Sidelined Afterlife (Hauntings at Inner Harbor #3) by Joya Fields ~ Guest Post & Giveaway!

 Today we have a special guest post from author Joya Fields. She's talking about besties & siblings!  We also have an excerpt and a review of her latest book, Sidelined Afterlife. Be sure to check out the giveaway down below.

Besties and Siblings 

The holidays bring lots of expectations. Some are attainable, some are not. Take family, for instance. Sometimes, life deals you a great hand and you get a wonderful, caring family. But sometimes, it doesn’t work that way. So who fills the void when you need someone to talk to, to lean on, or to be there in general for you?

Friends.

In my latest release, SIDELINED AFTERLIFE (Hauntings at Inner Harbor, Book 3), heroine Veronica is an only child. Her dad is a rock star, and her mom has always been…well…more enamored with her famous husband than her own daughter. But Veronica doesn’t feel neglected, she feels lucky, because as she grew up, and her parents were off touring more days than they were home, Veronica had her nanny and her nanny’s daughter, Jeanne. Jeanne and Veronica were the same age, and quickly became best friends.

Years and miles have separated these two friends, but their bond remains strong. The first person Veronica reaches out to when she has good or bad news is her best friend. And, of course, when hot and sexy doctor Hunter enters her life, Veronica calls her friend right away, needing a sounding board to help figure out her emotions where this man is concerned. Just talking with her best friend calms Veronica, helps her stay grounded.

Sharing secrets is another essential element of friendship. Veronica is a psychic-medium, but hates her “gift.” Not many people know about her abilities, but the one person she trusts with that knowledge is her best friend. Trust doesn’t come easily to Veronica, but the more time she spends around sexy Hunter, the more comfortable she feels telling him about herself.

Personally, I was lucky. My friends were built in to my family. I’m the oldest of three girls, and the three of us have been close ever since childhood when we dressed up in our mom’s old high heels, ate snowflakes as we played in the yard, and confided in each other about boy stuff. To this day, they’re still the first ones I call when something major happens in my life.

I know of lots of people, however, who have siblings, but don’t have anything in common with them. That’s okay. Happens all the time. But that’s where friends can fill the void. We all need someone who, in times of need or celebration, will pick up the phone and be there for us. That person doesn’t have to be related to us. Sometimes we get built-in friends in our family, and sometimes the awesome people in our lives aren’t related by blood.

Here’s hoping you find many trustworthy and wonderful people in your life that you call friends!

Veronica Matthews hates her psychic-medium "gift" of being able to communicate with ghosts and dying people. All it's ever brought her is pain and grief. When her neighbor Hunter Anderson, an ER doctor, realizes her talent, he begs her to help get rid of the ghost that’s been haunting him for two years and endangering his job. She’s torn—her need to help the attractive man who saves peoples’ lives wars with her guilt over not being about to lead police to crime victims until they were already dead. She agrees to help Hunter. They soon find out the ghost is likely to turn dangerous if he doesn’t cross over to the next world in the coming weeks.

After losing his wife in a tragic accident, Hunter's only solace is his work. The ghost that haunts him jeopardizes the one thing he cares about. But spending time with Veronica, getting to know her passionate lips and sassy attitude, gives him something new to care about.

She can't risk her heart... he’s afraid to love and lose again. Can a ghost help them break through a barrier of mistrust and guilt?

Excerpt:

“I am an idiot. The biggest idiot ever. If you want me to pierce something for you, to prove I’m an idiot, I have some sterilized instruments upstairs in my apartment.”

Her tongue poked against her cheek, signaling a laugh that wanted to erupt. Suddenly, he really wanted to be the one who could make her laugh. “Maybe I could do your lower lip?”

Her short laugh erupted. A sweet, melodic sound that filled the small apartment.

His gaze stayed on that full mouth and he lifted his fingers closer, compelled to touch her. She stared at him with wide eyes as he traced the corner of her mouth lightly with his finger.

“I’m a liar. I could never tarnish something as beautiful as this.”

Christ. What a line. Where had those words come from? But he meant it.

Her breath was hot against his finger as he traced the line of her lower lip. Her gaze held his. His stomach growled again, breaking the spell, and she blinked and leaned against the sofa.

“You know what? We never had dessert,” she said.

He had room for dessert. But not the food kind. He swallowed to quell his appetite for her. “Uh…how about I make an ice cream run? Then we’ll get to work.” Enough of this temptation. He needed to get away from her, from this pull she had on his body and emotions.

  

Four Stars 

Mysterious & Charming! 

Sidelined Afterlife is the third book in the Hauntings at Inner Harbor series and my favorite of the three! The setting returns to the haunted apartment building in Baltimore, Maryland. In the previous book, Altered Frequency, we were given a glimpse into the life of one of the residents, Veronica Matthews. I remember finding her character quite interesting. She seemed troubled in a way, and after reading this installment, now I know why. Veronica is a photographer, but she's also a psychic-medium. She's really not a fan of her ability to see and talk to ghosts only because this “gift” has mainly brought her so much emotional pain. When she meets her neighbor Hunter Anderson, Veronica struggles with helping the handsome ER doctor. She hopes to finally use her ability for something positive for a change.

What a fun mystery/romance! On one hand there is this vibrant spirit who just wants to cross over into the next world but can't do so without help. On the other hand there is the budding romance between two neighbors. The two sides of this story are beautifully tied together! Veronica and Hunter spend a lot of time together trying to solve a mystery that has them delving into the the former life of the young ghost who has been haunting Hunter. Hunter falls hard for the sassy redhead, but he's got his work cut out for him with all the walls she puts up. For Veronica, trusting someone with her heart doesn't come easy. It's good that Mr. “Sexy Eyes” is a pretty determined guy!

Ms. Fields sure did keep me on my toes and guessing where everything would lead to! The theme of being able to resolve heartache in order to move on is widely used. There were funny parts, sexy parts, and then some scenes just gave me lovely, ghostly chills! Each story in this series is unique and each can be read as a standalone. Sidelined Afterlife was both charming and engaging enough that I didn't want it to end. I'm actually going to miss these characters! I have truly enjoyed reading this series and getting to know the people in this haunted apartment building.

*A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.*

 

Book Links:

Goodreads  

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble 

Decadent Publishing

Joya’s Bio:

Joya Fields has had over 100 stories and articles published in local and national magazines. Her debut novel, a romantic suspense, was a NJRW GOLDEN LEAF WINNER FOR BEST FIRST BOOK OF 2012 and was nominated for RT Book Reviews 2012 Indie Press/Self-Published Contemporary Romance award. Since then, she’s published four more books with even more on the way.

Connect with Joya: 
www.joyafields.com 
Twitter: @joyafields
Facebook Author Page
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page

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