The Ghost of Calico Acres by Bonnie Turner
The Ghost of Calico Acres
by
Bonnie Turner
A psychological ghost story: Haunting memories lurk in the shadows of this mysterious walk from the past.
When Dr. Marc St. Clair inherits his eccentric aunt Miriam’s old Victorian house at Calico Acres, in southwestern Wisconsin, her Last Will and Testament states that he and his invalid wife, Summer, must live there for one year before they can own it. Despite the fact that the house is rumored to be haunted, Marc falls in love with it and accepts Miriam’s generous offer ... against Summer's wishes. But after a disastrous honeymoon, and a riding accident that left his beautiful wife confined to a wheelchair—bitter and full of self-pity—he believes that for their marriage to work, they must move away from her meddling parents.
Summer hates the spooky house on sight when they arrive at Calico Acres with their housekeeper, Josephina, on a cold, snowy January day. As unexplained events occur throughout the year, Summer, Josephina, and even their gossipy neighbors try to make Marc give up his insane idea of owning the house. But Marc is determined to stay. He desperately wants the house and feels a strong connection with his late aunt, although he had never met the woman and his family never discussed her except to say she was crazy.
Dr. Marc searches the house for details of Miriam’s life, while his wife is forced to confront secrets from her own past. He must discover who or what is haunting Calico Acres before the year is up, or risk losing his inheritance, the woman he loves, and perhaps even his mind. Little does he realize how close he is to losing all three.
The Ghost of Calico Acres
can be purchased via Amazon
Purchase links
Amazon US Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HB6LNU2
Amazon US Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Calico-Ac...
Amazon UK Kindle: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...
Amazon UK Paperback: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ghost-Calico-...
Barnes and Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-g...
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
“The Ghost of Calico Acres - An Excerpt”
It was love at first sight as Dr. Marc St. Clair caressed a hand-carved post on the front porch of the Victorian-Gothic house and scanned the panoramic view of Lafayette County, in southwestern Wisconsin. Resplendent in the sunlight that October morning, 1978, Calico Acres was more than a plot of land with an old house, barn and silos attached; it had been home to an ancestor Marc had never met, but whose vibrations he sensed all around him. He turned with a smile to the realtor, Robert Jablonski.
“It’s hard to believe this place is a hundred years old.” He gestured to the countryside, its patchwork of farms dotting the landscape with brilliant fall colors of crimson, gold, russet, and all shades of green. “What a gorgeous view. And just smell that fresh air. Ahhh!”
The realtor returned the smile. “Yes, it’s a great location. The house is a little drab on the outside right now, but I could sell the place instantly if not for your great-aunt’s will.”
“Whoever built this house intended it to last,” Marc said, “and the inside is in perfect condition.”
Jablonski opened a small notebook. “Well, Dr. St. Clair, if you’ve decided, let’s go back to the office and make the final arrangements. Your aunt’s attorney’s due there in about an hour.”
There was nothing to decide, for Marc’s mind was already made up.
“I’d be a fool if I said I didn’t want it. Of course I do.”
The realtor closed the notebook with a snap and returned it to his jacket’s inside breast pocket.
“Do you remember Mrs. Van Dyck at all?” he asked.
“No,” Marc replied. “In fact, my family never discussed her, except to imply she was crazy.”
Jablonski’s formality cracked and he laughed outright.
“Eccentric,” he said. “She lived out her remaining years in this house without so much as a caretaker or maid, although I recall she owned a couple of cats.”
“Tell me about the will again,” Marc said.
Jablonski spoke in a deep, self-assured voice. “It’s very simple, actually. Miriam leaves you her estate, provided you and your wife live here for one year, with all the original furniture, and if you move out sooner, the house goes to the church for an orphanage.”
“What’s the catch?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why the games? Why didn’t she leave it to me outright? There must be something else.”
“Of course there is,” Jablonski said, half smiling. “They say the house is haunted.”
Marc, still dizzy with excitement, threw back his head and laughed.
“Haunted? You’ve got to be kidding. Nobody believes in haunted houses.”
“It’s just a rumor,” the agent returned. “Probably your aunt heard about it, too, and decided to test you. If you don’t believe in ghosts anyway—”
Marc touched Jablonski’s shoulder briefly and smiled. “Even if I did, it wouldn’t matter. This is the best offer of my entire life. Of course it isn’t haunted. It’s too beautiful to be haunted.”
About the Author
Bonnie Turner—one of the few remaining members of the Greatest Generation—was born on Halloween in Independence, Missouri, at the height of the Great Depression.
Currently residing in Wisconsin, she is a mother, a grandmother, and a great-grandmother. Her interests are many and varied, including astronomy, geography, history, yoga, philosophy, psychology, metaphysics and parapsychology. She's a self-educated jack-of-all-trades, a Mensa *almost*, a classical music and jazz fusion aficionado.
Turner's favorite authors include: Mark Twain, James A. Michener, poets Robert Service and Edgar A. Guest. Some favorite books: Giants in the Earth (O.E. Rolvaag), Steamboat Gothic (Frances Parkinson Keyes), Chesapeake (Michener), the epic poem, The Odyssey of Homer, and Harvest Home (Thomas Tryon). Favorite genres: historical fiction, young-adult fiction, literary fiction, humor, Americana, mainstream, commercial—almost anything except violent, gory tales.
Turner learned to read in first grade from the famed "Dick and Jane" readers. Many years later, her first novel for children (The Haunted Igloo) was published by Houghton Mifflin in 1991. After that book was published, she visited grade schools with a life-size, handmade Inuit doll, encouraging students to keep reading and writing—and offering polar bear hugs along with her autograph.
Amazon Author Pages
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Bonnie-Turner/e...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bonnie-Turner...
Contact info
Webpage: http://my.athenet.net/~aurorawolf
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bonnie...
Goodread’s Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Goodread’s Blog: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
by
Bonnie Turner
A psychological ghost story: Haunting memories lurk in the shadows of this mysterious walk from the past.
When Dr. Marc St. Clair inherits his eccentric aunt Miriam’s old Victorian house at Calico Acres, in southwestern Wisconsin, her Last Will and Testament states that he and his invalid wife, Summer, must live there for one year before they can own it. Despite the fact that the house is rumored to be haunted, Marc falls in love with it and accepts Miriam’s generous offer ... against Summer's wishes. But after a disastrous honeymoon, and a riding accident that left his beautiful wife confined to a wheelchair—bitter and full of self-pity—he believes that for their marriage to work, they must move away from her meddling parents.
Summer hates the spooky house on sight when they arrive at Calico Acres with their housekeeper, Josephina, on a cold, snowy January day. As unexplained events occur throughout the year, Summer, Josephina, and even their gossipy neighbors try to make Marc give up his insane idea of owning the house. But Marc is determined to stay. He desperately wants the house and feels a strong connection with his late aunt, although he had never met the woman and his family never discussed her except to say she was crazy.
Dr. Marc searches the house for details of Miriam’s life, while his wife is forced to confront secrets from her own past. He must discover who or what is haunting Calico Acres before the year is up, or risk losing his inheritance, the woman he loves, and perhaps even his mind. Little does he realize how close he is to losing all three.
The Ghost of Calico Acres
can be purchased via AmazonPurchase links
Amazon US Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HB6LNU2
Amazon US Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Calico-Ac...
Amazon UK Kindle: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...
Amazon UK Paperback: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ghost-Calico-...
Barnes and Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-g...
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
“The Ghost of Calico Acres - An Excerpt”
It was love at first sight as Dr. Marc St. Clair caressed a hand-carved post on the front porch of the Victorian-Gothic house and scanned the panoramic view of Lafayette County, in southwestern Wisconsin. Resplendent in the sunlight that October morning, 1978, Calico Acres was more than a plot of land with an old house, barn and silos attached; it had been home to an ancestor Marc had never met, but whose vibrations he sensed all around him. He turned with a smile to the realtor, Robert Jablonski.
“It’s hard to believe this place is a hundred years old.” He gestured to the countryside, its patchwork of farms dotting the landscape with brilliant fall colors of crimson, gold, russet, and all shades of green. “What a gorgeous view. And just smell that fresh air. Ahhh!”
The realtor returned the smile. “Yes, it’s a great location. The house is a little drab on the outside right now, but I could sell the place instantly if not for your great-aunt’s will.”
“Whoever built this house intended it to last,” Marc said, “and the inside is in perfect condition.”
Jablonski opened a small notebook. “Well, Dr. St. Clair, if you’ve decided, let’s go back to the office and make the final arrangements. Your aunt’s attorney’s due there in about an hour.”
There was nothing to decide, for Marc’s mind was already made up.
“I’d be a fool if I said I didn’t want it. Of course I do.”
The realtor closed the notebook with a snap and returned it to his jacket’s inside breast pocket.
“Do you remember Mrs. Van Dyck at all?” he asked.
“No,” Marc replied. “In fact, my family never discussed her, except to imply she was crazy.”
Jablonski’s formality cracked and he laughed outright.
“Eccentric,” he said. “She lived out her remaining years in this house without so much as a caretaker or maid, although I recall she owned a couple of cats.”
“Tell me about the will again,” Marc said.
Jablonski spoke in a deep, self-assured voice. “It’s very simple, actually. Miriam leaves you her estate, provided you and your wife live here for one year, with all the original furniture, and if you move out sooner, the house goes to the church for an orphanage.”
“What’s the catch?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why the games? Why didn’t she leave it to me outright? There must be something else.”
“Of course there is,” Jablonski said, half smiling. “They say the house is haunted.”
Marc, still dizzy with excitement, threw back his head and laughed.
“Haunted? You’ve got to be kidding. Nobody believes in haunted houses.”
“It’s just a rumor,” the agent returned. “Probably your aunt heard about it, too, and decided to test you. If you don’t believe in ghosts anyway—”
Marc touched Jablonski’s shoulder briefly and smiled. “Even if I did, it wouldn’t matter. This is the best offer of my entire life. Of course it isn’t haunted. It’s too beautiful to be haunted.”
About the Author
Bonnie Turner—one of the few remaining members of the Greatest Generation—was born on Halloween in Independence, Missouri, at the height of the Great Depression.
Currently residing in Wisconsin, she is a mother, a grandmother, and a great-grandmother. Her interests are many and varied, including astronomy, geography, history, yoga, philosophy, psychology, metaphysics and parapsychology. She's a self-educated jack-of-all-trades, a Mensa *almost*, a classical music and jazz fusion aficionado.
Turner's favorite authors include: Mark Twain, James A. Michener, poets Robert Service and Edgar A. Guest. Some favorite books: Giants in the Earth (O.E. Rolvaag), Steamboat Gothic (Frances Parkinson Keyes), Chesapeake (Michener), the epic poem, The Odyssey of Homer, and Harvest Home (Thomas Tryon). Favorite genres: historical fiction, young-adult fiction, literary fiction, humor, Americana, mainstream, commercial—almost anything except violent, gory tales.
Turner learned to read in first grade from the famed "Dick and Jane" readers. Many years later, her first novel for children (The Haunted Igloo) was published by Houghton Mifflin in 1991. After that book was published, she visited grade schools with a life-size, handmade Inuit doll, encouraging students to keep reading and writing—and offering polar bear hugs along with her autograph.
Amazon Author Pages
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Bonnie-Turner/e...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bonnie-Turner...
Contact info
Webpage: http://my.athenet.net/~aurorawolf
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bonnie...
Goodread’s Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Goodread’s Blog: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
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D.R. Racey
D.R. Racey has served on active duty in the U.S. Military since 1998 and spends much of his time off writing, developing his next story, and designing his own cover art. He has been married since 2000
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