Learn more
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Paranormal Romance: Summer's Growth: College Age woman sleuth (Family Tree - Psychic Romantic Suspense series Book 1) Kindle Edition
The Winston estate in Ohio, rooted in time and occupied by the spiritual guides of a great family, the torch is about to pass...
Mattie Winston, sober, sensible, and steady, has served as Keeper to the family for decades. Amber Harrison, hovering on the edge of flunking out of college, unsure what she wants out of life, has barely even heard of the Winston estate. The family, however, has decided that it's time for the changing of the guard.
These two exceptional women soon find themselves dealing with violence, murder attempts, and old family mysteries while each finding the love of her life.
Two romances and a growing friendship, all twined around a brooding family tragedy, make for an outstanding paranormal mystery offering depth and charm beyond the commonplace.
The growing love of Amber and Carter and of Mattie and Quincy offer readers a tender and engaging first novel in a winning new paranormal series.
Comments from Reviewers -
"Summer's Growth is a compelling story about two women. Amber Harrison is a struggling college student who doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. Mattie Winston has devoted her life to her family's spiritual guides. When the spirits decided to replace Mattie with Amber, both are thrown together. Strange things start happening around them and they are both challenged by their desire to have the life they have always wanted.
Mattie had her heart broken by Quincy Miller once. Now years later, can she give him another chance?
Will Amber discover who killed her distant grandmother and give love a chance to grow with Carter?
Fascinating story with a family of secrets to discover."
"SUMMER'S GROWTH, author Tina Gayle presents a ghost story with a unique perspective. She gives a whole new meaning to the idea of caring for your elders. An enjoyable read."
"I really enjoyed Summer's Growth. The romantic element coupled with the paranormal aspects of the novel made for an interesting story. I am not typically drawn to these types of works, but very glad I took the chance. Great read!"
Next book in the series
Fallen Leaves’ Blurb
As autumn comes to the Winston estate in Ohio, Amber Harrison learns further lessons in her new position as keeper for the spirits and ghosts who haunt the estate--and further lessons in love, too. She and her love, Carter Miller, grapple with the fears and passions of new love, while caught up in the storm of ancient family drama.
This is the second book in the unfolding saga of the psychics and talents associated with the Winston estate, a sheltered place where past, present, and future are woven into a single dramatic tapestry of love and desire. The tale spans multiple generations, multiple eras, and offers something special for all ages of reader. A sexy, erotic winner, with an assortment of couples to appeal to most tastes.
Winston Family Tree
Jonathan Winston
1st Wife – Helen
Saumuel – oldest son – artist
Luke - 2nd son - doctor
Opal - oldest daughter
Troy - Lawyer/businessman
Rachel - youngest child from Jonathan’s first marriage
2nd Wife - Gwen
only daughter - Aggie
Other spirit
Juke, Beth and Molly
Mattie – (5th generation descendant of Opal)
Amber – (6th generation descendant of Aggie)
If you want a story with romance, family and mystery...this is the series for you.
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateJanuary 28, 2013
- File size4.9 MB
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B00B8VXGLK
- Publisher : Kindle (January 28, 2013)
- Publication date : January 28, 2013
- Language : English
- File size : 4.9 MB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 356 pages
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Best-selling author, Tina Gayle grew up not knowing what she wanted to be as an adult. Then someone asked her about her dream job, her answer, "I wanted to be a pretender."
So the job of writing books is the perfect job for her. She has a vivid imagination and enjoys creating new characters and heartbreaking situations that her readers can sympathize with as they root for the couple's love to blossom.
Before setting down with her computer, she worked in the corporate world as both an accountant and a programmer. Once her kids were born, she decided to give her dream of being a writer a try and loves to incorporate the heartaches, headaches, and fun of being a mother and a woman into my books.
Having finished her Executives Wives' Club series about four women who come together after the death of their husbands. She is working on finishing her Family Tree series...Summer's Growth and Fallen Leaves. (Paranormal Romantic Suspense) The last two Winter Wonders and Spring Rebirth will come out in the next two years.
She also has been playing around with short stories that tell the problems a number of Baby Boomers are experiencing.
When not writing, she enjoys spending time with my family and traveling around the country. She hasn't hit every state, but she hopes to someday. You might also catch her on the golf course with her husband of 30 years.
If you'd like to connect, send an email to tina9561@yahoo.com She loves to hear from her readers. What elements you liked and what you didn't care for in the story.
Find out more about her on her blog www.authortinagayle@blogspot.com
Customer reviews
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star5 star27%63%10%0%0%27%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star4 star27%63%10%0%0%63%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star3 star27%63%10%0%0%10%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star2 star27%63%10%0%0%0%
- 5 star4 star3 star2 star1 star1 star27%63%10%0%0%0%
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers enjoy the book's mix of romantic and paranormal elements. They find it an entertaining read with a unique perspective.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the romantic elements in the book. They find it entertaining and say it blends well with paranormal elements. The author presents a ghost story with a unique perspective, and the story of second chances is interesting.
"...Series (romance novels centering on strong women), and Romance titles such as Pregnancy Plan, Baby Decision, Mating Rituals, and Youthful Decision...." Read more
"An unusual and entertaining romance novel, spanning generations of family and spirits for all fans of romance and ancestor mysteries." Read more
"...of the paranormal element, but it is really a rather interesting story of second chances as a young woman seeks to make something of her..." Read more
"In SUMMER'S GROWTH, author Tina Gayle presents a ghost story with a unique perspective...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2014Texas born Author Tina Gayle's repertoire in books expands beyond the FAMILY TREE series to Executive Wives Series (romance novels centering on strong women), and Romance titles such as Pregnancy Plan, Baby Decision, Mating Rituals, and Youthful Decision. According to her words, she has always been a dreamer and a pretender, and now along with a successful home life with husband and children she pursues that world, away from her life in the business world. Her drives tend toward Romance novels and she has enough experience tin that genre to validate the title of expert!
SUMMER'S GROWTH is a fast reading spin of a yarn that admixes romantic with paranormal elements. We meet Mattie Winston, a recluse who is approaching the age of fifty and has been the keeper of the Winston family estate in Ohio for decades: the Winston estate is known to be the home of generations of family spirits, Her family decides it is time for her to move on enter the world instead of the safe privacy of the estate, and introduce the young, aimless, rather irresponsible college girl Amber Harrison as Mattie's `replacement'. Despite the real possibility of a schism between these tow women they bond, and the innocent Amber longs to learn of the nature of the family spirits who haunt the house. Accidents occur, an attempted murder plunges the atmosphere into one of doubt. A ghost appears (Amber's distant grandmother who mysteriously disappeared 200 years ago), Amber orders some redecoration elements to the estate and who should appear as contractor but Quincy Miller, an old flame of Mattie's, and while Mattie copes with her conflicted feelings about Quincy, Amber deals with a passion for one Carter. Mattie and Amber are both challenged when the family spirits decides Amber shouldn't be the keeper. Battling for Amber, Mattie realizes she wants a life with Quincy outside the Winston estate while Amber realizes the importance of her new spiritual family, and she works to discover the mystery behind Gwen death.
Tina Gayle may not be the most sophisticated writer of the day, but she manages a surety of style that serves her story well. Mixing romance and paranormal issues has a long history in literature and Gayle carries that tradition on with grace. Grady Harp, February 14
- Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2013An unusual and entertaining romance novel, spanning generations of family and spirits for all fans of romance and ancestor mysteries.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2014This was a great read. It was easy to bond with the characters the way Tina Gayle hands them to you. I love the use of paranormal characters and how she gave them their personalities. I could visualize each one as they were described in the story. Am now reading the next book in this series.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2013I picked this up because of the paranormal element, but it is really a rather interesting story of second chances as a young woman seeks to make something of her unremarkable life and another woman struggles to add normalcy to hers. I enjoyed the read.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2014Summer’s Growth, by Tina Gayle, is the first book in the series that tells a story about two women who switch lives in order to gain some different life perspectives. They each get to live each other’s lives and grow emotionally and spiritually. When Mattie starts becoming attached to her replacement Amber, they start discovering new things and need to solve certain mysteries that happened generations ago. This is a tale of romance, love, and mystery that is sure to get you to fall in love with the story line and characters. It has a paranormal element while also mixing a love story and life lessons learned. While this book is only 3-stars (in my opinion) it is still a good and easy read. I will definitely read the other books that Gayle writes in this series.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2013In SUMMER'S GROWTH, author Tina Gayle presents a ghost story with a unique perspective. She gives a whole new meaning to the idea of caring for your elders. An enjoyable read.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2013Summer's Growth is a compelling story about two women. Amber Harrison is a struggling college student who doesn't know what she wants to do with her life. Mattie Winston has devoted her life to her family's spiritual guides. When the spirits decided to replace Mattie with Amber, both are thrown together. Strange things start happening around them and they are both challenged by their desire to have the life they have always wanted.
Mattie had her heart broken by Quincy Miller once. Now years later, can she give him another chance?
Will Amber discover who killed her distant grandmother and give love a chance to grow with Carter?
Fascinating story with a family of secrets to discover.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2014Mattie Winston is the caretaker of the Winston estate, and helps everyone that lives there. Or DIES THERE!!!
Oh, there are ghosts in the house. I should have mentioned that first.
When they spirits tell Mattie that she needs to get a life (right back at you, DEAD PEOPLE), she welcomes Amber to the Hotel California. It’s such a lovely place… Anyway, Amber is going to take over the caretaker duties, leaving Mattie to pursue the possibility of getting back together with her ex, Quincy. While settling in to her new role, Amber gets caught up in a mystery involving a new ghost, and her long dead grandmother. But will the spirits allow her to remain as the caretaker of the Overlook Hotel?
All joking aside (maybe), this book is actually really good. I didn’t know that I would enjoy a paranormal mystery romantic suspense novel, but here I am, and here you are, and there’s the ghost standing right behind you LOOK OUT! Mattie and Amber were very well fleshed out characters, and their relationships, and subsequent troubles with them, were very believable and realistic. The pacing seemed steady throughout, apart from a pretty major shift, when the book kind of swings the focus more onto Amber. That was a little jarring, but I overall enjoyed the story.
I was amazed at how I couldn’t put this book down. I mean, I could have checked out of the book any time that I had liked, but I could never leave (rocking guitar riff!). Okay, I’m done with haunted house / Hotel California jokes.
I really recommend this book.