Raven's Rest by Stephen Osborne | Cat's Release day Review, Spotlight, Sneak Peak & #giveaway #mmromance @Dreamspinners @southbendghosts

Raven's Rest

Michael Cook has left his abusive lover and settled in the small town of Banning, Illinois. Having nowhere else to go, he checks into the Raven’s Rest Inn and soon learns that the haunted reputation of the hotel is well deserved. Michael gets a job at a local café, where he meets Trey Ramsey. Though Michael has misgivings about starting up a new relationship, Trey seems to be the complete opposite of Michael’s controlling ex, so he decides to give Trey a chance. 

Life at the Raven’s Rest becomes increasingly frightening when the ghost of Coleman Hollis appears in Michael’s room. Coleman seems to want something from Michael, and the mystery deepens when Michael discovers he’s the spitting image of Coleman’s lover from years ago. Together, Michael and Trey must discover why Coleman’s spirit is drawn to the Raven’s Rest—and to Michael.

Buy links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Cat gives this one 4 Meows with a 0 Purr heat index (no on page sex)...

Michael has left his verbally abusive boyfriend Kevin and took off to Banning. The Holiday Inn is full, but they give him directions to an Inn in own the Raven's Rest. The in is a tourist attraction and rumored to be haunted. Michael soon finds out it's not just rumors when he is visited by one of the resident ghosts Cole and its is apparent that Michael is a dead ringer for Bryan Cole's missing boyfriend.

Michael meets Trey at a diner, and they find themselves in a mystery trying to figure out what happened to Cole nd Bryan as, Cole's father says he has moved away and married, but that can't be true if they see his ghost.

I liked this story a lot.I liked the characters, the plot and the tension. I liked that you could feel Michaels fear but he still kept trying to help the ghost. I loved Jesenia, the town witch as they called her. My only issue was the speed in which Trey and Micael became lovers with all Michael was going through. I also liked that there were some hints that left openings for more stories of more ghosts. I would like to see more.

If you like ghosts, mediums, murder mysteries and a very fast moving romance with off-page sex, this is for you.

Sneak peak at Raven's Rest...

The Raven’s Rest Inn is a quaint little place on outskirts of Banning, Illinois. The Inn has eleven suites, all named after stories or poems by Edgar Allan Poe. There’s a solarium, a gazebo, and a game room where guests can enjoy a quiet game of chess or play one of the many board games provided by the management. The Raven’s Rest Inn is also haunted, something they don’t put on the advertising brochures.

The world boasts quite a few haunted hotels. The Raven’s Rest is based on an actual place in Valparaiso, Indiana, called the Inn at Aberdeen. The Inn at Aberdeen is haunted by the spirit of a little girl, who is seen all over the hotel but mainly on the staircase. There is a lithograph of a little girl on the stairway landing, and many people believe it is this child that haunts the inn.

The Hotel Provincial in New Orleans is rated one of the top ten haunted hotels in the United States. One couple reported that when the bellboy opened the door to their room they spotted a soldier in a Khaki military uniform, complete with hat and many medals. He promptly vanished, but during their entire stay they couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

Guests at the Hotel Del Coronado outside San Diego have experienced cold spots, odd noises, seeing faces in the mirrors, and the sight of a young woman in a black lace dress. I’m guessing what they don’t experience is a good night’s rest! The spirit in black may be the ghost of Kate Morgan, who checked into the hotel in 1892 to meet her estranged husband. He never showed up. Several days later, Kate’s body was found on the beach, where she’d apparently shot herself.

And of course there’s the Stanley Hotel, located in Estes Park, Colorado. The Stanley was the inspiration for Stephen King’s famous novel The Shining. King and his wife stayed there in room 217, and reportedly King experienced many odd things during his stay, including hearing children playing in the hallway. When King would open his door, however, no kids were seen. The Stanley most prominent ghost is that of Flora Stanley, the wife of the original owner. An avid pianist, she can still be heard playing into the wee hours of the night…but no one is seen sitting at the piano.

When Michael Cook checks into the Raven’s Rest, he’s unaware of the inn’s haunted reputation. He quickly learns, however, that the stories of apparitions and strange noises are true.

The Raven’s Rest joins the list of haunted hotels in the country. While it’s fictional, I hope people come to visit and enjoy the tales that come from within its walls.

Stephen Osborne lives in Northern Illinois with Christine, the diva border terrier mix, where he works at a food packaging plant, testing food. So basically he makes brownies for a living. His loves include Doctor Who, Dark Shadows, and Broadway musicals. A mystery fanatic, his favorite authors are Rex Stout, Ellery Queen, and the wonderful Agatha Christie. His goal: to be the Phantom of the Opera. Not play the part…he wants to find an opera house to haunt!

Author links: Twitter | Website 

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