Romancing the Genres

                            The Ups and Downs of Writing Ghosts by Kathryn Hills

 I’m excited to be visiting Romancing the Genres! Thank you for having me.

When Marcia King-Gamble approached me and shared that the current month’s theme is The Ups and Downs of Writing, I knew I wanted to talk about our latest release. I say “our” because GHOSTS OF NEW ENGLAND: LAST LIGHT POINT includes four books written by four distinctly different authors. An anthology, unique since it focuses on one setting—The Crowe’s Nest Tavern—and follows it through four centuries. So many fours! What’s also unique is, as authors, we write across different sub-genres of romance, from contemporary and historical to time travel/fantasy and paranormal.

GHOSTS OF NEW ENGLAND: LAST LIGHT POINT is first and foremost paranormal romance. However, readers start off their adventure with historical romance. Pirates, to be precise, through the gifted storytelling of Lisa A. Olech. Dubbed the “Pirate Queen” by many, Lisa has a knack for immersing readers in the raw, rugged, and thrilling experience of life on the high seas.

Up next, readers enter my world, which is typically spooky. (Unless I’m writing sweet romances as my author profile suggests) With me, readers enter the dark, shadowy realm of Victorian-era spiritualists. Table knockers as they were known. In this case charlatans, hell bent on duping the townsfolk of Last Light Point with fake séances. But are they fake? You’ll have to read to find out.

Author Nancy Fraser launches readers into The Crowe’s Nest of the 1940’s. We’re talking murder and mystery in a place known for bootleg booze and gangsters. Nobody writes gangsters like Nancy Fraser. You’d never guess she’s well-known for her sweet historical western romances.

And finally, readers land back in the present and in the very capable hands of Peggy Jaeger. Peggy thrives in a contemporary setting, yet she’s also great at weaving a tangled ghost story. And solving the four-hundred-year-old mystery of the White Lady. That spirit has been haunting The Crowe’s Nest Tavern since Lisa’s book!

The “ups” of writing an anthology like this is working with such fine authors and friends. It’s fun to imagine and brainstorm four centuries of romance and haunting mysteries together. The “downs” are how difficult it can be to make it work. We all have different writing styles, so presenting a cohesive storyline was challenging. Also, we had to keep our facts straight. Names, places, features of the tavern and in the town of Last Light Point. Not to mention with the ghosts! To say we had a few meetings on weird subjects—such as the rusty gibbet where an evil pirate captain was hung to rot—is an understatement. BUT…as I like to say…it’s all fun and games until someone gets hung or possessed. 

Here's a bit about the anthology if you’re interested in how those “ups” and “downs” ultimately worked out…

GHOSTS OF NEW ENGLAND: LAST LIGHT POINT

A Multi-Century Romance Anthology

from Best Selling & Award Winning Authors

Lisa A. Olech

Kathryn Hills

Nancy Fraser

Peggy Jaeger

Can true love conquer a deadly curse?

Don’t look at the gibbet… Legend has it that disaster will strike all those who do. The townspeople of Last Light Point have come to respect the centuries-old advice. Those that didn’t, paid the price.

4 stories – 4 time periods – 1 very haunted tavern in New England! A new romance anthology unlike any other from 4 best-selling and award-winning authors.

 The Pirate’s Promise by Lisa A. Olech (Autumn 1728)

 Smoke and Mirrors by Kathryn Hills (Autumn 1867)

 For the Love of Grace by Nancy Fraser (Fall 1941)

 A Promise Fulfilled by Peggy Jaeger (Late October, Present Day)

Find GHOSTS OF NEW ENGLAND: LAST LIGHT POINT at your favorite online bookstore.  https://books2read.com/LLPoint

As a BONUS, I’ll gift a FREE DIGITAL COPY of the first GHOSTS OF NEW ENGLAND anthology – SKULLERY BAY – to someone chosen randomly from comments on this post. The winner will be chosen on Wednesday, 4/12/23, so be sure to check back.

Here’s a link to that book if you’d like to see a preview... https://books2read.com/Skullery

Thanks for hosting me today, Genre-istas! I had fun!

~ Kathryn