A Spirited Girl on Cornish Shores — Laura Briggs

It looks like a perfect Cornish autumn, with aspiring novelist Maisie Clark still finding inspiration as a maid at the historic Penmarrow Hotel. Between the staff of quirky co-workers, glamorous and unusual guests, and her growing friendship with the charming but mysterious Sidney Daniels, Maisie is living out adventures instead of just penning them in the pages of her would-be Gothic novel's growing number of chapters.

And then there's the slight problem of keeping the balance between friendship and 'something more' with Sidney, who's helping introduce her to the village's version of a Cornish Halloween, and has recently taken an interest in Maisie's secret that may change things between them. But even Maisie's imagination can't conjure the unusual event this Halloween brings to the Penmarrow. An eccentric earl has chosen this site to host his lavish birthday celebration that includes a pretty (and perceptive) young psychic whose predictions seem to have everyone on edge -- and, to Maisie's delight, the elusive novelist Alistair Davies is rumored to be part of the guest list! But with the earl's bickering relatives and illustrious friends on hand -- and more than one ghost of the past waiting to be revealed -- it's anyone's guess what the festivities will bring before the party is over.

Will the psychic foretell doom for the earl's gathering -- and is her ‘gift' as genuine as it seems? Will Maisie finally meet her favorite author face to face? And, more importantly, what about the romantic sparks that fly between Maisie and Sidney?