Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Laurel Osterkamp to HJ!
Hi Laurel and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, In Love With Your Ghost!
Thank you so much for having me!
Please summarize the book for the readers here:
*In Love with Your Ghost* is about Hartley and Levi. They were teenage soulmates until Levi ghosted her, leaving Hartley haunted by his absence. Thirteen years later, Levi’s grandmother dies. She’s left her house, which is on the grounds of an old, abandoned, haunted tuberculosis sanitarium, to both Levi and Hartley. But they must live there together for one full month before either inherits a thing. Levi wants to tear it all down and build a hotel. Hartley’s a historian who can see ghosts, so she’s desperate to save Castle Sanitarium. And one heartbroken ghost, who’s been haunting Castle for nearly a century, is desperate for reasons of her own. Autumn sets in. Levi and Hartley reconnect. Will they discover that the only thing scarier than a haunted house is a love that refuses to die?
Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:
I’m sleepy and half drunk with desire, so maybe I heard him wrong. “Are you making fun of me right now?”
“No, Hart.” His laugh is soft, barely there, like he’s afraid to let it out. “You just… you believe in things. Like that love doesn’t just disappear when someone dies. Like it’s strong enough to stick around, even after death.”
Please share a few Fun facts about this book…
- The Indigo Girls song, “Ghost,” was a major inspiration. Listen the lyrics after reading the book and you can’t miss the connection!
- There’s an old sanitarium in Colorado that looks like a castle. It’s a history musuem now, but it’s on all the lists of Colorado’s most haunted places.
- For the ghostly flashback sequence, I used the real-life journal of a young woman who stayed in a tuburculosis sanitarium in 1918.
- I love autumn, weird girl lit, and Halloween, so I tried to make all those things prominent in my novel. But I wanted it to be, above all else, a romance. It was fun trying to work all those things together.
What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?
Levi first notices Hartley’s kindness and her honesty. She’s the most genuine person he’s ever met, and being genuine is very important to him.
Besides noticing how good looking Levi is, Hartley is struck by how he doesn’t care what other people think. He follows his heart and makes her feel seen.
Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?
One of In Love With Your Ghost’s very first scenes had me laughing! It’s been thirteen years since Hartley and Levi have seen each other. They’re at Soledad’s (Levi’s grandmother) funeral, and their interaction is just so cringe. But it only gets worse when Soledad’s lawyer approaches and seems to suggest a threesome!
Scene snippet:
Michael offers a tight, professional smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “I need to ask you both something . . . awkward. Are either of you in a serious relationship right now?”
Okay. Not what I was expecting. But I’ve heard there’s a whole subreddit of people who enjoy finding funeral hookups. Could this be the prelude to some bizarre proposition? Heat floods my cheeks at the thought.
Without thinking, I lock eyes with Levi. For one breath, we’re us again—allies in our bafflement.
But on the second breath, the camaraderie disappears. Levi glares at Michael. “Why?” he demands.
“There’s a condition in Soledad’s will,” Michael explains, rubbing his chin like he wishes he were anywhere else. “It only applies if you’re both single. So . . . are you?”
“Yes,” I say quickly, too aware of Levi standing beside me.
“Me too,” says Levi. “Well,” he adds, “I’m not in anything committed.”
My stomach twists. What does that mean?
Readers should read this book….
if they enjoy authors like Emily Henry, Annabelle Monaghan, or Carley Fortune, and if they’re drawn to character-driven contemporary romance, slow-burn love stories, or bookish women’s fiction that blends real emotion with a touch of literary flair. They especially should read In Love With Your Ghost for the cozy, spooky, autumnal vibes, and to escape into another romance that takes place in Sugar Pine Springs!
What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?
My latest project is revisiting my original Sugar Pine Springs novella, I Bet You Think About Me. It’s a contemporary reimagining of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Years ago, archeologist Annabelle Elliot sent her first real boyfriend, Weston Cruz, away. Not because she didn’t love him, but because well-meaning friends and family persuaded her that he was up to no good. Now he’s back, ready to help save the research center that Annabelle loves. But of course, things get complicated…
The novella has only ever been available as a free eBook on my website, laurellit.com. Now that I know so much more about the direction of the Sugar Pine Springs series, I want to revise the book, expand it into a full-length novel, and make it for sale as a paperback and audiobook. My goal for the release is January.
Thanks for blogging at HJ!
Giveaway: One paperback copy of In Love With Your Ghost.
To enter Giveaway, please share this post on your Socials and Leave a comment below to this Q: Hartley and Levi are first loves with a complex history. How do you think their current rivalry will shape their relationship? What rolewill Castle Sanitarium’s future play in how they process their emotions and define their feelings?
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Excerpt from In Love With Your Ghost:
“Levi!”
His name rips out of me, raw and desperate. He freezes mid-stride, shoulders tensing as if I’d physically reached out and grabbed him. I rush forward, my stupid pink cardigan flapping, heart hammering against my ribs. When I reach him, I have to brace my hands on my knees just to catch my breath.
“Hey.” The word comes out ragged. I straighten, meeting his guarded eyes. “Look, I get why you’re pissed. But I swear that I never talked to Soledad about the house. About what should happen after she—” My voice drops. “God, Levi. That would’ve been . . . it would’ve been fucked up.”
Levi crosses his arms over his chest. I ignore the pressure that’s building in mine.
“Did you know she planned on playing matchmaker from beyond the grave?” Levi asks.
“Of course not,” I answer.
Levi squints. Peers into my eyes. It’s like his normal lie-detection ability, which borders on psychic-level, is faltering. But after a moment, his face relaxes.
“Okay,” he concedes. “I buy that you were in the dark about her plans. But as the head of Sugar Pine Springs Historical Society, you must have brought up Castle at town council meetings.”
“How’d you know I run the historical society?”
“I stalk you on the internet,” he says dryly.
“Is that a joke?”
He nods. “Sorry to disappoint you. Truth is, I haven’t thought about you in years.”
“Classy,” I retort. “Thanks for letting me know.”
We’re standing outside The Pretty Pinecone, a romance-only bookstore. Its window display is of one ghostlike creature on bended knee, proposing to another ghostlike creature. They’re surrounded by a bunch of autumnal-themed romance novels, and the sign above them reads, BE MY BOO!
Levi’s jaw sets. His eyes follow mine to the window display, to the two ghosts in love. “I know you claim that you don’t see ghosts anymore. But you didn’t . . .” he sighs “. . . see anything hovering around Soledad, right?”
“Right. But if it really was her time, then I wouldn’t have.”
The ghosts I see don’t resemble humans; they’re more like a presence and a feeling. Sometimes, very rarely, these ghosts will have a dark edge while hovering over someone. That (unfortunately) means the person is in danger of dying before their time.
Just the idea of ghosts freaks out most people. But not Soledad.
She accepted it because she always emphasized the natural part of supernatural. Plus, she was a renowned artist and turned the old Castle Sanitarium grounds into a sculpture garden, occupying it with mystical creations that Levi helped her design and build. People from all over pay thousands for a piece by Soledad. But she created a place where art enthusiasts and ghost hunters can visit and explore for free.
It’s my favorite place in the world.
“Look,” I tell him, “Soledad and I never once talked about what would happen to her property after she was gone. But I knew her. And she would have wanted Castle to be preserved.”
“That’s what you believe,” Levi says. “But it’s not necessarily the truth.” Something shifts in his expression, something I can’t quite read. “Turning Castle into a history museum is just one idea. But, Hart, there are other ideas that she might have been open to.”
There it is: Hart. Not Hartley. Hearing him say the three-letter amputation of my name is like getting caught in a storm, like having cold rain slide down my neck.
“Such as turning it into a boutique hotel?” I ask.
“It would be good for the town.”
“It would be good for you.”
His jaw tightens. “That’s not fair.”
“No,” I agree. “It really isn’t.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “Oh? You’re the authority on what’s fair? There’s a lot you don’t know, a lot you don’t understand.”
I throw out my arms. “Then tell me, Levi! Because last I remember, you were the one who vanished. You let every call go to voicemail. You never replied to a single text. You didn’t care that my mom walked out, or that my dad got sick, or that I failed chemistry so hard I thought my life was over.” My voice cracks. “All of that happened, by the way.”
Levi’s face shutters closed. I watch his throat work as he swallows.
“Look, it was thirteen years ago,” I push on, trying to be steady. “I got over it. I got over you. You obviously did the same. But don’t you dare stand here and act like I didn’t try. And I won’t apologize for being good to your grandmother.”
“I don’t want an apology,” Levi says, his voice low and rough.
How did it come to this—him and me standing on Sugar Pine’s slanted sidewalk, having it out, airing our aggressions thirteen years too late.
Suddenly, I’m empty. Also a little heartbroken. There’s no fight left in me.
“Castle Sanitarium is a hazard,” Levi says, voice soft. “Sooner or later someone’ll get hurt. The entire property needs to be redone.”
“Except,” I say, “it’s not up to you. The town council will vote on Castle’s future.”
Levi raises an eyebrow. “Pretty sure they’re evenly split on the issue.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I say. “Because I’m running for Soledad’s vacant seat. Once I’m voted in, I’ll be the deciding vote. The sanitarium and Soledad’s old house will be preserved by the historical society.”
Levi’s laugh is like a bark. “You only wish it were that easy!”
I throw back my shoulders. “It is that easy. I’m running uncontested.”
“Nope.” His smile is self-satisfied. And disturbingly sexy.
“You? You’re running?”
He shrugs. But that’s confirmation enough.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Book Info:
Hartley and Levi fell in love, and it was magic. Until Levi ghosted her. No goodbye, no explanation.
He didn’t die. He just left her haunted.
Which is ironic, since Hartley can legit see ghosts. Thirteen years later, Levi’s grandmother and Hartley’s good friend, Soledad Herrera, unexpectedly passes away. Hartley and Levi each inherit half of Soledad’s estate. The twist? Before claiming it, they must spend one month living together in her crumbling house located on the haunted grounds of the abandoned Castle Sanitarium, surrounded by the iron creatures Soledad and Levi once built together. Levi wants to tear it all down. Hartley wants to save every last stone. And the sanitarium’s ghosts? They want something too.
Autumn grows cold and dark. Old feelings rise from the dead. And Hartley and Levi realize that while a haunted house is scary, even scarier is a love that refuses to die.
In Love With Your Ghost is a warm, spooky romance that gives a nod to “weird girl lit” authors like Shirley Jackson, Sylvia Plath, and Edith Wharton, and is set in the world of Sugar Pine Springs.
Book Links: Amazon |
Meet the Author:
Laurel Osterkamp writes smart, emotionally rich fiction about messy relationships, creative reinvention, and the kind of love that leaves a mark. She’s the award-winning author of nearly a dozen novels, including Favorite Daughters and the #1 Amazon bestseller Beautiful Little Furies. In Love With Your Ghost blends second-chance romance with literary flair—perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Annabel Monaghan, and anyone who loves bookish love stories with bite.
In addition to her novels, Laurel’s short fiction has appeared in literary journals across the web. When she’s not writing (which is rare), she teaches adult ESL and middle school enrichment classes, goes running with twisty audiobooks in her ears, and educates her daughter on the cultural importance of Beverly Hills, 90210.
She lives in Minneapolis with a family that loves to argue and cats that love to hiss. Ramona Quimby is her spirit animal.
Follow her on Instagram @laurel_osterkamp or subscribe to her newsletter at laurellit.com for behind-the-scenes stories, book news, and reader extras.
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