BOOK NOOK; The Whistling by Rebecca Netley

"And then, through the silence, the widows' whistle began to whine and a shape emerged, one that seemed cut out of something blacker than the night itself."

The Whistling has been on my TBR list for almost a year now, but I wanted to save it for the spooky season.  It is a wonderful novel, full of mystery and suspense.  Even better, this book is set in the 1800's, on a fictional Scottish island called Skelthsea, in a tumbling old manor house called Iskar.  It has all the wild weather of the Highlands and Islands, being very atmospheric in its descriptive passages, successfully transporting me from Yorkshire, to the wilds of Scotland as I read.

It tells the story of Elspeth, a young women recently bereaved of her father and sister and now all alone in the world. She moves to Iskar from Edinburgh, to take up the position of nanny to Mary, a nine year old girl who's twin brother has recently died. Their former nanny has disappeared, seemingly running off into the night, leaving the children to the care of their neglectful aunt. So Elspeth is eager to offer comfort to her sad young charge. 

She views Iskar and Skelthsea as a fresh start, perhaps even the possibility of a new adopted family, so she is keen to fit in and make friends on the island.  However, as with most parts of the Highlands and Islands, the locals do not take kindly to strangers, not even the new nanny.  The maid, Greer, is openly hostile and the islanders are full of gossip, claiming that young Mary is in league with the devil and that no nanny can save her from her wicked ways. Furthermore, Mary hasn't spoken a word since the death of her brother, so Elspeth has her work cut out trying to win her trust and build a bond with her. 

This is a novel full of wild storms and howling winds rattling Victorian window panes; of malevolent witchcraft and sinister haunting; of superstitions and isolation.  It explores the damage malicious gossip can do within the small community of a tiny island, because where people suspect witchcraft, surely there must be a witch to hold accountable, even if the suspected witch is just a child? Elspeth has to protect Mary from these rumors and superstitions, and get her to talk or else she is likely to be sent to an asylum on the mainland. 

At it's heart, this is a novel about grief and loss and being haunted by the past.  Who is the lady who stalks the corridors of Iskar at night, singing lullabies? What is the meaning of the high, fluting whistling that wings its way to the house on the wind from the stone circle of Fiaclach? As both Espeth and Mary deal with their personal griefs in different ways, the mystery unfolds around them and the various secrets of Skethsea Island begin to come to light.  

The Whistling is a glorious Gothic novel, part mystery-thriller, part ghost story, it rattles along at a good pace. If you like the novels of Laura Purcell, or you enjoy reading books such as The Haunting Season, or The Lighthouse Witches, then I think you will like The Whistling.  It is the perfect Scottish ghostly tale to snuggle under the covers with this Halloween night! Whatever you are doing this evening, have a blessed Samhain 🎃

BB Marie x

AD: This book was sent to me by the publisher for the purposes of review. It is available now in both hard cover, audio and digital formats. 

BOOK NOOK; The Creeper by A M Shine

"The best storytellers worked the shadows when they spoke. And the night was never so dark than when they let that silence linger, inviting all ears to lean in that bit closer. Theirs was a craft honed through generations..."

I have spent a very spooky Sunday immersed in this wonderful Gothic novel, The Creeper and I have enjoyed every second!  I read the novel in one sitting, because I just couldn't put it down.  It gripped me from the opening pages and wouldn't let me go until the final horrific sentence. 

The book is set in Ireland and has deep roots in Irish folklore.  The author is Irish too and so reading his work is akin to listening to a master storyteller, with his natural Celtic flare for atmosphere and the mysterious.  I just loved it. I love his writing style, which is poetic, lyrical and literary, like the Gothic novels of the Victorian era.  

It's a difficult book to review without giving too much away, but it is basically about the legend of the Creeper, who stalks his victims for three nights, before murdering them on the fourth night.  When two graduates are invited to investigate this legend for a large fee, they think they have struck gold. They have no idea that they will spend the rest of their days looking over their shoulders, or how their wealthy benefactor fits into the nightmare.

As the title would suggest, this novel is seriously creepy! It reminded me a little of the movie The Village. It has that same kind of mysterious little town that is lost in time and frozen in fear of an unknown monster, creeping around in the dark.  At the same time, it has some lovely domestic details, especially the descriptions of the wealthy benefactor's study, which is the place where he hides, tucked away safely, hidden from all the danger. This offers the reader some much needed respite from the chilling suspense. It makes you wish you were in the study too, safe from the Creeper.

"The study's every aspect was warm and comforting, like a candle in a crimson room. Lighting was soft and a glossed mahogany prevailed throughout its fixtures and fittings. The shutters were hidden behind heavy burgundy curtains..." 

There were some twists and turns in the plot that I didn't see coming, which always nice. I do like to be surprised by a spooky book and this one definitely had me on the edge of my seat. I loved the ending, which tied everything up neatly and was extremely satisfying.  All in all I would say that reading The Creeper has been a very eerie way to spend a chilly October day and as we edge ever closer to Samhain, this is the perfect book to read at this time of year. I have enjoyed it so much that I have immediately purchased another novel by this author called The Watchers, which I'm going to start reading right away.  I just can't get enough of A M Shine's spine-chilling world building! 

Both The Creeper and The Watchers are currently available to download on Kindle for just 99p.  So on this crisp autumn day, treat yourself to a cup of hot chocolate and a spooky new book, from an authentic and original Gaelic storyteller. Happy Reading!

BB Marie x

AD; This book was sent to me by the publisher for the purposes of review. It is available now in hardcover, digital and audio formats. 

 

WRITER'S DREAM; My First Oracle Card Deck!!

 

A few days ago my very first oracle card deck was published! This project has been a long time coming. I have always wanted to create my very own deck of cards and it has been an ambition of mine since I was first published back in the mid-1990's.  As a Mind, Body, Spirit author, it always felt like a logical step for me to take. However, although lots of my fellow authors were lucky enough to publish card decks, the opportunity never came to me and I had pretty much given up on the idea and let it go.

They say that if you want something badly, you should let it go and it will come to you when you least expect it and that is exactly what happened. I released the idea of a card deck and considered it to be no more than a pipe-dream, not a realistic ambition. Fast forward five years later, with the Masters degree now under my belt, and out of the blue my new editor wanted to know how I felt about possibly creating a card deck?! I felt ecstatic!

After some toing and froing, several emails later we came up with a concept that we were all happy with.  I say all, because these decisions have to be signed off by the money-men in suits, who weigh up the financial risks and benefits of every commission, so it wasn't just up to me and my editor.  I hoped I'd done enough with the synopsis proposal, but I didn't dare to get my hopes up until the contract was actually signed and sealed and the commission was official.  

Then I set to work writing and I have to say that it was the most fun project to work on!  I love it when I get the chance to write in a way that is new to me, to cover something fresh and bold, or in a completely different way.  Although I have obviously written about the moon hundreds of times over the years, creating an oracle deck that reflected her beauty, magic, mystery and power was one of the great privileges of my writing career so far.  It was definitely right up there with composing and recording my pagan album MoonChants, which was another dream come true. 

I loved every minute of the writing process. Each day, I would light scented candles, play my ambient Fireside DVD and curl up with my laptop, inventing new cards, card spreads and interpretations for each of the fifty cards.  I felt like I was writing much more intuitively and could allow my creativity free rein, because this deck did not even exist - I was inventing it as I wrote.  Of course, this is true for any creative writing project, but the process of writing a deck of cards brought that fact home to me in a way that writing a book never really has. Writing books, features and columns is just what I do. I've done it for years.  I don't take that for granted, but it is just a part of who I am. This felt like doing something more, something with even greater magic attached.

I wanted to create a deck that was unlike the other Moon decks that are on the market, which are very astrology based in concept and design. I wanted to create something that was totally unique to me as a writer, so obviously I drew on my own experiences. Some of the most memorable moons I have witnessed are the ones I've seen when in the Scottish Highlands, so I brought them into the deck with cards such as Moon Stag, Unicorn Moon and Taking the Moonlight. The lunar phase is obviously represented, alongside Blue, Black and Super Moons, but so too are more whimsical notions such as Wish Maker, Quick Silver and Star Child.  The result is an enchanting deck of cards, featuring such beautiful imagery I literally cried when the proofs came through. 

Sometimes I feel like I have to pinch myself, because this is what I do for a living. It doesn't feel like work at all and I know how fortunate I am to be able to say that I love what I do.  Just as before when I wrote for Foulsham, the opportunities are coming thick and fast and I could not be happier.  My life has gone from contentedness to super-magical in a very short space of time. It certainly proves that you should never give up on your dreams!

I hope that you will like the card deck I have created. It feels very surreal to be writing about it's release out into the wild, but magic often feels surreal when it manifests.  It was  fantastic start to this year's spooky season and it is lovely to think that people will be casting readings with my cards this Samhain and beyond.  That's just amazing! 

As soon as I sent the completed project into my publisher I cheekily added the words "This was so much fun!When can we do it again?" to my email.  Well, I am thrilled to report that I am already in the very midst of doing it again and while I cannot say any more than that yet, rest assured that there will be another oracle deck coming from me in the future! So if the Moon isn't your vibe, maybe the new deck will be more to your taste.  You'll have to wait and see though, as I am sworn to secrecy! 

In the meantime, my editor was recently kind enough to send me copies of the American editions of my other new books, which are very pretty - as are the UK versions too, I might add. It is always interesting to see how different markets determine the artistic representations on the book covers. Just look at that foil triquetra! I am in love! You can tell the USA is the home of the Charmed Ones! Personally, I am just glad that my work is still popular and still being commissioned and published, but I do appreciate the amount of work involved behind the scenes, to make my projects a success.  I work with a great team. 

So it is proving to be the kind of autumn and dark season that I always dreamt of. I have a productive writing business and I feel very valued in my work and by my team.  I have my full autonomy back in place, which is much better for my health and the Chronic Fatigue isn't quite as bad, though I do still need to live a low-energy lifestyle. I am enjoying fabulous rides in the woods, watching the forest take on the hues of autumn and galloping through the mud and the trees, which is fabulously hair-raising!

Plus of course, I now have music lessons and new pieces of music to learn and practice each week.  I've got into the habit of practicing by candlelight in the evenings, which is so cosy. I love spending time at my piano, especially now that I can hear that I am making progress. Maybe one day I will play the music for my own pagan songs and release another album, who knows? It's just nice to have a life filled with books, writing, music and horses. 

I hope that this autumn is all that you dream of too. Remember that it is in the moments when you let go, that the magic happens! 

Serene Blessings

Marie x