For fifteen minutes each night a portal opens in Tamara’s
barn and a horde of ghosts spills into her yard. She and Dex work together to
find a way to help Cal and the thousands of spirits stuck in the void to cross
over. When she learns she has the ghost touch—the ability to touch the ghosts
as if they were corporeal—and she accidentally helps a little boy cross, she
believes it might be possible. But not all the spirits play nice and when they
learn they can sip energy from her ghost touch, they become greedy putting her
life at risk.
barn and a horde of ghosts spills into her yard. She and Dex work together to
find a way to help Cal and the thousands of spirits stuck in the void to cross
over. When she learns she has the ghost touch—the ability to touch the ghosts
as if they were corporeal—and she accidentally helps a little boy cross, she
believes it might be possible. But not all the spirits play nice and when they
learn they can sip energy from her ghost touch, they become greedy putting her
life at risk.
Each time Cal has to pull her from the mass of ghosts, her
touch restores him more and more until he is at danger of being stuck on
earth—forever, which is very enticing to Tamara the better she knows him. Will
she and Dex figure out how to help the spirits cross and if they do, will she
be able to let Cal go?
touch restores him more and more until he is at danger of being stuck on
earth—forever, which is very enticing to Tamara the better she knows him. Will
she and Dex figure out how to help the spirits cross and if they do, will she
be able to let Cal go?
Excerpt:
Tamara rubbed her hands together then held them
toward the fire. The air had an extra chill to it. “Hurry up, they should be
here soon.”
toward the fire. The air had an extra chill to it. “Hurry up, they should be
here soon.”
She’d barely finished speaking when bright light
burst through the barn. Tamara spun back around. “Dex!”
burst through the barn. Tamara spun back around. “Dex!”
She shielded her eyes with a hand searching for
Dex’s familiar silhouette, but couldn’t make him out in the chaos of ghosts
streaming from within the building.
Dex’s familiar silhouette, but couldn’t make him out in the chaos of ghosts
streaming from within the building.
“Dex!” she shouted again, leaping forward and running
toward the door. A stabbing pain of cold sliced through her upper arm when she
knocked against the ghost with the shovel in his hand. He stopped to stare at
her with a surprised expression on his face. She pushed forward, ignoring the
increasing pain as she jostled up against the ghosts.
toward the door. A stabbing pain of cold sliced through her upper arm when she
knocked against the ghost with the shovel in his hand. He stopped to stare at
her with a surprised expression on his face. She pushed forward, ignoring the
increasing pain as she jostled up against the ghosts.
A knot of ghosts hunkered together where she last
saw Dexter. She pushed through them, her warm touch surprising enough to make
them jump back. Dex lay crumpled in a quivering ball at the center of the
group. Tamara kneeled beside him and clutched his shoulders.
saw Dexter. She pushed through them, her warm touch surprising enough to make
them jump back. Dex lay crumpled in a quivering ball at the center of the
group. Tamara kneeled beside him and clutched his shoulders.
“Dex! Are you okay?” He didn’t respond, just
rocked to and fro, mumbling incoherent words. She shouted. “Dex! Can you hear
me?”
rocked to and fro, mumbling incoherent words. She shouted. “Dex! Can you hear
me?”
His gaze finally lifted, a wary look colored with
terror.
terror.
“Oh my God.” Tamara wrapped her arms around him.
His body was ice cold. She pressed as much of herself against him as she could
and buried her face in his hair. “I gotcha. You’ll be okay.”
His body was ice cold. She pressed as much of herself against him as she could
and buried her face in his hair. “I gotcha. You’ll be okay.”
Then she became aware of an ache worming through
her muscles and realized hands pawed at her, clutched her, and were trying to
pull her away. She raised a furious glare at the eager crowd of ghouls and
snarled. “Stop! Leave us alone.”
her muscles and realized hands pawed at her, clutched her, and were trying to
pull her away. She raised a furious glare at the eager crowd of ghouls and
snarled. “Stop! Leave us alone.”
However, hunger showed in the eyes of those who’d
been dead a short enough time to still have them. Actions became more insistent
and then combative. The group shoved and swayed until she worried she’d be
crushed beneath them when they fell. She kept her arms wrapped around Dex,
hoping to keep the spirits off him, but many simply reached through him to get
to her. He shuddered violently and had grown quiet.
been dead a short enough time to still have them. Actions became more insistent
and then combative. The group shoved and swayed until she worried she’d be
crushed beneath them when they fell. She kept her arms wrapped around Dex,
hoping to keep the spirits off him, but many simply reached through him to get
to her. He shuddered violently and had grown quiet.
Each individual touch drained her of warmth and
energy, yet they continued to grope at her arms and back, tug on her hair and
clothing. She grew weaker and weaker until the edges of her vision dimmed and
she could barely feel the boy she was trying to protect. Just before she passed
out, a roar penetrated her frozen mind and she sensed more than saw the crowd
spring away. But she was already too far gone and lost consciousness just as
lukewarm hands gripped her upper arms.
energy, yet they continued to grope at her arms and back, tug on her hair and
clothing. She grew weaker and weaker until the edges of her vision dimmed and
she could barely feel the boy she was trying to protect. Just before she passed
out, a roar penetrated her frozen mind and she sensed more than saw the crowd
spring away. But she was already too far gone and lost consciousness just as
lukewarm hands gripped her upper arms.
Reviews:
The writing’s terrific,
the storyline compelling. Truth be told, I rushed to the end to find out who
Tamara would end up with.
the storyline compelling. Truth be told, I rushed to the end to find out who
Tamara would end up with.
-Stuart R. West
About the author: LA
Dragoni isn’t too particular about who falls in love or where they fall in
love. She simply considers it her job to capture the story about their love.
Whether it’s paranormal, mythical, or time travel, LA will be there to divine
their story for you. She lives in Central Oregon with her husband and children,
but haunts ghost towns and cemeteries up and down the west, in search of the
next adventure to sift through her storytelling brain. Follow LA on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to her mailing list and learn more about LA and
her work at www.ladragoni.com
Margaret Fieland Unique Visions 