Interview with Jane Godman,
author or Legacy of Darkness
author or Legacy of Darkness
Who are your books published with?
My
latest books are published with HarlequinE, Harlequin’s digital first imprint.
I write Gothic romances which are part of the new Shivers series. The line
launched this month with the first Shivers box set of four novels. My fellow
authors, Barbara J. Hancock, Dawn Brown and Jenna Ryan have written awesome Gothic
novels as part of this launch. I’m delighted to be part of such a talented line
up. ‘Four beguiling stories, one great price!’ is our tag-line and our Amazon blurb
reads:
‘Lose
yourself in four eerie, atmospheric tales of romance…and revenge. In a decaying
mansion, a ghostly presence refuses to relinquish the artist she's long haunted
to a new lover and muse. In an ancient Cornish castle, an innocent woman may be
sacrificed to a family's legacy of madness. On the fringes of a Welsh estate, a
vengeful figure targets the long-lost daughter of a cursed clan. In the
Louisiana bayou, a serial killer hunts the one woman who can bring his demonic
crimes to light. If you love Gothics by Victoria Holt, Daphne du Maurier and
Barbara Michaels, and enjoy dark romance, then delve into the new Shivers
Collection. Mood, mystery … romance that makes you shiver.’
Tell us about your current release.
My
current release is ‘Legacy of Darkness’ a Gothic romance with all the features
of the traditional gothic—dark secrets, elements of horror and the paranormal
and a setting which is gloomy, poetic and atmospheric. Alongside that we have
the features of the ‘new gothic’ including high levels of sensuality. The
shivers you get from these books don’t just come from the supernatural
elements!
Legacy
of Darkness—Blurb
1837
Cornwall, England
Orphaned,
penniless and reduced to the role of lady’s companion, Lucy Alleyne is relieved
when a distant relation spirits her away to Castle Athal. But gratitude soon
gives way to fear—and unlooked-for pleasure.
The
ancient Cornish castle is a dark monument to family, fortune and infamy. Within
its walls, the Jago family keeps its wards close…and its secrets closer. As
soon as Lucy arrives at her new home, she is drawn to Tynan, Earl of Athal.
Although the young lord is handsome and caring, he is tortured by mental
illness, like his father before him. They share a meeting of souls which is
completely opposite to her very physical response to Tynan's uncle, Uther: a
commanding, seductive presence whose leonine power radiates from his every word
and gesture.
These
two Jago men have innocent Lucy enthralled: mind, soul and body. But if she
remains within the poisonous castle keep, with its history of ill-starred
passion and madness, a mere broken heart will seem a mercy.
My
next release is ‘Echoes of Darkness’. It is the sequel to ‘Legacy of Darkness’
and is set about thirty years later. The dark secrets of Castle Athal continue
to haunt a new generation and the heroine, Dita Varga—a girl with plenty of secrets
of her own—is caught up in the web of Jago murder, horror and ghostly intrigue.
Echoes of Darkness will be in the April 2014 HarlequinE Shivers box set.
Tell us
about a favorite character from a book.
My
favourite character from ‘Legacy of Darkness’ has to be Uther Jago. He’s
everything a gothic character should be. Handsome, sexy, smouldering…He has dark
secrets and innocent Lucy is utterly enthralled by him from the moment they
meet. But can she trust him? This excerpt gives a little taste of Uther’s
character:
‘Unexpectedly,
he grasped my hand and held it against the cold stone. “These walls have
memories of their own. Feel them, Lucy,” his voice rippled through my mind.
“Lords and ladies in their jewelled velvets…sunshine warming pennants and
spears…shouts of the joust…the maiden meeting her forbidden love …”
I
obediently closed my eyes and heard the rustle of skirts, the soft clandestine
whispers of long-dead lovers, and the strains of a lute signalling reckless
dance and wild romance. Uther’s low sound—somewhere between a growl and a
purr—roused me from my trance. My eyelids fluttered.
“Your
face—” his voice was a whispered caress, warm breath stroking my ear “—has the
look a woman usually wears only once. When she first succumbs to orgasm.”
I
stepped back in shock, the ready tinge of roses staining my face. He turned and
walked away as if the searing words had never been spoken. I wondered if they
had. Or had this new, brazen creature—the one I had just discovered within
me—merely wished them spoken?’
What
are you passionate about these days?
You
may have noticed that I’m passionate about bringing back the Gothics! Gothic
romance has always been my favourite genre. I like my love stories to have a
dash of horror—as my fellow Shivers author Barbara J Hancock says “I love to
play in the shadows.”—and I think the Gothics have been neglected in recent
years. That’s why I’m delighted that HarlequinE have launched Shivers and I’m
loving being part of the launch. Shivers has been really well received so far.
The box set has made it into Amazon’s top 100 Gothics. It’s quite something to
sit alongside the Brontes and Daphne du Maurier! Reader comments about Legacy
of Darkness have been amazing. ‘Sinister and disturbing’ (exactly what I was
going for!), ‘can’t get it out of my head’ and ‘a great read’ have been among
the first reactions.
What is
the next big thing?
I’m
going to say the Gothic revival (of course). I’d love to see lots more Gothic
romances (books and films) so that we get to enjoy more of these elements that
you can expect from a Shivers:
1. A dark, gloomy and atmospheric setting.
2. A feisty heroine who pushes the
boundaries.
3. A hero you fall in love with …
4. And a villain you fall in love with
(for different reasons)
5. Dark secrets, the past comes back to
haunt the present.
6. Erotic tension that builds alongside
the story.
What
would we find under your bed?
Well
I write Shivers, so who knows? It might be an old suitcase containing yellowing
letters bound with a faded red ribbon, one of which reveals a long hidden
secret. Or an antique porcelain doll whose eyelids flicker slowly open when the
lights go out. Or perhaps that discarded pile of musty clothes isn’t really
what it seems. Perhaps the sound I hear as I drift off to sleep—the one I think
is the wind in the eaves—is really the soft chuckle of the creature that lurks
there in the darkness? Just waiting…
Lose yourself in four eerie, atmospheric tales of romance…and
revenge
In a decaying mansion, a ghostly presence refuses to relinquish
the artist she's long haunted to a new lover and muse. In an ancient Cornish castle,
an innocent woman may be sacrificed to a family's legacy of madness. On the
fringes of a Welsh estate, a vengeful figure targets the long-lost daughter of
a cursed clan. In the Louisiana bayou, a serial killer hunts the one woman who
can bring his demonic crimes to light. If you love Gothics by Victoria Holt,
Daphne du Maurier and Barbara Michaels, and enjoy dark romance, then delve into
the new Shivers Collection. Four beguiling stories, one great price.
DARKENING
AROUND ME by Barbara J. Hancock
LEGACY
OF DARKNESS by Jane Godman
DEVIL'S
EYE by Dawn Brown
BLACK
ROSE by Jenna Ryan
Mood,
mystery…romance that makes you shiver. Look for more titles coming in April
2014.
Purchase Link
Harlequin Shivers Box
Set on Amazon
Jane Godman
I am an avid reader of historical romances, and have always enjoyed writing (I still have a copy of the medieval novel I wrote, in felt tip pen, aged 14!).
I love the darker side of the romance novel and I write Gothic mystery/romances for HarlequinE as part of their ‘Shivers’ line.
My Powder and Patch romances are set in the Georgian era, from the wild passion of the Jacobite rebellion to the charm and formality of the Regency.
I live in England and love to travel to European cities which are steeped in history and romance. Venice, Dubrovnik and Vienna are amongst my favourites. I am a teacher, married to a lovely man, mum to two grown up children and slave to a spoilt-brat cat.
I love to hear from readers and can be contacted at:
3 ePub (or PDF) copies
of Shivers box set. Comment for a chance to win. Be sure to leave your email addy in the comment so you may be contacted if you win. Ends Jan 22nd.
4 comments:
They sound great! Definitely adding them to my TBR list! Crossing my fingers and thanks for the chance!
Jenni J
jjacobs21@radford.edu
The books sound good. Thank you for the giveaway
moorel251@gmail.com
Books look great, would love to read them. Thanks.
magic5905 at embarqmail dot com
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