Ghostly American Christmas Romance–Beth Trissel

Fascinated by ghosts, who me?Well, a bit, I confess.  Thus the reason they appear here and there in various of my books.  A standout ghost stars in  my vintage American Christmas Romance Somewhere the Bells Ring.

The ghosts in my stories do not always take the same form, though. Some are sensed and seen only in the character’s mind.  Or in dreams.  One is a violent poltergeist.  Some are old loves…

In Somewhere the Bells Ring, the ghost seems perfectly real and when Bailey is with him, she’s transported back from 1968 to 1918 and the end of World War One in the same old house.

This is my favorite sort of ghost.  Some of the most intriguing stories I’ve ever come across involve ghosts who appear quite solid, not at all vaporous, and give the person seeing them a glimpse of the past as though through a window in time.  And who’s to say that isn’t what’s happening?  Maybe a ripple opens up and allows a glimpse of what once was and those who lived in that time and place?

Can they see us in turn?  Maybe so.  And can there be communion with these corporeal spirits from the past?  Possibly.  That’s the premise for this story.

“When I see ghosts they look perfectly real and solid — like a living human being. They are not misty; I can’t see through them; they don’t wear sheets or bloody mummy bandages. They don’t have their heads tucked under their arms. They just look like ordinary people, in living color, and sometimes it is hard to tell who is a ghost.” ~Chris Woodyard

“I have thought that I have seen ghosts on many occasions.” Taylor Caldwell

“With true love as it is with ghosts; everyone talks about it, but few have seen it.”   ~Francois de La Rochefoucauld

“I fell in love with Ms. Trissel’s characters and look forward to the next delightful story ready with Kleenex box in hand. A must read for every romance fan.”~ Robin at Romancing the Book Reviews for Somewhere the Bells Ring

Somewhere the Bells Ring is a haunting story of timeless love, and of course, it’s true.

Blurb: Caught with pot in her dorm room, Bailey Randolph is exiled to a relative’s ancestral home in Virginia to straighten herself out. Banishment to Maple Hill is dismal, until a ghost appears requesting her help. Bailey is frightened but intrigued. Then her girlhood crush, Eric Burke, arrives and suddenly Maple Hill isn’t so bad.

To Eric, wounded in Vietnam, his military career shattered, this homecoming feels no less like exile. But when he finds Bailey at Maple Hill, her fairy-like beauty gives him reason to hope–until she tells him about the ghost haunting the house. Then he wonders if her one experiment with pot has made her crazy.

As Bailey and Eric draw closer, he agrees to help her find a long-forgotten Christmas gift the ghost wants. But will the magic of Christmas be enough to make Eric believe–in Bailey and the ghost–before the Christmas bells ring?

*An old photograph of the Virginia family home place the house in Somewhere the Bells Ring is based on.

***Somewhere the Bells Ring is available in various eBook formats from The Wild Rose Press, Amazon Kindle, All Romance Ebooks, Barnes & Noble’s Nookbook and other online booksellers.

Christmas in the Trenches

One of my all time favorite musicians  is the vastly talented, mufti-faceted folk singer John McCutcheon.  I’ve attended John’s performances when he’s in the Shenandoah Valley ever since my children were small and he had brown hair.  🙂  My older daughter Alison, an especially big fan of John’s since she was six, now has a little boy and girl of her own listening to his wonderful collection of children’s music.  If you aren’t familiar with John McCutcheon, you’re missing out.  He has music for everybody and can play just about any instrument.  My favorite of his is the old-time hammered dulcimer–love that sound.  He’s also a riveting story-teller, and that’s what this post centers on.

*Image of John McCutcheon from Encyclopedia of Appalachia

John’s favorite and best known story is one that a cleaning woman first shared with him while he was in his dressing room awaiting his next performance.  It has to do with World War One, especially interesting to me as my grandfather was in the thick of the fighting in France, and the impromptu Christmas Truce that came about in 1914.

Most of us had never heard of this event, and neither had John, but the spunky cleaning woman told him about the time when an  unofficial ceasefire that took place along the Western Front at Christmas.

From Wikipedia: “Through the week leading up to Christmas, parties of German and British soldiers began to exchange seasonal greetings and songs between their trenches; on occasion, the tension was reduced to the point that individuals would walk across to talk to their opposite numbers bearing gifts. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, many soldiers from both sides – as well as, to a lesser degree, from French units – independently ventured into “No man’s land“, where they mingled, exchanging food and souvenirs. As well as joint burial ceremonies, several meetings ended in carol-singing. Troops from both sides had also been so friendly as to play games of football with one another.”

*Image from SodaHead.  More images and info on that site.

So impressed was John by this amazing story he immediately wrote his signature song, Christmas in the Trenches.  Truly an inspired work and one that has touched countless lives with its powerful and stirring message.  I also heard John share about the time a very elderly WWI veteran told him after a performance that he knew this story to be true because he was there when the truce happened.

And now, John McCutcheon and the song:

The Story Behind My Christmas Ghost Story Romance

Somewhere the Bells Ring is book three in my ‘Somewhere’ series with a Christmas theme.  The common thread in the series is that the story opens in one place, so far an old Virginia home, then transports the reader ‘Somewhere else,’ either back in time in the same house or another place such as the Scottish Highlands in Somewhere My Lass.  *Fans of that story and the  secondary character Fergus will be glad to know I’m at work on the sequel.

Back to my latest release, Somewhere the Bells Ring.  Set in the old Virginia home place where my father grew up, a beautiful plantation home from the early 19th century, the story opens in 1968 during the tumultuous age of hippies, Vietnam, and some of the best darn rock music ever written.   That nostalgic era beckoned to me  (clamored) as did an earlier one, 1918 and the end of World War One.

I’ve seen the early 20th century family photos and often pondered that bygone age, gracious in many ways apart from the war(s).  Having a Marine Corps Captain grandfather who distinguished himself during the thick of the fighting in France during The Great War and then tragically died when my father was only three influenced this story–dedicated to the grandfather I never knew, but grieved all the same.

But the biggest influence was a poignant dream I had years ago about a young woman visiting this house during the holidays and the mysterious gentleman she met.  That dream nagged at me every Christmas until I finally wrote the story. If you enjoy an intriguing mystery with Gothic overtones and heart-tugging romance set in vintage America then Somewhere the Bells Ring is for you.

Blurb: Caught with pot in her dorm room, Bailey Randolph is exiled to a relative’s ancestral home in Virginia to straighten herself out. Banishment to Maple Hill is dismal, until a ghost appears requesting her help. Bailey is frightened but intrigued. Then her girlhood crush, Eric Burke, arrives and suddenly Maple Hill isn’t so bad.

To Eric, wounded in Vietnam, his military career shattered, this homecoming feels no less like exile. But when he finds Bailey at Maple Hill, her fairy-like beauty gives him reason to hope–until she tells him about the ghost haunting the house. Then he wonders if her one experiment with pot has made her crazy.

As Bailey and Eric draw closer, he agrees to help her find a long-forgotten Christmas gift the ghost wants. But will the magic of Christmas be enough to make Eric believe–in Bailey and the ghost–before the Christmas bells ring?~

***Somewhere the Bells Ring is available in various eBook formats from The Wild Rose Press, Amazon Kindle, All Romance Ebooks, Barnes & Noble’s Nookbook and other online booksellers.

My Vintage American Christmas Ghost Story Romance

The year is 1968, think hippies, the cultural revolution and Americans divided into two diametrically opposed camps.  Those who were freaky and those who were square.  I’m glad to say I ranked among the former at the grand age of 13.  The song “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)” came out in ”67 but exemplified the hippie movement still going strong  in ”68.  The war in Vietnam suffered its worst year ever and brought the horrors of the battlefield with civilian casualties into our living room via the evening news.  Our first fully televised up close and personal war.  Which explains the many marches, rallies, and protests.

Fashion was all over the place, and fishnet hose all the rage.  I delighted in my very own pair.  The maxi dress followed on the heels of the maxi skirt, which I was all about.  Mom sewed several for me.  I floated around like a princess, loved my first Bonne Bell lipstick, thrilled to the outrageous (for that day) rock song Innagadadavida by Iron Butterfly, was awed by Aquarius and the musical production Hair.  Stunned might be a better word, but it definitely impressed me.

Two shocking assassination took place that year, Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy.  America was never the same again.

Space exploration erupted in a big way.  I shared the nation’s excitement over  the launch of Apollo 7 which orbited the earth 163 times, and Apollo 8 began the first U.S. mission to orbit the moon.  Our family and friends gathered around the black and white TV set to watch both takeoffs.  And I was a big fan of Star Trek, the original TV series, with James T. Kirk and his stellar crew.

The  top films in 1968 were Romeo and Juliette, 2001: A Space Odyssey,  Rosemary’s Baby, the first Planet of the Apes, Funny Girl, the Thomas Crown Affair,  the Lion in Winter, Bullitt,  Yours, Mine, and Ours, and  Oliver.   Romeo and Juliette stamped me as a romantic forever.

Guru’s and Eastern religions gained popularity in America and the world, as did several cults.  Remember the Moonies?  Not to neglect the ‘Jesus Freaks.’  I’m a Christian, but they were over the top for me.  Behind all of this heightened spiritualism was much soul-searching  as people tuned inward to discover who they really were.   And many didn’t have a clue.

Nostalgia drew me  to set Somewhere The Bells Ring in 1968 in the old family home place at Christmas, with flashbacks to an earlier era, 1918 and the end of World War 1, the Great War as it was known.  Contrasting  the effects of WWI and Vietnam through Eric and his Great Uncle Edward Burke, Marines who returned from each war, plays a significant role in the story.   And much self-discovery takes place in Bailey and Eric along with fast growing mutual discovery.  And then there’s the ghost.

Blurb: Caught with pot in her dorm room, Bailey Randolph is exiled to a relative’s ancestral home in Virginia to straighten herself out. Banishment to Maple Hill is dismal, until a ghost appears requesting her help. Bailey is frightened but intrigued. Then her girlhood crush, Eric Burke, arrives and suddenly Maple Hill isn’t so bad.

To Eric, wounded in Vietnam, his military career shattered, this homecoming feels no less like exile. But when he finds Bailey at Maple Hill, her fairy-like beauty gives him reason to hope–until she tells him about the ghost haunting the house. Then he wonders if her one experiment with pot has made her crazy.As Bailey and Eric draw closer, he agrees to help her find a long-forgotten Christmas gift the ghost wants. But will the magic of Christmas be enough to make Eric believe–in Bailey and the ghost–before the Christmas bells ring?

***Available in kindle and nookbook and ebook at all major online booksellers.

My New Ghost Story/Vintage American Christmas Romance~

Woot!  I’m excited to announce that the latest in my ‘Somewhere’ series is coming out from The Wild Rose Press on November 9th!  I spent the bulk of last winter writing this Vintage American ghost story romance. You know, the usual Christmas fare.  🙂   An intriguing story for me to write, I hope it will be equally enthralling for you to read.

SOMEWHERE THE BELLS RING opens in 1968 in the Virginia family home place (circa 1816) where my dad was born and raised and I grew up visiting, with flashbacks to  1918 and the time of WWI.  I’m terribly sentimental about both eras.  1968 I remember well, as I was 12.  Certainly the Vietnam War and the hippie era made deep inroads into my psyche, but the WWI era took quite a bit more research, and thought.  I’ve seen wonderful old family photos from that time period, and my grandfather fought in WWI.  I’ve heard tales of his heroism. The story is dedicated to this amazing man whom I never knew.  He died suddenly when my father was three, a tragedy that rippled out to affect the next generation.  I grew up feeling very sad about it, and aware of what a remarkable man he was in many ways.   My recent release Into the Lion’s Heart is dedicated to my dear father whom I do know.

Blurb: Caught with pot in her dorm room, Bailey Randolph is exiled to a relative’s ancestral home in Virginia to straighten herself out. Banishment to Maple Hill is dismal, until a ghost appears requesting her help. Bailey is frightened but intrigued. Then her girlhood crush, Eric Burke, arrives and suddenly Maple Hill isn’t so bad.

To Eric, wounded in Vietnam, his military career shattered, this homecoming feels no less like exile. But when he finds Bailey at Maple Hill, her fairy-like beauty gives him reason to hope–until she tells him about the ghost haunting the house. Then he wonders if her one experiment with pot has made her crazy.As Bailey and Eric draw closer, he agrees to help her find a long-forgotten Christmas gift the ghost wants. But will the magic of Christmas be enough to make Eric believe–in Bailey and the ghost–before the Christmas bells ring?~

My New Cover for Somewhere the Bells Ring!

Lovely cover by the talented artist Tamra Westberry.

SOMEWHERE THE BELLS RING is book three in my ‘Somewhere’ series with a Christmas theme.   Set in the old family homeplace where my father was born and raised, a beautiful plantation home from the early 19th century, the story opens in the tumultuous age of hippies and Vietnam and some of the best darn rock music ever written, 1968.  From that nostalgic age, this time travel/ghost story flashes back to an earlier era, 1918, and World War One.   Having a Marine Corps Captain grandfather who distinguished himself in France in the thick of the fighting during The Great War and then tragically died when my father was only three certainly influenced this story.  If you enjoy a good mystery with Gothic overtones, time travel back to vintage America, and heart-tugging romance then Somewhere the Bells Ring is for you.  Stay tuned for more as the release date nears later this year.

Downton Abbey

After a bout of illness forced me to languish on the couch for several days, I was delighted to discover Netflix, God bless ’em, had added the  first series of  Masterpiece Theater‘s Downton Abbey to their instant queue.   And, Glory Hallelujah,  what a brilliant production!

Superbly written and cast, the series unfolds amid  spectacular historic settings worth viewing for that aspect alone, but you don’t have to hang on simply for the view,  Downton Abby has an intriguing plot and subplots.  More than intriguing, addictive!

The story is set against a society undergoing rapid alteration from the formal Edwardian Era to a  more modern one (1912-1914).  And I’d recently researched the early 20th century for the flashback/time travel element in my completed (as of last week) light paranormal romance Somewhere The Bells Ring.  So, Downton Abbey was perfectly timed for my interests.

This series opens with the sinking of the Titanic and explores how the loss of the heir to the estate and the arrival of the new heir apparent affects the fate of the family living at Downton Abbey, one of the most magnificent English homes I’ve ever seen.  Can you imagine actually living in such a place?  Boggles the mind.  Of course the highborn family take it for granted.

The lives of the servants are a major part of the story and interwoven with those of the gentry who depend on their staff…maids, footmen, butler, housekeeper, valet…to do everything for them, and this is back in the day when one dressed formally for dinner.   Every facet of his lordship’s daily regimen, and that of the ladies of the household, was to be exacted with absolute correctness and the house run like a well oiled machine.

Only it’s not a machine.  As this series takes pains to portray, these are real people with real wants, needs, wishes…and a new age is dawning when the staff  have increasingly more options than remaining in service.  Downton Abbey depicts these social evolutions, including the movement for womens’ rights and the vote.  Nothing vital to that era is overlooked.  I’m wowed by the terrific job everyone responsible for this production did, a fresh twist on another much loved series, Masterpiece Theater’s Upstairs Downstairs.

As I suspected, Downton Abbey ended with the beginning of World War One, and I expect the Great War will feature prominently in the next series which I eagerly anticipate.  I could just watch the show on tv, but if I wait until the new series is concluded and uploaded in its entirety to Netflix I can view episode after episode without having to wait until the next week.  So, until then…