About the Book:
The Witches of RavencrestBook #2 in The Ravencrest Saga
Dark and Unnatural Powers
In a remote part of California just above the coastal town of Devilswood, Ravencrest Manor, imported stone-by-stone from England more than two centuries ago, looms tall and terrifying, gathering its dark and unnatural powers, and drawing those it wants as its own.
Murder Lurks in the Shadows
Governess Belinda Moorland has settled into life at Ravencrest and, as summer gives way to autumn, romance is in the air. She and multi-millionaire Eric Manning are falling in love … but powerful forces will stop at nothing to keep them apart. And as the annual Harvest Ball is set to begin, evil abounds at Ravencrest. Murder lurks in the shadows, evil spirits freely roam the halls, a phantom baby cries, signaling a death in the mansion, and in the notoriously haunted east wing, three blood-soaked nuns, Sisters Faith, Hope, and Charity, tend to the demented needs of a maid gone mad.
Vengeful Spirits
Ravencrest has come to life. In the gardens below, granite statues dance by moonlight, and a scarecrow goes on a killing rampage, collecting a gruesome assortment of body parts from unwilling donors … But Belinda’s greatest danger is the vengeful spirit of Rebecca Dane. Once the mistress of Ravencrest, Rebecca Dane has a centuries-old ax to grind with the powerful witch, Cordelia Heller – and Belinda becomes her weapon of choice.
What people are saying:
“The Ghosts of Ravencrest delivers on every level. Delicate, creepy, detailed, and beautifully crafted, this reinvention of the gothic ghost story into a sexy, sleek modern chiller is a marvel of suspense and atmosphere. A knockout of a horror yarn!”
Andrew Neiderman, author of The Devil’s Advocate and the V.C. Andrews novels
“A great combination of strong characters that remind me of my V.C. Andrews characters, wonderful creepy twists, and a plot that will recall Mommie Dearest in an original take that shocks and delights at the same time. This is a full blown psychological thriller worth the investment of time and money.”
Kevin O’Brien, New York Times Bestselling Author
“While “binge-reading” the clever, shocking, deliciously creepy MOTHER by Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross (amid gasps, laughing out loud and muttering “Oh, my God, no…”), it dawned on me that these two should be writing for AMERICAN HORROR STORY. The authors offer up a fun, juicy, gripping thriller that’s nearly impossible to put down. As I kept turning the pages, I was reminded of MISERY, ROSEMARY’S BABY, PEYTON PLACE, PSYCHO and several other classics. But this is an original—as is the main character, Priscilla “Prissy” Martin, the mother of them all. Her perfect, poised façade masks an ugly, twisted, utterly evil woman—a character you’ll never forget. I think we found a spouse for Hannibal Lecter! And I think you’ll find MOTHER a fast-paced, delirious, heart-pounding thrill-ride.”
A Reader’s Review Blog
“I was open-mouthed as the plot unfolded. This deeply psychological novel contains truly appalling revelations, and is certainly not for the faint of heart. If you are looking for an unforgettable and heart-stopping read that explores the depths of human depravity then this is the book for you.”
Sylvia Shults, author of Hunting Demons: A True Story of the Dark Side of the Supernatural
“Ghostly secrets abound. Tortured spirits wander the hallways. Star-crossed lovers walk the paths of time. Servants connive, and the heroine faces an uncertain future …Run, do not walk, to get The Ghosts of Ravencrest. Tamara Thorne and Alistair Cross take the reader on a delicious journey of twisted family secrets, troubled dreams, and barely-concealed passions. Wrap yourself in the silken robe of this story and escape to Ravencrest.”
Mark Hein, critic and editor at theaterghost.com
“Thorne & Cross keep the surprises coming as swiftly as a master magician …The characters quickly become people we know, but then wish perhaps we didn’t … The laughter of recognition rides like bubbles on the surface of a deep-flowing darkness …There’s something cold in here.”
Q.L. Pearce, bestselling author of Scary Stories for Sleep-Overs
“Mother is a thriller in the truest sense of the word. What begins with a walk through a nice neighborhood in a nice town quickly becomes a chilling and unnerving descent into madness that is harder and harder to escape. Because I wear a fitness tracker I have scientific proof that the finale is a wild ride. Although I was curled up on the couch reading, Mother caused my heart rate to go up ten points! I’ll never look at a neighborhood block party the same way.”
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Authors Interview:
We were both bitten by the writing bug around second grade and spent our childhoods scaring other children by telling tales about creepy neighbors who ate children, local haunted houses that ate children, and of course, the spot where the hook-handed killer decapitated the hitchhiking ghost (and ate children).
2: Do you have a favourite time and place where you write?
We write from about ten a.m., to six or seven, p.m., Monday through Friday, and occasional Saturdays. We each work in home offices surrounded by felines.
3: Where do your ideas come from?
They come from life, from things we see, things we read about, things we investigate. They turn into fictional ideas as we brainstorm and mold them into our own version of the truth.
4: Do you have a plan in your head of where the story is going before you start writing or do you let it carry you along as you go?
We both like to have an idea of where we’re going and, to that end, we have a very brief outline that serves as a roadmap for the book. You need a map if you’re going to go off the main highway and explore; it keeps you from getting lost. But we both live for the side roads. Sometimes, our books end the way we first imagine, but more often, the characters tell us about better routes.
5: What genre are your books and what drew you to that genre?
Ostensibly, horror, though we don’t really consider ourselves horror writers. Horror is in every genre and whether we write a thriller like Mother or a ghost-laden gothic like The Witches of Ravencrest, we always have a certain spooky sensibility to our work. To us, though, horror is only horror if it uses tropes like vampires. Our next collaboration, due out late this year, is Darling Girls, which is a vampire novel that serves as a sequel to both our vampiric solos, Candle Bay and The Crimson Corset. We’re having lots of fun with it.
What drew us both to spookiness is a love of the fantastic, of darkness, the taboo, and the weird. We both like to get away from the real world and there’s no better way to do that than to write.
6: What dream cast would you like to see playing the characters in your latest book?
After we finished The Ghosts of Ravencrest, the first novel in the Ravencrest Saga, Tamara tuned into the Gilmore Girls for the first time and was gobsmacked. The actress who plays the Rory Gilmore, Alexis Bledel, is a ringer for our governess, Belinda Moorland. That said, we don’t usually know what most of our characters look like beyond the basics, so we were amazed. Daniel Craig might play the mysterious and wise butler, Grant Phister, and Jessica Lange would make a badass Cordelia Heller. If Shelly Winters were alive, she would be a perfect Momma Moorland. Mostly, though, we just kind of like readers to be able to make up their own minds. For instance, Eric Manning would be whatever your idea of a handsome millionaire is (assuming he has dark hair and stormy-blue eyes).
7: Do you read much and if so who are your favourite authors.
We are both chronic readers. Tamara’s favorite authors are Ray Bradbury and Stephen King. Alistair’s favorites are Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, and Anne Rice.
8: What book/s are you reading at present?
Alistair is currently re-reading Stephen King’s Rose Madder, and Tamara is reading James Blaylock’s Land of Dreams.
9: What is your favourite book and why?
Alistair’s all time favorite is Anne Rice’s Violin because it has such a profound emotional impact, and Tamara’s is The Haunting of Hill House, because she read it as a child and it set her course as a writer.
10: What advice would you give for someone thinking about becoming a writer?
Write what you love and the money will follow. Oh, and train yourself early on to pay no mind to the critics. Critics are everywhere and they all have one thing in common: an opinion that can affect you only as much as you give it permission to.
11: What are the best Social Media Sites for people to find out about you and your work?
The best place to find us and all of our links is at our websites, tamarathorne.com and alistaircross.com
Excerpt:
As summer waned, the days passed quietly at Ravencrest Manor. Gardeners trimmed and pruned, planting great masses of marigolds, monkshood, and Chinese lanterns, like divine offerings, at the feet of the Greek statues dotting the landscape. At Ravencrest, the gods, too, celebrated autumn’s fiery approach.
The indoor pool was locked away, but sometimes faint screams sounded from within – screams that not only spoke of the ancient terrors that haunted the beautiful gold-and-cobalt rooms, but of the loss, the great sadness, of past inhabitants. It was a melancholy so deeply ingrained into the pool’s very depths that if you listened closely, you might hear weeping – weeping that could break your heart … and fracture your soul.
Dozens upon dozens of orange and yellow pumpkins lay sunning themselves among their dying vines and the stands of calico corn had ripened, as had masses of decorative gourds that ran down the hillside behind the Farm. They were being dried now to serve as October decor for the house – and for the coming Harvest Ball.
Gray strands of fog, gauzy chiffon scarves, curled around the manor, hugging the great stone walls like an old friend. But the fog at Ravencrest was no one’s friend. Thick patches of it crept across the great lawns to hover in the gardens like looming ghosts, overseeing the ancient statues and shrouding the property as if keeping the manor – and all of its mysteries – hidden from view.
In daylight hours – during the spring and summer months especially – the gardens were a utopia – so lush and thriving and full of beauty that you might expect to see Adam step from the foliage, persimmon in hand, or Eve bathing in the roses, her skin and hair redolent of their sweet perfume.
But at night, when the shadows rose to their full height and darkness came to lay claim over the manor and its vast grounds, that same beauty turned poisonous and those gardens became a dark carnival of unseen dangers, a bottomless sea of unspeakable grotesqueries. It was at night, always at night, that the serpent came to Eden.
About the Authors:
Alistair Cross
Alistair Cross was born in the western United States and began penning his own stories by the age of eight. First published in 2012, Alistair has since written several more books. His debut solo novel, The Crimson Corset, a vampiric tale of terror and seduction, was an immediate bestseller which earned praise from veteran vampire-lit author, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and New York Times bestseller, Jay Bonansinga, author of The Walking Dead series. In 2012, Alistair joined forces with international bestselling author, Tamara Thorne, and as Thorne & Cross, they write, among other things, the successful Gothic series, The Ravencrest Saga. Their debut collaboration, The Cliffhouse Haunting, reached the bestseller’s list in its first week of release. Learn more about Alistair at: http://alistaircross.com
Books by Alistair Cross
The Angel Alejandro
The Crimson Corset
The Book of Strange Persuasions
Sleep, Savannah, Sleep (Release Date 9/25/17)
Social Media Links:
Website: www.alistaircross.com
Blog: www.alistaircross.wordpress.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/crossalistair
Twitter: @CrossAlistair
Amazon: www.amazon.com/Alistair-Cross/e/B00N446AZS
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/6517308.Alistair_Cross
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/alistaircross
Tamara Thorne
Tamara Thorne’s first novel was published in 1991. Since then she has written many more, including international bestsellers Haunted, Bad Things, Moonfall, and The Sorority. Tamara’s interest in writing is lifelong, as is her fascination with the paranormal, occult, mythology and folklore. She’s been an avid ghost story collector and writer all her life. Tamara’s novels range from straight-out ghost stories to tales of witchcraft, conspiracies, UFOs, elemental forces, and vampires. No matter what topic she chooses, chances are you’ll find a ghost or two lurking in the background. Today, she and her frequent collaborator, Alistair Cross, share their worlds and continue to write about ghosts and other mysterious forces. Whether collaborating or writing solo, there is no shortage of humor, sex, blood, and spookiness. Learn more about her at: http://tamarathorne.com
Books by Tamara Thorne
Candle Bay
Eternity
Haunted
Moonfall
The Sorority
Bad Things
The Forgotten
Thunder Road
Social Media Links:
Website: www.tamarathorne.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/tamara.thorne
Twitter: @tamarathorne
Blog: www.tamarathorne.wordpress.com
Amazon: www.amazon.com/Tamara-Thorne/e/B000APIVGK
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/13726.Tamara_Thorne
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/tamarathorne
Google Plus: www.plus.google.com/u/0/100216245073375890510
Thorne & Cross
In collaboration, Thorne & Cross have written The Cliffhouse Haunting, The Ghosts of Ravencrest, and Mother, as well as the ongoing Ravencrest Saga, a serialization with new installments appearing every four to six weeks. They are currently at work on their next solo novels and a new collaborative project, and whether writing individually or as a team, neither has any intention of slowing down anytime soon.
In 2014, Alistair and Tamara began the internet radio show, Thorne & Cross: Haunted Nights LIVE!, which premiered to great acclaim and has featured such guests as Chelsea Quinn Yarbro of the Saint-Germain vampire series, Charlaine Harris of the Southern Vampire Mysteries and basis of the HBO series True Blood, Jeff Lindsay, author of the Dexter novels that inspired the hit television series, Jay Bonansinga of The Walking Dead series, Laurell K. Hamilton of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter novels, Peter Atkins, author and screenwriter of HELLRAISER 2, 3, and 4, worldwide bestseller V.C. Andrews, and New York Times best sellers Preston and Child, Christopher Rice, Jonathan Maberry, and Christopher Moore.
Books by Thorne & Cross
Mother
The Cliffhouse Haunting
The Ghosts of Ravencrest
The Witches of Ravencrest
Darling Girls (Release Date November, 2017)
Five Nights in a Haunted Cabin (Non-Fiction)
Social Media Links:
Blog: www.thorneandcross.wordpress.com
Twitter: @thornecross
Facebook – Thorne & Cross: Haunted Nights LIVE!: www.facebook.com/Thorne-Cross-Haunted-Nights-LIVE
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/16798781.Thorne_and_Cross
Reading Nook 