In Fort Worth, Texas, Rose Severin, runs a seance parlor where she speaks to the dead or at least she pretends to until she can earn enough money to get out of this cowboy town and become a famous actress like her mother. Travis Burnett is resolved to rid the western town of imposters like Rose. But Eugenia thinks the fiery Rose is just the woman for her obstinate son. She schemes to keep Rose at the family ranch where Travis soon realizes that the supposed spiritualist is more than just a pretty swindler.
Genre: FICTION / Romance / WesternBack in 2012 this book was in the top 100 western category. When I made it free it was number one or remained in the top ten for many months. When KU came along it started to fall. It's still in the top 100 on iBooks and continues to do very well.
Rose Severin made her living speaking to the dead. Or at least she pretended to, until she could fulfill her real dream of becoming a famous actress on the New York stage like her mother. But dreams couldn't put a roof over your head or ease the gnawing ache of hunger, and New York was more than a carriage ride from Fort Worth, Texas.
Rose peeked between the curtains separating the two rooms and watched her black manservant, Isaiah, settle tonight's customers. She'd drawn an interesting group. A fairly young woman, a matron, a swanky gentleman, and a cowboy whose burnished hair and rugged good looks certainly caught her attention.
Isaiah stepped behind the curtain and whispered, "Mrs. Florin, the lady who will be sitting next to you, lost her twelve-year-old daughter, Sally, in a carriage accident. She wants to contact Sally and make sure she's all right. The other lady, Miss North, wishes to speak with her brother who was killed in a bank holdup. He was a law-abiding man, just in the wrong place at the wrong time, according to the newspaper."
Isaiah frowned and shook his head. "The gentleman in the brown suit, Mr. Thompson, said very little. The other man, Mr. Burnett, is here because of his brother."
"Burnett. That name sounds familiar." Rose tried to remember where she had heard the name before.
"His mother came in earlier this afternoon. She's the lady who wanted to speak with her missing son. He disappeared during the war and she didn't know if he was dead or alive."
"Yes, I remember her." Rose glanced out the curtain. "What does he want?"
"He wouldn't say."
"I guess we'll find out," she said shaking her head and frowning at Isaiah.
"Are you ready?" Isaiah asked.
"Madame Desirée is ready."
