The Reminisce
H.L. Cherryholmes
Genre: Paranormal
Date of Publication: June 7, 2017
ISBN: 1545307628
ASIN: B072QL4S46
Number of pages: 340
Word Count: 122,743
Cover Artist: Keri Knutson
Tagline: A detour down memory lane wakes up the ghosts.
Book Description:
Curtis Aisling has literally dodged a bullet. At least he thinks he has. But he wonders whether that bullet still has it out for him when he leaves his ex-fiancé and Los Angeles behind for Coronado, New Mexico to borrow some much-needed money from his sister.
The small dilapidated desert town of Coronado has exactly one mansion, belonging to 92-year-old Veronica Meeks. Curtis’s sister, Dia, and her partner, Araceli, are Veronica’s live-in caretakers and while they are delighted to have a visitor, Veronica doesn’t even know he’s there.
In the final stages of what the locals call “the reminisce,” she is no longer aware of her surroundings. But when Curtis starts seeing things that no one else does, he’s not convinced that the old, unresponsive woman is as disconnected as everyone thinks. At times what should be empty rooms within the huge house appear filled with furniture, and music emanates from a dusty radio that has been packed away for ages. Tales of Veronica’s associations and connections with the occult lead Curtis to believe she is causing the ghostly occurrences.
But when people begin to appear in those phantom rooms—people from her past including Veronica herself—he’s no longer certain it is her doing. Each vision pulls Curtis further and further back, each one detailing a consequential moment in Veronica’s long life, until he begins to fear he could become lost in her past. And then there’s that bullet…
Excerpt:
Dia returned her
attention to the old woman and took her bony, veiny hand. “Veronica, honey,
this is my brother Curtis. You’ve seen his picture in our bedroom, remember? He
came for a visit.” She looked up at Curtis. “Veronica was quite smitten with
you the first time she saw your picture. Couldn’t take her eyes off it and she
would just smile and smile.”
attention to the old woman and took her bony, veiny hand. “Veronica, honey,
this is my brother Curtis. You’ve seen his picture in our bedroom, remember? He
came for a visit.” She looked up at Curtis. “Veronica was quite smitten with
you the first time she saw your picture. Couldn’t take her eyes off it and she
would just smile and smile.”
Curtis knelt
next to his sister. Greeting the old woman seemed pointless, since it was
obvious by her vacant stare that she wasn’t aware of her surroundings. But his
sister was right; introducing himself was the proper way to behave regardless
of her condition. “Hello, Miss Meeks. I’m Curtis Aisling.”
next to his sister. Greeting the old woman seemed pointless, since it was
obvious by her vacant stare that she wasn’t aware of her surroundings. But his
sister was right; introducing himself was the proper way to behave regardless
of her condition. “Hello, Miss Meeks. I’m Curtis Aisling.”
The old woman’s
wispy gray hair was short and pulled back by small butterfly barrettes. Her
thin face was pinkish-white, wrinkled, and haloed with brown age spots. The
eyes that seemed to be looking at something no one else could see were a cloudy
gray-blue. Her small frame was covered in a clean pink nightgown and she wore
blue slippers.
wispy gray hair was short and pulled back by small butterfly barrettes. Her
thin face was pinkish-white, wrinkled, and haloed with brown age spots. The
eyes that seemed to be looking at something no one else could see were a cloudy
gray-blue. Her small frame was covered in a clean pink nightgown and she wore
blue slippers.
“How old is
she?” Curtis asked.
she?” Curtis asked.
Dia stood up to
help Araceli gather the tray with Veronica’s barely touched lunch on it.
“Ninety-two.”
help Araceli gather the tray with Veronica’s barely touched lunch on it.
“Ninety-two.”
Remaining
crouched before her, Curtis continued to look at the old woman. He found it
difficult to imagine that the slack face in front of him had once been young,
but he searched for signs of it anyhow. If there was life in her dull gaze,
Curtis was sure he would find it there. A strong hot breeze rattling the palm
fronds behind the gazebo hit him in the back. That’s when Veronica blinked and
looked right at him.
crouched before her, Curtis continued to look at the old woman. He found it
difficult to imagine that the slack face in front of him had once been young,
but he searched for signs of it anyhow. If there was life in her dull gaze,
Curtis was sure he would find it there. A strong hot breeze rattling the palm
fronds behind the gazebo hit him in the back. That’s when Veronica blinked and
looked right at him.
“Finally,” she
whispered.
whispered.
My review:
I am a huge fan of books featuring Ghosts and hauntings. This was however my first that the person doing the haunting is still alive. Unresponsive 92-year-old Veronica Meeks owns the only mansion in Coronado New Mexico. Curtis Aisling has come to visit his sister Dia and her partner Araceli, who are Veronica's live in caretakers. Once he arrives strange things start to happen to him. He starts seeing things that are actually visions from the past. He learns she was connected to the occult in the past, and starts to believe that Veronica is not actually as unresponsive as they think and that she is causing the visions. Until people start showing up in the rooms in his visions.
This was actually a very busy book. There were several mysteries going on at once and a few times I got a little confused. I did really enjoy the book though. I will be looking for more books by H.L. Cherryholmes. I liked his writing style and the characters he brought to life in the book.
About the Author:
H.L. Cherryholmes, author of The Lizard Queen Series, The Reminisce, Come Back for Me, and A Slight Touch was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico but has spent most of his adult life in California. He has a BFA from University of New Mexico and a Master's degree in Playwriting from the University of California, Los Angeles. Currently, he lives in SoCal with his husband, Ron Cogan.
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