Friday, October 29, 2010

Friday Friend Pauline Holyoak

Paranormal Suspense Author – Pauline Holyoak

Merryweathger Lodge – Ancient Revenge…”A supernatural thriller that keeps you on the edge.” A perfect read for the Halloween season!

About me….

I grew in Southeast England, in a mining village my husband calls, “The place that time forgot.” I came to Canada as a nanny, when I was 21. This vast and majestic country has served me well, but England will always be home. I live in Alberta (western Canada) with my sports crazy husband, adorable Sheltie dog and cantankerous ginger cat. We have two grown children. I love this part of the country, except for the winters. It can be a chilly minus -30 for days on end. Burr…..
Every summer, when I was a child, we would visit my aunt and uncle at their quaint little cottage on Salisbury Plain. It was called Scotland Lodge and was situated not far from the historical Stonehenge. My uncle worked as a farm hand for the local squire. My aunt tended the manor house. It was there as I roamed free, deep within the English countryside, that I experienced joy, enchantment and some very strange and frightening occurrences. It was like a fairytale kingdom with a sinister twist. The memories of my summers at Scotland Lodge have stayed with me as a sort of nagging unsolved mystery all my life. A few years ago I revisited my childhood wonderland (the old place still emanates a strange and eerie essence) and was lead by some mysterious force into concocting this story and writing this book. It is from my mystifying experiences at Scotland Lodge that this book has emerged.

My life has been a fascinating journey so far but nothing compares to my mystifying summer holidays at Scotland Lodge.

Book blurb…..

When Emily Fletcher meets the gorgeous Jonathan McArthur she is infatuated and consumed with passion. Will he go with her to the dreaded wood-lot, to remove the bloody ancient curse, before it’s too late? In the first half of my story Emily is fourteen years old. In the second half she is forced to return to the cottage, at the age of twenty. My novel contains elements of horror, humor, fantasy, romance and sex. I have created a world into which my readers can escape and an atmosphere that will evoke their imagination, stir their emotions and engage their senses.

Excerpt….

“It was the 31st of October. The day I had dreaded for the past week. I loved this time of year as a child; the thrill of dressing up in scary costumes, carving jack-o-lanterns and going trick or treating door to door. Spooky decorations adorned our homes, both inside and out. The trees were bare, piles of brittle brown leaves lay on the lawns, inviting little ones to run and jump. The air was crisp and cold, and sometimes the odd snow flake would fall, signaling the long cold winter ahead. Skye’s mom spent weeks making her the best costume, and it was always something incredibly gruesome. I always wore store bought costumes and had to go as a princess or fairy. I wish that Skye was here with me now. She’d know exactly what to do and wouldn’t be a nervous wreck, like me. Besides Christmas, Halloween was my favorite time of year; but there were no signs of little ghosts and goblins, jack-o-lanterns, or celebrating at Merryweather Lodge, only the rustling of half naked trees and the gloom and foreboding of the cool autumn air. I reach for my journal…If I don’t come out of this alive I leave you, my confident, to my best friend Skye. She is the only one who will understand the content of your pages. I am scared, so utterly scared.”




Merryweather Lodge – A quaint little cottage, steeped in history, shrouded in secrets, its aura a paradoxical essence of heaven and hell. Go into this book if you dare and experience my protagonist’s strange and eerie journey there…. . Available at www.whiskeycreekpress.com

Thank you Margaret, for letting me share this with you and your friends. Come visit me at www.paulineholyoak.com

(My profound apologies, Pauline. I was not able to upload your picture or your cover. Grrr.
Ana)

6 comments:

  1. I also apologize for posting this later than I was supposed to.

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  2. Pauline, this post is perfect for this Halloween eve. I've ordered Merryweather Lodge-Ancient Revenge, and can't wait to read it.

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  3. Welcome Pauline, so exciting to read about your novel, it sounds thrilling.

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  4. Hi Pauline,

    It does sound like you have the perfect Halloween story!

    I was in England while I was in college (way back when), but never made it to Stonehedge. I wish we would have been able to swing over there.

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  5. Thank you for your kind words. Debra,Stonehenge is a must, if you ever go back to England...

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  6. Best wishes for success with the book. It does sound appropriate for the season.

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