A Spirit Seeks Asylum

July 15, 2021

A Spirit Seeks Asylum

A Spirit Seeks Asylum (A Bay Island Psychic Mystery)
by Lena Gregory

About A Spirit Seeks Asylum

A Spirit Seeks Asylum (A Bay Island Psychic Mystery)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Publisher: Beyond the Page (July 13, 2021)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 190 pages
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B097S55JFY

Cass Donovan is confronted by ghoulish crimes both old and new when a defunct asylum is the site of a fresh murder and a long-hidden injustice . . .

The old abandoned buildings of the Twin Forks Lunatic Asylum have always fascinated and frightened clairvoyant Cass Donovan, but she never dreamed her psychic abilities would be put to the test there. Then the new owner of the site tells her he plans to renovate it and turn it into a boarding school, and he’ll pay Cass handsomely to determine whether the place is haunted! Cass accepts his offer, but her search for hints of old ghosts soon has her looking for clues among the living when the man who hired her turns up dead.

Returning to the shuttered asylum looking for evidence of who may have wanted her client out of the way, Cass stumbles upon signs of yet another murder, even as she’s besieged by an onslaught of haunting voices from the past. When it comes to light that rival real estate developers have been hatching plans of their own for the property, Cass sees no shortage of motives for the murders, but she’ll have to find a way to quiet the disturbing voices from long ago and focus on the here and now, because whoever’s behind the killings has targeted Cass as their next victim . . .

About Lena Gregory

Lena Gregory is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries, which take place on a small island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, and the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries, which are set on the outskirts of Florida’s Ocala National Forest.

Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island. She recently relocated to Clermont, Florida with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, jigsaw puzzles, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.

Author Interview

Are you a Plotter (one who plans or plots out every detail of the writing process) or Pantser (one who writes by the seat of his/her pants)?

I started out as a pantser. I’d just sit down and write whatever came to mind. I loved the twists and turns in the plot and the surprises that would inevitably pop up. The only problem was, I sometimes wrote myself into a corner that way. And forget word count. My first book came in at almost a hundred thousand words! When I was about halfway through Death at First Sight, I had to give in and plot the rest. Although, the killer did come as a surprise at the end.

Now, I’d have to say I’m a hybrid. I do still enjoy writing whatever comes to mind, but now I have at least a rough outline of the basic story.

What advice do you have for a new writer?

Sit down and write your story. Don’t worry about getting everything perfect on the first draft. It’s more important to just get the story down, and take care of the rest on your first round of self-edits.

What is the easiest part of the writing process for you?

For me, the easiest part of the writing process is outlining and setting up my murder board. It’s also the most fun. I get to choose all of my characters, decide on motives and alibis and opportunities for each of them, figure out who the victim will be and how they ended up that way. I usually don’t know who the killer is at that point, so it’s kind of fun just making everyone a suspect.

What is your favorite part of this story?

I enjoyed the scenes at the psychiatric center, especially after Simone comes back to town. I love the dynamic between her and Cass, and I am enjoying building that friendship and trying to get Cass to fully trust her.

Which Character was the most fun to write about? Why?

Bee Maxwell is by far the most fun to write about. Of all the characters I’ve ever written, he is my favorite. His discomfort with the paranormal, while constantly being roped into paranormal investigations, is always fun, and one of my all-time favorite paranormal scenes with Bee is when Cass decides to use the Ouija Board. The other thing I love about Bee is his loyalty and sensitivity. I love writing touching scenes between him and Cass.

Which Character was the hardest to write about? Why?

I think Cass was probably the hardest character to write, because she started out not knowing if she was actually psychic, while running a psychic shop on the boardwalk. I wanted to make sure readers didn’t feel like she was trying to scam customers but was actually trying to help them. That was a fine line to walk in Death at First Sight, before her psychic abilities grew stronger and became too much to deny.

Thank you so much for having me, I’ve enjoyed visiting!

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