Wednesday 30 June 2021

Enjoy a Victorian Love Affair on Holiday

This summer isn’t turning out quite as we expected. Or maybe it is. Here in the UK we are “strongly advised” to stay local as much as possible and only take a holiday within our country. I am happy enough with the arrangement since I don’t crave anywhere exotic. I am just as happy on Blackpool beach as I would be anywhere else!

 


Perhaps you need some books for your summer reading selection. May I offer a suggestion or several? I know a rather cheeky, seductive vampire who loves attention, and you can find him in the Redcliffe novels series and in his own standalone novel and short story.

Have you met Marcus Scott? He is a millionaire playboy who first appears in Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel), leaving a trail of chaos and confusion in his wake. He was never meant to be such a powerful character. But he is very persuasive, especially when he turns on the charm and fixes that icy blue gaze on me… *swoon*

 


You can find out more about Marcus Scott in the Redcliffe novels, a contemporary adult paranormal romance series set in Cornwall. And you can read the story of his human life in The Darkness of Love, set on a Victorian country estate in Hampshire. He also features in my spin-off short story, Christmas With the Vampires (yes, I know, totally out of season). Happy holidays!


Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here

 

Sunday 27 June 2021

Vampire Hunter meets the Vampire of Blackpool

I am looking forward to visiting my favourite seaside town, Blackpool, when pandemic restrictions are eased in the next month or so. For now, I share an excerpt from Vampire of Blackpool for your reading pleasure.

 


Excerpt

“I know you are up there,” the man said suddenly, and I stifled a gasp, crouching still and silent, “Come out and face me, vampire.”

He was a hunter. I knew immediately by the bitter tone of his voice, and the courageous nature of his words. For the first time in over seventy years, I was facing a vampire hunter who wanted my head on his sword. I felt nothing. I could easily dispatch of him. I had done so with all the other vampire hunters throughout the centuries. In the early years they truly believed in the power of crosses, holy water and garlic. At first these tools had caused a little discomfort, but I had learned to overcome them. Wooden stakes were still a problem. There was something about wood that simply disagreed with a vampire’s body. It was one of the few materials from which we could only heal at human speed, unless it pierced our heart, in which case it killed. We had the same problem with pure silver. The metal contained a natural repellent, and it worked for both vampires and shape shifters. We were still unsure of the reasons why. Our ancient texts and teachers believed it was all tied to the magic of the moon. All I knew was that I avoided coming into contact with wood and silver at all costs. 

The man paced a few steps in a tight circle, looking up to where I crouched in the shadows. He knew I was here. He was not about to give up. I found myself intrigued.  I could descend upon him now and kill him immediately. I would drop his body into the ocean, and nobody would be any the wiser. But I still smarted from Samantha’s attack earlier that evening. Despite my crazed feeding in the nightclubs, I felt weakened, exposed. I was also angry. How dare such a young upstart as her do that to me? I warned her that she was in danger, and still she pursued me. It was her fault.  She brought it on herself. The anger that had been bubbling just below the surface suddenly burst forward, and I hissed, leaping down from my perch and aiming for the vampire hunter. I landed on his shoulders almost immediately and he crumpled to the floor with a shout, sprawling in the soft, dry sand at the very edge of the beach. 

 


Buy the Book

Click here for more details and to buy the book. Welcome to my vampire hunter series!

Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England.  Click here

Wednesday 23 June 2021

Book Review: Paranormal Warwickshire by SC Skillman

Here is my review of Paranormal Warwickshire by S.C. Skillman:

This is a delightful book that mixes local history with paranormal stories. The author describes local places of interest and includes snippets from Shakespeare plays at the beginning of each chapter as she connects the area with the famous playwright. There are eyewitness accounts of ghostly sightings, strange phenomena and other paranormal occurrences that leaves me wanting to visit the area again soon. This book belongs in every ghost hunter's personal library!

 


(I received a copy of the book for review purposes, views are my own)

 Warwickshire is a county stepped in the supernatural, as befits the county of Shakespeare and the many ghosts and spirits that he conjured up in his works.

 The towns and village of Warwickshire, its castles, house, churches, theatres, inns and many other places both grand and everyday have rich and complex stories to tell of paranormal presences.

 In this book author SC Skillman investigates the rich supernatural heritage of this county at the heart of England in places such as Guy’s Cliffe House, the Saxon Mill, Kenilworth Castle, Warwick Castle, St Mary’s Church in Warwick, Nash’s House in Stratford-upon-Avon, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Stoneleigh Abbey, as well as in the towns of Rugby, Nuneaton and Leamington Spa.

 She explores the spiritual resonance of each location, recounting the tales of paranormal activity associated with it and examining the reasons for this within the history of the place. 

Paranormal Warwickshire takes the reader into the world of ghosts and spirits in the county, following their footsteps into the unknown. These tales of haunted places, supernatural happenings and shadowy presences will delight the ghost hunters and fascinate and intrigue everybody who knows Warwickshire.



Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England. Click here

 

Sunday 6 June 2021

The Darkness of Love by Catherine Green

Today I share an excerpt from The Darkness of Love, where we see the young stable hand Marcus Scott caught in the act as he indulges in some very naughty fantasies about his mistress…
 




 “Good morning, Marcus.” chimed a beautiful feminine voice.

              Marcus jumped and dropped the grooming brush, embarrassment sending a flush to his cheeks as he saw the object of his affections framed in the doorway to the stables. 

            “Good morning my Lady,” he stuttered, “I am so sorry, I didn’t see you arrive.”  He ducked his head and she laughed gently and replied. 

            “It is alright Marcus,” she said, “I could see that you were daydreaming.  I trust it was a pleasant vision?” 

            It was Marcus’ turn to laugh, but with further embarrassment.  If only she knew! 

            “Yes my Lady, a most pleasant daydream,” he replied, “Penelope is all ready for you.  I will just fetch her saddle.” 

 

 


Delicious, isn’t he? Read more of Marcus in The Darkness of Love here.



Download your FREE copy of It’s Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) and meet the werewolves of Cornwall, England.  Click here