THE VANISHING AT CASTLE MOREAU - Jaime Jo Wright - One Free Book

Bio: Jaime Jo Wright is the author of seven novels, including Christy Award winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She’s also the Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of two novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her husband.

Jaime Jo Wright has captured audiences with her numerous thrilling and mysterious novels, including The Premonition at Withers Farm (Oct. 2022), The Souls of Lost Lake (Apr. 2022), and On the Cliffs of Foxglove Manor (2021). Featuring rich characterization and an intricate plot with just the right amount of spookiness, Wright’s latest stand-alone spotlights the curse of a dilapidated French castle.

Readers will cling to every word of this fast-paced mystery as old secrets take on new life in The Vanishing at Castle Moreau.

About the Story: In 1870, orphaned Daisy François takes a position as housemaid at a Midwestern Wisconsin castle and finds that the reclusive and eccentric Gothic authoress inside hides more than the harrowing tales in her novels. With women disappearing from the area and a legend that seems to parallel these eerie circumstances, Daisy is thrust into a web that may threaten to steal her sanity, if not her life.

In the present day, Cleo Clemmons is hired by the grandson of American aristocratic family the Tremblays to help his matriarchal grandmother face her hoarding in the dilapidated Castle Moreau. But when Cleo uncovers more than just the woman’s stashes of collectibles, a century-old mystery of disappearance, insanity, and the dust of the old castle’s curse threaten to rise again, and this time, leave no one alive to tell the sordid tale.

Fan-favorite Jaime Jo Wright draws readers into a seamlessly woven dual-time tale of suspense, mystery, romance, and redemption.

Welcome to my blog, Jaime. Can you tell us a little bit about your new novel The Vanishing at Castle Moreau? The story of Castle Moreau spans a century and a half, its mystery surrounding the vanishing of many women through the course of these years. As the past and present come together to uncover the castle’s secrets, the remnants of legacy left by the women who have disappeared there begin to haunt the current day. All of it culminates in a twisting, mind-bending end, and the true nature of Castle Moreau is not at all what it claims to be.

One of the main characters in the story is the castle itself. What gave you the idea to center this story on a castle shrouded in mystery? There are stories of American castles, built on a smaller scale, that are supposedly haunted. Couple that research with the legendary biography of Elizabeth Bathory, who is known as one of the world’s earliest female serial killers, and the women who vanished behind her castle walls, I was inspired to come up with my own twist for the sake of spooky fiction. And who doesn’t love a haunted castle and the dark shadows that lie within it?

What was your favorite timeline to write, the historical or the contemporary, and why? It’s always a toss-up for me. Once I think I’ve discovered I prefer one timeline, then the story evolves and I develop a penchant for the other. Although, in this novel, there’s a first-person element set in the early 1800s, and I will admit that I enjoyed writing those scenes the most.

What inspired your love for all things Gothic? Considering I was quite the fraidy-cat as a child, I’m not entirely sure! But I loved the secrets around old antiques, abandoned buildings, and forgotten things. I believed they always had a story just aching to be told. After reading classic literature like Jane Eyre, it became evident to me that romance and history merging with the bleakness of soul and the hope of faith was going to be my perfect equation for bookish joy.

How do you approach crafting a spooky story that captivates readers without overwhelming them with fear? I think it’s a balancing act. What frightens me may be horrifying for some readers, and what I don’t find scary at all, some readers have indicated were my most terrifying moments in the books. So, most of it is learning the limits of how far I can take it before readers enter the DNF zone. I also want to wrap up my stories with elements of hope and faith rather than leave readers in the darkness, and I think this helps to offset the fright. That and knowing there’s a Scooby-Doo explanation for everything as well.

What are some of the themes you hope readers pick up on in this story and why did you choose these to ground your novel? This book’s theme was overwhelmingly one of refuge. And without saying too much to give away the secrets too early, I found that the women in Castle Moreau were all in need of that sanctuary that is a harbor for a broken soul. I think as women we can be consumed by brokenness and abuse, and through it we long to catch sight of a refuge—have the hope of a refuge—and eventually find it.

Can you share what you’re working on next? Absolutely! I am currently working on my next release for October of 2023 titled The Lost Boys of Barlowe Theater. It’s a story that is based loosely around the Al Ringling Theater in Wisconsin—of the renowned Ringling Brothers history—and ghost stories that have circulated there for years. Of course, I throw my own fictionalized elements and twists into the story, and Barlowe Theater definitely takes on a life of its own. But it’s been so fun to write about early Vaudeville and delve into the schisms created by the economics of our systems, and how the downtrodden and the endowed interact throughout history.

How can readers connect with you? My website is the best place to find me! All my social media links are there! jaimewrightbooks.com. I also host a weekly podcast, where I chat with other authors about their stories and the deep themes in their books. You can find all of my MadLit Musings podcast episodes on my website as well.

Thank you, Jaime, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. As a teenager, I developed a love of gothic novels, then later I stopped reading them, because I became used to the faith element in the stories I read. I’m eager to read this one.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/Vanishing-at-Castle-Moreau-ebook/dp/B0B6PZXXFS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=PXI78QESV0SW&keywords=the+vanishing+at+castle+moreau+jaime+jo+wright&qid=1680623650&s=books&sprefix=The+Vanishing+at+Castle+Moreau%2Cstripbooks%2C104&sr=1-1

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com 

THE PREMONTION AT WITHERS FARM - Jaime Jo Wright - One Free Book

Bio: Christy and Carol Awards–winning author Jaime Jo Wright has captured audiences with her numerous thrilling and mysterious novels, including The Souls of Lost Lake (Apr. 2022), On the Cliffs of Foxglove Manor (2021), and The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus (2020). Featuring rich characterization and intricate plots with just the right amount of spookiness, Wright will have readers clinging to her every word until the very last page in her latest novel, The Premonition at Withers Farm.

About the Story: In 1910 Michigan, Perliett Van Hilton is a self-proclaimed rural healer, but local doctor George Wasziak is convinced she’s nothing but a useless quack. It doesn’t help that her mother, Meribeth, claims to be a spiritualist capable of connecting the living with their dearly departed. But when the Van Hiltons are targeted by a superstitious killer, Perliett must rely on both George and an intriguing newcomer for help.

Over a century later, Molly Wasziak is dealing with her own problems. Recovering from depression after multiple miscarriages, Molly is overwhelmed by her husband’s purchase of a turn-of-the- century farmhouse. Haunted by the disturbing shadows and sounds in the old building, she’s pulled deep into a vintage web of deceptions after uncovering the Wasziak family tree and a century-old murder case.

As Perliett fights for her life in 1910, Molly seeks renewed purpose for hers as she uncovers the records of the dead. Will their voices be heard, or will time silence their truths forever?

Welcome, Jaime. Please provide a brief summary of your new novel The Premonition at Withers Farm. Two women must wade through family trauma and a rural-farmland serial killer’s motivations to find safety for their loved ones and the truth behind the murders.

The Premonition at Withers Farm alternates between a setting in Michigan in the early 1900s and present day. What about this concept first captured your imagination? The first thing that captured my imagination was when my friend and I were reading old letters that were found in an actual chicken coop on a farm. I started envisioning how the letters may hold something much darker—like a killer’s record of their victims—and from there, the story was born.

Protagonist Perliett Van Hilton is a rural healer in the novel. What kind of research was required to learn more about those who practiced this kind of medicine? Honestly, it was super fun! There are books that abound with information of old medical practices, and some of them are beyond the mind’s imagination! I had fun doing a lot of reading and research but included only a teensy percentage of the quackery I discovered.

Can you tell us a little more about the inspiration behind this book? I have always been fascinated with the surge of spiritualism in history and the fascination with the spirit world. With literary masters like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle making it a distinguished part of their lives, I wanted to understand the history behind it—both the solved trickery and the unsolved mystery. I was able to consult with a magician, who helped open the doors to the secrets behind much of the “trade,” the illusion and the dangers of being led into a world we know little about.

Your other main character, Molly Wasziak, is working through depression after experiencing several miscarriages. What did you find the most challenging about accurately portraying her character? I’m big on drawing on personal experience, so this was one I have personally traversed through myself. The experience of miscarriage is a difficult one to navigate, often being a silent grief, as it’s commonly treated as though the mother is recovering from an ailment, not from the loss of her child. Along with that, the reality of postpartum depression is also not discussed often and was something I experienced as well. If untreated and pushed under the rug as though a “weakness of faith,” this type of depression can become not only disabling but also dangerous for one’s mental health. I wanted to portray these in a way that raises awareness while also lending credibility to the women who struggle with such things.

How do you think The Premonition at Withers Farm serves both fans of dual-time fiction and suspense fanatics? I think people will find enjoyment in reading about both the historical and current worlds, witnessing the two collide, along with being satiated by how the threads of suspense are woven through the lives and tales of the different eras. They aren’t two mysteries really, but rather one, as we see the union of the past influencing the present, and the present discovering the stories of the ancestors who came before. Because dangers don’t always die in the past; sometimes they linger and haunt the future.

What elements do you believe all great mystery/suspense novels need to have? I believe all great mystery/suspense novels need to have a strong and unpredictable tale woven through them. Personally, I love those with many layers and strings that require tying up at the end, as well as a red herring or two to send me, the reader, down a completely different path, along with the perfect twist at the end.

What do you hope readers gain from reading The Premonition at Withers Farm? The search for truth is a delicate thing, especially today when so much truth is considered relative and preferential. I hope readers can discover that truth—solid and foundational truth—does exist, is never-changing, and can be a beacon of hope in a world filled with darkness.

How can readers connect with you? Hit me up at www.jaimewrightbooks.com. All my social media links are there, plus readers can find me on the Discord app if they’re not keen on popular social media platforms. They can also touch base with me at www.madlitmentoring.com, if someone’s an aspiring writer and would like to work with me on honing their storytelling skills or deepening their dive into fiction writing in general.

Thank you, Jaime, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I have a grand daughter who experienced two miscarriages be fore her son was born. I look forward to reading your book.

Readers, here’s a link to the book.

https://www.amazon.com/Premonition-at-Withers-Farm/dp/0764238337/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1667929537&sr=1-1

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com