by Tiana Laveen
Presents
THE RAVEN MAXIM SERIES
BOOK I
“GHOST WRITER”
*PLEASE NOTE: This is a complete novel (no cliffhanger).
Though the Raven Maxim books are all part of a series, they are standalone stories.
Written by Tiana Laveen
Edited by Natalie G. Owens
Book cover layout: Travis Pennington
PLEASE READ!
About this book
This is the first book of a series (Raven Maxim); however, EACH BOOK IN THIS SERIES IS A STANDALONE, FULL LENGTH NOVEL. What that means is there are no cliffhangers and no one book in this series is contingent upon another. All of the books take place in the same city: Maxim, New York. The reader may go in chronological order in reading each book released, skip about, or even read them in reverse. It is completely up to the reader. Some of the secondary characters will show up in other novels in the series, but such appearances will not impact comprehension and enjoyment of the series. All the books in the Raven Maxim series are classified as romance novels, and the subgenre varies from book to book. Thank you.
Synopsis
Sloan Kenneth Steele, a popular NYC author, has recently uprooted himself from the stony, callous grip of Manhattan. Wishing for a fresh start after an ugly divorce, he relocates to the city of Maxim. He is still close enough to his adult children and grandson to feel at ease, but there are enough miles between them for him to relish his newfound privacy. Besides, Sloan believes that home is truly where the heart is. What the notorious sceptic fails to realize is that his new life would have its fair share of things that go bump in the night. Not one to easily scare, Sloan ignores the odd goings-on in his newly renovated property, and immerses himself deeper into his work. As time wars on, he gets to know the locals and the place he now calls home. Then, a chance encounter at a grocery store in the wee hours of the morning weaves a path straight into his heart…
Emerald St. Claire is a divorcee with an army daughter. A bit of a hermit, she does enjoy the company of others from time to time, as long as it doesn’t infringe on her passion – fixing the beloved worn and broken. Emerald loves her ho-hum routine, taking comfort in the predictability of her life … until Sloan enters the scene. The two forge a fast friendship and romance, but as Emerald gets to know Sloan better, she realizes he is not what she expected. He is more than she ever anticipated – a tapestry of manliness, suaveness, and contagious humor.
On his part, Sloan finds in Emerald what he always desired – someone he can depend on, a person unafraid to love and be authentic, regardless of who is watching, even if that ‘who’ is the ghost that dwells in Sloan’s remodelled historic home. The house has a troubled history, and so does Sloan. This begs the question: Who is haunting who?
On their independent journeys to self-discovery, forgiveness, and love, they find surprises around each and every dark corner. Will Emerald be able to endure a love that is unexpectedly meshed with the paranormal, and will Sloan finally become a believer in not only ghosts, but the resilient spirit of the human heart, with its ability to heal?
Read “Ghost Writer” by Tiana Laveen to find out!
COPYRIGHT
Copyright © 2016 by Tiana Laveen
Kindle Edition
All rights reserved.
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 (five) years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. PIRACY IS AGAINST THE LAW.
IN OTHER WORDS: If you do any of the above, the karma bus is waiting for you. If you steal this author’s work and illegally loan and/or share it, request illegal/free copies online and/or in printed version, you are no better than a burglar that breaks into someone’s house while you think they are away. You are a criminal. A thief. A cheat. You don’t work for free, so why should authors?! WE WORK HARD. SHOW SOME APPRECIATION.
This book contains topics that are adult in nature. There also is a gratuitous amount of profanity. These adult themes/topics cover a gamut of subjects, including but not limited to:
1. Graphic depictions of sexual acts/sexual intimacy
2. Child abandonment
3. Mental illness and depression
4. Unnatural Death
5. ‘Lightweight’ chilling/ supernatural elements
6. Divorce
7. Periodic mentions of drug use
8. Homophobia
9. Racial tension/ethnic subjugation
Please be advised.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to all the weirdoes of the world, the cynics, the lovers of the absurd written word, and the die-hard believers in things that remain unseen.
For you are imagination fuel, the stuff I live for…
The air you breathe is the same air I exhale.
Let’s take over the world, one breath at a time…
Table of Contents
Title Page
About This Book
Synopsis
Copyright
Warning
Dedication
Love Letter to My Readers
Welcome to The City of Maxim
Epigraph
Prologue: Words yet unspoken…
Chapter One: The final nail in the coffin of wedded bliss
Chapter Two: Yo’ Mama Ain’t Shit…
Chapter Three: I Hate People
Chapter Four: Tall Drink of Fine as Hell Wine
Chapter Five: It’s Time To Face the Music
Chapter Six: Wake Up and Smell the Coffee
Chapter Seven: A Comedy of Errors
Chapter Eight: Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall
Chapter Nine: Restoration of the Heart
Chapter Ten: Snakes in the Grass… Boom! A Loud Crash.
Chapter Eleven: A Picture is Worth…
Chapter Twelve: Drafting an Eviction Notice
Chapter Thirteen: Pour Some Sugar On Me
Chapter Fourteen: I Can Read You Like a Book…
Chapter Fifteen: The Naked Truth
Chapter Sixteen: Fetch a Pail of Water
Chapter Seventeen: A Ghost of a Chance
Chapter Eighteen: It’s a Cutthroat World…
Chapter Nineteen: When a Man Loves a Woman…
Chapter Twenty: Daddy’s Little Girl
Chapter Twenty-One: Maxim Hospitality
Chapter Twenty-Two: Through the Eyes of a Child
Chapter Twenty-Three: A Million Diamond Smile
Chapter Twenty-Four: I’m Not Boo Boo the Fool and I’m Not One of Your Little Friends…
Chapter Twenty-Five: Lost a Father, Gained a Friend
Chapter Twenty-Six: Beans Don’t Burn On The Grill…
Chapter Twenty-Seven: A Blast From the Past
Chapter Twenty-Eight: A Labor of Love
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Forever Children of the Damned
Chapter Thirty: Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue
Chapter Thirty-One: Simply the Best
Epilogue: The Past, the Present, and the Future
L
eave a Review
Author’s Note
Bookclub Questions
Music Directory for “Ghost Writer”
About the Author
Love Letter to My Readers
You have now entered the dark side of Tiana Laveen’s mind. Don’t say you weren’t warned. (((Imagine bats flying around an old castle, lightning striking, and a deep, raspy laugh tinged with just the right notes of insanity.)))
Okay, now that we have that out of the way, I first want to say “thank you” to all of you who have purchased this book, “Ghost Writer” – Book 1 of the Raven Maxim series.
This book was written for many reasons, but most notably, it’s an idea that has been jammed in my head for years. It began innocently enough, I suppose. My mother had had an odd dream; I believe she’d been eating late at night but she never confirmed that theory. Regardless, she told me about the nightmare, and one tiny detail stuck out in my mind after she relayed it to me, bit by disturbing bit. What really strange mental images to behold once my mind took grasp of her words and spun them around. These were a tiny kernel from her recollections, but disconcerting ones all the same… the kind that could make one nauseated, quite frankly. I believe that’s why the idea embedded itself in my mind and then, my imagination ran wild with it.
She and my father tease me about various book subjects I could delve into and explore, none of which have transpired, but the conversations are amusing nevertheless. So I say all of that to say, what was supposed to be initially a horror story morphed into something much more – something multifaceted. This is not to say that horror novels can’t be complex. In fact, if you’ve ever read a Dean Koontz or Stephen King novel, then you know that they can; but in that genre, we are less likely to see what I call ‘heavy’ in-depth character development as it pertains to the characters’ personal thoughts or their childhood, unless these relate directly to the story, etc. If you are new to my work, you need to understand that I am known to go heavy on description, as well as character development, so if this is not your thing, please be advised. If, on the other hand, this is your shtick, then, by all means, enjoy. Now, back to my original point.
With horror, you have to do a fast build, provide a shocker, and then begin to plant strategically placed seeds of terror all along the way for the next big ‘blow up’. With romance, you have a bit more wiggle room with timing and in my own personal writing style, character development is actually essential, and this book is no different. I love horror novels; though I wouldn’t classify myself as a gore lord, I do enjoy a well-told ghost tale. When I sat down to write this, I was going to write a horror story, but something else happened, because, well, I listened to the characters and that’s not what they wanted. Almost the entire original outline got scrapped, and as I went along with the flow of things, I saw quite clearly that this was turning out to be a true blue love story with a twist.
What makes this story unique is that there are in fact some horror/suspense elements, but not the kind that detract from the main genre, that is, romance. Do I want you to be consistently scared while reading this? Not particularly. Will you be frightened during a few scenes? It’s definitely possible, but again, the scenes in question are not the gist of this read. They do not monopolize the tale, nor do they detract from the main focus. My objective was to offer just enough of that to move the story along in the direction I wished it to go, but not season it too heavily with macabre salt and revulsion pepper. Besides, I had a chance at bat before. I wrote a romance horror novella entitled, “In My Sister’s Shadow”, many years back. It’s still available for purchase.
My handle over my writing style is much more controlled now than when I penned that book, so though I appreciate that story for breaking my horror book cherry, so to speak, and I adore the premise of it, I believe I have a better idea of how to execute scenes with terror elements and I will more than likely try my hand at a fully fledged horror novel in the future due to my craft’s evolution. It is rather peculiar to be a lover of horror and romance, simultaneously, yet so many people are. Merging the two is a difficult task, so keeping an objective clear in your mind is key; and, as stated, truly listening to the characters helps provide some solace along the way.
Speaking of characters, as in most Laveen novels, you have your hero and heroine and more times than not, there is something a bit off-putting about one or both of them. I consider this to be a true reflection of life as we know it – a mirror of ourselves, if you will. No one is two-dimensional; we all have layers, regardless of whether we are allowing others to see those layers or not. Sloan Steele is quite a complex character, yet easily understood. He shows the world a side of him that is legit, unlike some.
It’s not that he’s a phony, or hiding behind a façade; you truly do see who this man is from jump. The problem is that what he shows is not all of him, and he rarely allows even the people he loves the most to get close enough to find out what is truly going on with his inner workings. He is a famous science fiction novelist with an almost cult-like following. The man is witty, a bit aloof at times, and has a dry sense of humor – clever, yet relatable. Most especially, he is also my first 50+ Hero.
Sloan is very attractive, in good health, but he is no youthful, inexperienced, bumbling idiot still trying to figure out who he is (not saying all people under 25 are this way! I know some very self aware, mature twenty-somethings and some childish 60+ year olds, but you get my point!), which I also believe is something many of my readers can relate to. Sloan’s love interest is also experienced in this thing we call life… Emerald St. Claire is, to me, very much like most of us.
We can watch this woman, get into her thoughts, hear her speak and relate on some level. Even younger women, I believe, will find commonalities with her and connect to her trials and tribulations. She is who we are, and a bit of our mothers, too. She is smart, approachable, sexy and loving, but she, too, can be somewhat closed off from the world. Not necessarily cold, but protective of herself. Like Sloan, she has not always had it easy, and, at times, it shows.
Emerald is skilled, funny, and patient – some of the characteristics that attract Sloan to her in the first place. She is struggling with a few things in her life, aspects of her you’ll discover as you read on. I love her complexity, but also adore her ability to deal with them in a constructive manner. The two meet and fall in love, but of course, love can’t progress without being challenged somewhere along the way. There are some true twists and turns and burdensome concerns along the perverse path of this relationship. The forks in the roads are ones that may be considered troubling, even upsetting, while other infrastructures and thoroughfares throughout the tale can be seen as humorous and endearing. But, of course, that is for you to decide. So, without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to “Ghost Writer”. Come along. I want you to meet Sloan Steele and Emerald St. Claire and become a part of a reading experience that will leave you chilled and thrilled to the bone.
The City of Maxim welcomes you…
WELCOME TO
THE CITY OF MAXIM
The city of (Raven) Maxim is a bustling metropolis with rural and suburban areas sprinkled throughout. The city is named after its founder, Raven Maxim, a wealthy eccentric who wished to create a place that would fit a variety of needs and to attract people from all walks of life. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1821 to an unwed couple, a Ukrainian father and an Irish-American mother. She had been a bit of a tomboy in her early years, was a rather talented self-taught poet, and enjoyed studying nature. Her upbringing did not offer much stability as her mother was rarely there due to work obligations and her father had left early on in her childhood. Not surprisingly, Raven became a runaway due to the hardships of home life, and, at age sixteen, headed off further east to embark on a new journey. She travelled in the direction of the State of New York.
With little money, she roamed about, camping out in woodland places that were deemed dangerous, abandoned, or just pla
in seedy when funds were too low for paid shelter. Upon one of these many nomadic trips, she discovered a large piece of land wedged on the border of Pennsylvania and New York (but on New York’s property line), partially surrounded by peaty, infested water with very few inhabitants due to the swamp-like terrain. She found the place beautiful, an overlooked gem that simply needed a little ingenuity. Using her knowledge of environmental studies and love of nature, she came up with an idea. Raven remedied this marsh and everglade land issue with a specialized drainage system that she invented herself, resulting in her owning a patent that is now used globally. She sketched it out on a piece of paper, then, several months later, built a prototype by hand. And, by golly… it worked.
Her discovery provided her wealth beyond measure. She immediately had homes and schools built on the acreage to encourage people to live there and, ever since, the city has been a refuge and home for many, to this day. The city of Raven Maxim is notorious, however, for attracting all sorts of people: oddities, derelicts, millionaires, inventors, homebodies, and an assortment of individuals wishing to make a new start, or never leave all they’ve ever known. It was once said that if you lived in Maxim, you were always invited, but you never knew by whom.
This is partially due to a warm, broad acceptance from many of the locals in political office, a ‘come one, come all’ mantra, as well as a belief that, if you ended up there, it was simply meant to be. Raven Maxim is viewed by some as a utopia, but by others, it is a place that imbues closely guarded dark secrets. For instance, it was once professed that, ‘It’s a damn good place to hide a dead body.’ Pushing the macabre aside, this city in modern day is like many others, teeming with expensive shopping centers, luxury car dealerships, and grandiose brick homes on one side, and, on the other, poorly maintained, barely occupied trailer parks and areas known to be frequented by those who have a mile long list of felonies. There are splendid high-rise apartments and gorgeous, lush farmlands for wildlife to roam. Some of the suburban areas are known for their amazing schools and serene wholesomeness that exudes from these desirable neighborhoods. The city of Maxim has received sundry awards for culture and enrichment, one, most notably, awarded to the Maxim Natural History Museum.
