Today I’m glad to welcome back a fellow Wild Rose Press author. Julie Howard’s latest novel, House of Seven Spirits, features ghost hunters battling the perils of the Australian Outback!

Some secrets are deadly, and ghost-blogger Jillian Winchester and her photographer boyfriend discover it’s true when they set out to investigate an Australian family who disappeared without a trace in the 1880s. 

An abandoned sheep station rumored to be haunted by the long-dead Kinsley family is one challenge. The other is the beautiful but deadly Outback.

As Jillian probes deeper into the mystery, one thing becomes clear: She might not make it out of this quest alive.

Excerpt:

“Don’t go up there,” Mason warned. “The wood’s apt to be rotted in places. The floor may not be safe.”

She glanced over her shoulder at him and hesitated. Her California beach home was eight thousand miles away—a fifteen-hour flight plus a day’s drive along bumpy bleak roads. She hadn’t come this far to only examine the structure’s exterior. Her work required total immersion.

She put a foot on the first step and tested it with her weight. Mason strode around the car and halted just below the porch with arms crossed. “Jillian.”

The last thing she needed was someone hovering, directing her on what she could and couldn’t do. When she worked, the “real” world faded in importance. His uneasy energy interrupted her focus. “I’m fine.”

The stair was solid, at least. Not even a creak greeted her as she advanced onto the veranda. He cleared his throat as she took another step, but said nothing.

Despite the heat, a sudden chill rippled up her bare arms, sending prickles all the way to her neck. For a split second, her world tilted and her senses were overwhelmed. The musty odor of freshly shorn sheep wool, clothes flapping on a line, young voices chattering, the sharp tang of blood. Just as quick, the images dissolved and all was still, dry and lifeless once more. She let go of a deep breath, and a feeling of exhilaration swept through her.

Someone’s here.

Julie’s thoughts on the joys and challenges of writing a suspense series.

We all love a good series, right? Whether it’s a TV show, docuseries, or book, an ongoing story lets us spend more time in a world to which we’ve grown fascinated.

As a writer, I also love developing series for similar reasons. My latest release, House of Seven Spirits, is the second in my ghost mystery series. When I started the first book, Spirited Quest, I had no intention of turning this into a series. But midway into the story, I realized two things: My ghost blogger character, Jillian Winchester, would make a great ongoing story. Also, I wasn’t ready to let go of her. She had lots of potential for growth and could be at the center of some riveting plots.

Books in series are a bit different from other books. For instance, each needs to stand alone so the reader can enjoy any of the stories out of order and not feel lost. They also need to offer a bit of growth to the main characters so, if someone wanted to read all the books in order, the characters don’t seem frozen in time, or stale. For me, this is a fun challenge. I love cultivating character depth. You definitely learn more about Jillian in book two than book one. Book three, which I’m currently writing, will offer even more.

There’s a familiarity in returning to a set of characters, too, that is somehow comforting – similar to how I feel when watching a beloved TV show like “Gilmore Girls.” I really like my fictional characters and sort of miss them when I move on to another book in between. I fall into a rhythm with how they speak, their sense of humor, and any quirks. I know their frailties and motivations.

House of Seven Spirits was fun to write. I hope readers enjoy!

Buy Links for House of Seven Spirits:

Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/ubgz73p

iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/house-of-seven-spirits/id1497768327

Nook: https://bit.ly/39kJRgS

About the Author

Julie Howard is the author of the Wild Crime and Spirited Quest series. She is a former journalist and editor who has covered topics ranging from crime to cowboy poetry. Now she edits an online anthology, Potato Soup Journal.

Author Links:

Website: http://juliemhoward.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/juliemhowardauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18116047.Julie_Howard

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B07D6CS4NQ

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/julie-howard?list=author_books

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_JulieMHoward