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Author Tina Gayle
Category:
Mainstream
Publisher: Kindle
ISBN-10: B00B8VXGLK
Type: Fiction
Pages: 355
Copyright: Feb. 1, 2013
ISBN-13: 9781301589142
Price: $2.99 (eBook)
Forced by the family spirits to get a life, Mattie Winston has to train her replacement Amber Harrison to be in charge of all the workings of the Winston estate. Reluctant to make changes in her life, Mattie forms a bond with Amber, when strange accidents start happening which threaten their lives and an unknown ghost makes an appearance.
Elevator Pitch for Summer's Growth A mainstream novel with romantic and paranormal elements. It’s about two women, Mattie Winston, an almost fifty recluse who lives on a lonely estate and guards generations of family spirits, and a young college student, Amber Harrison, who doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life. The Winston spirits decided that Mattie needs to develop a life outside the estate and Amber is going to be the new family keeper, which throws the two together. Both travel down different paths of self-discovery but their reliance on each other grows stronger after several scary moments. Mattie, challenged by an old flame, rethinks the idea of love. Amber, faced with the appearance of her distant grandmother’s ghost, decides to solve the mystery of why her grandmother disappeared without a trace. By the end of the book, after love is embraced and family secrets are revealed, Mattie and Amber are both ready to meet their futures with enthusiasm as stronger more self-confident people.
Excerpt
Adrenaline pumped through Mattie Winston’s veins. Her feet pounded the treadmill. The resounding thud of her sneakers rang through the room. Under her black spandex, her breasts tingled with sweat that trickled between them. She loved to run, but for the last few days her pace was off, her stride stuck in an awkward beat.
“We’ve found a new keeper.” The family council’s declaration rocked Mattie’s world.
She balked at the changes the decision would create. No longer could she hide behind the walls of Winston Manor. Her solitude for the last twenty-eight years shattered by the threat of someone else ruling her domain.
Mattie caught a brief glimpse of Beth’s iridescent figure.
“Jonathan wants to see you in the basement right now.” Her words floated through the air moments before the spirit disappeared.
Mattie slapped her hand against the stop button and hurried to the door. She hated it when Jonathan altered her morning routine. At the main staircase she paused and forced her breathing into a steady rhythm.
The soft red carpet absorbed her footsteps as she descended the stairs. Her hand caressed the elegant oak curved railing.
In the entryway, the crystal chandelier reflected a rainbow of light off the white marble floor. Painful spears shot through Mattie’s heart at the idea of losing her home.
She rounded the corner and rushed to the basement door. Her habit of adjusting the ugly landscape hanging on the wall stopped her for a second. The painting, her aunt’s favorite, was estimated to be worth a fortune someday.
Her aunt had enjoyed decorating her home. The thrill of picking out carpet and selecting colors had excited her for months. Even after twenty plus years, Mattie hadn’t altered the main design of the house.
What kind of changes would the new keeper make?
The narrow steps which led to the basement slowed her pace. Jonathan, the head of the family, hated to wait. His plans always overruled hers, regardless of what she might have scheduled.
Frustrated, she grumbled, "For heaven sakes, I’m still in my workout clothes. Why can’t he plan ahead for these meetings, or at least give me some warning?"
Not dressed in her usual professional attire, she felt out of sync with her role as the Winston’s family keeper. The façade provided her with the appearance of having some control. Her job, after all, included handling the business concerns for the family.
Inhaling several deep breaths, Mattie prepared herself for the meeting. Jonathan liked to assign chores. Without a doubt, he’d dictate a long list for the next few weeks.
Nothing new, I can handle this.
An extra part of her job stemmed from the various requests from the other council members. No matter what, they were never satisfied.
Why did she continually try to please them?
Stifling humidity greeted her when she opened the door to the main section of the basement. She eyed the man seated behind a long oak table. The air conditioner hummed. The soothing whine didn’t calm her fears or cool the subterranean room.
Dressed in an eighteenth century colonial suit and stuck at the perpetual age of thirty, Jonathan resembled George Washington ready to command his troops. His eagle-eye glare nailed her.
A drop of sweat trickled down her back. Apprehension raised goose bumps. She shivered.
“I press earnestly for you to take a seat, Mattie, so we can start.” In a regal colonial voice, Jonathan’s words thundered off the walls.
Mattie walked to the end of the table and sat across from him. Dread threatened like a storm on the horizon. She surveyed both sides of the table. None of the other council members were in attendance.
Mattie wiped her sweaty palms along the length of her thighs. What did he want? Jonathan didn’t usually hold a one-on-one meeting in this setting. Normally, they met in her office upstairs.
The muscles in her stomach jerked.
“In concise statement of the facts as I see them,” Jonathan spoke without preamble. “We have found your replacement, and we need to address the issue of your future.”
Her fears were relieved as to the topic of today’s meeting. She decided to address a number of other issues that should be discussed before her future. “Shouldn’t we wait until Amber Harrison accepts the job?”
“No.”
Startled, Mattie blinked. “Why?”
“Because no matter the outcome, you will still be replaced,” Jonathan declared.
“Yes, but what if Amber doesn’t work out?” For days, she’d speculated on how to approach this subject. “My nephew, Josh Clarkston is a lawyer. He’d make an excellent keeper.”
“No,” Jonathan’s rough voice commanded. “The wisest council will not be misled into offering such an important post to such an unworthy candidate. His character lacks the necessary virtues to accomplish the tasks we require of our keeper.
“As for your sister, Cynthia Clarkston, she never speaks of us without evidence of malice. We find no cause to reward her for her gum and insolence.” The rigid set of Jonathan’s jaw indicated he refuse to budge on the matter. “Like a Redcoat, she only wants what she can get from us. Her son has grown into a bad egg.”
“But...” Her stomach grumbled, mirroring her distress.
“Mattie.” His tone lower, he shook his head. “Many hours have been spent debating the matter. You’ve been a loyal subject since the age of fifteen, and you’ve paid your dues to your family. We hornswoggled you out of your youth. It’s time for you to relinquish control.” An indulging note bled through his words. “No one will ever be good enough to replace you.”
“Yes, but…”
“Trust us child to find a soul who will honor your position. Nothing will remove your fears until you can reclaim your life’s mission and enjoy the rest of your days on earth.”
“But what if Amber doesn’t like it here? She’s a young college student from sunny California. Why would she move to Ohio where it’s cold? Even in the summer, we don’t have beautiful weather. The rain can last for days.”
“There is no dispute,” Jonathan growled. “Amber is a Winston. She longs to live here.”
“But you don’t get it. There’s no guarantee. Josh has lived here all his life. He’ll do a good job.” Mattie wished Jonathan could see her point. Things might not turn out like he’d planned. “Besides Cynthia will be deeply hurt when she finds out everything is under the control of a stranger instead of her son. She won’t understand.”
“The Council’s point exactly. Cynthia cares only for gold, not for others. It’s best for the family to have someone else as the keeper.”
The havoc this decision would cause in Mattie’s life washed bitter bile through her mouth. She swallowed, hard.
Like everyone in Newark, Cynthia would call her crazy for letting someone outside the family control the family trust fund and not acquiring the Winston estate would only deepen her pain. Her sister wasn’t aware of how the family spirits guided every decision, or Mattie’s part in carrying out their tasks.
Unable to solve the problem, Mattie posed a different one. “What if the girl doesn’t like the job? What then?”
“There’s no reason for you to fret, Mattie. She’ll take her rightful place.”
Her heart sank and Mattie fidgeted in her chair. The council didn’t understand the real world. Who in their right mind would move across the country to be the keeper to a bunch of unknown relatives?
“So, how soon does the council want me to leave?”
“That’s the issue we’re hammering out today. The council knows you’re a little anxious to start a new adventure.” He brushed his hand over his sleeves. “We demand you stay in the immediate area for the next year.”
He paused and studied the papers on the table. Mattie couldn’t see any writing on the sheets, but Jonathan consulted one page with a raised eyebrow.
“You, of course, can travel. Amber will still require your assistance from time to time, so we’re compelled to warn you not to overbook your schedule.”
Mattie wanted to laugh or maybe cry. Without the job of running errands for the family, she’d loved to have more time at Winston Manor.
“As long as we’re clear on the point that your first duty is to train Amber, then you’re free to receive gentlemen callers, attend school, take trips, or pursue a new career. You have a promising future.” Jonathan waited for an answer.
When she didn’t, he faded out of sight.
The meeting over, Mattie slumped in her chair. “My future, what a joke, the family spirits just fired me.”
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