Montgomery Manor by Allie Harrison
The Haunted #2
Welcome to Montgomery Manor, a beautiful Bed & Breakfast complete with gorgeous guest rooms, a five-star restaurant, and a haunting history of true love, betrayal, and murder…
When soulmates Quint and Meg Falkner inherit moldering Montgomery Manor, they are in way over their heads. With a bit of faith and strange push they cannot ignore, they jump head first into bringing the large, compelling house back to its original grandeur.
But something is different…something is…wrong. Quint isn’t acting himself, and Meg keeps seeing visions, images of the past seeping into her very soul. When Meg becomes the target of a mysterious, dangerous admirer, her world implodes, leaving her vulnerable to the otherworldly inhabitants of the house…the very house calling out to her, its secrets begging to be uncovered.
Endless corridors, echoing darkness, and hidden treasure weave together in this tale of everlasting love and second chances.
Can Meg and Quint make a new life for themselves in Montgomery Manor, or will Montgomery Manor’s secrets tear them apart forever?
Funny, when I ask that question, I typically get one of two replies. Either a straight out, “No,” or an “I don’t believe in ghosts.” And for those who say no, they many times add that they would like to meet one or see one. Or they tell the story of experiencing an encounter with one.
Although I fall into the no category, I have yet to actually see one, encounter one, hear from one, or talk to one. I have, however, visited several known-to-be haunted places. In the Lemp Mansion in St. Louis, I have felt the heavy sense of doom in the office (now dining area of the restaurant) where one of the Lemp family members took his own life, and I prefer to never eat in that room. So in my own opinion, ghosts don’t always need to be seen or heard. They can easily be felt like a cold spot, that heavy sense of doom, or even just a surge of energy that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
Have you ever felt any of those things? Perhaps a ghost just crossed your path. Or perhaps the ghost is waiting at the end of the hall just watching you.
And when people tell me they don’t believe in ghosts, I ask, “Why not?” The answer is usually, “Because I’ve never seen one, so they must not exist.”
Well, I can’t see the Great Wall of China from my house, either, but I know it exists.
I’m no ghost expert by any means. I don’t readily hunt them or use fancy equipment. I do, however, go with my gut instinct. And when something doesn’t feel right, I leave it alone, as per the dining room at the Lemp Mansion. I also avoid dark, creepy cellars. Cellars frighten me much more than any ghost. That’s why I almost always put a terrifying cellar into the stories I write.
As for the idea of ghosts, I’m not afraid.
I step into known haunted houses (I just avoid the cellar!) for Halloween Haunted stories in a nearby town and thoroughly enjoy listening to legends and hearing about ghosts and hauntings. Are they true? I don’t know. But it is how I get many of my ideas for my Haunted Series.
Montgomery Manor is Book Two in my Haunted Series. I based the house on a bed and breakfast I visited a year or two ago. If it had a cellar, I did not search it out. I remained in the upstairs rooms. And although there were many stories of ghosts who frequent the house, I didn’t see any.
Montgomery Manor is a huge, creepy bed and breakfast inherited by Quint and Meg Falkner. It has a haunted past filled with murder, hidden treasure, secret rooms, and endless corridors. At one point Meg even closes her eyes and enjoys a moment alone in a dark hallway only to feel a sensual touch on the back of her neck. She opens her eyes to find no one there. Have you ever experienced anything close to that?
Whether or not you believe in ghosts or whether or not you’re afraid of them, I hope you step inside Montgomery Manor. It’s a suspenseful tale filled with secrets, spirits, romance that spans generations, and Quint, a very hot hero—or is he a ghost? And how would you feel if he attempted to kiss you on the back of your neck?
“There’s something different about the way Quint looks at me,” Meg said.
“Like what?” Evan asked.
The chimes above the door rang to signal a customer’s arrival. She stared at the man walking into her shop. It was Quint. At least she thought he was Quint.
“Like that,” she said, more to herself than to Evan.
The man who entered her shop looked like Quint; he had the same dark hair, the same sharp features, the same fiery blue eyes, and the same six-foot muscular build that came from years of working construction. His deep, hard gaze never left her as he walked past the shelves of books toward her, his body moving with his familiar gait. Yes, he was her husband.
Wasn’t he?
His gaze caressed her, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, undressing her with his eyes, seeing into the deep ocean of her soul. He looked like he wanted to devour her.
He held her bound with his unyielding look, and her heart pounded in her chest.
His expression was hungry, but his eyes said so much more. There was a look of excitement, as well as an anxious bearing of waiting, wanting, knowing. His dark twilight eyes lit with a savage, proud, inner fire that all but reached out and held her in place, a look that saw right into her, and read all her thoughts, her dreams, and her desires.
She felt her husband’s allure, like the heat of a fire on a cold night. It bound her, snatching the breath from her lungs. He was her husband, the same man she’d vowed to love, honor, and cherish for the rest of her life.
He’d changed, but she couldn’t figure out why that caused her blood to rush through her as if she’d just met his gaze from across a crowded room.
For a long moment, uncertainty held her tongue. She ached to move closer to him, as something about him commanded her to do.
Or should she run in the other direction?
Then his kiss captured her attention. His lips were hard and urgent, filled with need and longing.
His mouth, warm and perfect, sent a burning tingle of longing through her. He could have just as easily reached in to her chest and squeezed her heart in the palm of his hand.
This could not be her husband. Her husband never believed in public displays of affection.
Her senses whirled with the taste of mint and Quint, leaving her knees weak, and her soul uncertain.
Public or not, how long had it been since he’d kissed her with such overwhelming passion? She couldn’t remember. Never? She broke away.
Quint let her break the breath-stealing kiss. “I thought we could have lunch and celebrate tonight’s grand opening. Alone.”
“Where?” She forced in a breath.
“At home, in our bed.” He whispered, his breath hot and sensual against her ear.
About the Author
Allie Harrison lives with her husband in Southern Illinois. By day, Allie works in the medical field, but when she clocks out, she hits the keyboard, crafting stories readers will love. When she isn’t enjoying fun family time, games with friends, reading, crafts, music, camping, biking, and hiking, she’s working to build fictional worlds and unforgettable characters.
Connect with Allie: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon
I enjoyed reading the excerpt from this book for it sounds intriguing. I also enjoyed reading the guest post.
This book sounds like a great read
The story sounds very intriguing.
Sounds like a good read.
Love the excerpt. I’m surely going yo be reading this and book 1, Hargrove House. Thank you for sharing.
Carol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
this looks intense
I love the sound of this one 🙂
The book sounds great. I’ve met some ghosts I’d prefer not to meet again, so I’m more than a bit afraid of ghosts. I look forward to reading your series. 🙂
Sounds like a fascinating read. Adding to my TBR list.
Great, love the cover too.
Sometimes an inanimate object becomes one of the characters in a book. I think this is one of those books. Montgomery Manor has a definite and important presence.
The story sounds really cool!!
Ooh! I like the look of this book! Love spooky mysteries!
I enjoyed the post. This looks like a good read.
I like the book cover. This sounds like a good story with good characters.
A great cover on this book really pulled me in, and I just loved the excerpt!
Thanks for the giveaway!