It’s time for Susie Black’s Saturday Author Spotlight. This week, the spotlight shines on thriller and horror author Alicia Dean.
About the author: Alicia Dean hails from Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain, (sometimes gusting and twisting and ravaging down the plain...) She is from Moore, affectionately known as Tornado Alley, but now lives in Edmond. She’s always wanted to be a writer and wrote her first romance at the ripe old age of ten. She still has the tattered, pencil-written copy of ‘Just Pretend,’ titled after one of her favorite Elvis Presley songs and featuring a hero who looks JUST like Elvis. (Have you guessed, she’s an Elvis fan?) Other than reading and writing, her passions are Elvis Presley, MLB, NFL (she usually works in a mention of one or all three into her stories), and watching (or rewatching) her favorite television shows like Dexter, Vampire Diaries, Justified, and Breaking Bad. Some of her favorite authors are Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, Ridley Pearson, and Jonathan Kellerman...to name a few. Looking for more? Find Alicia here: Email: Alicia@AliciaDean.com.
The Haunting of Spook Light Inn is one of Alicia’s prolific tales. Here is a blurb to whet your appetite:
Amidst a blizzard, paranormal debunker Camille Burditt arrives at Devil’s Promenade in Oklahoma to research a supernatural ‘spook light’ phenomenon for her latest book. There she encounters a ghostly being, which she dismisses as a figment of her imagination. But as the apparition becomes too persistent to deny, Camille realizes the woman’s ghost is quite real—and that her demise was not accidental.
Declan Rush—the inhospitable, reclusive owner of the inn where Camille is staying—is linked to the deceased woman, but he is less than forthcoming. Despite his unfriendliness, Camille is oddly drawn to him, even though she suspects his connection to the spirit might be that of killer to victim. When another suspicious death occurs, Camille intensifies her investigation. She has precious little time to ferret out the truth. Not only is her book deadline looming—she’s desperate to discover if the man that she’s falling for is a murderer.
Here is what readers have to say about The Haunting of Spook Light Inn:
Bobbie: “I loved this book! Who knew Oklahoma had ghost stories? I didn’t. But that’s part of what makes it so fascinating to me. The story is fiction, but the location and the historical lore on which it’s based are true. It’s a really suspenseful mystery, I’m sure you’ll love it. Check it out. I’m definitely going to read more of Dean’s books.”
Lisa De Vore: “I have read several of Alicia Dean’s books and this is my favorite to date. I read it in two sittings, each time promising myself “just one more chapter” but soon found myself at the end. I liked how she mixed real-life legend with her work of fiction, covering the different myths of different people. From chapter to chapter, I was “looking over my shoulder”, wondering what was next. My strongest praise would be how Ms. Dean puts you right in a scene, with a rapid heartbeat and sweaty palms. A great read! Highly recommend!”
Amber Daniels: “This book was great. Ms. Dean is an amazing author, and I can’t wait to read more from her. This book honestly left me wanting more! It was a page turner that I had a hard time putting down. Kudos to Ms. Dean for mentioning all the legends behind the spook light. She mentioned the native legend, as well as the miner legend, and many others. Good job and good story.”
Anna: “Haunted by This Spooky Tale! Haunting at Spook Light Inn has the creepy, edge-of-your-seat suspense and genuine, relatable characters I’ve come to expect from this author. Being a native Oklahoman, I found the tale of the ominous Quapaw Spook Light especially fascinating. Told from the viewpoint of skeptic paranormal debunker Camille Burditt, the story unfolds in a natural and interesting way that keeps the pages turning until the end. Inn owner Declan Rush is reclusive and just unfriendly enough to make you wonder what he’s hiding. Throw a ghostly apparition and some excruciating sexual tension into the mix (I loved the Un-happy Valentine’s Day celebration), and you have a fascinating and quick read you won’t want to put down. I recommend Alicia Dean’s Haunting at Spook Light Inn to all readers who enjoy a good ghost story and a satisfying romance.”
Jude Bayton: “This book is well written, with believable and interesting characters. The tale of someone who is ‘otherworldly’ was a page-turner. I read the book in one sitting because I wanted to see what would happen to the heroine and also find out the true villain. The author kept me guessing, which is always most satisfying when reading a mystery. I would highly recommend this book. Ms. Dean captures the essence of a solitary place out in rural Oklahoma, the cold of winter, and the suspense of the unknown. I will be reading more by this author!”
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33126315-haunting-at-spook-light-inn
