Meet Me in Stockport at the Mind, Body, Spirit Event

I am out again! This time you can meet me in Stockport for the Rosemary Douglas mind, body and spirit weekend event. We have a large variety of exhibitors, including a few new ones. I will be there in my capacity as SpookyMrsGreen: the pagan housewife, and as Catherine Green Author, talking about my spiritual experiences, being a pagan mother, and telling people about my journey to being a published author.

Other authors include Christopher Gilmore, Stephanie J King, and Suzanne West, all with differing styles of writing and lots of different messages to share. We will talk about ghosts, your higher self, your parenting styles, and lots of other related subjects. There will be mediums and psychics providing personal readings and stage shows, performers playing high frequency healing music, and a wide array of spiritual gifts, accessories and tools.

See you in Stockport! 

Join my tribe today, and I will send you a fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

Psst! Here's a link to FREE Books just for you! #ASMSG

Lady Maverick Publishing Events: Don't Kid Yourself Loading Up Your E-Reader is Onl...: Would you like to load up your e-reader but you don't know what to get? Are you on a budget or maybe you want to read something that ...(click the link to read more)

And you can find It's Complicated (A Redcliffe Short Story) in the Paranormal section.

Cauldron FM presents: The Vampire of Blackpool #ASMSG

I am very pleased to share the August edition of the Merlin's Magic radio show with you, where you can hear my excerpt from The Vampire of Blackpool:

Cauldron FM  - Merlin's Magic Radio Show

Join my tribe today, and I will send you a fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

I’m a #CampNaNoWinner2016!

July has been a very busy, and very challenging month for the pagan housewife. I have run around being Mother, Wife, Author, Blogger and Business Professional, frantically trying to balance everything that is important in my life at the moment. One thing I was determined to see through was my participation in the July writing challenge that is CampNaNoWriMo. And I did it! I completed my challenge, and wrote 30,030 words to finish the first draft of a novel I began writing back in 2013.

With a working title of The Vampire Hunter, and a very rough first draft completed, this novel is a long way off publication just yet. But the point is, I did it. I wrote another novel, and added another manuscript to my portfolio that I can work through at my leisure. It felt so good to be writing my stories again, after spending the past month or so focusing solely on blogs and non-fiction projects. The Vampire Hunter definitely needs a new name, and I will take some time to ponder on that later. For now, here is an excerpt, for your eyes only!

It was a tough fight tonight. Jennifer had expected nothing less, but still, she might actually need some hospital treatment when this was over. Her left arm was bleeding heavily, hanging at her side, her chest heaving with exertion. She didn’t feel pain yet thanks to the adrenaline coursing through her body, but she vaguely recognised that this was going to hurt later. Oh well, it was nothing she couldn’t handle. It was just another night in the life of a vampire hunter.

           

“Jennifer!” Jason yelled from across the room, “Incoming!”

           

Her head snapped up as she realised she had been about to collapse. With a burst of energy, she blocked the punches of the vampire bassist, sending him tumbling to the floor amid the debris of the pub they had destroyed. The creature hissed and snarled, leaping to his feet and refusing to back down.

           

“You will die for this, hunter!” the monster screeched.

           

Jennifer pulled her body upright with huge effort and remembered that she still held a sword in her right hand.

           

“Maybe,” she agreed grimly, “But not tonight.”

           

She thrust the blade into the vampire’s chest before he realised what she was doing. He had been toying with the hunters, and now his own arrogance would be his undoing. Jennifer remained unemotional as the silver blade penetrated through a ripped, blood-soaked t-shirt and sliced into cold, icy flesh. It broke the bone and ended in the creature’s heart, such as it was. The vampire stopped moving, lifting its head to stare at her in shock. Everything slowed down to this moment. The creature screamed and tried to dislodge the sword, but it was too late. His body imploded, falling limp and collapsing in a heap of ashes on the floor at Jennifer’s feet. She barely glanced at it before moving to her next target.

Join my tribe today, and I will send you a fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) on Venture Galleries

I am very proud to share the news that my third novel, Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel), was recently featured on the prestigious writing website Venture Galleries.

Take a look at the reviews, and if you like what you see, please do join me and receive your free Redcliffe story right here.

Get it Now! The Vampire of Blackpool #ASMSG

And we're live! The Vampire of Blackpool is ready to order in paperback and ebook formats. Get your copy now, or come and visit me in Crewe this Bank Holiday weekend where I will sign the book and give it to you personally. *Drum roll please* Ta-da! 

Join my tribe today, and I will send you a fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

British Paranormal Romance novels by Catherine Green

Coming Soon: The Vampire of Blackpool by Catherine Green

I have some exciting news! My next novel is finally ready to publish. It is has been very long in the process, mainly due to the fact that I had my second baby just under 3 years ago, and I have been more than a little distracted by motherly duties. Well, I never stopped writing, and very soon you can see the finished result. The Vampire of Blackpool is available for preorder right now, go and get it!

Meredith Hanson lives in Blackpool, the former Victorian holiday hotspot of Northern England. She masquerades as a reclusive author, feeding on the blood of unsuspecting tourists without remorse. Her life takes on new meaning when she meets a young witch in a local pub one evening. Despite Meredith’s cold demeanour, she finds herself oddly fascinated with Samantha Morris, and falls into an accidental relationship with the girl. It is at this time that a vampire hunter arrives in Blackpool. He is tough, he is determined, and his next target is an ancient vampire that has been spotted in the tourist town. He intends to bring her down and destroy her to save the lives of innocent humans. Will he succeed? Or will the experienced vampire seductress be the cause of his undoing? 

In the meantime you can read my brand new contemporary adult fairytale: The Wolf and the Fairy. Available to download now in most digital formats.

Welcome to the #AtoZChallenge 2016

Phew! We made it to the end of another term at school, and I for one am very glad to have a couple of weeks to recover from the daily challenge of the school run. My daughter received her second certificate for 100% attendance at school this week, and I am taking that as a personal win because I was the one who got her there, every day without fail, with the toddler and the dog in tow. It was tough, but we did it!

This weekend I am looking forward to some spiritual adventures at the Rosemary Douglas Mind, Body and Spirit event in Stafford. Come and see me if you are in the Staffordshire and West Midlands vicinity. I am talking about my Redcliffe novels series and my upcoming release The Vampire of Blackpool, as well as sharing stories of my ghost hunting adventures and my life as the pagan housewife.

And then we have the annual A to Z blogging challenge. It has taken me a bit by surprise this year, although I did remember to sign up a little earlier than I usually do. My theme for the #AtoZChallenge 2016 is, quite simply, all about me. You see I had a little identity crisis a while back, and I realised that my blog needed some direction. So I called myself the pagan housewife. If reflects a little bit of everything that makes up SpookyMrsGreen: author, mother, ghost hunter, pagan, wife and everything else in between.

Come and join me throughout April as I share stories, snippets and anecdotes. I might throw in a Tarot reading, or an Angel card reading. I might share some photographs from my adventures in the natural world in the North West of England. I might talk about my children and my family. Who knows? There is a lot to discuss. See you later, and have a fabulous Easter Weekend!

The Darkness of Love by Catherine Green #histfic #paranormal

Available to buy in paperback and all eBook formats now, see Chances Press for details and buy links.

"From the Wild Cornish Coast, to Your Local Library" #NationalStorytellingWeek

Meet me in the library on Monday 1st February, and I will tell you a tale of supernatural secrets, vampires, witches and werewolves, all  hidden in a seaside town in Cornwall, and previously concealed in my very own mind... See you there, at 11:00am sharp!

Their Stories Must Be Told

It is just about 2:00pm and I return to my seat at the dining room table, my make-shift office in a house that has been overtaken by toys, toddler clothes, and a growing pile of important notices from school. All morning I have been glued to my computer, sorting through a collection of short stories that will soon be released as a Redcliffe anthology. They feature characters from the Redcliffe novels, a series of fictional people that have become my secret family in a mundane world.

Soon I will have to shut down my computer, wrestle my toddler into her pushchair, and step out into fierce wind and rain to fetch my older daughter from school. Then the evening will descend into chaos as I fight with the children to eat their tea, get ready for bed, and go to sleep at a reasonable time so that we can do the whole rigmarole again tomorrow.

While I perform my duties as mother and wife, my mind is still occupied by my fictional friends. Jessica Stone, Jack Mason, Danny Mason, and Marcus Scott all jostle for attention. The witch is strong but confused, the vampires are seductive and wicked, the werewolf is playful and proud. What am I supposed to do? Their stories must be told. At present, they are dissatisfied because I cannot reach the audience that that they desire, the audience that they very much deserve. I am doing my best, I tell them. It is not easy being a writer, and a mother, and a housewife. There is so much to organize, so many roles to fulfil, and never enough time in the day.

I push on, as we all must do, because this job is important to me. My stories must be shared with the world, even if that world is often too busy to listen. One day soon, my fortunes will change. I will be the next British bestseller, featured on all the major TV channels, interviewed by all the most influential people. I will. I have to. My dream will never fade.

Their stories must be told.

Life Behind the Vampire; The Darkness of Love by Catherine Green #ASMSG

The Darkness of Love tells the story of stable boy Marcus Scott and his adventures on the estate of a powerful aristocrat in Victorian England. It takes a darker turn when we discover that the Master of the house, Lord Gregory Stockton, is a vampire and plans to seduce Marcus and turn him into his heir. Marcus, blissfully unaware of this fact, falls into an affair with Lady Stockton when he discovers that she shares the desire he feels for her.

Marcus Scott first made his appearance in my debut novel Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel). He is a friend of Jack Mason, and as it turns out, Marcus is something of a mentor to Jack. The two vampires meet during the First World War, when Jack Mason is a young vampire struggling to understand what has happened to him. Marcus teaches him how to live as a vampire without drawing attention from the humans, and the men become firm friends.

While I was planning, or maybe even discovering, the back stories to my vampire characters in the Redcliffe novels, Marcus Scott became very persistent. He is by nature a very charming and irresistible man. When he fixes his ice-blue gaze on you and curves his lips into a mischievous smile, you simply melt before him. Marcus was only twenty-three when Lord Stockton took his human life. Although it was a traumatic transition into immortality, Marcus found that he did, and still does, enjoy being a vampire.

You can read about the human Marcus in The Darkness of Love, and then you can read about one of his vampire adventures in my new short story Christmas with the Vampires, available on Amazon now.

Did you enjoy this article? Join my tribe today, and I will send you a fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

Countdown to the #AtoZChallenge 2015

It is that time of year again: the April A to Z Blog Challenge. Wow, that came around fast! And am totally unprepared for the event, not least because for some bizarre reason, I am working on the presumption that we are at least one week behind where we actually are. Does that make sense? So, for example, instead of me writing this  post on 27th March (or thereabouts), I believe I am writing it on the 20th (ish).

Whatever the reason, I completely missed the huge reveal party that many of my fellow A-Z bloggers joined in with on Monday. Have you heard about the April A-Z Blogging Challenge? I have been doing it for three years now (I think), and I find it great for networking and motivation. I love writing my blogs. I love interacting with my readers, and exploring other blogs about anything from writing, to photography, to lifestyle, cooking, business… the list is endless. My point is that blogging is a great way to widen your perspective, do some research, and just generally have a bit of educational fun.

And so to my theme for 2015: Last year I focused on lifestyle, specifically the theme of parenthood and what it means to have a young family. This year I want to celebrate more about me, Catherine, and my personal interests. But that automatically leads into my writing, because it is a part of me. I was recently looking through old photographs, and remembering my nights as a ghost hunter, and slowly I began to devise a theme. For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by the paranormal world. I would seek out ghost stories in the local library, watch X-Files on television, and write my university dissertation about vampires in popular culture.

I will use the #AtoZChallenge to write about all things paranormal, and how they manifest in my work. You will read about magic and mysticism, animal familiars, witches, vampires, werewolves, energy, and maybe a few more obscure entities that I can procure for your entertainment and interest. See you on the blog hop!

My #NaNoWriMo2014 Vampire Hunter Novel

Hey folks! How you doin'? Can you tell I am excited? Well I am! I just reached the halfway point on my #NaNoWriMo manuscript, and a day ahead of schedule. Hooray! Not bad considering I was 10,000 words short just 24 hours ago. It's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it... Anyway, because I feel very excited about this particular novel, I would like to share an excerpt with you. The story is about Hannah Oakley, a former vampire hunter turned wife and mother. She returns to work covertly to hunt down the vampire that almost killed her in a previous career. This is an excerpt from the very beginning of the novel (unedited, I might add!)...

Staring into the darkness, I held my breath and raised my gun, forcing my  body to remain calm and still. She was out there, my target, the vampire I was supposed to destroy. She had eluded me for long enough. I had to end it. But I didn’t. I could hear movement, but it wasn’t her. She was too clever, to strong, too determined. There was a draft blowing through the cracked window to my left, and I felt the cold air whipping across my face. It stung where the vampire had hit me. My skin was stiff with dried blood, and sticky with more as it oozed from my wounds. I was beginning to lose consciousness. No, I could not give in. If I collapsed now then she would win. She would kill me. I was not ready to die.
With a terrifying scream the vampire leaped out of the darkness, hit me again, and I flew backwards, landing with a heavy thud on the concrete floor. It stunned me momentarily, and I panicked when I lost my gun. I tried to reach for the silver knife sheathed on my left leg, but I was too slow, groggy with the pain and shock from my wounds. The vampire crouched over me, her silver eyes glowing in the dark. It was those eyes that had been my undoing. That and my inexplicable attraction to this woman when I first met her. It was no good. I was fading fast, gasping for breath and fighting to stay alive. My body could take no more abuse. 
“I could end this now, Hannah,” the vampire said, “All it takes is one more kiss.”
She reached out a slender finger and lightly stroked my face. I flinched and tried to move away but I couldn’t. I saw her fangs gleaming in the moonlight that streamed through the broken window. My nose wrinkled as it detected a smell of damp mixed with the cold, dead stench of vampire power. Just one more kiss. It would be so easy. She would kiss me, just like she always did, and the world would simply melt away. We would be alone, wrapped in each other’s arms, for eternity. My head lolled back, exposing my bleeding neck, and she moved closer, hovering above me as she savoured the moment. I closed my eyes.
“Mummy,” 
The vampire was kissing me…
“Mummy! Where are you?”
My eyes snapped open. The room spun. Blinking rapidly, I looked around. I was in the kitchen, standing by the worktop, idly stirring a mug of tea that was beginning to cool. It had happened again. The flashbacks were more frequent, and now it seemed they were lasting for longer. Shaking my head, I stepped away from the worktop and turned towards the door.
“I’m in here, sweetheart,” I called out in a voice that shook very slightly.
“Mummy,” my daughter called.

Vampires in Cornwall on the Hump Day Hook #HDH

Today on the Hump Day Hook I share with you an excerpt from my debut novel Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel). This is a scene between Jessica Stone and Marcus Scott (whose story you read in The Darkness of Love), on the evening when they first meet…

      Marcus reached up to stroke my hair and I was suddenly alert, sobered by this inappropriate behaviour.  I tried to push him away.  
    “Marcus please, I’m with Jack,” I said in a shaking voice, “I don’t know what you are expecting.”
    “Shush Jessica.” he replied, “Jack won’t mind.  Trust me.”  
     He leaned his face in against me, and his body was firm and heavy.  He was too strong for me to move.  I tried to struggle but he pinned my arms at my sides.  Now I was starting to panic.  I raised my voice but was suddenly hoarse, maybe from the alcohol. 
     “Marcus stop!” I cried, “Please stop, you’re hurting me!”
     I was suddenly in a blind panic as he lifted his head, his face pale, and his eyes wild.  He opened his mouth and I tried to scream.  He was going to bite me!  

If you enjoyed this one, why not pop over to our dedicated Hump Day Hook blog and see what my fellow authors have to offer. We write about romance, love, science fiction, fantasy, erotica and everything in-between, so you are sure to find something that delights the senses. You can also find us on Facebook. Happy Humping!

The Writing Blog Hop - #amwriting #whywrite #process

It took me a little while to respond to this blog hop, but thank you to J Lenni Dorner for inviting me to join…

1. What am I working on now?

Technically I am not working on anything specific. My time is currently taken up with two young children, a dog and a few domestic distractions. I do have 2 works-in-progress however, and I will be continuing them during the course of the next year or so. One is book 4 in the Redcliffe series, following the adventures of Jessica Stone and her supernatural friends in Cornwall, and the other is about a female vampire hunter with past life secrets to unearth…

2. How does my work differ from others in its genre?

My work is set in the UK, which to my knowledge is rare for popular vampire/werewolf/witch stories. I mean, yes there is the ultimate classic novel by Bram Stoker, and yes I know Darren Shan writes about vampires, but I haven’t found any British writers in the shops that offer adult paranormal stories in everyday situations. My characters could be your local shop owners, the landlord of your local pub, even your local police detective or hospital nurse…

3. Why do I write what I do?

I have to! The stories came to me as a child, although they have evolved and matured over time along with me. I always have something whizzing round my head that is desperate to be expressed. My stories must be told!

4. How does my writing process work?

I am what is called a ‘pantser’ in the writing world. That means I write by the seat of my pants! I did try structuring my first novel Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel), but after that I just allowed the words to flow, and then I worried about editing and tidying afterwards. It is so exciting to read something back and realise that it is bloody good!

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OK, I will be a little slack here and not tag any more writers to share. However, if you are a reading this and you are a writer who would like to join the hop, please comment with a link to your blog and hop along! Thanks for reading.

#SampleSunday The Vampire of Blackpool

Today I share an excerpt from my new (unpublished) novel The Vampire of Blackpool for #SampleSunday. I am very excited about this one, and I cannot wait to see it in print! Enjoy…

“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 shapeshifters.  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.  


*Image courtesy of Squidoo.com

I Got into Writing Magazine! #amwriting

Hump Day Hook: Christmas with the Vampires #ReadMe

It has been a while since I participated in Hump Day Hook, and I have to say I missed it! Today I am back, and I am sharing an excerpt from my brand new exclusive short story Christmas With The Vampires. You can download it for free on Amazon Kindle for a limited time now.

        
       “I am strong, Amelia,” he said, “You taught me well.”
She pressed her cold lips to his, crushing her body against him in a passionate embrace. He could not refuse her. His arms wrapped around her familiar body instinctively as he returned her hungry kiss, and he groaned helplessly. She laughed and pulled away from him.
“Take me to your hotel,” she commanded.
“Yes, my Lady,” he gasped, falling into his old ways almost as if they had never parted company and this was not a new century with new ways of behaving. 

Tantalising, eh? Ha ha, now hop over to my Vampire Christmas Party where you can meet our mysterious vampires and find out a little more about them... Also check out our Hump Day Hook group on Facebook for more excerpts from fabulous books of all genres and styles.

Merry Christmas!