Spooky Excerpt from M/F Erotic Romance, Love Through Time (PG)

Hi everyone, it's me again! I hope you enjoyed my previous spooky excerpt from Weekend at Wilderhope Manor. This time, I'd like to share some more creepiness, this time from my erotic romance, Love Through Time. It's a m/f contemporary piece, but with paranormal and historical elements.

Excerpt from Love Through Time

It took several trips up and down the ladder to clear the first shelf, but Emily didn't mind. She was already entering the zone. However, she was startled out of it on her last descent of the ladder. As she reached the bottom, carefully carrying her bundle of books, she knocked one of the framed photographs over. Luckily, it just fell over backward, flapping onto the shelf and doing no damage other than to Emily's nerves. Depositing her pile of books on the desk, Emily rushed back to put the photograph back in its rightful position.

Picking it up, she looked at it. Turning it over in her hands, Emily satisfied herself that the photograph was no worse off for its tiny ordeal. Then she looked at the image itself. It was a black and white portrait of a young man, whom she guessed was in his late twenties. Judging by the clothes he wore, she suspected the photograph had been taken in the late 1940s. There was nothing remarkable about the photo, except for his expression. She knew smiling in photos wasn't as commonplace then as it was today, but still. The guy looked incredibly somber, and there was a melancholy in his eyes that made the hairs stand up on the back of her neck. If Emily had estimated the date of the picture correctly, it was entirely possible that he'd lost loved ones—and friends, as he could well have been enlisted—during the war. For that, she could completely forgive him his seriousness.

Emily stroked a thumb across the glass, just where his face was. It was an unconscious move, but when she'd done it, Emily wondered if deep down she was hoping to make him feel better. There went her imagination again. She shook her head at her own oddness and put the photograph down gently before moving back to the desk to get on with her epic task. Glancing around the room as she sat down, Emily suppressed a sigh. It was lucky she liked her job. This library contained an awful lot of books.

A while later, Emily was well and truly in the zone. After her delayed start, she was working through her task thoroughly and efficiently, and she was confident she could get several more books done before she left, especially if she remained uninterrupted. So far, she hadn't come across any pieces that needed any more than surface cleaning. This collection was well looked after.

Unfortunately, though, she couldn't switch off her bodily functions, and by the time she'd finished the book she was working on, Emily was desperate for a loo break. As she stood to go off in search of the nearest usable toilet a grumble from her stomach told her that now was probably a good time to have a proper break, too, and get something to eat. Pulling off her gloves, she resolved to do just that.

Emily found a toilet without too much trouble, did what she had to do, and made her way back to the library. She half expected to see George on her travels, but she remained completely alone. Probably just as well, she thought, it meant she could eat her food quickly and get straight back to work. It didn't stop a small part of her wishing he'd pop in and see her again. She mentally berated herself for even thinking it. She hardly knew the guy and yet she was thinking about him. The lack of sex had obviously sent her libido into overdrive. She needed to get laid—and soon.

After eating her dinner—an actually quite delicious pasta salad she'd picked up at the local supermarket on the way here—Emily tidied up, put her rubbish away, and settled back down at the desk to continue her task. Just as she was about to carry on, though, she noticed the diminishing light. Moving to the switches, which she'd noticed earlier by the door, Emily flipped them all, bathing the room in a glow that was gentle, but perfectly adequate for working. She sat down once more, snapped her gloves back on, and got down to it.

Emily worked in peace for a while longer . . . until she felt a draught on the back of her neck. Carefully placing down the book she was retouching, she fidgeted in her chair and moved her head from side to side and up and down, as if to erase the odd feeling. She forgot it almost instantly, until a few seconds later, it came again, as though someone was blowing on the back of her neck. Emily shivered, both at the sensation and at the thought that had entered her mind. Goosebumps crept over her entire body, and the third movement of air made her jump up out of the chair and spin around to face the source.

There was nothing there. No one. Emily rolled her eyes. Why on earth was she getting like this? She'd worked in dozens of rooms, perfectly alone, and not once had she creeped herself out. Why now? When her gaze fell on the window, she rolled her eyes again. Of course. Old houses like Westbury more often than not had panes of glass that didn't fit into their frames properly. The draught was coming from the window. Emily crossed the room to the window, drew the curtains—she'd open them again before she left, and Mrs. Thompson would be none the wiser—and sat back down again. Shaking her head at her own stupidity, Emily continued working on the book she'd just abandoned, quickly becoming absorbed in her task once more.

A noise from over by the ladder startled her, making her jump and almost jab herself in the eye with the end of the brush she was using. Turning, she saw the photograph she'd righted earlier once more lying down. She'd obviously not fixed the stand properly. After downing her tools, Emily stomped across the room, cross at the seemingly endless interruptions, and grabbed the photograph. She checked it to make sure it held firm, wagging a finger at the man in the image.

"Just you behave. I've got too much work to do to put up with your shenanigans if you don't mind."

She didn't know she'd spoken aloud and giggled at the realisation, stopping abruptly when it hit home just how peculiarly she was behaving. This place was making her crazy, she decided, which could be catastrophic, considering she hadn't even finished one shelf of books yet, and she had considerably more to do. She'd be a wreck by the time this job was done.

Shaking her head again, Emily walked back to the desk and took her seat. She resolved to knuckle down, get the first shelf completed, and call it a night. Hopefully a decent amount of sleep would make her feel more herself and mean she could put this idiotic behaviour behind her and return to Westbury tomorrow with her sensible, hard-working head firmly screwed on. She hoped so, anyway, because this simply wouldn't do.

Emily was able to finish cleaning the first lot of books without any further interruptions. She heaved a sigh of relief and swapped her book cleaning tools for her shelf cleaning tools. All she had to do was clean the empty shelf, replace the books, put the library back to how it had been when she'd started, and be on her way. Tomorrow was another day, she mused, and she was determined it was going to be much more productive than this one.

Emily had just put her feet back onto the floor after her third trip up the ladder when she felt something touch her right leg, down by her ankle. She wore trousers, so if it had been some kind of insect it was doubtful she'd have felt it. Besides, it was moving up and down, as though stroking her. Still looking forward at the ladder and grasping its handrails, Emily froze in place. She couldn't move, speak, scream, or even bring herself to look around.

She'd never been so scared in her life. The stroking sensation crept higher and higher until it reached her hip. Finally, something in Emily snapped and she screamed at the top of her lungs, lurched away from the ladder, and ran out of the library.

She was gone before the photograph hit the shelf again.

*****

Westbury Hall is a stately home with a fascinating past, and when book conservator Emily Stone starts uncovering it, she’s startled by what she finds . . . .

Emily arrives at Westbury Hall with a job to do. She’s to clean and conserve all of the books in their impressive library, preserving them for future generations. Not long into her stay at the house, she bumps into the night guard, George. She’d expected an old, balding guy with a comb over, so the hunky chap she actually meets is a very pleasant surprise. The introductions complete, George leaves Emily in peace to get on with her job. But when a falling photograph sets off a chain reaction of ghostly events, Emily and George are thrown together in order to find out who—or what—is causing them. Their investigation uncovers a tragic past, a lost love, and a stunning secret.

Buy links: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/love-through-time/

*****

Lucy is a graduate of the University of Derby, where she studied Creative Writing. During her first year, she was dared to write an erotic story - so she did. It went down a storm and she's never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Noble Romance, Ravenous Romance, Summerhouse Publishing, Sweetmeats Press and Xcite Books. She is also the editor of Uniform Behaviour and Seducing the Myth. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Love Through Time is on Goodreads, so if your bank balance is already groaning under the weight of all the books you're buying – please add it to your to-read list! If you follow me on Twitter and/or Facebook, too, as well as checking out my website, you'll be able to find out about any giveaways I'm running.


Thanks so much for popping by to read my post. Come back later for a post on why I like to write about country houses in my stories. Don't forget to leave comments in order to be in with the chance of winning the prizes being given away as part of the event. Also, don't forget to head over to the Whipped Cream Blog where I'm talking libraries, as well as interviewing two of my characters.

Spooky Moment from Mia's Books

Hi again, hope you're all ready for another shiver down your spine, here's another spooky excerpt from Mia’s Books, my paranormal novella from Beachwalk. 

Thanks and keep reading for a chance to win a copy x x

As soon as she put the key in the lock, Mia knew her ghost lover was in the house. The chill penetrated through the keyhole and into her jangling bundle of keys. When she opened the door, the frosty air swept out into the sunshine and covered her in its foggy breath.

She went into the hallway and pulled her jacket tight around her. The ghost had filled every part of the house, and Mia sensed that the entity was angry. Fear rose in her throat as she slowly made her way through to the bedroom to find the book. As she looked in, she saw pages and pages torn out and scattered carelessly all over the place. Mia was scared and pulled the door shut.

She ran to the front door to escape, but it locked in front of her. Mia froze as something moved in the chink of light coming from under her bedroom door. Was the ghost there? She shuddered as the corner of a page was pushed under the door and flicked into the air as if a gush of wind had lifted it. Mia watched as another then another followed and started flying and fluttering toward her, red, angry words screeching into her face.

Where were you? they read one after the other, Where were you?

Mia shielded her face in her arms and sank to the floor. She’d never meant to hurt her ghost lover. “I’m sorry,” she wailed. “I thought it was you!”

The pages kept coming in attack, and Mia was terrified. The ghost had always been so gentle before. Suddenly, as quick as the storm began, it stopped. The pages dropped to the ground and silence engulfed her. She waited for a minute before she dared move, then she started to pick them up and carefully put them in order.

She looked at the red lettering, slashing the pages like angry scars, and felt awful. She didn’t want to hurt the fragile spirit, but she didn’t want to be scared either. Sorrow suddenly overtook her, and tears ran down her face and onto the pile of paper. As Mia cried and cried, the tears splashed onto the words and the ink ran, spoiling the angry phrasing. Mia couldn’t stop, and she just let herself go, heaving and wailing. She couldn’t even be sure of why she was crying, but somewhere deep inside it felt right.

As she watched, the red ink pooled together into new forms. Kneeling, Mia held her breath as hundreds of roses came into bloom around her. Around each flower came a new message, I’m sorry, Mia.

Mia picked up the pages and held them to her breast. “I only try to do what you ask,” she whispered into the tattered paper.

The pieces of the book lost their energy once more, and the presence left. She heard the tub running and went through to investigate. The bathroom was aglow with candles and a glorious bubble bath was being filled for her. Mia inhaled the scent of rose petals and lavender and peeled off her clothes...


If you would like a chance of winning a copy of Mia’s Books, please leave a comment on any of my posts today and I’ll pick a winner. Thanks, Tabitha x x

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Ghost lover or mortal—can Mia have both?

Mia has a big problem. She is in love with two people, and one of them happens to be a ghost. After a late night seduction in a deserted library, Mia brings home a haunted book. The book contains a ghost which instructs her to seduce strangers on its behalf. Mia falls in love with one of her conquests and finds herself in a romantic tangle. Can she keep both her lovers, or will she have to choose?

Content Warning: graphic sexual content

Intro & A Spooky Excerpt (PG, lesbian theme)

Hi everyone, I'm Lucy Felthouse, an erotica and erotic romance author, and I'm excited to be taking part in this great Haunting Halloween Blog Fest. It's very fitting that I should be here, actually, as October brought two new releases from me, both of which are very different, but share a common theme... ghosts.

And, without further ado, I'd like to share an excerpt from one of my releases, Weekend at Wilderhope Manor with you. It's a Halloween themed lesbian erotica piece, but I've picked this most spooky scene out to really get the chills running up your spine, and the hairs standing up on the back of your neck. I got them when I was writing it, so I hope it hits the spot for you, too!

Excerpt from Weekend at Wilderhope Manor

The hedge which lined the right-hand side of their path had come to an end now, and off to that side was another lawn. Beyond that, a much higher hedge with a purpose designed gap to admit entry. It had to be the maze. The girls walked across the lawn in the direction of the maze's entrance. Once they reached it, they looked at each other in awe. The maze's walls were even higher than they'd first thought.

Jenny said, "I think I'd rather we went in together. Wouldn't you? It's all a bit Alice in Wonderland, and I don't want to come a cropper with the Queen of Hearts while you're drinking tea with the Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit."

Stephanie laughed out loud, jabbing Jenny playfully with an elbow. "Where do you come up with these ideas?! It's just a maze, sweetheart. But if it'll make you feel better, we'll go through together. I guess it could get a little creepy as we get inside."

That decided, the girls walked in. Stephanie, the more logical of the two, led the way through the narrow corridors in search of the elusive centre. She felt confident at first, but as the twists and turns continued, she felt less so. That and the fact that she'd been right about the creep factor. It was a clear but not particularly bright day, resulting in very little natural light penetrating the hedges that made up the maze. It was navigable but incredibly gloomy, and Stephanie sensed that Jenny was staying as close behind her as possible without treading on the backs of her shoes. Honestly, she didn't blame her. Even Stephanie was starting to feel a little spooked. The silence wasn't helping. From their sheltered position, they could see glimpses of the sky, but they couldn’t hear anything other than the sound of their own footsteps and breathing.

Stephanie picked up the pace, albeit subtly. She didn't want to worry Jenny, but she wasn't quite sure where they were and she was feeling really quite nervous. Despite the silence and the fact they hadn't seen another soul since they'd left the house, Stephanie suddenly had the oddest feeling that they weren't alone. It was a silly notion, because the walls of the maze were so thick that you couldn't see through them, so it wasn't like anyone could be secretly spying on them. But Stephanie simply could not shake her apprehension. She desperately wanted to get out of the maze, but saw no way of doing it quickly. Even turning back wouldn't guarantee a swift exit because they wouldn't remember each twist and turn they'd taken. They could just end up stuck in here even longer.

Suddenly, Jenny's Alice in Wonderland comment didn't seem so stupid after all. Refusing to let Jenny sense her fear, she looked steadfastly in front of her and carried on walking. Then she heard the crack of a twig which sounded like it came from up ahead. Unfortunately, Jenny heard it too.

"Wh – what was that?!" Jenny said, clutching onto the back of Stephanie's coat.

In spite of all her layers, Stephanie felt a shiver run down her spine but forced herself to continue putting one foot in front of the other. Trying – and failing – to inject some normalcy into her voice, she replied, "Pr – probably just someone else from the house. You can enter from either side of the maze, remember. They could have come in the opposite end. I expect we'll bump into them shortly."

They didn't bump into anyone, but the path started to broaden and they soon emerged into the centre of the maze, much to Stephanie's relief. She knew they were far from home and dry, but at least she wasn't feeling like the walls were closing in on her anymore. They took a few minutes to stop and Stephanie looked into each of the paths leading off the centre to see if she could see anyone lurking there. She was reminded of the incident in the corridor outside the library the previous evening, and wondered if the same person was trying to scare them here, too. She decided not to say anything to the other girl. There was no point; with Jenny's imagination she'd be conjuring up ghosts and ghouls left, right and centre and getting her out of the maze would be even more of a chore than it was already.

"Come on," Stephanie said loudly, as if trying to prove how perfectly fine she was feeling, "let's get going."

Stephanie walked towards the potential exit paths and chose one, hoping against hope that it was the right one. She didn't know how much longer her nerve would hold out. Jenny followed close behind, seemingly calmer now as the single broken twig hadn't been followed up by anything else. Walking steadily onwards, Stephanie made quick decisions on their turns, thinking that even if she got it wrong, keeping this pace would mean she could correct quickly and get them the hell out of the maze.

Neither girl spoke. After a while, Stephanie wasn't sure how close they were to the exit, but she sensed they were almost there. They hadn't hit a dead end in a while. Then she heard a noise from behind Jenny. Spinning, she grabbed Jenny and pushed in front of her, ready to face their foe head on. She was terrified, but she sure wasn't going to show it.

"Who's there?"

Nothing. Stephanie waited, her upper arms starting to hurt where Jenny was gripping them tightly.

"Hello? Are you lost?"

Still no response. If there was a genuine patron in the maze, they'd have replied.

"Oh for fuck's sake!" Stephanie yelled. "What are you, some kind of creepy pervert that likes scaring women? Well it's not working!"

She was lying through her teeth, of course, but she wasn't going to let their stalker know that.

"We're going now, anyway. So you'll have to find someone else to try and scare, all right?"

This time, the response was the sudden approach of heavy footsteps. As one, both girls spun round and ran in the direction they'd been heading as fast as they could. The noise they were now making masked out any their assailant might have been producing, but Stephanie didn't care. She wanted out – now. She ran close behind Jenny, thanking their lucky stars when she finally saw an opening in the hedge which would lead them back out of this godforsaken hole.

Jenny had obviously spotted it too, as she had a sudden burst of speed which took her right to the exit. She was almost on the grass when she suddenly tripped – over nothing. Stephanie had no time to react and she ended up tripping over Jenny and they both sprawled on the grass in a heap. They hurriedly disentangled, aware they were being followed and about to come face-to-face with their attacker.

Only, they weren't. Whoever had been pursuing them in the maze didn't emerge.

*****

When Stephanie and Jenny go to a Murder Mystery Halloween weekend at Wilderhope Manor, they’re expecting fun and games. But following creaky floorboards, spooky noises and an alarming encounter in the Manor’s grounds, the girls begin to wonder if there’s more to Wilderhope Manor than meets the eye. As they find frequent comfort in one another’s arms – and their bed – will the girls discover what’s causing the bumps in the night, or will they run scared?

Buy links: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/weekend-at-wilderhope-manor/

*****

Lucy is a graduate of the University of Derby, where she studied Creative Writing. During her first year, she was dared to write an erotic story - so she did. It went down a storm and she's never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Noble Romance, Ravenous Romance, Summerhouse Publishing, Sweetmeats Press and Xcite Books. She is also the editor of Uniform Behaviour and Seducing the Myth. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Weekend at Wilderhope Manor is on Goodreads, so if your bank balance is already groaning under the weight of all the books you're buying – please add it to your to-read list! If you follow me on Twitter and/or Facebook, too, as well as checking out my website, you'll be able to find out about any giveaways I'm running.

Thanks so much for popping by to read my post. Come back later for another creepy excerpt and a post on why I like to write about country houses in my stories. Don't forget to leave comments in order to be in with the chance of winning the prizes being given away as part of the event. Also, don't forget to head over to the Whipped Cream Blog where I'm talking libraries, as well as interviewing two of my characters.