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Let's find out what it's about...
Newly minted librarian,
Cara Baker, effectively cuts ties with her tumultuous life in Pittsburgh, and
moves to South Carolina
where she embraces the peaceful, laid-back style of
small town living. Everything seems to be falling into place when Cara finds
the perfect house to round out her new plans. Well… perfect except for the
immovable hermit living on the top floor. She throws caution to the wind, and
buys the fabulous house—hermit and all—without meeting him. By wooing her
reclusive renter with notes and mouthwatering meals, he caves and invites her
up to the apartment. Preconceived notions are blown out of the water, when she
finds Danny isn’t the nerdy Mr. Mole she envisioned.
Unfortunately, FBI phone calls from her past
bring Cara’s summer idle to an abrupt halt. Will demons from a former life
destroy Cara’s tranquility?
Purchase Links:
Amazon – http://tinyurl.com/mnubd4l
Barnes & Noble -- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poplar-place-ellen-butler/1118976497?ean=2940149194650
Smashwords -- https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/423022
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Ellen Butler lives in the Virginia
suburbs of Washington, DC, and she considers herself an old-new
writer. In other words, she’s old to writing, new to novel writing. She holds a
Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Policy, and her history includes a
long list of writing and editing for dry but illuminating professional
newsletters, and windy papers on public policy. The leap to novel writing was
simply a creative outlet for Ellen’s over active and romantic imagination to
run wild.
You can find Ellen’s debut release, Second Chance Christmas, at Amazon.
Professionally, she belongs to the Virginia Writer’s Club, the Northern Virginia
Writer’s Club, and is a founding member of the Tempting Romance blog. When
she’s not writing, Ellen is either, running around after her children,
decorating a neighbor’s house, or holed up in her favorite lounge chair
reading. Ellen is an admitted chocoholic and confesses to a penchant for shoe
shopping. Book club questions for Ellen’s novels can be found on her website.
Website: www.ellenbutler.net
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7377203.Ellen_Butlera Rafflecopter giveaway
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Here's an excerpt for you to enjoy as a coffee break read:
“What do you
know about the tenant?”
“His name
is…”
At that,
Jackie came out of her speechlessness with a vengeance. “His name! The
tenant is male?”
“Well, yes,
but he’s harmless. As a matter of fact, he’s a recluse. You probably wouldn’t
even notice him. You see, he’s some sort of computer programmer and rarely
leaves the house. His groceries are delivered once a week.” Anne gave a
reassuring smile.
“Great. Some
creepy computer nerd that plays games all day lives on the third floor,” Jackie
said derisively.
I looked at
Anne. “Is he agoraphobic?”
Jackie looked
confused. “Agora-what?
“Agoraphobic.
Does he have a phobia of going outside his home?”
Anne took a
moment to respond. “I don’t really know. I do know that twice a week his
psychiatrist comes to the house to see him.”
“Who’s his
shrink?” Jackie asked.
“Dr. Nolan
from downtown on Bradford Street.”
Silence
descended as we chewed on this information. I looked at the small wrought iron
balcony jutting out from the third floor.
“What’s his
name?”
“Dr. Jeffrey
Nolan,” responded Anne.
“No, the
tenant’s.”
“Oh, let me
see. It’s right here in my file.” Anne searched through her files. “Yes, this
is it. Daniel Johnson.”
“I can’t see
the apartment at all?”
“I have
photos that were taken by Mr. Stein before the tenant moved in. You can at
least see what the finished space looks like. It has a small kitchen, two
bedrooms, a den, a bath and a half and a large living room. All the utilities
for the attic are billed directly to the tenant, except for sewer and water.”
“How much
does he pay in rent?”
Referring
back to her notes, Anne named a price that temporarily stunned me. The rent he
paid would completely cover my monthly mortgage.
“There’s also
an automatic three percent increase in rent every three years.”
“Is he ever
late?” Jackie jumped back into the conversation.
“No. Never.
From what I understand from Max, he pays punctually on the first of the month.”
I mulled over
this new piece of information. “When can I meet Mr. Johnson?”
“Well, that’s
the rub. He doesn’t see anyone besides his psychiatrist. I understand Mr. Stein
met him when he moved in, but Max seems to think he keeps to himself and he’s
not sure his father ever saw much of him.”
“Can I speak
to Mr. Johnson on the phone?”
Anne
brightened for a moment. “I have his e-mail address. I’m sure I could give you
that.”
Jackie
snorted but I pressed on, “Can I talk to his psychiatrist?”
“Cara!”
exclaimed Jackie. “You can’t actually be thinking about buyin’ this house with
this ridiculous condition.”
“Yes, as a
matter of fact, I am thinking very seriously about buying this house.
Obviously, Mr. Stein, a well-known local lawyer, thought enough of Mr. Johnson
to give him a ten-year lease. Clearly, the third floor is a full working apartment,
quite separate from the rest of the house. Most importantly, the rent from the
apartment would provide me a second income.”
Seeing a live
one on the line, Anne began thrusting documents at me. “Here’s the floor plan
Mr. Stein used when he had it finished. Here are some color copies of the
finished product. I have the full color photos back at the office if you’d like
to see them.”
“But…but,”
Jackie stammered, “he could turn out to be some sort of lunatic that will
murder you in the middle of the night. Or maybe…maybe he has that pack rat
illness and the attic is full of newspapers and garbage…and RATS! The house
could turn into a foul-smelling pigsty. Or maybe he’s runnin’ a meth lab up
there!” Jackie pointed one of her pink manicured fingers at Anne. Turning back
to me, she continued on her rant. “That’s it! Drugs! The police will descend
upon you at three in the mornin’, guns a-blazin’, and the entire house will be
blown to bits durin’ the raid.”
“This isn’t a
war, Jackie. I’m sure Mr. Stein wouldn’t have allowed a drug dealer to live on
his third floor. Right, Anne?” I calmly eyed Anne who shrank back into her
chair during Jackie’s rant.
My very best wishes for a great launch to Poplar Place, Ellen- it sounds like an engrossing read.
Slainthe!
Nice to have you today, and I'm checking my Rafflecopter link works!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to see who wins the big prize! thanks for having me today Nancy!
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