Along the majestic shoreline of the central coast of California lies a secret. Leah Van Heusen has discovered an ancient house amongst some overgrown foliage. The house is amazing and eerie. Most women wouldn’t have taken a step inside, but Leah is intrigued and feels drawn to the old mansion.
After seeking out the owner and purchasing the entire estate for a single dollar, Leah wonders if she has taken on more than she bargained for. As she begins the restoration, she learns who her real friends and real family really are. What’s a few ghosts between friends?
Between repairs, upgrades, and the old house’s secrets, Leah has her hands full. When she finds a hidden staircase, Leah realizes that coming to grips with her sexuality and dating are now the least of her worries. Then, just as her beloved dream of running an inn is about to become a reality, she suddenly finds it is in jeopardy.
Will Leah discover who is willing to kill for the inn and the immense fortune she has found in time to save her dream?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
August 31, 1997 is one of those days that a lot of people know EXACTLY where they were. It was the day that Princess Diana died. I remember that day vividly. I was in San Luis Obispo County, California, shopping for a second home. We were contemplating a move from our home in Huntington Beach and possibly selling the townhome we owned. My boys and I were staying in a hotel in Atascadero when we heard the news. I called my mother immediately as I knew she was an avid royal-watcher. We were both devastated.
I’m sure news like this, such as the Kennedy assassinations stay with people as days that are burned into your psyche for life.
In January of 1998 we moved my businesses up to Morro Bay and we moved to Los Osos, slowly. I’d ‘commute’ the four hours between San Luis Obispo or SLO as it were called to Huntington Beach, every few days. We had our standard black poodle Abner in those days and he was a good companion. Sometimes, my boys would go with me, depending on if it were a weekend. Each trip I took a trailer load of things from our house to the house we were renting as we hadn’t found one to buy, not yet (that would come later).
In the middle of this move my mother suffered three strokes. I joked with her that she was just trying to get out of moving heavy boxes. After rehab where she relearned to talk and walk, I took her to Los Osos. That brisk, clear air not only helped her recover faster, but my son’s childhood asthma went away.
We lived in that area for three and a half years, with both homes (as I later bought a house up there too) and my boys and I explored the Central Coast. We went up to Big Sur and climbed the cliffs on the coast, hiked in the mountains, and collected jade and moonstone along the beaches. By then we had a Golden Retriever we named Sophie and the beaches were a great source of enjoyment for myself, the boys, and the dogs. A place exactly like what takes place in my book OUT AT THE INN. It’s where I got the idea for this story, those locations are so very distinctive.
It is with great pleasure that I announce a second edition of my book, newly edited, tweaked, and a few things polished. I’m also thrilled to show you the new cover. I hope, if you haven’t already read it, that you enjoy your first read-through, and if you have already bought a copy, hit me up, I’ll send you the updated copy (proof of purchase required).
Purchase your copy here!