Published: 2013
Setting: Modern
A ghostly white face materialized out of thorny shadows and I instinctively held up my hands in defense. It took seconds to realize the face belonged to a life-sized statue. It took longer before that seemed to matter to the instinctive fear that raised the hair on the back of my neck and kicked my pulse into rapid overdrive.
Even as I forced my hands down at my sides, the vine-covered marble unnerved me. It was a woman. The patina of age and the effects of weather didn't hide her expression of grief and fear. The wear made her tears seem ancient and ageless and never ending.
I swallowed and stepped closer. I didn't want to. For some reason, I couldn't experience the slightly embarrassed relief a person usually feels when they've been startled or frightened by something that turns out to be ordinary or mundane.
The statue still scared me.
Her eyes were moisture-filled and wide. Her mouth was slightly open, as if at any second she might beg for help or scream.
A step on the path behind me caused me to spin. My breathing hadn't recovered. Now it hitched in a sudden intake that hurt my chest.
Nothing.
Only the stirring wilderness of leaves all around and the occasional gasping sigh of a wilted petal as it fell.
My eyes, though, had adjusted to the artificial night created by the overgrown and neglected garden. Now I saw them. Face after face slowly revealing themselves to my wide peering eyes.
There were dozens of statues. All of women. All with horrible expressions- pain, shock, grief- forever frozen and on display. The garden seemed to hold a perpetual funeral in its leafy embrace...
Samantha Knox is recovering from an attack that nearly ended her life. One day she was a vivacious, hopeful young woman who relished in jewelry-making with her aunt and the next she was fighting for her life after a vicious stabbing, and learning to live with her scars (both physically and mentally).
In a bold act to reclaim her life and accept her battle scars, Samantha employs renowned artist Mike O'Keefe to sculpt a marble statue in her nude image. However, in doing so, this requires the brave deed of Sam traveling to a remote mansion as a live-in-residence for one week while O'Keefe works his mastery.
O'Keefe, handsome and lithe as he appears, is all but a reclusive eccentric who has shut himself inside his gothic mansion replica. He travels the halls a haunted man, his every move and devotion monitored by the ghostly eye of The Thornleigh Bride. Legend has it that the bride has haunted the mansion for decades, unwilling to relinquish her desperate hold on the artist for fear her story will never be told...
At first Samantha is able to dismiss the footsteps she hears, as well as the events that befall her as mere coincidence, yet apparitions are much harder to apply logistics to. In the meantime, her sitting sessions with O'Keefe are nothing if not brazen. She finds her body reacting to the strong, lean hands of the sculptor in ways it never has. But the closer Sam comes to relinquishing her fears at the hands of a man she is inadvertently falling in love with, the harder the ghost bride seems to clutch at the darkened rooms of Thornleigh mansion.
Then one afternoon as Sam is jogging along the beach, she stumbles upon an old withered clapboard beach house where O'Keefe's cook resides. The cook is dazed, stuffing a doll...and speaks absently of the unknown. Smothering of filth and mold, Sam is horrified to see she is standing in a room filled with hundreds of stuffed porcelain dolls...all with the same empty expression, one haunted replica after another...all damaged by water and mold in one huge, shelved heap. It is then she realizes that Thornleigh is haunted, through and through...but what torments the ghost to the point that she has to pour her mourning across the old house and into it's every inhabitant?
As Sam falls more deeply to the affectionate charms of O'Keefe, she also finds herself falling into the story of a haunted bride, a bride scorned, a bride murdered in a selfish act of hatred and betrayal...and Sam is playing a firsthand role at the edge of a cliff, where the ghost drags her with icy, ashen fingers...
Will she survive to tell the story, or will she again fall victim to a ruthless crime, albeit supernatural and unbelievable?
This was the very first book I read in the Harlequin EShivers attempt at reviving the original vintage gothic, and let me tell you, I was NOT left wanting with this read. Barbara weaves a fantastic tale of mystery in the guise of an artist haunted by a ghost. She gives an unbelievable devotion to imagery so fantastic that you'll find yourselves hovering in the mists of the weeping statue garden, every one of them trapped by time and anguish. I was haunted, yet horrified and drawn in by the tale of the dollmaker/cook in the clapboard shack. The mystery is so enmeshed in gothic elements of the old style that you'll feel you've picked up a masterpiece from the 60's. The passion that ignites between O'Keefe and Sam will not leave you wanting, either. And the tragic story of Thornelighs ghost is not one you'll soon forget. I was also surprised and appreciative how brave the heroine was in this story, as well as the haunting attractiveness of the hero. This is just one fantastic book that I could not put down! Thus, the timeless gothic romance has been reborn!
Rating: 5 Stars
In addition to being superbly talented, the wonderful Barbara J. Hancock is also a generous spirit, as she's taken the time out of her busy schedule to indulge me with an interview! Enjoy!
Stacy: Let's begin by
talking about your writing career. I know you have written extensively in the
genres of romance and paranormal romance, and you are a beloved Harlequin
author as well. How far back does your writing career date? When did you
publish your first book? And, roughly, how many books have you penned to date?
Barbara: I sold my
first full length book to Samhain Publishing in 2008. I sold my first novella
to Harlequin for their Nocturne Bites line that same year. These sales came
about around two years after I started seriously sending submissions to
publishers. I've been writing my entire life dating back to the time I could
scribble with a crayon! But it wasn't until my twins went to school that I
began to pursue publication as a career instead of a now and then hobby. I
think I have fourteen or fifteen books currently available.
Stacy: Fifteen books
in a matter of five years or so…impressive!
Of all your books (and I did a quick amazon search), the paranormal and
supernatural really stand out for me. What do you feel first captivated your
interest in paranormal romance? Were there any definitive books, authors, or
movies that inspired you to weave your own wonderful tales of suspense and
romance?
Barbara: For as long
as I can remember, I've loved ghost stories, gothic and supernatural elements.
It might come from the mountain tradition of eerie tales from where I grew up
in Virginia. Hauntings are a big part of our history. And it's common to have
this or that relative get "fey" feelings about things. My mother once
called me in the middle of the night because she swore someone saying my name
woke her from a sound sleep. Did we question her logic? No. My husband and I
rose from bed to check on the children and the house. It might be a
Scotch-Irish thing. It might be a southern thing. But paranormal is somewhat
normal to me!
Stacy: I can totally relate to that, I live along the
Appalachians and these old hills are full of folklore! Now, as a poet, I know that a lot of my poetry
and my unique writing style was developed, in part, out of my admiration and
interest in the unique styles of other poets. Do you have a favorite
gothic/paranormal author/book? Do you feel these authors/books have proved
influential in your own writing style and genre?
Barbara: Jane Eyre by
Charlotte Bronte. I read it when I was a young girl and it was a gateway book
for me. It led me to the gothic romance genre. I was always struck by the idea
of the heroine saving the hero. Because that's what Jane did. Though she wasn't
physically strong, she was strong in ways that were very inspiring to me. After
Jane, I devoured Victoria Holt and Barbara Michaels as a teen. People seem to
focus on the heroine in jeopardy when they think of gothic romance, but it's
her ability to get herself out of jeopardy that draws me to the genre and makes
it my favorite!
Stacy: Jane Eyre was
actually the very first gothic romance I ever read! In my quest to find books similar
to Eyre, I was sent to the gothic romance section of the public library…and the
rest was history! But I wanted to speak
for a few moments on the new E-Shivers Harlequin series. You have been included
in both of the new box set releases that began just this past winter. For those
who read the blog and might not understand, define for us the mission behind
the E-Shivers series. And, as I'm sure a lot of us fans are, I am curious as to
whether Harlequin intends to make this a long-standing series, or perhaps just
some temporary releases? I have always enjoyed the Intrigue line of romantic
suspense and am really hoping that Shivers becomes a mainstay as well!
Barbara: I'm very
excited about the response to the new Harlequin EShivers line and we are all
furiously working on upcoming releases! I have several more coming this year
and plans are in the works for more after that. Of course, it will all depend
on the readers. As the new Digital First Series for Harlequin, Harlequin E has
its "ear to the ground" for what readers want. My friend, Jane
Godman, who also writes for Shivers, is working on a Harlequin E Intrigue Noir
series that sounds fantastic.
Stacy: And speaking
of the E-Shivers series, as you can see, I just completed (and thoroughly
enjoyed) your new release Darkening
Around Me. I was hoping E-Shivers would stand up to its promise to
resurrect (if you will) the vintage gothic and I have not been disappointed!
When reading your book, I fell in love with the dark details, particularly the
little shabby cabin with all the creepy dolls, and of the huge assortment of
statues that seemed to be almost grotesque. You wrote with such intimate detail
of these things, I was wondering, where do the ideas come from? I know if I
were to write even one book, I would probably exhaust whatever gothic elements
I had knapsacked away in the far corners of my mind. How do you, as a writer,
feel that you regenerate so many new ideas and storylines for all the different
paranormal stories you write with such great detail?
Barbara: Sometimes I
feel that I've been storing up all these beautiful and eerie gothic details for
my whole life. Much of it comes from family…once my cousin spent a summer
photographing historic cemeteries…but much of it comes from how I see the
world…dark and dangerous, but also so lovely that it makes me ache. But I'll go
back to family…I was raised in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains where
everyone had a ghost in the attic and kids often went the long way 'round the
avoid crumbling abandoned farm houses. It's just in my blood to see something
that whispers in the slow, creaking sway of a rusty child's swing.
Stacy: I really loved
the heroine in Darkening Around Me. Unlike many of the females portrayed in the
vintage-type storyline, Samantha was strong and resilient. She also had a quick
wit about her. Do you oftentimes have a hard time putting your female heroine
characters in vulnerable situations? Do you ever get attached to a character
and want to turn events in their favor, rather than have them struggle through
trials and hardships?
Barbara: But, you
see, I'm in charge of the light at the end of the long, dark tunnel! And it's
so much sweeter for a character to reach the light after she's braved the
darkest shadows.
Stacy: I was
pleasantly surprised by how well your heroine handled herself…and that is a
lovely take on the characterization of female heroine characters…yes, they are
vulnerable but they are strong enough to outwit the peril they so willingly place
themselves in. Okay, so I also realize
you have published gothic romances in the second, and third, shivers boxed
sets. I have not yet had the chance to read them just yet. Can you tell us a
little about each book?
Barbara: In Silent is the House, Grief-stricken
Angelica Peters finally visits Allen House, the crumbling mansion she once
stood to inherit. She’s immediately drawn to the new heir—the family lawyer
whose unearthly obsession soon has her
questioning reality… is it her he desires or is he only fascinated by her
resemblence to the tragic apparition that haunts the estate?
The unexplained is commonplace and everyone fears the dark
in SCARLET FALLS.
A secluded hamlet ablaze in autumn splendor, Scarlet Falls
is seemingly an idyllic manifestation of the New England countryside… But Trinity Chadwick knows better. The town is undeniably beautiful, but haunted
to its very core. For Trinity there has
been no escape from the specter of the girl in the blue dress. Her laughter still rides on the mist of the
town’s eerie lake. And tragedy always follows in its wake.
Constant vigilance against malevolent forces have worn
Trinity down driving her back to the last place on earth she ever expected to
step foot again. Hillhaven—her childhood
home. Only to encounter Samuel
Creed. The last man she ever expected to
confront. A long-ago kiss of life
kindled an obsession at once sensual and macabre. Trinity is tortured by the memory of her warm
lips against his cold ones as she saved him. Or was he forever damned, after
all? Trinity finds Creed is as tempting
as ever, a man she can neither forget nor entirely trust.
Stacy: I can’t wait
to review the new releases! I always love learning about the lives of writers.
Barbara, can you share with us some of your other hobbies and creative
pursuits, aside from writing? Oftentimes I think we, as readers and fans,
forget that our favorite writers are also people with their own lives and
interests beyond books and writing. What are some of yours?
Barbara: I'm the
mother of three boys who are avid naturalists like their father. So even though
I'm more comfortable in a sunny office looking out the window, I often find
myself in a canoe or on a hiking trail! When I'm not huffing and puffing after
my active family, I'm an avid reader so even when I'm not writing I'm spending
my time with words. I also love classic movies, all things historical and
vintage and Pinterest!
Stacy: I also am a fan of the old classic horror movies and
vintage books! I know I've become a
quick fan of yours in the past months.
As I'm sure many of your fans are also eager to know: can we expect more books from you in the
Shivers Series? Are you currently working on anything that hasn't yet been
released (or planned for an imminent release date)?
Barbara: The biggest
news for me is Scarlet Falls. It will
be my first open ended series with more and more books to come set in a town
that's lovely but haunted by evil deeds from long ago. The Girl in Blue is the
first to be followed by Forget Me Not. And I'm currently working on the third.
Each novella will have its own couple with a fully resolved romance but they
will all be linked together by the town's mysteries. It's an ambitious project
and one I'm relishing!
Soon to come will be a Scarlet Falls section on my author
website to keep readers fully updated!
Stacy: You are one busy lady! And lastly...as
a professional writer, yourself, what is one piece of advice you would offer to
an aspiring writer of gothic or supernatural romance?
Barbara: Believe. Oh,
I don't mean believe in the supernatural, although that doesn't hurt;) Believe
in yourself. Believe in your story and your characters. Believe that there's an
editor out there who will love what you send them. Keep believing…even when you
encounter no. Always believe "yes" is around the next corner!
Stacy: What an
elegant way of inspiration…to believe in the ability of one’s own work perhaps
is the only magic we need! Barbara,
thank you so much for devoting a little bit of your time to the interview and
to the blog here, and I can’t wait to read more of your work!
You can read more from Barbara and learn of new releases at her personal website:
http://www.barbarajhancock.com/