Friday, January 12, 2024

Walk-Ins Welcome by Sue C Dugan



Walk-Ins Welcome
Sue C Dugan

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date of Publication: May 24, 2023
ISBN:978-1-5092-4908-4
Number of pages:336
Word Count: 73,299
Cover Artist: Kim Mendoza
 
Tagline: True love repeats itself in unexpected ways
 
Book Description: 

Adult education teacher, Alison Larkin has a second chance at love after her husband is killed in a car accident. Her new love interest comes in the form of a 20-year old student called HB, whose reputation as a bad boy and poor student has everyone questioning her attraction to him. Alison finds him to be nothing like his reputation as a drug-dealer and trouble maker. 

Although HB has few high school credits to his name, he is flying through the coursework in adult education. Alison learns she and HB share a memory of a dramatic rescue at a local amusement park. 

HB has a secret he has yet to discover, but when he does, he must convince Alison to give him another chance at love.

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Excerpt

She put the flowers on the coffee table and moved her hand toward the sofa. He sat, and she did too. “Didn’t you have something you want to talk to me about?”
Momentarily, he couldn’t remember what it was.

“Did you forget?” She gave him an encouraging smile. “So much has happened. It seems like ages ago.”

Then it came rushing back to him—Dr. Sims—the things he remembered and the yearbook pictures. He sat with his hands clasped and his head down, thinking. Was now the time to tell her? He jerked his head up. “I’m not sure this is a good time to tell you what I know.”

She frowned. “That sounds serious.”

“It is and a bit weird too.”

She leaned forward and clasped her hands together. “Why don’t you tell me, and I’ll decide how serious it is.”

HB shifted on the couch, trying to find a comfortable position. Finding none, he straightened and looked at her. “You know I felt like a different person when I came out of my coma?”

Alison nodded but remained quiet.

“And I wrote about the rescue at Cedar Springs?”

She remained stock still.

“I started adding one plus one, and I came up with something bizarre out there.”

Clearing her throat, Alison finally said, “You’re scaring me.”

He noisily let out his breath. “I’ve been seeing a counselor, and he told me about one of his patients, Ashton.” HB paused and rearranged his thoughts. “I talked to Ashton, who told me he had tried to kill himself but failed.”

“Oh, no!” Alison cried. “Please don’t tell me you want to kill yourself!” She leaned forward and tried to grasp his hand.

“No, I want to live again!” He let her touch his fingers before pulling back. Although contemplating suicide might be easier than telling Alison he was her dead husband—Robert.

“Anyway,” HB swallowed, “Ashton told me about soul walk-ins.”

“What did you say?” Alison asked, alarm creasing her brow. “Wait!” She jumped up and hurried down the hallway while he waited. He moved his forefinger over his thumb, wondering what would make her leave like that.

She returned with a small book, sat, and clutched it to her chest as if protecting it. Then, slowly, she eased the book onto her lap and opened it.

He murmured the title. “Communicating with the Dead… So you believe in that?”

“I don’t know what I believe. But this book mentions walk-in souls and—”

“I think I have Robert’s soul in my body,” he exclaimed before he could change his mind.

HB didn’t mean to interrupt her, but it just happened. He couldn’t help it. He watched as

Alison’s eyes rolled back, and she slumped over.

“Alison?” He patted her hand and then her cheeks until her eyes fluttered open.
            “How…” She looked confused. “Why? What?” She fell back on the couch. “I don’t believe it,” she said with a shake of her head, and her features turned stony. “I think you should leave.”
            “What?” HB cried. “No! No. I’m sorry!” Tears immediately filled his eyes. “I knew it was a bad time.”
            “What a cruel and mean joke to play on me after what I’ve gone through!” Her eyes flashed with anger, something he couldn’t pinpoint.
            “I’ll let myself out.” He jumped up. He’d blown it with Alison, and she didn’t want to believe him. And he might not have a chance to convince her.



About the Author 

Sue writes five-star LitPick novels that keep readers of all ages turning pages long into the night. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, attending author events, or walking her dogs. She’s has two children and five grandchildren. Snack wise, Sue is a salty-type gal, but wouldn’t say no to an occasional chocolate kiss or two! She isn’t sure she’s a reincarnated novelist, but if she was, she’d want to be Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, or Emily Brontë. When her novels are run through author comparison sites, she gets Anne Rice through Mark Twain—quite a wide spread which makes for interesting reading (Tom Sawyer was a Vampire?). 
 




 
 


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