New Muse Rising...

 
Hello, hello, my dears!

I know it's been a long time coming, but since my new release last year, I am finally getting the gears turning on my next story. I'm quite excited to share that this will be my first book series, following a team of televised ghost hunters as they investigate paranormal phenomena at various lodging sites around the world (hotels, inns, motels, B&Bs, etc.).

The first chapters are already written, started a while back before I'd even anticipated writing Coattails & Cocktails. The latter (a 1920s murder mystery) came about rather even unbeknownst to me! But I'm so glad the inspiration for that one struck and brought it into being. I had always wanted to write a murder mystery and feel so pleased having one under my belt now.😊

In any case, prior to writing that actual murder mystery, I was already priming myself to write about a murder mystery dinner, which will take place during my next book. Set in present day, this story will follow a group of friends spending the night at a quaint and historic bed and breakfast. They're simply gathering for a 1940s-themed mystery game (all decked out and acting in character), but personal conflicts simmering beneath the surface eventually come to a boil--ignited further by the presence of a TV ghost-hunting team seeking to confirm or deny claims that the property is haunted.

The end result will hopefully be a fun romp through contemporary romantic comedy, historical drama, and paranormal suspense--much in the vein of my debut novel, Seven for a Secret. I also expect it to be a standalone novella where this particular dinner party and B&B are concerned; the series will continue with the same paranormal investigation team, however, just at different locations involving different proprietors and/or guests.

There will also be a special feature of this series that I'll keep secret for now...something totally experimental that'll be a great writing challenge for me. And hopefully something that'll make it a truly "novel" reading experience for you! 😃

Until then, dear readers, I bid you happy days of happy reading--and I promise to return soon. 💋

~Rumer

Signing in the Cemetery!

What a haunted hoot I had with fellow paranormal author Shani Struthers last weekend! Saturday was our morbid-yet-merry book-signing at Brompton Cemetery.

One of London's "Magnificent Seven" cemeteries from the Victorian era, Brompton was the birthplace of my novel What the Clocks Know. I stumbled on this graveyard immediately after relocating to London several years ago, and it's been my favorite London location ever since. As Morrissey sings in the Smiths' song "Cemetry Gates":

So we go inside and we gravely read the stones
All those people, all those lives
Where are they now?
With loves and hates
And passions just like mine
They were born
And then they lived
And then they died

That's what I contemplate, too, whenever walking through Brompton. This cemetery has some notable residents resting in peace there, like the renowned suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst. But the unknowns also fascinate me as I wonder who they were. Now of very special note to me is one Charlotte Pidgeon, whom I "met" early on during my Brompton strolls and ended up fictionalizing in my story. (Beatrix Potter, too, used to take names for her Peter Rabbit characters from the headstones here.)

So you can imagine my thrill when the lovely Friends of Brompton Cemetery agreed to host this signing, and that joy increased exponentially when Shani Struthers agreed to sign by my side. Shani is the author of Jessamine, the Psychic Surveys series, and the new This Haunted World series (which just launched with book one, the Amazon bestseller The Venetian). Her ghost stories are among my favorites, a wonderful complement to my own paranormal fiction, and fit in perfectly with our unconventional venue. All of our books paired well with wine, too. 😄🍷

Also at Brompton's chapel this month is artist Iluá Hauck da Silva, who gave a talk about her "Minotaurs of the Mind: The Second Coil" exhibition prior to our signing. She and her work are stunning, and I was captivated by her inspirations and process. 

Shani and I originally intended to hold our event inside the chapel, too, but we were graced with lovely weather (something you cannot take for granted in London!) so decided to move the party outside. The sun eventually tucked behind the clouds, but we still enjoyed the fresh air and our view, as well as greeting passersby.

Among our attendees was an actual ghost-hunting team! Does it get better than that??! We are so grateful to Twilight Ghost Hunts for stopping by before their overnight ghost tour of the London Tombs.

Our excitement lasted right to the very end, when we raced against time to pack up and reach the gate before we got locked in the graveyard overnight!! We did make it out, carrying on our supernatural celebration with "spirits" of the cocktail variety at the Troubadour cafe. Here is Shani looking ab fab at our private post-party:

Needless to say, we had a spooky and splendid time on Saturday, and now our souls are restless for more! 👻 👻

(You can view all our photos of the event here: https://www.facebook.com/rumerhaven/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1197733590283938)

Turning a NEW Leaf...Literally!

What the Clocks Know is back, baby...in PAPERback!!!

Hurrah and huzzah! I was so delighted to discover yesterday that my latest paranormal fiction is now available in both print and ebook, which means those who prefer the feel of paper between their fingertips can now flip and dog-ear pages to their heart's content. Just mind the paper cuts, darlings.

This also means I'll have books to SIGN, so I hope to schedule signing events in both London and Chicago later this year. Please stand by for those details...

In the meantime, you can find What the Clocks Know in both paperback and Kindle formats here:

Amazon US

 Amazon UK 

And for a chance to win a FREE paperback copy, try your luck at my Amazon giveaway this week:

https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/4244c985f540fb94

#99c this weekend! What the Clocks Know #OneClick

Yessiree, through this weekend only, What the Clocks Know is on sale for only $0.99 / £0.99! Here's what reviewers have to say so far:

"A unique tale of the paranormal―as beautiful as it is haunting."―Shani Struthers, author of Jessamine and the Psychic Surveys series (★★★★★)

"It's not unusual to find a ghost story couched in the broader tale of a lifestyle change; but what brings What the Clocks Know to real spooky life is its ability to timeslip the protagonist between Victorian and modern London to enter different worlds that each serve as a microcosm of love, hate, and everything in between. . . . [A] powerful novel packed with eye-opening imagery and tales of spirits dead, alive, and evolving. . . . The entire production is a gripping read, highly recommended for ghost story enthusiasts, timeslip novel readers, and anyone who likes romance and powerful protagonists facing unexpected circumstances."―D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review (★★★★★)

"Rumer Haven presents a twisted paranormal story in her latest novel. . . . A unique approach to Haven's writing style is her use of red herrings. Taking advantage of her principal character's vulnerability, Haven keeps her audience often confused as they are trying to figure out if Margot is suffering from a mental condition, is really experiencing the paranormal, or both. By using this literary tool, Haven is able to not only produce a consistent narrative flow, but also provide a flurry of unexpected character scenes up to and including the story's close. What the Clocks Know offers paranormal enthusiasts a refreshingly gripping yet keenly deceptive read."―Red City Review (★★★★★)

"Traveling between Victorian and 21st century London, this is a thoughtful and well plotted suspense/ghost story"―Rosemary S, Librarian, NetGalley (★★★★)

So, snatch up some ghostly goodness for yourself or gift it to a friend using Amazon's "Give as a Gift" feature!

  

Amazon US

 Amazon UK