Morgan Brice – Light My Way Home

Today, author Morgan Brice is guesting. She’s talking about her latest release Light My Way Home, a prequel to the Treasure Trail series, a m/m paranormal romance. Be sure to read my review. And don’t forget to enter the Raffelcopter giveaway.

****

Why Prequels are Fun:

When you read a book, you get the details that the author had to give you in order to tell the main story. But there are a million other details and things that were going on at the same time that the author leaves out because they don’t matter to the main plot. It’s like turning a video camera to the action but ignoring everything on the sides and behind the camera operator.

As the author, I know about those pieces that didn’t make it into the main story because they didn’t matter to the central plot. They might still be really interesting, but that particular book wasn’t the right place.

That’s where prequels can be useful—and fun. They give the author a chance to share more of the world outside the confines of the original story. And they give the reader insights into the characters or location that they didn’t get in the main book. Prequels expand the world-building, making the location seem more real by giving it more depth.

In some cases, a prequel explores the backstory of a side character who didn’t get much ‘screen time’ in the original story. Or maybe we get an insight into one of the main characters because of something important that happened to them before the time of the original book. If a pivotal event happened in the central storyline that isn’t fully explored, a prequel can give interested readers the chance to dive deep and get more details.

I wanted to write Light My Way Home as a prequel to Treasure Trail and Blink because while we had met Monty, we didn’t know much about him. Some of the events and people in Light My Way Home become very important in Blink, and that book also ties up some loose ends for Jon. It’s fun to put those kinds of things in for readers who have read the other books and recognize them, but they also work for new readers who start with the prequel.

I like prequels because they give me a chance to explore the world of the book without affecting the things that have already happened in canon. Getting to hang out in my fictional places is one of my favorite things!

****

Title: Light My Way Home
Series: Treasure Trail, prequel novella
Genres: Paranormal MM romance, urban fantasy
Tropes: Hurt/comfort, second chance, age gap, friends-to-lovers, misunderstood ghost, lonely lighthouse keeper
Themes: Working up the courage to love, getting over old betrayals, fighting the odds to stay together, forbidden love (medium and ghost)
Author: Morgan Brice
Heat Rating: 4 flames
Length: 22 000 words/ 74 pages
Release Date: January 25, 2023
Publisher: Darkwind Press

A love strong enough to transcend death.

Blurb: A shy lighthouse keeper who can talk to ghosts. A lonely ghost mourning the losses of the past and hoping for justice. A love strong enough to transcend death.

Monty Clark is the new park ranger for the Cape May Light. He hoped to find someone to love who can accept his ability as a psychic medium.

Jon Richards was a movie stuntman murdered on the beach in the 1950s. When the new lighthouse keeper strikes up a conversation and invites him in to watch TV, Jon discovers that a beating heart isn’t required to fall in love.

Light My Way Home is an MM paranormal romance with a shy park ranger, a protective ghost, unsolved murders, a dangerous shipwreck, supernatural ninja nuns, vintage movies, old secrets, and love bigger than life or death. It is a standalone book and is the prequel to the series. It does not end on a cliffhanger

Add to Goodreads

Purchase at:

Amazon US | Amazon UK

“And that concludes today’s tour of the Cape May Lighthouse. Don’t forget to stop by our gift shop and tell your friends if you had fun today.” Lighthouse keeper

Montana “Monty” Clark watched his guests troop toward the shop and followed close behind so he could ring up their snacks and souvenirs.

“What is that big thing out on the beach?” a lady who reminded Monty of his grandmother asked as he ran her credit card for a lighthouse Christmas ornament, some post‐ cards, bottled water, and a bag of gummy worms.

“That’s Battery 223, built to survive an air strike, and back during the Second World War, it protected the coast with guns that could fire shells miles out to sea,” Monty said with a smile as he carefully wrapped the ornament and bagged her purchases. “Of course, the guns have been gone for a long time. It’s part of the park now, but it’s closed up, so unfortunately, no one can go inside.”

“I bet it would be a popular tour if you could get that changed,” she replied. “Is it haunted? Seems like everything in Cape May has ghosts running around, or at least that’s what our last guide said.”

Even more than you know, Monty thought, although his grin never wavered. “People claim to have spotted some ghosts nearby, but I don’t think any of them were soldiers. The bunker’s guns never fired, and it didn’t come under attack.”

“You did a nice job with the tour,” the lady said. “Tonight we’re taking a ghost tour. Maybe we’ll get lucky and see some spooky stuff.”

“Good luck,” he answered and hoped he sounded sincere. Monty had been able to see and talk with ghosts all his life, and he knew that most people had no idea what they were asking for by seeking out restless spirits.

She gave him a cheery wave as she left, and several more customers kept him busy until the last of the cars drove away, and the lighthouse was peaceful again.

Monty liked the quiet. He enjoyed spending time with close friends, but being alone didn’t bother him. When he had read a book about a lighthouse keeper as a kid, he’d known right then what he wanted to do.

Unlike the lighthouse in that book, the Cape May Light wasn’t on a desolate, windswept rocky island accessible only by boat. As part of a state park in a touristy beach town, it had plenty of visitors in summer and lots of walkers and birdwatchers strolling the grounds off-season. School groups and tours came to learn about the town’s seafaring history, and Monty loved showing them around the building, answering questions, and tossing in unusual facts.

But at the end of the day, the quiet grounds and empty beach soothed Monty’s soul. He bustled around the public areas of the building, making a quick check for trash or lost items. Then he locked the doors and headed for a stroll on the sand to enjoy the sunset.

****

I’ve read and reviewed a couple of books by the author, so when this came up, I was all for it. Light My Way Home is a short read, and I’d class this prequel under short story romances. I haven’t read the Treasure Trail series, so I thought this would a good start—coming to the prequel where it all began.

Monty is a park ranger who can contact the dead, and even see them. He lives a lonely life in New Jersey, taking solace in the lighthouse that is the main attraction at the park. One day he sees someone sitting on the rocks…

Jon was murdered seventy years ago. A stuntman and part of the movie industry, he’s never moved on after his death, but spends his time saving people from drowning. He’s also feeling lost after losing his lover.

This was a well-thought-out romance with the two connecting over movies, chemistry, and friendship. There is even an “oh no” moment that I won’t give away, that left me wondering what would happen next.

I always enjoy Morgan’s works since I know nothing about the paranormal and she has this wonderful way of teaching the reader how it all works, and it’s buried in the plot, instead of outright exposition.

It’s a great start to the series, and a read I recommend.

****

Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy male/male paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic fantasy and urban fantasy, and together with co-author hubby Larry N. Martin, steampunk and comedic horror, all of which have less romance, more explosions. Characters from her Gail books make frequent appearances in secondary roles in her Morgan books, and vice versa.

On the rare occasions Morgan isn’t writing, she’s either reading, cooking, or spoiling two very pampered dogs.

Series include Witchbane, Badlands, Treasure Trail, Kings of the Mountain and Fox Hollow. Watch for more in these series, plus new series coming soon!