Today I welcome author Samantha to My Reading Room. You may recognize the name from the great Harlequin Blaze novels that she has written over the years, now she is branching out into mystery (though most of her romances have had an element of mystery in them). From what I have read from the book, you don't want to miss out on this one. So without further ado - please welcome Samantha Hunter.
Sam: Sophie, how did you get started reading the tarot?
Sophie: Well, my Aunt Doris owned this shop, and I lived her with her and my father, upstairs. She read cards, and when she and my father were killed, I took over running the shop. I didn't know much about it at first, but I just taught myself and went from there. Most people who come in for readings are just looking for someone to talk to, and the cards can provide us a thing to focus on, a way to bring out elements of the conversation. I try not to predict things, but to use the cards to get insight into whatever questions they ask. I really just try to listen and help people as much as I can.
Sam: What was it like, growing up in Tarot Alley, in a tarot parlor?
Sophie: Well, I can't remember a lot of it -- when my aunt and my father were killed, I suffered a fall that left me with some injuries, including memory loss. I can remember making cookies with my aunt, and going to baseball games with my Dad. But I don't remember too much about the shop -- the police said it's because they were killed here, and I guess I just blanked it all out.
Sam: Are you happy now?
Sophie: I think so, yes. I'm engaged to a police detective, Roger, who is wonderful, though he really isn't crazy about the paranormal or my working here. He wants me to sell the store so we can start a new life, and I can do something more. . . .
Sam: Normal?
Sophie: Yes, I suppose. Roger is big on normal.
Sam: But Patrice's death is throwing a curve into that, I'm sorry to say. Especially with the ghost that appeared right before she was killed. I don't imagine Roger believes in ghosts, either.
Sophie: No. He gets really upset when I bring it up. He means well. He thinks I am just overwhelmed by what happened, but I know it's more than that. It's caused some problems between us, for sure. Roger is not happy with me looking into this, but I have to find out what happened. I don't think we can move on until I do that.
Sam: Like working with Dr. Gabe Mason, a local ghost hunter?
Sophie: He's not really a ghost hunter -- they call him a ghost therapist because he tries to figure out why they are here -- which is what I need to do. I think the ghost I keep seeing has something to do with Patrice's death, and I have to know what it is.
Sam: But Gabe is pretty cute, huh? Maybe Roger is jealous?
Sophie: I don't think so. . .maybe. But he has nothing to be jealous of. Gabe and I are just working together.
Sam: Um, okay, if you say so. So with your shop, the investigation, college, and two good-looking guys in your life, you sure have your hands full.
Sophie: Everything will settle down when we get past this. Then I can get back to normal.
Sam: Well, there are always surprises along the way.
Sophie: Like what?
Sam: I've said enough. I'll leave that for you to find out on your own.
Writing Past Tense was a labor of love, and a lot of fun. I hope you'll check it out. :)
Thank you so much for joining us today Sam and Sophie, so run and check out Sam's new book Past Tense. My review will be coming soon. You can check out Sam's book at the Amazon.com link below and be sure and check out her website and blog as well.
About Past Tense:
Sophie Turner runs Talismans, a Boston tarot parlor, where she reads tarot and keeps her family’s psychic legacy alive. However, in spite of her tragic family history and Tarot Alley’s reputation for being a mystical hotspot, Sophie has no psychic powers of her own – or so she thinks. Engaged to straight-as-an-arrow Boston PD Detective Roger Paris, and finishing her college degree in Computer Science, she’s ready to start a brand new life that has nothing to do with her paranormal past.
When the murder of her friend and client Patrice Bledsoe leaves Sophie traumatized, she can’t trust her own memory about what happened. She remembers a ghostly encounter moments before Patrice was killed, but she can’t remember anything about the murder, making her a prime suspect. Sophie doesn’t understand why the ghost appeared or why she was compelled to read his cards, revealing a story of violence and betrayal, but she is determined to find the truth about her friend’s murder.
It’s not the last time Sophie sees the tragic ghost figure, and she begins to believe her ghost is real when she’s plagued with visions she can’t ignore. When her skeptical fiancé won’t listen, she asks ghost hunter Dr. Gabe Mason for his help, leading her down a path of no return in more ways than one.
Giveaway:
Update: Final details - Sam is giving away a set of her Spring Blaze titles: Blazing Bedtime Stories and Make Your Move. I have Blazing Bedtime Stories and can't wait to read that one.
About the Books:
Blazing Bedtime Stories:
Bestselling authors Kimberly Raye and Samantha Hunter invite you to experience a little magic, a little mystery... and a lot of really hot sex!
Cupid's Bite by Kimberly Raye
When dark falls in Skull Creek, Texas, Lucy Rivers has the most incredible lover in her bed! Between the blindfolds and his bold lips, she's finding an ecstasy she only dreamed about. Her nighttime Cupid pierces her with his every erotic want...and then some! Too bad he's only there until the sun comes up....
I Wish He Might... by Samantha Hunter
Nina Larson has a personal genie...seductive, sexy Alec! Her every wish is his command...and does she ever have some X-rated wishes! Each desire he fulfills propels her into another, even hotter one. But Nina holds the key to Alec's freedom. Problem is, she's not sure she can surrender the most fantastic sex of her life!
Make Your Move:
Jodie Patterson's posh bakery is all about satisfying cravings. Her signature aphrodisiac cookies have been flying off the shelves...and giving Jodie some delicious ideas of her own.
Behind his owlish glasses, Jodie's business partner, Dr. Dan Ellison, is the male equivalent of the Naughty Professor. Jodie is more than ready to indulge her fantasies with this wolf-in-geek's-clothing as long as they set some ground rules: sex is sex, business is business and nothing will change. Yeah, right! After that first addictive kiss, it's time to see if they can really satisfy each other's appetites....
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