Available March 16, 2026
Sneak Peek of Cursed by Rue Allyn
Lucien Flynn’s Story
To regain his life, he must earn the love of a heartless woman. Is she the one?
Privateer or pirate? Lucien Flynn never makes promises to any woman. When a scorned lover curses him to live the life of a specter until he ‘earns the love of a heartless woman.’ Decades pass, and Luc abandons hope. Then he meets a woman he cannot resist, a woman with too much heart. Can he avoid giving her his heart, or will he love her and be cursed forever?
Grace Thibodaux is a woman driven to escape her own demons. Hurt beyond hope of healing, she protects her tender heart, refusing to allow anyone, man or woman, close. However, she can’t escape the man who haunts her dreams and her life. Is he as cursed as he claims, or is she simply falling for another, heart-breaking rogue?
Excerpt
Scene Set Up: Lucien Flynn has existed as a specter for nearly 98 years. The only time that he is completely, physically human is during a full moon. The moon is not full in this scene, as Luc considers whether or not to tell Grace the truth of his curse.
Was revealing himself now worth the risk?
If she never touched him, all would be fine. He drifted closer to the dock, where the tree shadows faded and partial moonlight ruled. “Hello Grace.”
Her head lifted, like a deer scenting danger. However, when she glanced over her shoulder, she smiled.
“Hello, Luc. I’ve been thinking about you.”
“I’ve been thinking about you as well.” He smiled back.
She gazed out over the bayou. “Th…that’s nice.”
She’s uncomfortable with knowing she’s in my thoughts and… He sought the thready essence of her feelings… pleased.
He ventured closer, needing to see her face. Too long had passed since the last time anyone was happy to see him or bothered thinking about him.
His sense of other people’s emotions was infallible, when the feeling was strong. However, Luc still needed to read physical clues to gain a full understanding. He bent close and peered into her eyes.
Her smile grew, becoming the smile that’d always enchanted him. However, her gaze was clouded with confusion and…regret?
“You are a dear, kind man.”
If he’d not been so rapt by her expression, he might have noticed her raised hand.
Grace placed her palm on his cheek—or what would’ve been his cheek had he been completely corporeal.
Lightning struck, paralyzing him, as her fingers passed through his face. Shock registered in her expression. Her eyes went wide, and she gaped. Screaming, she scrambled to her feet. Then she fled.
Fool.
Cursing himself for his idiocy would be hilariously redundant, and as stupid as following to try to reason with Grace. She needed time. Time to recover her wits and some sense of equilibrium before she’d even listen to him.
Luc retreated to the Only Love. Tonight, he eschewed the ritual of toasting the moon with a whiskey. He’d explain everything to Grace. Somehow, he’d convince her he was no danger. Despite his preferences, she’d become important to him.
More than I ever imagined possible.
Behind the scenes
A Man Who Is Both Spectre and Human
Lucien Flynn’s curse came about quite by accident. I needed a crisis for a different story (The Creole Duchess). The hero of that tale conveniently had a brother who could cause a problem or two for everyone. What happens in The Creole Duchess when Luc is cursed and vanishes before his brother’s eyes, throws everything into a tailspin. The emotional stakes are very high for losing a brother in this way.
What I did not expect, when I created Luc was how very much readers liked him and wanted his story. While I wanted to get his story out quickly, I simply did not know enough about being a specter to turn Luc’s story out fast.
Two years of research and six false starts happened before I could even think of launching Cursed: A Corsair’s Tale
In the excerpt I’ve given, Grace’s shock and fear at having her hand pass through Luc’s face is reminiscent of the moment when Luc vanished from his brother’s sight. Because Grace and Luc are beginning to fall in love the emotional stakes are even higher.
However, this author (contrary to the opinions of some people) is very much human in every way. What did I know about being a specter? (By the way, I avoid the term ‘ghost’ because of its associations with death and dying. Luc never died; he was simply cursed to live as if he had.)
For that matter, what did my readers know about spectral exitance? Probably no more than I did at the time I started my research.
How did I find out what characterizes specters? What readers might expect of such a character?
Enter Google AI. The search term ‘Ghostly Abilities’ produced a lengthy, detailed list of traits abilities or traits that might be expected of a specter.’ I took the time to investigate each item thoroughly with Google AI’s ‘Dive Deeper Mode’. Then I picked and chose those that worked best for Luc’s story. Not every specter possesses all the possible abilities, just as not every human being has the same capacity and skills.
This list represents the primary spectral abilities that characterize Luc’s curse:
- Invisibility
- Telekinesis
- Thermokinesis: Scent of cinnamon and gunpowder replaces this and is strongest at 0%C.
- Teleportation: Always, but it’s painful. Speed: See item 5, greater speed increases pain.
- Strength: Greatest when ephemeral (0% C), effect decreases as %C increases, i.e not possible when 100% Corporeal Manipulate the environment
- Attachment
- Create illusions.
- Flight: See items 5 & 6. Many ghosts can fly or hover slightly above the ground.
As the writing of Luc’s tale progressed these traits gained details specific to Luc and his curse. For example, I expanded the ‘pain’ present in teleportation to Luc’s entire spectral existence. This was my way of reminding readers that Luc wasn’t a true specter. Throughout most of the story he exists in two worlds simultaneously. I imagine that the tension of existing in two forms at the same time would, for a person with a physical nervous system (like Luc) would be very painful. Nine decades of living this way gave him a certain amount of tolerance. However, from time to time the pain he lived with was debilitating.
I had a number of other research and drafting issues. This one, of being both human and specter, is central to the story. The dichotomy of Luc’s existence is not his problem alone. As the excerpt shows, that dichotomy has a significant impact on the woman who is coming to love him. Once she works through her initial horrified reaction dozes of questions arise. Resolving those questions is in the details of the rest of the story.
Rue Allyn
Award winning romance author, Rue Allyn has a life long passion for happy ever after. She lives south of the border with her husband of more than forty years and their cat, Tonto. She has two sons and is a proud veteran of the US Navy. She writes heart melting romance in all sub-genres, but her favorite is historical romance, especially medieval. Receive a Free novella download when you sign up for Rue’s News https://www.rueallyn.com/subscriber-entered-from-online-profile/