Frankly, Scarlett . . . Rhett deserves a better woman!

Revisting a Classic . . . 

You know how it is, you grew up with a classic. You look back and sigh, and wonder why they just don't make movies like that one any longer.  Well, sometimes, that's a good thing. Believe me. Sometimes, you can't go back to the good old days, not without coming away disappointed.

If any of you grew up in the seventies and early eighties, you remember an annual event that happened every February.
The movie "Gone With the Wind" would be featured on network TV.  It was a sweeping saga of war, love, scheming and survival.
The movie had it all: A lovely, southern belle heroine with backbone made of steel, a dreadfully handsome hero with a past. A loyal best friend, an old plantation house, sweeping ballrooms, exquisite gowns, and the grittiness of war in the 19th century.

As a teen, and a young adult, I looked forward to the annual week long miniseries portrayal of Gone With the Wind.

Scarlett O'Hara won the hearts of millions. She was sassy, bold, and without scruples at times. She had guts. She'd do things that made the old ladies scorn her, like dance with Rhett Butler at an annual ball, even though she was officially in mourning and wearing widow's weeds.

A Worthy Heroine?

I liked Scarlett. I loved Scarlett. I thought she was the femme fatale extraordinaire. I think it was the way she flew in the face of convention, did as she pleased, and the world be damned. That was admirable, to a point. Few heroines in movies of the period had the steel balls she had. Most women in the 1930's, as that was when the movie version was made, were still trapped in traditional roles, dependent on men, required to be subservient in their relationships with men, and expected to fit into society in the traditional good girl, good wife and mother sense. Scarlett was the anthithesis of this. She was her own woman. As a feminist in the 70's and 80's myself, when our only cultural icons for TV were Mary Tyler Moore and the like, Scarlett stood out as a woman who took charge of her world and didn't whine to men. Mary Tyler Moore did a lot of whining to Lou Grant in her TV show, as I recall.

Scarlett wasn't a whining female dependent on the men in her life. I think that is why she resonated so much with women of the mid to late 20th century. She was scheming, sure, but it was all for the good of the family, and her beloved plantation, Tara. She married her sister's beau, to save the plantation. Her sister hated her for it.

She pined after Ashley Wilkes, even though the man was in love with her best friend. She secretly loved him, and even when Melanine found out, as Ashley's wife, she forgave Scarlett. I never liked Mellie. I thought she was a bit of a wimp. That was then, as a teen and a young woman. As an older woman, I can understand Mellie giving Scarlett her blessing and not harboring a grudge as she lay dying. Perhaps Mellie wanted her man to be well taken care of after she died, so she figured since Scarlett loved him so much, she'd take good care of him.

So, having gone full circle, from loving Scarlett as a teen and despising Melanie, I am now wondering what I ever saw in Scarlett to begin with as a heroine. What did we all see in her? A sparkle of popularity? The flashiness of the top cheerleader, the barbie doll who gets everything she wants?

Three Cheers for Melanie!

I think about this today, and I really don't like Scarlett at all. She was a n absolute Bitch! No one's friend, as she proved time and time again. With Scarlett as your friend, or sister, you didn't need an enemy.  She didn't care that she hurt others, as long as she managed to get want she wanted, be it Ashley, Rhett, or to save Tara from the carpet baggers. Really, would you rather be friends with Scarlett, or Melanie?  Today, I'd prefer Melanie as a romance heroine. She was a true friend to Scarlett. She defended Scarlett when others critcized her. Scarlett didn't deserve her kindness. Melanie had guts, too. She was elegant, beautiful, and she had a conscience. Melanie went through the same war as Scarlett, but she came out of the horror with grace and aplomb. She is an example of Grace under Fire, of rising above the pettiness of Some People.


Not so with Scarlett. As Rhett once said of Scarlett during one of her escapades after she apologized: "You're not sorry. You're like the thief who isn't sorry he stole something, he's just sorry he got caught!"  Right on, Rhett.

And then, there's Rhett . . . . 

 Rhett Butler is a different story. He was the gambler, the ladies man, the river pirate, the blockade runner, and yet, he was gallant to a fault. He didn't double cross Scarlett. She was his lady, once they married, and he stayed true to her. He even tried to gain some social capital and respect after they had a child, for his daughter's sake, to fit into the strict confines of Victorian society. I still love Rhett today. The thought of of Clark Gable as Rhett, flashing that impish grin with those adorable dimples, with a dark lock of hair hanging defiantly over his brow still makes me weak at the knees.  Rhett was the typical hero we like to read about in modern romances, A flawed hero, with vices and perhaps a dark past, but gallant, honorable, and ultimately redeemable. He had a heart of gold. He didn't judge the people around him. He looked past their moral flaws and saw the real person. We see this with the prostitute, Belle, whom Scarlett despised because of her social standing but Rhett defended in the face of Scarlett's criticism by saying Belle had the biggest, kindest heart of any woman he knew.

Rhett had his issues. He was the consumate alpha male romance hero, a womanizing rake, a take charge sort of man. He was a hero worthy of the iconic status he holds today in our American Culture. He had a bad boy persona, but he was also very charming, and he would walk on hot coals for the woman he loved. He rescued Scarlett several times during the war, even though it was inconvenient and she was a selfish pain in the backside.  He didn't leave her at the road, alone with union soldiers swarming the area. I remember that iconic scene of the pair of them hiding under the bridge, trying to keep their horse quiet. The city was burning in the background and the soldiers were traisping across the bridge above them searching for renegages like Rhett.  It's a stunning visual, potent with emotion for the viewer. Rhett and Scarlett, hiding under the bridge, shivering togther in the wet and cold as the city burns around them, as the soldiers march across above them. Rhett and Scarlett,  lovers who seem to be perfect for each other, who seem to complete each other, and yet they are torn apart by so many issues.

Don't let it end this way, please . . . .

It's a very potent love story, and yet, one that ends in tragedy, so Gone with the Wind is not a true  romance by today's standards. In traditional romance tropes, it is essential that the hero and heroine have a happily ever after ending, or a HEA as we call it in romance writer circles. Scarlett botched things so badly with Rhett, that at the end of the movie he's packing his bags and leaving her. Well, she deserved it. As a teen and young woman, I always hated that scene. I wanted him to turn around, come back, give Scarlett another chance. All of us did, right?

Today, I'm glad he left. As a grown man, he had enough sense to get out of a bad relationship.  Oh, yes, we all remember the 1990's miniseries "Scarlett" where a certain well known romance author tried to give Scarlett a conscience and make Rhett and Scarlett end up together after exhausting difficulties. It might have been a way to redeem Scarlett for a new generation, but the original Scarlett O'Hara created by Margaret Mitchell, was in my opinon, unredeemable in the original novel.

And that's my revised opinion on these classic lovers who have captivated the world, at least in movie form, for over 90 years. Scarlett may have won hearts for standing up for herself at a time when women were not allowed to do so, but by today's standards, she's a pretty unlikeable heroine for a romance story. The herione must be someone we either wish to be or would want as a friend.She can't be heartless, cold, calculating, as Scarlett was, not toward the people who matter in her life. Rhett stands the test of time, enduring as a romance hero, but Scarlett, not so much as a lovable heroine.

  Frankly, Scarlett, Rhett Butler deserves a better woman than you . . . 

Gothic to the core: Hades & Persephone

As summer draws to an end, I'm thinking of the Greek tragedies still. Hades and Persephone come to mind.

If you aren't familiar with these two, let me refresh your memory. Hades, in Greek Mythology, is the God of the Underworld.
Pretty much as Gothic as you can get for a male lead character in a potential romance.

Hades was one of three brothers who ruled the earth. His two brothers, Zeus and Posedion, tricked him, as brothers will do. They divvied up the earth and the water among themselves, leaving Hades with only the underworld left to rule. This means he lives down under the earth, near the core. His subjects are the dead.

Steve Coogan as Hades

Not so great. You can imagine he wasn't happy about this.  Would you be?

So, Poor old Hades is stuck in the underworld, as it's ruler. He's not the god of the dead, however. The god of the dead is Thantos.

According to the Greek Legends, Hades is a brooding sort, a dark lord of the realm. A perfect gothic romance hero, perhaps.  You see him on the left as he was portrayed in Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief, as sort of an aging Rock Star persona. It's kind of cute, in my humble opinion. The story in the movie is that he assumes this more appealing shape for the benefit of his lady love, Persephone, who doesn't care for his, . . . .um,  natural form.Well, at least he was concerned with how she perceived him, which is more than you get from most guys in a relationship these days.



And to be honest, he's not so attractive as a demonic looking creature.

So Kudos to Hades in this movie rendition of the dark god, for at least trying to please his beloved by caring about his looks.
Legend tells us Hades spends most of his time in his castle, in the underworld. He doesn't go out much. Typical gothic hero, reclusive, brooding, full of dark moods and old wounds. He's mad at his brothers for leaving him only the dead to rule. He's also very greedy, and favors anyone who adds to his subjects, the dead, so those who are engaged in enterprises that bring him more ...... bodies ..... or souls ..... whichever you believe is the human essence, you're on his good side.

Another thing about this broody dude, he's the god of wealth. Hmmmm.   Now we have a rich ruling lord, sort of dark and moody, a Gothic tale of a tortured, angsty heart that is lonely.

Enter Persephone ...... rather unwillingly, you understand

Rosario Dawson as Persephone

Persephone was a forest nymph. She was known as Kore, the goddess of spring growth.
She was the daughter of Demeter, goddess of the harvest, and Zeus, god of the earth.
While she was playing in the fields one day as a young woman, the lonely god Hades abducted her and took her to the underworld.

Her mother, Demeter, searched the earth for her, and wept bitterly over the loss of her daughter. Finally, she found her beloved daughter in Hade's lair. She went to Zeus and demanded that Persephone be freed. Zeus relented, and decreed that Persepone must be allowed to return to the world of the living.

However, there was just one small catch. Apparetly Hades offered the girl food, which she ate. A pommegranite.  This cast a pall over escape, as it meant she would have to spend half of the year in Hades's realm as his wife, and half of it above ground, among the living.  So, when Persephone is with Hades in the underworld kingdom, it is the time when vegetation is dormant, in other words--fall and winter. Spring comes when she returns to her mother's world, and the lush vegetation returns to the earth.

The most recent portrayal of this pair was in the movie, Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief, 2010.  In this rendition, Persephone is looking for a way to be free of her rather dark, brooding husband. She's not digging the queen of the underworld gig so much and wants to escape the dark castle once and for all.

 
So there you have it, in a nut shell, a tragic 'love' story of the ages. Lonely gothic prince of unbelievable wealth kidnaps himself a bride. The bride is allowed to roam the earth for six months out of every year in their odd marriage arrangement. She must return to the world of darkness for six months and be Hades'  Gothic Queen.   Does she love him? Does she learn to love him as the ages pass and they are trapped together?  Would you????? Every relationship has it's issues and compromises. What would you do if this hot, brooding princeling who was wealth itself wanted you to be his Underworld Bride?

This is a twisted love story from the Ancient Greek Myths, a tortured brooding, lonely man kidnaps a sweet little floral nynph and takes her home to his dark castle. He keeps her six months out of the year and gives her back her freedom for six months, where she can go off with her friends and have a good time. As I'm appreciative of the traditional Gothic romances of old, I couldn't help sharing this little tidbit of a love story, cleverly hidden in the old Greek myths.   


Lily Silver, Author of Dark Hero, A Gothic Romance

Tree Hugging, an old legend gives new insight to loving a Tree!

A Woman's Burden, Sepai Tone, Lily Silver, 2006

Today's blog post isn't about romance, but rather something darker. Imagine being a beautiful young woman, and being harassed by a Greek god, a god whose amorous attentions you'd rather not be subjected to. 

There is a an ancient legend from the Greeks, a very old legend about a girl who was pursued by a god, a god who she didn't like. She tried to get away from his constant attentions. Her rebuffs just didn't work. He wouldn't leave her alone.

She was walking alone in the forest one day, and this very pesky Greek god began harassing her again, getting ready to actually ravish her. He chased her through the forests. She prayed to the goddess to save her from this horrible fate. The goddess turned her into a tree. An actual tree. Now, I've heard the one where a woman is turned into a pillar of salt, or into stone. But a tree?  Seriously?

This is an old legend that can be found in the stories of Ovid, in The Metamorphises.

It goes like this: Young Daphne the forest nymph had an admirer that was far too exuberant in his wooing. This was the Greek god Apollo. He was handsome, of course, and most women would die to have this perfect god lusting after them. Not Daphne. This lovely girl despised marriage and sex. She didn't want anything to do with Apollo, but he was a god and he was determined to have her. 

As Apollo closed on Daphne, she called out to the gods to help her. Just as Apollo grabbed her, Daphne's skin turned to bark underneath his fingertips and she grew leaves and foliage. She was transformed into a laurel tree. Apollo, not one to give up so easily, stroked the tree for a while (yeah, sort of sick, isn't it, but it's in the legend!)  and then cut off some of her branches and wove them into a crown, a crown of laurels. Apollo proclaimed the laurel as his sacred tree.

Golden Splendor, Lily Silver, 2007

Daphne, however, escaped her stalker, but whether or not she had a good life as a tree is unknown. Maybe that is where the legend of tree spirits comes into play. Or maybe, just maybe, she became one of the ENTs, like in Lord of the Rings, a sentient being capable of rational thought and emotion, locked into a tree.  A truly odd story, but then, the Greeks have always had an odd twist when it comes to such things.

So forgive me if this post doesn't feature 'timeless lovers'.  As its summer, I just couldn't get the image of poor Daphne out of my mind.  So, then, wanna go hug a tree?

If you do, just be careful, don't be rude or disgusting, as you might be offending a tree spirit, or risk angering a woodland god. 

Let the Character Speak for himself!

Hello everyone,




I'm excited today to share this wonderful event with readers of my blog.

Kieran O'Flaherty

Today, my character, Kieran O'Flaherty, is being featured on another site. He's being interveiwed on World Literary Cafe's Author Spotlight by Stacey Eaton.  In the interview, he explains some of the challenges he encounters when he returns to his ancestral home after a twenty year absence to take up residence and try to win the hearts of his father's people, the Fighting O'Flaherty Clan.

I've always had a vivid imagination, and when I'm writing, I often imagine my characters as looking like actors that are well known. This helps me visualize them in action. Who would I have play Kieran O'Flaherty if they made Bright Scoundrel into a movie?


Let's see if you recognize this handsome dude.....

No, still drawing a blank? Well, it's Jared Padelecki from the TV series Supernatural.

And who might play the lovely, but prickly Rose de Lacy?

Well, here is a picture of her, just the same, see if you can come up with an actress who looks a little bit like Rose de Lacy in real life ......

Rose de Lacy

 So, if you'd like to read the interview with Kieran, my devilishly handsome Irish scoundrel, druid priest/sorcerer & rake, follow the link below.  I hope you'll be entertained by his revealing interview. 

Here is the link if you would like to take a peek. Bright Scoundrel is on sale for half off today on all platforms and the first book in the series, Dark Hero, is just .99 cents.

http://www.worldliterarycafe.com/content/author-spotlight-character-interview-author-lily-silver

Thanks for stopping by.  Enjoy your summer, don't let it pass you by too quickly.  Pause to watch a sunset, have a sip of wine or a cold beer, and just sit back and savor the warm season!  

 Meanwhile, I'm writing the third installement to the reluctant heroes series, Gallant Rogue: 

 Finishing up another story that was serialized on my website for a hopefully fall release: 

 And, I'm writing two short stories for a Christmas release to compliment my free short story, Christmas at Ravencrest... which will make for a Ravencrest Christmas Trilogy come November 2013. 

Close up of cover for Christmas at Ravencrest

So, I'm very busy as you can see, but you don't have to be! Just sit back and enjoy the warm summer nights while you can, and thanks for visiting my blog this weekend.

If I'm not here writing a new post, you can be sure I'm working hard on all my projects in the hope of keeping my readers satisfied with lush, rich, historical romances with just the touch of the paranormal!

Oh, and Happy Bastille Day everyone, it was on this day in my fictional history that Donovan Beaumont, the hero in Dark Hero, was released from the Bastille in France . . . spawning an entire series of books in this author's imagination for the Reluctant Heroes Series!  I love all my heroes, but Donovan will always be my favortie..... a torturd relcuse with a heart of solid gold.

Lily Silver, July 14th, 2013

It's finally here, it's officially SUMMERTIME!

Hey, 

It's finally here. Its officially Summer Time. 

                     Let's celebrate. 

                                      Have a glass of Lemonade, 

Enjoy some freshly picked Berries, 

Sit on the Beach and bask in the Sunshine, 

Read a few good books, 

 Fall in Love......

And enjoy this funky cool video blast from the Past!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvUQcnfwUUM

Slay the Dragon--Find a Cure! WG2E authors join Brenda Novak's Diabete's Auction

              Come On,  Let's Slay the Dragon of Diabetes, 

Today is a day of hope. Hope for a cure to one of the most devastating diseases.  Diabetes knowns no boundaries, it affects young and old, infants, children, and everyday people from all walks of life. We'd like to see that dragon slain one day, conquered forever so that it becomes only a disease of legend.

Well, today we're offering a little hope toward that goal.

Our WG2E (writers guide to epublishing)  Street Team authors are joining Brenda Novak's Auction for Diabetes. We have donated a Kindle Paperwhite for the auction, pre-loaded with 40 of our own books for a winner to enjoy. You'll find something for every taste there, a little romance, some mysteries, science fiction, horror, and all of them in one handy Kindle.

It's like having a whole library nestled in your hand. The auction item is a $259 value, and not only are you getting a great reader device and lots of great books, but you'll also be helping in the fight against diabetes, as all the procedes for the auction items donated to Brenda Novak's site go to research to find a cure. 

 I am donating the first two books of my series, Reluctant Heroes to the cause,  Dark Hero, A Gothic Romance, and Bright Scoundrel. These are loaded onto our auction item, the Kindle Paperwhite device. 

And that's not all, our WG2E street team is also offering some great gift cards on our own site that you can win, so stop on by the Beach Book Blast Site to register to win a $50 gift card, and more. Follow this link to be taken to our site for a chance to win one of several gift cards donated by our street team.
Beach Book Blast Blog Hop Site

Join the Beach Book Blast Team and Brenda Novak in the fight for a cure. You can log onto Brend Novak's Auction site to view the various auction items and bid here:  Brenda Novak's Diabetes Auction

Thanks for joining us in the fight. Visit Brenda's Auction site frequently this week as the auction items available change from day to day. Our item, the Kindle Paperwhite, is only available today, Tuesday May 28th, for bids.

Also, our sister site, Readers Guide to E-publishing, is also sponsoring the event. Check out their site for more info on prizes Readers Guide to E-Publishing

What Scares You; a Haunted Castle, dark spirits, or elemental creatures?

I just love a good ghost story, don't you? I love stories set in an old castle, with creepy goings on, with a brave hero, a little romance, and a lot of paranormal activity.

My newest release has all those elements. Here is a taste for those brave enough to encounter the paranormal, at least in their reading choices. Bright Scoundrel is a Historical Romance, a Gothic Romance, a romance with strong paranormal elements. And better yet, the romantic hero is a sorceror! Anyone for trip to old Ireland this weekend?

Excerpt from Bright Scoundrel by Lily Silver, Book Two in the Reluctant Heroes Series:  Kieran O’Flaherty has just arrived at his ancestral home in Ireland after living in exile for over twenty years. He is troubled by the unseen residents that have accumulated there during its long vacancy.

       Kieran walked slowly down the long hall toward his old room at the end, the room where the ghostly boys had emerged just moments ago. The echo of solitary footsteps followed, reminding him of his lonely state. The castle wasn’t barren. There were spirits here and elementals. Some good and many that were not. It was a lonely place, devoid of human inhabitants, and yet it was full to the brim with unwanted guests that needed to be sent packing.

       He spent over an hour perusing the opened rooms on the second floor, taking slow inventory of the place and getting a feeling for what needed to be accomplished to revive the old fortress. When at last Kieran reached the tower room, the master bedchamber, a sick feeling of revulsion came over him. He entered the room, and just as quickly backed out, holding his nose. The smell of sulfur was overpowering. He thought he might retch. As he backed away his eyes stung and watered.

      “Lord Grey?” A young maid called from down the hall, near the stairs. “Are you ill, sir?”

      “No.” Kieran answered with difficulty, as he tried to not breathe through his nose. “No, I’m just a little tired.”

     “Where would you like your trunks set up? In the turret room, sir?”

     “No.” He said quickly, a moment of panic seizing him, and he was not one to panic. “No, I want this room closed up. Tell Aine to lock it and to give me the key.”

      The maid, a young woman of not more than eighteen years, gave him a curious look. She started down the hall toward him at a quick pace, a frown marring her brow. “Why, who is that with you, Lord Grey? Did you bring a child with you from England, sir?”

      “No . . .” Kieran said sternly. He held up his hand, signaling for the woman to not advance further. “Go downstairs, now. Find Aine. Tell her to bring me the key to this room. Go--now!”  He pushed her back with all of his willpower. He held out his hand and pushed mentally against her determination to come near, lest she, too, be put in danger.

      The girl paused for a moment, as if sensing she’d reached an invisible barrier and could go no further. She tilted her head, still looking at him with concern. Her face suddenly changed from wonder to outright panic. She turned and ran down the long corridor to the stairs in the center of the castle. She hurried down them without giving him or the creature beside him a second glance.

      The panic was real. He felt it, too, when he first encountered the elemental. Panic was the human’s primal reaction to something so inherently evil.

      “What do you want here?” He demanded now well past any panic as anger consumed him. This was his home. The being had no right to be here, but someone summoned it, or invited it in. And once an ancient fetch was allowed inside a place, it was not easy to get them to leave.

     

Image credit: lario76 / 123RF Stock Photo

The thing had no eyes. There were dark holes where the eyes should be. The face of the creature was like rotting flesh, hence the awful stench. It was about three feet tall and covered with rangy, oily, putrid smelling hair. It merely stood there, looking up at him, silently brooding.

It may have been surprised that he could see it. Most people only noticed a dark shadow when they encountered a fetch, along with the horrid smell and the strong sense of panic the being evoked.

      “I said who brought you here? Answer me? What is your purpose? I’ll have none of your games. This is my house now, you must leave.”

       The creature attacked. Kieran was not surprised, yet he wasn’t prepared for it either. Before he knew what was happening, he was on the floor, on his back, as a searing pain slammed him in the chest. It had jumped up and pushed him backwards. He heard the shuffling noise it made as it hurried back into its cavern, the master chamber, and the door slammed hard.

      He lay gasping, holding his shoulder when the maid returned with Aine at her heels.

     “My lord . . . what happened, sir?”

     “I tripped.” Kieran groaned as he sat up holding his left shoulder. It ached and burned, just as if he’d been shot again in the same place as he had years ago. “I tripped and fell, that’s all.”

     “O’Neill, here, says you were acting peculiar, like ye was ill, sir. She said you asked for me.”

     “I’m fine.” Kieran rubbed his collarbone. He could swear there was a bullet lodged there. It felt just as real as when Captain Fletcher shot him. He looked at the young woman who Aine had called O’Neill.      “Surely, lass, you have a name besides O’Neill? A pretty girl should not go on being called by such a name?”

     “Mary Grace, sir.” The young woman blushed. She looked down at her apron, as if embarrassed to have caught the attention of the master. “O’Neill is my family name.”

     “A very pretty name, for a very pretty girl.” Kieran forced a smile as he focused his attention on charming her. “I’m more relaxed than my English peers, Mary Grace. I don’t hold with strict formality, nor do I refer to my household servants by their surnames. Call it a flaw of mine. I prefer your first name, if it does not offend you.”

     “Oh, no sir, not at all.” The pink cheeks bloomed into a deeper rose hue, yet still, the girl did not look at him.

     “Now then, Mary-Grace, I thank you for bringing Aine to me. Would you please leave us and attend to your duties. I must speak with our stalwart housekeeper alone.”

     The girl rose and hurried down the stone corridor again.

    “Ach, and weren’t you born with the gift of glamoury, my lord.” Aine said, giving him a canny look.

    “A little flirtation goes a long way to make a lass smile and forget ugliness.”

     Aine helped Kieran to his feet. He was still stinging from the crushing blow the thing had given him.

    “And what was so ugly here that you fear O’Neill must forget seeing, Lord Grey?”

    Kieran straightened. He was loath to confess the truth to her and yet, if she was half the woman he sensed she was when he hired her she would not run away shrieking. “Remember what I said when I hired you? I specified that someone with uncommon courage was needed at Roisin Dubh Castle to help me reclaim my ancestral home.”

     “Aye, sir. You implied t’was from ghosts and spirits when you said it. I remember it clearly. And I told you, I’m not one to be chased off by shadows and slamming doors. I hold to that, sir.”  Aine’s honest face and those somber, deep set brown eyes looked up at him without flinching.

Kieran wasn’t one to touch people if he could help it. Touching people made him see things he didn’t like. This time he couldn’t refrain from grasping Aine’s arm. “We have more than ghosts here, Aine. Mark me, there are ghosts infesting the castle, but there’s also something much more dangerous.”

 Excerpt of Bright Scoundrel, Copyright Lily Silver, 2013

To find out more about how Kieran will vanquish this evil being, download a copy of Bright Scoundrel to your e-reader. It is available on all platforms and is a 100k plus historical romance novel, that's 400 pages of romance, adventure, ghosts, spirits, mystery and magic.

Buy links:
iTunes
Amazon.com
Nook
Smashwords.com

Leave a comment here regarding what scares you the most in fiction stories. As a reward, you'll find that  Bright Scoundrel is discounted 50% off on Amazon for Tuesday May 7th only. If you need a copy from other distributors, please contact me for a coupon code.
Thanks for sharing.