’Tis the season … for Christmas ghost stories! In recent years, I’ve been all about bringing back the classic tradition of livening up the winter months by sharing tales of terror. After all, encounters with the spirit world are the perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit! You can see some of the seasonally spooky tales I’ve previously recommended here and here. But if those aren’t enough for you, here’s a third round of Christmas ghost stories:
A wispy woman in white, a widow who haunts the home she once ruled over, a fair maiden whose life was tragically cut short—have you ever noticed how many of the ghost stories of popular culture and local legend feature female spirits? Brilliant and knowledgeable ghost tour guides Leanna Renee Hieber and Andrea Janes—whom I have taken many tours of NYC with through Boroughs of the Dead—explore this phenomenon and its significance in their first nonfiction book, A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America’s Ghosts, which came out back in September. Through a blend of personal, professional, and academic lenses, Leanna and Adrea provide a cultural analysis of the ghostly women that populate American legends and what their stories can tell us about ourselves and about American society. As a lover of ghost stories who also loves to examine why and how we tell them, I cannot recommend this book enough! In my excitement to preorder the book, I wound up with more copies than I need, so I’ll be giving away one of my extras. Read to the bottom of this post for information on how to enter to win a signed copy of A Haunted History of Invisible Women! Continue reading A Haunted History of Invisible Women Review and Giveaway
Dangerous mine shafts, an abandoned ski resort, families feuding for generations, and ghosts galore—the town of Glazier’s Gap has enough fodder for a whole string of Gothic novels. And that’s the idea. Ghosts of the Forbidden by Leanna Renee Hieber is the first book in the new Glazier’s Gap series published by Castle Bridge Media, which will include loosely connected novels that all feature a supernatural romance set in this unusual town. As the queen of haunting heartwarmers, Leanna Renee Hieber is the perfect author to start this series off, though this is her first foray into contemporary romance. But not to fear—while the story may take place in the twenty-first century, the lovers in Ghosts of the Forbidden are as stuck in the nineteenth-century as Leanna’s devoted readers are. Ghosts of the Forbidden comes out October 11. Continue reading Review of Ghosts of the Forbidden—Gothic Romance Is Back!
Some of you may not know this, but not only do I review books, I also edit them! Lately I have been working together with an author whose books have been central to this blog from its inception: Leanna Renee Hieber. Leanna’s debut YA novel, Darker Still, was the first book to ever be reviewed on The Gothic Library, back in June 2015. Since then, Leanna has written several guest posts for the blog and I’ve reviewed a dozen of her other novels. Spending so much time in deep analysis of her stories laid the perfect groundwork for our editorial relationship.
And now the first book we’ve worked on together is out there in the world! Time Immemorial: A Dark Nest Adventure is a science-fiction novella centering on the character of Elizabeth Marlowe, whose consciousness is spit between lifetimes in four different eras. As Elizabeth timeslips from Druidic Britain to a spacefaring future, she discovers a dangerous enemy set on eradicating all those with psychic powers. As the subtitle suggests, Time Immemorial is a companion story to Leanna’s Dark Nest Chronicles, though you don’t need to have read any of the prior books to jump into this one. You may also recognize the character of Lizzie Marlowe as the Visitor, who makes several appearances in The Eterna Files. But if—despite my constant rambling—you haven’t yet read any of Leanna’s books, this is a great place to jump right in. Time Immemorial is the first in a trilogy and is available now in ebook and audiobook format on Scribd. I particularly recommend the audiobook, as it is narrated by the author, herself!
If you’re unfamiliar with Scribd, it is a book subscription platform where you can get unlimited access to ebooks and audiobooks for $10 per month. And even better, if you don’t have a subscription yet you can get a 30-day free trial. The site contains a wide variety of books from major publishers, along with user-uploaded content and and original works published through their own independent presses like Bryant Street Publishing. So hop on now and check out Time Immemorial. I hope you enjoy!
If there’s one thing I’ve discovered from this blog, it’s that I love themed horror anthologies! Whether it’s one of Ellen Datlow’s preeminent collections, an indie press striving to highlight diverse voices, or a scholar dredging up forgotten classics, there’s something irresistible to me about many different authors coming together to bring their unique voices and interpretations to a shared subject. So you know my ears perked up when I heard about a new anthology coming out from the creator of the Castle of Horror podcast that would be inspired by the classic illustrations on the covers of pulpy Gothics from the ’60s and ’70s. Castle of Horror Anthology Volume 4: Women Running from Houses, edited by Jason Henderson, comes out tomorrow, October 13, just in time for Halloween season. Continue reading Review of Castle of Horror Anthology Vol. 4: Women Running from Houses
Leanna Renee Hieber is back with a new book in her Spectral City series! In case you missed it last week, Leanna wrote a lovely guest post for us on the many possibilities of ghost stories in her works and in her life. In her Spectral City books, ghost stories help the psychic ladies of NYPD’s Ghost Precinct to solve mysteries and save lives! A Summoning of Souls is the third book in this trilogy, and it comes out tomorrow, July 21. WORD Bookstores will be hosting a virtual release party on their Instagram page tomorrow at 7:30pm EDT. Continue reading A Summoning of Souls Review
Many of you know by now that Leanna Renee Hieber is my favorite author for spooky, specter-filled Victorian romances. But did you know that her interest in spirits isn’t limited to her fiction? As we gear up for the launch of A Summoning of Souls, the third book in her Spectral City series out next week, Leanna shares some thoughts on the roles that ghosts and ghost stories play in both her life and her writing. Keep an eye out for A Summoning of Souls in stores starting July 21, and feel free to share your own experiences with ghost stories in the comments!
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While you’re unwrapping your gifts this holiday season, how about unwrapping a few ancient mummies, as well? (Except, not literally. The Victorians used to do that, and it was a pretty sketchy practice…) Spirits Unwrapped, edited by Daniel Braum, is an anthology of fourteen unconventional mummy tales. It was released by the small indie publisher Lethe Press back in October and has finally made its way up to the top of my post-Halloween book pile. Continue reading Review of Spirits Unwrapped—An Unconventional Mummy Anthology
Halloween may be over, but that just means it’s time for my other favorite thing about fall: a spooky new release from Leanna Renee Hieber! In A Sanctuary of Spirits, the second installment in Leanna’s new Spectral City series, the girl-gang of the NYPD Ghost Precinct return to investigate a horde of restless children’s spirits. The book comes out tomorrow, November 12. And if you’re in the New York City area, you should join me tomorrow for the launch party at WORD bookstore in Brooklyn! Continue reading A Sanctuary of Spirits Review
Leanna Renee Hieber, one of my favorite authors, has visited The Gothic Library before to discuss the varieties of female strength in her Strangely Beautiful Saga. Now she’s back to talk about her latest series, The Spectral City, and why she writes about women in community. Read on to learn about why relationships between women are so important, especially in the Gothic…
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