Book Title: A CHARMING TOUCH OF TAROT
Character Name: Alyssa Mann
How would you describe your family or your childhood?
Let’s just say I was raised by two highly accomplished narcissists who treated parenting like an optional side project. I was an only child, which meant a lot of solo dinners, adult conversations I wasn’t supposed to hear, and learning early on how to entertain myself. It wasn’t all bad, but it was lonely.
Because of that, I’ve always tried to be everything I never had for Ava. Present. Supportive. A little too involved, if you ask her. But I want her to know she’s never alone—not even on her worst day.
What was your greatest talent?
I’m a medium and clairvoyant—not that I asked to be. This so-called talent was basically thrust on me after an impromptu visit to a phony psychic. She couldn’t summon a spirit to save her life, but somehow managed to flip the switch on whatever was dormant in me. Now, I’m the proud owner of what I lovingly refer to as the curse of chatting with the dead. Some are snarky, some are straight-up obnoxious, and all of them want something from me. Which, if I’m being honest, is a lot.
Significant other?
That’s… complicated. My husband, Garrett, passed away a couple of years ago, and I’ve been raising our daughter on my own since then. But lately, there’s someone new. Nick—my neighbor—is kind, thoughtful, gorgeous… basically the whole package. He’s also a major skeptic when it comes to anything spiritual, which definitely complicates things, especially with my whole talking-to-ghosts reality. It’s still early, and I’m figuring it out as I go, but he’s become someone I didn’t expect and, maybe, exactly who I need.
Biggest challenge in relationships?
Letting people in. I’m great at being there for others but not so great at asking for help or showing my own cracks.
Where do you live?
In a cozy house in the historic district of Knox Harbor. It’s quiet, a little creaky, and occasionally haunted, but it’s home.
Do you have any enemies?
Depends on who you ask. I’ve got more than a few people who don’t love how involved I get in things that “aren’t my business.” And then there are the spirits who aren’t exactly thrilled with being stuck with me.
How do you feel about the place where you are now? Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place?
Knox Harbor is home, for better or worse. It’s charming in that small-town, everyone-knows-your-business kind of way, which can be both comforting and completely infuriating depending on the day. I’m attached to the house Garrett and I built our life in—it holds so many memories, good and bad. Some days it feels like a warm hug, other days it feels like it’s haunted… and not just metaphorically.
There are ghosts here, both literal and emotional, but I think I’ve learned to live with them. The people I love are here. My roots are here. And no matter how complicated it gets, I don’t think I could ever fully walk away from it.
Do you have children, pets, both, or neither?
My daughter Ava is my world. She’s currently at a prestigious boarding school for the arts, and I miss her every day. No pets… unless you count ghostly visitors.
What do you do for a living?
Since Garrett passed, I haven’t been working. I’ve been focused on getting through the day-to-day and figuring out what comes next. Then came the whole “surprise, you can talk to ghosts” situation, which was... unexpected, to say the least. But I’ve decided to use this new so-called gift to help where I can. I’ve started consulting on cases here and there, and I’m in the process of launching my own private investigation company. It’s still in the works, but it’s coming together—and for the first time in a long time, I’m actually excited about what’s next.
Greatest disappointment?
Losing Garrett. He was my best friend, my anchor, and losing him cracked something in me I’m still trying to piece back together.
Greatest source of joy?
Ava. Watching her become her own person, bold and creative and brave, gives me hope even on the hardest days.
What do you do to entertain yourself or have fun?
Girls’ nights with my best friends are pretty much my version of therapy—laughter, wine, and a safe space to be a little unhinged. The rest of my free time? Usually spent chasing down leads to help whatever spirit won’t leave me alone. It’s not exactly the self-care routine I imagined, but it gets the job done.
What is your greatest personal failing, in your view?
Not being strong enough. Other people might argue with that, but I know what rock bottom feels like because I lived there for a while. Maybe if Ava had been home, I wouldn’t have had the space to fall so hard—but she was away at school, and I slipped into a routine of Riesling and half a pint of ice cream more nights than I care to admit. I disappeared for a bit, and that’s something I still carry.
What keeps you awake at night?
The fear that I’m not doing enough for Ava. That I’ll somehow mess this up. And sometimes… voices from the other side that show up uninvited.
What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?
Trying to keep my friends safe while figuring out who’s threatening us and why. Oh, and not completely losing myself in the process.
Is there something that you need or want that you don’t have? For yourself or for someone important to you?
I want peace—for me, for Ava, for all the people I care about who have been through more than they deserve. And if I’m being honest? I want Nick West all to myself. One night—no interruptions, no ghosts, just him and me and whatever’s been building between us. Is that really too much to ask?
Why don’t you have it? What is in the way?
Grief. Secrets. The past that won’t quite stay buried. And maybe the part of me that’s still scared to move on.
Four friends discover that their new magical skills may not be enough to save them from a stalker hell-bent on turning their lives upside down.
Alyssa, Nina, Lanie, and Corinne's friendship is being put to the test. With Nina's marriage falling apart, Lanie acting distant, Alyssa's new romance, and no one quite trusting Corinne, this may be more than their bond can take. But when Nina appears at Alyssa's door, and confesses not just a decades-old secret, but a newfound magical power, the friends know that the only way to face this is together.
Someone has been blackmailing Nina for years, but lately the threats to reveal her secret have changed to threats on her life, and on the lives of those she loves. With Alyssa contacting ghosts for insight and Nina getting used to her telepathy skills, they dash from city to city to track down the threat. There's someone out there that will go to any lengths to keep their control over Nina, and it will take all four friends to get out of this without ruining, or losing, their lives. But with the strength of their friendship—and a little help from the beyond—these women are out to prove they're not to be messed with.
Romance Paranormal [Berkley, On Sale: May 13, 2025, Trade Paperback / e-Book , ISBN: 9780593640067 / eISBN: 9780593640074]
An Enchanting Paranormal Mystery Featuring Four Unique Friends With Magical Abilities
Melissa Holtz is a former publicist and marketing expert in the romance genre. Now in an advisory role to several bestselling authors, she consults on industry marketing trends.
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