Margins
Lowcountry Mysteries book cover 1
Lowcountry Mysteries book cover 2
Lowcountry Mysteries book cover 3
Lowcountry Mysteries
Series · 5 books · 2014-2015

Books in series

Not Quite Dead book cover
#1

Not Quite Dead

2014

A broken engagement sends Graciela Harper crawling back to Heron Creek with her tail between her legs, but finds the sleepy little town too changed to set her life right. Not even her budding drinking problem can obscure her Gramps’s failing health, or erase the mental picture of her first love happily married to her childhood best friend. To top it all off, she’s having a heck of time convincing the town’s dashing young mayor of her unfit-for-dating status. When the ghost of 18th century lady pirate Anne Bonny starts insisting on a near daily audience, Graciela has to confront something else she never expected—being certifiably nuts at twenty-five years old. Her brand new "I don't give a crap" attitude makes it easy to dismiss the mysterious threats that seem to be tied to her search for more information on the long dead pirate, but when her family becomes a target, Gracie knows she needs to find out why the ghost insists on being a constant, reeking companion. If Graciela can put aside her prejudice against people without a pulse, she may discover that Anne Bonny’s problems are intricately linked with her own. The past harbors answers could help the cantankerous spirit find closure, but she is, after all, already dead. If Graciela doesn’t move fast, she might find herself doing the haunting, instead of the other way around.
Not Quite Cold book cover
#2

Not Quite Cold

2014

Graciela Harper thought that getting rid of Anne Bonny’s ghost would be the first step toward putting all of the problems of her past behind her. Maybe things would work out with Beauregard Drayton, Heron Creek’s charming mayor. Maybe she and her cousin Amelia, and their childhood friends Melanie and Will, could find a way back to the comfortable friendship that defined their lives. But when the ghost of Glinda Davis, the town’s longtime, quirky hairdresser, puts a stop to Gracie and Beau’s relationship consummation, Graciela knows her life has changed for good. The insistent ghost drags Graciela into a world she’s only seen on reality television shows—one filled with moonshiners and backwoods politics that are solved by burying bodies, not friendly conversations. Graciela needs to figure out exactly what Glinda’s spirit requires so she’ll get the heck out of dodge, but the further she digs into the woman’s past, the more dangers seep into the present. As Graciela gets closer to the answers she seeks, she starts to wonder if she’s going to solve a murder in the process—or die trying.
Not Quite True book cover
#3

Not Quite True

2015

With Mayor Beau accused of abuse of power and facing federal indictment, a relentless curse after her unborn nephew, and a moody, uncommunicative spirit in her room, reluctant ghost-helper Graciela Harper figures she’s got enough on her plate.The universe, as usual, figures otherwise. On a girls trip to Charleston that’s meant to give Beau some space and cheer up her cousin, Amelia, a second ghost follows Gracie back to Heron Creek.As she digs into the mystery behind the Whistling Doctor of Dueler’s Alley, things at home go from bad to worse. Leo’s not talking to her, Amelia’s depression is putting her health at risk, and Beau…well, maybe he’s not as innocent as Gracie always believed.All that takes a back seat when Gracie’s run off the road on her way back from a research trip, forcing her to face the possibility that her ghost’s secrets might not be about harmless lost love after all. In fact, he’s been the only person aware of certain documents for over two hundred years, and if Gracie helps unearth them she might find herself trapped underground…permanently.
Quite Curious book cover
#3.5

Quite Curious

2015

This will be a short, in between novella with multiple POV's and NOT a full length novel. ——— Graciela is hoping that, despite the reappearance of her father—who’s supposed to be dead—her life in Heron Creek might be about the calm down. Her boyfriend’s mother has other ideas, ones that include getting to know her son’s new squeeze. The proposition makes Beau nervous for more than one reason, a couple of which would be news to Gracie. Amelia’s therapy appears to be going well, so that’s working in Gracie’s favor, but with trouble brewing in Will and Mel’s marriage, the moonshiners getting more involved in Heron Creek affairs instead of less, and Leo’s sister Lindsay returning from her stint in the state pen, settled isn’t the best word to describe life in the small town. Gracie is starting to think that maybe seeing ghosts is the least complicated thing about her…and she’s probably right. Includes POVs from Beau, Will, Leo, Amelia, and Clete.
Not Quite Gone book cover
#4

Not Quite Gone

2015

Life in Heron Creek is looking up for Graciela Harper, despite the fact that every ghost within a fifty mile radius seems intent on sticking to her like glue - and not the weak Elmer's kind, either But with a sexy boyfriend, her old friends back in her life, and a great job prospect at one of the oldest plantations in the country, it's hard to complain...even if her new boss is said boyfriend's mother. It doesn't stay uncomplicated for long as not one ghost, but two show up at Drayton Hall. One wants closure, which Gracie thinks she can handle, but the other seems to know more than she should about the centuries old voodoo curse on Gracie's own family. As she digs deeper into the past of not only the plantation grounds, but Beau's family tree, surprising secrets claw their way to the surface. With Mrs. Drayton breathing down her neck, a shift in her abilities, Amelia's custody case taking a turn for the worse, and the sudden appearance of her decidedly not dead father, Gracie has her hands full. She might be able to tackle all of those things with the help of a friend or two—some breathing, some not—but there’s one crossroads Gracie doesn’t see coming. It’s the choice between family and romance, and she’s not the only one being forced to make it.

Author

Lyla Payne
Lyla Payne
Author · 17 books

I've been publishing New Adult romance novels for a little over a year, starting with Broken at Love and continuing with the rest of the Whitman University series. I adore telling stories, discovering the little reasons people fall in love, and uncovering hidden truths in the world around us – past and present. In my spare time I cuddle my two dogs, pretend to enjoy exercising so that I can eat as much Chipotle as I want, and harbor a deep and abiding hope that Zac Efron likes older women. I loves reading, of course, along with movies, traveling, and Irish whiskey. I'm hard at work, ALWAYS, and hope to bring you more Whitman University antics and at least one more Lowcountry ghost tale before the end of the year. If you want to know more, please visit me at http://lylapayne.com If you’re a fan of Young Adult fiction—science fiction or otherwise—please check out my work that’s published under the name Trisha Leigh. http://trishaleigh.com I'm represented by Kathleen Rushall at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

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