We’re continuing our journey with the awesome sauce of Black Opal authors and their upcoming THINGS THAT GO BUMP FOR THE HOLIDAYS anthology coming December 14th!
And up next is the creative, mad genius, Melissa Groeling. Not only did she contribute to the anthology, but she has a book coming out in FOUR DAYS! Yes, indeed, her thriller LIGHTS OUT is hitting shelves on December 7th..
but before we let you in on what’s hiding in the dark, let’s get a taste of what’s in store for the holidays…
Jami! How are you? Hope you’ve recuperated from a weekend of munching, drinking, munching…and did I mention the munching? I’ve finally managed to pull myself out of my apple-pie coma to share with you the awesomeness that comes with sharing pages with some truly amazing authors from Black Opal Books! It’s a double whammy because not only do I get to partake in the Things That Go Bump for the Holidays anthology but I also get to take up some space right here on Jami Gray’s blog!
My short story in the anthology is called, The Ghost of Christmas Present. It centers on Colin who’s always been good at keeping secrets…until one comes back to haunt him…literally. Here’s a little bit to get the blood flowing:
He moved farther in, away from the comforting safety of daylight. The door slammed shut behind him, throwing him into complete blackness. Swearing under his breath, he backtracked, fumbling for the doorknob. When his fingers touched nothing but empty air, a funny skittering sensation went through his chest. He knew he wasn’t that far away from the entrance—
Something moved behind him. Startled, he turned to find a door opening. It swung outward, stopping about halfway so that it hid the threshold. But it threw a gratifying amount of soft, yellow light across the concrete floor.
Spooky, aren’t we? Colin thought sarcastically.
He waited for someone to appear, to welcome him in. When no one did, he went toward it but stopped, his eyes drawn to the giant puddle of shadows farther down the hallway.
“I assure you, there’s nobody here but us.”
Colin jumped at the voice that came from inside that softly-lit room. It was raspy but weirdly melodic like those sand dunes that sang in Death Valley. It was curious, urging him forward until he was abruptly warned, “State your business.”
He stopped. “Excuse me?”
“State your business.”
“I’d rather not from the hallway.”
“No one comes in here unless their minds are open to the possibility.”
He sneered. “I’m not here for a reading, ma’am. I’m here because my girlfriend comes to see you a few times a week. You may know her—”
“Julia.”
Colin blinked. “I have a gift idea for her and I wanted to ask you—”
“Why would you need my help to propose to her?”
He licked his lips. Lucky guesses, he told himself vehemently. That’s all they are.
“Who said anything about proposing?” he snapped.
There was a small pause. “Bring her by the day after Christmas. Around two. I will help you.”
He clenched his jaw. “Fine.”
“And be prepared. Your life is about to change.”
*Shivers* You have to pick up our collection of Paranormal shorts, you’ll never look at the holidays the same way.
If that little taste makes you crave more, never fear, you can pick up LIGHTS OUT, coming Dec. 7th.
Even when the lights are out, he can still see you…
Paul Holten’s profession doesn’t leave much room for doubt or conscience but he’s reaching his breaking point. The nightmares are getting worse, the jobs are getting harder to finish and the volatile relationship with his boss, Aaron, is falling apart. Now faced with the possibility of an impending death sentence, Paul makes the fatal decision to run. Drawn into one hellish situation after another, he’s forced to confront his dark past—and wonder if perhaps dying isn’t the better option.
Melissa has even more creative tales for your enjoyment. You can pick up her YA thriller, TRAFFIC JAM now!
When you’re caught in traffic, you’ve got nowhere to go…
Val Delton’s life is spiraling and there’s nothing she can do to stop it. Her dad lost his job, her mom works fourteen hour days to pay the bills and yet somehow there are high-end shopping bags and an iPod in her older sister’s room. Naturally, Val becomes suspicious but her sister’s lips are sealed. Then by accident, she uncovers a dark, dangerous secret hidden behind her sister’s bright smiles and cool indifference. Val has no idea how far and how deep the repercussions of her sister’s secret will reach but she’ll do whatever it takes to keep her family safe. Will she succeed before her sister’s secret destroys everyone she loves?
AMAZON GOODREADS BARNES AND NOBLE SMASHWORDS DOYLESTOWN BOOKSHOP
Melissa Groeling graduated from Bloomsburg University with a degree in English. She lives, reads and writes in the Philadelphia region and wherever else life happens to send her. She is a hardcore New York Giants fan and loves chocolate. Traffic Jam is her first young adult novel.
Come find me at Facebook!
Twitter: @stringbean10