When I read Karen's post, I remembered my first contact with the Pacific Ocean. After a Romance Writers of America conference in the 1990's, a friend took me to Malibu Beach so I could walk in the ocean.
Q&A with Cecilia Gunner and Karen Michelle Nutt
The waves are long and smooth and
the surfers are in the water at the Malibu Surfrider Beach. An occasional laugh
and soft murmurs are carried on the wind. The forecast states it is 80 degrees
and the sun is shining bright but the cool breeze keeps the day from feeling
too warm. Karen is sipping a cinnamon almond latte and Cecilia has an ice tea
with lemon in her hand. They take a seat on one of the benches on the Malibu Pier
to begin their interview.
KAREN: Let me introduce, Cecilia Gunner, who stars in my
novel, End
of the Road. She resides in Malibu, California, a magical place of
surf and sun.
CECILIA: It's where surfers from around the world travel
just for chance to surf at the Malibu Surfrider Beach.
KAREN: I can see that. What are some of the other places of
interest?
CECILIA: There are many cool places where a person can just
chill. But if you're visiting Malibu for the first time, you shouldn't miss a
stroll down the Malibu Pier. You could have lunch at the cafe at the end of the
pier or just enjoy the view.
Karen glances around her and she
has to agree. The view is fantastic
CECILIA: Kaleb and I love it down here.
KAREN: For those of you who don't know, Kaleb is the psychic
Cecilia is seeing in hopes of helping her father move on to the afterlife. By
the way, Kaleb is really cute.
Cecilia grins, wickedly.
CECILIA: He is, isn't he?
CECILIA: But maybe we should stay on the subject of places
to see in Malibu. Just down
the road, visitors should check out the Adamson House. This is a historic house
and gardens within the Malibu Lagoon State Beach Park. The house was built in
1929 and has been called the 'Taj Mahal' of Tile due to the decorative ceramic
tiles that are showcase throughout the house.
KAREN: I've been there. My friends and I took the tour. The
tour extends to the inside of the house too. Unfortunately, we weren't
permitted to take photos inside the house, but we took plenty of photos of the
grounds. If you don't mind, tell us a little about the house and its history.
CECILIA: I don't mind at all. The house was originally a
vacation cottage for the family but eventually they made it their permanent
home. During World War II, the United States Coast Guard used the bathhouse as
their headquarters to watch over the Malibu coast.
KAREN: I loved learning the history of the places I visit.
CECILIA: If you like history, then the Getty Villa should be
on your list to visit also. The museum focuses on Ancient Greek and Roman Art.
It's free to visit the museum but you must make a reservation. Cecilia pauses for a moment to sip
her ice tea.
KAREN: So, you're haunted by
your father. Tell us how this came about.
CECILIA: My father was Lars
Gunner, frontman to the Silent Plaids. The band was popular in the early 1990s.
He died 23 years ago when he drove his truck off the pier located on my
parent's estate. I was only three years old at the time and my memories of him
are vague.
KAREN: It must be odd getting
to know your father now as a ghost.
CECILIA: It is but I wouldn't
miss our time together for the world, but I know he can't stay on this realm
forever. I'm learning all about ghosts from Kaleb and the different kinds of
hauntings.
KAREN: Besides your father,
are there any other ghosts haunting Malibu?
CECILIA: There's the
ghost of Thelma Todd, an actress who was popular in the 1920s and 1930s. She
supposedly haunts this building on Pacific Coast Highway. It was once her
roadside cafe and it's not far from the house where she met her mysterious end.
People have claimed they've spotted a filmy apparition standing in front of the
building and that it resembled the actress. Unfortunately, my photo didn't
capture her standing there and Kaleb said he didn't see her there either.
KAREN: Well, that concludes our interview for today. Thank
you, Cecilia, for being here.
CECILIA: Thank you for having me.
KAREN: I thought we'd end with an excerpt from END OF THE
ROAD where Cecilia and Kaleb are at a restaurant discussing the supernatural.
CECILIA: It was our first date. Her lips curve into a
smile as she remembers that night.
* * * * *
Excerpt:
"I
couldn't let you pass up their Cannoli." Kaleb leaned forward resting his
forearms on the table.
"Cora is right. They are to die for." His
light-hearted teasing changed as his attention was averted to something behind
her.
She
shifted around in her chair to follow his line of vision, but she didn't see
anyone there, just an empty table for four. She glanced at him again with
unease. "Is there something there?" Her voice was a mere whisper.
He
nodded with some reluctance. "There's a ghost seated at the table behind
you."
She
couldn't help it; she whirled around again expecting to see this ghost he spoke
of, but she didn't see anything out of the ordinary and she told him as much.
"I wondered since I could see my father if I would end up seeing other
ghosts," she continued to whisper so not to be overheard. There were still
a few tables around them where patrons were seated and enjoying their dinner.
"I
had wondered too but not all who have encountered a ghost end up seeing
numerous ones. Just like someone who is sensitive to the otherworld may not see
the entity in the same way."
"Do
you mean I might see my father differently than how you see him?"
"I
believe some people are capable of seeing a ghost or spirit if they opened
themselves to the possibility. However, even when the heart is willing, some
may not be able to pick up the signal, or energy that the ghost or spirit gives
off."
"You
keep saying ghost or spirit, but aren't they the same thing?"
"Most
probably think so, but I think of a ghost as a person who has yet to move on to
the afterlife."
"And
a spirit?"
"One
that has passed on to the afterlife but comes back for a visit. These entities
are different than ghosts."
She
frowned. "Different how?"
"The
spirit is... How should I put it? They're more angelic than human in a sense. I
think that's why they don't always appear like they looked when they were
alive. Sometimes, they're just a whisper or they leave behind scents that
trigger a memory just to let us know they were thinking of us."
End of the Road
Karen
Michelle Nutt
Genre: paranormal/ ghost story
/mystery/ romance
Publisher: Twin Star Books
Date of Publication: Oct. 22, 2017
ISBN: 978-1976310584
ASIN: B075FDJBKF
Number of pages: 282
Word Count: 86k
Cover Artist: Gillian's Book Covers: "Judge Your Book By Its Cover"
Tagline: A rock legend never dies.
Sometimes, he comes back as a ghost...
Book Description:
Lars Gunner, the frontman for
Silent Plaids, died 23 years ago and his death was ruled an unfortunate
accident. Despite the fact he can't recall what happened to him in his last
moments of life, he is convinced he was murdered.
He has been trapped in limbo until
his daughter, Cecilia, unearths his journal and is able to see him.
She seeks help from Kaleb, a
psychic, but as they resurrect the past, the secrets and lies surrounding Lars'
rock and roll life just may be the death of them too.
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/GR2CZci1R4o
* * * * *
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Karen
Michelle Nutt resides in California with her husband. Though her three children
are grown and starting their own adventures, she still has a houseful of
demanding pets. Jack, her Chorkie, is her writing buddy and sits long hours
with her at the computer.
When she's not time traveling, fighting outlaws, or
otherworldly creatures, she creates pre-made book covers to order at Gillian's
Book Covers, "Judge Your Book By Its Cover".
Whether
your reading fancy is paranormal, historical or time travel, all her stories
capture the rich array of emotions that accompany the most fabulous human
phenomena—falling in love.
Visit the
author at her website: http://www.kmnbooks.com
Gillian’s
Book Covers, “Judge Your Book By Its
Cover”
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/KMNbooks
Pinterest:
http://pinterest.com/karenmnutt/
Amazon
Author Page:
