Blake
Manor
by Maghen
Connolly
Date of Publication: August 23rd 2019
Cover Artist: Michael Weick
Genre: Supernatural Fiction
Tagline: Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it.
BLURB
Be careful what you wish for, you just might find it...
Kyra Blake just wanted the answers to who her mother was before she was born. What kind of family she was a part of. With her mother's untimely death years ago, she thought those were answers she would never receive, until a phone call changed her life. She discovers from one phone call, three things. A town deep in the backwoods of Maine that her mother was raised in. Within that town a house she never knew her family owned. All left to her by an uncle she never knew existed. Finally, she will discover, along this trip to the deep parts of Maine, not only who her mother was, but who she truly is as well. She will learn of a legacy that she cannot escape, one covered in mystery, shrouded in blood, and fated from the moment she took her first breath.
She wants answers, well she's about to get them. The only question is, can she live with what she discovers...
Within the halls of Blake Manor, secrets will feed off of you. Family secrets will be discovered, and the past is never at rest, it's just been waiting for Kyra to come home...
Excerpt:
Prologue
20 years…
It's always been
this way. 20 years of laying my head on my pillow at night just to wake up the
folliwing day exhausted and confused . A feeling of melancholy always consuming
me. It’s getting to the point that I am begging to question what’s real and
what’s just in my mind. It all comes down to those damn dreams.
20 years I’ve
dreamed of her. I don’t know her name or who she is, or if she’s even real. But
I know the gentle touch of her hand as it reaches for mine. Know the power of
her gaze as she uses there full weight to stare at me. Never once looking threw
me but looking at me as if we are long forgotten friends. I smile at her as I
always do and extend my hand towards her. Knowing that she will take it as she
always has before.
20 years and
we’ve never spoken, not one word. We just stand frozen before one another, not
being able to say the things were really feeling. Or put into words the
randomness and oddness of this recurring dream that we both seem to share. I
slowly feel myself being pulled back into the world of the living. Into the
world of reality and being pulled farther away from her. The one place even in
silence I feel completely myself. How I hate to leave her.
She smiles at me
as I begin to fade and soon wake. I can feel it almost cut into the air like a
sharp blade. The change she looks behind her for the first time into the
nothingness surrounding us. She turns back. Whipping her strawberry blonde hair
out of place. Fear grips her angelic features I can see the fear in her Light
green eyes.
‘Help Me’’.
Her voice cut
through the quiet and makes me suck in a shaky breath. So beautiful she sounds
even more so then I could have ever dreamed. This would be beautiful if I
didn’t hear the complete terror in her voice.
I stand frozen I
try to speak but it’s as if my lips are glued shut. She walks over towards me
and places her hands on either side of my face. I avert my gaze for what felt
like a mere moment but who knows how long it actually was. I see a mark on her
wrist and try to adjust my eyes to get a clearer look. A Blue butterfly
spreading out its wings is burned into her Right wrist.
A tattoo?
‘’Help me.’’.
She pleads with
me. Her eyes begin to tear I can see the look in her eyes begging me to
understand what she’s trying to say. Instead however I am left more confused
than ever.
‘‘Say Something!’’.
She screams.
I look right
into her sea green stare truly look. For the first time my lips start to
unlock.
‘‘How do I help
you? I don’t even know who you are. You’re not real just a figment of my
imagination. I wish you were real after all this time but you’re not you can’t
be so you see I can’t help you. Because you don’t exist.’’.
She smirks at my
reply.
‘‘Nothing is a
dream Alex.’’
Suddenly the
room we are standing in begins to take on a more definite shape and as my eyes
begin to adjust more to the light I notice a pale hand gripping her left
shoulder.
I walk closer
towards her
Suddenly the
Hand falls from her shoulder and a woman steps forward.
Looking no older
than me. She looks at me with identical Emerald eyes as the girl I have dreamed
about for as long as I can remember. She looks at my Dream girl and smiles a
kind knowing smile. Suddenly I am overcome with the Feeling of love and joy and
something bitter … Something I can almost taste on my tongue. Regret. She steps
closer to me and grabs my hand into hers I can feel the heart radiating from
her grip like a hot iron I moan slightly at the pain. I try to remove my hand
from hers but she’s got it tight within her own. She looks at me and smiles
like a mother would to a beloved child.
She opens her
mouth to speak and I am taken aback by how much she sounds like the young woman
next to her who I feel I have known all my life.
‘’ She’s coming home. You’ll know her the
second you see her’’
She turns her
head looking at the young woman and then back at me
‘’ But the
problem is she won’t know you so you’ll have to help her to remember’’.
‘‘Remember
what?’’.
She smiles at
pats my hand reassuringly.
‘’ Help her to
Remember You. Help her to remember who she truly is. Help her to Remember me.
But most importantly keep Her Safe Alex. We're all counting on you to keep her
safe...? To help her whatever comes ‘’
‘’ Who is
Counting on me you and who else?’’
For the first
time I can see true sadness come over her beautiful features She scowls and
downcast her eyes and I can feel the true pain whatever this is overtaking her.
She looks back
up at me
‘’ I hope for
your sake and hers you never find out that answer. Just promise me you will do
as I say.’’
I didn’t even
hesitate.
‘’ I promise.’’
I can feel
myself slowly waking up being pulled awake the image in front of me begins to
fade my dream girl has disappeared completely … All I can see now is the face
of this Other woman I hold on as hard as I can.’’
‘’ Wake up
Alex’’
‘’ What’s her
name?’’
She turns around
also noticing she is no longer with us. I see a tear slide down her cheek.She
turns back at me and right when I think I can no longer hold on I hear her
answer my question with a whisper.
‘’ Kyra’’.
I sit bolt
upright in bed trying to catch my breath and still my raging heart. None of
that has ever happened before. We’ve never spoken or asked the other for any
type of help. It was just a silly crazy dream I try to tell myself. Like all
the other nights before. My mind is once again playing cruel tricks on me.
At least that’s
what I tell myself. Suddenly I hear light pounding on my window Paine. I stand
and slowly walk over to my window and throw open the blinds. What I see shocked
me and run's my blood cold. I pinch myself almost certain it’s another dream. I
pinch myself and soon realize it can’t be I’m awake.
Something is
definitely wrong in my small town of East brook Maine. A lot of crazy things
have happened here in the past but what I see before me is certainty a first.
Waking up to a snowstorm in the middle of July.
Needless to say
I grabbed my car keys and got the hell out of there. I ran not walked to my car
and drove pajamas and all to the only person in the world that would understand
this. The only person in the world that wouldn’t think I’m crazy. My sister.
‘What the hell
is going on either I’m losing my mind which is a very real possibility I admit.
Or something really wrong is happening in East Brooke and I know in my bones it
has something to do with her.
The girl with
the Deepest green eyes I’ve ever seen.
The most beautiful
Strawberry blonde hair.
What really
takes the cake is her tattoo a butterfly. It’s the first solid thing to make me
believe she’s real and not some crazy figment of my imagination. Just when I
think I’m over analyzing the situation. Hale the size of a basketball breaks my
windows. I swerve almost completely off the road. Oh yes something is definitely wrong in East
Brooke and no matter what I’m going to find out what it is.
And as much as
I’m still in the dark about all of this I have something now that I never had
before. Something to hold onto when my mind begins to think it’s all a dream.
I have a Name…
Kyra.
Author Info
Maghen Connolly is a writer from New York born and raised in Manhattan’s West Village with her mother, father, and a very cute cat.
She has always been an avid reader. She loves to read anything she can get her hands on, but her favorite genre is mystery. She’s also a huge horror fan having grown up on all the classics. The love of the scare has helped her create some of her most interesting and complex characters over the years.
She now lives in Queens with her fiancé and 2 rescue cats, Shadow and Shade. She spends her days writing, over analyzing, watching horror movies, spending time with family, and eating some of the best food New York City has to offer.
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with Maghen Connolly
How would you describe your style of writing to someone that has never read your work?
I feel like my books are very dialogue driven. I really want the character to jump off the page and for you as the reader to get a clear view not only how they speak, but how they think and problem solve. Also I invest a lot of time trying to create characters that are themselves, flawed, as all of us are as well. I think that makes them become more relatable which is something I want all my readers to feel. I want them to read about Kyra or Alex, even Connie and say, hey, that’s me, or, I know someone exactly like that.
What are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?
For this year I would love to gain more readers and draw them into the world I’m creating with Kyra and all her friends. I would love nothing more than to continue to connect with them and build a bond that will grow with my next book. Also I’m hard at work with the sequel to Blake Manor at the moment, due out early next year.
Do you feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you?
I’ve been writing ever since I was a kid, long before I had any idea that you could do it as a career. I fell in love with creating something that was in my head and seeing it come to life on paper. I had to learn a lot, it took a lot of time and trial and error, which I’m sure I’ll still have many trial and errors in my future. So I guess it’s a combination, flowing naturally from me, but also taking work everyday to not let that passion just sit on a shelf, to have it become something that I continue to build upon, and I think I’ve started that with Blake Manor.
Do you have a character that you have been working on for a long time that still isn't quite ready, but fills you with excitement to work on the story?
Yes for sure. I have another book series after the one I’m currently working on, and I’ve been building that character in their world for awhile now. I’m very excited for the day I get to introduce her to all of you.
If you could spend one-week with 5 fictional character, who would they be?
That’s a hard question for a big reader like me but ill try to answer it best I can.
Sherlock Holmes is number one, just to sit across from him as he smokes his pipe and listen to his reasoning and work things out, would be priceless to me.
Cora Felton from the Puzzle Lady series by Parnell Hall. I would love to be friends with her and go on the best harebrained wacky adventures.
Zoey Redbird from the House of Night series. I always loved how she was different and a leader. How she stood up to the challenges. Her character was the big inspiration behind Kyra.
Hercule Poirot, definitely. I would love to solve a mystery with him.
Last but not least, Nancy Drew. I grew up reading the books, she was a huge part of my childhood, and also a reason why I started creating mysteries when I was a kid.
Where would you spend one full year, if you could go anywhere? What would you do with this time?
Honestly I would go to a cabin in the country, and swim during the summer months, to have complete quiet except for my fiance, who I would have to take along so I didn’t go crazy. In the winter I would sit by a fire and be lost with my thoughts, spending the night typing away on the keyboard as I listen to the sounds of nature outside my window. I’m born and raised in New York City, so that kind of peace and quiet sounds heavenly.
Can you share you next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details?
Yes, I’m actually working on the sequel to Blake Manor, I’m turning my first book into a series. The second book, Trials of a Witch, debuts February 2020. I’m very excited for everyone to see what’s coming next. I can guarantee a lot more action, magic, and a dash of romance.
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/meggaboo0823/
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