Haunted Be the Holidays: A Krewe of Hunters Novella Read online

  Haunted Be the Holidays

  A Krewe of Hunters Novella

  By Heather Graham

  1001 Dark Nights

  Haunted Be the Holidays

  A Krewe of Hunters Novella

  Copyright 2018 Heather Graham Pozzessere

  ISBN: 978-1-948050-20-3

  Foreword: Copyright 2014 M. J. Rose

  Published by Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.

  Book Description

  Haunted Be the Holidays

  A Krewe of Hunters Novella

  By Heather Graham

  From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Heather Graham comes a new story in her Krewe of Hunters series…

  When you're looking for the victim of a mysterious murder in a theater, there is nothing like calling on a dead diva for help! Krewe members must find the victim if they're to discover the identity of a murderer at large, one more than willing to kill the performers when he doesn't like the show.

  It’s Halloween at the Global Tower Theatre, a fantastic and historic theater owned by Adam Harrison and run by spouses of Krewe members. During a special performance, a strange actor makes an appearance in the middle of the show, warning of dire events if his murder is not solved before another holiday rolls around.

  Dakota McCoy and Brodie McFadden dive into the mystery. Both have a. special talent for dealing with ghosts, but this one is proving elusive. With the help of Brodie’s diva mother and his ever-patient father—who were killed together when a stage chandelier fell upon them—Dakota and Brodie set out to solve the case.

  If they can't solve the murder quickly, there will be no Thanksgiving for the Krewe...

  **Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

  About Heather Graham

  New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Heather Graham, majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write. Her first book was with Dell, and since then, she has written over two hundred novels and novellas including category, suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult and Christmas family fare.

  She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty-five languages. She has written over 200 novels and has 60 million books in print. She has been honored with awards from booksellers and writers’ organizations for excellence in her work, and she is also proud to be a recipient of the Silver Bullet from Thriller Writers and was also awarded the prestigious Thriller Master in 2016. She is also a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from RWA. Heather has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, Mystery Book Club, People and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including Today, Entertainment Tonight and local television.

  Heather loves travel and anything that has to do with the water, and is a certified scuba diver. She also loves ballroom dancing. Each year she hosts the Vampire Ball and Dinner theater at the RT convention raising money for the Pediatric Aids Society and in 2006 she hosted the first Writers for New Orleans Workshop to benefit the stricken Gulf Region. She is also the founder of “The Slush Pile Players,” presenting something that's “almost like entertainment” for various conferences and benefits. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.

  Also from Heather Graham

  Click to purchase

  Echoes of Evil

  Pale As Death

  Fade to Black

  A Dangerous Game

  Wicked Deeds

  Dark Rites

  Dying Breath

  A Perfect Obsession

  Darkest Journey

  Deadly Fate

  Haunted Destiny

  Flawless

  The Hidden

  The Forgotten

  The Silenced

  The Betrayed

  The Hexed

  The Cursed

  Waking the Dead

  The Night is Forever

  The Night is Alive

  The Night is Watching

  Let the Dead Sleep

  The Uninvited

  The Unspoken

  The Unholy

  The Unseen

  The Evil Inside

  Sacred Evil

  Heart of Evil

  Phantom Evil

  Night of the Vampires

  The Keepers

  Ghost Moon

  Ghost Night

  Ghost Shadow

  The Killing Edge

  Night of the Wolves

  Home in Time for Christmas

  Unhallowed Ground

  Dust to Dust

  Nightwalker

  Deadly Gift

  Deadly Harvest

  Deadly Night

  The Death Dealer

  The Last Noel

  The Séance

  Blood Red

  The Dead Room

  Kiss of Darkness

  The Vision

  The Island

  Ghost Walk

  Killing Kelly

  The Presence

  Dead on the Dance Floor

  Picture Me Dead

  Haunted

  Hurricane Bay

  A Season of Miracles

  Night of the Blackbirds

  Never Sleep with Strangers

  Eyes of Fire

  Slow Burn

  Night Heat

  Look for Heather Graham’s next novel

  A Lethal Legacy

  Available soon from MIRA Books.

  From 1001 Dark Nights

  Hallow Be The Haunt

  Crimson Twilight

  When Irish Eyes Are Haunting

  All Hallow's Eve

  Blood on the Bayou

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection One

  Click here to explore

  FOREVER WICKED by Shayla Black

  CRIMSON TWILIGHT by Heather Graham

  CAPTURED IN SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  SILENT BITE: A SCANGUARDS WEDDING by Tina Folsom

  DUNGEON GAMES by Lexi Blake

  AZAGOTH by Larissa Ione

  NEED YOU NOW by Lisa Renee Jones

  SHOW ME, BABY by Cherise Sinclair

  ROPED IN by Lorelei James

  TEMPTED BY MIDNIGHT by Lara Adrian

  THE FLAME by Christopher Rice

  CARESS OF DARKNESS by Julie Kenner

  Also from 1001 Dark Nights

  TAME ME by J. Kenner

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Two

  Click here to explore

  WICKED WOLF by Carrie Ann Ryan

  WHEN IRISH EYES ARE HAUNTING by Heather Graham

  EASY WITH YOU by Kristen Proby

  MASTER OF FREEDOM by
Cherise Sinclair

  CARESS OF PLEASURE by Julie Kenner

  ADORED by Lexi Blake

  HADES by Larissa Ione

  RAVAGED by Elisabeth Naughton

  DREAM OF YOU by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  STRIPPED DOWN by Lorelei James

  RAGE/KILLIAN by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright

  DRAGON KING by Donna Grant

  PURE WICKED by Shayla Black

  HARD AS STEEL by Laura Kaye

  STROKE OF MIDNIGHT by Lara Adrian

  ALL HALLOWS EVE by Heather Graham

  KISS THE FLAME by Christopher Rice

  DARING HER LOVE by Melissa Foster

  TEASED by Rebecca Zanetti

  THE PROMISE OF SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  Also from 1001 Dark Nights

  THE SURRENDER GATE By Christopher Rice

  SERVICING THE TARGET By Cherise Sinclair

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Three

  Click here to explore

  HIDDEN INK by Carrie Ann Ryan

  BLOOD ON THE BAYOU by Heather Graham

  SEARCHING FOR MINE by Jennifer Probst

  DANCE OF DESIRE by Christopher Rice

  ROUGH RHYTHM by Tessa Bailey

  DEVOTED by Lexi Blake

  Z by Larissa Ione

  FALLING UNDER YOU by Laurelin Paige

  EASY FOR KEEPS by Kristen Proby

  UNCHAINED by Elisabeth Naughton

  HARD TO SERVE by Laura Kaye

  DRAGON FEVER by Donna Grant

  KAYDEN/SIMON by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright

  STRUNG UP by Lorelei James

  MIDNIGHT UNTAMED by Lara Adrian

  TRICKED by Rebecca Zanetti

  DIRTY WICKED by Shayla Black

  THE ONLY ONE by Lauren Blakely

  SWEET SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Four

  Click here to explore

  ROCK CHICK REAWAKENING by Kristen Ashley

  ADORING INK by Carrie Ann Ryan

  SWEET RIVALRY by K. Bromberg

  SHADE'S LADY by Joanna Wylde

  RAZR by Larissa Ione

  ARRANGED by Lexi Blake

  TANGLED by Rebecca Zanetti

  HOLD ME by J. Kenner

  SOMEHOW, SOME WAY by Jennifer Probst

  TOO CLOSE TO CALL by Tessa Bailey

  HUNTED by Elisabeth Naughton

  EYES ON YOU by Laura Kaye

  BLADE by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright

  DRAGON BURN by Donna Grant

  TRIPPED OUT by Lorelei James

  STUD FINDER by Lauren Blakely

  MIDNIGHT UNLEASHED by Lara Adrian

  HALLOW BE THE HAUNT by Heather Graham

  DIRTY FILTHY FIX by Laurelin Paige

  THE BED MATE by Kendall Ryan

  PRINCE ROMAN by CD Reiss

  NO RESERVATIONS by Kristen Proby

  DAWN OF SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  Also from 1001 Dark Nights

  Tempt Me by J. Kenner

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  Discovery Bundle Three

  Featuring stories by

  Sidney Bristol, Darcy Burke, T. Gephart

  Stacey Kennedy, Adriana Locke

  JB Salsbury, and Erika Wilde

  Table of Contents

  Book Description

  About Heather Graham

  Also from Heather Graham

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection One

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Two

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Three

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Four

  Foreword

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Five

  Discover the World of 1001 Dark Nights

  Discover More Heather Graham

  Special Thanks

  One Thousand and One Dark Nights

  Once upon a time, in the future…

  I was a student fascinated with stories and learning.

  I studied philosophy, poetry, history, the occult, and

  the art and science of love and magic. I had a vast

  library at my father’s home and collected thousands

  of volumes of fantastic tales.

  I learned all about ancient races and bygone

  times. About myths and legends and dreams of all

  people through the millennium. And the more I read

  the stronger my imagination grew until I discovered

  that I was able to travel into the stories... to actually

  become part of them.

  I wish I could say that I listened to my teacher

  and respected my gift, as I ought to have. If I had, I

  would not be telling you this tale now.

  But I was foolhardy and confused, showing off

  with bravery.

  One afternoon, curious about the myth of the

  Arabian Nights, I traveled back to ancient Persia to

  see for myself if it was true that every day Shahryar

  (Persian: شهريار, “king”) married a new virgin, and then

  sent yesterday's wife to be beheaded. It was written

  and I had read, that by the time he met Scheherazade,

  the vizier's daughter, he’d killed one thousand

  women.

  Something went wrong with my efforts. I arrived

  in the midst of the story and somehow exchanged

  places with Scheherazade – a phenomena that had

  never occurred before and that still to this day, I

  cannot explain.

  Now I am trapped in that ancient past. I have

  taken on Scheherazade’s life and the only way I can

  protect myself and stay alive is to do what she did to

  protect herself and stay alive.

  Every night the King calls for me and listens as I spin tales.

  And when the evening ends and dawn breaks, I stop at a

  point that leaves him breathless and yearning for more.

  And so the King spares my life for one more day, so that

  he might hear the rest of my dark tale.

  As soon as I finish a story... I begin a new

  one... like the one that you, dear reader, have before

  you now.

  Prologue

  Washington, D.C.

  October 1867

  All Saints’ Eve

  “It will be grand—incredibly grand!” Judson Newby said. “Can you imagine, the lights, the elegance—society decked out in splendor. And all to see you, my love! And, of course, I’ve checked with the priests in the district and northern Virginia—I’ve made sure that our curtain will coincide nicely with the last masses and services for the eve of All Saints’ Day.”

  He grinned, shaking his head. “Some people…well, they might have visited the graves of their loved ones or be planning on doing so tomorrow. So many Irish in this city, bringing their bit about Celtic lore with them, thinking the dead rise on All Hallows’ Eve. Be that as it may, they visit the dead by day—and church services will be over in plenty of time for them all to make the eight-thirty curtain.”

  Listening to him, Caroline Hartford smiled, loving his enthusiasm. She was still amazed by the fact that Judson had chosen her, and that soon they would be married.

  And, perhaps most amazing of all, he was happy about her love for the theater and her longing to perform. Many men would demand that she quit—
but not Judson. The hero of many a Civil War battle, he remained a respected and beloved character in D.C., and the capital city was enjoying a tremendous growth boom.

  D.C. had been founded by none other than President Washington in 1790 and given over to Pierre L’Enfant for design. And it had been beautifully planned.

  But it had also taken many blows. The War of 1812 had seen much of the city burned to the ground. The grand boulevards of L’Enfant’s Paris-style vision had taken a brutal beating. But now another war—a war that had shaken and tested a nation—was over and people wanted work. They wanted a new beginning—and many of those people were flocking to the city. Some who came were burnt and broken themselves, seeking a haven and the opportunity to rise again, and D.C. was known to provide both.

  Others were counting on that boom as they crawled higher and higher in politics and society.

  They were creating the right kind of audience for a sound theatrical existence.

  For a time, people had feared the theater—after all, Lincoln had been assassinated at Ford’s Theater.

  But then again, the martyred president had loved theater—and thus, so should they all.

  She felt another tremor of amazement and gratitude. Judson was the finest man she had ever met—and he loved her. She was certain. And though he had not told her that he was either the owner of the theater or had invested heavily in it – she knew that it was because of his involvement that it had survived and was beginning to thrive.

  It had been owned once, but that owner had disappeared, died, or simply defaulted. It had since gone to ruin, and she had remarked on the fact one day. Soon after, repairs on the slowly decaying beauty had begun, and here she was. And…

  She knew inside that Judson had bought it.

  For her.

  Even on All Hallows’ Eve, their opening, she just knew, would be wonderful.