Tag: Haunted

Book Review | “Haunted” (Book No.1 of the Arnaud Legacy) by Lynn Carthage

Posted Monday, 31 October, 2016 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review Banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Book By: Winning the bookaway attached to #HistoricalFix (see Info) when we talked about Cosy Horror & Historical Fiction stories – of which Haunted was one of the featured stories! The chat took place on 20th of October, 2015 and yielded a HUGE List of Next Reads suggested by everyone who took part in the chat itself! Cat Winters and Katherine Howe also attended giving me such a wicked awesome chat to participate inside as I have been wanting to read Howe & Winters for awhile! Ms Carthage and I enjoyed meeting up as well, due to our like-minded interests. The books given away during the chat are part of the fun and are always unexpected as they are essay-based where you have to respond to Questions; best replies win.

I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein nor was I obligated to post a review on behalf of “Haunted”. I am posting this review for my own personal edification after having enjoyed reading the story.

A bit of a backstory:

Originally, when I first caught sight of the Haunted blog tour being adverted as an upcoming event this Spring 2015, there was a strong draw for me to want to participate on it! After all, I have shared my first review on reading ghost stories (The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton), joined my first Horror October, expressed why I’m a Cosy Horror Girl, shared my top favourite Classic Horror Motion Pictures, and compiled a list of book series which are definitely bent towards the paranormal! As you will see from those previous blog posts I’ve written, there are aspects of the Horror genre I never quite realised I was enthralled with myself, as I always felt I was living outside the genre completely! Sometimes it takes an event like Horror October hosted by the girls @ Oh, the Books! to set your mind straight! Laughs.

Instinctively, I hopped on Twitter to see if Ms Carthage was online (not that instant, but in general!), as I have come to appreciate finding authors I am keen on reading are participating in reader to author connections via Twitter; as it allows the readers (such as I) to ask pertinent questions which might arise out of reading a book synopsis or an excerpt (if one is available). What followed was a happenstance conversation, where a reader enjoyed getting to know an author outside the scope of being able to read the novel! I asked a few direct questions, as I was a bit on the fence as whether or not I could read this novel as it might take me too far outside my comfort zones along the lines of what is seen or unseen in the novel itself.

I’m definitely *the Cosy Horror Girl* at heart, as I have to weigh what I want to read with what I can handle as I have a sensitive heart. Always feeling being honest about this upfront is best, I did share my concerns, and as we talked a bit more about Haunted and our personal likes in books, I decided I truly felt I would love to interview Ms Carthage in lieu of reading the book for her blog tour! The elements of the paranormal within the series is still keenly intriguing to me, and there was a heap about the setting and atmosphere she stitched into it which lit my imagination aflame with curiosity!

The book cover art alone has all the lovely bits I appreciate about what can be considered an epic Gothic suspense, as you have the house barely seen through the misty fog, the young protagonist’s field of vision not focused on what is in front of her but what is unseen to the side, and the colour dimensions give it a purely haunting feel, encouraging your will to want to read this in order to see where the layers enfold and retreat from what is visually representative in the art itself!

Therefore, I am quite happy to bring to you, dear hearts, the conversation I pulled together out of inspiration from our original twitterverse convo intermixed with bits and bobbles I discovered about her book series whilst composing my thoughts on this interview! I hope you enjoy the conversation!

-originally shared on my Interview with Ms Carthage

However, this wasn’t the end of my connection with the book, the series or the author! We honestly liked talking to each other, not just in the interview but in the twitterverse, too! As the moons aligned, guess what happened?! We both found ourselves happily engaged inside the #HistoricalFix chats hosted by Ms McCabe (of the novel I Shall Shall Be Near to You) wherein we were participating in a chat that felt like it was primed to be exactly set for readers like us who love cosing up to a wicked Gothic story where hauntings, the supernatural and everything that makes you feel spooky are par for course!

I should say, the #HistoricalFix chats have become my tribe of like-minded bookish souls who hunger for captivating next reads, challenging historical fiction and stories that will tuck themselves into our hearts. We chat as if we’ve known each other for centuries rather than a mere year or so, where we only gather each quarter to chat up our latest reads, decipher the latest releases that have charmed our curiosities and exchange all the bookish delights you’d find at a book club!

Snippets of last October’s #HistoricalFix are captured below, along with the convo I had with Ms Carthage about her novel and Cosy Horror in general! ENJOY!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

(tweets to return soon)

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Something quite wicked happened during that particular #HistoricalFix – I changed my opinion about not reading HAUNTED and dearly wanted to read it afterall! This is why I participated in the essay-based bookaway challenge to see if I could add my hat to the mix! I was truly overjoyed and quite shocked I had won – it was one of the happiest moments truly, as it was such a lovely capstone to the chat! I had wanted to read the book soon after I had found it in my postbox, however, time and tides had a way of working against me last year – to where I took great care to make sure HAUNTED was part of my #HalloweenReads in 2016!

Lest I mention, the author enscribed a note to me in the book on Halloween, 2015!? The very day one year later I pick it up to read having forgotten she had done that!? SPOOKY!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Notation on Cover Art Design: I immediately loved what the cover evoked about the setting, the Gothic nature of the tale and the way in which you can be haunted in a hauntingly ethereal setting! I also started to notice the girl on the cover was being featured on other books as well; something I had mentioned to the author. Apparently others had noticed too, which is why there was a big celebration of sorts about this girl and her hair recently that drew attention not only to HAUNTED but two other novels who featured her. One thing I liked even more than the exterior design is the interior mirror that graces the chapter pages! There is something about that design and the way in which it presents itself that just felt ‘authentic’ to this story!

Book Review | “Haunted” (Book No.1 of the Arnaud Legacy) by Lynn CarthageHaunted
Subtitle: The Arnaud Legacy

Sixteen-year-old Phoebe Irving has traded life in San Francisco for her stepfather’s ancestral mansion in rural England. It’s supposed to be the new start her family needs. But from the moment she crosses the threshold into the ancient estate, Phoebe senses something ominous. Then again, she’s a little sensitive lately—not surprising when her parents are oblivious to her, her old life is six thousand miles away, and the only guy around is completely gorgeous but giving her mixed messages.

But at least Miles doesn’t laugh at Phoebe’s growing fears. And she can trust him…maybe. The locals whisper about the manor’s infamous original owner, Madame Arnaud, and tell grim stories of missing children and vengeful spirits. Phoebe is determined to protect her loved ones—especially her little sister, Tabby. But even amidst the manor’s dark shadows, the deepest mysteries may involve Phoebe herself…


Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 9781617736261

on 24th February, 2015

Pages: 288

Published By: Kensington Publishing Corp. ()
Available Formats: Trade Paperback, E-book

The Arnaund Legacy series:

Book 1: Haunted

Book 2: Betrayed (Synopsis)

Book 3: Avenged (Synopsis)

Read about the particulars of the series!

Converse on Twitter via: #Haunted & #arnaudlegacy

About Lynn Carthage

Lynn Carthage

Lynn Carthage is a novelist living in Sacramento, California, near where the Gold Rush launched. Under her real name, she was a Bram Stoker Award finalist. Born in Vermont, Lynn has lived in Maine, Ireland, and Arizona. She reads voraciously, loves anything French, gets “itchy feet” to travel on a regular basis, and finds peace in the woods, in meadows, in nature. She has always been fascinated by how history allows us to imagine how people of the past lived and breathed and felt.

HAUNTED is her first young adult novel, and will be followed by the next two books in the Arnaud Legacy trilogy.

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Posted Monday, 31 October, 2016 by jorielov in Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, British Literature, Castles & Estates, Coming-Of Age, Content Note, Debut Author, Debut Novel, England, Fly in the Ointment, Ghost Story, Ghosts & the Supernatural, Good vs. Evil, Gothic Literature, Gothic Mystery, Haunting & Ethereal, Indie Author, Parapsychological Gifts, Parapsychological Suspense, Sisters & the Bond Between Them, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense, Upper YA Fiction, Vulgarity in Literature, YA Fantasy, YA Paranormal &/or Paranormal Romance

Day Two: Bout of Books, 8.0! The Ghosts have arrived!

Posted Tuesday, 20 August, 2013 by jorielov , , , , 1 Comment

Bout of Books Readathon
Day Two: Bout of Books, 8.0.

Day Two: Haunted {Book One: Ghost Harrison series}
by Heather Graham

Book Gifted By: Mum and Da gave me this unbelievable SURPRISE for my twentytenth birthday: all the published books within this particular series as available at the moment of my birthday!

A Most Curious Series: Originally, I thought this series was specifically called “the Ghost series” or “Ghost Harrison series”, yet I’ve seen it mentioned as “Harrison Investigation series” as well! The best way to sort through which books to read is to check out the author’s page on Fantastic Fiction! Whereupon I learnt the proper order of this series which simply captivates me! I believe due to the way the interactions are set up inside this series where those who are living are being asked to help those who are in-between, led me to become enamored with Ghost Whisperer starring Jennifer Love Hewitt the Summer of 2012.

All the books gifted to me for my twentytenth birthday:

  1. Haunted
  2. Ghost Walk*
  3. The Vision
  4. The Seance
  5. The Dead Room*
  6. The Death Dealer
  7. Deadly Night
  8. Deadly Harvest
  9. Deadly Gift

Therein lies the bit of confusion for me which I’ve finally begun to unravel, as you see, books 7-9 are actually a sub-trilogy called: Flynn Brothers! The actual next book past “The Death Dealer” is “Unhallowed Ground”, followed by “Nightwalker”.

I have been on Ms. Graham’s main website as well over the years, sorting through the book descriptions and noting which books are being published on a similar vein that might in effect be a continuation of the originals OR might be a new foray into the same general arena. Which is why, aside from the aforementioned “Unhallowed Ground” and “Nightwalker”, I want to gather these as well:

Bone Island: Ghost Shadow, Ghost Night, Ghost Moon, and Ghost Memories.

Krewe of Hunters: Phantom Evil, Heart of Evil, Sacred Evil, The Evil Inside, The Unseen, The Unholy, The Unspoken, The Uninvited, The Night is Watching, The Night is Alive, The Night is Forever,…

Motivation to Read: For reasons beyond any of my logical conclusions, the clock has shifted forward a few years, and I am still at a loss to understand why I haven’t progressed into this wicked sweet series! Therefore, without willing to waste time fretting about when or why I haven’t read the ghost series, I have included book one in my Bout of Books challenge!

Tuesday — The Ghosts have arrived!

Number of Pages Devoured | Out of: 111 | 379

Tally of Pages Read Thus Far: 159

Books in Progress | continuing onward | happily consumed: 2 | 2 | 0

A six word summary of today’s reading: not every ghost is without malevolence

Best Chapter: too early to speculate. at least there is a bit of humanness in the Sheriff; as i nearly lost all hope for him!

Favourite Character: Darcy, for sure! Although, Penny comes in a close second! I love strong women who know who they are and haven’t always had an easy road in life but feel strongly in what they do, and are determined to contribute something rather positive in life. Penny is an Aunt you wished you had with a cleverly open-mind!

Challenge Participation? not today.

Bout of Books blogs I visited: i honestly didn’t get the proper chance after all! i need to work on making amends on the morrow as i lost too many hours today! :(

Tick Tock, there goes the clock:

03:00a-3:30p: [consumed by unwellness, sleep took over!] i refuse to get down about succumbing to how physically unwell i have felt between last night & now. i saw the silver lining: now i have become better rested and most likely will be in a better place to get rolling with the rest of the Bout! thankfully, a good [12 hour!] rest appears to have cured my ills! :) :)

3:40p-?: [updating JLAS!] making my Bout’er blog rounds! checking out the Challenge of the Day! reading shall follow lateron!

|| I *love!* iHeartRadio! ||

[ramblings: 5:15p] The song: ‘Wake Me Up” by Avicii is super-encouraging & inspiring! I am loving the ability to listen to radio stations nationwide + throughout Canada! :) Ooh, my favourite is on!! “Ho Hey” by the Lumineers!! :) :) Hope everyone is having a good day!! Mine is looking up, despite the looming thunderstorm trying to make a hedge through the sunshine! Boston! Chicago! Vancouver! Hawaii! Dallas/Ft. Worth! Radio rocks my world! :) :) Oy, I shouldn’t have held off so long from going to iHeartRadio! I was just so disappointed in Pandora half an age ago, I didn’t want to set myself up again! :/

6:00p-6:30p: [long break] previous engagement: LIVE Author Chat via Booktalk Nation! Robyn Carr will be the guest!! :) :) i nearly missed this! i was logged onto the site at exactly 5:59!!! talk about cutting it close! i cannot wait to blog about this experience, as it will be my 3rd Booktalk Nation event! if you go to my “Topics, Genres, & Subjects” in the left sidebar [right below the Comments!] you’ll be able to track my experiences with Booktalk by clicking on: Booktalk Nation OR Live Author Events!! i love cross-referencing this blog!! :) :)

7:05p-8:13p: [dinner!] yummy 3-topping pizza special: loaded with onions, fresh spinach, & mushrooms! it was beyond YUM! plus, coconut, caramel, & chocolate bits yogurt ice cream! seriously, i was over the MOON for dinner!!

9:00p-10:00p: [Rizzoli & Isles] what can I say!? between the thunderstorms threatening outside, and my clear lack of focus since i woke up, i decided i best watch the new episode verse skipping it! i didn’t fully get into this until the start of the Summer Season (2013)!! imagine!? i used to watch Law & Order, so i am familiar with Harmon; and I currently cannot get enough of NCIS; still bothers me something fierce how Kate died! :( (ie: Isles was Kate in NCIS) what can i say? i love ensemble casts with ‘family’ at the heart! ooh, and did anyone else smile when they realised that Dalton (ie: MacGyver’s best friend!) is in this, too!! :) :)

| UPDATE: by far i never thought i’d say this but they are pushing the tolerance envelope for me; as far as what i am willing to accept. i quite literally boycotted tonight’s episode but returned for the last 10 minutes, whereupon i learnt the sad news that the man who played “Frost” [Lee Thompson Young] had passed!! I was beyond shocked! Thinking something rather tragic and sudden must have befell him — car accident or such. I am just not that fortunate: he committed suicide on Monday; the very day the series was renewed for a fifth season! :( :( I knew! that he was familiar to me, but I never could remember to look him up online; he played Jett Jackson, in Disney’s 1998 series “The Famous Jett Jackson”. Nearly every actor I grew up with and followed their career is in the grave. Most of whom committed suicide. I am beginning to wonder what is happening to young people in Hollywood. I felt gutted and anguished at the same time. :( :( So many lights have been extinguished. I grieve their loss and I pray for strength for their families. I even met one of these actors, years ahead of taking his life. He was full of life, light, and humour. I still remember his effervescent smile. I nearly had the chance to meet Mr. Young. 29 years old. Is too young to die, but is far too young to take one’s life. I read the cast was devastated and that production was halted. He was beloved on set and that gave me a bit of peace. Shakes head. My heart is heavy and I am not going to watch Rizzoli & Isles ever again.

Nor any show that chooses to cross the line. I grew up on murder mysteries, both in literature & film, but these days!? There is something rather brutal and sinister in the portrayals. Its darker than ever before and I am taking back the choice to switch my Tuesdays to “Who Do You Think You Are?” which is now featured on TLC, as they resurrected the series! Thank heavens, because I could use some light-hearted historical hunting mysteries about finding out your ancestral roots whilst travelling to the most unexpected places!Tea and Book badge provided by Squeesome Designs and used with permission.

10:00p-2a: READING! No, seriously, I am!! :) :) i am settling into “Haunted” with the faint rumblings of thunder now subsiding out of view, with a cuppa tea to warm me as i enter the chilling world of ghosts and the humans they need to aide them!! As I expected it to, Haunted didn’t fail to disappoint me in being one of the chilling stories where there are certain ghosts who are not willing to be helped nor are they able to explain what is wrong. I am settling into the pace of the story, whilst thinking about the potential history of any house over 50 years old; 100, 150, 200 at least in America; far more years stretch in the homes across the Pond, esp in England where you can get property from the 16th century! I am not sure where the story is taking me, but I am enjoying seeing the differences in the characters and the curious mystery behind Adam Harrison; the very man behind Harrison Investigations, which is the root of the heart of the series this book started. Originally published in 2003, I am reading it exactly 10 years later! Enjoyed a cuppa hot tea!

Reflections shortly after the ending is revealed:

Review: ? to be revealed later! ?

{NOTE: I actually originally read “Ghost Walk” through my local library, and thus went on to gather the rest of the series as known to me at the time {including starting “The Dead Room”} through our local branches as well as ILL’ing a few as well! What surprised me the most is that I couldn’t read one book past “Ghost Walk” because each book was tainted by the permeation of smoke! I have the most ghastly allergies which made it impossible to continue! This is why the gift my parents gave me was doubly sweet and appreciated! I have never again encountered this issue either as I regularly borrow books from my local library as much as through ILL’ing!}

All the posts interlinked to *Bout of Books, 8.0* are a work-in-progress post! Therefore, what you read on one visit, might alter/change or be added to by the time you swing back!!

{SOURCES: Bout of Books Badge created by Jorie in Canva to give readers & visitors who come to her blog a way to know of its existence and therefore increasing the mystery & lore surrounding it!! Seriously wicked bookish badges {entirely FREE!} provided by Squeesome Designs!}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.

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Posted Tuesday, 20 August, 2013 by jorielov in Bout of Books, Civil War Era (1861-1865), Modern Day, Parapsychological Suspense, Revolutionary War Era