Tuesday, January 5, marked the launch of A GHOUL’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND
MURDER—the tenth and final book in the Ghost Hunter Mysteries. I
thought that as the release day approached, I’d feel sad. Melancholy. Filled
with regret.
But I feel none of that. Instead I feel tremendous joy, and truthfully my chest
is near bursting with pride. This final book is my favorite of the series—not
because of the plot or character development, but because it’s right. It’s just
right.
While putting together the newsletter to announce the launch, my assistant—who
does artwork—created a block of all the books at the bottom of the page, and as
I was reviewing the newsletter, I found myself staring at that group of all ten
books, eyes brimming with tears for a long, long time, thinking how wonderful it
is to have been a part of their creation. There’s a whole world inside those
three-thousand-plus pages. A world I built and labored over and brought to life.
What a divine feeling it is to look at them and feel such a sense of pride and
accomplishment.
And there is also that, with this final book, I know I’ve brought M.J. to the
point where I can at last let her go. Where she can leave me to walk on her own.
Where she no longer needs me in her life. I’ve never had children, but I suspect
this is the way a mother feels when her daughter finally heads off to college.
As much as M.J. is a figment of my imagination, she’s still been very real to
me, and I’ve carried her in my mind for a decade, worrying and fussing over her,
giving her my all, nurturing her with tremendous care, and patience, and
frustration, and irritation, and gratitude, and joy, and fear, and love—so much
love—and now I don’t have to do any of that anymore.
She’s free.
And so am I.
Of all the things in my career that I’m proudest of, that, right there, is at
the top of the list.
I’m sure there will be fans of the series who wish it could continue, but I’m
hopeful that after they read the final chapter they’ll understand what it means
to let M.J. go with satisfaction instead of sadness. I know I’ll always feel joy
when I think of M.J., Gilley, Heath, Doc, Steven, and Teeko. And I don’t know
how you could ask for a better ending than that.
Ghost Hunter
Psychic M.J. Holliday and friends hunt ghosts.
When I was in the 7th grade I took one of those career application tests -
you know, the ones where you answer a bunch of questions and the results
indicate what profession you'd best be suited for? Yeah, well my test results
indicated I was best suited for a career as a government spy.
A SPY!
I think I had the coolest results in the entire class. :)
Needless
to say, I did not follow that particular career path - or maybe I just took the
more indirect route. In my thirties a very good friend of mine who is now one of
the world's most renowned psychic mediums suggested I stop ignoring my talents
and dive right into the professional world of a psychic intuitive. On a lark, I
did. And the results were pretty mind-blowing. Within just a few short weeks
even I couldn't deny it - so much of what I predicted for total strangers was
coming true and I really had to accept the "gift" so to speak.
Over the
years I've built a really fabulous clientele and all those experiences have
helped me create the Psychic Eye Mysteries, the Ghost Hunter Mysteries, and -
for children - Oracles of Delphi Keep. And along that way I discovered my true
love - writing.
Writing is one of those passions that gets me out of bed
in the morning and invigorates my day. I love spinning a good yarn, and when I
feel I actually get it right - wow! There is no better feeling.
In fact,
the other day I was kicking back after a looooong day of writing, which ended in
the completion of a manuscript and I remember just marveling in the fact that I
actually get paid to daydream! I can't think of a more satisfying way to spend a
life. And let's face it - it's a whole lot safer than working some covert
operation. Although - I'm pretty sure the benefits might be better at the CIA.
Still, I'll stick to my daydreams...at least for now... :)
Medium M. J. Holliday battles demons in the tenth Ghost Hunter Mystery
from the New York Times bestselling author of No Ghouls
Allowed.
M.J., Heath, and Gilley, are back home in Boston, where
their new film is sure to be a monster hit! To promote the film,
the studio is sponsoring a special exhibit of supernatural artifacts at a local
museum. Unfortunately, Gilley—whose mind is engaged with wedding plans—gets
talked into donating to the exhibit the very dagger that keeps the dangerous
ghost Oruç and his pet demon locked down in the lower realms. Before M.J. can
recover the bewitched blade, there’s a murder and a heist at the museum, and the
dagger is stolen.
Now Oruç is coming for M.J. and her crew, and
he's bringing with him some fiendish friends from M.J.’s haunted past. She,
Gilley, and Heath are certain to be in for a devil of a time. M.J. may even need
to recruit a certain skeptical Boston detective to help stop the paranormal
party crashers from turning Gilley’s wedding bells to funeral knells. . . .
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