Title –
Poplar Place
Genre –
Women’s Fiction, with romance & suspense
Publisher
– Turquoise Morning Press
Release
Date – March 27
ISBN #
978-1-62237-274-4
Buy Links
–
Amazon – http://tinyurl.com/mnubd4l
Barnes & Noble -- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poplar-place-ellen-butler/1118976497?ean=2940149194650
Blurb
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?
EXCERPT:
“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.”
Bio
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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
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