SPOTLIGHT: Ravenscourt

1brookallen
Nov 14
2 min read

We are in that part of the year when life takes off at a frenetic pace. I have been so hurried this past week, even though it has been a "good" sort of busy. I mentioned recently how busy book clubs are keeping me. I'd like to give a shout out to the Fincastle Book Club. They welcomed me warmly on a chilly day and shared some delicious cider and cake while I was there. And right outside the venue was the recently repaired grave of John Hancock--brother to my main character, Julia in WEST OF SANTILLANE! Thanks for hosting me, Fincastle!

For those of you in SWVA, who might be interested, I will be selling and signing books this coming Saturday in Bedford, VA at Liberty High School, from 9am-3pm. I hope to see some of you there. Christmas is a-coming, so consider the gift of reading for those you love!

This week I have author Samantha Ward-Smith, sharing a Spotlight of her work, RAVENSCOURT. I invite you to scroll down below into a deliciously Gothic Victiorian story that is fascinating, compelling, and mysterious. And warmest of welcomes to Samantha for visiting Brook's Journal! I hope she will be back sometime.

ALL ABOUT THE BOOK

By Samantha Ward-Smith

RAVENSCOURT

He wanted to be gone from the dark enclosing room, with its mocking misery, to be gone from this house of nightmares, of shattered dreams, and discovered secrets which could not be put back in the box.

Venice, 1880.

Alexander, Viscount Dundarran, seeks refuge from scandal amidst the fading grandeur of crumbling palazzos during the infamous Carnival in the city. There he encounters the enigmatic Lady Arabella Pembrook—a young, beautiful widow. Both are scarred by their pasts but find solace in each other and a chance at redemption.

But when duty calls Alexander back to England upon his father's death, a darker journey begins. Travelling to Ravenscourt, the decaying estate once belonging to Arabella’s late husband, Alexander must confront the house’s disturbing legacy which has echoed through the generations. Within its walls lie secrets that refuse to stay buried and will threaten everything he thought he knew. But can Alex uncover the truth in time?

ALL ABOUT SAMANTHA

Samantha Ward-Smith is the author of Tower of Vengeance, her debut historical novel set in the Tower of London during the 13th century, and the forthcoming Ravenscourt, a Victorian Gothic tale unfolding across Venice, London, and the windswept Lancashire moors. She lived in London for over three decades, building a career in investment banking while also pursuing a PhD in English at Birkbeck.

For the past 13 years she has volunteered at the Tower of London, an experience that provided invaluable historical insight and directly shaped her writing. Now based in Kent by the sea, Samantha continues to explore the intersections of history, place, and story, writing in the company of her two cats, Belle and Rudy.

CONNECT WITH SAMANTHA

Amazon Author Page

Goodreads

BUY THE BOOK!!!

~This title is also available to read on Kindle Unlimited~