In the Manor of the Ghost, Tina Pinson

Romance/Historical/Suspense

Devlin is a lawyer, with a unique background. Although he has a gruff exterior, he also has a quiet accepting spirit lurking deep within. The Manor Devlin lives in, was once a place of joy and safety. It was a safe house during the Indian Raids a decade earlier. After losing his wife and daughter, Clayborne Manor has become a dark, sad place with too many haunting memories for Devlin. And the walls around Devlin's spirit seem to be almost as thick as the Manor's.

Kaitlin lost her husband and daughter in a fire, and went through years of Therapy for her burns. She hopes moving to Minnesota to live with her sister, Constance, will help heal her spirit.
Accepting a contract to marry Devlin, Kaitlin finds herself living in the Clayborne Manor. When she begins to uncover secrets and resurrect ghosts, she questions the wisdom of her choice to marry Devlin. Does she have the strength to break down the walls that confine those who reside in the Manor? Does she have the faith to lead them to the one who sets the captive free?

Excerpt:
He needed to get home.

Spurred, he tried to rise, to walk, his leg clung heavily to the earth, a finger of pain ran the length of his body from ankle to head. Crawling, his teeth clamped on his lips, he dragged the screaming limb. He had barely covered a yard when the torches broke the trees.

Lying back with a disgruntled sigh, he prayed the mob wouldn't find him in the winter barren field. If only it were summer, if only the grasses were high. He hoped the mob would be blinded and the clouds would continue to hover like a shield between him and the moon.

Hope dwindled as the clouds pulled back. "I think I see him," someone yelled. And hope died.
He shrank back, unmoving, praying he'd melt into the field, praying wisps from the breath he desperately tried to hold, wouldn't betray him.

With a long slender finger, his betrayer pointed toward him from her place at the head of the pack.

Like a child, he closed his eyes, hoping to disappear, but knew the futility of his dream when he heard footsteps break the frozen ground to this left.

He opened his eyes in time to see the gun. Opened his mouth to scream, it was never heard over the report.

Review:

Shawna K. Williams

Kaitlin Franklin has her doubts about the mysterious Devlin Clayborne, but she agrees to marry him anyway for the sake of his son. The young boy cowers from his father and hasn't spoken since the night his mother and sister went missing. Kaitlin soon discovers that in a mansion full of shadows things aren't always as they seem, and she must uncover the truth before it comes back to haunt them.

In The Manor of the Ghost is a suspense filled story that kept me guessing until the end. Superstition, prejudice, hidden family secrets, all play into its intrigue, with plot twists throughout.

This book was a good-ole-fashion mystery which built into a clever crescendo with all the pieces falling into place at the very end. The conclusion was as satisfying as winning a game of Clue (which I love). The only hint I'll give is this: The____did it in the _____with a ____.

I highly recommend.

Kathleen Maher

Few books have had this effect on me: I finished in three days, and most of the time, I was reading past midnight to find out what would happen next. The story questions were beyond compelling; they were insistent. Who is the ghost? What are the mysteries lurking in the secret passageways of the manor, and why so much grief and guilt in the eyes of those who live In the Manor of the Ghost?

When Devlin Clayborne arranges to have Kaitlyn Dupree marry him, he has no intention of personal interaction with his beautiful, loving bride. Instead, he writes a business arrangement wherein she serves as "mother" to his child, and in turn, she becomes lady of the manor. Her reputation for kindness and her love for his son precedes her, and when she comes to stay, he does not account for the way her compassion and tenderness affect him. But will it be enough to dispell the shroud of gloom from the home, or from his soul?

Kaitlyn comes to the Manor with reluctance. The master of Clayborne Manor gives her the creeps. She has heard the ugly rumors about him, and she wants no part of him until her brother-in-law talks her into accepting the contract. She loves his son, but she also feels responsible for the womens shelter from which he threatens to withhold funding if she does not agree to wed. But she has something that Clayborne needs more than all of his wealth and land and titles. God's grace. Will it prove enough to go around?

Clever writing, a twisting plot, and many slowly unraveling mysteries await in this gothic-feeling romance. Secrets, rumors, and a sparking romance pulled me onward to see if a happily ever after ending would win out as two stubborn souls with painful pasts find solace in one anothers' arms. For a debut novel, Ms. Pinson has proven herself with a riveting tale and characters that will keep you guessing.

Why Tina Wrote IN THE MANOR OF THE GHOST.
In the Manor of the Ghost has romance, a love story and a ghost. I'd like to think it's a pretty good read. But it's important to remember that some of the houses we reside in aren't always made of lumber or stones. They are fashioned from our fears and are as thick around us as a wall might be. Some of the Ghosts we face are those fears, real or perceived they haunt us.
While the main scene for In the Manor of the Ghost does take place in a manor, I wrote the story with a specific spiritual aspect in mind. It is my belief that as God is the author and creator of love and romance, some of the most beautiful love stories come out of two people growing together through good times and trials, facing their fears and turning them over to the Lord. My themes usually deal with forgiveness, grace and overcoming insurmountable odds for that reason.
I want to introduce my readers to a God who is bigger than any troubles, scars or sin my characters may have. He's a God of second chances and a God that carries us sometimes, and others, allows us to walk through valleys while guiding us. To help us grow. Having been a benefactor of that grace, I want people to know and understand the love God has for them.

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Author Bio:
I was an Air Force brat and a navy widow. Meaning of course, my father was in the Air Force and my husband served in the Navy. I lived in Germany and Turkey and moved to several different states. Now I reside in Western Colorado--God's Country-- with my high school sweetheart, Danny. We've been together for 34+ years, (dated in high school) married to each other for over 30 years. I am mother to three grown sons. I have two lovely daughter-in-laws and four grandchildren, with another one due by the end of the year.

http://www.tinapinson.com/

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