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As many of you may know, our beloved sister hostess SHARON DONOVAN, tragically passed away on 11th April 2012. We who knew her, loved her, and were inspired by her courage and determination to face head on whatever life threw at her. When she could no longer see to paint she turned to writing and showed her amazing talent in the Inspirational Romance and Romantic Suspense genres, and her story 'Charade Of Hearts' was awarded the coveted Predators and Editors Award in January 2011.

This Blog was a source of great delight to her, she was one of the founder hostesses and she contributed to the fun and silliness in her own original way, and was kind enough to let her unique creation, the hunky butler 'Oliver' join us for our Friday romp and prepare 'virtual breakfast' for the guests on the following morning. It's beyond hard to have to go on without her, but we know that she would have been the first to insist that 'the show must go on.' She is, and will always be with us in spirit.
Sharon, dear friend, we will never forget you.
The Author Roast and Toast is part of the legacy you left us. Let's raise a Toast to you as well as all our guests.
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Friday, January 6, 2012

Rose Anderson's Victorian Celebration for 'Dreamscape'

“This is the most beautiful Victorian home I have ever seen!” Lyn checks out the hand carved Pineapple posts at the corners of the comfy bed she has flopped on. “It’s so romantic. Can’t you just imagine the stories these walls could tell.”

“If I hear walls talking, I’m outta here!” Mary shivers, “I’m afraid of ghosts.”

“We all know that.” Patsy pats her on the back and not knowing her own strength sends Mary flying on top of Lyn.

“Sorry, guess I don’t know my own strength.” Patsy chuckles as she smoothes the front of her blue Victorian evening gown.

“These gowns are lovely, are there going to be any hot guys there tonight?” Sharon’s eyes sparkle, she wants to dance tonight.

“What about the ghosts?” Mary pushes her hooters into her green gown. “Why don’t they make these things bigger?”


Lyn looks down at her feet. “I had a hard time finding shoes large enough too, I’m thinking of going barefoot.”

“I hear Dr. Bowen has some friends invited to dinner that we might be interested in meeting.” Rose lightly raps on the door of their room. “And the meal will be out of this world. Come on ladies, let’s go down.”

The four hostesses of the Author Roast and Toast glide down a stairway reminiscent of the one in Gone With The Wind. Rose leads them to the dining room where guests have already began to assemble.

A long table fills the elegant dining room. Crystal chandeliers hang with votive candles sending rainbows of color all over the room.


“Let me introduce you to girls everyone.” Rose waves her face with a rose and lace hand fan. “Do expect the unexpected from them.”

Mary, Lyn, Sharon and Patsy, find themselves seated next to handsome escorts. Sharon leans over to Mary and high fives her. “I told you.” She whispers.




Oliver taps a crystal bell and everyone quiets.

 A young serving girl announces dinner is served.



Vegetable bullion is followed by Lobster tails.


 Then a decadent crown roast of beef is served with creamed peas and roasted potatoes. Along with a lovely beet salad. The dinner is sweetened with Crepes Suzette. More then once Sharon smacks Lyn on the hand as she requests another refill of the delicious Burgundy wine served with their dinner.  Coffee and tea come just in time.

Patsy raises her glass to toast to everyone’s health and wealth in the New Year.


Suddenly all eyes are raised as a mist fills the room. Everyone is talking at once and soon the room is so foggy they can’t see the person next to them. Within moments the air clears and the table is empty save for the four hostesses.

A haunting melody fills the air and they stumble out of the dining room and head to a sitting room. They each sit on a chair or lounging sofa. No one says a word.

And then Sharon says in a shaky voice. “What the hey?”

In an instant the room is filled with people. “If I didn’t know better I’d think we are participating in an ethereal experience here ladies.” Rose smiles and raises her shoulders tossing her flaming red hair. “Why you girls are bouncing back and forth between Victorian times and the present. Just like in my story. I hope you enjoy the trip.  Well where did you think I was gonna find such good looking guys huh?” She grins and offers up copies of her book to all the guests now present. “Now watch out for ghosts.”

“Let’s grab our copies, whilst we’re still corporal.” Lyn laughs. “And get Rose to sign them before she disappears!”

Sharon pats her voluminous butt and grabs the arm of a well muscled gentleman mumbling as she passes the others. “So was the food real or not? Cause the guys are hot and I’d hate to think they weren’t real.”
Just another roast and toast for our guest Rose Anderson.

Bio:
Have you ever fallen so deeply in love with the characters in a romance novel that thoughts of them linger long after the last page is turned? Have you ever been so completely immersed in a love scene that you'd swear you've just been kissed or more? Meet new author Rose Anderson's strong, confident heroines and be seduced by compelling heroes you'll wish were there beside you. Come see how their lives intertwine and through their stories discover love profound.


Cover by Jinger Heaston



Blurb:
Unable to deny his own translucence, Dr. Jason Bowen determines his lack of physical substance could only mean one thing—he’s a ghost. Murdered more than a century before, Jason haunts his house and ponders the treachery that took his life. When Lanie O’Keefe arrives with plans to renovate her newly purchased Victorian mansion, Jason discovers, ghost or not, he’s still very much a man.

Despite its derelict condition and haunted reputation, Lanie couldn’t be happier with her new home, but then she has no idea a spirit follows her every move throughout the day and shares her captivating warmth at night. Jason soon discovers he can travel through Lanie’s dreams and finds himself reliving the days before his murder with Lanie by his side. It took one hundred and twenty years for love to find them, but there’s that insurmountable little matter of Jason being dead.


Dreamscape Excerpt: 

She dabbed perfume behind her ears, on the inside of her wrists and at the spot above her heart. Although the fragrance was faint, he was surprised he could smell the familiar floral scent on her as she passed. That sense had been dead as long as he. Holding this piece of clothing or that before her, she appraised her reflection in the mirror with each. After four considerations, the dress she settled on was black and short—too short. He found himself frowning.
The frown persisted as the mantle clock stuck ten o’clock and deepened when it struck eleven. By eleven-thirty-two, he was in a fine pique.

Hearing Lanie’s automobile roll onto the gravel drive, he invisibly materialized downstairs to meet her at the door with his arms folded across his chest in irritation. Leaning against the wall, looking her over from head to toe as she came in talking on her telephone, he thought her lips were a little chafed, a little too swollen. She’d kissed the man she’d just met that night, no doubt more than once. The thought annoyed him more than the late hour.

“No really, I had a nice time with Jim.” She laughed. “Yes, nosy, I let him kiss me. Lexie,

I know, but please no more dates until I finish the clinic. Please? I have too much to do to get sidetracked.” She laughed again. “I don’t know, maybe I will see him again. He kissed fine! Of course you can set us up again when I get things done here. I don’t know how long it’s going to be—I have the clinic to open! No, when I’m done you’ll be the first to know. I promise. Love you, too.” She hung up the phone shaking her head. “Sheesh,” she said in exasperation, but the over-kissed smile lingered.

Irritated a great deal, he followed her upstairs and watched as she washed her face, brushed her teeth, and changed into her worn, comfortable-looking clothing. Still invisible, he didn’t follow behind her when she went back downstairs. Rather he focused his mind and appeared alongside her at the bottom. Heading to the parlor, she turned on Margaret’s television and took a seat on the sofa directly across. When kissing her date goodnight, he suddenly had the arms of an octopus. She picked up the remote and proceeded to flip through channels, feeling wired from fending off her date’s sweet but unwanted attentions. Watching her, Jason shook his head. “Oh no, sweetheart, I haven’t waited the entire night for you to lose yourself to this contrivance.” With that he projected his spirit energy into the wires that fed the machine electricity. The screen instantly filled with snow.

Lanie frowned at the snowy screen and flipped through channel after channel looking for better reception. “Oh, come on!” she told the television. After another run-through, she gave up and turned it off. “Damn it. All I wanted to do was unwind before bed.” She ran an exasperated hand over her face. There was a lot to do the following day and she knew it would take hours for her to fall asleep. A thought came to her. Most over-the-counter sleep aides were antihistamine-based. Having seasonal allergies, that was something she had readily available. That would certainly make her sleepy. No, I don’t like how my head feels in the morning. Instead she headed to the kitchen for a cup of chamomile tea.

Jason watched her go, feeling the slightest remorse for haunting her television. He reasoned he didn’t like that noisy box that, for all appearances, put Margaret into a daily trance. He followed her into the kitchen where he noticed her lips again. His remorse evaporated. Sharing passionate kisses with a man you just met! Annoyed, Jason swept his hand across the counter and knocked the spoon to the floor with a clatter.

Lanie jumped at the sound. Frowning, she reached under the chair where a spoon had inexplicably fallen then looked around for anything that might have knocked it on the floor, hoping she didn’t have large mice or, God forbid, rats. Setting it in the sink, she said, “I think I have ghosts.”


Love Waits in Unexpected Places







image




Written in homage to Agatha Christie, my Dreamscape is a story within a story with clues peppered throughout. The clues are not necessary to the telling of the tale, but catching them will lead the reader behind the scenes.


Rose Anderson

***GIVEAWAY***
To win a copy of Rose's book, all you have to do is just leave a comment and your e-mail address.
Contest ends tomorrow and everyone who comments is elligible.

66 comments:

  1. Good Morning Rose! Welcome to Author Roast and Toast! Looking forward to visiting and I must say - we all look so terrific. I haven't been to a ball in so long. The book sounds fantastic. I love the idea of love with a spirit. This goes on my TBR list. I have to know what happened!

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  2. Good Morning dear sister hostess, you look lovely in that blue.

    Welcome to your Roast, Rose, you look gorgeous, thank you for letting us hold your party in this beautiful mansion, and congratulations on your book. 'Dreamscape' sounds wonderful!

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  3. Good Morning Lyn - you look terrific too. Forget the shoes, no one will see your feet anyway under that gorgeous gown.

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  4. They are rather gorgeous aren't they. (The gowns I mean, not the feet, although there's nothing wrong with my little feet really, is there?) I love crinolines, I could watch 'Gone With The Wind' over and over!

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  5. Ladies, I am absolutely delighted to be here! I love the gown too, I swear I look at least 30 years younger. :) And Oliver, you have talent my man. Thank you so much for that stunning introduction. I'm still smiling.

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  6. It's such a scary place with all the hidden doors and strange rooms. A person could get lost in here. We do look quite lovely you know. I'll be fine as long as no ghosts touch me or my hooters!
    I still can't figure out if the guests are real or ghosts!
    Ouch, who did that?

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  7. The lights flicker. Jason thinks it's great fun to send his ghostly essence into the wiring. You should see what he does with TV's, computers, and dreams! having him in your dreams is well...dreamy.

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  8. Just as long as they don't touch me. I'm gonna lose my delicious dinner if they do!
    My Lyn, where are you shoes? Patsy is necking in the corner again. Who is that she's with?
    Sharon is dancing in her dreams!
    But Rose, what's it like to be in love with a ghost!!!

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  9. Hey Rose. Loved Dreamscape, so thanks for writing THAT book.
    ;-) I was very curious about how Jason and Lanie would ultimately get together.

    And I love the party here and the gowns. Why don't we still wear them? But can you imagine all that material in the heat of the summer?

    Have fun, ladies!!

    Jane

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  10. Whoa, look out. If Sharon is dancing in her dreams that's how it starts. I do believe Richard Mason loves to dance. I'd be wary, that's one guy Jason doesn't care for at all.

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  11. What a great start to the New Year! Love your dresses, ladies!

    Rose, I've read your blurb for Dreamscape on another blog and immediately though 'That sounds like my kind of story!' Now, having read your excerpt, I'm even more sure it is. I love how Jason interacts with Lanie even though she doesn't know it - yet!

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  12. I warn you at times his actions seem completely inappropriate and this is a love story with highly sensual overtones. But he is most assuredly a man of honor -- a sexy, impeccably mannered, whiskey-eyed man of his time. I promise the story will be more than anyone expected.

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  13. Sexy! Hmmmm. Now I'd like to meet a sexy ghost!!! This book is sounding better and better all the time!!

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  14. in fact it sounds fantastic! I can't wait to read it. But then I am a sucker for time travel and anything Victorian. So it's right up my alley!

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  15. Let's just say he's a dreamboat. lol I crack me up. :)

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  16. The man of my dreams huh? Well bring 'em on!!!

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  17. Dreamscape is a time travel in that it deals with Lanie slipping into her Victorian dreams.

    My background is historic preservation so I wrote that mansion and time period into being from an actual encounters with Victorian mansions. The detail in the story are in fact my mental snapshots.
    Dreamscape is also a passionate love story of course. But it has a very weighty problem, for how does the living handle falling in love with the deceased? It's also a mystery, a murder, it's certainly suspenseful. The fun twist to the whole tale is I wrote it in homage to Agatha Christie. Ala Mystery of the Orient Express, this tale is literally peppered with clues that hint to a story behind the scenes.

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  18. wow, a story I can really get into. I love ghosts, especially sexy ones. Not into vampires and werewolves, but a good old fashioned ghost? Yes!
    Well done, Rose. And good luck with your book.
    PD

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  19. I've always felt drawn to the Victorian era. I lived one of my lives then.
    Sexy ghosts! Cool!

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  20. Me too Mary. I mean if you had the ability to take the seedier elements out like lack of equality, child labor, disease etc..it would be a perfect era. I do believe that's the reason Steampunk or Steam is such an appealing draw. Were I 40 years younger, I might don a bustle and goggles and live the anachronism. the closest I've gotten is dressing up for living history events. I have a wardrobe that spans the years 1680 to 1860. Fun times. :)

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  21. I have a Victorian Era gown. I got it from a place called the Victorian Trading Company. They have some great things!
    You have clothes from all those times. How cool!

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  22. Rose invited me to this party and I'm so glad she did. It's nice to meet all of her friends here. The gowns are marvelous!

    Jason, um, Dr. Bowen is so sexy!

    I think I bought the wrong old house. I don't have any sexy ghosts. Ghosts? Yes. Sexy? No!
    :-)
    E.

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  23. Has anyone ever had a real encounter with a ghost???

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  24. I'm with you Ayers! If the ghost was sexy, he wouldn't be as scary!
    In my dreams huh?

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  25. Help, I think I'm haunted! I;ve tried to post several times and my comments just disappeared!

    Waves to the visitors!

    I agree with Dale, I like ghosts more than wherewolves and vamps, especially sexy ones!

    I used to keep my horses at an old mansion when I lived in Wales, and there were at least three ghosts there!

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  26. What did you see, feel, hear? That made you sure they were there?

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  27. I have experienced a few very real very inexplicable things in my life living where I do. I'm open to all possibilities.

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  28. I am having such fun at this party! Wonderful food, great place, very hot men! Dang it! Another ghost! ARE THERE ANY REAL MEN HERE!!!!!

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  29. :) Oliver is dessert..I mean he's making dessert.

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  30. So the question is... How many ghosts have the ability to materialize? To move things. ETC.
    Have you ever seen a ghost?? Felt one, touched by one. I have, scared the poop outta me!

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  31. He may be the only man here that's not a ghost!!

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  32. I was at a friend's house playing cards one night. The hostess got up to see to the whistling tea kettle. A moment later she put her hands on her husbands shoulders to peer at his cards. He was sitting right next to me and I saw the whole thing from the corner of my eye. That same instant, she called from the kitchen and asked me kind of tea I wanted! It was a very freaky moment. He didn't feel anyone's hands on his shoulders. But I saw her, the same height and shoulder length blond hair as my friend.

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  33. No, but my friend said she'd seen the woman before and figured it was her mother. Her mother had passed away when she had just turned 13. It was very strange. One night, we were visiting there with other friends, when someone suddenly yelped "Oh my God!!" They went on to explain how they watched a woman wearing a hat walk right up to the door and then disappear. Strange stuff that. Her dog recently died and now my friend says every once in a while she can hear the click click sound her dog's claws on the hard wood floor.

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  34. I thought I must be in the wrong place, when I saw the date at the top of the post, but decided someone slipped a zero in where it didn't belong. lol. It happens to the best of us. Nice to meet you Rose. The excerpt for Dreamscape is very intriguing. Sigh, I guess I'm doomed to have a wish list of historical proportions.

    drainbamaged.gyzmo at gmail.com

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  35. Well I'm glad you came Katherine! I hadn't noticed a zero...I'm one of those people who can't seem to get the year right for at least the first two weeks of January. :)

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  36. Do NOT go up the stairs! There is a ghost up there and he ain't sexy. You know those things they call ectoplasm - I think it's one of those!

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  37. Patsy, look behind you. AAAHHHHH!!

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  38. Shrieeeek!

    (Lyn comes running down the stairs, not at all elegantly and nearly tripping over her crinoline!

    I was upstairs exploring - well you see this nice young gentleman asked me if I'd like to see around the place.

    Anyway, we chated for a couple of hours and then he excused himself and just disappeared. Strange I thought, Where'd he go?

    Then it got really cold, and this 'thing' appeared. It wasn't nice, so I just ran. I had the strangest feeling I was sometime else. Phew, I'm so glad to see you all again.

    I dunno, missing posts, out of date headings, what's going on.

    Rose, I think I feel safer with Jason!

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  39. Lol, Rose, I'm struggling to remember the new year when writing the date, too.

    The extra zero is on the month. The heading for the post says it's from October 6, 2012.

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  40. OK I confess. It was me who got the date wrong! (My excuse is being a Brit I'm used to writing the day first, not the month, and got crossed-eyed when scheduling the post. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! It's right now>)

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  41. :) I thought it was just another temporal anomaly!

    I'm going to slip into the other world now and I'll be back on later this evening. I've had a great time and look forward to the rest. Thanks again ladies!

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  42. It most certainly was a temporal anomaly! A lot of tempral anomalies are going on around here. I just saw a ghostly hound chasing a ghostly fox!

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  43. Eeek, and I saw a ghostly something too - not sure what, but I'm glad I'm down here with you lot. I'm not going upstaris again!

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  44. Temporal anomoly HA! It was the mead.
    And you didn't trip over your cringly thingy. you tripped over your. Ouch!
    Who smacked me. What you got ghost friends now Lyn.
    I once had a ghost touch my shoulder and I could see the imprint of fingers in my skin! Talk about scream!
    I used to have night terrors as a kid. Then I got married and now I have them in the daytime too! LOL!

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  45. LOL Mary!

    Mead? There's mead here? Let me at it - I haven't had a drop yet!

    Getting back to the old mansion where I used to keep my horses, I never saw a ghost there but the offered £1000 to anyone who stayed the night in the haunted bedroom - and it was never taken up. There were three ghosts - and at night in the stable yard you could hear unearthly shrieks, like the sound of tormented souls in hell. The owner of the stables said it was screech owls - but I never saw any owls, just bats!

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  46. Why didn't you stay????
    Here have some mead you need it!

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  47. Then with a swish of her skirt Mary leads the others to the haunted bedroom they are sharing. BOO!
    Will see you tomorrow if we make it through the scaring!!!

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  48. When I was there only the stables were open, the old mansion was in disrepair and not used. It's now been turned into an hotel and conference centre,by its new owners, having had a badly needed 'makeover'. The stables no longer have horses in them though and there was talk of turning them into a winebar. Very sad. I have very fond memories of those stables, and can still see my horses with their heads over the doors. If there were ghosts around, it didn't seem to worry them and I never felt nervous, not even walking home through the woods at night in the dark.

    Wonder if we'll see any ghosts here tonight?

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  49. The guests retire to their respective guest rooms. Patsy Sharon and Lyn follow Mary nervously, leaving Oliver to clear away the remains of the banquet.

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  50. I ain't staying in there alone! I want to be right in the middle between Mary and Lyn - and that's it!

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  51. It's all right Patsy. We'll protect you. W-w-won't we girls?

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  52. I once went to an old farmhouse in Buckinghamshire (owned by a friend) reputed to be haunted. I didn't have any problems with it, until the family cat walked over the area where the ghost lady was said to walk, and the cat's fur and tail went erect. That really spooked me out!

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  53. I knew this family whose father had died and the dog was really depressed and then one day the rocker moved and the dog got all excited and sat and watched the chair wagging his tail.

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  54. Loved the trailer. Very haunting music~pretty. Your book sounds so good. Look at the fixings. You always know how to put on a feast and party. Beautiful gowns and Oliver looks dashing as ever. I have seen shadows, heard bangs,or knocks, and heard my name but; that is about all.
    Sue B
    katsrus(at)gmail(dot)com

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  55. I didn't know you ladies enjoyed mead! I make mead. :)

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  56. Good night everyone! If you're arriving late, leave a comment anyway for a chance to win an ebook copy of Dreamscape.
    See you tomorrow. :)

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  57. Good morning everyone. I got coffee and donuts.
    Sue B
    katsrus(at)gmail(dot)com

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  58. Lyn stretches and yawns and parts the curtains, relieved by the sunlight streaming through the windows.#

    Her sisters snore softly as she pads down to the kitchen, hoping Oliver has set out breakfast with his usual efficiency.

    Waves to the guests who are awake - hi Sue, hi Paula - creepy story, animals are very aware of ghostly emanations.

    Rose, you look as bright and fresh as your name. Oh the mead - I love the stuff, probably on account of my Celtic heritage! How fascinating that you make it yourself!

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  59. Mmm donuts you say, Sue?

    Lovely, and I'll take a cup of Chai tea too please, Oliver.

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  60. Good morning everyone! I trust you all had pleasant dreams? :)

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  61. Yawn, I couldn't sleep last nite. I kept seeing shadows and strange lights all around. Donuts, did someone say donuts!
    Some really creepy stories you guys!
    No ghost hunting for me.
    Patsy, by the way, my hooters are not pillows.

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  62. Thank you again ladies, thanks Oliver. I had a great time. :) Best wishes,
    ~Rose

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  63. Thank you for being such a great and fun guest, Rose, despite sending ghostly shivers up and down our spines, we really enjoyed roasting you!

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  64. Hi Rose,

    I followed you over from your blog and see a lot of recognizable faces! :) What an awesome place to visit. Now, I'm off to pick up a copy of Dreamscape.

    Best Wishes,
    Destiny

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