Hung In The Season of Noel

By Sharlana Williams

Cassie is a sixteen-year-old historical reenactor and volunteer guide at the historic Emerson Mansion, a museum house that recreates the Gilded Age era of the Titanic and Downton Abbey. Attired in her 1912-style ballgown, Cassie is marching up the grand staircase when a mysterious voice whispers in her ear to warn her of impending danger. It is Carlisle speaking, the angel guardian of the mansion, a youth who died on the premises at age seventeen in the early 1900's during the Christmas season, when he was hanging garlands from the roof and became entangled in the wires, tragically hanging himself - an event that marked him for all time as the guardian being with oversight over the historic house.

This responsibility prompts Carlisle to make contact through 'the portal' to warn Cassie of danger within the mansion walls. Two intruders hide in the basement. Cassie's parents are clueless as they lead a troop of Girl Scouts through the premises. Cassie must make a decision whether to trust this angel being and act to save the others, even at great risk to herself, while she deals with confusing emotions of attraction toward this paranormal entity with flapping dark wings who had died too young and now travels between two spheres.

Carlisle claims he is not quite an angel, not yet, although he performs many of their functions, and terms himself a 'shade' because he shadows the house. His dark wings proclaim his lowly status in the angel hierarchy. Nevertheless he is Cassie's only defender in her peril. Will the bond between Cassie and Carlisle last forever?

This 9,500 word novelette will inspire and delight readers of all ages with its sweet romance. The title refers to the Christmas tree ornament of the cover and to the angel figure's manner of death while on earth. This story does not depict any violence.Show More
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• Language: English
• Publisher: Sharlana Williams
• Release date: Jan 3, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301393299

Sharlana Williams

Freelance writer and editor based in Pittsburgh PA, writes inspirational romance, humor articles, prairie romance and non-fiction under the name of Cheryl Elaine Williams. Writes paranormal angel fiction, romance and horror under the pen name of Sharlana Williams. Member of Pennwriters, the Pennsylvanina writers networking organization. Preliminary reader for the Wild Rose Press. Published on amazon.com under both names.

Book preview

HUNG IN THE SEASON OF NOEL

A YOUNG ADULT ANGEL ROMANCE

By Sharlana Williams

Copyright 2012 by Sharlana Williams, Author

Kendall Lane Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission, except for a brief excerpt for review purposes. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

SMASHWORDS EDITION 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART ONE

PART TWO

AUTHOR DEDICATION

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PART ONE

Cassie.

My name, so unexpected. Spoken in a whisper just behind my right ear.

I turned in surprise on the steps of the grand staircase. Nobody was there. The gilded mirrors that lined the walls showed only me, Cassie Anderson, volunteer docent for the historical society, slim and trim in my white ball gown and satin slippers. I looked the part I was playing, a sixteen year old girl of upper class means from the year 1912. That girl had been a governor’s daughter who was taking her first steps into polite society.

Me, I’m a tenth-grader who steps into that role two Sundays a month, and this afternoon was one of them. It’s great fun to show the magnificent Emerson mansion to visitors as they walk through these historic rooms. So much local history was made here. Right now Mom and Dad were busy on the ground level with a group of Girl Scouts. They’d be heading upstairs in about twenty minutes, and I wanted to make sure everything was ready for visitors on the upper level. No litter on the floor or any carpets kicked up at the corners, that sort of thing.

Yet here I was on duty, and I was hearing things. Bizarre.

I better get over this fast. So I took another decisive step on the stairs. It creaked. Okay, old houses like this were spooky. But I couldn’t let it get to me.

Cassie. There it was again, a guy’s voice, soft and even at my ear. So close it made me jump. Can you hear me, Cassie girl?

That was a demand if I ever heard one. Stop and pay attention to me, the voice seemed to urge.

What the devil?

There was no little demon on my shoulder, whispering into my ear. I stomped my foot on the stair. What? Who are you?

This wasn’t funny. It wasn’t fair, either, because I couldn’t see whoever it was who was whispering my name. Which meant the person was playing a joke. Maybe throwing his voice at me through the air like a magician does. Had one of the other volunteer guides come in before my family opened up the house? Was someone calling me from the top of the steps?

No one was waiting up there.