Ghosts and Flames

by Kaje Harper

When Ben's best friend Grant died, all Ben's unspoken hopes for love died with him. Grant's return as a ghost eased Ben's heart, and even saved his life, but that could never be enough. So Ben left town. Now in a Florida hotel room he discovers that he failed to leave Grant's specter behind. When the meddlesome ghost urges Ben to go out and have a drink at a bar, he isn't expecting to run into supernatural trouble, or a sexy man like Talon. But that combination may turn out to be just what Ben needs to learn to live again. If he survives the experience.

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Ghosts, Contemporary, Vampires, Paranormal Romance

84 pages, ebook

First published November 3, 2011

About the author

I get asked about my name a lot. It's not something exotic, though. “Kaje” is pronounced just like “cage” – it’s an old nickname, and my pronouns are she/her/hers.

I was born in Montreal but have lived for 30 years in Minnesota, where the two seasons are Snow-removal and Road-repair, where the mosquito is the state bird, and where winter can be breathtakingly beautiful. Minnesota’s a kind, quiet (if sometimes chilly) place and it’s home.

I’ve been writing far longer than I care to admit (*whispers – fifty years*), mostly for my own entertainment, usually M/M romance (with added mystery, fantasy, historical, SciFi…) I also have a few Young Adult stories (some released under the pen name Kira Harp.)

My husband finally convinced me that after all the years of writing for fun, I really should submit something, somewhere. My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. I have a weakness for closeted cops with honest hearts, and teachers who speak their minds, and I had fun writing four novels and three freebie short stories in that series. I was delighted and encouraged by the reception Mac and Tony received.

I now have a good-sized backlist in ebooks and print, both free and professionally published. A complete list with links can be found on my website "Books" page at https://kajeharper.com/.

You can find me and my book reviews on my author page here on Goodreads - I hang out on Goodreads a lot because I moderate the Goodreads YA LGBT Books group. I also post free short YA stories on that group, more than 50 of them so far.

You can also find me on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/KajeHarper

Reviews

[Didi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Not one of my favourite of Ms. Harper's work, though I still enjoyed it no less.

The human/ghost dynamics was different; just like the usual banter between friends, nothing spooky there, and the silent moments when Ben felt phantom caress of Grant ghost was touching.

I just didn't buy the chemistry between Ben and Talon, and the trust that built between them just like that.
Also, the process of plotting and preparing the rituals were too easily made imho. Then again, could be because this is a shorty, much of the actions were summarily told rather than shown.

What I like about this story was the strong bound of friendship between Grant and Ben. Grant knew his friend loved and longed after him, but he didn't cast the friendship aside just because he didn't reciprocate the feeling. Ben knew his feeling was doomed from the start but still loved Grant no matter what.
Theirs gave 'til death us do part new meaning to friendships.

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella is sort of "companion" for Kaje Harper's first story (which you can get for free) Lies and Consequences. I have to admit, I don't finish that one. It's too far-fetched to my liking and I stop around half of the book because I just can't go with it. BUT, if you have read that book, you will probably remember the story that Chris made, about an author named Ben, whose best friend Grant died and became a ghost. This is their story, so to speak.

I enjoy the story VERY much; sure when I find out what is the issue that Talon is facing, I am a bit thrown off -- I thought it would be just story about ghost. But heck, this story IS a paranormal, and it starts with a ghost, so the fact that there are vampires and witches too should not be weird. I'm more surprised to find out that Grant was straight *lol*. I thought that Grant was gay and Ben was feeling the regret for not being able to love him when he was alive ... It's all good though, because I do feel Ben and Talon have that chemistry and I enjoy Talon teaching Ben the joy of gay sex.

The last part of the novella, the one dealing with destroying the vampires feel like a Supernatural episode. It's awesome! Again, a proof that Kaje Harper writes really well :)

PS: I have to chuckle with Ben's attempt to speak French. It's cher, Ben, cher, not Chair!! *grin*

PSS: Found one 'inconsisency' of the ex-girlfriend name. For pages it's Miranda, but there is one mention of Melinda. Just sayin'

[Don Bradshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting paranormal story complete with ghosts, magic and vampires and some hot sex. Ben is running away from life after his best friend, Grant, is killed in action. Grant's ghost is attached to Ben and when they stop in Florida for a drink, their world it turned over. I enjoyed Ben and the snarky Grant. Talon is ok but I just couldn't see him and Ben as an interesting couple even though that is a subplot. I thought the idea of one ghost contacting another ghost in order to solve the vampire problem was a great idea. This one is definitely worth a Halloween read.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Good holiday paranormal m/m romance a guy with a ghost problem who runs into a guy with a vampire problem. While the final 2/3 of the story was very involving, the first third simply had too much info-dumping - I kept wondering if this was the second book in a series.

[Shana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ben is in Florida after fleeing Nevada and the ghost of his best friend--literally. When said friend guides him into a dive bar, Ben doesn't know what to expect, but it's sure not Talon, the bar's young, lonely owner. Or, for that matter, the vampires out to make the bar their own. With help from Ben and their own private ghosts, will Talon be able to overcome all odds to keep them both safe--and maybe to find out just what he and Ben could have together?

Ben is a fun narrator, remarkably down-to-earth for a man who argues with his dead friend through the medium of lettered scraps of paper. He held a torch for Grant long before Grant died, and is struggling to move past it, not sure he wants to, and not helped by Grant's reappearance as a ghost. He's charmingly dedicated once his mind is made up, whether it's to take Talon up on his generous offer or to risk his life to save them all.

Talon is a bit less well-developed--not surprising given that the story is from Ben's point-of-view. He's a bit hard to grasp, veering between sex kitten and excited kid and resigned businessman, but the overall package is certainly appealing. I would have liked to have spent more time getting to know him, but he tended to be overshadowed by Grant in any scene they shared--which was the majority of them.

Together, Ben and Talon were more interesting to me as comrades-in-arms than lovers, but that may be because the sex aspect was a bit rushed due to the constraints of the story--it takes place in a time span not much longer than 24 hours. Had they had a little more time to get to know each other beyond "Hey, I get to pop your man-cherry--neat," I might have been more invested. The sex was still entertaining, just lacking that extra layer of interest for me.

The supporting cast was fairly small, the highlights being the ghosts. I couldn't help laughing at Grant's apologies to the ghost of Talon's many-great-grandfather for his inappropriate language. In truth, I had more fun with the bantering with the ghosts than most of the conversations between Ben and Talon alone; Grant added a layer of humor the story needed.

The story itself was a bit strange for me. I knew about the ghost thing, of course, given the blurb, but the vampire aspect caught me out of left field. The vampires were never quite adequately explained--why were they vampires? why were there four?--but they served well enough as the vehicle to the conclusion. I'm not a huge vampire fan in general, but they were introduced enough to be effective without actually taking over the story. The story itself moved along at a good clip, not dragging or really stumbling despite my unanswered questions.

Had I known about the vampire element going into this, I probably would have given it a pass. As it stands, I'm glad I didn't, as I would have missed out on an entertaining tale, even if the ghosts did steal the scene.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the book about a guy who realizes to late that he was in love with his best friend, who is a guy. So now he is coming to terms with being gay and in love with his dead best friend when the best friend's ghost shows up and starts saving him from danger. But maybe Ben is crazy so he tries to run from his life in Vegas and ends up in Florida and meets a guy named Talon. Talon runs a bar that is protected by his dead great, great, great, great, grandfather and is trying to be stolen from him by his vampire half brother. Add all ingredients and attempt to complete in under 100 pages.

I guess what I'm saying is it was a lot happening in just one short story. That's a lot for a full length novel. I liked all the concepts, maybe not all together or at least maybe not all in one short story. There is a lot I feel like I need to know. When I read paranormal books I like a world created for me. When I read about a guy just finally dealing with his sexuality I like to know a little more about his struggles to get there. When I read about ghosts I like to know why the ghost is there and how to release him.

Overall a good attempt, a quick read, I just wanted more.

[Jess Candela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurb didn't really make this sound like my sort of story, but I've loved every Kaje Harper book I've read so far, so I really wasn't sure what to expect. I figured she'd probably make me love it, because I'll love anything if it's well-written enough. Yup, that's exactly what happened.

I'd been afraid I'd want Ben to end up with Grant, and there was a little bittersweet tinge that he didn't (much like I imagine Ben himself felt). But I've also had the experience of not ending up with someone I longed for, even while knowing it was for the best on multiple levels. So the fact that Grant was a ghost just added another dimension to that familiar feeling.

As always seems to happen, no matter how much I may cry while reading one of Kaje's stories, I always finish it with a satisfied sigh, feeling like everything happened exactly as it ought.

[Jenny Saul-Avila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give this a solid 3. I liked it, but didn't LOVE it. It was entertaining and I was interested in seeing how everything would turn out. I felt invested in the characters.
I would have liked it to be a little longer or to have an epilogue though - I think that's the one thing that makes it not a 4-star for me. I felt like it's more of an HFN when I'd rather have an HEA. This is often the way with shorter works though, you see the hope of better things ahead.
I listened to the audio version - I would not recommend that. The narrator narrated too fast, without enough attention to the types of scenes or moods, especially the sexier scenes. I feel like the chemistry and heat was minimized quite a lot by this and I wish I'd read it in print. He didn't differentiate character voices well, though this wasn't much of an issue because the way it was written rarely made it difficult to know who was speaking, as there aren't a lot of characters and each of the characters have a distinct personality. The narrator also mispronounces the author's first name and there's a couple glitches in the editing.
I hadn't realized that this book is set at Christmastime. I'm not sure how I didn't know that, but it worked out, because it's mid-November and soon I'll be heading into my annual Christmas romance binge.

[Riva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook Review:

So this story is by one of my favorite authors. So when I saw the audiobook version I was pleasantly surprised and bought it without regard to who the narrator was. When it started I thought, wait I know that voice. And when he got the author's name wrong when introducing the book, I groaned and knew for sure. Yep, it was the same guy who ruined another book for me, not with his voice, although it is a bit more nasally than I like, but with the sloppy production of the audiobook. Mispronounced words, repeated lines, poor editing, etc. Despite that, I pressed on because I knew Kaje (not Kai as the narrator pronounced it) is a wonderful writer and weaves a great story. Sure enough, poor production part way through the story. But by that time I was into the story and didn't want to stop.

This is a really good novella about ghosts helping the MC battle vampires. Since it is a novella, there is not a lot of backstory, but enough that you feel the romance between the couple and cheer for them to prevail against evil. So if you can deal with the production errors, which eventually clear up, it think this is a really great story.

[Diane Dannenfeldt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe if it was longer, I would have liked it better. Or maybe it was the narrator, I didn't like him at all. He had the same voice for all the characters so you really didn't know who was talking. Plus he mispronounced words and that took away from the story.

[Arlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very good. The ghost angle was fine but the rest was silly.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but complete - great book.

[Da'ad · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's OK. Short, fair pacing.

[Marlobo ♥ epilogues · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Sammy Goode · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is nothing more fun in my mind than an ornery ghost trying to fix up his gay best friend with a lover...unless said ghost also communicates by manipulating letter tiles and, when bored, spelling out dirty words. In Kaje Harper's Ghosts and Flames, the fun is all there along with a sweet love story and a touch of wistful sadness at the passing of a good friend. As the story begins, Ben is fleeing his life and his friend who has been haunting him since his death one year before. Even though Ben changes locale Grant, his deceased best buddy, follows him knowing all along that there is unfinished business between them. That business? Ben is gay and has had a crush on his best friend for years...Grant. Grant has returned from the grave not only to protect Ben but also to encourage him to move on and take on a human lover. Enter Talon. Talon, has his own unique set of problems; namely relatives who are vampires, the ghost of his great great grandfather who is bound to protect him and a bar that that is in danger of foreclosure due to the vamps chasing all the customers away. Sound a bit crazy? Have you heard the expression crazy like a fox?? Well it is an apt description of Ms Harper's handling of this tale of madness. Her characters are undeniably likeable, her dialogue sharp and witty and the story a rollicking good time with just enough tension thrown in to make Ghosts and Flames a compelling read. Add in the delight of it being a short story and you have an evening of entertainment all in one neat package.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

****Reviewed for Prism Book Alliance®****

4.5 Stars -

Ghosts and Flames is filled with energy and interest. It’s not action per se – they aren’t traveling anywhere – but things are after them and the sense of stuff happening is very much present.

I loved the paranormal aspect. The ghosts and vampires gave it a creepy feel without it being horror. The description of the bar when Ben walked in made the hairs on my arms stand up. I felt present for the whole story with never a dull moment.

Though the romance is very mild, the sex scene was hot and the ending HFN. I loved the interaction between all the characters, especially Grant, the ghost.

There were a few editing problems that detracted overall, but certainly not the worst I’ve encountered and the quality of the story helped me see past them.

Highly recommend for an afternoon’s pleasure reading!

[UnusualChild{beppy} · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Synopsis: Ben was in love with his best friend, but didn't realize it until after said best friend died. Then his best friend starts haunting him. Ben heads to Florida, hoping to get away from John. Instead, he walks into a bar and meets Talon with John in tow. Talon is about to lose his bar, because his half brother and his half brother's father want to take. It over for their own nefarious purposes. Talon is intrigued by the fact of John, because his however many greats-grandfather haunts the bar and makes sure that anyone who has his blood in them isn't harmed, as long as they are one the bar property. As things come to a head overnight, Ben and Talon realize that they have to try and settle things once and for all.

What I liked: Ben's relationship with John. I liked that John didn't care that Ben was gay and in love with him, that he loved him as a brother.

What I didn't like: the insta-everything between Ben and Talon. Also, vampires

[Nightcolors · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good ghost story. :) I really liked Grant, a totally awesome friend to Ben, and seemed like a happy, fun guy. I wondered if this book was a sequel or some such, but I guess not. I enjoyed the balance between the light and darkness: humor (Ben's French pronunciation was too cute), love, loyalty and friendship against violence, greed, loneliness and regrets. 3.5 stars.

[Meggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella was okay in general, but somehow I didn't enjoy the couple. Ben was running away from his feelings for his dead best friend ghost Grant. Grant, on other side, wanted to see his friend Ben happy so he could go into Heaven. To achieve his goal, Grant found a perfect lover for Ben. But before the last happy ending, they all needed to fight with magic and vampires.

[♥J ♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK let me start by saying I am not really a fan of paranormal. I don't do shifters, but this was ghosts and vampires so I thought it might be ok, since I love Kaje so much. I was right and I was wrong. It was ok, but as in just ok. Not my cup of tea, yet it still did get me to shed some tears at the end! Kaje is all kinds of awesome even when she isn't!

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

the setting and plot (what there was of it) was very interesting... too bad it had so much filler smut. Honestly, in a novella this short I don't get to know or care enough about the characters to be interested in smut with them. I'd have like this as a novel length story, but not much as a novella.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had a hard time getting through this one as I kept setting it aside. I've been trying to figure out why it didn't keep my attention but I'm coming up blank. Maybe I've read so many paranormal stories that it just kind of blends into the pack? I'll have to ponder it further.

[OkayKim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love ghost stories!

[MostlyDelores · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved Grant and his letter tiles. Good book, funny, bittersweet, with ghosts and vampires.

[liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Generally bored for most of this. It's an ok story with ok levels of sweet and heat. There are ghosts and magic and vampires. So read it for that if it's your thing.