Welcome Author Sharon Donovan!

SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCE TODAY!

Romance Author, Sharon Donovan
"Romantic Suspense with a Twist of Faith"

How lucky am I to have such wonderful, talented and truly amazing friends as today's guest? Seriously, this is what life is all about...being blessed with just knowing people like author Sharon Donovan.

Please join me in welcoming her to my blog!

Today, Sharon is discussing her soon to be released romantic suspense novel from The Wild Rose Press entitled Her Biggest Fan.

Here's what she had to say...

Hey Kerri! Thanks for having me on your blog today. It’s time to put a log in the fire and start thinking about the holidays. And to start things off with a bang, I have an announcement. I’ve just signed a contract with The Wild Rose Press for Her Biggest Fan, a romantic suspense novel set in the redwoods of Northern California! And I can’t tell you how thrilled I am.

Ever since Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Night Gallery and the Twilight Zone, I have been a huge fan of suspense. It’s my favorite genre to read and write. My stories deal with the complexity of the mind. To better understand the disturbed psyche, I took psychology classes and could never get enough. The mind fascinates me. It’s a tricky faux. It can ben. It can break. It can snap. If there’s one thing you can be sure of, my suspense stories will always star a demented psychopath.

Here’s a sneak preview of Her Biggest Fan. Enjoy!

From the shadows of the woods, he keeps vigil. The stage is set to drive the pretty little princess insane. He’s coming for her. And when he catches her, he’ll pounce on her like the big bad wolf.

After receiving a disturbing fan letter, New York Times best-selling author Tess Kincaid flees to the Northern California home she’s inherited following her father’s suicide. The manor has been tainted with, every room staged to resemble the way it was in its glory days. But when Tess calls the police, the chilling props vanish into thin air.

Ruggedly handsome Sheriff Mike Andretti is called to investigate the reported burning candles, dancing gargoyles and otherworldly. When he discovers no trace of the eerie setting, he finds himself caught between duty and desire. Is the woman with the bewitching green eyes delusional--or is this a trap of twisted wit set by a demented fan?

Excerpt:

From the grand ballroom, the soft floating of piano keys drifted, louder and louder, faster and faster, reaching a spiking crescendo that shook the chandelier. And then all was quiet as the manor settled from the riveting climax that rattled the windows.

An eerie twine hummed through the corridor. Shocked by the scaling spike of piano keys, Tess’s knees wobbled. Floundering, she leaned against the wall for support.

She gasped for breath, her heartbeat escalating. In barely more than a whisper, she called out. “Daddy?”

Her mind raced. Could her dad be alive? Did he stage his own death? Tears stung her eyes. She had to find out. But still, she proceeded with caution. She sensed evil from deep in her soul.

Camouflaged in the dim lighting, Tess scaled along the walls of the barrel corridor, blending into the dark wood paneling.

Inching her way a bit deeper, she crept, her heart pounding. Beads of sweat trickled down her spine. A door banged, sounding like shutters smacking the house. Then she felt a rush of cool air coming from the grand ballroom, dank with the smell of rain and something else. Burning candles.

Fear clutched her from deep within. As she got closer, the scent of jasmine grew stronger. The sweet smell permeated the air. It was as if her father were still alive, entertaining in the grand ballroom. Just as Tess reached the arched column to the massive hall, a bolt of thunder exploded in the sky, followed by an illuminating flash of lightning. Then all went dark.

Tess stood at the entrance, polarized. Goose bumps prickled her flesh. When the icy instrumental of Moonlight Sonata started all over again, she took a step back and gasped. Peering into the massive hall, she stared in disbelief.

On either side of the mahogany bar, standing candelabras gleamed, long white tapers flickering in the dark. Open terrace doors banged in the wind, bringing in the pouring rain. The air carried the mingled scent of jasmine and stale tobacco. Pleated silk drapes billowed out like wings.

Rain puddled the cherry wood floor that once sparkled beneath the mirrored ceiling and crystal chandelier. The ghostly sound of piano keys escalated as Moonlight Sonata played on the old Victrola. And in the center of the room, looking for all the world like guests of honor at a grand masquerade, two wax gargoyles danced cheek to cheek, costumed in feather masks as bizarre as the setting.

I’d like to share what inspired me to write Her Biggest Fan. My mother is from a small town in rural Pennsylvania. Coal mining was the major industry. In the town of Shamrock, very close to where she lived, a mysterious light would roll down the hill every night at midnight.

As kids, she and her siblings would watch the light with intrigue. Many people, including her brothers, tried to investigate this mysterious light. But as soon as they would get near it, it would disappear and spook them into running off. One day, the mysterious light vanished into thin air, never to return. So what was it?

The mystery was never solved. With so many coal miners having lost their lives, some say perhaps it was the ghost of one miner, warning folks to beware of danger.

In Her Biggest Fan, someone is stalking Tess Kincaid. He sets the scene to make her see, hear and smell things that no one else can. One night at midnight, she sees a burning bush rolling down the mountainside, straight for her century old mansion. She calls the fire department, but when they arrive, there is no sign of the fire.

While my story has nothing whatsoever to do with the coal miners of Shamrock, this mystery light inspired me to write about the tricks the mind can play…

Welcome to the world of intrigue, greed, deception and murder. I hope I have enticed you with this little teaser of Her Biggest Fan.

Stay tuned for coming attractions. Get a big tub of buttered popcorn and get ready to scream!

Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. I offer lots of fun contests and prizes. And I’ll soon be posting a release date for Her Biggest Fan!

Visit Sharon's Website:

www.sharonadonovan.com

Visit Sharon's Blog:

http://sharondonovan.blogspot.com

Or write Sharon here:

sharonad@comcast.net

Thanks for joining us today, Sharon! This book sounds incredible and right up my alley. I'll definitely be checking it out. Here's wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season!

Please leave your comment and/or question for Sharon. Thanks for stopping by!