THIS OLD HOUSE
A Lily Blooms in the Jaws of Hell
BOOK 1
VICTORIAN MYSTERY SERIES
I walked out of my grandmother's home on Stockbridge Street in Eagle Lake, Texas, late on a Sunday night, and stared across the street. Against the night sky, all I could see was the crumbling walls that were nothing more than a ghostly silhouette of some previous grand existence. The evening summer breeze whistled through the trees bringing with it the laughter of children who once lived there and the caring call of a mother letting them know dinner was ready.
This novel has been in the works since its beginning in 2005 when a century and half old colonial style home was restored by the author and his wife, Barbara. For over twelve months, the house did an amazing transformation, the third time since its original construction in 1845. The first time it was restored was 1861. The second time in 1932 and the last time in 2005.
Although a work of fiction, the story was inspired by actual events that will raise the hair on the back of the reader's neck. What happened to the woman who disappeared overnight? Stand and watch a paint lid as the name "Annie" is written in cursive in the wet paint right before your eyes. Or, listen to the heavy footsteps of a construction worker on the roof in the middle of the night? Smell cherry tobacco smoke in the hallways when no one is around? What lies under the white limestone rock in the rose garden, other than dirt?
Happy Reading!
