Trace of Evil by @authMargoCarey is a Mystery/Suspense pick #paranormalsuspense #suspense #giveaway
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    • Aug 13, 2022
    • 5 min read

Trace of Evil by @authMargoCarey is a Mystery/Suspense pick #paranormalsuspense #suspense #giveaway



Title: Trace of Evil

Author: Margo Carey

Genre: Paranormal Suspense

Book Blurb:


Dani Trent escapes from a controlling boyfriend only to find her new apartment in Salem, Massachusetts has a secret. Its eighteenth-century owner never left. He was waiting for something, and that something was her. Curiosity, a serial killer, and a dangerous eighteenth-century predator tend to ruin a girl’s love life.

Excerpt:


A quick shower did a lot to restore reason. Captain Elias Gale did not float around my apartment. Heather had lived here for a few years. She’d ease my mind.


A few minutes later, as I tossed salad ingredients, Sam called. The sound of his voice made me smile. “You called at a perfect time.”


“Well, ma’am, I aim to please.”


I chuckled. I was so glad to have him in my life. He asked about Izzy and how I was doing with it all. “I’m much better, and from what I hear, Izzy is enjoying her celebrity status.”


“Glad everyone is okay.” He paused for a moment, then said, “I miss you.”


His words caused little flutters in my chest. “I miss you too.”


“I’m going to be busy most of the week, but I have Friday off. Can I persuade you to go out with me?”


“Hmm,” I said through my grin. “Perhaps I could be convinced.”


“I’m looking forward to seeing you.” His voice softened. “It’s been too long.”


His sensual tone warmed my soul and other parts of my body. “I agree.”


We talked for a few more minutes, and I hated to say goodbye.


After I hung up, I pirouetted around the room. Life was wonderful. I’d forgotten all about Heather. She stopped by after dinner.


We took our coffee into the living room where I recounted Mary’s incredible story.


The laughter and skepticism I expected didn’t materialize. Instead, she sat there, eyebrows raised, twisting her ponytail around her finger. She shivered. “God, that’s news to me. It’s horrible.” Her gaze darted to the bedroom. “He sounds like a monster.”


“What?” I said in a voice way too loud. “Is what she said true?” I leaned in, invading her space. “Do we have a ghost?”


She didn’t budge, just stared at her shoes. After an eternity, her gaze met mine. She cleared her throat. “We don’t have one.” The floor seemed to have a special fascination for her tonight as she mumbled, “You might.”


“Me!” I shoved my head forward and dug my fingers into the arms of the chair.


With a furtive glance toward the bedroom, she muttered, “I didn’t want to make you nervous because not much has ever happened. The electricity problems, odd noises, and the horrid, creepy cellar. The last tenant, Rose—I told you she was an older woman—kept misplacing stuff and blaming it on some kind of gremlin. I assumed she was losing it, never believed in a ghost, figured the noises were an old house groaning.” She paused then gave a slow headshake. “After what you just told me…”


I concentrated. The electricity? Fixed. Noises? The scratches would be the mouse. Whispers might be an old house settling. The basement? That place gave me the chills. It might be haunted and the source of the nasty odors.


“I bet it’s the cellar,” I said. “Maybe Elias locked Sam in.”


She held out her hands palm up. “I guess.”


I remembered Doug down there, and the excitement on his face as he swung the metal pipe. “What about the Formans? She questioned me one day in the laundry and made a snarky reference to the bedroom. Do they ever talk about Elias?”


“Oh. I forgot. Doug is a big history buff, and works in the antiquity department of a Boston museum. He still carries on about the damage the previous owners caused to the room’s historical significance when they removed the second story, and the spiral staircase drives him crazy. I remember him going in there after Rose left, to check the place over. The man is so weird. I’m sure he wishes there was a ghost. He’s more into the past than the present.”


No wonder he doesn’t like me. “Let’s have more coffee. I have another concern.”


She followed me to the kitchen. I pointed to the floor.


“What?” She leaned in for a closer look. “I don’t see anything.”


“Last night, after a terrible nightmare, I decided to have a soothing cup of tea.” I took a deep breath before I continued. “Remember my malachite, the green stone the witch gave me? I keep it under my pillow, but I found it on the floor out here.”


“Oh, my God. Someone snuck into your apartment? Wait—was it the ghost?”


I told her about my dreams—the frightful man and the smoky odor I associated with him. Her gaze traveled around the room as her hands rubbed up and down her arms.


“That’s not all,” I said. “I researched information on malachite.” I swallowed and gave a nervous glance around. “At one time people used the mineral for protection against dark spirits like demons and witches.”


Her hand strayed to tug at her ponytail. “Are you serious?”


I nodded. “There’s more. The article also said you should keep a piece near your bed to protect against nightmares.”


“Are you sure you put it under your pillow?”


I squeezed my arms against me, wishing for a different answer. “Yes.”


She snapped her fingers. “I have an idea. A friend of mine has a friend who’s a medium. The woman comes into your home to do a reading. She’s supposed to be the best. Why don’t I call and ask her to do her thing here? She can tell us if the place is haunted. I’ll invite a few other people. It’ll be fun. I guess she asks for a picture or trinket. Something you associate with the person you want to contact, but you won’t need one if there’s a spirit here. What do you say?”


Oh brother. I tried not to freak out. I’d always been a baby about anything supernatural. I believe you don’t go searching for answers you don’t want to find. This ghost business was making me crazier by the minute.

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What makes your featured book a must-read?


Trace of Evil is a modern-day gothic. All Dani wants is to work on her new relationship, but her her stalker-ex, a murder investigation, and trouble at work intrude. Her life is so busy, she ignores the uncomfortable atmosphere in her apartment until it’s too late. Elias Gale waited five hundred years for the right woman, and with the help of a witch and a serial killer, he won’t be denied.


Giveaway –


Enter to win a $45 Amazon US or Amazon Canada gift card


Open Internationally. You must have an active Amazon US or CA account to win.

Runs August 9 – August 18, 2022.


Winner will be drawn on August 19, 2022.



Author Biography:


Margo Carey grew up in a small town a few miles from Salem, Massachusetts where stories of hauntings were common. She’s a believer. Her home had a benign nighttime walker and something darker that frightened her dog. In her real estate career, she experienced dismal vibes in homes whose history involved frequent ownership changes.


Today, she lives in Florida with her husband, an easily spooked black cat, a Maine Coon cat who talks a lot but keeps a low profile, and happily, no ghosts—yet!

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