Christmas Traditions at Ericka Scott’s House
Around the Scott household, the weekends between
Thanksgiving and Christmas all seem to be jam-packed with Christmas parties and
family get-togethers. Some years, we have too many to fit into two short days.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve let activities crowd out some of our most
memorable traditions. Not this year.
This year, we’re having a real tree which we’ll decorate to
the strains of NSync’s Christmas album (it’s tradition, you know). Then, we’ll
gather around the fireplace to light our Yule log and eat sugar cookies we made
to distribute to the neighbors as gifts.
These cookies are, in our eyes, masterpieces. No, they
aren’t those gorgeous things you see in bakery windows, but have the quirks
that our family is known by. We decorate Christmas fish, only one of which is
given three eyes and made especially for our friend, Jon. There are some
traditional shapes, stars and Santas, but you are just as likely to find rocket
ships amongst the Christmas trees, a T-Rex waiting to devour the red and green
bunnies, and there is always a haunted church cookie -- complete with sugar black
bats in the belfry.
TIDINGS OF FEAR
A psychic, a skeptic, and a serial killer…
Psychic Lia Morgan sees portents all around her. Although estranged
from her family, she joins the search for her missing sister. A simple case
gets complicated fast when she discovers her sister’s plethora of secrets
includes a son.
Professor Jared Trimble’s world has no room for paranormal
mumbo-jumbo. When asked to consult on a case involving a series of crossword
puzzles, he’s conflicted. Is he a suspect, or an investigator?
While Lia uses her physic gift and follows signs, Jared uses
his wits and experience. When the two collide, passions flare and the final clue
brings them both into the bull’s-eye of a serial killer’s target.
********
Excerpt
“Hello?” she called. A creak sounded from above and a
trickle of discomfort slid down her spine. She pulled out her key chain, from
which hung a small canister of mace. Another creak made her jump.
“Hello?” she called again. Taking a deep breath, she strode
purposefully into the house and found herself in a small living room. Lia
glimpsed a small alcove off to the side and expected to find a small dining
area, or perhaps an attached office.
Her breath caught in her throat as she walked into another
large living room and straight into the past. Positioned under the window were
the couch and loveseat she remembered from growing up. A recliner sat in the
corner, a newspaper already opened to the comics on the seat.
She shivered. A tall enclosed bookcase, the one that had
resided in Lia’s bedroom, stood next to the window. If she stepped closer, she
knew she’d recognize every title on its shelves.
A small wooden rocking chair sat next to the recliner. A
Raggedy Ann doll vied for seat space with her twin, Raggedy Andy.
“Oh, God,” Lia said. The memorial to her family should have
been macabre. Instead, it brought tears to her eyes. Even the antique desk her
sister, Sylvie, had thrown a fit to own and then despised when computers became
popular and her father wouldn’t let her buy a more functional desk had a place
in the room. A smile tugged at the corner of Lia’s mouth.
She could almost hear Sylvie’s famous whine, “But, Dad…”
As memories flooded her mind, she had to blink back a sudden
rush of tears. She took a step back, turned and nearly ran back to the hallway.
A light dimmed and brightened in another room. Lia didn’t need to count the
pulses to know there would be eight.
A short walk found her in the kitchen. The stainless steel
appliances sparkled and even the floor seemed to have been freshly waxed. She
wished her kitchen looked this good. A towering pile of newspapers indicated
they were sisters, after all. The stack teetered on the corner of the kitchen
table. All of them were opened and folded to reveal the crossword puzzle.
Had Sylvie left these here? She couldn’t remember her sister
having a penchant for crosswords, but she obviously didn’t know Sylvie as well
as she’d thought.
Or had someone else brought these in and put them there?
Speaking of which, where was her sister?
She headed upstairs, calling as she went. Just as empty as
downstairs. And just as neat. A small blue plastic item on the floor of her
sister’s office appeared to be the only thing out of place.
Lia scooped it up. A thumb drive. She went to put it on the
desk when a loud creak sounded behind her. She shoved it into her pocket and
fumbled for her keys.
Heavy footsteps approached up the stairs.
Lia turned as a shadow fell across the doorway.
*****
Check out the Free Reads Page on my website in December for
our infamous sugar cookie recipe (it contains eggnog) and also one for a
decadent chocolate Yule log (yum).
And yes, Virginia, there were once camels in California…
Ericka Scott is a multi-published,
bestselling author of seductive suspense. She's written stories for as long as
she can remember and reads anything under the sun (including the back of cereal
boxes in a pinch). She got hooked on romantic suspense in her college days,
when reading anything but a textbook was a guilty pleasure. Now, when she’s not
chauffeuring children around, wishing she had a maid, or lurking at the
library, she’s spinning her own web of fantasy and penning tales of seduction and
suspense. She currently lives in Southern California with her husband and three
children.
Get a behind the scenes look at
her writing and zany family on her blog at http://erickascott.blogspot.com
She also loves friends, so come
friend her at http://myspace.com/erickascott
You can find out more about her
books at www.erickascott.com
