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Painting Ghosts
Sometimes all you need for the festive season are the ghosts of Christmas Past
Tyler Sheridan has been enamoured with his best friend for years. Theo Daikon is a Greek god, a tempestuous and creative artist with a penchant for up close PDA's, which plays hell with Tyler's libido. This time, Ty isn't sure he can continue to resist the temptation to change his Facebook status to in a relationship.
Snowed in with Theo in an old, spooky country house, they soon find out they aren't alone. It appears the Prestonwich family are also home for Christmas. The problem—they're deceased.
Between one mischievous little girl ghost and her wise old grandfather, Theo and Ty find the truth of their relationship and make a New Year resolution to make their lives full with love and family.
Tyler Sheridan has been enamoured with his best friend for years. Theo Daikon is a Greek god, a tempestuous and creative artist with a penchant for up close PDA's, which plays hell with Tyler's libido. This time, Ty isn't sure he can continue to resist the temptation to change his Facebook status to in a relationship.
Snowed in with Theo in an old, spooky country house, they soon find out they aren't alone. It appears the Prestonwich family are also home for Christmas. The problem—they're deceased.
Between one mischievous little girl ghost and her wise old grandfather, Theo and Ty find the truth of their relationship and make a New Year resolution to make their lives full with love and family.
47 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 13, 2021
5 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
About the author
Susan Mac Nicol
55 books542 followersBringing lovers together, one book at a time
The official stuff
Susan writes steamy, sexy and fun contemporary romance stories, some suspenseful, some gritty and dark and hopefully always entertaining. She’s also Editor in Chief at Divine Magazine, an online LGBTQ e-zine, and a member of The Society of Authors, the Writers Guild of Great Britain, and the Authors Guild in the US.
Susan is also an award-winning script writer, with scripts based on two of her own published works. Sight Unseen has garnered no less than five awards to date and her TV pilot, Reel Life, based on her debut novel, Cassandra by Starlight, was also a winner at the Oaxaca Film Fest.
The ‘unofficial’ stuff…
She loves going to the theatre, live music concerts (especially if it’s her man crush Adam Lambert or the divine Cumberbatch) walks in the countryside, a good G and T, lazing away afternoons reading a good book, and watching re-runs of Silent Witness and Wire in the Blood.
Her chequered past includes stories like being mistaken for a prostitute in the city of Johannesburg, being chased by a rhino on a dusty Kenyan road, getting kicked out of a youth club for being a ‘bad influence’ (she encourages free thinking) and having an aunt who was engaged to Cliff Richard
.
The official stuff
Susan writes steamy, sexy and fun contemporary romance stories, some suspenseful, some gritty and dark and hopefully always entertaining. She’s also Editor in Chief at Divine Magazine, an online LGBTQ e-zine, and a member of The Society of Authors, the Writers Guild of Great Britain, and the Authors Guild in the US.
Susan is also an award-winning script writer, with scripts based on two of her own published works. Sight Unseen has garnered no less than five awards to date and her TV pilot, Reel Life, based on her debut novel, Cassandra by Starlight, was also a winner at the Oaxaca Film Fest.
The ‘unofficial’ stuff…
She loves going to the theatre, live music concerts (especially if it’s her man crush Adam Lambert or the divine Cumberbatch) walks in the countryside, a good G and T, lazing away afternoons reading a good book, and watching re-runs of Silent Witness and Wire in the Blood.
Her chequered past includes stories like being mistaken for a prostitute in the city of Johannesburg, being chased by a rhino on a dusty Kenyan road, getting kicked out of a youth club for being a ‘bad influence’ (she encourages free thinking) and having an aunt who was engaged to Cliff Richard
.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 16, 2021
The problem with this was it was too freaking short. And there’s no sex scenes. I don’t care what you say, I adore the love making scenes. I love seeing that kind of connection take place.
There are also annoying inconsistencies. First, Natalie is said to have brown eyes, then a few pages later, she has green.
Theo is said to have brown eyes, and that’s mentioned more than once, then he has emerald green eyes. Like, really? The book is so effing short and yet, you can’t even get the eye colors right?
We are not given any description of Tyler’s appearance. Frustrating.
The opening scene of a teen couple “getting it on” in Tyler’s classroom felt so incredibly misplaced. Like what was the point of throwing that in? It did nothing for the story. It literally felt so out of place.
The ghosts were annoying. I wouldn’t buy a place with ghosts in, especially ones that liked to pop up whenever and play tricks. (Like Natalie did). Can you imagine? That would get old super fast. Like, hello?? — can’t I be alone with my lover??! That’s what I’d want anyways.
So, it left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I didn’t foresee a HEA. I foresaw an annoying joint-living situation with an old man and little girl who liked to scare people.
Why do we never meet Serge?
This whole thing was rushed. Why do authors do that? It gives the impression of just wanting to get a book out there for sales purposes. Why can’t they put some actual effort into the writing? Take time to develop the plots and relationships?
Sigh. I won’t be reading more of this author.
There are also annoying inconsistencies. First, Natalie is said to have brown eyes, then a few pages later, she has green.
Theo is said to have brown eyes, and that’s mentioned more than once, then he has emerald green eyes. Like, really? The book is so effing short and yet, you can’t even get the eye colors right?
We are not given any description of Tyler’s appearance. Frustrating.
The opening scene of a teen couple “getting it on” in Tyler’s classroom felt so incredibly misplaced. Like what was the point of throwing that in? It did nothing for the story. It literally felt so out of place.
The ghosts were annoying. I wouldn’t buy a place with ghosts in, especially ones that liked to pop up whenever and play tricks. (Like Natalie did). Can you imagine? That would get old super fast. Like, hello?? — can’t I be alone with my lover??! That’s what I’d want anyways.
So, it left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I didn’t foresee a HEA. I foresaw an annoying joint-living situation with an old man and little girl who liked to scare people.
Why do we never meet Serge?
This whole thing was rushed. Why do authors do that? It gives the impression of just wanting to get a book out there for sales purposes. Why can’t they put some actual effort into the writing? Take time to develop the plots and relationships?
Sigh. I won’t be reading more of this author.
September 21, 2023
A cute little read.
December 23, 2021
Sounds like you two didn't communicate much. What is it with blokes? Useless, we are. — Bob 'Grandpa' Prestonwich
Sooo... Painting Ghosts is quite possibly the oddest story I've read in a while. It's friends to lovers with something of a paranormal twist. Painting Ghosts plays with ghosts and friends blind to each other's love. But it is worth keeping in mind that this is less than 50 pages long so this moves fairly quickly. The protagonists are Tyler Sheridan and Theo Daikon. Tyler is Britsh, Theo is half Britsh half Greek (and holy moly is that a combination). They are best friends since childhood. Theo is the best sort of bestie. Yes, he's in love with Ty but still, he's protective and just wants to protect him from hurt. Oh and hate on the ex. The only other real characters are Natalie and Grandpa, ghosts who live in the house Theo has just bought as a place to create his art. The plot is fairly simple Tyler goes to visit Theo, young Natalie makes an appearance, they get snowed in and more drama ensues. Natalie is super cute and has one of the best first lines, it just makes me smile "It was me, silly". Grandpa is great.
I will say a couple of things about the writing and setting. On the setting, it's using Christmas as a time to connect and love but it's more coincidental than necessary. But blessed be any book that has safe and the need for explicit consent in a single book. I like how it's written the narrator, Ty, talks directly to the readers on occasion. We are not voyeurs into his life, more like welcome friends along for the ride. The ending was at least a little unexpected. But it made me smile. It's tropey yes but a fantastic read for December. That busy season when finding time to put aside for reading is often difficult.
Huh. I'd never come across a couple in flagrante delicto before, but I guess there was a time and place for everything. The one thing I hadn't expected though, was to find them in the middle of it in my classroom, doing it on my desk. — Tyler Sheridan (one of the better first lines I've read in a while)
A representative gif:
November 25, 2021
I have enjoyed several books by Susan Mac Nicol in the past. Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of her better ones. I loved the premise of this book and it had some definite potential. My issues were all with consistency, or rather the lack there of, and one extremely out of place scene.
The very first scene in this book made absolutely no sense. Tyler is a teacher and he walked in on two of his students having sex on his desk after school. This didn’t fit. What was the purpose in this scene? Mind you, it was the ONLY sex scene in the book and it was between a 17 year old boy and girl. 🙄
The inconsistency was everywhere. Tyler mentions how the January sun shone brightly then he states how Christmas was only a few days away. I know that some holidays are different in the UK, but I didn’t think Christmas was one of them. 🤔 Wouldn’t Santa 🎅🏼 be delighted if he had a month to deliver the presents instead of only one night?
Theo initially has deep brown eyes, then they’re chestnut brown. Then Tyler says how Theo’s green eyes are brilliant emerald. The same goes for the little girl ghost, Natalie. Her eyes go from being green to brown.
Also, we get a change of Tyler and Theo going from BFFs to boyfriends quicker than you can blink. They kiss and it’s over. What? I’m so disappointed. I didn’t need multiple sex scenes, but some kind of connection between the two men would have been nice.
I get it. This was a free Christmas short story meant to draw in readers. But if that’s your goal, this short, 47 page book should be flawless. That’s a lot of errors for such a short read. (And I didn’t even mention the typos.)
The very first scene in this book made absolutely no sense. Tyler is a teacher and he walked in on two of his students having sex on his desk after school. This didn’t fit. What was the purpose in this scene? Mind you, it was the ONLY sex scene in the book and it was between a 17 year old boy and girl. 🙄
The inconsistency was everywhere. Tyler mentions how the January sun shone brightly then he states how Christmas was only a few days away. I know that some holidays are different in the UK, but I didn’t think Christmas was one of them. 🤔 Wouldn’t Santa 🎅🏼 be delighted if he had a month to deliver the presents instead of only one night?
Theo initially has deep brown eyes, then they’re chestnut brown. Then Tyler says how Theo’s green eyes are brilliant emerald. The same goes for the little girl ghost, Natalie. Her eyes go from being green to brown.
Also, we get a change of Tyler and Theo going from BFFs to boyfriends quicker than you can blink. They kiss and it’s over. What? I’m so disappointed. I didn’t need multiple sex scenes, but some kind of connection between the two men would have been nice.
I get it. This was a free Christmas short story meant to draw in readers. But if that’s your goal, this short, 47 page book should be flawless. That’s a lot of errors for such a short read. (And I didn’t even mention the typos.)
January 6, 2021
Painting Ghosts was a sweet, funny and low-angst holiday read available for free as part of the Winter Giveaway on Prolific Works. Tyler has been in love with his best friend, Theo, for years. Theo has spent most of his time abroad painting and working on his art. When Theo is back in town, Tyler gets to spend more time with him. Both men are snowed in at a spooky, old, country house known for the hauntings of the Prestonwich Family. Thanks to a mischievous little spirit and her grandfather, Theo and Tyler discover the truth about each other's feelings and make a new resolution full of love, happiness and family :) Delightful read!
January 5, 2021
Theo and ty was perfect painting ghosts was just what i needed it was fun made me jump a little but was so beautiful and sweet
Want to Read
January 1, 2021Free on prolific works: https://claims.prolificworks.com/gg/6...
January 18, 2021
I’m so glad I read Painting Ghosts by new-to-me author, Susan Mac Nicol.
It takes a special author to write a short story that leaves you hungry for more yet satisfied with what you got. There’s a certain skill involved, for sure, and I’ve read (yes, and even written) short stories that miss the mark. This is not true of Mac Nicol’s Painting Ghosts. The story is complete—intriguing and fulfilling—while serving as a prompt. You know, I need to explore more of Mac Nicol’s work!
I was quickly able to meet and genuinely connect with main characters, Theo and Ty. The honestly presented friends to lovers trope is well-done. With crisp, catchy language, Mac Nicol is able to show how precious the two men are to each other, causing me to shiver at the risk of them departing from the valued safety of friendship for a chance at something more. I also shivered at the ghostly presences, introduced with impish charm, which provide a hint of mystery.
(Susan, if you’re reading this, will there be more of this enticing couple?)
I highly recommend this absorbing five-star read, Painting Ghosts.
It takes a special author to write a short story that leaves you hungry for more yet satisfied with what you got. There’s a certain skill involved, for sure, and I’ve read (yes, and even written) short stories that miss the mark. This is not true of Mac Nicol’s Painting Ghosts. The story is complete—intriguing and fulfilling—while serving as a prompt. You know, I need to explore more of Mac Nicol’s work!
I was quickly able to meet and genuinely connect with main characters, Theo and Ty. The honestly presented friends to lovers trope is well-done. With crisp, catchy language, Mac Nicol is able to show how precious the two men are to each other, causing me to shiver at the risk of them departing from the valued safety of friendship for a chance at something more. I also shivered at the ghostly presences, introduced with impish charm, which provide a hint of mystery.
(Susan, if you’re reading this, will there be more of this enticing couple?)
I highly recommend this absorbing five-star read, Painting Ghosts.
January 19, 2025
(2,5 stars rated down) Tyler and Theo are best friends who have been secretly attracted to each other for years, without either of them realizing the other feels the same. While visiting Theo in an old mansion, they stumble upon the ghosts of the mansion’s former residents, who help clue them in on their mutual feelings.
Unfortunately, because of the shortness and fast pace of the story, there wasn’t enough time for me to fully connect with the characters or fully enjoy their friends-to-lovers romance.
Themes: single POV, friends to lovers, ghosts
Unfortunately, because of the shortness and fast pace of the story, there wasn’t enough time for me to fully connect with the characters or fully enjoy their friends-to-lovers romance.
Themes: single POV, friends to lovers, ghosts
August 19, 2021
A decent and likely cute if a little unlikely story. A classic trope of two best friends where one has been pining for the other for years- or at least they think only one of them. Always too afraid to make a move they get encouraged by a mischievous ghost and a possible future plan. The aside about the house availability was a bit out there, but the ghost angle was a bit cute. Easy read, light story.
February 10, 2021
Winter Wonderland download. Teacher Ty and artist Theo are in Yorkshire. The meet the resident ghosts where these men spend time. The ghosts prod friendship to more.
It's a brief short story, and things get left hanging. I didn't feel much for the friends, and the advancing relationship seemed forced. It could prove to be a charming comedy with expansion and details.
It's a brief short story, and things get left hanging. I didn't feel much for the friends, and the advancing relationship seemed forced. It could prove to be a charming comedy with expansion and details.
February 20, 2025
a lovely short read
This is a lovely short read. I enjoyed the storyline and found it different to others I have read, the characters were sweet and the it was a sweet story. I would like to see what happens going forward but that’s just because I am nosy and a romantic at heart. It’s a clean fun lunchtime read and I will be try more by this new to me writer
This is a lovely short read. I enjoyed the storyline and found it different to others I have read, the characters were sweet and the it was a sweet story. I would like to see what happens going forward but that’s just because I am nosy and a romantic at heart. It’s a clean fun lunchtime read and I will be try more by this new to me writer
June 9, 2022
Short but sweet
Loved that ghosts' could bring two men together to find the love they have always had, but were too afraid to acknowledge. Now a new life is beginning for Theo and Tyler.
Loved that ghosts' could bring two men together to find the love they have always had, but were too afraid to acknowledge. Now a new life is beginning for Theo and Tyler.
January 27, 2021
It was a great plot line to have people from the past help these two men see their future. I imagine their life will be wonderful.
January 28, 2021
Cute friends to lovers story with a haunted house thrown in for extra measure. It was a short story but I found it engaging with enjoyable characters.
March 14, 2021
Nice story... but too short. That's so sad because it had a lot of potential
January 16, 2021
❤👻A great short novella from the Winter Wonderland from the author. A gorgeous little ghost story for Ty and Theo and their new freinds.
Tyler 27 was in love with his best friend Theo .
Tyler 27 was in love with his best friend Theo .
May 12, 2021
For a ghost story this was freaking adorable, the interactions were gentle and sweet, as was Tyler and Theo. I would love to read more of them, this was a great beginning of a good partnership, to see how their business flourishes would be interesting.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews