EXCERPT - ANTIQUE CHARMING BY NATALIE-NICOLE BATES

Antique Charming Excerpt

     She heard it again.

     The same time as last Friday night.

     Three taps at her front door.

     Lizzie muted the television, tossed the blanket off of her body and scurried out of bed. She slipped her robe over her shoulders and tied it securely, determined to find out who in the world would knock at her door at three in the morning. By the time she had reached the door the week previous, no one was there. The street had been dark and still.

     It had to be a mistake. She had only recently closed sale on the long abandoned funeral home, determined to restore it to its once former glory. She had only been living in the upstairs flat for a few weeks.

     As she hurried down the staircase, each step beneath her feet creaked in protest. There was no one visible through the peephole. She unchained the door and opened it just enough to peek around it.

     No one was there, just like the previous week.

     The street was dark and quiet. Not even the whisper of a wind could be detected. Only the cold dampness of the October night raised a chill on her skin.

     Who was playing this weekly joke on her? Could it be the ghosts of some departed soul who had passed through the halls of Nichols Funeral Home sometime during the past century? A small smile crossed her lips as she prepared to close and lock the door. She was a third generation Funeral Director. Did she now believe in ghosts?

     Before the door could close, a hand poked into the slight space and seized her wrist. A cry rose in her throat and she jerked backward, but the hand held tight and the door flung open.

     The man emerged, shrouded in darkness. He was an ethereal creature, tall, and dressed in anonymous black. Only a streetlight glowed behind him.

     “I’m home,” he announced.


Available at Amazon.co.uk

This is the photo that inspired the actual book to begin with!

Giveaway

Natalie will be giving three lucky  readers a PDF version of Antique Charming as well as a limited edition Antique Charming solid perfume created by Dark Beauty Boutique especially for the release of Antique Charming.

This contest is open throughout the tour- winners to be chosen at the end of the tour.

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