ABOUT THE BOOK
A family patriarch’s dying proclamation, an enigmatic disappearance, and a century-old curse converge in the shadows of a majestic home on Cape Cod’s craggy coast.Thirty-seven-year-old painter Cassandra Mitchell is fourth-generation to live in the majestic Battersea Bluffs, a brooding Queen Anne home originally built by her great-grandparents, Percy and Celeste Mitchell, and still standing despite tragedies that have swept the generations. Local lore has it that there was a curse placed on the family and the house is haunted, though opinions are divided on whether it's by malicious or benevolent spirits. Cassie believes the latter―but now she stands to lose her beloved home to mounting debt and the machinations of her dream-weaving ex-husband.
Salvation seems to arrive when a nomadic young couple wanders onto the property with the promise of companionship and much-needed help―until they vanish without a trace, leaving behind no clue to their identities. Cassie is devastated, but determined to discover what's happened to the young couple...even as digging into their disappearance starts to uncover family secrets of her own. Despite warnings from her childhood friend, now the local Chief of Police―as well as an FBI agent who pushes the boundaries of professionalism―Cassie can't help following the trail of clues (and eerie signals from the old house itself) to unravel the mystery. But can she do so before her family's dark curse destroys everything in its path?
Book Details:
Title: House of Ashes
Author: Loretta Marion
Genre: Mystery (with elements of paranormal and romance)
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (November 13, 2018)
Print length: 336 pages
On tour with: Great Escapes Book Tours
ALSO BY LORETTA MARION
The Fool's Truth (Fall 2016)The Fool's Truth is a twisty tale of mystery and suspense with whispers of romance. Desperation, dark secrets and danger emerge when Cordelia Richmond and her toddler daughter become stranded in the backwoods of Maine where she’s taken in by a witch-like hermit living off the grid. The book has received the following awards: Finalist in two categories (Mystery & Suspense) IAN 2017 Book of the Year Awards, Honorable Mention New England Bookfest, Literary Titan Gold Book Award.
LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT INTERVIEW WITH LORETTA MARION
A few of your favorite things: My favorite things have never been actual things. I count myself lucky to have THE BEST friends, a great husband, a wonderful mother who is sadly no longer with us, and many devoted canine companions throughout the years.
Things you need to throw out: I have too many shoes, purses, clothes in general. My closets need a major purge!
Things you need in order to write: Peace and quiet. A nice view is always inspirational.
Things that hamper your writing: Clutter. A loaded to-do list. Noise–Even music (except for light classical).
Things you love about writing: Spending time with my characters. Escaping into another place and time.
Things you hate about writing: Deadlines!
Easiest thing about being a writer: The writing!
Hardest thing about being a writer: Although I’m proud of my writing, I find it very difficult to tout it to others. Therefore, book promotion is a challenging but necessary part of the publishing process.
Things you love about where you live: It’s near the water. There are many opportunities for outdoor activities: biking, hiking, kayaking. The history of the community is interesting. There’s a quaint downtown walkable from my home.
Things that make you want to move: Winters!
Things you never want to run out of: Peanut butter, cheese, bread, nuts…yep, it’s all food! Oh, and wine. Boring but true…water.
Things you wish you’d never bought: There are quite a few clothing items hanging in my closet with the tags still attached to remind me it’s no bargain if you never end up wearing it.
Favorite foods: See above for things I never want to run out of and add dark chocolate and pasta to the list. And I love almost all vegetables – except lima beans.
Things that make you want to throw up: Lima beans.
Favorite music or song: Too many to pick just one, though “This Old Heart of Mine” by the Isley Brothers and remade by Rod Stewart is up there. Love the classic rockers like Petty, Clapton, The Beatles, Moody Blues, Chicago, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, CST&Y, CCR, Jackson Brown, Bowie, Dylan, Springsteen, Rolling Stones. I think I may have failed this question.
Music that make your ears bleed: Not a fan of rap.
Favorite smell: Tressor (my perfume). Old Spice (my husband’s aftershave).
Something that makes you hold your nose: Gin.
Something you’re really good at: Remembering faces and names.
Something you’re really bad at: Geography – though I do love to travel!
Something you wish you could do: Something creative or artistic like painting, playing music or singing.
Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Swear – not that I do it often.
Things you always put in your books: Pets, Small towns, a female protagonist, a mystery of some sort.
Things you never put in your books: Gratuitous sex or violence
Things to say to an author: I loved your book! How do you come up with those great story ideas? You’re my favorite author! You had me guessing until the very end.
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Writing is such a nice little hobby for you. (Definitely killing them off in my next book!)
Favorite places you’ve been: Almost anywhere in New England and Canada. California wine country. Big Sur. Alaska & Hawaii. Favorite European cities I’ve been fortunate to visit: Paris, Florence, Budapest, Prague, Copenhagen and Stockholm.
Places you never want to go to again: Camping.
Favorite books (or genre): Too many! I love mysteries, the classics, women’s fiction, humor.
Books you would ban: None!
Favorite things to do: Walking – almost anywhere – through the woods, along the shore, in a vibrant city, through a quaint small town. Traveling. Spending time with friends. Writing.
Things you’d run through a fire wearing gasoline pants to get out of doing: Dusting – fortunately my husband is a fantastic duster!
Most embarrassing moment: Too many – ha!
Proudest moment: I initiated a Legacy Story program for hospice patients when I was a volunteer. It was the most meaningful experience of my life and where my desire to write a novel had its beginnings.
Biggest lie you’ve ever told: That I was allergic to lima beans.
A lie you wish you’d told: Can’t think of one.
Best thing you’ve ever done: Quit smoking – YAY! (many, many years ago)
Biggest mistake: Starting smoking (I was young and foolish – and it was very hard to quit!)
The last thing you did for the first time: Flew on a 747 – I’d always wanted to, but never had the chance until recently.
Something you’ll never do again: Unless I absolutely must…fly in a helicopter.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Connect with Loretta:
Website | Facebook | Goodreads
Buy the book:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Indiebound
