The Ghost Rider has been awarded a Silver Medal for Supernatural Historical Fiction
The Feathered Nest has been awarded a Bronze Medal for Historical Romance.
Thank you so much to The Coffee Pot Book Club
5 STAR REVIEW
Kate is a normal 26-year-old living in Australia when she unexpectedly moves back home with her parents. When she arrives home, she finds her old bedroom is full of her mother’s old things. Kate and her mother go through the ancient family treasures and find a diary that unveils an old family mystery. What happened […]
The Ghost Rider — LITERARY TITAN
My initial idea for The Ghost Rider was, what if a ghost was trapped by it’s past and it’s death, to travel the same path for eternity. This ghost became the ghost rider himself. I also wanted a second more malevolent ghost in the story.
Charlbury is a fictitious village in Wiltshire in the Cotswolds and is inspired by Castle Coombe.
I love flowers. I’d read about a few wildflower meadow projects that have been undertaken in the UK, and decided I wanted to bring one into the story. It became the Damselfly Meadow. I tend to bring things I love into my stories. So there is also Lady, the golden retriever, and Heru, a Peregrine Falcon. Birds of prey aren’t my favourite but I respect their power and there’s something majestic about them. When you see a wedge-tailed eagle fly, you have to admire and respect them.The peregrine falcon is an excellent falconry bird due to its strong hunting ability and it is easily trained. Their name comes from the Latin word peregrinus, which means “to wander.” Peregrine falcons are the fastest-flying birds in the world and are able to dive at 200 miles per hour. I named my falcon Heru after the Egyptian god Horus, often known as Heru. The god had the head of a falcon.
Music is another great love of mine and usually at least one character plays an instrument.
I hope you enjoy The Ghost Rider
Buy link to AMAZON
http://mybook.to/TheGhostRider
What happened to Edward Wallingford? His great-great nephew William is determined to find out.
England 1935.
Edward Wallingford, an artist, is on a solitary walking tour of the West Country. To recuperate from pneumonia, he wants to walk, paint and enjoy the countryside. When he stops at Claeg, a village in Dorset, he visits Marston Castle on the outskirts of the town. He becomes fascinated by Rose Marston who, with her two sisters, owns and lives in their family’s castle.
England Present Day.
William Wallingford has always heard tales of his great-great uncle Edward who disappeared on his walking tour in 1935. When Will’s mother discovers a letter written in Edward’s hand telling his family that he was in Claeg and intended staying at the castle, both Will and his mother are intrigued.
William, a professional photographer, has some free time between assignments, and determines to discover what happened to Uncle Edward. Why, when he went missing, could no one find any trace of him?
Will travels to Claeg and stays at the Clay Cutters Arms where he meets the owners, Natalie Pickering and her father.
Will soon hears local rumours that young men visiting Claeg disappear from time to time.
With Natalie’s help, Will meets a local witch, uncovers an unbelievable truth and nearly dies for love.
The Feathered Nest by Ellen Read
I was thrilled to receive a Gold Book Award from Literary Titan for The Feathered Nest.
When I received a 5 Star review, I was so happy but I had forgotten my book was entered into the Book Awards. So it came as a surprise to be told I’d been awarded the Gold Book Award.
Literary Titan’s 5 STAR review is below:
Alexandra Thornton goes on an expedition with her family to Norfolk Island to research the island’s birds with a particular focus on the green parrot. Little does she know what she has walked into, a web of a puzzling mystery that has to be unraveled before it threatens her.
The Feathered Nest by Ellen Read gives readers a captivating look into the mystery of Norfolk Island and its inhabitants. The story gains momentum as an intriguing chain of events unfold which endangers members of the expedition. As the story progresses readers get to unveil the motive behind the multitudes of murders.
Ellen Read is the quintessential historical mystery romance author who effortlessly blends elements of novelistic fiction with curious bits of history. The author creates characters with surprising depth and realistic emotions, which reminds me of how Agatha Christie creates her characters. Moreover, Ellen has strategically placed humor, wit, and alluring intimacy to mitigate the simmering tension of the reader. Readers will find themselves yearning to turn the page to decipher the fate of the characters. By the end of the novel, all the dilemmas that pique the reader are seamlessly resolved.
The Feathered Nest by Ellen Read is a cozy mystery novel that has a similar atmosphere as one of a period drama. With its descriptive prose, it delivers outstanding soulfulness with unmatched intricacy. Holistically, this mystery thriller prescribes hints throughout but is better comprehended as all the elements gradually fit into place. Overall, this book would appeal to readers that seek a compelling mystery with a touch of tender romance.
Reviewed by Michelle Stanley for Readers’ Favorite
“Tis said, that some have died for love.” – William Wordsworth. Die for Love: A Ghost Story is a mystery by Ellen Read. In England in 1935, while recuperating, artist Edward Wallingford feels inspired to sketch Marston Castle despite warnings about its haunting history. He meets the beguiling Rose Marston who coaxes him to stay at the castle because they were meant to be together. England, presentday, William is curious to learn the circumstances surrounding his great-great-uncle Edward’s disappearance. He travels to Claeg, Dorset, where his uncle was last seen. Natalie, the innkeeper, also warns William not to go to Marston Castle, which he ignores. While touring the castle, William meets a lovely woman named Rose who invites him to stay with her. Natalie has her suspicions when William behaves oddly and takes him to see a witch.
“His love was such a grievous pain.” – William Wordsworth. Edward and his great-great-nephew William were befuddled after being smitten by the beauty of a Marston woman. William Wordsworth’s poetry is a significant feature throughout this story. If you’re a fan of Edgar Allen Poe like myself, you will be thrilled with the engrossing dark mystery theme of Die for Love. It’s a suspenseful, touching story with a lovely setting in the rural English countryside. Ellen Read has also included excerpts from her other books at the back of Die for Love: A Ghost Story and the information on how this story originated. I really like the book’s cover illustration and highly recommend the novel for your reading pleasure.
https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/die-for-love
Published by Crimson Cloak Publishing
Food plays a big part in my story as the Thorntons and friends (and enemies) so often discuss matters over a meal or afternoon tea.
Thornton Park – The story starts at Thornton Park and as such Mrs Preston works her magic with various dishes.
The Byrd brother and sister visit Thornton Park before they all depart on their expedition.
Since Thomas Thornton upgraded the kitchen by installing the new refrigeration, Mrs P has delighted in serving Vichyssoise – cold soup made of leeks, onions, potatoes and cream. It can be warmed but Mrs P wouldn’t serve it any other way but cold.
Poached Salmon with a mousseline sauce followed. – On April 12, 1912 R.M.S. Titanic, the “unsinkable ship,” ended her doomed voyage across the Atlantic. Salmon Mousseline was on the Titanic’s menu, and served during the very last dinner on board the ill-fated ship.
Sauted Chicken Lyonnaise followed at Thornton Park as the main course. Alexandra loved this French dish of sauted chicken with onions and sauce. It was also served in First Class on the Titanic.
In fact, the entire menu had been designed by Mrs Preston especially for Alexandra’s birthday. Yet another of Alexandra’s favourites—Chocolate Charlotte Russe, another French dish—was served for dessert.
Preston, the Thornton butler, poured wines suitable to each course, some of which had come from Archer’s Vineyard, others from Brown Brothers, and other Australian wineries.
One meal consisted of an entrée of avocado with a squeeze of lemon, served on lettuce leaves, followed by roast beef and baked potatoes, kumaras and beans.
Kumaras or kumeras are also know as sweet potato. A dessert followed of baked china pears with cinnamon. China pears taste like they’re a cross between apples and pears, also known as Nashi pears.
For a light lunch, Pumpkin the cook at Norfolk Island, served banana fritters, with fried cheese balls, on a garden salad. For dessert, Pumpkin prepared fresh fruit – banana, paw paw, pineapple with passionfruit in orange juice.
This particular fruit salad recipe is one my mother used to make. Bananas Fritters is another my mother and I used to make.
Another lunch comprised baked fish in banana leaves – Trumpeter fish or Coral Trout is a well-loved fish on the island – accompanied by kumara and beans, and for dessert pink guava jelly and custard.
Chocoes is a vegetable that is less commonly used today but in the 1920s and, in fact, the Great Depression and during World War II, chocoes were easy to grow and a cheap vegetable to buy.
Flummery for dessert was another favourite years ago. It makes a light ending to a meal. In The Feathered Nest, Pumpkin makes a Lemon, Orange and Passionfruit Flummery.
I’ve hope you’ve enjoyed this brief culinary tour. I’ve added links below to various recipes you might like to try.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/13392/classic-vichyssoise/
Sauté Chicken Lyonnaise
https://www.bestrecipes.com.au/recipes/banana-fritters-easy-recipe/z2iwa39b
https://www.food.com/recipe/guava-jelly-40343
https://www.bestrecipes.com.au/recipes/chokos-deluxe/nbqmxvzo
Others links follow to my website and social media sites.
https://www.facebook.com/EllenReadWriter/
Published by Crimson Cloak Publishing
Set in the 1920s, the Thornton family are antiques dealers. Thomas Thornton is also president of the Royal Society of Victoria, and in The Feathered Nest, he leads a group that includes his family to Norfolk Island to study the Green Parrot.
Green Parrot – Red-fronted Parakeet – Excerpt from Norfolk Island … the birds by Margaret Christian.
Unique to Norfolk Island.
“In 1789 Philip Gidley King R.N made mention repeatedly in his journal of the destructive plagues of ‘parroquets’ which were ‘in Very large flocks’…’having made great havock in one acre’ ruining the precious crops of wheat and Indian corn. This once common endemic parrot was reduced to an estimated fewer than 15 pairs in the early 1980s.”
Identification – Adult birds are a rich forest green, lighter green below, with a red crown, a red dot behind the eye and a blue leading edge to the wings. The beak is light blue, gradually darkening towards the tip which is blue-black. The eye is orange/red. Juveniles are similar to adults, but their beak is pinkish and their eyes are brown. Sexes are alike, but the male is slightly larger. Length: 30 cm
Excerpt from Norfolk Island … the birds by Margaret Christian.
Norfolk Island has many other varieties of land birds. Some of the birds I mention in The Feathered Nest are: The Pacific Robin, the Golden Whistler otherwise known as Tamey, the White-breasted White-eye ‘Grinnell’, Emerald Doves, Crimson Rosellas, Masked Wood Swallows.
Some of the sea birds include the Providence Petrel and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters (Ghost birds)
Wedge-tailed Shearwaters’ (Ghost birds) mournful cries can be heard at nightfall.
The Thorntons enjoyed watching the small Masked Wood Swallows
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/people/45171208@N06
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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14250944
Published by Crimson Cloak Publishing
Before Alexandra could sit down, the boat and the yacht too, lurched on the swell of a wave. It threw her off balance and against the man’s chest. His arms went around her to steady her. He smelled of the sea. It made Alexandra think of their days on the Endless Summer when the warm sea breeze found them on deck and soothed their spirits. Then Alexandra looked up and he grinned at her. She pushed back from him. “Get your hands off me,” Alexandra demanded, and frowned at him. “I’m a married woman.” “Lucky bloke.” He grinned again. His laughing eyes sparked something in Alexandra. Anger coursed through her blood. When the boat lurched again, and he put out a helping hand, she slapped it away. “Just trying to help, princess.” “Don’t call me that. I’m not a princess.” “My mistake.” He grinned again as she flopped onto the bench seat.
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