A Witch's Lament by Catherine Anne Collins

When Skye Temple buys a historic house in Salem, Massachusetts, the witch capital of the world, she ignites events that began centuries ago during the witch trials. Salem's bloody history unfolds with her discovery of ancestral diaries, the murders of local girls, and her attraction to Jerome Phips.

A local police officer, Jerome has returned to Salem vowing to uncover the truth of his mother's disappearance during a ritual gone wrong 30 years ago. His suspicion of Skye and her family's history keeps tension between them high.

Burdened with the birth-task of the Goods to keep an ancient knife protected, Skye gains a new understanding of her powers, while the need to avenge his mother's death drives Jerome. Past and present collide in a final ritual between evil, love and honor.




Interview with Cathy Walker:

Why did you write this book? I have an interest in the Salem witch trials and thought it might be interesting to write a book about them and have an excuse to do some research. Of course, this included a trip to Salem to do my research first-hand.

What was the hardest part? Even though A Witch's Lament is fiction, I wanted to imbue a true sense of the chilling events that occured in Salem, Ma. during the witch trials. It was difficult to be in Salem and imagine historical events without feeling overwhelmed and somewhat sad.

What was easiest or most fun? Oh, that's easy. In Salem there is this amazing candy store called Ye Olde Pepper Companie. It's the oldest candy store in America and well worth a visit. :-)

What do you hope people get from your book? Enjoyment. A brief look into a grievous yet fascinating historical event.

How do you want to be remembered as an author? As someone who wrote books that made people think, and maybe question life just a little.

What's next for you? A sequel called A Witch's Legacy and then more books, of course.

Ghost for Rent by Penny Lockwood

This middle grade, paranormal, ghost story is aimed at youth in grades four to six. It is approximately 13,280 words, 10 chapters, and 65 pages long. The story begins when eleven year old Wendy Wiles learns her parents are planning to get divorced. Forced to leave her beloved city home for a cheaper country place, Wendy, her mother, and her twelve year old brother move to rural Warren, Oregon.

On move-in day, Wendy meets a neighbor girl who tells her their quaint country home is haunted. Events proceed quickly as Wendy, her new friend, Jennifer, and Wendy’s brother, Mike, see ghostly figures dancing in the woods. Despite Mom’s claims that “there’s no such thing as ghosts,” paranormal events continue to occur in the Wiles’ home. Meanwhile her brother Mike, arch-tease, continues to torment Wendy, claiming he’s causing the unusual happenings.

Wendy searches through library records to get to the bottom of the mystery. Finally with Jennifer’s help, Wendy begins to unravel the truth. At last even Mike can no longer disbelieve and decides to aid Wendy in her search. By the end of the story, the three young sleuths have uncovered an accidental death, a suicide and a murder.

KINDLE EDITION:


OR PAPERBACK FROM: http://www.hardshell.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=0759910057

Interview with Penny Lockwood:

1. Why did you write this book?

I actually wrote it as a challenge to myself. Previously, all my material was in the form of non-fiction articles and adult short stories for magazines. My daughter,who was still in middle school when I wrote it, had insisted I wasn't an author because I didn't have a book published. Of course, I had to write a book. I wrote this particular book because I have wanted to write children's stories for a long time. There are a lot of ghost sightings in our area and one of the scenes in the story had been described to me by a friend who experienced the incident. It seemed like a natural story to write. The odd thing is when I was a child, one of my first written stories was "Patty and the Country Ghost." :-)

2. What was hardest to write about this book?

Writing a book was hard for me in general. I am used to writing short stories which are quick, to the point, and don't have a lot of "extra" meat in them. Filling up
a whole novel with description, action, extra characters, etc. took a lot of effort.

3. What did you enjoy writing the most?

I loved coming up with the different ways the ghosts communicated with Wendy, my main character. I one of those people who believe in ghosts. I think that spirits can be "stuck" between planes of existence when something is left unsettled in
the "real" world. I also liked making Wendy a strong female character who won't give in even when the adults in her life are telling her ghosts aren't real.

4. What do you hope folks will get from this book?

Mostly, I hope that children will be entertained. That said, I also would like them to realize that families have problems, but they can be worked through.
Big brothers can be a pain, but they are also there for their siblings when they need to be. Finally, moving from someplace you love isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes you can make new friends and have great adventures.

5. What's next for you?

I am working on a sequel to Ghost for Rent. I hope to have it finished within the year. I've also got a picture book which is in a rewrite stage. Finally, I do a lot of article writing - primarily writing tips, parenting tips, and teen self-help. Lately, I've also done some short stories and articles for children.

Read Penny's blog at http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/

CSFF Presents: John Olson’s Shade

"You will not fear the terror of the night." —Psalm 91

A monstrous waking nightmare is pursuing graduate student Hailey Maniates across San Francisco to Golden Gate Park where she is rescued by a towering homeless man. She seems able to read her rescuer’s mind, but is it just a delusion? Doctors diagnose her as a paranoid schizophrenic and attempt to prescribe away her alleged hallucinations. But too many questions remain around Hailey and the man who saved her. He appears to suffer from her same mental condition and is convinced that some type of Gypsy vampire is trying to kill them both.

Against reason, Hailey finds herself more and more attracted to this strange man. But what if he is a fantasy? What if he is the monster?

John Olson’s Web site: http://www.litany.com/



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Doorman's Creek by Lea Schizas

Several months ago, I promised to tour Doorman's Creek by Lea Schizas. Sadly, the realities of life got in the way and then my HP Pavilion (aka the Lemon) crashed for the third time, taking my notes with it. I'm finally getting my act together and post this now with my recommendation and a review by The Book Pedler.

When Kyle Anderson and his two buddies decide to explore a cave hidden within Doorman's Creek, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton... and an unknown entity, throwing them right into the path of a serial killer.

Faced with a sudden gift of visions into past and present disappearances, Kyle must now track down who the murderer is before another family member gets killed.

Excerpt of review by The Book Pedler (link here to read the full review)

"Doorman’s Creek by Lea Schizas has to be one of the best books I have ever read, period. Part mystery, part paranormal thriller, Doorman’s Creek is an incredible read that starts with a bang and just keeps going. From the moment the novel starts, you’re taken on a whirlwind of secrets, murder, sacrifice and death that just gets better with every page."

See more of Lea's stuff at http://leaschizaseditor.tripod.com/