Love, Jealousy, Rage Wicked Wednesday by Lori Matsourani

WICKED WEDNESDAY

Hey readers! Join me in welcoming Lori Matsourani to Wicked Wednesday on Discover... Murder and Ghosts with a dash of Romance makes for a great Wicked Wednesday. And read to the bottom for a Goodreads giveaway!

Do we ever know who’s really capable of murder? Is it the thug with the tattooed face who despises rival gang members? The distraught father, furious with the sadistic husband who abuses beloved daughter? Or the ex-lover, angry at the new man who replaces him in the bedroom?

Rage and jealousy have existed since the beginning of time. Especially when stemming from the desire for a woman. It’s conceivable these emotions can transcend the passage of time... and perhaps, corporeal existence. After all, can love, jealousy, or rage ever be erased?

Not for eighteenth-century plantation owner Samuel Watts, the husband of beautiful Ariella. His jealousy cost him the love of his life. His rage demanded an even higher price: his own life. And despair over his loss condemned his forlorn spirit to roam his plantation home on Maryland’s Eastern Shore for centuries. Until he encounters Bethany Hendren, a love-wary guest in his house (now a B&B known as Horatio House).

Samuel reaches out to Bethany for help in unraveling the outcome of his fight with Frederick Howard, the man with wicked 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 trust him with her heart. But it’s Samuel’s revelations about relationships and trust that encourage her to open up to the possibility of love and happiness with Nick.

And what about Samuel? Can he use his wisdom in matters of the heart to find his own peace? Or is he doomed to continue roaming the halls of Horatio House as a bereaved spirit for eternity, which would be a wicked shame.

 

Blurb:

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.”

 

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F9XCPLYD/thewildrosepr-20

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/ghosted-lori-matsourani/22722837?ean=9781509262540&next=t&affiliate=114419

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ghosted-lori-matsourani/1147463084?ean=2940184606941

Books A Million: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781509262540

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/ghosted/id6746414091

 

Bio:

Lori Matsourani is a romance addict. Give her stories with a touch of heartbreak and a spark of joy, and she’s happy. Throw in characters with a huge helping of heart and soul, and she’s up reading all night in romance heaven! While currently a Texas resident, Lori grew up near Baltimore and often draws on the historical flavor of Annapolis and Maryland’s Eastern Shore to inspire her story settings. She authored her first fiction story at twelve and has been hooked on writing ever since. Early on, her writing career focused on articles for magazines and newspapers before shifting to her first writing love—fiction. For Lori, connecting words to tell a story is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle, and she loves the challenge of creating every piece.

Social media links:

Website: https://lorimatsourani.com/

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

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

 

Goodreads Giveaway: Runs from August 1 to August 30

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/418301-ghosted

From Lawyer to Film to Crime Novels by Arthur Coburn

MUSE MONDAY

Join me in welcoming Arthur Coburn. His is a fascinating story. 

Tell me, Arthur, how did you go from law to film to novels? You obviously found your Muse.

After graduating from Harvard Law School, I quit my law firm job the day I passed the bar. And worked in film in Seattle. I moved to Los Angeles and became a film editor. After working in various capacities in film, I found I could translate what I knew into writing fiction novels. I also learned the advantage of being willing to fail. I used to try lots of solutions, discarding the ones that didn't work and improving the ones that did. I learned to trim down scenes to a fighting weight. In Murder in Concrete, I used much of what I learned in film. This story takes place on a low budget zombie thriller movie set in Barstow, California.

Let's hear about your book, Murder in Concrete.

A small-town murder unravels a teenage girl’s life as she tries to discover who is responsible for killing her mother and learns that everything she thought she knew might be an illusion. 

Charlie Purdue was just another small-town teenage girl until she discovered her mother’s dead body at home after school. All signs point to her father, who has disappeared, but his cryptic final words to Charlie have always left her wondering. When she spots him in a film months later, she’s shaken to her core and dead set on going to Los Angeles to find him and unearth the truth of what really happened that horrible day. 

What follows is a gripping odyssey through the underbelly of LA’s film industry, where everything Charlie thought she knew about her life is suddenly, and shockingly, brought into question. 

AMAZON BUY LINK

Arthur Coburn grew up in New Jersey, went to Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School, passed the Washington bar, exam spent two years in the U.S. Infantry as a first Lieutenant, and survived a three-year law career, before bailing out and landing a job for King Screen Productions, a filmmaking Division of the KING Broadcasting Company in Seattle. His first assignment there was to make a chart of all the proposals for peace in Vietnam.  He progressed to directing commercials, industrials and documentaries; later to writing educational film scripts for the same company. When the division closed, he worked as a freelance writer doing environmental impact statements, and as a freelance still photographer. He has written five novels: Murder in Concrete (published in 2024) Murder in Madrona (currently in revision); and several awaiting care and review: Boys Will Be Boys, Mostly (general fiction),  Rough Cut (a thriller).

ARTHUR'S AUTHOR PAGE ON AMAZON

The Boardwalk Isn't Boring by Jill Piscitello #CozyMystery

MUSE MONDAY

Please welcome guest, Jill Piscitello for Muse Monday. Being a western gal with no experience of eastern boardwalks, I'm fascinated. She gives us a good visual. Enjoy! 

I recently came across an article featuring the top beach boardwalks in the country and was thrilled to see Hampton Beach, NH, included on the list. One of the reasons I chose Hampton for the setting of A Sour Note was its bustling boardwalk. Every inch of the mile long stretch offers something to delight the senses. Bells and alarms peal out from arcades. Live music resonates from restaurants. In need of a dress, cover-up, swimsuit, flip flops, candy, ice cream, food choices, lemonade, sunblock, or beach toys? If you can name it, you’ll likely find it amongst the countless shops.  

Growing up in New England, I loved visiting Cape Cod with its pristine beaches. But my heart belonged to Nantasket Beach with its own boardwalk, waterslides, and beloved amusement park, Paragon Park. When developers swept in and replaced the park with condominiums, few landmarks remained with the exception of the carousel. 

I didn’t see another boardwalk to rival the Nantasket of my childhood memories until I met my husband and ventured north to Hampton Beach. I’d grown so accustomed to beautiful beaches with the simple pleasures of sand and ocean that the sights and sounds seemed almost too much for me to take in. But when I had children of my own, I saw the setting through their eyes. Hungry? Take your pick from any number of food stands and restaurants. Bored? Visit the arcade or enormous playground overlooking the beach. Need a bathroom? There’s always one nearby. Looking for adventure? Creep and climb over stretches of rocks and find a variety of sea creatures nestled in the sand and seaweed. How do you entertain the family after dinner? They have a band for that. Every night, groups of talented singers and musicians take the stage while the audience sings and dances along under the stars—unless it’s a Wednesday night when the weekly fireworks blaze overhead. 

Sure, sometimes it’s nice to visit a beach offering only peace and beauty. But for my family, summer isn’t summer without at least a few trips to our favorite boardwalk. 

A Sour Note (A Music Box Mystery)

Genre:  Cozy Mystery

Blurb:

On the heels of a public, broken engagement, Maeve Cleary returns to her childhood home in Hampton Beach, NH. When a dead body turns up behind her mother’s music school, three old friends land on the suspect list. Licking her wounds soon takes a back seat to outrunning the paparazzi who spin into a frenzy, casting her in a cloud of suspicion. Maeve juggles her high school sweetheart, a cousin with a touch of clairvoyance, a no-nonsense detective, and an apologetic, two-timing ex-fiancé. Will the negative publicity impact business at the Music Box— the very place she’d hoped to make a fresh start?

Excerpt:

With his mouth set in a grim line, he waited.

If anyone else had enough nerve to presume she owed them an explanation, she would respond with a solid mind your own business. Instead, the seventeen-year-old still inside her refused to tell him to get lost. “He was hiding money in his office.” This was one of those times when learning how to wait a few beats before blurting out inflammatory information would come in handy. Each second of passing silence decreased her ability to breathe in the confined space. She turned the ignition and switched on the air conditioner.

“How do you know?” His volume just above a whisper, each dragged-out word hung in the air.

“I found it.”

“When were you in his office?” He swiped at a bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face, then positioned a vent toward him.

“Last night.” When would she learn to bite her tongue? Finn’s switch from rapid-fire scolding to slow, deliberate questioning left her unable to swallow over the sandpaper lump in her throat.

“Where was Vic?”

She stared at the back of the building, wishing she’d kept her mouth shut. “He’d left for the night.” If she averted her gaze, she could pretend his eyeballs weren’t bugging out of his head, and his jaw didn’t need a crane to haul it off his chest.

“You were at the town hall after hours? Did anyone see you?”

“A custodian opened his door for me.” She snuck a glance. Sure enough, features contorted in shock and horror replaced his boy-next-door good looks. 

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble 

About the Author:

Jill Piscitello is a teacher, author, and an avid fan of multiple literary genres. Although she divides her reading hours among several books at a time, a lighthearted story offering an escape from the real world can always be found on her nightstand.

 

A native of New England, Jill lives with her family and three well-loved cats. When not planning lessons or reading and writing, she can be found spending time with her family, trying out new restaurants, traveling, and going on light hikes. 

Social media links:

Website ~ Twitter  ~ Facebook ~  Instagram  ~ Amazon ~ GoodReads ~ BookBub