Amanda DeWees

"DeWees offers up a win for gothic romance . . . sizzles with chemistry sure to please readers." –Library JournalThe ghost may be the least of her problems... Vivacious actress Sybil Ingram looks forward to a life of security when she leaves the theater in 1873 to marry a wealthy American. But when he dies on their wedding night, she finds herself a penniless widow. Her only legacy is Brooke House, a Gothic revival manor in the wilds of the Hudson River Valley. However, the eerie mansion comes with two tenants. One is a hostile ghost. The second, and far worse, is former violinist Roderick Brooke--the most insolent, dangerous, maddeningly gorgeous man she's ever met. As Sybil and Roderick engage in a battle of wills--and wits--an even greater threat arises: the mysterious queen of local society, Mrs. Lavinia Dove. For reasons that Sybil can't imagine, Mrs. Dove is determined to have Brooke House and Roderick for herself... if necessary, by deadly means.Nocturne for a Widow is a brilliant fusion of gothic romance, mystery, and romantic comedy, perfect for readers who love Victorian women sleuths like Anna Lee Huber's Lady Darby, Penny Richards's Lilly Long, Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia Grey, and Elizabeth Peters's Amelia Peabody. And be sure to explore Sybil's continuing adventures in The Last Serenade, book 2 in the Sybil Ingram Victorian Mysteries series, now available.

Sybil Ingram Victorian Mysteries, #1

Nocturne for a Widow

"Sixteen-year-old Joy, a plain but feisty junior at Ash Grove High, is plunged into a dangerous love triangle when a classmate's dare brings the chameleonic teen model Tanner into her life. Falling in love with Tanner can only lead to heartache--and danger--because he is trapped in a complex relationship with the seductive, powerful Melisande, a seemingly ageless supermodel. Melisande's youth and beauty may be drawn from a sinister source... and she does not look kindly on rivals for her protégé's affections. At the same time that Joy is fighting to free Tanner from Melisande's grasp--and from his own feelings of worthlessness--she struggles to cope with her father's cancer and the discovery that her seemingly peaceful school is a conduit for supernatural energy. Without her father's guidance, Joy must find within herself the strength to confront both the supernatural threat and her own unexpected pregnancy--and to save Tanner's life."--P.[4] of cover.

The Shadow and the Rose

"In 1854, seventeen-year-old chambermaid Clara Crofton was dismissed from Gravesend Hall for having fallen in love with Richard Blackwood, the younger son of the house. Alone in the world, Clara found a tenuous position as a seamstress, but she always blamed the Gravesend curse for the disaster that had befallen her--and for Richard's death soon after in the Crimean War. Now, more than eighteen years later, Richard's twin, Atticus, seeks out Clara with a strange proposal: if she will marry him and live with him as his wife in name only to ease the mind of his dying father, Atticus will then endow her with a comfortable income for the rest of her life. Clara knows that he is not disclosing his true motives, but when she runs out of options for an independent life, she has no choice but to become Atticus's wife. For Clara, returning to Gravesend as a bride brings some triumph & but also great unease. Not only must she pretend to be a wellborn lady and devoted wife to a man whose face is a constant reminder of the love she lost, but ominous portents whisper that her masquerade brings grave danger. "This house will take from you what you most treasure," her mother once warned her. But the curse has already taken the man Clara loved. Will it now demand her life?"--

With this curse

The sequel to the highly acclaimed Gothic romance With This Curse, winner of the 2015 Daphne du Maurier Award for historical mystery/suspense!She went in search of her past… and found danger in the present. Former seamstress Clara Blackwood seems to have found happiness at last. Now a blissfully married baroness, she is mistress of a grand estate. But soon a mysterious summons shatters her contented life.Clara grew up believing that her mother’s family had disowned them. But now the grandmother Clara never knew is on her deathbed and anxious to disclose vital family secrets before it’s too late—for Clara’s unborn child may be cursed with a horrible fate.When Clara and her husband, Atticus, arrive at dismal Thurnley Hall, they find intrigue brewing. Her boorish uncle, Horace Burleigh, is greedy for her wealth and desperate to protect the family’s mysteries. Superstitious fear of Atticus torments the hulking Romanian servant, Grigore, and even the soft-spoken young ward, Victor Lynch, may have secret motives for getting close to Clara and her husband.When her grandmother dies under suspicious circumstances, Clara feels compelled to investigate. And when Atticus vanishes mysteriously, she must draw on all her strength and determination to find him before his time runs out… before her life can be cursed once more.Fans of the Gothic romances of Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart, and Barbara Michaels won't want to miss this thrilling, romantic sequel to With This Curse, in which Clara faces new challenges and dangers. Just Book Talk gives Cursed Once More five stars and calls it “another exciting adventure . . . [with] a rich cast of spooky and strange characters.” And be sure not to miss Nocturne for a Widow, in which Clara's former employer, vivacious actress Sybil Ingram, is plunged into adventure in a haunted house in the Hudson River Valley.

Cursed Once More

When Sybil takes the stage again, murder plays the leading role.In September 1873, medium and former actress Sybil Ingram is looking forward to her new life as the wife of dashing violinist Roderick Brooke. But their plans for marriage are interrupted by a cry for help from Julia de Lioncourt, Roderick’s former lover. Julia’s letter implores him to come to Paris to rescue her from a blackmailer, Danton Fournier, who holds letters that can cause her ruin.When they arrive in Paris, the bewitching beauty proposes a daring plan: Sybil will masquerade as Julia onstage in a new melodrama while Julia, her alibi thus secured, recovers the letters from Fournier’s home. Knowing that Roderick still harbors guilt over killing Julia’s husband in a duel, Sybil agrees to the plan for his sake—even though it’s all too clear that the scheming Julia wants Roderick back in her bed. Moreover, the theater seems to harbor a ghostly presence that may foretell disaster for the masquerade.Catastrophe strikes on the night of Sybil’s performance when Fournier’s body is discovered stabbed through the heart. Suddenly Sybil needs an alibi. But even if she is cleared of the murder, she must find a way to prevent suspicion from falling on Roderick as well—and determine whether Julia knows more about Fournier’s death than she is admitting. Can Sybil’s abilities as a spirit medium help her discover the truth before the real killer stops her?

Sybil Ingram Victorian Mysteries, #2

The Last Serenade

Can a curse strike twice in a woman's life? In 1854, seventeen-year-old chambermaid Clara Crofton was dismissed from Gravesend Hall for having fallen in love with Richard Blackwood, the younger son of the house. Alone in the world, Clara found a tenuous position as a seamstress, but she always blamed the Gravesend curse for the disaster that had befallen her-and for Richard's death soon after in the Crimean War. A proposal... Now, more than eighteen years later, Richard's twin, Atticus, seeks out Clara with a strange proposal: if she will marry him and live with him as his wife in name only to ease the mind of his dying father, Atticus will then endow her with a comfortable income for the rest of her life. Clara knows that he is not disclosing his true motives, but when she runs out of options for an independent life, she has no choice but to become Atticus's wife. A deception... For Clara, returning to Gravesend as a bride brings some triumph... but also great unease. Not only must she pretend to be a wellborn lady and devoted wife to a man whose face is a constant reminder of the love she lost, but ominous portents whisper that her masquerade brings grave danger. "This house will take from you what you most treasure," her mother once warned her. But the curse has already taken the man Clara loved. Will it now demand her life? Readers who enjoyed DeWees's award-winning sweet historical gothic romance Sea of Secrets, as well as those who love traditional gothic romance and clean historical romance alike, will be captivated by this strong yet vulnerable new heroine and her suspenseful journey through the perils of heartbreak, danger, and love. Length: about 102,000 words ~ Sensuality level: sweet/mild/kisses Includes book club discussion questions

With This Curse

Can love survive in the shadow of madness--and murder? After her brother is killed in the Crimean War, innocent young Oriel Pembroke finds herself alone in the world. Disowned by the cruel father who has always despised her, she has nowhere to turn until she is taken under the wing of a glamorous relative she never knew: the former Duchess of Ellsworth, who has scandalized society by remarrying soon after her first husband's death. At the opulent seaside estate of Ellsmere, Oriel thinks she has found a safe haven-but the darkly handsome young duke, Herron, believes otherwise. Haunted by the death of his father, he suspects that Ellsmere is sheltering a murderer. Even as Oriel falls in love with the duke, she begins to fear that his grief and suspicion are turning to madness. When dangerous accidents start to befall both Herron and Oriel, however, she realizes that someone may be trying to stop them from discovering the truth about the past. And when someone from her past comes back into her life, she learns that he may hold the answer to the most horrifying secret of all...

Amanda DeWees

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