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    The Abandoned
    The Abandoned
    The Abandoned
    Ebook96 pages1 hour

    The Abandoned

    By Amanda Stevens

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    The Graveyard Queen must come to the rescue when an amateur ghost hunter unlocks deadly danger in this paranormal series prequel novella.

    When her favorite patient at a private mental hospital passes away, psychology student Ree Hutchins mourns the elderly woman’s death. But more unsettling is her growing suspicion that something unnatural is shadowing her.

    Amateur ghost hunter Hayden Priest believes Ree is being haunted. Even Amelia Gray, known in Charleston as the Graveyard Queen, senses a gathering darkness. Driven by a force she doesn’t understand, Ree is compelled to uncover an old secret and put abandoned souls to rest—before she is locked away forever. . . .
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOpen Road Integrated Media
    Release dateApr 1, 2011
    ISBN9781426888861
    The Abandoned
    Author

    Amanda Stevens

    Amanda Stevens is an award-winning author of over fifty novels. Born and raised in the rural south, she now resides in Houston, Texas.

    Read more from Amanda Stevens

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    Reviews for The Abandoned

    3.5/5

    110 ratings14 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A quick drop into the graveyard for a spooky back story to this much loved series. It gives a new look into several parts of the series. Do not miss this one. A mystery that has been buried for too long has come to the surface and will finally be put to rest.
    • 5/5
      This was a great short read. I now want to find the other books in this series and read them. This book was well written with a great plot. This was a free book in the Kindle Store.
    • 2/5
      2.5
      I liked this story. The rating isn't for the writing or the story itself. It just felt a bit rushed. And there was nothing to introduce us to Amelia except Oh, this is Amelia. She restores graveyards and she was considered weird when she was young.
    • 4/5
      I absolutely love love LOVED The Restorer and I finally got to read Amanda Stevens' novella, The Abandoned, prequel to The Graveyard Queen series. I'm a huge fan of Stevens' writing style - it's sexy, fluid and darkly beautiful and The Abandoned doesn't disappoint if you love her for that alone. She is an exceptional writer, a magician with words, invoking emotion and thought at her own whim. She is THE Queen of creepy.
      So while I really LOVED The Restorer, I really LIKED The Abandoned, and let me tell you why: it didn't prominently feature Amelia and Devlin! I know, I know, you get that from reading the blurb, so I did know that going in, but I was still a teeny bit disappointed because I do love those characters and this is a prequel to the series. However, that's the only grumble-factor for me, because I still liked it a whole heckuvalot. I also get what she did here: instead of featuring Amelia and Devlin, she featured the town itself, prior to Amelia receiving the grant, so we get a little back story and a bit of a teaser. And oh does Amanda Stevens tease us - with sleepwalking, more ghostly fingers and passion! Oh the passion! She knows just how to skirt the edge before dancing back with her words, leaving you yearning for more.
      I really loved the back story to the town and some of the supporting characters from The Restorer. I definitely had an opportunity to get to know them better than before. She also writes Ree and Hayden so perfectly; both are fleshed out and incredibly realistic, especially considering this is a ghost story.
      In short, if you've read The Restorer, go grab this novella for a quick fix until her second Graveyard Queen book comes out!
    • 4/5
      Short novella that precedes the action of the three Graveyard Queen books. Love the combination of supernatural elements in these books -- ghosts, voodoo, psychic abilities. Makes for a dark and haunting storyline that is very enjoyable.
    • 2/5
      I loved The Restorer, but this story fell a little flat. It was an interesting idea, but execution didn't really come through. Some formatting errors were both distracting and confusing. Mostly, though, the story suffered from the typically shortcomings of short book length -- minimal character development, rushed plot, and unconvincing relationship building.If you're interested in this series, I absolutely recommend reading the first full novel, Restorer, before reading this.
    • 3/5
      I really enjoyed this novella. It had a great story that I know leads into the series. Ree Hutchins is the main female character in the novella, instead of Amelia Gray who is the lead character in the series. There was a brief interaction with Amelia and I liked her, excited to read the rest of the series to get to know her better.Ree was pretty spunky herself and knows she needs to stay on the trail of the secret. With the help of Hayden Priest, they are able to uncover a lot of information. Quick read, was a lot of fun! Can't wait to read the rest of the series!!
    • 3/5
      Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: A story reflecting the consequences of opening yourself up to ghosts.Opening Sentence: Ree Hutchins was dozing at the old woman’s bedside, a dog-eared copy of The Call of the Wild open on her lap, when Violet Tisdale passed away.The Review:In the past, I have been very harsh with novellas claiming to be prequel’s when the truth of that statement is in question. Yes, The Abandoned, is a prequel. It does introduce major characters in the main series, including the backdrop for the first book. The difference is that this story is not about the main characters, but two separate people who also are drawn into Amelia and Devlin’s ghostly world. I will note, however, that both Ree and Hayden are lightly mentioned in the second book, The Kingdom.Ree Hutchins is a woman who firmly believes in things that are explainable. She is a psychology major at Emerson University and a part time employee at Farrante Psychiatric Hospital. When the passing of one of the patients leads Ree to discover a conspiracy to cover up heinous crimes, her sheltered world is forever changed. Ree begins to obsess over the mysterious disappearance of a former patient, Ilsa Tisdale. Little does she realize that Ilsa’s vengeful ghost is the one driving her to find out the truth. Can a person who does not believe in ghosts come to accept that they are being haunted by one? If you don’t know the rules on how to deal with ghosts, is there any hope to break free of them?Hayden Priest finds the lovely Ree dancing around a graveyard in the middle of the night. He doesn’t yet realize that she is being possessed by a ghost until she wakes up in the middle of kissing him. Of course, he believes it’s possible because he happens to be a ghost investigator. So his interest with Ree is purely professional, right? It has nothing to do with how his body responds to hers, not at all. Right! Whatever the reason that brought them together, Hayden will do everything in his power to keep Ree safe. Even if that means inviting the ghost to inhabit him so that “she” can exact her revenge.Ree and Hayden’s search for the truth of Ilsa’s past puts them in harm’s way. Not everyone wants to truth to be known, even if the death occurred so many years ago. Will the people behind Ilsa’s demise and subsequent cover-up finally pay for their crimes? Or will the unwilling helpers of the ghost be the ones to pay the ultimate price?I read this novella first before I started on the main series. I usually try to make an effort to read series in order, including any extra stories that are available, because I am a stickler for timelines. After finishing the first book, I reread The Abandoned. I have to say that, even though I enjoyed the novella as a stand-alone, it was much better after reading The Restorer. I recognized characters and places mentioned in this novella from the main book that gave me a better understanding of the whole picture. I would recommend this to readers that are already fans of the series. If you do happen to read this novella first to see if the whole book would interest you, I recommend that you revisit it after you finish the book. Otherwise, I think that you will be missing out on many of the subtle references spread throughout the novella.Notable Scene:Ree knew that she should leave, but instead she lingered, inexplicably drawn to a total stranger. He was slim and attractive with an alternative edge to his demeanor and style that made her wonder if he was a musician, the kind one might see in some cool but slightly decadent after-hours club. Not someone she’d expect to find hanging out in an abandoned graveyard.She had no reason in the world to trust him, especially considering her state of undress when she’d… awakened, for lack of a better term. But she wasn’t without memories, though hazy they might still be. She’d kissed him. He may have responded-that part was a little sketchy-but she was pretty sure she’d been the instigator. Which wasn’t like her. She was hardly a shrinking violet but she wasn’t exactly aggressive, either. Certainly not with a stranger she’d just met in a graveyard. It was all just so odd. She’d felt compelled to kiss him, as if she had no will of her own. As if she were merely a puppet in someone else’s dream.The Graveyard Queen Series:0.5. The Abandoned1. The Restorer2. The Kingdom3. The ProphetFTC Advisory: Harlequin/Mira provided me with a copy of The Abandoned. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. The only payment received came in the form of hugs and kisses from my little boys.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book! I couldn't put it down.Ree is a psych major working on her Master's Degree and volunteering at the local psych hospital. She was at Violet's bedside when died and now seems to have a ghost attached to her. Aside from that, the handsome Doctor/Professor is not what he appears to be to those around him. When Ree discovers the secrets the doctor is hiding concerning his father (who founded the hospital) and Violet and her mother, Ree finds her life in danger.
    • 3/5
      I picked up this title because it was free (still is) and sounded like it had an interesting premise. It does, but I really couldn't get into this story very much. It's really more of the plot-driven variety, rather than the character-driven kind. There's nothing wrong with that at all, but it's just not my preference.I found the writing to be decent quality except for some point-of-view problems here and there. I think it does a fabulous job with the mystery and the suspense aspects, so a reader looking for romantic suspense would probably like this story. I, personally, would have liked to have gotten more attached to the characters, but I couldn't, since they just weren't very interesting. They weren't bothersome, either, but were simply not characters I could get excited about.This short story is a prequel to The Restorer, the first novel in the Graveyard Queen series, and is meant to illustrate what to expect from the subsequent novels. I was not intrigued enough by this prequel to want to read any further books in this series, but I think it is a good story for it's intended audience. So, if you love mystery, adult romance, and suspense with some ghosts furthering the plot (but, a story that is light on characterization), then you'll likely want to download this e-book.
    • 3/5
      My biggest problem with this book was that it just seemed too short. I liked the plot and characters and was left wanting more. Having just read some of the other reviews, it has come to my attention that this is a prequel to a series. I'll have to go take a look at the other books in the series. Maybe those will be a bit (longer) more to my taste. :)
    • 3/5
      I read, The Restorer, the first book in The Graveyard Queen series and really loved it. So I picked up this prequel freebie. While the story is good, it doesn't represent the series very well. In fact the story doesn't even follow Amelia Grey, but a side character named Ree.Ree works at a mental hospital. When one of her patients dies she overhears some shadey secrets. Then Ree finds herself sleeping walking strange places and thinks maybe a ghost is involved. Now she has to figure out what the ghost wants so it will leave her alone.I was a bit disappointed that Amelia is only in this story very briefly. Most of the story is told from Ree's perspective. It is mainly a mystery romance type of story and I didn't think it had any of the magic that the first book in the series had. The romance is cute and some of the graveyard descriptions are beautiful and haunting.While the story is decently written, I didn't find Ree an engaging character and didn't really enjoy reading about her that much. This story is definitely not a good intro to this series; it touches on ghosts but doesn't have any of the beauty and mystery of Amelia's character.Overall this was an okay short story. I do not recommend reading this for a preview of the Graveyard Queen series; this story only loosely touches on Amelia and what she does and wasn't nearly as well-written as the book was. So if you have read the book and want to read a little more, then by all means pick it up. Please do not read this and then decide not to read the book, the book was a million times better than this brief story.
    • 4/5
      So many of these 'freebies' are short snippets of a story and although some are very enjoyable, most aren't fully formed stories. I am pleased to say "The Abandoned" is a self-contained and enjoyable tale. This is a prequel to her new novel "The Restorer" which is about Amelia Gray, the "Graveyard Queen". In "The Abandoned" Amelia is very briefly introduced, really a side character. The story features a young intern named Ree who works at a physchiatric hospital. She finds out some things she was never meant to hear and is thrust into some intrigue involoving a mysterious old order and an elderly patient of the hospital. The story is short, but it is interesting. We meet some other characters who have bigger parts in "The Restorer". I am sure the graveyards mentioned as well as the secret order will come into play in the series later as well. For now, this story has a climax and a real ending. It was fun to read and made me eager for more. This is definitely worth your time to read.
    • 3/5
      This is a short story novella that tells the story of Reana (Ree) Hutchins who is a Master Degree student of Psychology at Emerson University located in Charleston, South Carolina. It gives the reader a taste of Amanda Stevens writing ability and story telling before The Graveyard Restorer is released. It's an interesting story that interwines history, the Order of the Coffin and the Claw, and old family hostilities that travel the generations. It has a "taste" of romance as well between Ree and a ghost hunting investigator/lawyer named Hayden Priest, but it's main focus is on the supernatural and payback for deeds done years earlier. Yes, both Amelia and Devlin make appearances, Devlin's is the more important role.

    Book preview

    The Abandoned - Amanda Stevens

    VIOLET

    Ree Hutchins was dozing at the old woman’s bedside, a dog-eared copy of The Call of the Wild open on her lap, when Violet Tisdale passed away.

    Exhausted from her hectic schedule, Ree had fallen asleep reading from the leather-bound edition Miss Violet always kept on her nightstand. Ree often wondered how many times the old woman had heard Buck’s story during her confinement at the Milton H. Farrante Psychiatric Hospital. She was well into her eighties and had been institutionalized for as long as anyone could remember. Other than her clothing and toiletries, the book was the only personal item in her quarters, although the inscription in the front read: To my daughter, Ilsa, on the occasion of her tenth birthday. June 3, 1915.

    No doubt the tattered volume was a hand-me-down from some former staff member or another patient perhaps, because no one could remember the last time Miss Violet had a visitor.

    Ree shivered awake as a chill seeped into the room. The fluorescent reading lamp over her shoulder flickered and she would later remember that the clock on the nightstand had stopped precisely at 8:30. Twilight had fallen, which meant she’d been asleep for close to an hour. Miss Violet lay propped against her pillows, eyes open but unseeing, lips parted but forever silent. She hadn’t been gone long. Her wrist was still warm where Ree felt for a pulse.

    Closing the book, Ree set it aside and rose to summon a nurse. Trudy McIntyre came at once with a stethoscope and mirror, and after a cursory examination, left to notify the proper authorities. Ree didn’t know what else to do so she followed her out.

    What about next of kin?

    Trudy was an efficient woman with a careworn face and weary eyes. She’d been at the hospital for a very long time. There is no next of kin that I know of. I expect Dr. Farrante will handle the arrangements himself. He always does in cases like this.

    At the mere mention of his name, Ree’s heart fluttered. Dr. Nicholas Farrante was out of her league and much too old for any serious romantic notions, but that didn’t stop her and every other female student in the Emerson University psych department from hanging on his every word. Not that Ree wouldn’t have found Experimental Psychology and Human Aging fascinating regardless of the professor, but Dr. Farrante brought so much to the classroom beyond his charm and charisma. The niche his family had carved in the field of developmental psychology was astounding, going all the way back to his grandfather, Dr. Milton H. Farrante, who had been a student of Wilhelm Wundt, the father of modern psychology.

    Milton had opened the facility in the early 1900s and for nearly a century, it had remained one of the preeminent private psychiatric hospitals in the country. Ree was lucky to have been accepted as a volunteer because even the unpaid positions were quickly snapped up, usually by other grad students whose families had a lot more clout than hers.

    Following Trudy to her desk, Ree battled an inexplicable urge to glance over her shoulder. Can we at least check the files? There must be someone out there who would want to know about Miss Violet.

    Trudy looked up with a heavy sigh. Honey, I’ve been here for over twenty-five years, and in all that time, not a single, solitary soul has ever paid that old woman a visit. I’m sure her family’s all gone by now. Or else they just don’t care. Anyway, it’s out of my hands. As I said, Dr. Farrante will handle the arrangements. He’s always taken good care of Miss Violet.

    Ree couldn’t argue with that. Miss Violet’s private suite—bedroom, bath and sitting area—was located in the south wing of the hospital, a quiet, sunny area with peaceful garden views. Ree could imagine Miss Violet sitting there year after year, watching the seasons pass by. Waiting for spring. Waiting for the violets outside her window to bloom.

    Trudy picked up a thick packet from her desk and handed it to Ree. Here. If you want to make yourself useful, take this up to Dr. Farrante’s office. I’m sure he’s gone for the night so just leave it on his assistant’s desk.

    Ree glanced back down the hallway. What about Miss Violet?

    What about her?

    It just seems so sad, leaving her all alone like that.

    Trudy’s face softened and she gave Ree’s arm a motherly pat. You’ve done all you can for her. More than anyone else has bothered in years. Now it’s time to let her go.

    She was right, of course, and Ree honestly didn’t know why the death had hit her so hard. She’d only been working there a couple of months and at Miss Violet’s age, her passing wasn’t unexpected. Given her circumstances, some would call it a blessing. She was free now.

    But Ree couldn’t shake the lingering pall as she climbed the stairs to Dr. Farrante’s second-floor office. The swish of her sneakers sounded like whispers and she found herself turning yet again to check the hallway behind her.

    The outer office door was open and she took a quick peek inside before entering. The spacious suite was much as she would have imagined—subdued and tasteful, from the soft brown leather furniture to the thick Oriental rugs on the teak floors. She walked across the room and placed the package squarely in the center of the desk so the assistant would see it first thing when she arrived the next morning.

    It wasn’t until Ree turned to leave that she realized the set of double doors leading into Dr. Farrante’s office was also open, though only a crack. The sound of his voice stopped her cold and she paused, not meaning to eavesdrop so much as she wanted to savor the timbre of that rich baritone.

    Then she heard a second voice and as the conversation continued and Dr. Farrante’s anger became apparent, she was too afraid to move, too worried that the telltale squeak of a loose floorboard might give her presence away.

    …shouldn’t have come here!

    Oh, trust me, Nicholas, what I have to tell you warranted a special trip. Besides, I thought I’d look in on Violet while I’m here. My father’s recent passing has made me realize she won’t be around for much longer. I hope you’ve finished your latest treatise.

    A warning tingled down Ree’s spine. What did this man have to do with Miss Violet?

    Your concern for her is touching, Dr. Farrante said sarcastically.

    "As is yours. The Farrantes have always taken such good care of my aunt."

    Aunt? So she did have a living relative. Why had this man not come to see her before?

    She’s lived a long and, I believe, contented life here, Dr. Farrante said.

    Whatever you have to tell yourself to sleep at night.

    "And just what do you tell yourself, Jared? You or your father could have taken her out of

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