Skye Keep

SKYE KEEP: A Quirkish Novel About a Haunted House, a Charming Cat, Romance in the Rockies, the Georgetown Loop Railroad, and Small-Town Politics(664 pages 7 X 10 format) SKYE KEEP & the novel's lengthy subtitle is entirely suggestive. Thus, multifaceted. This human interest story (and some might say a literary & veritable soap opera) is based on real events and real people, the latter names changed for obvious reasons. The storyline mainly takes place in a quaint Rocky Mountain hamlet due west of Denver. The year is 1983, which marks the time Lux Carey, the principal of the story, returns to Denver after living in Paris, France. But then came an unexpected breakup with his girlfriend, Shannon, a med student in Denver. After his one-year residence, and anticipating her arrival over the Christmas holidays, he gave up the ghost so to say, and returned to Colorado a thoroughly disenfranchised soul. Dismayed & perplexed given the present and the future, Lux wasn't sure where he would find his missing pieces. Indeed, Shannon's news was utterly devastating and his spirit was not only crushed but also broken. Fortunately, he reached out to a trusted friend, Ailis Finnin, the mother of Lux's former classical guitar student. Hearing Lux's disconsolate story, as well as the emotional confusion that comes with the loss of a lover, Ailis invites him to visit Georgetown, which is about an hour's drive from Denver. Here, she and her husband own a Victorian mansion that serves as the family's vacation residence. Ailis thinks getting Lux out of Denver and offering what amounts to asylum in the Rockies is the best cure for his tortured emotions and consequent hopelessness. Undecided what he wants to do with his life, Lux, at first, is reluctant to accept Ailis' kind offer. However, after agreeing to drive to Georgetown, then touring late-18th-century domicile replete with ornate and antique furnishings, Lux is inspired. Thus, he realizes Georgetown is indeed the best option he has, as well as living in a former ghost town turned tourist settlement, all of which he thinks is fitting given the way he feels--ghostly. After deliberating Ailis' offer over lunch, Lux accepts her' invitation. Privately and discretely, Ailis also has other ideas to help restore and boost Lux's morale. She also realizes it will take Lux time to heal and return to his former vibrant and venturesome demeanor. Ailis named the large Victorian mansion "Skye Keep." Serving in the role of caretaker, he decides to move to Georgetown in a few days, which further delights Ailis. She not only wants to help Lux through his emotional turmoil and the loss of his former lover but also has furtive and passionate desires for Lux--both as the caretaker of Skye Keep and a potential paramour. Despite the fact she is happily married (her portrayal of the marriage), she lets Lux know early on how she has always had an interest in his persona, as a friend and imaginary lover. Hearing this, Lux is reluctant to get involved with Ailis on a personal and romantic level, but only because she is, in fact, married. Therefore, he feels uncomfortable in such a role, undisclosed or otherwise. This news does not surprise Ailis and she accepts Lux's terms and decision, which does not change the way she feels about him. She also says as much and they both agree to move slowly & cautiously given Lux's official position as the caretaker for Skye Keep, but also her trusted friend and a potential lover. However, he does not admit all of his feelings or desires for Ailis; at least, not early on. This somewhat convoluted narrative is replete with emotional drama & romance. In the end, all's well that ends well. (eBook version also available) For more about my credentials and background, visit my online bookstore and home page at this URL: www.richholtzin.comFor more about my credentials and background, visit my online bookstore and home page at this URL: www.richholtzin.com