Trudy Hicks Ghost Hunter Case One -The Deceit Trudy Hicks Ghost Hunter Book One Lori Zaremba ***Interview -- Excerpt -- Giveaway***
Trudy Hicks Ghost Hunter
Case One -The Deceit
Trudy Hicks Ghost Hunter
Book One
Lori Zaremba
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Date of Publication: 2/12/2019
Number of pages: 337
Word Count: 78500
My job? I hunt ghosts. Not to prove they exist—because I already know they do—but to figure out why they’re still here.
My first big case leads me to a mansion on the Chicago Gold Coast, the previous home of a wealthy socialite who lived there until she accidentally fell to her death in 1927.
I’ve never been this determined—and excited—to solve a case like this one before. Pity I’m forced to work alongside a man whose sole purpose is to debunk paranormal activity. But the worst part? He’s gorgeous, and the more we work together, the more I realize I might be falling for him.
Together we’re delving deeper and deeper into the spiritual world. But the more secrets we uncover, the more pissed off these ghosts become; and that’s when I start to realize…we might be in way over our heads.
Welcome to JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder
Lori Zaremba
Trudy Hicks:Ghost Hunter
Tell us about your newest book.
Some secrets are meant to stay buried.
My job? I hunt ghosts. Not to prove they exist—because I already know they do—but to figure out why they’re still here.
My first big case leads me to a mansion on the Chicago Gold Coast, the previous home of a wealthy socialite who lived there until she accidentally fell to her death in 1927.
I’ve never been this determined—and excited—to solve a case like this one before. Pity I’m forced to work alongside a man whose sole purpose is to debunk paranormal activity. But the worst part? He’s gorgeous, and the more we work together, the more I realize I might be falling for him.
Together we’re delving deeper and deeper into the spiritual world. But the more secrets we uncover, the more pissed off these ghosts become; and that’s when I start to realize…we might be in way over our heads.
Guest Post
An Interview with the Author
Lori Zaremba
Welcome to JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder
Lori Zaremba
Trudy Hicks:Ghost Hunter
Tell us about your newest book.
Well, it’s my debut novel. Case One-The Deceit-is the first book in the Trudy Hicks: Ghost Hunter series. The story is about an ex-cop who starts a new business, ghost hunting.- Trudy treats each haunting situation as a cold case to discover why the spirits are in unrest and use the help of a psychic to go back into the life of the deceased. Trudy is forced to work alongside a man who has been hired to do surveillance and doesn’t believe ghosts cause the activity in the house. The two have an instant attraction, and amidst all the chaos, mishaps and turmoil, they end up romantically involved and solve the investigation together.
Writing isn’t easy. What was the most difficult thing you dealt with when writing your newest book? Honestly just finding the time between full-time job, family, and life events- it’s challenging to carve out some time to write.
Tell us a little bit about your writing career.
Writing isn’t easy. What was the most difficult thing you dealt with when writing your newest book? Honestly just finding the time between full-time job, family, and life events- it’s challenging to carve out some time to write.
Tell us a little bit about your writing career.
I’ve always written in some way or another. Poems, lyrics then later, business forms and ad-copy. I started writing about my personal experiences with ghosts and published on Your Ghost Stories. I started writing this fiction a few years ago when I began pondering why a ghost haunts-especially the cranky ones.
They say Hind-sight is 20/20. If you could give advice to the writer you were the first time you sat down to write, what would it be?
They say Hind-sight is 20/20. If you could give advice to the writer you were the first time you sat down to write, what would it be?
Write what feels good. It took me so long to get my story right because I was trying too hard to create something based on everyone else’s opinions. Once I wrote the way I want, it felt like magic, and the story flowed.
What was your most difficult scene to write?
What was your most difficult scene to write?
I’m not going to lie- I struggled at first with the sex scenes. Too much, too little, too vague and oh my goodness what’s that body part called? What’s another word for an orgasm?
Are themes a big part of your stories, or not so much?
Are themes a big part of your stories, or not so much?
I believe themes are indeed important especially when trying to portray a very heroic main character.
What are you working on now?
What are you working on now?
Case Two: The Kept ~This one’s a little darker as we learn more about Trudy’s past but full of action, more than Case One. It’s with my publisher now, and we will be working on final edits in April. In the meantime, I have started Case Three: The Hex, which is keeping me up at night. This one has Voodoo, history of a brothel and a coven of really cool witches.
Is there a release date planned?
Is there a release date planned?
Case Two: My publisher hasn’t given a release date yet. I am hoping for early summer.
Who is your favorite character from your own stories, and why?
Who is your favorite character from your own stories, and why?
Trudy Hicks-her character is a combination of some amazing women in my life. Tough, sweet, brave and kick ass!
Most writers were readers as children. What was your favorite book in grade school?
Most writers were readers as children. What was your favorite book in grade school?
The Outsiders.
What are your plans for future projects?
To complete The Trudy Hicks: Ghost Hunter series – I already have the Case four plotted out. I also have a cool spin-off of the witches in Case Three. Will be a different take on the usual witch story, and I see it as a series as well. I have a few ideas for several stand-alone books, but I need to do some research to know if they will be right for me.
Is there anything you would like to add before we finish?
Is there anything you would like to add before we finish?
My dad recently passed away, but one of his favorite quotes from W.C Fields has stuck with me-through this whole writing process.
“If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance then baffle them with bullshit.”
Thanks, dad, I miss you.
Good luck with your newest release, and thank you for being with us today.
Looking once again across the table at Jason, she noticed he was listening to his two-way radio.
“I’ll go check it out,” Trudy heard him say as he excused himself.
“Is everything all right?” Paul started to rise from the dinner table.
“Everything is fine. Sit and relax. I have to go and check one of the cameras.” Jason slipped from the room.
Trudy caught up to him at the base of the stairs. “What’s going on?”
He looked at her warily. “One of the cameras on the third floor caught the door of your room slamming shut.”
“Oh, I left it open for the dog when I came down to dinner.”
“Jasmine?” He raised a questioning brow as he referred to the golden retriever who was sound asleep under the dining table.
“No.” She bit her lip and tried not to laugh at his puzzled expression. “I left it open for the other dog that was whining and scratching at my door.”
“Oh, I see, the imaginary one,” he quipped, climbing the stairs two at a time. Trudy was almost at a sprint to keep up, careful not to slip in her high heels. They finally reached the third floor. The air was so thick that Trudy could barely move her legs and felt the hair on the back of her neck rising in warning.
“Shhh. Did you hear that?” A door slammed from inside her room.
“What the hell was that?” Jason said as he reached for the door, looking down at her.
“It’s probably just a little mouse,” she said, causing him to frown down at her before slowly turning the knob.
They entered the room as quietly as possible, and a blast of frigid air struck them. Jason reached over to flip the switch for the light. Everything was normal. They quickly searched the room for any signs of a disturbance. The room was just as she left it, and the door to the bathroom was open as before. She couldn’t figure out what made the slamming noise that they heard.
“Uh, were you typing an email earlier?” Jason asked, looking at her laptop.
“Oh, yeah, to my mom. I forgot.”
“You better take a look at this.”
Trudy looked at the screen and saw her email was
still up. She had written, “Hi, Mom. We’re at the house. All is well. Please...” That was where she stopped when she’d been interrupted by a phone call, and that was where it looked like the email went wild with,
“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG.”
The two letters repeated the whole way down the page. “How is that possible?” she questioned.
“Maybe your keys are stuck.” He bent down to get a better look at the keys then tapped them to see if they were sticking.
“Please, there’s nothing wrong with the keys. Someone was playing.”
“Who?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking about a human.”
“You think a ghost did this?” Humor danced around his mouth as he tried to keep from smiling.
“Well, it certainly could be a possibility, and it is the reason we’re here.”
“Not we, you. I’m here to look at things rationally.”
“Rationally...really?” She was irritated, folding her arms over her chest and glaring at him. “What was rational about the events that led us into this room? And for the love of God, what was rational about what happened to you in the basement?”
Jason sat on the bed, elbows on his knees, and looked down at the floor. “I don’t know, but I plan to find out.”
She looked at him for a moment and could almost feel his confusion. He was a bit lost in all this chaos. She sat beside him and mimicked his pose. Trudy elbowed him on the arm, and the simple touch sent a thrill racing through her body. “I guess we have our work cut out for us.”
His gaze settled on her half-smile. “At least it won’t be boring.”
Her heart did a somersault. “Yeah, I don’t do well with boring.”
Feeling brazen, she leaned over and planted a quick kiss on his mouth. His eyes widened in surprise, and Trudy jumped up, grinning from ear to ear.
“Let’s go, Mr. Young. They’re probably wondering what’s happened to us.” She was halfway out the door.
Jason grabbed her hand before she could reach the hall and spun her around. His lips claimed hers before she could grasp what was happening. Trudy felt his hand on the small of her back molding her to him, while his other hand gently held her head. She felt a thrill like never before, and just as her knees started to give out, he released her.
“Better hurry, Gertrude. Wouldn’t want anyone to think you were trying to take advantage of me in this here grand bedroom.” He smiled into her eyes, and once again she was lost. She shook her head to clear it and get some control of her senses.
“We better go, or I’ll be taking advantage of you.” She laughed, and he did too. She loved the sound of it. She glanced over her shoulder. “I hope that damned camera of yours was turned off.”
As they headed out the door, Jason walking just behind her, he grimaced when he saw the red light on the camera on and grunted, “Oh, shit.”
Lori Zaremba is a full-time Internet Sales Manager and writes Web Content as well as providing Copy Editing for businesses in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. Lori has published short ghost stories on Your Ghost Stories, as the Haunted_Cleaner and on her website lorizaremba.com
On her website, lorizaremba.com, Zaremba refers to herself as the ghost magnet and briefly describes her encounters with departing spirits.
Lori began writing her fiction story as a creative offering of why a ghost would haunt. Before long the story became a novel Case One: The Deceit in the Trudy Hicks Ghost Hunter series.
Lori currently lives in the suburbs of Pittsburgh with her husband Wayne and two fur babies Jaxson and Stewie.
“If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance then baffle them with bullshit.”
Thanks, dad, I miss you.
Good luck with your newest release, and thank you for being with us today.
Excerpt:
Looking once again across the table at Jason, she noticed he was listening to his two-way radio.
“I’ll go check it out,” Trudy heard him say as he excused himself.
“Is everything all right?” Paul started to rise from the dinner table.
“Everything is fine. Sit and relax. I have to go and check one of the cameras.” Jason slipped from the room.
Trudy caught up to him at the base of the stairs. “What’s going on?”
He looked at her warily. “One of the cameras on the third floor caught the door of your room slamming shut.”
“Oh, I left it open for the dog when I came down to dinner.”
“Jasmine?” He raised a questioning brow as he referred to the golden retriever who was sound asleep under the dining table.
“No.” She bit her lip and tried not to laugh at his puzzled expression. “I left it open for the other dog that was whining and scratching at my door.”
“Oh, I see, the imaginary one,” he quipped, climbing the stairs two at a time. Trudy was almost at a sprint to keep up, careful not to slip in her high heels. They finally reached the third floor. The air was so thick that Trudy could barely move her legs and felt the hair on the back of her neck rising in warning.
“Shhh. Did you hear that?” A door slammed from inside her room.
“What the hell was that?” Jason said as he reached for the door, looking down at her.
“It’s probably just a little mouse,” she said, causing him to frown down at her before slowly turning the knob.
They entered the room as quietly as possible, and a blast of frigid air struck them. Jason reached over to flip the switch for the light. Everything was normal. They quickly searched the room for any signs of a disturbance. The room was just as she left it, and the door to the bathroom was open as before. She couldn’t figure out what made the slamming noise that they heard.
“Uh, were you typing an email earlier?” Jason asked, looking at her laptop.
“Oh, yeah, to my mom. I forgot.”
“You better take a look at this.”
Trudy looked at the screen and saw her email was
still up. She had written, “Hi, Mom. We’re at the house. All is well. Please...” That was where she stopped when she’d been interrupted by a phone call, and that was where it looked like the email went wild with,
“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEGGGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG.”
The two letters repeated the whole way down the page. “How is that possible?” she questioned.
“Maybe your keys are stuck.” He bent down to get a better look at the keys then tapped them to see if they were sticking.
“Please, there’s nothing wrong with the keys. Someone was playing.”
“Who?”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking about a human.”
“You think a ghost did this?” Humor danced around his mouth as he tried to keep from smiling.
“Well, it certainly could be a possibility, and it is the reason we’re here.”
“Not we, you. I’m here to look at things rationally.”
“Rationally...really?” She was irritated, folding her arms over her chest and glaring at him. “What was rational about the events that led us into this room? And for the love of God, what was rational about what happened to you in the basement?”
Jason sat on the bed, elbows on his knees, and looked down at the floor. “I don’t know, but I plan to find out.”
She looked at him for a moment and could almost feel his confusion. He was a bit lost in all this chaos. She sat beside him and mimicked his pose. Trudy elbowed him on the arm, and the simple touch sent a thrill racing through her body. “I guess we have our work cut out for us.”
His gaze settled on her half-smile. “At least it won’t be boring.”
Her heart did a somersault. “Yeah, I don’t do well with boring.”
Feeling brazen, she leaned over and planted a quick kiss on his mouth. His eyes widened in surprise, and Trudy jumped up, grinning from ear to ear.
“Let’s go, Mr. Young. They’re probably wondering what’s happened to us.” She was halfway out the door.
Jason grabbed her hand before she could reach the hall and spun her around. His lips claimed hers before she could grasp what was happening. Trudy felt his hand on the small of her back molding her to him, while his other hand gently held her head. She felt a thrill like never before, and just as her knees started to give out, he released her.
“Better hurry, Gertrude. Wouldn’t want anyone to think you were trying to take advantage of me in this here grand bedroom.” He smiled into her eyes, and once again she was lost. She shook her head to clear it and get some control of her senses.
“We better go, or I’ll be taking advantage of you.” She laughed, and he did too. She loved the sound of it. She glanced over her shoulder. “I hope that damned camera of yours was turned off.”
As they headed out the door, Jason walking just behind her, he grimaced when he saw the red light on the camera on and grunted, “Oh, shit.”
About the Author:
Lori Zaremba is a full-time Internet Sales Manager and writes Web Content as well as providing Copy Editing for businesses in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. Lori has published short ghost stories on Your Ghost Stories, as the Haunted_Cleaner and on her website lorizaremba.com
On her website, lorizaremba.com, Zaremba refers to herself as the ghost magnet and briefly describes her encounters with departing spirits.
Lori began writing her fiction story as a creative offering of why a ghost would haunt. Before long the story became a novel Case One: The Deceit in the Trudy Hicks Ghost Hunter series.
Lori currently lives in the suburbs of Pittsburgh with her husband Wayne and two fur babies Jaxson and Stewie.
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