Heartless Falls, Psychics to the Rescue

By Donna A. Perez

Heartless Falls is a small town in the North Carolina mountains and home to numerous mediums, telepaths, empaths, and others with supernatural abilities. In this psychic community, the residents interact in their day-to-day-day lives with comical results. But things get serious when a college student disappears and the town's people solve the case.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Donna A. Perez
• Release date: Aug 13, 2013
• ISBN: 9780989820509

Donna A. Perez

I am a North Carolina Tarheel who has lived in North Carolina, Missouri and Texas. I spend all my free time reading and writing. Contact me at [e-mail]

Book preview

Chapter 1

As Susie Honeycutt opened her closet and reached for her favorite powder-blue suit, she felt a spark as her hand touched the cloth. She pulled her hand away and muttered, Darn you, Jenna!

Moments later, wearing a light rose dress instead, Susie walked up the steps of the house next door and rang the bell. A petite woman in a powder-blue suit opened the door. She wore her long brown hair in a braid, tied with a blue ribbon.

You rascal! You wore that blue just because you knew I wanted to wear that color, didn’t you? asked Susie as she walked into Jenna McClain’s living room.

I really felt like light blue today…so I did what I had to. Sorry, laughed Jenna. Thank God you realized it in time and changed to another color! We would have looked like twins! Jenna gave Susie a serious look. Plus you look real good in that rose color. Everyone at the Dogwood Room will notice how good you look when you walk in.

Susie could not help but smile back at her friend.

Let me get my purse. I’m starving! Jenna stepped into the hall, got her purse, and waved for Susie to come.

The two long-time friends walked down the street, laughing and talking, as they passed the houses of their friends and spiritual family. Susie’s light brown hair with lighter highlights bounced on the top of her head as she walked. She wore it up most of the time, with long wispy bangs that made her look younger than her 32 years.

I love eating in the Dogwood Room but I’m not sure I’m in the mood for Andy and Kristen today. I hope they are getting along. I can almost feel the tension when they’re together, Susie sighed.

I know. I’m dying to know about the book tour but at the same time, it would be nice if this were a peaceful, happy lunch. You never know with those two! agreed Jenna.

Jenna and Susie had met eight years earlier at a conference for psychics. Susie was divorced, whereas Jenna’s husband had died about six years ago in the war. Neither woman had children. Both were gifted mediums who could communicate with the dead, and they treasured their friendship. It was a blessing and relief to have a close friend who shared this psychic ability.

Throughout the years, they met at various seminars and conferences, kept in touch by phone, and finally, when Jenna made plans to move to Heartless Falls, North Carolina, Susie decided to go as well. They bought houses next door to each other in the only community in the Carolinas where most of the residents had supernatural abilities.

Heartless Falls, which is located about 70 miles north of Asheville in the Appalachians, is nestled by a large waterfall where water plummets at least 80 feet into a mountain river. The area got its name from an old Cherokee tale about a young brave who was found at the bottom of the falls. His tribe was devastated that he had fallen over the falls and died. As some of the men of the tribe went to retrieve his body, they discovered someone or something had extracted the heart from the young brave’s chest. The Cherokee Indians never found out what had happened, but after that, they avoided the falls.

In the 1740’s, several families, who were labeled witches and run-out of Wilmington, North Carolina, settled in this area. In time, they became well-respected, successful hunters and traders, and attributed their success to their devotion to Mother Earth, who they worshipped in midnight rituals around huge bonfires. Other cast-outs eventually joined the community, and Heartless Falls became known as a haven for those with unusual spiritual abilities and interests. Despite this, the town remained small but self-sufficient with a variety of local businesses. In recent years, tourists began to visit and a hotel, several bed-and-breakfast houses, bars, restaurants, and gift shops opened in the town and surrounding area. However, the most successful business quickly became that of the mediums, clairvoyants, and telepaths that helped the spiritually-suffering public find some sort of peace.

It was a beautiful day to walk to lunch. Spring in the mountains is a special time of year. After a long winter, hibernating animals and the town’s people began to appear. Men, women, and children came outside wearing sweatshirts and lightweight jackets, seeking sunlight and warmth. As the days became warmer, bare arms and legs began to appear, along with a lightness of step and attitude.

Heartless Falls was a small community with sidewalks that encouraged most residents to walk around town. The eastern end of town contained the newer, larger houses that were made primarily of brick and stone. This section melded into the older houses, mainly cottages and condos, usually made of wood and some brickwork. Just west of this area, about three blocks over, was the business district of town, with a large park, City Hall, and a variety of shops.

As Susie and Jenna crossed the street and turned right onto Main Street, people were hard at work preparing for the upcoming weekend festival. Several men from the street crew were hanging banners across the main intersection in town and signs with green bows on the street posts and telephone poles along the streets adjacent to the town’s park. A street-cleaning machine inched its way down the road, rinsing dirt and salt that accumulated during the winter.

On the steps of City Hall, Mayor Anders stood, clipboard in hand, studying the festival preparations.

Don’t look to your left. Just walk as fast as you can without being obvious, whispered Jenna as she picked up the pace slightly. It’s Mayor Anders.

Ladies! Jenna, Susie! Over here! The mayor ran down the steps and approached the two women who could not escape. There is just so much still to do! I don’t know how everything will get done in time for this weekend, gushed the mayor. I may have a heart attacked before Saturday!

Take a few deep breaths, Mayor, or you will have a heart attack! Susie said with a smile.

Oh my God! the mayor groaned as he clutched his chest. Do you think I will?!

Mayor, we can talk to the dead, but we can’t predict the future, laughed Jenna, but I’m sure you’re fine. Just calm down.

And, Mayor, if you do have a heart attack and die, we’ll be in touch! giggled Susie as they turned toward the hotel, leaving the mayor looking confused.

Jenna and Susie entered the Dogwood Hotel, which was almost vibrating with movement and voices. They walked to the entrance of the Dogwood Room,