The 1776 Inn
Now Available
Order a copy for the discounted price of $18. The book normally sells for $22. Buy both books for $30, a reduction of $8.
Angelique Chalfonte struggles to keep her bed and breakfast financially viable. However, a theft, two fires, sabotage and an accident have brought her inn to the brink of bankruptcy. The only bright spot in Angelique's life is Buck Robertson, the mysterious man who manages Delaware River Touring Co., a company that gives tours of the Delaware River. But he has a secret. Could he be the one behind the events ruining her inn? Or is he doing something else? Angelique takes action to save her inn but stumbles on a plot bigger than her financial problems. She now fights for her life!
ISBN: 978-1-4489-8947-8 $19.95
Purchase from www.amazon.com, www.bn.com, www.publishamerica.com or from me.
Reviews:
Book Signings:
Book release and networking party is planned for a weekend in February. Look for details on Facebook, LinkedIn, TerpsNation and B'More Creatives.
Sample Chapter:
Chapter 12 The Kiss
"Do you want some coffee?" Angelique asked.
"Yes. I think I could use some."
"I think the cafeteria is this way." Angelique guided Buck along a corridor until they came to the hospital cafeteria, which was a large room with tables and chairs. The food service was along the wall with cash registers at the end of the service area. She admired his chest as he breathed heavily. With each breath Buck took, Angelique’s heart beat faster. She knew the death had nothing to do with what she felt. She had this reaction every time she saw him. His wavy hair and those eyelashes always made her body melt. Angelique wanted to rub her fingers over his chest and feel his skin beneath her touch, but she did not dare because he had just lost his mother.
Despite the empty feeling he had over the loss of his mother, Buck noticed how Angelique’s clothes fit just perfectly. They emphasized every curve of her body. Her pearly black hair touched his shoulder every so often, enticing Buck. He longed to play with her hair and feel her silky skin entwined in his hands. He kept reminding himself that his mother had just died. This was no time to flirt with a woman even one as special as Angelique. He watched her take light steps as if walking on feathers.
"Here we are." She handed him some coffee and smiled, igniting a spark in Buck. He drank the coffee but he wanted to drink from her. Buck put down the coffee and grabbed Angelique. Her eyes dazzled with emotion, kindness, sympathy, happiness and spirit. Buck had never seen so much emotion from one person. He rubbed her cheek, memorizing her softness. Angelique stared as his touch excited every fiber of her being, but she wanted to go slowly. Buck touched her hair, letting it glide through his fingers. Her smile deepened. Buck opened his mouth and touched her lips. Angelique warmly allowed the kiss. She opened her mouth to meet his. Both groaned. The excitement spread through their bodies like fire, igniting emotions both have kept dormant for years.
After a long kiss, Angelique pushed Buck away. They were still in the hospital cafeteria. During the kiss, they forgot where they were.
"We shouldn’t do this," Angelique said.
"You’re right. This is wrong."
"Buck, it’s not wrong. It’s just wrong right now. We’re in the hospital cafeteria and your mother just died. You need to deal with that."
They sat at the table drank the coffee and dunked doughnuts. After awhile, they left.
"Angelique, a lot has happened today. I don’t want to be alone in my apartment tonight."
"Well..." She hesitated. She did not have much room. She did not want him in her bed. "You can stay at the Inn. I’ll tell Maggie to prepare the room nobody ever wants."
"It’s OK? You sure?"
"I have a full house. I still have those from the burnt retirement community living at my inn. But I have one room that has no view, so we don’t rent it unless it’s Fourth of July. So, come, stay."
"I would like that. I’ll see you later."
Buck left the hospital and took the El to his apartment. He packed a small bag. He felt the emptiness in the room and within himself. It’s as if a part of himself had died. Then, Angelique had reawakened that dead part. Buck’s emotions confused him. Part of him mourned his mother and another part relished the kiss with Angelique. Staying with Angelique tonight was the right move. She could calm all his fears. He could not live without her, but she still is timid around him.
Maggie prepared the bedroom on Angelique’s third floor. It was at the end of the hall near the bathroom. Although it was the only room available, Maggie would have put him there anyway. No man would sleep anywhere near Angelique. She would not lose her innocense on her watch. The bedroom had never been aired. Neither woman saw a need to open the room. That was the one her parents always used. Few guests wanted that one because it had no view. Angelique preferred the one with a balcony. It was the presidential suite, but James Buchanan was the last president to stay at the inn built in the Revolutionary War era. Maggie and the cook slept in rooms that were once servants quarters on the first floor near the kitchen. The rest of the rooms on the second and third floors went to guests. The inn had 50 available for guests.
Maggie opened a window to air Buck’s room. His room was decorated in blue paisley wall paper. When she opened the window, she saw the parking lot and a chain-link fence from the store across the street behind the inn. She took an extra blanket from the closet. The room felt drafty.
Maggie opened the door.
"Ya, the guest we expectin’?"
"I’m Buck Robertson. May I come in?"
"Welcome to the 1776 Inn. Maggie’s the name. I’m here to serve the guests and the friends of Miss Angelique. I want no trouble."
"Don’t worry. I’m not here for trouble. My mother died tonight at the hospital. I didn’t want to sleep alone in my apartment. Angelique invited me to stay here for free."
"Good Lord, another free guest? What is she going to do?"
"What?"
"Nothing. I’m sorry to hear about ya mom. Poor girl lost both her parents when she was growin’. She was only in her teens. They died from a flood. This way, please."
"Angelique told me they died but didn’t tell me how. That could be why she doesn’t like my job."
"Probably."
"I had to open the window to air the room. We never use this room. If ya need anything else, give me a holler."
"Thank you for your help. Where is Angelique?"
"She’s gettin’ groceries. She’ll be back later."
Buck unpacked his things and settled for the long night ahead. He put his clothes in the antique dresser, took off his shirt and walked into the bathroom. He washed his face and arms. Suddenly, a hunger pain struck him. All he ate were the doughnuts in the hospital. He planned to ask Maggie for a sandwich later. He plopped on the bed and sobbed as he remembered the body in the morgue and his father’s reaction.
The 1776 Scroll
Christmas is coming. Books make great gifts, especially for teachers. Buy your copy of The 1776 Scroll or The 1776 Inn today! You'll have them in time for Christmas.
At 19, Charlie Schofield lives alone in Philadelphia and struggles to cure her loneliness. She fights for a spot in the Magical Strike Force Academy. She tries to repair the shattered relationships around her and even takes up with a friend who also is lonely. However, a plot involving a cave and magic scroll makes her personal problems seem like minor inconveniences. The scroll has powerful magic that an evil wizard wants and needs Charlie to release. He tortures Charlie when she is unable to open the scroll to release the magic. Her friend who secretly knows Charlie is in danger foils the evil wizard's plan, but he hatches a new one. He plans to humiliate Charlie in court and prove the scroll is a hoax. Will Charlie unlock the magic in the scroll before the wizard goes free? Will she prove she was the victim of a crime? Or will the court declare her an attention-grabbing witch?
ISBN: 1-4241-5098-1 $16.95
Published by PublishAmerica LLLP Available for purchase
an electronic version of the book is available through http://www.mobipocket.com
Book Signings:
Newspaper Articles:
"Writing Beats Loneliness," by Srianthi Perera, Arizona Republic, Gilbert News, Nov. 11 http://www.azcentral.com
"New book review," by Ron Watson, editor2 at NewBookReviews.org, Aug. 18, 2007
The 1776 Scroll by Louise Harris is a tale about a familiar world except it is full of wizards and witches, some good and others evil. Louise Harris' story about a magical scroll has all the elements of a great tale, a crime, a torture, a rescue and finding a treasure. Harris brings all of this together in an entertaining and captivating tale that is a delight to read for young and old alike! An entertaining read!
Sample Chapter:
Torture in the Cave
"Is there a way to track someone's apparition?" Jill asked Director Greeley.
"Unfortunately, no. We have a record every time someone uses a port key, transporter or fireplace network. When someone apparates, we have magical residue from where the person left. In Charlie's case, we know that two people left the cafeteria two days ago. We thus suspect she wasn't alone and that she didn't go willingly."
Steve ran into the apartment panting.
"She...has...a...cell phone. She has a cell phone."
"What's a silly phone?" Jill and Tom said together.
"Not a silly phone, a cell phone. It is a device phanatics use to communicate with each other. All we have to do is call her to see if she is OK," Steve said hurriedly.
"How do we get one to call Charlie's?" Jill asked.
"I borrowed Dad's."
Steve punched the number Aunt Cookie gave him in the phone. The phone rang in Charlie's house. She had been running late for class and forgot to grab it. I don't need it here anyway, she said when realized it was at home. Her voice mail answered.
"This is Charlie. I can't answer the phone now. Leave a message."
"Darn. I got her voice mail," Steve said.
"What does that mean?" Jill asked.
"It means she doesn't have it with her or it's turned off. Either way, it won't help us. We can't use the G.P.S. either to locate her either."
"What are you talking about?" Tom said.
"G.P.S. or Global Positioning System. It is a chip put in cell phones to track phone usage. Phanatic police can use it to find people and places. It doesn't work if the cell phone is turned off. We need a new idea."
Charlie now spent two nights in the cave. Her fingers have started to turn blue. Her shivers can't stop now. Her belly pains won't stop now either. She managed to inch half the distance to the stick. She was so cold, hungry and tired, but she knew she had to get it. She was interrupted when her attacker entered the cave.
"Get up." Charlie worked her way to a sitting position. The kidnapper gave her another bowl of water.
"Drink." Charlie once again had to lick the water like a dog.
"I have done some research about you. You are a descendent from Richard Stockton, the signer of the Declaration of Independence. Aren't you?"
Charlie stared at him. She knew he wanted an answer, but she was still silenced. He zapped her. Tears fell.
"Oh I forgot. Loquata."
"You Bastard," she said when she could talk.
"Now. Now. Answer the question. Remember I'm the one with the wand."
"I have always been told I am a descendent, but I have no proof one way or another," she said reluctantly.
"You are the one."
"For what?"
"Never you mind. You will be able to give me power. I will take my revenge on anyone who called me a nerd, anyone who made fun of me, anyone who hurt me. You will help me and when you are arrested and take the fall for me, I will have my revenge on your mother. Ha. Ha."
"You Bastard," she said again. He zapped her and took away her water.
"Ahhh! I will never help you." She spat in his face.
"Quieta." Charlie fell silent once more. The wizard said, "Oh you'll help me. A few more cold nights in this cave without food will change your mind. And you'll pay for that stunt."
He zapped her a few more times. Her screams fell silent. The man taunted Charlie more by eating a roast turkey in front of her. Her mouth watered. The man liked seeing her so helpless. It gave him power. Charlie wanted to cry but knew her kidnapper would hurt her if she did. She fought back the tears.
After lunch, he decided to amuse himself with Charlie. He took out his wand and put her in a trance so she wouldn't struggle. He conjured a sharp, pointy object, like an ice pick. He grabbed Charlie's arm and poked. He stabbed her fingers and moved up her arms. Then, he poked her legs with the object. The pain was unbearable. Charlie clenched her teeth to stop the tears. When he was done, he vanished the object.
Next, the kidnapper conjured a roller used in the magical world to straighten bent wands. He rolled it over Charlie. She thought nothing could be worse than the pain from the ice pick. She was wrong. The roller was 10 times worse. Tears poured down her face. When he was done, he grinned over seeing her so frightened and helpless. Blood trickled from the holes from the ice pick. He removed the trance. He stared at her body once more.
I hate you. I hate everything about you. No wonder Mom made fun of him, she thought. Charlie continued to lay on the floor. She had red sores where the kidnapper poked her with the object. When the blood dried, Charlie looked like she had chicken pox up and down her arms and legs. At sunset, he left Charlie to lie cold in the cave again.
Charlie was getting closer to the stick. Now, that she was closer, she saw the stick was large. She might be able to hit the kidnapper with it. Wizards never think of doing things the phanatic way. Luckily for her, she had a phanatic aunt who didn't care what crowd Charlie ran with. She learned all sorts of things from the kids in the neighborhood. Some were wizards and witches. Most were delinquent phanatics. They loved when she used her powers, and she loved when they showed her things. They showed her how to make weapons out of almost anything. The stick will be a weapon, but she needed to rest.
Getting to sleep was getting harder in the cave. She was so cold now. Septembers in Philadelphia were warm in the day time but chilly at night. Most people will wear a light jacket at night. Charlie was stuck in a cave, which dropped the temperature 10 degrees, and no clothes. This made Charlie almost experience frostbite. It was coming she was sure. Charlie laid her head on a rock and closed her eyes. I am almost at the stick.
Other Titles In the Works
The 1776 Musket
This is another Charlie Schofield story. The villain is using muskets from 1776 to make bombs explode in various locations. Tiny wands are embedded in the bomb which rise and kill people. He is trying to get his revenge. The heroes have to stop him and learn about their past along the way.
Notorious Nick and The Magical Tornado
This is a book designed for third and fourth graders. I hope to make it a series. The main character Nickolai Brugger is an eight-year-old wizard with hyperactive magical malady (HAMM) and Magical Defiance Disorder (MaDD). The Superintendent is controlling the minds of elementary school wizards and witches to do his bidding. Only Nick is immune because of his HAMM to the mind-control spell. He alone can stop the Superintendent using his weather powers. He gets help from his brother and sister and mother.
Pillow Lessons
Compilation of short stories for children about Pepper Bear, Penny Panda and their friends. No publisher announced.
Create a free website at Webs.com