- What is your “day” job if you are not a full time
author?
I work in corporate communications for a bank,
writing employee emails, video scripts, talking points for leaders and articles
for newsletters and our intranet.
- If you wrote a book about your life what would the
title be?
Write Away! I started my career as a journalist, and
I’m a deadline driven writer and person.
- What is the hardest thing about being an author?
Juggling writing with my full-time career, family
and other responsibilities can be tough, but it’s totally worth it.
- What is the best thing about being an author?
I’m finally living my dream. I’ve always wanted to
write a book. But I didn’t come up with the story for my first novel until two
years ago when my husband and I stayed at a beach cottage with a spooky
backyard, filled with old oak trees that were dripping with Spanish moss. The
story practically wrote itself.
- Have you ever been star struck by meeting one of
your favorite authors? If so who was it?
Unfortunately, I haven’t met any of my
favorite authors in person. My favorite author passed away last year. I regret
not taking the time to attend one of her book signings.
- What book changed your life?
A Wrinkle in Time taught me how to think outside of
the box with my creative writing. It definitely had a huge impact on me at an
early age.
- What were your some of favorite books growing up?
I loved everything from books by R.L. Stine to
classics like The Secret Garden. I read at least two books a week throughout
grade school and middle school. When I started high school, I slowed down a
little because I was involved in several time-consuming extracurricular
activities, like newspaper staff and band.
- What books are currently in your to be read pile?
There are so many! I just started Grief Cottage by
Gail Godwin, and The Southern Bookclub’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady
Hendrix is up next.
- Which do you prefer ebooks, print, or audio books?
I love all three for different reasons – ebooks are
great for reading in bed and while traveling; paperbacks are awesome for reading
outdoors or during the day; and I listen to audio books while I’m doing chores
or other mindless activities.
- If you could live inside the world of a book or
series which world would it be and why?
Heather Graham’s Krewe of Hunters’ series always
takes place in an interesting locale. I’d be happy to hang out with her ghost
hunters and help solve mysteries, while interacting with interesting
characters, both dead and alive.
The Haunting on Palm Court
Isle of Palms Suspense
Book One
Stephanie Edwards
Genre: Romantic Suspense, Paranormal
Date of Publication: Sept. 1, 2020
ISBN: 9781735169101
ASIN: B089QXJHPV
Number of pages: 252
Word Count: 69,786
Cover Artist: Stephanie Edwards
Tagline: He refused to leave her alone, even after his death
Book Description:
After Blake Nelson catches her abusive fiancé, Parker, with another woman, she seeks serenity at her late grandmother’s beach cottage. He follows Blake to the island and attempts to kill her, but instead, he dies in an accident while fleeing the police.
His malevolent spirit returns to the cottage to finish what he started. The haunting intensifies when Blake reconnects with her first love, Clint. Will Blake discover how to banish Parker before it’s too late?
Excerpt:
The last bit of
winter wind pierced her flesh as she put on the cardigan. She sat down on the
worn decking boards on the widow’s walk. Pulling the sweater down over her
knees, she allowed the waves to impart their healing magic, calming her as much
as possible.
Once she had
experienced all the bitter wind she could handle, Blake went back downstairs.
She caught her reflection in the foyer mirror. Her eyes swollen and red, and
her skin chapped from the wind. Nancy reached out to comfort Blake.
“I’m staying
with you tonight. You shouldn’t be alone. By the way, Clint is sleeping in his
patrol car in the driveway.”
“Please tell him
to go home,” Blake said.
Nancy walked
outside for a moment. When she returned, she put her hands on her hips. “He
refuses to leave you.” She gave Blake a meaningful wink, but Blake was in no
place to pick up on hints, regardless of their level of subtlety.
“Goodnight,
Nancy. Thanks for staying with me.” Blake walked upstairs to her room.
She squirmed in
bed for hours. Parker had hurt her; still, his death saddened her.
After falling
into a fitful sleep, her unrest turned into a series of disturbing dreams and
frightening images. In a state between nightmare and wakefulness, she woke in a
cold sweat, with a pounding headache. A prickly sensation tingled across her
body. She turned. Parker lay behind her, smirking. Paralyzed with fear, Blake
sat frozen in her bed, staring at him. His wasn’t the first spirit she’d seen,
not by a longshot. But seeing him, her heartrate sped up, and her breathing
turned shallow.
His face
illuminated by the light of the full moon, Parker smiled and traced the outline
of her face with his index finger. He leaned in to kiss her, but she jumped out
of bed. He began inching toward her, but Blake flipped the mattress onto the
floor.
Blake turned on
the lamp on her bedside table. When her eyes adjusted, Parker had disappeared.
She bent over to check under her bed, jumping when she accidentally stepped on
one of Willow’s squeaky toys. She breathed a sigh of relief when she kicked
aside the plush stuffed animal.
Someone knocked
on her bedroom door. She called out, “Yes?”
“What’s the
matter?” Nancy asked.
Blake opened the
door. Nancy rubbed her eyes. “I had a nightmare that Parker was in bed with
me,” Blake said. “When I woke up, he was there. It’s the creepiest feeling I’ve
ever experienced.” She shivered.
Nancy gasped and
placed her hands on her cheeks. “Oh, my word! Are you all right?”
“I’m frightened,
but I’m okay.”
Blake’s chest
caved inward. Over the past year, she had faced some traumatic, life-altering
events. As an empath, Blake was no stranger to interacting with spirits, but
Parker’s was the first who had frightened her.
“Will he come
back? If he does, how will we get rid of him?”
Nancy hugged her
but didn’t say a word, unusual for her. She had to be hiding something.
“What aren’t you
telling me?” Blake demanded.
Nancy put her
finger to her lips. “It’s a long story for another day, but you’re not alone in
seeing spirits. It’s part of your family’s past, and mine for that matter. Just
trust me, it’ll be okay.”
Blake threw her
hands into the air. “But…”
Nancy shook her
head. “Shh, honey. Not right now. Please calm down. It’s late. Get some rest.
We’ll take care of Parker all in good time.”
Emotional and
physical exhaustion had taken its toll on Blake. She returned to her bed but
did not sleep for the rest of the night. Every time she drifted off, Parker’s
dead eyes stared at her, boring a hole into her soul.
About the Author:
Stephanie Edwards has been writing professionally since she landed her first newspaper column at the age of 13. Her love for the Lowcountry, the Atlantic Ocean and a good ghost story inspired her to write her first book. She lives in Tennessee with her husband, Ron, and their adorable dog, Shadow.
Website: www.stephedwardswrites.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/steph_a_edwards
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/StephEdwardsWrites/
Check out Pearls of Wisdom,
an adult coloring book featuring Southern colloquialisms
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