deanna to do the job as quickly as possible. Harry DeVeaux, paranormal investigator comes highly recommended to do the job and against Deanna’s better judgment, she hires him.
Although Deanna thinks Harry’s crazy for believing in ghosts and Harry thinks Deanna has a closed mind to the possibilities of ghosts and they highly annoy each other, sparks fly. Deanna can’t help but fantasize about Harry and inspired by a romance convention visiting her hotel, writes her fantasies in a private blog that Harry finds, hacks, and reads. Ooh la la!
#1 -- (all ages)
It would also be a shame to let a private hotel room go to waste when it contained such a beautiful sexy woman, so he moved closer and leaned against the wall beside her, letting his breath tickle her neck as he gazed down at her. He lifted a strand of her silky hair and let it sift through his fingers. Her heady scent wafted up to him, making him want to bury himself in her. Was it cherries? Maybe apple blossoms? “My heart almost gave out when your car went up in flames and I saw you thrown back. I was afraid you’d been hurt…or worse.”
Her breath caught audibly, and she worried her lower lip with her small, perfect teeth for a moment. Then she gazed up at him with sorrowful eyes. “It must have reminded you of losing your wife.”
“Not for a minute. I was worried you were hurt. That I’d lose you.” He traced the line of her jaw with the pad of his thumb and shivered when he felt her tremble. So she wasn’t immune to him. Good. Very good.
Her lashes fluttered and her irises grew dark. She shrank against the wall as if unsure what to do next. Then resolution gathered in her eyes. “Oh! Well, uh, I should go. I’m sure I’ve been missed. A manager never rests.” To his dismay, she ducked under his arm and escaped to the door. When she tried to turn the handle, however, it wouldn’t budge. Then she tried to turn the knob with both hands, pulling hard. Her eyes flashed fire. “What the hell? Can you help me? I can’t get out.”
“Do you really have to go? Or do you just want to get away from me? Am I that repellant?”
She looked as if she’d rather have fire ants crawl up her legs than answer his question.
Before she could respond, he jumped in. “I have a confession.”
She stopped trying to jar the door and her attention riveted on him, her forehead puckering. “Did you do something I need to know about?”
Drawing in a long, shuddering breath, he look heavenwards and crossed his fingers behind his back hoping she wouldn’t throw something at him, hoping she’d be okay with his admission. “I found your blog and read it.”
Paling, the blood fled from her flesh and her eyes looked like sooty coals against her face. Her gaze clashed with his and held. “How did you find it? I used a pseudonym and I put it on privacy settings.”
He screwed up his lips, and scrubbed his hand over his face, preparing to tell more painful truths. “I’m a bit of a hacker and I like to research the people I’m working with.” Not sure she’d be receptive to his theory, he left out the part that he thought the ghosts led him to her sight. He thought they were closet romantics. He wouldn’t be surprised if they’d locked them into the room now to force them into some alone time together.
When a tsunami of emotions flitted across her face he tried to read them. Fury. Embarrassment. Lust?
“You investigated me? You read my private musings?”
“You wrote about me? In some very intimate ways. At least I presume it was me since you used my name.” He fixed her with a piercing gaze. “Did you?”
#2 -- 18+
A pregnant pause rent the air as she veiled her eyes from his view. Finally, she smoothed her skirt against her legs and admitted, “Yes. I have very mixed feelings about you. You make me crazy the way we argue, the way you believe in ghosts, and yet I find myself thinking about you, fantasizing about you.”
Taking heart in the last part even if he wasn’t sure he liked the first, he said with a lopsided grin, “You fantasize about me much?”
As if she suddenly got bold, she sidled up to him with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes and ran the tip of her finger down his chest. “Aren’t my blogs proof? The question is, do you fantasize about me?”
He wanted to scoop her into his arms and haul her into that king size bed right now and have his wicked way. The sooner they lost every stitch of their clothing, the better. Luckily, he’d started packing protection since reading her blogs as he’d been thinking about ravishing her, not that he thought he’d ever get the chance. I am right now.” He lowered his chin, smiled lasciviously, and crooked his finger at her. “Come here, baby.”
“I can’t believe this is real,” she said huskily. Yet she started to move toward him.
She glided so seamlessly she seemed to float. When she was within touching distance, he drew her into the circle of his arms, bent his mouth and captured her lips. He teased her with his tongue, seeking entrance to her mouth. He rocked against her, molding her curvy body to his. She was so warm, so soft, he wanted to lose himself in her. Against her lips he murmured, “I’m usually the one you accuse of believing in fantasy. Are we switching places?”
“Um. Maybe. Crazy isn’t it?” She kissed him back languidly at first, then with more fervor. She curled her arms around his neck and let her fingers play in the hair at the nape of his neck.
While her hands went north, his traveled south. His palms slipped from her waist to her buttocks, cupping them. Then he crushed her to him, yearning to be one with her. “Absolutely insane.”
“We shouldn’t be doing this.” But she didn’t try to draw away, didn’t stop rubbing against him, inciting him.
“Yes we should.” Her nipples budded against him and she quaked. Her flesh was heated and she couldn’t stop kissing him. If those weren’t signs she wanted him, nothing was.
He returned her kisses and let his hands roam her body. Eager to feel her naked flesh against his, he pulled her uniform top out of her skirt. When she didn’t protest, he lifted it over her head and tossed it onto the chair. Her breasts were barely contained in her wispy, lacy red bra, the large milky mounds trying to spill out.
Unable to help himself, he bent his head and buried his face in her cleavage. He shoved one side off her aureole and laved her burgeoning nipple with his tongue. When she moaned and craned back her head to give him better access, he reached around and unsnapped her bra and whisked it away across the room. She writhed against him and he cupped her other breast in his hand.
Breathlessly, she asked, “What did you think of my fantasy?”
“It made me really hot. I say on your next day off we go to Miami to that nude beach and make out.”
If Your Book Were Made Into A Movie –
What Songs Would Best Fit The Story On The Big Screen?
It Had To Be You – Harry Connick Jr.
The Way You Look Tonight – Harry Connick Jr.
All of Me – Harry Connick Jr.
Just The Way You Are – Harry Connick Jr.
Sway – Michael Buble
Haven’t Met You Yet – Michael Buble
The Way You Look Tonight – Michael Buble
Beyond The Sea – Bobby Darin
Dream Lover – Bobby Darin
My Way – Frank Sinatra
Fly Me To The Moon – Frank Sinatra
It Had To Be You – Frank Sinatra
Please share your favorite songs you listen to when you are writing:
Total Eclipse of the Heart – Bonnie Tyler
Always Be My Baby – David Cook
Come Back To Me – David Cook
You Belong With Me – Taylor Swift
Hallejulah – Jason Castro
Somewhere Over The Rainbow – Jason Castro
Dawn – Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons
Cara Mia – Jay and the Americans
Blue Moon – The Marcels
Earth Angel – The Penguins
Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye – The Casinos
Worst That Could Happen – Johnny Maestro
Pink – Raise Your Glass
Forever in Blue Jeans – Neil Diamond
Mr. Blue – The Fleetwoods
Perfect – Pink
Just A Small Town Girl – Journey
If You Could Read My Mind – Gordon Lightfoot
Tonight’s The Night – Rod Stewart
This One’s For You – Barry Manilowe
Somewhere in the Night – Barry Manilowe
For What It’s Worth – Buffalo Springfield
Ashley Ladd lives in South Florida with her husband, five children, and beloved pets. She loves the water, animals (especially cats), and playing on the computer.
She's been told she has a wicked sense of humour and often incorporates humour and adventure into her books. She also adores very spicy romance, which she weaves into her stories.
1 PDF copy of Spooky Sojourn
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