I can’t believe than in less than one month, PHANTOM’S TOUCH will be hitting the shelves! I received my review from Romantic Times Book Club magazine, which said:
The quest to free cursed brothers continues in Leto’s second Phantom offering. As before, there are two storylines. When Hollywood magic meets real magic, the collision leads to a sexy and thrilling tale. Leto’s got the touch.
To whet your appetites (and hopefully entice you to want this book even though it’s going to be coming out near Christmas when we women tend to buy for everyone else rather than ourselves) I thought I’d give you an excerpt. This is the prologue, which has never been shared anywhere. (The first chapter is in the back of PHANTOM PLEASURES and the beginning of the second chapter is up at my website.)
Enjoy!
Prologue
“I don’t think this is a good idea.”
Catalina Reyes circled the table, her eyes darting between Paschal Rousseau, the noted gypsy researcher, and his mouth-wateringly sexy son, Ben. They sat across from each other, arms folded tightly as they competed in a frowning contest that, in Cat’s opinion, could have neither winner nor prize. Between them, still cradled in plain brown paper and nestled in a cardboard box, was a quarter-sized piece of brass. A casual observer might see only an old button inside the package, but to the Rousseau men, the fastener was a major bone of contention.
“Cat’s right, Dad,” Ben insisted. His eyes, lighter than his father’s yet still stormy gray, darted to her. “After last time, you were too weak to protect yourself. You were kidnapped the very next day.”
Paschal’s eyes shone with the cockiness that Cat had come to associate with both Rousseau men, as well as their Forsyth ancestors. She supposed it was a blessing to women everywhere that they didn’t make men like them anymore.
“Won’t happen again,” Paschal blustered. “You and Cat will protect me.”
“From kidnapping, sure,” Cat argued, “but not from the toll that physically connecting with that button will take on your body. You may look younger than ninety, Paschal, but you’re actually how old?”
As Ben leaned forward, his dark hair, which he hadn’t cut since he and Cat had met nine months ago, hung rakishly over one eye. “Well, let’s do the math, shall we? You were born in 1717, correct?”
Paschal frowned and refused to answer.
Cat rubbed her arms. Despite her experiences as a paranormal researcher, she still shivered when she thought about how Paschal Rousseau was actually Paxton Forsyth, the fourth son of an English Earl. Through magical means that defied modern explanation, Paschal had been trapped inside a cursed gypsy object—a mirror—and released sometime during World War II by Ben’s mother. Over the last sixty plus years, he’d aged—exceptionally well—and had used his latent psychic abilities to try and locate the sister and five brothers that had been ripped away from him so many centuries ago.
So far, he’d found one family member. Now, with the aide of the button, he might find another.
Cat slid into the empty chair beside Paschal. “Ben’s right. Let me try.”
Though her own psychic abilities had been dormant for most of her life, connecting with Rousseau and his son had sparked skills that Cat now could use with a fairly decent success rate. Perhaps if she touched the button, stamped with the Forsyth crest, she’d be able to focus in on the energy of Aiden Forsyth, the brother who’d reportedly worn the notion on his Army uniform sometime before, during or after the Battle of Culloden. They desperately needed a clue as to what had happened to him all those years ago. Damon, the eldest and recently released brother, had found the button while scouring Europe for evidence about the fate of his family. The least they could do here in the States was coax some information from the tarnished bit of brass.
There was, at least, precedent. Through a seascape painted by Damon over two centuries ago, Paschal had discovered that despite the passage of time, his brother lived. And with help from Cat’s best friend, the hotel heiress, Alexa Chandler, Damon was now entirely free of the curse. The new couple, currently in Dresden searching for other items that might have been used by the gypsies to imprison his siblings or, as in this case, articles that might have belonged to them, relied on the Rousseaus and Cat to take the search to the next level.
“You can’t do it,” Paschal said, his voice hearty, even though she’d noticed a few more wrinkles on his face lately, more visible thanks to an increasing paleness both she and Ben tried to ignore. He spent nearly all his time in his house or at his university office, searching, hoping. Trying to find his brothers and sister in whatever time he had left.
“I can try,” she assured.
“Go ahead,” he replied with a confident swing of his hand, gesturing at the box. “Try if you like, but you’ll never connect to the past when you haven’t lived it—you’re not that good of a psychic yet. No offense.”
Cat slid the box closer to her and smirked. “None taken.”
She peered inside, then with a determined inhalation, took the button into her palm. Paschal crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, the certainty of her failure etched on his face.
Ben, however, shifted forward and slid his warm, supportive palm over her knee. She allowed herself a split second to enjoy the feel of his flesh against hers and the memory of how much higher those fingers had sneaked up her thigh only a few hours ago.
When he cleared his throat guiltily, she guessed the same memory had occurred to him as well.
“Go ahead,” Ben urged. “Show the old man that he’s not the only one who can do this.”
Great. No pressure.
She inhaled again, but this time she allowed the breath to fill her lungs to maximum capacity.
She concentrated on the expansion of the oxygen in her system and when she felt entirely full, she blew out the air through her mouth, tightened her fingers around the button, closed her eyes and concentrated. The voodoo chants taught to her by her grandfather looped in her brain. She called upon the Santeria spirits invoked by her grandmother to guide her way.
The button’s age instantly struck her. A blast of odors. Stuffy rooms. Stale sweat. Piquant perfumes. Images popped across her inner eyelids like tiny, fragile bubbles. Boxes. Cartons. Envelopes. Even a beaded sachet. Hand after hand after hand. Some warm and gentle. Some cold and hard. Cruel.
She dropped the button.
“Too many people have touched this,” she said, wincing from the icy ache in the center of her palm.
Paschal’s grin was maddening. “You don’t say?” His expression darkened. “Without knowledge of the precise person we’re looking for in all that psychic detritus, he’s impossible to find.”
She supposed he was entitled to his omniscient tone, but she still shoved the button back into the box angrily, then glanced at Ben.
“He’s right,” she conceded.
With a harrumph, Paschal snatched the box from Cat.
Ben opened his mouth to argue, but Paschal had already grabbed the button and tossed the box aside. He clutched the brass tightly in his gnarled hand, closed his eyes and fell utterly silent. If not for the way his empty hand gripped the edge of the table, they might have thought he was asleep.
But Cat recognized the trance for what it was. With any luck, he was even now psychically jetting back into the past and then hopefully, into the present where they’d find his brother, Aiden. Only once they found out what had happened to the entire Forsyth brood, including the sister who betrayed them all, would Paschal, finally, find peace.
When Paschal gasped, both Ben and Cat shot forward. His closed eyelids rippled from the rapid movements underneath. His jaw slackened and a barely audible moan mixed with his suddenly shallow breath.
“Paschal?” Ben asked, his voice so deep and desperate, Cat knew the ever unflappable Ben was teetering on the edge. “Dad?”
Paschal groaned.
She swallowed deeply, said a silent prayer, then whispered, “He’ll be okay.”
“You don’t know that,” Ben snapped.
“Do you want me to know?”
Ben’s gaze locked with hers. “How can you?”
With another wordless plea for help to the God who had bestowed her with her gift, Cat held on tight to Ben with one hand. With the other, she slid her fingers into the thick white hair at Paschal’s temple and attempted a connection.
After all, what did they have to lose?
There’s more to the prologue…the actual scene from the past where you meet the hero. I’ll save that one for next time!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Warm wishes for a Happy Birthday go out to Plotmonkey Pals Tiffany Smith & Vicki Lane today! We hope you have a fabulous, fun-filled day!
By all reports, Julie Leto was a sweet child once, somewhat shy, preferring to play quietly in her room making up stories. However, being raised with three brothers in a loud, primarily Italian household did have its influences and Julie discovered her inner tough girl. That’s probably why most of her heroines kick serious butt. Writing sassy heroines has worked out, as she’s sold over forty books to four publishers featuring strong, confident women. Julie lives in Florida with her daughter, a spoiled dachshund, a haughty lynx-point Siamese and a wide range of relatives all within driving distance.
Destiny
Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
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Happy birthday to Tiffany and Vicki !
:banana:
Sounds like another winner on your hands!
Oh and Leslie I didn’t get a chance to comment yesterday but your new series (and name) sound very exciting! Good luck with the books :)
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:biggroan brat.
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Sounds like another winner Julie! I’ll have to put that on my list to buy for myself for Christmas.
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Julie I can’t wait to read the next installment.
I voted for Phantom Pleasures to get Best Paranormal Romance – Fall 2008 in the NOR awards over at http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/NORAwards/fall2008norawardsromancebooks.asp
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I’m so excitede, Julie! I loved Phantom Pleasures!
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Great excerpt, Julie.
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I’ve had it pre-ordered since like forever ago! “Touch” goes straight to the top of the TBR pile as soon as it comes in! Awesome review, Julie, and they’re right. You DO have the touch!
Happy Birthday, Tiffany and Vickie! Eat lots of
and have a 
day!
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Happy Birthday Tiffany and Vicki!!
Thanks for the fabulous excerpt, Julie! Can’t wait to read it!
Have a terrific day all,
Cher :jiveturkey:
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Oh I loved loved loved the first book, can not wait to read the second!!!
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Can’t wait to read Phantom’s Touch, Julie — great timing that it will be out for Christmas! I know what I’m telling Santa to put in my stocking.
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This book is already on my Christmas List. I can’t wait to read it and this just makes me want it sooner!
Phantom Pleasures is on my favorite reads of 2008 list that will be posting on my website in December. (There are several plot monkey books on the list!)
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I can’t wait to read it, Julie!
Happy Birthday Tiffany and Vicki!
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Happy birthday Tiffany and Vicki!!! Hope it’s a fantastic day for you both!!
I didn’t need an excerpt to get excited about this book. I’ve been eagerly awaiting it since I finished the last!!!!! You guys need the countdown timer thingies in the sidebar so we can keep track of what’s coming out when! :giggler
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Aww, thanks for all the happy b-days. :) I can’t wait to read this book. It’s on my list, actually at the top of the list.
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:givethaks :yumturk :bigturk :jumpleaf
Julie, I don’t need an enticement to read Phantom’s Touch! Since finishing Phantom Pleasures I’ve been waiting, waiting!
It might make a good read for New Years Eve!! 
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Well, like Julie did yesterday, I have to admit that I have gotten a sneak-peek early read of this book and I swear to you, it will blow you away!
Julie knows I liked the first Phantom book a lot. This one…well, I honestly loved every page of it. A phantom thrust into Hollywood, having to star in a movie opposite a Xena Warrior Princess type–the whole story is seriously fantastic, I think the best thing Julie’s ever done. I promise if you liked the first one, you will absolutely love this!
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Julie, you are such a tease! I am anxiously awaiting the release of this book and have been ever since I finished PHANTOM PLEASURES. The excerpts are great and have been keeping me happy but now that it’s so close…
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Julie, loved the sneek-peeks. I am counting down the days.
:jumpleaf
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Recieved the Phantom’s Touch ARC and the Sees chocolates today! I spent the day curled up with the book and chocolates – what a way to spend the day!
Absolutely loved the book – now anxiously waiting for Kiss of the Phantom!
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Have both a sick husband and child at home…but I’ve been reading all the comments and THANK YOU to everyone for their compliments on PHANTOM PLEASURES and PHANTOM’S TOUCH (mec, so glad the book and chocolates arrived at the same time!!!)
I’m really excited and can’t say how thankful I am for all of you and your enthusiasm for the books. I really want to write the last three and can’t do that unless the first three sell well. So let’s all buy books!
Alannah, GREAT idea on the counters…will investigate!!!
:givethaks for Plotmonkey readers!!!
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Loved the excerpt- and congratulations on the new book, Julie!
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What a great excerpt! I can’t wait for this book to come out. I absolutely loved PHANTOM PLEASURES and am anxiously awaiting the next installment in this series! Great job Julie!
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Oh gosh, thanks for the peek into this one coming Julie!!!
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Happy birthday ladies