The Chocolatier's Ghost
by Cindy Lynn
Speer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Fantasy
Mystery
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
The
Chocolatier's Wife: ROMANCE, MAGIC, MYSTERY.... AND CHOCOLATE
A truly
original, spellbinding love story, featuring vivid characters in a highly
realistic historical setting.
When
Tasmin's bethrothed, William, is accused of murder, she gathers her wind
sprites and rushes to his home town to investigate. She doesn't have a shred of
doubt about his innocence. But as she settles in his chocolate shop, she finds
more in store than she bargained for. Facing suspicious townsfolk, gossiping
neighbors, and William's own family, who all resent her kind - the sorcerer
folk from the North -- she must also learn to tell friend from foe, and fast.
For the real killer is still on the loose - and he is intent on ruining
William's family at all cost.
The
Chocolatier's Ghost: Married to her soul mate, the chocolatier William, Tasmin
should not have to worry about anything at all. But when her happily ever after
is interrupted by the disappearance of the town’s wise woman, she rushes in to
investigate. Faced with dangers, dead bodies, and more mysterious
disappearances, Tasmin and William must act fast to save their town and
themselves – especially when Tasmin starts to be haunted by a most unwelcome
ghost from her past…literally.
The
Chocolatier’s Ghost is an enchanting sequel to Cindy Lynn Speer’s bestselling
romantic mystery, The Chocolatier’s Wife.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
Chocolatier’s Wife 1
Time was, in the kingdom of Berengeny, that no one
picked their spouses. No one courted—not officially, at any rate—and no one
married in a moment’s foolish passion. It was the charge of the town Wise
Woman, who would fill her spell bowl with clear, pure water; a little salt; and
the essence of roses, and rosemary, and sage. Next, she would prick the finger
of the newborn child and let his or her blood drip into the potion. If a face
showed in the waters, then it was known that the best possible mate (they never
said true love, for that was the stuff of foolish fancy) had been born, and the
Wise Woman could then tell where the future spouse lived, and arrangements were
made.
For the parents of William of the House of Almsley,
this process would turn out to be less than pleasant.
The first year that the baby William’s finger was
pricked and nothing showed, the Wise Woman said, “Fear not, a wife is often
younger than the husband.”
The second, third, and even fifth year she said
much the same.
But you see, since the spell was meant to choose
the best match—not the true love—of the heart the blood in the bowl belonged
to, this did not mean, as years passed, that the boy was special. It meant that
he would be impossible to live with.
On his seventh birthday, it seemed everyone had
quite forgotten all about visiting the Wise Woman until William, who knew this
of long habit to be a major part of his day--along with cake, a new toy, and a
new set of clothes--tugged on his mother’s skirt and asked when they were
going. She stared at him a long moment, tea cup in hand, before sighing and
calling for the carriage. She didn’t even bother to change into formal clothes
this time, and the Wise Woman seemed surprised to see them at all. “Well, we
might as well try while you’re here,” she said, her voice obviously doubtful.
William obediently held out the ring finger on his
left hand and watched as the blood dripped into the bowl. “She has dark brown
eyes,” William observed, “and some hair already.” He shrugged, and looked at
the two women. “I suppose she’ll do. I’m just glad ‘tis over, and that I can go
on with my life.”
“For you, perhaps,” his mother said, thinking of
what she would now have to accomplish.
“Do not fret, mother, I shall write a letter to the
little girl. Not that she can read it, anyway.” He petted his mother’s arm. He
was a sweet boy, but he was always charging forward, never worrying about
feelings.
The Wise Woman rolled out an elegantly painted silk
map of the kingdom and all its regions, his mother smoothed the fabric across
the table, and then the Wise Woman dipped a brass weight into the bowl.
Henriette, William’s mother, placed her hands on William’s shoulders as the
Wise Woman held the weight, suspended, over the map.
Henriette held her breath, waiting to see where it
would land. Andrew, her younger son, had his intended living just down the
street, which was quite convenient. At least they knew what they were getting
into immediately.
The plumb-bob made huge circles around the map,
spinning and spinning as the Wise Woman recited the words over and over. It
stopped, stiffly pointing toward the North.
“Tarnia? Not possible, nor even probable. You must
try again!”
For once, William’s mother wasn’t being stubbornly
demanding. Tarnia, a place of cruel and wild magic, was the last place from
whence one would wish a bride. They did not have Wise Women there, for anyone
could perform spells. The Hags of the North ate their dead and sent the harsh
winter wind to ravage the crops of the people of the South. Five hundred years
ago, the North and the South had fought a bitter war over a cause no one could
quite remember, only that it had been a brutal thing, and that many had died,
and it led to the South losing most of its magic. Though the war was long over
and the two supposedly united again, memory lingered. “I have cast it twice.”
The Wise Woman chewed her lower lip, but therewas naught else she could do.
“Not Tarnia, please?” Henriette, usually a rather
fierce and cold woman, begged.
“I am afraid so.” The Wise Woman began cleaning up;
her shoulders set a little lower. “I am sorry.”
William, staring out the window at the children
playing outside, couldn’t care less. What did it matter where anyone was from?
She was a baby, and babies didn’t cause that much trouble.
“Only you, William,” his mother said, shaking her
head. “Why can you not do anything normal?”
This was to be the tenor of most of their
conversations throughout their lives.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
REVIEW
The Chocolatier's Wife - What a
mismatch. William is from the
South and Tasmin is from the North.
The difference is magic and both sets of parents are in no hurry to let
the match happen. I loved both
characters. Tasmin is so determined and William is following his own path. When danger arrives it is a test of
their match. What follows is a story with great world building, interesting
backstory and filled with fully developed characters. I found this hard to put down and hated when it was over.
The Chocolatier's Ghost - Well, Cindy Lynn Speer must have heard me lamenting about
hating the fact that The Chocolatier’s Wife was over and there was no more
William and Tasmin. Turns out both
are back and their HEA is about to get some unwelcome company. This time there is more danger to the
town and to Tasmin. A very nice
mystery filled with anxiety and danger.
Loved the new story and hope that there will be another in the series.
An additional thought.
You can never go wrong with chocolate.
AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
Cindy
Lynn Speer has been writing since she was 13. She has Blue Moon and Unbalanced published by Zumaya. Her other works, including The
Chocolatier’s Wife (recently out in an illustrated hardcover to celebrate its
10th anniversary) and the Chocolatier’s Ghost, as well as the short story
anthology Wishes and Sorrows. When
she is not writing she is either practicing historical swordsmanship, sewing,
or pretending she can garden. She
also loves road trips and seeing nature.
Her secret side hobby is to write really boring bios about herself. You can find out more about her at
www.cindylynnspeer.com, or look for her on Facebook (Cindy Lynn Speer) and
Twitter (cindylynnspeer).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
One randomly chosen winner
via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Be sure to visit the other blogs on the tour:
A Christmas Affair by Jodi Thomas
Nimbus by Jacey Bedford
City of Lies by Victoria Thompson
