Murder Mystery/Ghost Story/Time Travel Romance & eBook Giveaway

Time Travel, Ghosts, and Reincarnation.  Sacred relics and star-crossed lovers. Fantasy, mystery, magic, and above all romance…

“Know that love is truly timeless.” ~Author  Mary M. Ricksen

***For a chance  to win the eBook of one of these featured selections, leave me a comment.

The idea behind my ‘Somewhere series’ is that the story opens in an old home, so far Virginia, and then transports the reader back in time either in the same old house or another place entirely, such as the Scottish Highlands.   As is the case in Somewhere My Lass and the sequel I’m at work on via a portal in time.   All of which is inspired by my fascination with the past. The unifying characteristic of the series is the paranormal/time travel element, but the stories themselves aren’t necessarily tied together.

I came up with the idea about 4-5 years ago while watching one of my favorite British mysteries, Midsomer Murders.  I enjoy the historic setting of these modern day mysteries, but especially when the story flashes back to an even earlier time in an old manor house or church to get to the root of the mystery.  So I thought, why not incorporate that with my love of romance and history.

“Man … can go up against gravitation in a balloon, and why should he not hope that ultimately he may be able to stop or accelerate his drift along the Time-Dimension, or even turn about and travel the other way.”~ H.G. WELLS, The Time Machine

“Once confined to fantasy and science fiction, time travel is now simply an engineering problem.” ~ MICHIO KAKU, Wired Magazine, Aug. 2003

SOMEWHERE MY LOVE:

Star-crossed lovers have a rare chance to reclaim the love cruelly denied them in the past, but can they grasp this brief window in time before it is too late? Newly arrived at Foxleigh, the gracious old Wentworth home in Virginia, British born Julia Morrow is excited at the prospect of a summer working as a guide in the stately house and herb garden. She quickly discovers the historic plantation holds far more. She becomes obsessed with the portrait of handsome Cole Wentworth, killed in a quarrel over the lovely English lady, Julia Maury, two hundred years ago. Then she meets his double, William, the only remaining Wentworth heir. Somehow, Julia must persuade Will that their fates are entwined with those of Cole Wentworth and Julia Maury, and that the man who killed his ancestor has returned to enact the deadly cycle again, or she will lose him twice. The blade is about to fall.~

SOMEWHERE MY LASS:

Neil MacKenzie’s well-ordered life turns to chaos when Mora Campbell shows up claiming he’s her fiancé from 1602 Scotland. Her avowal that she was chased to the future by clan chieftain, Red MacDonald, is utter nonsense, and Neil must convince her that she is just addled from a blow to her head–or so he believes until the MacDonald himself shows up wanting blood.

Mora knows the Neil of the future is truly her beloved Niall who disappeared from the past. Although her kinsmen believe he’s dead, and she is now destined to marry Niall’s brother, she’s convinced that if she and Neil return to the past, all will be right. The only problem is how to get back to 1602 before it’s too late.

The balance of the present and future are in peril if she marries another, and the Neil of the present will cease to exist. An ancient relic and a few good friends in the future help pave the way back to the past, but will Mora and Neil be too late to save a love that began centuries before?~

SOMEWHERE THE BELLS RING: (Release Date 11-09)

Caught with pot in her dorm room, Bailey Randolph is exiled to a relative’s ancestral home in Virginia to straighten herself out. Banishment to Maple Hill is dismal, until a ghost appears requesting her help. Bailey is frightened but intrigued. Then her girlhood crush, Eric Burke, arrives and suddenly Maple Hill isn’t so bad.

To Eric, wounded in Vietnam, his military career shattered, this homecoming feels no less like exile. But when he finds Bailey at Maple Hill, her fairy-like beauty gives him reason to hope–until she tells him about the ghost haunting the house. Then he wonders if her one experiment with pot has made her crazy.

As Bailey and Eric draw closer, he agrees to help her find a long-forgotten Christmas gift the ghost wants. But will the magic of Christmas be enough to make Eric believe–in Bailey and the ghost–before the Christmas bells ring?

**My books are available at The Wild Rose Press, Amazon, Barnes &Noble and other online booksellers

Sweet Excerpt from Gothic/Light Paranormal Romance

EXCERPT from SOMEWHERE MY LOVE:

~Will blew the layer of dust from an ornate wooden box inlaid with ivory and lifted the lid. Inside were brass workings like the mechanism of a clock.  He wound a small gold key in the back until it would wind no more, and released it. The wheels and cogs turned and wonderful music flowed forth, the beautiful strains of a Viennese waltz, The Blue Danube.

Julia clapped her hands. “A music box.”

He bowed. “May I have this dance, sweet Julia?”

She gazed up into his velvet brown eyes, and he gazed back. She managed a nod and he drew her into his arms.

Around the attic he waltzed with her secure in his lead.  Everything fell away except this moment while the haunting melody played on, taking her back to that faintly remembered place. She didn’t even stumble, not once.  It was as if some inner memory guided her in the steps, even though ballroom dancing hadn’t been a part of her lessons.

The music picked up and he swung her around and around. Her dress swirled as he circled. With each turn, he was Will—then Cole, Will—then Cole, both men in rapid succession, separate and yet the same. Her heart pounded from far more than the whirling dance.

The music faded and Will slowly stopped revolving. They stood, his arms circled at her back and waist, eyes locked on each other. His brow furrowed. “Julia, you look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips. “You may be the ghost.”

He tightened his mouth in an impatient line. “Don’t try to make me into Cole again.”

“Will, listen to me. I know it sounds crazy, but I think somehow you already are.”

He dropped his hands, turning away. “Only because you insist I am.”

She grabbed his arm. “No. It’s what I saw while we danced. You must believe me.”

“Believing doesn’t make it any easier,” he said flatly.

“That’s because you think I’m misled.”

He swiveled his head at her. Exasperation flared in his eyes. “There’s a simple reason for my laboring under that assumption. You are.”

“Don’t be angry. I hate that I’ve spoiled such a lovely moment.”

“You’ve a talent for that.” He turned and strode across the floor. His footsteps echoed on the boards with a hollow sound, just as her heart would beat if he left.

She ran behind him and reached out, catching his plush shoulder. “Consider me balmy, if you must, but don’t walk away. Please Will.”

He stayed as he was. “What do you want me to do, Julia?”

“I don’t know.” She wasn’t strong enough to turn him and dashed in front instead, grasping his upper arms and twisting the fabric in her fingers. “Something—anything.”

He smiled faintly. “Never say those words to a man.”

Cupping her face between his hands, he bent his head and closed his lips over hers in an all consuming kiss…so swiftly she hardly knew what had happened. Even if he hadn’t cupped her cheeks, she wouldn’t have moved. The compelling press of his mouth bound her in place. If possible, Julia’s heart thudded even faster than it had before. The surging pulse drummed through her entire being, reverberating in places she didn’t even know she had. From what she could remember of her dream with Cole, her feelings had been poignant but tender. The sensations coursing through her now weren’t entirely that. An exhilarating passion was sweeping her up in a shocking tide.

“Who am I now?” Will whispered against her mouth.

She loosened her grip on his jacket in speechless surprise, too breathless to tell him she didn’t care.~

STAR-CROSSED LOVERS, FLASHBACKS TO EARLY 18TH CENTURY VIRGINIA, GHOSTLY, MURDER MYSTERY ROMANCE…

SOMEWHERE MY LOVE 

“As I read Somewhere My Love, I recalled the feelings I experienced the first time I read Daphne DuMaurier’s Rebecca.” ~Joysann, Publishers Weekly

*Available in print and digital download at: The Wild Rose Press, Amazon,Barnes & Noble and many other online booksellers.

“A true friend stabs you in the front.” - Oscar Wilde

“In a friend you find a second self.” ~ Isabelle Norton
My light paranormal romance, Somewhere My Lass, is a story of romance on the deepest level, and also of friendship.  To quote reviewer Poinsettia from Long and Short Reviews:

“Neil’s best friend, Fergus, is one of the most amusing secondary characters I’ve read in a long time. His bright orange hair and obsession with science fiction and technology made me smile throughout the story. Fergus is a friend in the truest sense of the word. He’s willing to follow Neil into the past to lend a hand, and his belt full of gadgets saves Neil’s life on more than one occasion.

I’m a fan of Ms. Trissel’s historical romances, so I was intrigued at the idea that her latest story would include the element of time travel. Somewhere My Lass, is book two in Ms. Trissel’s Somewhere series, but it is not necessary to read the previous book to enjoy this story. Once I started reading Somewhere My Lass, I found Ms. Trissel had masterfully blended the past and the present in order to create a lovely romance that spans centuries. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a touching tale of love and friendship.”

As a tribute to friendship, I offer the following quotes.
“Thy friendship oft has made my heart to ache: do be my enemy for friendship’s sake.”
- William Blake

“Tell me what company thou keepst, and I’ll tell thee what thou art.”
– Miguel de Cervantes (1547 – 1616) Spanish novelist.

“Have no friends not equal to yourself.”
– Confucious (551 – 497 BC) Chinese philosopher. 

“Fate chooses your relations, you choose your friends.”
– Jacques Delille (1738 – 1813) French poet.
 
“A Friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of Nature.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882)


“A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him I may think aloud.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

“The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be one.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson


“If a man does not make new acquaintance as he advances through life, he will soon find himself left alone. A man, Sir, should keep his friendship in constant repair.”
– Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784) British lexiographer.


“True happiness consists not in the multitude of friends, but in their worth and choice.”
– Samuel Johnston
“It is more shameful to distrust one’s friends than to be deceived by them.”
– Duc de la Rochefoucauld (1613 – 1680) French writer.

“If it is abuse – why one is always sure to here of it from one damned good-natured friend or other!”
– Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751 – 1816) British dramatist.

“Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for ’tis better to be alone than in bad company.”
– George Washington

“True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.”
– George Washington

“I can never think of promoting my convenience at the expense of a friend’s interest and inclination.”
– George Washington

“Should auld aquaintance be forgot, And never brought to min’?”
– Robert Burns (1759 – 1796) Scottish poet.

“It is not so much our friends’ help that helps us as the confident knowledge that they will help us.”
– Epicurus (341 – 270 BC) Greek philosopher.


“These are called the pious frauds of friendship.”
– Henry Fielding (1707 – 1754) British novelist.

“Always, Sir, set a high value on spontaneous kindness. he whose inclination prompts him to cultivate your friendship of his own accord, will love you more than one whom you have been at pains to attach to you.”
– Samuel Johnston (1709 – 1784) British lexicographer.

 
“To like and dislike the same things, that is indeed true friendship.”
– Sallust (86 – 334 BC) Roman historian

“One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives.”
– Euripides, Greek playwrite

“My friends are my estate.”
– Emily Dickinson

“Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.”
– Woodrow Wilson

“Anybody can sympathize with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathize with a friend’s success.”- Oscar Wilde
 
“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”
– Mother Teresa

“When true friends meet in adverse hour;
‘Tis like a sunbeam through a shower.
A watery way an instant seen,
The darkly closing clouds between.”
– Sir Walter Scott

“... no man is useless
while he has a friend.”
– Robert Louis Stevenson

“A true friend stabs you in the front.”
- Oscar Wilde
“Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy you must have somebody to divide it with.”
– Mark Twain

“Thus nature has no love for solitude, and always leans, as it were, on some support; and the sweetest support is found in the most intimate friendship.”
– Cicero

“Advice is like snow; the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind.”
– Samuel Taylor Coleridge
“The best mirror is an old friend.”
– George Herbert

“The friendship that can cease has never been real.” – Saint Jerome
 
“I count myself in nothing else so happy
As in a soul rememb’ring my good friends.”
– William Shakespeare

“I find friendship to be like wine, raw when new, ripened with age, the true old man’s milk and restorative cordial.”
– Thomas Jefferson

“The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend. I have no wealth to bestow on him. If he knows that I am happy in loving him, he will want no other reward. Is not friendship divine in this?”
– Henry David Thoreau

*Pics are of family, friends, and those who have gone before us.

Follow Your Heart

Many authors wisely choose a genre and stick with it. Most master a specific time period, such as the Regency romance world, and set up camp there. Not me. Like a restless spirit, I wander about visiting various places, even time travel to land in some of them. Writing would be far easier if I’d stay put, but not, I expect, as much fun. So I write both historical, with varying time periods and settings, and light paranormal romance, generally with a time travel or ghost in the fantasy meld.I follow where my heart leads as new stories beckon.

In Daughter of the Wind, I even ventured into the shape shifting realm with a bearwalking Shawnee warrior. Depending upon whom you consult among the Shawnee, they may not consider this to be ‘fantasy’ but an actual ability some of their people possess, or used to in ages past. Daughter of the Wind also has a magical moonstone necklace which I wish I could have kept, but the novel sucked that prize in and won’t let me have it back. Bummer.

Light paranormal romance Somewhere My Lass was a departure for me in that I also wove kewl sci-fi stuff into this Scottish time travel. My paranormals require the same research I’d do for a historical because there are other time periods to explore, and then the added contemplation involved in otherworldly elements, so they are not easy, but enjoyable in a challenging way. I admit to gleaning inspiration from some of the movies I’ve seen, and a few stories I’ve read, but I do have an occasional original thought, more than I’m sometimes given credit for.

To further explore my latest light paranormal release, here’s the blurb and excerpt from  

Somewhere My Lass.

Blurb:
 
Neil MacKenzie's well ordered life turns to chaos when Mora Campbell shows up claiming he's her fiance from 1602 Scotland. Her avowal that she was chased to the future by clan chieftain, Red MacDonald, is utter nonsense, and Neil must convince her that she is just addled from a blow to her head--or so he believes until the MacDonald himself shows up wanting blood.

Mora knows the Neil of the future is truly her beloved Niall who disappeared from the past. Although her kinsmen believe he's dead, and she is now destined to marry Niall's brother, she's convinced that if she and Neil return to the past, all will be right. The only problem is how to get back to 1602 before it's too late.

The balance of the present and future are in peril if she marries another, and the Neil of the present will cease to exist. An ancient relic and a few good friends in the future help pave the way back to the past, but will Mora and Neil be too late to save a love that began centuries before?

Excerpt:
 
“You are a beauty.” His words were a hoarse whisper.
 
The rise and fall of her chest betrayed a deep inhalation of breath. A flicker of reproach lit her eyes. 
“I dinna think ye took heed of me at all.”
 
He winced at the well-deserved jab. “About before, I’m sorry I left you so suddenly. But there’s no earthly way I could fail to notice you. I’d have to be deaf, dumb, and blind and even then…”
 
The tension in her face eased and then the hurt returned. “Oh, aye? How could ye forget all ye knew?” 
 
He remained as he was, threading that wealth of hair through his fingers. Again, the rational part of him argued, “Is it possible you’re imagining you knew me before?”
 
She balked, a mutinous glint in her eyes. “Nae.”
 
He slid his hand to the finely crafted silver chain at her throat and coaxed the coverlets further down.
 
A slight gasp escaped her lips. He muted any outward response to the thrill running through him. 
 
The scooped neckline of her nightgown revealed the tops of white breasts sprinkled with freckles. Above this heart-hammering sight hung the crucifix. “I gave this to you?” he managed to ask without betraying the swell of emotion surging inside him.
 
“At our betrothal.” 

                                                      ***