First of all, I’m not a ghost. You may think I’m a ghost, or a spirit, or whatever, but I’m not. Seriously. I’m not.
I am a young woman who is formerly alive. That’s all.
It’s a long story how I got this way, and I don’t have time to tell it all now. But suffice it to say it wasn’t my fault. You can read about it all elsewhere (Night of the Living Deed by E.J. Copperman). After all this time, it’s not important anymore.
What is important now is that I stay in this house—my house, really—on the Jersey Shore, taken over by another girl (editor’s note: Alison Kerby) after I became… like this. And she runs it as a guesthouse, which isn’t the worst idea ever, but not what I would do. Luckily, her daughter Melissa is a sweetie, and she and I share a room up in the attic.
For reasons I couldn’t begin to explain, I have to help Paul, the other deceased person in the house, put on “spook shows” once in the morning and once at night, to keep the guests in the house entertained. At first, I wasn’t going to go along with the gag—it’s so lame—but Melissa asked me to help her mom keep guests coming in, and what could I do?
My typical day? Well, what’s typical when you’re formerly alive and hanging around the Jersey Shore?
We don’t sleep, people like me. We sort of recharge our batteries mentally sometimes, but I like to spend time on the roof of the house, looking out at the ocean or the Dunkin Donuts on Rt. 35; they’re both pretty. But when the sun comes up I’m usually a little bored, a little underappreciated—I mean, nobody ever asks how I’m doing, just because I was murdered a couple of years ago—and a little, understandably, cranky.
I didn’t ask to be stuck in this place, you know.
Of course, I’m not as stuck as I used to be. When Paul and I first found ourselves in this disgusting predicament, I couldn’t move past the property line of the house—my house—from the street to the beach. But since then, I’ve managed to break free of the place and now I get to move around (Paul still can’t). It’s not fast, but I can hop in someone’s car or a passing truck or something, and get to explore.
But there are these stupid “spook shows” to put on, and I did promise Melissa, so I show up pretty much every day to move things around and have the guests ooh and aah over the “flying” objects in the room. Live people are so easy to fool.
After that’s over, my time is my own until the afternoon show. Sometimes the girl who owns the place now (ed.: Alison Kerby) plays private eye. That was part of the deal when we started this spook show thing—Paul the PI wanted to have something to investigate, but almost nobody can see us, so he got Melissa’s mom to get an investigator’s license and now he talks her into detecting stuff once in a while. Now that I can get out of the house, sometimes I go along just for laughs. It’s fun to watch her screw up.
Like lately, there was this homeless dude who got himself killed in the men’s room at the local gas station. So I had to go along when Melissa’s mom (ed.: Alison Kerby) went to check the place out. A guy’s bathroom. I mean, really. Gross!
Frankly, I don’t think anybody would have ever even begun to figure out what happened if I hadn’t been there, but you know me: I don’t blow my own horn. So I do the work and let others take the credit; it’s just the kind of person I am. Was. Whatever.
Maxie Malone appears (alongside Alison Kerby) in the fifth Haunted Guesthouse mystery, The Thrill of the Haunt, released November 5. Find out more at www.ejcopperman.com.
Thanks to Penguin, I have one (1) copy of “THE THRILL OF THE HAUNT” to give away. Leave a comment to be included in the giveaway. Contest ends November 15; US entries only per publisher’s request.
Meet the author
E.J. Copperman is either someone’s pseudonym or the sick mind behind the Haunted Guesthouse mystery series, in which two resident ghosts help a single mom/innkeeper/private investigator solve crimes and entertain guests, or both. E.J. is a screenwriter, freelance reporter, teacher and bon vivant from New Jersey, if such a thing is possible.
The Thrill of the Haunt is the fifth in the Haunted Guesthouse mystery series, following Night of the Living Deed, An Uninvited Ghost, Old Haunts and Chance of a Ghost. Two e-book novellas in the series, A Wild Ghost Chase and An Open Spook, are also available.
You can see a personal message from E.J. below:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA9nVaiq_wo&w=420&h=315]
This sounds great! Thanks for the intro to a new to me author.
I love to read “ghost” stories! Thank you for the giveaway!
I have read only the first book. I have some catching up to do.
This book sounds great, I’d love to win 🙂
I’d better win.
Jack, you always make me smile and laugh.
Don’t give me one–I already have a few copies!
🙂
This is such a fun series and I find that I’m one behind now. Time to play catch-up, hopefully over Thanksgiving weekend.
I love the series.
I happen to think that this author is one very funny writer. But, I also like Jeff Cohen, so what do I know?
What an eye-opener introduction to a new to me author. VERY interesting approach to a series and I will be looking forward to reading this and catching up with the others. Sure would love to win this book since I am sure it will be haunted, no, sorry, signed by the author, right??
Not too much frightens me so I am not worried: I look in the mirror and get on the scale every morning and after that, not much can rattle me further. Hoping to find out if I may be wrong!!!!
Cynthia
Sounds like a fun read. Definitely have to check these series out. Would love to win a copy of this book.
This is a fun series. Thank you for the chance to win
A different twist to the usual cozy, sounds good !
I love this. I have yet to read an E.J. Copperman. Count me in the giveaway!
This really does sound like a fun read. Hope I get it.
I like that ghosts are not ghosts but formerly alive people—what fun!
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
So glad to see that there’s a new one out! I’ve read all of the series & waited impatiently for the next one. Thanks for the heads up & the chance to win a copy in the giveaway!
One of my favorite series. Keep them coming.
I love this series. It is funny and I really like the characters and the setting. I would love to win this book.
kaye.killgore@comcast.net
I love this series. Have not read this one yet. Hoping to soon. I love Maxie the ghost!!
I like ghost stories when it involves murder.
What a great series! I’m looking forward to reading the latest book. It’s definitely on my book list.
This sounds like quite a cast of characters!
Glad people are enjoying the book!
I love this series. Thanks for having this giveaway
Thanks E.J. and Maxie for dropping by.
It was our pleasure, Dru.
contest is closed.