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Love, Secrets, and Second Chances—February’s Must-Read Books Await!


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Lauren Smith | Endless Night- A Foray into the Dark and Mysterious


The Shadows of Stormclyffe Hall
Lauren Smith

AVAILABLE

Kindle

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October 2014
On Sale: September 29, 2014
Featuring: Bastian Carlisle; Jane Seyon
196 pages
ISBN: 163375104X
EAN: 9781633751040
Kindle: B00NE06UI4
e-Book
Add to Wish List

Also by Lauren Smith:
The Scoundrel of Drury Lane, October 2023
Never Kiss a Scot, March 2019
The Last Wicked Rogue, November 2018
The Darkest Hour, October 2018

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Halloween. My favorite holiday. If I had my say, my house would be decorated with black and orange 365 days a year. It seems like there are some of us out there with a bit of the need to believe in something magical, who are drawn to this particular holiday. The thoughts of bats winging their way through twilight skies, the rustle of owl feathers mixed with the whisper of leaves against wood light a fire in my blood. When the air turns cool and crisp and the trees turn red and gold, I can’t help but think of witches riding on their brooms, or smoke bubbling over cauldrons.

I often think of William Blake’s “Auguries of Innocence” Poem”:

“The bat that flits at close of eve

Has left the brain that won’t believe.

The owl that calls upon the night

Speaks the unbeliever’s fright.”

This same love that draws me to books feeds the love of things that go bump in the night. Whether it’s a Gothic romance with a dark hero in a forbidden castle by the sea or a sensual vampire ready to sink his teeth into a sweet, innocent heroine, I’m swooning as I read them all. I’ve been reading old vintage Gothic romances this fall, relishing the faded covers with the worn spines and the painted art depicting lovely heroines fleeing a haunted spectral estate behind them. These vintage books are a rare art form, one lost to modern readers. These authors set up a Gothic atmosphere and gave us chills and thrills. I read their words and admire the way they leave me spooked and hungry for another delicious scare!

Last year I came across an idea to write something I’d like to think of a modern Gothic romance. I had a story in my head of a young woman, Jane, plagued by nightmares of a castle an ocean away in England. This woman, naturally, was a student of history and longed to solve the mystery of her dreams and find out more about the tragic lives of the family that had lived in the castle, Stormclyffe Hall. As all intrepid heroines learn, Jane cannot get into the castle so easily. It just so happens that Bastian, the current earl of Weymouth, has returned to Stormclyffe with a goal to restore the crumbling castle to its former glory.

While writing Jane and Bastian’s love story, I wove in historical diary entries set in 1811 telling the story of Bastian’s ancestors and the events that led to the fateful night that doomed the castle and its inhabitants for the next two centuries. In order to give the story authentic appeal and incorporate real paranormal elements, I dug into true stories and accounts of actual hauntings in various English castles. The wealth of information was astounding and fascinating. It became clear after only a few days that I couldn’t continue to read the stories at night, because I had the sense of being watched. Characters were whispering to me, just out of the corner of my eye. I began to write what would become THE SHADOWS OF STORMCLYFFE HALL. It’s a book full of passion and ghosts.

I leave more of Blake’s haunting words with you and wish you a Happy Halloween! May you read something spooky!

“Some are born to sweet delight,

Some are born to Endless night.”

 

 

Comments

6 comments posted.

Re: Lauren Smith | Endless Night- A Foray into the Dark and Mysterious

Normally I wouldn't read a book of this particular genre,
but your latest book really has my interest peaked!! I can
see all of the love that you put into it, and the story
really has me intrigued!! This is the type of book that I
would actually be honored to read, for personal reasons!!
Congratulations on your book, and I really hope that it does
well!!
(Peggy Roberson 1:00pm October 2, 2014)

Thank you Peggy Roberson! I definitely recommend you trying this book! Gothics are a passion of mine and it's been a joy to write a modernized one. Many of my readers were delightedly surprised to try this book and found they liked it! It's very unique, moving, sexy and emotional. And it's just plain fun with all the ghosts!
(Lauren Smith 9:28pm October 2, 2014)

I love the gothics and I have many old ones stored in boxes;
I hate to part with them.
Look forward to your book.
Do you watch the Good Witch on TV with Catherine Bell? Great
and I always watch the re-runs.
Good luck on your book.
(Leona Olson 1:23pm October 3, 2014)

Hi Leona! I have seen the Good Witch with Bell! Love that! There are so many fun good witch shows and movies out there! I love the old classics like Bewitched too!
(Lauren Smith 7:17pm October 3, 2014)

I read a lot of Gothic romances when I was a teenager. I
still have them all, though I admit I haven't read one in
years. I love the fact that this is a modern Gothic with a
background in the Regency era.
(Janie McGaugh 9:46pm October 3, 2014)

I cant say if I ever read a gothic romance but Im all for
trying one.
(Suzy F. 9:16pm October 4, 2014)

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