I've always loved Gothic romances, a little creepy around the edges, the kind of
book wherein you devoutly hope the hero is who you want him to be, not who you
suspect he might be. I especially love those with a historical and British bent,
with a heroine who is both vulnerable and strong. I've fond memories of sharing
Victoria Holt books with my grandmother -and sneaking a flashlight into my room
so I could read them long past when I said I'd be sleeping. When I was done
reading Holt, I moved onto favorites such as Mary Stewart.
Those books seemed to be popular some time ago, but what about lately? Not so
many were being published. I still wanted more: I wanted new, I wanted fresh
but... with all of my favorite gothic elements. So I set out to write what I'd
love to read. Would other modern woman want to read them?
Ann B. Tracy, the author of
the romance chapter in the compilation, THE JOURNAL OF THE
GOTHIC, tells us that, "The jocular description of modern Gothic
Romances like Victoria Holt's The Mistress of Mellyn is 'Girl Gets House.' " In
a day of HGTV, what could be apter?
She continues, "The heroines of Gothic Romance are not the vaporous, swooning
creatures of caricature, undone by over-sensitivity; their troubles are real...
they lift the black veil, go to the attic, confront the possible spectres—
attempt, in short, to shed some factual light on their mysterious surroundings
and find their ways out of the Gothic dilemmas." These are women who are the
kind of people we want to be, the friends we'd turn to on a dark and stormy
night when we wanted someone trustworthy at our back.
And what about those dark and stormy knights? Mmm hmm. Gothic romance
heroes are called Byronic heroes, after Lord Byron, he dubbed "mad, bad, and
dangerous to know." Perhaps Byron was romance's original bad boy? We women love
to know whether or not we can tame a man who seems untamable, and gothic
romances are rich with just that sort of challenge. Tracy says that our gothic
heroines have the challenge of figuring out whether the "difficult or possibly
villainous men around her will turn out to be the one she can trust and marry."
Or if he, as Victoria Holt so engagingly named one of her best novels, would
turn out to be "The Devil on Horseback."
One final requirement of a Gothic is it's creepy, mist-filled, dangerous
setting. In the Gothic Journal, Jesse de Knight explores one of
Gothic romance's best-loved authors, Daphne du Maurier. Knight explains, Du
Maurier was in her late teens when she first visited Cornwall... she instantly
fell in love with the place. Knight goes on to tell us that, "The Cornish coast
did note than merely bring du Maurier pleasure; it served as a genuine catalyst
for her imagination... The gothic tale—with its emphasis on atmosphere - was
ready-made for her. Du Maurier's fiction is imbued, saturated, permeated with
the ambiance, aura, and moodiness of Cornwall."
Of course it is. On a fragile night when the mist crawls in, and I cannot sleep,
I might still dream of falling-down houses and wounded heroes, both in need of
love and repair. Might you?
BRIDE OF A DISTANT
ISLE, which has earned Romantic Times’ Top Pick, is Sandra Byrd's
latest novel and the second in her gothic romance series, Daughters of
Hampshire. Please visit Sandra at her website and leave her a note about what YOU most enjoy
about gothic romance books!
After earning her first rejection at the age of thirteen, bestselling author
Sandra Byrd has now published more than forty books. Sandra's new series,
Daughters of Hampshire, historically sound Gothic romances, launched in 2015
with Book One: Mist of Midnight. That book earned a coveted Editor's Choice from
the Historical Novel Society. The second book in the series, Bride of a Distant
Isle, releases in March 2016.
Check out her contemporary adult fiction
debut, Let Them Eat Cake, which was a Christy Award finalist, as was her first
historical novel, To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn. To Die For was also named
by Library Journal as a Best Books Pick for 2011 and The Secret Keeper: A Novel
of Kateryn Parr, was named a Library Journal Best Books Pick for 2012.
She is passionate about helping new writers develop their talent and
their work toward traditional or self-publication. As such, she has mentored and
coached hundreds of new writers and continues to coach dozens to success each
year via novelcoaching.com
An unforgettable romance set in Victorian England, Bride of A Distant
Isle is the engrossing story of Annabel Ashton, who fights to save her
family home and her mother's honor while trying to figure out if the man she
loves wants her—or just wants to use her to achieve his own
ambitions.
Miss Annabel Ashton is a teacher at the Rogers School for Young
Ladies in Winchester when she takes a brief visit to her family home, Highcliffe
Hall at Milford-on-Sea. She believes her stay will be short but soon learns that
she will not be returning to the safety of the school. Instead, she remains at
Highcliffe, at the mercy of her cousin, Edward Everedge.
Annabel protests,
but as the illegitimate daughter of a woman who died in an insane asylum, she
has little say. Edward is running out of money and puts the house up for sale to
avoid financial ruin. He insists that Annabel marry, promising her to a
sinister, frightening man. But as the house gets packed for sale, it begins to
reveal disquieting secrets. Jewelry, artifacts, and portraits mysteriously
appear, suggesting that Annabel may be the true heir of Highcliffe.
She
has only a few months to prove her legitimacy, perhaps with assistance from the
handsome but troubled Maltese Captain Dell’Acqua. But does he have Annabel’s
best interests at heart?
And then, a final, most ominous barrier to both
her inheritance and her existence appears: a situation neither she nor anyone
else could have expected. Will Annabel regain her life and property—and trust
her heart—before it’s too late?
Defined roles and drama! (Beth Elder 9:42pm March 25, 2016)
LOVE gothic romances. First I read was Juniper Hill by Dorothy Daniels. :) (Miranda Owen 9:45pm March 25, 2016)
I think gothic is a get away from the real world problems. I like a little of the scary side and then the history of the story. (Peggy Clayton 12:59pm March 26, 2016)
Gothic opens up new worlds and gets away from day to day issues. Love the romances and drama! (Terri Rinko 1:26pm March 27, 2016)
When I think of gothic I also think of vampires , witches , the walking dead and ghosts, and then that goes on to Halloween . I have dressed up as all of these before on Halloween . That was a lot of fun then . I do see some , mostly female that are gothic during ordinary days and it makes you think that they are wanting to stand out in the crowd and be seen . Maybe they are trying to be in their own little world . That's what makes this planet so interesting . All the " crazy people ". I would love to read this book , I love thrillers and mysteries . (Joan Thrasher 3:45pm March 27, 2016)
I am very excited to see your Books as give awAy Sandra Bryd.... oops how rude. Sorry I am extremely excited. Hello Ms Bryd, I was thrilled to see your Books as a give away. Because I have a hard time spending money on Authors I have yet to read because, I have had some bad experiences with that so I no longer will.I so I ad MIT I try to win a book from a new Author so that I can experience their writing. If I love your book I will become a very loyal customer. With money being tight because of trying to save up for a wedding that now is on a hold... because of the major health issues I have. Right now it takes over most of our money. Hopefully you can understand the reason for my reluctance to buy a book I have yet to learn the artist style before!Thank you (Bonny Bordeleau 1:51am March 28, 2016)
Gothic romances were my first romance novels which were captivating and enthralling. The characters and the setting made the novels come alive and captured the locale and the emotions. Penmarris by Susan Howatch was a memorable novel. (Sharon Berger 12:45pm March 28, 2016)
My earliest romance reads were almost all of the gothic type (except for Georgette Heyer of course) and although I really appreciate the lighter type, I am happy to see some of the classic type return. (Carol Gowett 4:13pm March 28, 2016)
The gothics are just a bit spooky and creepy. I can read gothic type books, but I stay far away from horror. (Deb Diem 6:31pm March 28, 2016)
I really love any type of romance and since reading gothic romance will be new for me, i dont mind reading it (Liselle StLouis 6:44pm March 28, 2016)
I love the creepy factor combined with the romance. It just amps everything up. (Baz Dietz 12:54pm March 29, 2016)
I also grew up with Stewart, Du Maurier and Holt. They kept my interest with Suspense, dark locales and mysterious, tormented and/or brooding heroes. Even now a good Gothic holds allure. (Sharon Mitchell 3:40pm March 29, 2016)
I enjoy a good gothic romance every so often. I have a box of old ones I can dig into when the mood strikes. Du Maurier's REBECCA is a favorite. I enjoyed Victoria Holt's books and got Mary Stewart's books, but haven't read many. There is just something about an innocent, young woman in a questionable situation, a "hero" that you really aren't too sure about, and kind of a spooky, sometimes supernatural element. Great reading on a dark and stormy night. (Patricia Barraclough 8:43pm March 29, 2016)
Meant to mention that the BRIDE OF A DISTANT ISLE sounds like it will be a good, dramatic read. Best wishes for a successful release. (Patricia Barraclough 8:44pm March 29, 2016)
The combination of mystery, suspense, and romance is very appealing in Gothic romance. (Bonnie H 8:53pm March 29, 2016)
Those deceptively bad boys who hide their good qualities under a bushel. Ah, isn't it Byronic? (Richard Brandt 10:19pm March 29, 2016)
As soon as you spoke of "Gothic", I thought of Victoria Holt before I even noticed your mention of her! She has been a favorite author of mine since 9th grade - and I LOVE those Byronic heroes as well! (Felicia Ciaudelli 2:41pm March 30, 2016)
Gothic is dark and has people dressed in somber colors and seem to travel with a cloud of doom following them. (Alyson Widen 5:47pm March 30, 2016)
I love the creepy feeling of it. (Leslie Davis 8:57pm March 30, 2016)
I think the mysteriousness of "the gothic" is appealing (Krypton I 8:49pm March 31, 2016)
I do not usually read gothic but I want to read these 2 books. Sound great (Mary Branham 12:57pm April 1, 2016)
I love the sense of foreboding in gothic stories. (Angela Daffern 3:27pm April 1, 2016)
Awesome insights and comments; I've loved reading every one. I hope you read Mist of Midnight or Bride of a Distant Isle. Thank you!! ~ Sandra (Sandra Byrd 4:41pm April 1, 2016)
I enjoy the mysterious atmosphere, the romance, the feeling of something horrible is right around the corner, but love will win in the end. (Anna Speed 12:34pm April 3, 2016)
Thank you for writing these love stories. I would love to win the books. (Christine Kilner 1:50pm April 3, 2016)
My wife likes to read these, but they are definitely not on my reading list. (Don Burkhead 2:50pm April 3, 2016)
gothic and dark makes a good story too (Debbi Shaw 8:43pm April 3, 2016)
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