Gothic Romance

Since mid-December 2016 my life has been upside down. My husband became ill with such a severe case of shingles on his face (and in his eye) he had to be hospitalized. That was just one part of the problem, as it turned out. He also had contracted an intense face eating bacteria all over the same area of his face. Four months later, after the bacteria kept returning—always worse than the time before—he is still on medication and unable to do much of anything. He also has new health issues caused by some of the drugs he had to take. 

I thought I’d just post a bit about my Gothic romance novella this month, and I apologize for not being around more. Many unexpected responsibilities fell into my lap during this time, and I’m doing my best but it leaves little time for writing-related activities.

Last year my novella length contemporary Gothic, Raven of Blackthorn Manor, became part of the A World of Gothic series. This was such an exciting experience! The story is set in a remote part of Ireland on a very haunted property.

Gothic romance is not a large genre, but there are many loyal fans who love stories set to a Gothic theme. A World of Gothic has a slight twist to the traditional theme—the stories are contemporary and are only novella length which is around 30,000 words.  

There's something about a perilous tale where an intelligent heroine is surrounded by danger and attracted to a hero who seems to be her greatest enemy that lures me ever deeper into the story.

Do you enjoy reading Gothic romance? If so, please share what you love most about the genre, or your favorite Gothic story ever.

These are the first five novellas in the A World of Gothic series, and there are several more now. They are all fabulous reads. 

About Raven of Blackthorn Manor:

When Morgana Pierce accepts an invitation to Blackthorn Manor, known as Ireland’s most haunted property, she hopes to convince the gloomy owner, Sir Dermott Blackthorn, to allow her crew to film the property for her paranormal series.

Morgana has a secret of her own. She’s on a quest to find the father she never knew. Her only clue to his whereabouts led her to this bleak property on an isolated windswept Irish peninsula, where myths, legends and goddesses still seem to live and breathe.

Morgana’s ability to communicate with the dead soon puts her in danger as she learns there have been several suspicious deaths and disappearances in recent years. Threats against her own life force her to decide how to navigate an ever darker reality.

Dermott Blackthorn’s ancestral line has been cursed for nine generations, and he is the last one. His death is imminent if things unfold as they have for the previous eight Blackthorns.

Morgana is attracted to Blackthorn’s mysterious and moody house guest, Ronan McIver. He is both protective and dismissive of her, sending mixed signals. What is he doing at Blackthorn Manor?

As the danger surrounding Morgana intensifies, the setting is ripe for the perfect storm. She must rely on someone, but who can she trust? 

~*~*~

GEMMA JULIANA lives in Texas, USA with her own personal hero. She has lived in many countries, including Ireland. She was very excited about setting this novella in Southern Ireland and weaving spooky ancient Irish mythology into the plot.

http://www.gemmajuliana.com 

 

Autumn Glory

Even in north Texas autumn is slowly rolling in. I welcome back my favorite season with delight—the cool air, changing leaves, and rich hearty meals. Mugs of hot chocolate replace coffee and hearty soups replace salads. My eyes stray to the leaf-bejeweled trees—ruby, amber, and gold glow in late afternoon sunlight as I drive the country roads near home.

This time of year is conducive to introspection, when we can honor the seasons, reap the harvest of life’s lessons, and be thankful for all the good things in our lives. It's a time to go within and focus on hearth and home, preparing for the bitter cold winter that may lie ahead. Meditative reflection alerts us to the gems we’ve gleaned, and our gratitude increases for all the people and experiences that have crossed our paths. There is some sadness as well, as 2016 has impacted many neighbors, friends and loved ones harshly.

Two years ago, I wrote a novella called Autumn Masquerade as a tribute to this rich season. Anna Spencer is a corporate executive with otherworldly gifts she tries to hide because she thinks people won’t take her seriously if they know she speaks with dead people. Richard Bentley, her boss, lost his wife two years ago and has been a hermit since then. Anna’s feelings for her lonely boss have been growing, but now she’s agreed to be the psychic at an autumn masquerade to help her friend out. The only problem is that Richard will be there, and the ghost of his deceased wife has matchmaking on her mind. This sweet story is available only on Amazon and is $0.99 through the end of the year. http://a.co/iOiW5c0

I’m so thankful during this past twelve months to have joined up with many wonderful authors in six anthologies and series. My muse went on strike in mid-2014 and didn’t return until mid-2015. I lured her back with novelettes for anthologies, and she jumped at the bait. Now we are in the flow again.

So for writers who are going through a dry period, take heart and try something new. Maybe a short story, novelette, or group undertaking will jump start your creative flow.

Entice Me – RB4U 2015 Anthology – my story is Riviera Rendezvous

 

Exquisite Christmas – Exquisite Quills 2015 Holiday Anthology – my stories are Shooting Star Holiday Express, Tropical Christmas, Midnight Sleigh Ride & Recipe

  

World Romance Writers – 2016 Letterbox Love Stories Volume I – my story is Abandoned Treasures Thanks to everyone who helped make Letterbox Love Stories Volume I an Amazon bestseller!

A World of Gothic series – My stand alone novella Raven of Blackthorn Manor: Ireland 2016

Roping the Cowboy – RB4U 2016 Anthology – my story is Love, Texas Style

World Romance Writers 2016 Holiday Anthology – Holiday Magic – my story is To Kiss A Prince (coming in November)

To all the delightful author friends and readers in my life, thank you.

Do you dress up or do anything special for Halloween?

GEMMA JULIANA lives in Texas and enjoys playing matchmaker to her characters… but not without putting their backs against the wall and squeezing them first. She writes across many genres of romance and mystery, and lately enjoys writing novelettes and novellas. She enjoys hearing from readers.

Love Across The Ages ~ Intrigue Across The Pages

http://www.gemmajuliana.com
http://www.amazon.com/author/gemmajuliana
http://worldromancewriters.blogspot.com/

http://www.twitter.com/gemma_juliana

http://www.facebook.com/gemma.juliana

Do You Believe In Banshees?

September is flying by, and Halloween is around the corner, so the theme of banshees seems like a timely topic.

According to Merriam-Webster online dictionary, a banshee is a female spirit in Irish and Scottish stories who cries loudly to warn people that someone is going to die soon, and another of their meanings is: a female spirit in Gaelic folklore whose appearance or wailing warns a family that one of them will soon die.

It’s easy to put it all down to too much whiskey or superstitious nonsense, but banshees actually exist. I’ve known Irish families that have had banshee activity over several generations. Furthermore, Irish folklore tells us that the “bean sidhe” was a fairy woman from the realm of the fairies, and that humans were very unhappy to see her combing her hair or wailing on their property. Such families saw her as a sign that one of their own would soon die.

Perhaps the most famous account of an ancient Banshee is that of Aibhill. She was attached to the tribe of Brian Boru, from the royal house of O’Brien. She haunted the rock Craglea near the palace at Kincora near Killaloe. The night before the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, she visited the old king and told him he would not survive the battle. With that, his fate was sealed.  

Irish history tells many stories of banshee sightings, experiences, visitations and subsequent family deaths.

~*~

I grew up reading the stories of Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney, Daphne du Maurier, and other classic Gothic authors. I’m thrilled when I find a contemporary Gothic story, but sadly it’s an *underpopulated* genre. So, I was excited to be invited to write a contemporary Gothic mystery novella for the new series, A World of Gothic. I’ve blended a sprinkling of the paranormal with Irish mythology and the Gothic formula.

Here’s a blurb about my novella, Raven of Blackthorn Manor. It’s now available for a limited time exclusively on Amazon for $0.99.

When Morgana Pierce accepts an invitation to visit Blackthorn Manor, known as Ireland’s most haunted property, she hopes to convince the gloomy owner, Sir Dermott Blackthorn, to let her crew film the property for her paranormal television special.

But Morgana has a secret reason for being at Blackthorn Manor. Her only clue to the whereabouts of her father is a thirty-year old letter on the manor’s letterhead. Her quest leads her to this bleak property on an isolated windswept Irish peninsula.

Morgana’s ability to communicate with the dead soon lands her in danger as she learns about several suspicious deaths and disappearances in recent years. Threats against her life then force her to figure out how to navigate an ever darker reality.

Dermott Blackthorn’s ancestral line was cursed for nine generations, and he is the last. His death is imminent if things unfold as they have for the previous eight Blackthorns.

Morgana is attracted to Blackthorn’s mysterious and moody house guest, Ronan McIver. He is both protective and dismissive, sending mixed signals. Why is he staying at Blackthorn Manor?  

As danger intensifies, the setting becomes ripe for the perfect storm. The time arrives when she must rely on someone, but who can she trust?

RAVEN OF BLACKTHORN MANOR ~~ AMAZON BUY LINK: http://a.co/5qGdAdS

~*~

Have you got a banshee story to share? Are you from a culture where a creature similar to the banshee announces an impending death?

~*~

GEMMA JULIANA has traveled the world and lived in many countries, so she enjoys placing characters in international settings and sprinkling magical spice into her stories. Whether she’s turning up the heat on a character or playing matchmaker, writing gives her great satisfaction, especially when her muse cooperates. She shares a cozy Texas cottage with her true love, teen son, and a very crafty dog, who rules them all. Her muse is nourished with the finest fuel for creativity – chocolate.

Visit Gemma’s website, join her mailing list, and chat with her on social media.

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