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Thursday, October 31, 2013

Interviewing Iain McChesney about his latest historical paranormal release - The Curse of Malenfer Manor

I'm pleased to bring my readers an interview with Iain McChesney about his wonderful, new release - The Curse of Malenfer Manor. Be sure to check out Iain's book and also the great contest he's offering at the bottom of this post.

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In your new release, The Curse of Malenfer Manor, those in line to the estate are succumbing to terrible ends? What sorts of fates are they meeting?

The sort of fates that keep the surviving members up at night, worrying about what tomorrow might bring. The Malenfers don’t seem to hang around to enjoy their retirement years. Insurers politely decline their patronage. You learn pretty early on in the book that the Malenfers suffer for the actions of an ancestor who established their wealth and primacy. The story evolves as an outsider, Dermot, is brought into the web, and is exposed to what really is happening. The trunk of the book is a mystery, but there are a lot of branches that hang off that.

Why are these deaths suspected to be the work of a supernatural legacy? Or from human doing?

I didn’t shy away from the supernatural. The book talks about different things: war, family, the social and economic relations between the privileged and those without, the role of fate and free will in your choices as you grow up … all of which might sound very dull and dry! I didn’t want that. I’ve always enjoyed books that moved, books that were exciting and interesting. The supernatural exists in the book, indeed one of the main characters is a ghost (no spoiler I hope – you learn that very early on), and the supernatural element, alongside the romantic draw and the mystery, keeps the book interesting and fresh – or that is the intent. I did not want boring. What I am pleased at, what I hear from readers, is that it appeals to fans of different genres; the blending of parts worked for them.

From your book description:

Young Irish mercenary Dermot Ward retreats to Paris at the close of World War I where he drinks to forget his experiences, especially the death of his comrade, Arthur Malenfer. But Arthur has not forgotten Dermot. Dead but not departed, Arthur has unfinished business and needs the help of the living.

Upon his arrival at Malenfer Manor, Dermot finds himself embroiled in a mystery of murder, succession, and ambition.

     What draws Dermot to Malenfer Manor?

We meet Dermot – he is our hero – just after his war has finished. He’s had nearly five years in the trenches after enlisting as a young man. He goes to Malenfer Manor out of obligation to a friend, a brother-in-arms. The world of the Manor is alien to him – it is aristocratic, French, rural and ancient, yet there are stranger and more dangerous things for him to consider than the quirks and secrets of its occupants.

While there, Dermot falls in love with the youngest Malenfer, the beautiful fey Simonne, but in his way are Simonne’s mismatched fiancé, her own connections to the spirit world, Dermot’s guilt over the circumstances of Arthur’s death… and the curse.

a. How are Simonne and her fiancé mismatched? How might the man pose a unique threat or problem for Dermot?

In another time and place, Simonne and her fiancé might get married and have a few children and lead productive unhappy lives. Lucky for us, the book has none of this! The war and the curse have turned everything on its head, and Simonne is not a young woman willing to accept her lot in life. Not without a fight. Her fiancé represents that ordinary life, but she hopes and dreams for more. Dermot walks into her life, a man trying to make sense of what the world is made of after his experiences, and now a competitor for her affections against a dangerous opponent.

b. How is Simonne connected to the spirit world? How might this impact Dermot?


I was deliberately coy about Simonne’s links with the spirit world. The book is not zombie apocalypse redux, nor Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I tried to be subtle. Simonne is much more than her ‘gift’ – she is intelligent, passionate, and an independent thinker. The Malenfers, those past and present, are tied to the Manor, and entwined with the countryside and its way of life. The people; the land; the place. The reader learns that Simonne is attuned to this connection, and that this sensibility affects her. The wall between this world and the spirit world is thin for her. Dermot arrives at Malenfer Manor at the behest of his friend, his dead friend, so you can see how Simonne’s talents, as much as Simonne herself, might interest him.

c. What guilt does Dermot carry about Arthur’s death?

The war made Dermot and Arthur close friends. One survived and one did not. If that was all there was to it, Dermot might still feel guilty. Yet a lot more wears on his conscience. His dreams are troubled. He fears what sleep brings. Overcoming his own ghosts while coming to the aid of another is an irony that both Dermot and the reader can appreciate. 

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The Curse of Malenfer Manor
Book One

Iain McChesney

Genre: historical mystery / paranormal
Publisher: Wayzgoose Press
Date of Publication:  October 1
ISBN: 978-1-938757-10-5
ASIN:
Number of pages:
Word Count: 85,000
Cover Artist: DJ Rogers

Book Description:

Those in line to the Malenfer estate are succumbing to terrible ends –is a supernatural legacy at work, or something entirely more human?

Young Irish mercenary Dermot Ward retreats to Paris at the close of World War I where he drinks to forget his experiences, especially the death of his comrade, Arthur Malenfer. But Arthur has not forgotten Dermot. Dead but not departed, Arthur has unfinished business and needs the help of the living.

Upon his arrival at Malenfer Manor, Dermot finds himself embroiled in a mystery of murder, succession, and ambition. Dermot falls in love with the youngest Malenfer, the beautiful fey Simonne, but in his way are Simonne’s mismatched fiancé, her own connections to the spirit world, Dermot’s guilt over the circumstances of Arthur’s death… and the curse.

Currently on sale for 99 cents at 

About the Author:
Iain is a writer of gothic mysteries.

He was born and raised in Scotland. He studied History and Geography at the University of Glasgow.

The World Wars left Iain’s family with generations of widows. As a result, Iain has always been interested in the tangible effects of history on family dynamics and in the power of narrative to awaken those long dead. For the characters in The Curse of Malenfer Manor, he drew on childhood reminiscences and verbal family history—though he hastens to add that his family had barely a penny, far less a
manor, and any ghosts dwell only in memory.

He lives in Vancouver, Canada, with his wife and two children.




Tour Wide Giveaway:

3 paperback copies- international shipping

3 beaded charm bookmarks - US Shipping
www.bewitchingbooktours.blogspot.com
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Marsha A. Moore is a writer of fantasy romance. The magic of art and nature spark life into her writing. Read her ENCHANTED BOOKSTORE LEGENDS for adventurous epic fantasy romance: Book One, SEEKING A SCRIBE, Book Two, HERITAGE AVENGED, Book Three, LOST VOLUMES, and Book Four, STAUROLITE. For a FREE ebook download, read her historic fantasy, LE CIRQUE DE MAGIE, available at Amazon and Smashwords.

1 comments:

Unknown said...

Thanks for the awesome giveaway. I would love to read this book. Tore923@aol.com