Be Our Ghost, page 26
part #1 of The Duchess Hotel #2 Series
Thanks so much to my beta readers: Liz Czukas, Michelle McCraw, Brandy Shaw, Jennifer Rupp, and Janiah, and John Luna. All your comments and feedback made for a much stronger book. Thanks to Jackie Lau for help with the opening chapters. And thanks to my critique partner, Tricia Quinnies, for helping me to create this story and encouraging me every step of the way. A huge thanks to my writer friends for all their encouragement and support, including Liz L., Natalie, Liz C., Brandy, Michelle, Carrie and Megan.
In researching this book, I went down the ghost hunting rabbit hole, watching episodes of Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures, and reading lots of books on this subject. Thanks to fellow author Natalie Caña for sharing the information she gleaned from the Paranormal Investigators of Milwaukee, and to my brother, John Luna, for sharing his stories of leading ghost tours in Victoria. For those interested in Victoria’s haunted history, I highly recommend Victoria’s Most Haunted by Ian Gibbs.
Though the TV show The Hidden Forest is purely a project of my imagination, I did a lot of research into writers’ rooms to learn more about the process of writing for TV, including watching both seasons of The Writers’ Room on AMC. Thanks to Jeff Messerman for his insight into the world of screenwriting and the nitty gritty of writing partnerships. For those interested in the toxic behavior that goes on in real-life writers’ room, I recommend End Credits by Patty Lin (a writer who worked on Freaks & Geeks, Friends, and Desperate Housewives).
Finally, thanks so much to my family—Mike, Tasmine and James—for all the love and encouragement.
About the Author
Be our Ghost is being published posthumously following the unexpected death of Carla Luna Cullen. This is the second book in an intended three book series set in the fictitious Duchess Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. Carla grew up in Victoria and drew on many of her life experiences in creating this series.
Carla’s passing has left a huge hole in the hearts of her family and friends. Carla was a passionate writer who imagined stories and characters throughout her entire life. Her voice lives on in Be Our Ghost and in all of her writing.
The following was written by Carla to describe herself and her writing:
Carla writes contemporary romance with a dollop of humor and a pinch of spice. A former archaeologist, she loves to travel to far-off places and uses her traveling experience as the settings for her stories. Her books have been called “escape reads,” perfect for perusing during a beachside vacation, a long flight, or a relaxing weekend at the lake. In addition to being a voracious reader, she loves baking, Broadway musicals, whimsical office supplies, and pop culture podcasts.
Also by Carla Luna
THE BLACKWOOD CELLARS SERIES
Blue Hawaiian
Broke, single, and jobless, Jess Chavez feels like the family screwup when she flies to Maui to attend her perfect sister’s destination wedding. But sparks fly when Jess reconnects with her roguish ex, Connor Blackwood. A secret fling offers the perfect escape from family drama, as long as Jess can keep from falling in love again.
Red Velvet
When April Beckett’s plus-one bails right before a big family wedding, her best friend, Brody Blackwood, offers to take his place. Now they have to convince everyone they’re lovers—while sharing a cozy cottage in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. But what happens when the fake relationship starts to feel real?
White Wedding
When Victoria Blackwood is tasked with planning her ex’s Christmas wedding, she doesn’t think her life could get any worse. Until she discovers the caterer, Rafael Sanchez, is the lover she ghosted five years ago after a steamy fling in Baja. To pull off the perfect wedding, they’ll need to keep things professional. But it won’t be easy, not when the fire between them burns hotter than Christmas in July.
THE ROMANCING THE RUINS SERIES
Field Rules
Digging up the past takes on a whole new meaning when graduate student Olivia Sanchez is forced to team up with her ex, Rick Langston, while working at an archaeological dig in Cyprus. Given that their last fling almost led to their academic ruin, they can’t afford to repeat their past mistakes. But as they work together under the scorching Mediterranean sun, the heat between them proves impossible to ignore.
Troy Story
For years, Dusty Danforth has harbored a secret crush on her best friend Stuart Carlson. Hoping to take things further, she jumps at the chance to join him on an archaeological dig at the legendary site of Troy in Turkey. But keeping the excavation on track is harder them either of them expected. Just as their long-simmering passion ignites, their boss’s treacherous behavior puts the entire project in jeopardy.
Tour Wars
Sparks fly when archaeologist Emilia Flores gets stuck working alongside her infuriating nemesis, TJ Mayer, at the ancient ruins of Pompeii. Despite their fierce rivalry, they agree to co-lead a ten-day bus tour across Southern Italy to pay down their student debts. As the trip unfolds, their animosity gives way to an unexpected passion. But what happens when the tour ends and the real world steps in?
***
The Duchess Hotel Series
Santa Maybe
To save her job this Christmas, Rosie Gonzalez needs to make the Duchess the most festive hotel in all of Victoria. Enter Drew Richardson, the charming personal trainer who looks undeniably hot in a Santa suit. When Rosie enlists him to play Santa for her hotel, he also proposes a fake-dating scheme to help them survive the holidays. But as sparks fly, their fauxmance just might snowball into the real deal.
Carla Luna, Be Our Ghost
