This is the second in The Actor's Guild Paranormal Mystery Series and will be available in ebook form soon.
Liz Carr and Kim Henson got more than they bargained for when they agreed to move into McCann's Manor and rid the place of unfriendly spirits. Nothing they had experienced in their ghostbusting careers could have prepared them for what lay ahead. They solved the mystery of the deaths of Leonard and Missy Tatum, as well as the murder of Benjamin McCann two hundred years before, but they never guessed that was only the beginning, nor could they have dreamed of the strange creatures from another world waiting to invade their lives. Now death stalks them on all sides as they attempt to unravel the enigmatic questions surrounding Benjamin McCann and the beautiful house he built . . .
Excerpt
"Aren’t you going to ask a lot of questions, or say something smart-ass?" John wanted to know.
"I am sure you must have some kind of explanation; I am just waiting for it," Mark said, giving John a reassuring nod.
"When I was doing the thing with the Jewel and the lights and all, Ben just suddenly reached out and touched the Jewel—that was when the blue lights happened. You saw that, right?" John asked.
"I saw the blue light, yes," Mark said. "I didn’t see Ben touch the Jewel."
"Yeah, that is what I meant; you saw the blue lights," John said. "An interesting thing happened when he did that, Mark. When he touched the Jewel, it opened up a temporary portal. He was here one second and the next heartbeat, he had left. He was going home so he would be there when his body died."
"What? You mean when he suffocated in the passage at the bottom of the fireplace?" Mark wanted to know.
"Yeah, that’s exactly when I mean," John affirmed. "Here’s the thing, though—he sent his body home, but his soul merged with mine somehow."
"Oh," Mark said, "I see. That is interesting."
"You don’t believe me?" John asked.
"No—no! Of course, I believe you," Mark said. "Why shouldn’t I?"
"You don’t think it is a little strange?" John asked.
Mark rolled his eyes and wagged his head side to side, replied, "Strange? We are sitting here on an alien world with Gorshans, Canitaers, Wylvaens and Gaeradons, having undestroyed a burned-out temple and genetically altered about fifty thousand Gorshans to be teddy bear sweethearts instead of mean, ornery gorillas, using magic—and you ask me if I think Ben’s soul merging with yours is strange? All right, maybe it is a little strange, but then, in view of all the things I have been through the past few days, it is almost normal. I don’t think my life is ever going to be the same again. I guess I’d rank it about seven on my weird-o-meter scale. Last week it would have been about a nineteen."
John had to laugh at Mark’s response. It was the first laugh he’d had in days and it felt good. "Thanks," he said. "I needed that!"
"So," Mark said hesitantly, "Ben’s in there with you. Is that a permanent thing?"
"Yeah," John said. "I think it’s one of those ‘til death things."
"Are you all right with it, then?" Mark asked.
"Actually, I am," John admitted. "I know more now than I did, and I don’t feel as helpless about being stuck here while Liz and Kim are home being chased around by a maniac. I think I will adjust okay. I just don’t know how Liz will take the news that she can’t see Ben anymore."
"Yeah, I guess that is a real kicker, but she wasn’t too happy the way things were, either," Mark pointed out. "She’s a pretty strong and smart cookie. I think she will adjust, too, pal."
"I hope so, Mark; I really hope so," John said, "because I can’t undo what has been done, and Ben and I both love her and want her to be happy."
Professional Reviews
huntressreviews.com by Amanda Kilgore
When a bakery becomes a murder scene, Kim and Liz find themselves drawn into a case that literally spans the cosmos. A serial killer is on the loose, but that human evil is not the only malevolence that they must confront. A dragon like being needs help that only the man Liz loves can give him and his people, and really, the universe at large. More than one world teeters on the edge of disaster as John and
his past self are forced to leave Liz in this world while he/they try to save another. While they are gone, the two "sisters" of the heart will find themselves struggling to outwit and survive a madman's twisted plot and facing an ordeal that is far too human and painful.
* * * It's hard to believe that so much can be in one book alone. Almost every genre is incorporated into this spectacular tale; fantasy, romance, mystery, urban fantasy, and even a touch of horror. I absolutely love the way Ms. Holley portrays ghosts. Ever since discovering The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, I've been hooked on "human ghost"
who interact and live with humans, rather than being terrifying. The end note of this chapter in what looks to be a saga leaves us with a bit of a cliff hanger and eager for the next installment. * * *
---Vee for: http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/reviews/reviewsearch.aspx/strong>
Best friends and parapsychologists Kim Henson and Liz Carr live in the McCann's manor house, a property that had been given to them as a payment for ridding it of ghosts. But ghosts isn't the only distinction the eclectic property has, it is also the site of a portal into another realm. When a murder occurs at a local bakery, the two friends are unable to keep themselves from investigating and are drawn into the world of a serial killer. Worse, they believe the killer is someone they know who has a penchant for women that fit Liz's description.
Making matters worse, John, Liz's new boyfriend who shares a soul with Ben, Liz's former love in another life, is forced to work with Ben in order to protect the Liz and Kim from unsavory beings passing through the portal into their home. The pair must pass into the other realm and work in a world full of dragons and wizards and all kinds of creatures good and bad. And they are all relying on John, a man who is convinced he is nothing more than a decent actor. And so two distinct story lines run through the book, Ben and John and a variety of others working against all odds to save another realm from destruction and Liz's and Kim's battle with a serial killer.
The Bakery Murders is one of the books in The Actor's Guild Series by Charlotte Holley and can easily stand-alone. It's a very long book, in excess of 150,000 words (that's about 600 pages in the print world) and I'm happy to say it held my interest throughout. I suspect, however, based on your genre preference, readers will tend to like one story line more than the other since they are very different. The Liz/serial killer portion of the book has a contemporary mystery thriller/suspense feel while the John portion in the other realm feels like an adventure/fantasy novel. Both are good, but switching between the two feels like you've put down one novel and picked up another.
I was impressed by Ms. Holley's meticulous plotting and felt the book was very well done. There was a lot to keep track of and given it's part of a series that only makes keeping everything straight even more difficult. My only critique of the writing is that the characters all spoke in a similar voice. Everyone spoke in clear, well-constructed sentences. But if you are looking for a well-written story that combines genres and will pull you in and keep you there for a while, then this one is for you.
--Stevi B. for http://www.manicreaders.com
The Bakery Murders: Challenge is the second book of the Actor’s Guild series and picks up just a short time after the events of the first book in the series, McCann’s Manor: Portal.
Liz Carr and Kim Henson agree to look into why there is a ghost haunting the local bakery but before they even get started the owner’s boyfriend is brutally murdered and the baker charged with the murder. But Liz and Kim think there is more going on and do not believe their friend is guilty. Something evil is again threatening Liz and Kim and once again they will have to use their wits and unique abilities to stay a step ahead of the murderer and remain alive themselves.
It takes a really sick and twisted mind to develop the evil diabolical monsters and plots running through this series -- I enjoyed every page!! In this second book, the reader is exposed to the secondary plot running behind each of the stories in the series. There is real evil at foot and the bad guy is escalating his schemes along with the attacks against Kim and Liz. While Liz and Kim are battling in the present, the men are off on their own mission through the portal to save the earth and discover their connection to the past and the mystery surrounding the portal contained in McCann’s Manor. It is like reading two completely different books at one time but the connections are obvious and the ending of this story leaves no doubt that there will be a third adventure where the main story lines will come together in a good versus evil battle for the world and their souls! I can’t wait for the third story.
Book three in series. Excitement and tension begin on the first day of filming a Restoration drama on location at the historic Jacobean mansion, Ham House in Surrey.
Book three in series. Excitement and tension begin on the first day of filming a Restoration drama on location at the historic Jacobean mansion, Ham House in Surrey.
