Dead Girls Are Easy is an irreverent look at what happens when a former Goth girl has a near-death experience, and comes back to life with more morbid spirituality than she ever expected. Restless female spirits now sense a kindred soul in Nicki Styx, but she'd far rather they take their tales of woe elsewhere. If becoming a reluctant 'ghoulfriend' to the dead isn't enough to turn that pink streak in her hair to white, she still has a vintage clothing store to run and buried secrets to keep from the handsome emergency room doctor who's doing some digging of his own. (read an excerpt here)
Uninvited (contemporary paranormal) - Starting life over again in a house where a murder/suicide has been committed was hardly Jody Hanover's idea of a great beginning. Discovering that a place may be haunted by past tragedies is not the stuff a once-battered woman dreams of. No longer willing to be a victim, Jody sets out to discover whether the shadows that threaten her home and her happiness are long-dead lovers, or mistakes from her own troubled past. (read an excerpt here)
Runes Of Fire (historical paranormal) - Set amid the crumbling glories of ancient Rome, one man's journey to unite an empire becomes a warrior woman's initiation into decadence and desire. A would-be priest is forced to choose between the strength of his loyalties and the heat of his passions; while while a female gladiator fights the two mightiest opponents she has ever faced – another man’s God, and her own secret longings. (read an excerpt here)
Druid Moon (historical paranormal) - A Druid priestess and a Roman general tempt the hand of fate in early Roman Britain as a prophecy comes to life, and the age of Camelot begins. (read an excerpt here)
The Pleasure Was Mine (historical) - A Georgian period romance about a young woman who turns the tables on love and lust, only to find that while pleasure can be managed, the heart has a mind of its own. (read an excerpt here)
DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY
When a former Goth girl has a near-death experience and returns to life with a whole new outlook, she isn’t happy to find that she’s brought a ‘sixth sense’ back with her. Restless female spirits now sense a kindred soul in NICKI STYX, but she’d far rather they take their tales of woe elsewhere. If becoming a reluctant ‘ghoulfriend’ to the dead isn’t enough to turn that pink streak in her hair to white, she still has a vintage clothing store to run and buried secrets to keep from the handsome emergency room doctor who’s doing some digging of his own. UNINVITED
Joe Bascombe gets a second chance when the pretty young woman whose heart just stopped comes back to life, and he’s determined not to waste it. Too much work and responsibility have made Dr. Joe a dull boy, and a quirky gamine-faced girl with a zest for life might just be the cure he needs. Too bad she thinks she sees dead people.
Near-death experiences are not unheard of in the medical profession, and Joe decides it might be time to write a paper on the topic and document any after effects, using Nicki as his first subject. Research was never this much fun back in medical school, but when a friend of Nicki’s is murdered and she insists the dead woman needs her help, Joe finds himself questioning the wisdom of getting involved with such a free spirit. When Nicki’s ghostly friend starts popping up in his own life, Joe has to decide what’s real and what’s not - including his relationship with Nicki.
A carefree lifestyle suited Nicki just fine, but life changes after death passes her by. Never one to meddle in other people’s affairs, she now finds herself burdened with the responsibility of seeing justice is done in her friend’s murder. The dead woman’s spirit claims that her live-in boyfriend, already arrested for homicide, is innocent and needs to be set free. When Nicki balks at playing detective, the bosom buddy she had in life becomes a pain in the neck in death, frightening not only Nicki but her best friend and partner, the flamboyantly gay man who manages her clothing store. Growing feelings for the wholesome and responsible Joe complicate the issue, and Nicki finds herself longing for something she never expected - a normal life.
In the end, Nicki learns that the ‘dearly departed’ don’t always tell the truth. Her ghostly friend wants revenge, not justice. But no ghost is going to get the best of this former Goth girl. Together, Nicki and Joe make sure justice is served and the troublesome spirit is sent on to the other side.
Eventually, Nicki may find that dealing with dead girls is easier than dealing with reality, but for now Nicki and Joe have found something to live for. The hereafter will just have to wait while they enjoy the here-and-now.
First Place – Spooky category, 2004 Sweet, Spicy & Spooky Contest
Excerpt
Starting life over again in a house where a murder/suicide has been
committed was hardly Jody Hanover’s idea of a great beginning. Discovering
that a place may be haunted by past tragedies is not the stuff a once-battered
woman dreams of. Spectral sightings and bumps in the night
belong to the world of nightmares.
Twenty-nine year old Jody left behind a restraining order and
a bad seven year marriage to return to her hometown in Oregon. Waiting in
Medford are Jody’s three sisters, a new home, and a new job at IntelLogic Software. The last thing the skeptical young woman expects to find is
a house full of angry spirits and a mystery man who tempts
her desires and tugs at her heart.
The safe haven Jody dreams of finding slowly becomes a
frightening place where shadows take form and phantoms roam. Cold spots and ghostly laughter, inexplicable whispers and odd smells permeate the air.
Could Adam Jamison, the downstairs neighbor who shares her
split-level rental, be trying to frighten Jody into his arms? Or, as Jody’s reluctant research intriguingly
suggests, is her home haunted by the ghost of a man killed by his lover for his
infidelities? When Jody learns proof of a murder/suicide, she turns to her sisters
for help.
A new-Age cleansing ceremony, a terrifying seance and dangerous use of a Ouija board make matters worse. A stubborn Jody refuses
to accept a threat from the paranormal, until she discovers an eerie coincidence
– one of her sisters briefly dated the murdered man.
As unnatural events combine to shake Jody’s faith in
reality, a reluctant attraction to Adam pulls her into a
romantic relationship that troubles her almost as much as the strange
occurrences in the house. Adam’s kindness and concern for her
well-being could well be Jody’s undoing, whether to her bruised heart or her
very life. Can she trust that Adam is what he appears, and take a chance on
love. . . or could her refusal to face her fears in one world leave her victim
to the passions of the next?
No longer willing to be a victim, a determined Jody sets out
to discover if she is being harassed by a spirit, or stalked by a
flesh-and-blood evil.
Are ghosts spectral remnants of strong emotions, or are they
restless spirits angry at the living? Do our own personal demons confuse us so
much we can't tell the difference? These are the questions Jody Hanover must
deal with, but only she can determine how to live with the answers.
One man’s journey of
discovery becomes a warrior woman’s initiation to a decadent world of
sensuality and desire. 
While the fate of a fractured Roman empire lies in the
hands of a man torn between his religious vows and his thirst for adventure, a
former gladiatrix finds herself experiencing feelings for a man she does not
want, and cannot have.
Marcus Rowan Aurelius would leave his home in Britannia
to travel to the seat of his heritage and his destiny – the great cities of
Rome and Constantinople. Swept into the corrupt world of Roman politics and
intrigue, Rowan finds himself the reluctant protector of an Egyptian woman who
seems able to invade his mind. Refusing to admit the exotic beauty stirs desires
long denied, Rowan suspects sorcery to be at the heart of the inexplicable bond
between them, and his own instant, burning attraction.
Cassia of Alexandria,
Serpent of the Nile, has survived her Imperial slavery by training, instinct and
reflex. As a female gladiator, she is both acclaimed as a champion and reviled
as a witch, for Cassia is a follower of the Egyptian goddess of the Underworld
– the ancient Cult of Isis.
While the world falls away, Cassia and Rowan
connect, beginning a stormy relationship that must weather the perils of travel
and the threat of treachery. Spies and assassins, plots and conspiracies – all
must be revealed and unraveled amid the crumbling glory of ancient Rome.
Rowan
is forced to choose between the strength of his loyalties and the heat of his
desires; while Cassia fights the two mightiest opponents she has ever faced –
another man’s God, and her own secret longings.
A Druid priestess and a Roman general struggle against destiny and desire in fifth century Roman Britain. Diametrically opposed in politics and religion, the two are fated to entwine their hearts and lives, and ultimately, their cultures. Ariana, gifted with the Sight, knows this – while an unsuspecting Gaius does not.
Gaius Aurelius has proved himself a champion to Rome’s legions, his victories achieved in support of a devoutly Catholic emperor. Now determined to reclaim the abandoned villa of his boyhood, Gaius finds he must first do battle with the shadowy realm of mysticism embodied in Ariana of the Brigantes. Torn between his own ambitions and his fated attraction to the ethereal Druidess, Gaius must choose between a glorious future, or a mysterious beauty living amid the ruins of the past.
Ariana is a ‘sensitive’, daughter to a long-dead Viking skald and a gentle Celtic woman. Born with the gifts of empathy and precognition, Ariana was claimed by her mother’s people and raised among the Druids. She takes takes great risk revealing her true nature to one of the Roman conquerors, despite a foreknowledge their destinies entwine. Ariana faces her fate bravely, but does not tell Gaius all. Proud of her heritage, at ease with her spirituality, Ariana is determined Gaius come to accept her of his own free will - but on her terms.
An uneasy political alliance develops into a tentative journey of discovery for two powerful personalities. Gaius struggles to ignore his lust for the Druid beauty, while Ariana has no qualms about using her feminine charms to captivate and ensnare the reluctant, yet fascinated Roman.
Kidnapping, murder, and magic all play a part as Gaius and Ariana eventually overcome their prejudices and conflicting peoples. Ariana cannot deny her desire for the man she has waited for all her life, and Gaius cannot resist forever the spell the mysterious Druidess unknowingly casts to claim his soul. Together, they forge a new life of passion and tolerance, proving fate cannot be denied.
Cassandra Dennison is deceived by the man she plans to marry. The
headstrong only daughter of a wealthy widower, Casey has naively
accepted the proposal of an unscrupulous fortune hunter. When Cassandra's father
exposes the false fiance's deceitfulness, Casey swears never to be so trusting
of men again. Her heart hardened against love, it is not the best time for Casey
to meet Lucas Wainwright, the widely-traveled son of an invalid neighbor.
Raised abroad and now returned to his family estate to seek a
suitable bride, Lucas finds his interest sparked by the fiery beauty. He begins
a single-minded pursuit of Casey that includes recalling to her father long
forgotten talk of a possible childhood betrothal.
Determined to oppose Lucas's attempts to woo her, Casey finds
resisting her seduction to be a difficult task. But while Lucas succeeds in forcing Casey to admit her
body's cravings, he finds he must work harder to win her heart - for Casey is
adamant that her newly-discovered sexuality does not obligate her to marriage.
In the meantime, Casey's former fiance' is bent upon revenge.
Jealous and humiliated, he uses arson, attempted murder, blackmail and rape to
seek his vengeance. Panicked and feeling besieged on all sides, Casey takes
refuge in action, impulsively leaping at an opportunity to sail to the British
colony of Massachusetts to visit an aunt. What she is unaware of until well into
the voyage is that her former fiance is aboard the ship with her - for Boston is
where they have both chosen to flee, though for different reasons. Menaced and
alone, Casey discovers during the long voyage that not only is she with child,
but she has made a mistake in running from the man who loved her, and whom she
now realizes she loves in return.
Lucas follows the pair to the colonies, unsure if Casey is
running away from her feelings or running away with another man. He must unravel
the mystery of her sudden flight from England, bring his enemy to justice, and
deal with the fact that the woman he loves is now carrying a child that may or
may not be his.
All Content and Material
Copyright 2005, Terri Garey
