Reading Addiction Blog Tour (Review): The House On Blackstone Moor By: Carole Gill

A Gothic Romance/Paranormal 

Link To The Official Tour Page

Synopsis: 

“They say my father was mad, so corrupted by evil and tainted by sin that he did what he did. I came home to find them all dead; their throats savagely cut. My sisters only five and eight were gone as well as my brother who was twelve. My mother too lay butchered in her marriage bed. The bed her children were born in…”

Young Rose Baines discovers the savage murders of her family by her mad, incestuous father.

She is plunged into a nightmare of hell and is incarcerated in two madhouses after which she is helped to obtain a position as governess at Blackstone House.

The house is located on haunted moorland. Nothing is as it seems for Blackstone House and its inhabitants have hideous secrets. There is unimaginable horror there but there is love too--love that comes at a terrible price.

The story is as haunting as it is terrifying and will remain with the reader long after its disturbing tale has been told.

Review:

It has been quite a while since I have read a paranormal love story mixed with horror, and this is one that should not be missed! The synopsis was really what intrigued me first, as I was interested to know about Rose's story; what horror she has faced in her already young life, and what would she face later on. The first couple sentences of the story are chilling and they draw you completely in the story. The story was unpredictable which is wonderful; I love how a story keeps you guessing to the last page! The characters are very interesting, mysterious and of course terrifying, and at times some characters you thought were good, were well, not what they seemed to be, so surprises like that really kept the story suspenseful. There is a romance, and the writing and conversation plays out how we would hear people talking in 1868, so it was refreshing to read subtle like words that are gentle, but have passionate meaning. I enjoyed this story very much, and have heard there is a sequel, so looking forward to that. I very much so recommend this book, as it will keep you on your toes!


My Rating: 4/5
My Audience Rating: Between PG-13 & R (Horrific Situations)

Author Bio: Carole Gill

I wrote my first story at age 8. It was sci-fi but as both my parents were sci-fi fanatics it wasn’t a surprise.

I continued to write however life got in the way as it often does, and it wasn’t until 2000 that I turned back to writing. I joined a local writer’s workshop and was greatly encouraged to keep up with my writing and to send things out.

Shortly afterwards, I was selected by Northwest Playwrights of England for further development but found I preferred fiction writing.

Widely published in horror and sci-fi anthologies, The House on Blackstone Moor is my first novel. It is a tale of vampirism, madness, obsession and devil worship.

Set in 19th Century Yorkshire, its locales include Victorian madhouses as well as barren, wind-swept Yorkshire moors. The story is a marriage of horror and gothic romance. I think it can best be described as being gothic paranormal romantic horror.

I suppose you could say I want to put the Goth back into Gothic.

Living in the area the novel is set in, was very beneficial. Also, as a great admirer of the Brontes and frequent visitor to the Bronte Parsonage in Haworth, I found myself nearly obsessed with recreating the gothic romantic narrative.

Having been employed in a hospital which had been historically a workhouse and asylum in Victorian times, I was able to add great realism to the depiction of the asylums as described in my novel.

The sequel, Unholy Testament, is the confession of a demon to the woman he loves. It is nearing the end of its first draft and will be released shortly. 

Website

This book is available at: 

- Amazon

- Barnes And Noble

- Smashwords 

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*