#marchwood

[annarellix]

Hidden/Taken/Hunted (Vampires of Marchwood Book 1,2,3) by Shalini Boland

My Review: This is review for a blog tour of an entire series and my review, even if details my opinion for each book, will be on the entire series. I wanted to read these books as I am a sucker to everything vampire since I read Dracula ages ago. I think that the modern vampire was recreated by Anne Rice and there was an explosion at the beginning of the XXI century (Twilight anyone?) When I started this series, I was very happy to discover that, even if the MCs are teens, they were not similar to the characters of Twilight or Vampire Diaries as they’re considered a sort of archetype for this type of books. Ms Boland created two original characters and I loved Madison and Alexander as they’re well rounded and strong character. I felt for Madison as she’s a girl who lost a lot and her only family is her brother Ben. She’s lucky and inherits a big mansion, the start of an incredible adventure. Her relationship with Ben is strong and sweet. Alexander is a well rounded and energetic boy, he is the one who will drive Madison into a fantastic adventure and I liked hime. Hidden is the first book in this series and, I think, the slowest one as it introduces the characters and there’s a lot of word building. It kept me turning pages and I enjoyed it. Taken is the second book in this series and it didn’t suffer from the book-in-the-middle syndrome. There’s a lot of developments, new characters and more world building. It’s fast paced and I appreciated how the author developed a fast-paced plot that kept me turning pages and on the edge. The storytelling is excellent and I liked the world building and how the plot flow. Hunted is the grand finale, the switches between timeline but kept me hooked and inhaling this story as I wanted to know what was going to happen. Action packed, full of twists and a firework of end that left me satisfied. I thoroughly enjoyed this series and hope there will be other stories set in this universe. I thank Second Sky for this ARC, all opinions are mine

HIDDEN: Falling in love has never been so dangerous…

My name is Madison Greene. On my seventeenth birthday, I inherited an old mansion and wealth beyond my wildest dreams. I thought it was a joke, but as I step through the creaking door of the sprawling building, I realise my life in foster care is in the past. I’ve been chosen and my world has changed forever. But I wasn’t told that Marchwood House hides a secret. As I explore every inch of the crumbling property, I stumble upon a set of large, dusty boxes in the basement. When I pull back the lid and look down, I find myself staring at the most handsome face I’ve ever seen. High cheekbones, porcelain skin… And when he wakes up and locks eyes with me, I realise my heart already belongs to him, even though my head is screaming at me to get as far away from Marchwood as possible. Because I know what he really is.

I never planned to fall in love – but it’s too late now. Alexandre has a dark and dangerous past. He needs me and I have to help him. But can a human really save a vampire?

TAKEN: Falling in love has never been so deadly…

My name is Madison Greene and I was an ordinary teenager until I fell in love… with a vampire. Alexandre is tall, with a sexy French accent and mesmerizing eyes. He makes me feel protected, and he’s completely captured my heart. At Marchwood House, our sprawling mansion nestled in the English countryside, we’re in our own perfect bubble together. But, in the blink of an eye, everything changes when an old enemy of Alexandre’s sets a trap and rips me away from my boyfriend’s arms. The ancient demon takes me to his underground city, deep beneath the windswept desert. In the twisting tunnels and enormous vaulted caverns, there’s a bloodthirsty vampire around every corner. I’ve never been so terrified… It seems like there’s no way out from this underground maze. My life is hanging by a thread, and every second I’m here is a step closer to death. I can’t just sit here and hope that Alexandre will rescue me.

Can I outsmart a city of vampires to escape from this hellish place? And will I ever see Alexandre again?

HUNTED: Falling in love has never been so complicated…

My name is Madison Greene and my boyfriend is a vampire. And not just any vampire, one with brooding good looks and a smile that makes my heart skip a beat. As I curl up against Alexandre’s side, our hands entwined, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Although our relationship hasn’t been easy. I’m human, so there were always going to be complications. But I thought we’d banished the demons from his previous life. I couldn’t have been more wrong… Because there’s a new threat in the form of Nadia – a blue-eyed beauty who seems determined to do everything she can to break us apart. I trust Alexandre but I don’t trust her. As I start digging into the truth to find out who Nadia really is, centuries-old secrets begin to unravel. And in order to set Alexandre free from the chains of his past, we must return to the ancient underground city of vampires to defeat Alexandre’s archnemesis once and for all.

Can I finally save Alexandre? Or will loving a vampire be the death of me?

Buy Link(s): Hidden: https://geni.us/B0BTJ9PJ3Jsocial Taken: https://geni.us/B0BVNYQFDPsocial Hunted: https://geni.us/B0BVNZ3DPCsocial

The Author: Shalini Boland is the USA-Today bestselling author of seventeen psychological thrillers. With over two million copies sold, her titles are published by Amazon Publishing, Audible, Bookouture, Second Sky and Grand Central Publishing. Shalini lives by the sea in Dorset, England with her husband, two teens and their increasingly demanding dog, Queen Jess. Before kids, she was signed to Universal Music Publishing as a singer/songwriter, but now she spends her days writing (in between re-stocking the fridge and dealing with endless baskets of laundry). She is also the author of two bestselling Sci Fi and Fantasy series as well as a WWII evacuee novel with a time-travel twist.

For all news and updates: Website:  http://someonewotwrites.blogspot.com/ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ShaliniBolandAuthor Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ShaliniBoland Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/shaboland/ Second Sky Email Sign Up: www.secondskybooks.com/shalini-boland

[ricardian-werewolf]

The World Has Gone Insane!

Tagging @malkaleh, @tommi-art and @rmelster, @dreadbirate - my aforementioned Post Nuclear war Fae piece, a snippet:

Oh and our cast:

Bella Ramsey as Cecily-Anne

Harry Lloyd as Richard III

Emily Carey as Anne Neville, Lady of Middleham

Jude Hill as Edward of Middleham (the boy in the first half of the gif.)

Cameron Chapman as Henry Marchwood

With the air as cold as ever, Cecily drew the hood of her cloak up over her face and glared at the heavy cloud cover which cast a pallor over everything. She had hoped for some sun to-day, yet remembering the sight of so many workers bearing cataracts and malformations from the bright orb suspended in space, she dashed that hope. The heavy wolf’s fur of her cloak’s edge and lining kept the wind from biting too much at her exposed face. She reached for one of her ladies hands, and let herself be led up the worn and well-sanded wooden steps to her box. The path was familiar, and she was pleased that the steps leading not only to her box but to the lower benches had been swept clean. 

The tourney seats were packed. Even though this had been the fifth year in a row of such an event for Cecily, the people still clamoured for the courtly ceremonies of centuries past. Other boxes, made of fine woods embellished with the house sigils of the major northern houses, surrounded each side of the tourney’s field. The stands were arranged in a circle with two rounded gates at each end, which behind, the knights of the day’s fight waited. The suitors, numbering originally in the triple digits since it had been a country-wide call, had been shaved down to a scant 15. Cecily had discussed many with them already, but her gaze cast to the scoreboard that was set into the opposite wall from the royal box. Bearing the sigils of the major houses participating, a servant or the herald would remove the sigil card when one fell in the fights to come. 

Eventually, only one would remain. 

Cecily cast her gaze to her box’s detailing with its lattice wood screen and the curling woodwork above it, which displayed in delicate gold her sigil: The white Hart in rampart, its antlers stretching skywards. Below the golden hooves were the words: Sic Semper Tyrannis.

Thus Always to Tyrants.

Tugging back her hood, the crowd erupted in a mad frenzy of cheers and much delighted cries. The clapping of their hands and calls of Princess Cecily! Over and over made her pulse race. Not only did the tourney bring great pride (and admittedly frustration) to her father, it was also one of the instances where they were able to show off their wealth and ingenuity to the masses for who owed their fealty and existence to the house of Gloucester-Neville. Cecily curtsied to her parents in their box, and gave her brother Edward a wave. Above their heads was the Neville Bear with the Ragged Staff and the Whyte Boar in Gloucester, both in Rampart. Richard’s own motto was inscribed under the boar: Loyaulté Me Lie, and Anne’s, Alea Iacta Est:

Loyalty Binds Me, and The Die is Cast. 

Fitting words for the two people wholly responsible for the saving of the North from the horrors of this endless winter. Cecily shook her head and swept into the box. She stripped off her cloak, since there was a brazier already burning hot and she would rather be warm than shivering. She took her seat on a finely cushioned chair and turned her head to a maidservant standing quietly in the shadows. At her side, Lisa and her kin sat in a flutter of their richly adorned skirts and furs, casting aside their own cloaks and veils. Sweating through their fine garments did nothing favourable to their image.

“Are your husbands here to-day?” Cecily asked Lillian and Anise, who nodded. 

“Alfred is with your lord father’s retinue-” Anise pointed to her husband who stood amongst the brightly adorned knights of Richard’s household guard. He wore the white with the black lions of  William Catesby, while Lillian’s husband wore the wolf of Francis Lovell. Despite being part of Richard’s retinue, they were really in the service of Lovell and Catesby for the winter period. It allowed them time away from Middleham and to be in service in more desperate regions of England. Yet, they still wore upon their cloaks the Whyte Boar.

The sound of the herald blasting the horn beginning the start of the tourney rang out, and the maidservants present hastened to pull back the heavy velvet drapes that covered the side of the box closest to Richard and Anne’s. Turning her head, Cecily reached for her goblet of wine and smirked.

“My Lords and Ladies,” Richard got to his feet. Age had given her father strength and many gray hairs, but it had not made him weak in any sense. His health had not failed at all alarmingly, something that could not be said for the noble lords and ladies who crowded the other boxes to regard their Lord. Some were gormless with excess or sins, while others were nothing more than ghosts in clothes that hung limply on their forms. The sinful nature of the darkness that had blotted their sun from the sky and swept the world with fire took more than waistlines and eyesight.

It killed in masses. Cecily sipped her wine again. She knew her father’s tale by heart, for it had been the same at every tourney these past five years. 40 years ere this one, men had been driven to warfare with weapons no person of Cecily’s generation could imagine being wielded. They had brought about tongues of fire and the ash from those world-ending flames had travelled upwards past the heavens until the very sun had become blotted out. The first few years had been a groping darkness filled with discontent and madness. Millions died of hunger and petty illnesses left untreatable. Her teachers of nuns and priests called the world-ending event The Fourteen Days of Fire. However, even though histories had said that the days of fire had been maybe a mere two, the old pamphlets had advised in the event of an attack to stay indoors for fourteen days maximum. One year had turned into two, and then ten and suddenly, men began to finally organise into bands, then tribes, and finally reclaim the wreckage of their villages. Their histories had been destroyed in the fires, so once these villages began to cease killing one another for resources, they banded together once more to create towns. 

Within these towns, priests and nuns who had survived the cataclysmic event crept from their houses of worship, and with the knowledge of God they had sustained through the fires, began to work to educate the masses. Some wealthier nobles who could afford to prepare their homes against the fires emerged around this time - they became the first leaders of towns that often took their old place names and adjusted them for a dialect that had slid from discernable English toward Middle once more.

As Richard finished his speech, the knights clad in their heraldic tunics rode out onto the field and Cecily searched vainly for this supposed Henry Marchwood. She spotted him finally amongst a pack of lesser knights, and her heart shuddered in her chest.

The lattice screen of her box allowed her to see out but no knight to see in and view her until she was presented to the victor. But Sir Marchwood’s gaze cut from her father’s herald, past her parents, and locked right onto her stiff, wide-eyed gaze. His eyes were a deep, mesmerising shade of emerald, and Cecily’s fingers tightened around her goblet hard enough to dig the metal into her fingers.

She winced, and Henry’s gaze swung back to be upon her father.

“My lords, I know you fight for splendour and for the hand of my daughter. 5 years worth of men have come before you, who have stood in your places and fallen before. Some of you have returned, eager once more.” Richard’s gaze shifted to one of the men up near the scoreboard who held a red and green flag in one hand each. He opened his mouth again and Cecily noted the maids ready to drop her box’s heavy curtains.

“May the best man win!”

With a swoosh, Cecily’s box’s curtains dropped and the room darkened. Whistle blasts sounded as the man by the scoreboard dropped the green flag and the crowd let out a resounding, teeth -grinding cheer of joy. 

With Luck, I’ll have a husband by teatime.

She took another sip of wine and settled back in her seat.

[winterrose527]

WIP Titles Game

Rules: reveal the titles of the documents in your wip folder and tag as many people as there are documents. Let others ask questions about the ones that interest them and post snippets or explain the contents as you see fit.

Thank you for the tag @themockingpoint, now everyone can see how unhinged I am 😂

joncella idk

when ties becomes knots

everything that's mine

arranged

Wedding Planner

Allegra

allegra1

PA fic

joncella prompt

shadow and soul

Twins

custody fic excerpt

custody fic

in their nature

Violet & Ollie

attachments

captured

Marchwood

Notes for Twins

The Ladbrooks

Summer's End

yes, some of those are original works & yes I'm open to questions on any and all document names LOL but here we go... (I'm not doing it for each one but obviously if you see this & want to do it consider yourself tagged)

@sansastarkr @semperlitluv @woodswit @darkwolf76 @thistle-and-thorn @justhereforfandomandfriends @kerjack17 @vivilove-jonsa @katmajik @kittykatknits

[beardedmrbean]

A police officer has been sacked after repeatedly reporting her former boyfriend for assault – only for detectives to find he did not exist.

Pc Nadia Thurley, 29, made 14 allegations against “fictional” ex-boyfriend, Dan Jones, which led to police wasting “extensive” resources investigating the supposed crimes.

The officer was caught when covert CCTV cameras were installed at her home by police without her knowledge to catch the alleged abuser. The footage revealed that no one had been there on days when she had claimed to have been assaulted.

Pc Thurley’s Chief Constable sacked her on Wednesday, saying he was “saddened” that an officer with first-hand knowledge of victims of such “horrific crimes” would “choose to lie about a violent assault”.

Visible injuries

A disciplinary hearing was told that Pc Thurley, who joined Hampshire & Isle of Wight constabulary in April 2020, was arrested and suspended 16 months after she made several domestic abuse claims which “did not take place”.

Det Insp Simon Clifford said that the complaints began in December 2020, when Pc Thurley appeared at work with “visible injuries” and told colleagues she was assaulted by an ex-partner.

The hearing was told that in March 2021, Pc Thurley said she was approached by Mr Jones in the New Forest, telling police he was “armed with a knife”.

However, Det Insp Clifford said that officers attending noted she did not have any “mud or debris on her clothing despite extremely boggy and muddy conditions”.

In the hopes of catching Mr Jones, an operations team installed covert surveillance cameras in Pc Thurley’s home in Marchwood, near Southampton.

Unaware of the CCTV, Pc Thurley reported two further incidents in July 2021 at her home address, claiming Mr Jones had been there.

Less than a month later, Pc Thurley was arrested and charged with two counts of perverting the course of justice. She was found guilty in November.

Det Insp Clifford told the hearing “fabricating the existence of a boyfriend is dishonest and lacks integrity and disciplinary action is warranted”.

Not a case of mental health

Pc Thurley did not attend the hearing, held at Hampshire Constabulary Operational HQ in Winchester, Hampshire.

She instead sent an email in which she wrote: “The only representation I wish to make is to say that all I have ever done is tell the truth, and follow directions given by my line managers.”

It is understood Pc Thurley, now of Woking, Surrey, had been “unwell” and suffered PTSD from an incident in 2020, whereby she witnessed the stabbing of a fellow officer.

However, Det Insp Clifford said: “It is the [appropriate authorities] case, as it was in the case of the prosecutor at trial, that this is not a case about mental health but one of malingering, or lying.”

Scott Chilton, Chief Constable for Hampshire and Isle of Wight, dismissed Pc Thurley with immediate effect.

He said a “considerable amount of resources” were pulled to investigate the allegations and that “Pc Thurley has done little, if anything at all, to assist in this investigation”.

Chief Constable Chilton added: “I am saddened that a serving police officer, knowing first hand the impact that such horrific crimes have on victims, chose to lie about a violent assault.”

[alemicheli76]

"I vampiri di Marchwood-Hunted" di Shalini Boland, Newton Compton. A cura di Sissy

Shalini Boland è stata una vera rivelazione.Parlare di vampiri non è mai così facile eppure lei ci è riuscita alla grande. Dopo I vampiri di Marchwood-Hidden eccola qui con un secondo volume ricco di colpi di scena e di misteri: I vampiri di Marchwood- Hunted.Madison e Alexander sembrano aver finalmente trovato la pace e soprattutto il loro amore sembra più forte di qualsiasi altra cosa avendo…

[onlyhedges]

Top Shopping Malls in Marchwood Lakeside, Ottawa

Kanata Lakes - Marchwood Lakeside - Morgan's Grant - Kanata is a cluster of suburban neighborhoods home to golf courses and leafy local parks. Nearby, there’s a network of wooded trails in the spacious South March Highlands Conservation Forest. Commercial areas include strip malls like Signature Centre, with a mix of chain shops and independent restaurants, and the Kanata Centrum outdoor mall and movie theatre. Cedar hedge trimmer.

Signature Centre

Built by Doran Contractors and managed by Taggart Realty Management, the Signature Centre is comprised of 117,000 ft2 of prime retail space. Created to service an ever-growing residential community in Kanata, the Signature Centre is among one of Kanata’s most frequently visited retail sites.

Anchored by Farm Boy, LCBO, Shoppers Drug Mart, The Beer Store, and BMO, Signature Centre’s visibility on Terry Fox Drive, ample free parking, and eclectic mix of tenants make this the ideal one-stop shop. It is home to tenants such as Fratelli’s, Zak’s Diner, Pure Kitchen, Dairy Queen, Jojo’s Chocolates, MyHome Furniture, and more.

Tanger Outlets Ottawa

Through our annual Tanger Pink campaign we've raised nearly $18.8 million since 1994 in support of breast cancer research and programs. We're proud to partner with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) since 2011, and through our partnership have funded over 90,000 hours of life-saving research.

25% off a single item offer can be used once per day per participating brand. Participating brands must agree to honor all presentations of this offer during the entire sale period. The offer is valid on full and sale priced merchandise but excludes clearance. No spend thresholds may be attached to this offer and no blackout dates are allowed. All digital cards will be personalized for each eligible user and all purchasers are informed that valid ID may be requested to redeem in store.

OnlyHedges is a family-owned business that provides cedar hedge trimming services in the greater Atlanta area. We are focused on providing you with the best service possible, and we want to make sure that your hedges look their absolute best. We understand that you have a busy schedule, so we offer flexible appointments to fit your needs. If you're looking for an experienced company that can help you keep your hedges looking great all year long, give us a call today!

OnlyHedges Ottawa, ON +1 613-324-7228 https://www.onlyhedges.ca/ https://www.google.com/maps?cid=12329325371338453299

[write2thrive]

The place that fucked me up.

[blueboxphenomenon]

Britain's 5 Most Haunted Houses

Below are five of the mouse haunted houses in the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Dare you believe such terrors lurk in the dark corners of the British Isles?

30 East Drive, Pontefract

Number 30 East Drive in Pontefract is home to one of Britain's most famous and violent hauntings.

Said to be the most violent poltergeist in Europe, the Black Monk of Pontefract has been haunting the property since the 1960's. When the house came under the ownership of the Pritchard family, they experienced haunting occurrences. Diane Pritchard was seen to be dragged up the stairs by an invisible force which left marks on her neck, and Joe & Jean Pritchard witnessed a black-cloaked figure hovering over their bed.

Others have experienced white powder seemingly materialise in mid-air and fall to the ground, heavy objects swaying and rattling, objects disappearing before their eyes, and the strange appearance of pools of water where no leak exists. It has even been claimed that after a priest blessed the house with holy water, the Black Monk responded by drawing inverted crosses on the walls of the house.

Ashen Hill Manor

The Ashen Hill Manor house in Sudbury is one of England's most haunted buildings, with psychic investigator Harry Price claiming to have documented 121 different spectral entities haunting the property in the 1920's.

There are no records as to exactly when Ashen Hill Manor was built. It has existed on the land for as long as there have been records. Some say that "for as long as there has been stone and oak, there has always been evil." [The History of Ashen Hill Manor] Indeed, the house is built upon a bedrock of solid granite, which according to Stone Tape Theory is an excellent medium for transposing psychic residue.

The hauntings are said to have begun around the time Lord James Marchwood, widower and third earl of Marchwood, employed alchemist Erasmus Darkening around 1665. It is said that Erasmus promised to make the earl rich again with his ability to turn lead into gold. After two years, Erasmus' experiments failed to produce what was promised. Furthermore, the townspeople accused the alchemist of being a demon who spirited people away under the cloak of night. When Lord Marchwood's children disappeared, Marchwood is said to have attacked Darkening, running him through with a sword. Darkening is said to have taken his final revenge and vanished the earl on the spot. Since then, the property has been haunted by those Erasmus vanished, including Lord Marchwood himself. Some believe Erasmus Darkening himself also still haunts the property, having laid a curse upon it in revenge for his death.

It is said the spirit of Lord Marchwood can be heard calling for his missing children in the dead of night, searching for them for eternity. Some report wandering cold spots, shadowy people watching them from the grand staircase, items translocating, books leaping from shelves, and even doors opening and closing by themselves. There have also been reports of a bell tolling on the property, which is odd considering the Ashen Hill Manor house has no bell tower. Within the nursery, which is famous for its poltergeist activity, witnesses have seen toys long abandoned spark into life, with one report of the mobile left hanging over the cot starting to turn and play music all on its own, and another of the rocking horse starting to rock with nobody touching it.

Other reports include wet footprints, phantom music and the laughter (or sometimes crying) of children. There are even reports of an inhuman entity with glowing red eyes prowling the grounds at night. Furthermore, the disappearances at the property seem to continue. The most recent disappearance was of the Scrivens family, to whom the house still technically belonged as of 2009. The mother, father and two children all vanished in 1989. Police found the keys to the property still in the doors, which were locked from the inside.

The Pharos Institute investigated the house in 2009, and records of their findings can be found in the documents of Celeste Rivers and Toby Silverman.

Caliburn House

The gigantic old haunted house on the moors that the dossers are too scared to doss in, that birds are too scared to fly over... Caliburn House is a fifteenth century mansion that looms over the British countryside, built some time before 1474 on land said to have been haunted long beforehand.

The Wraith of the Lady appears in Saxon poetry and local folk tales. She is also known as “The Maiden in the Dark” and “The Witch of the Well.”

She was witnessed in the 17th century by a clergyman, who wrote that “her presence was accompanied by a dreadful knocking as if the Devil himself demanded entry.”

In 1965, it was found that during the second world war, American airman stationed at Caliburn House had left offerings of tinned Spam bricked up in the walls of the servant's pantry, along with numerous handwritten notes appealing for the ghost to, “for the love of God, please stop screaming.”

The haunting was so serious that in November 1974, SOE agent Alec Palmer and his empath assistant Emma Grayling (whom he would go on to marry) set up operations within Caliburn House to investigate. They took many photographs of the Caliburn Ghast, coming to the conclusion that objective recording equipment could only record the ghost in the presence of a powerful psychic like Grayling.

To this day, the Caliburn House experiences loud knocking, cold spots, distant screams, unexplained scratching sounds, and echoing laughter.

Gabriel Chase

The Middlesex house so haunted that the MoD was called to investigate, only to find someone had already sent it back to the flames of Hell.

The property of Gabriel Chase, built as a hunting lodge by Sir Gabriel Pritchard in the 17th century, lays claim to at least four supernatural entities. The mansion was home to the Pritchard family until the late 19th century, when in in the 1880's the famed big game hunter and astronomer George Pritchard, disappeared. Shortly afterwards, his wife Lady Margaret and their daughter Gwendolen also vanished. This mysterious event is believed to be the origin of the Gabriel Chase haunting. Marble statues of Lady Margaret and Gwendolen were recovered and now reside in the Victoria and Albert Museum (viewable by appointment only).

The house gained a reputation locally for its uneasy atmosphere, having been boarded up since the disappearances. The daunting atmosphere lead to an exorcism in the 1920's. The attending priest is said to have fled the premises in a state of terror, declaring that he bore witness to a blazing figure with wings of lightning and piercing eyes. The priest also claimed that his phial of holy water had turned to the consistency of soup. Beset by the eternal cries of wild animals, he was eventually sent to a psychiatric hospital where he spent the rest of his days.

The sound of jangling keys is said to herald the manifestation of a gaunt woman in black. Other spectres include a girl in a blue dress who has been witnessed running the length of Gabriel Chase's corridors, a Victorian police man in the pantry; and the “whooping priest,” a clergyman spotted in the rafters whooping like an ape.

By the 1980s, the abandoned house became a den for local youths. In 1983, the house was razed in an arson attack shortly after a racially provoked firebombing in the area. Subsequent attempts to bulldoze the mansion have been thwarted by the presence of toxic substances, and the discovery of many non-native species of beetle and butterfly have lead to the mansion and its grounds being preserved as a site of special scientific interest.

The nearby playing fields are also said to be a paranormal hotspot. For more information, consider reading 'London's Greatest Ghosts' by James Tribe and Steve Goss.

Tillotson House

The Tillotson House gained its haunted reputation in the 1880's, when the Tillotson family lived a repetitive nightmare every time the clock struck eight.

Each night at eight o'clock, the chiming of the grandfather clock would herald a harrowing series of events. First there would be a pounding upon the front door, which could then be heard to unlock and open and yet, despite the sound, would remain firmly closed. A distant conversation could be heard as a fierce wind billowed into the hallway. The temperature of the house would drop by up to twenty degrees. This would be followed by footsteps on the stairs heading to the second floor. Occasionally, children could be heard playing. By eight fifteen, the haunting would take its darkest turn. The sounds of children playing in the nursery upstairs would start before becoming frantic. The room would heat up and the children would begin to scream. The haunting would then end abruptly, only to begin again the following night. Unable to bare the ghastly sounds, the Tillotson family moved out of the house, locking the doors behind them and never returning. It was theorised that there had been a terrible accident, perhaps a fire, that had taken the lives of the home's previous occupants. However, no record of a fire was known to exist. Dr. Emily Morris investigated the house in 1889, nine weeks after her mother passed, and was inspired by what she experienced there to open a children's hospital.

The haunting continued for years, waxing and waning in its intensity. The house experienced continued temperature fluctuations, doors locking themselves, and disembodied voices and phantom sounds for some time. By the late 1980's, the house was bought by Mr. and Mrs. Bruce and their two children Ben and Katy. They had no prior experience of the paranormal until one fateful night when Mr. and Mrs. Bruce left their children with a babysitter at eight o'clock. It would seem the entity haunting the property was seeking to call some friends over to the other side in a repeat of its own death as, somehow, a fire started in the children's room. The door to the room became jammed, as if locked, and the key to the room vanished. Ben and Katy were trapped as the blaze spread, desperately calling for help. It would seem there was a more benevolent spirit present that night, however, as the children recall hearing a voice cry out. Suddenly, the door came free and swung open, allowing them to escape, terrified but unharmed. The key to their room was never found, as if to prevent the door ever being locked again.

The home's current owners have reported no paranormal activity since, however that does not rule out that something may be lying in wait, preparing to bring the haunting to life once again.

Honourable Mentions:

Blickling Hall, Norfolk

It is said that every year, on the anniversary of her execution, Anne Boleyn's ghost appears. The most famous and illustrious account tells of her being seated alongside her father - who also haunts the property - inside a coach drawn by spectral horses. Witnesses tell of the coach racing along the country lanes of North Norfolk with an eerie blue light following behind. Thomas Boleyn is said to walk the Earth with his head under his arm, his mouth spewing flame in place of blood. As penance for his wrongdoings in life, he is cursed to cross a dozen bridges before cockcrow for a thousand years. His route is from Blickling to Wroxham.

Torchwood House

In in rural Aberdeenshire sits the Torchwood House, part of the MacLeish Estate since the 16th century. Perhaps due to its proximity to the local monastery, the stately home has long been haunted by tales of witchcraft, werewolves; and deformed, wailing ghouls. One such tale can be found here, on the tourism website. Visitors are often struck by the unusual air of the library - curiously, Sir George had the walls and doors varnished with viscum album - oil of mistletoe. For what purpose is anybody's guess. Perhaps he was trying to keep something out?

Pendle Hill

Pendle Hill in Lancashire is haunted by the ghosts of witches, the last witches to be tried for witchcraft and subsequently executed in the UK. Witch-hysteria was at its height in Lancashire, where witches continued to be persecuted long after the rest of the UK came to their senses. The witches executed here are said to be buried beneath the hill, glowering down at the town of Newchurch below, where some say their spirits still wander the streets. The witches who remained buried, that is. One tale speaks of a Mother Twiston who, after being tried by ducking stool and appearing to die, was said to climb from her grave and seek revenge on those who wronged her. King James the first was said to witness this, along with a mass possession of the townspeople by the Devil. He was protected by a travelling witchfinder general (Graham O'Brien) and his assistant, who it is said warded off the Devil with her magic wand. Her actions inspired the black witches of Pendle Hill to become healers instead.

Devil's End

The village of Devil's End in Wiltshire earned its name when in the 70's it is said the Devil himself came to visit, isolating the village in hellfire. The ghosts of witches burned by the 17th century witchfinder Matthew Hopkins are said to haunt the streets and, of course, the nearby Devil's Hump. The village has a dedicated museum of witchcraft detailing the paranormal history of Devil's End.

[hopefulbeardcowboy]

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[curlygirl79]

Hidden - Shalini Boland

Today's review is for YA vampire tale Hidden by @ShaliniBoland #TheVampiresOfMarchwood @secondskybooks #FictionCafeBookClub #BookBlogger #YAFantasy #BlogTour #BookReview #SecondSkyBooks #ShaliniBoland

When I read that Bookouture were starting a publishing imprint for SFF books, I couldn’t have been happier – until that it is I saw the link to sign up to be a part of the blogger team for that imprint, Second Sky Books. Today marks the first of what I hope will be many blog tours to come for me with Second Sky, as I join the tour for Hidden, book one in the Vampires of Marchwood series by…

[ricardian-werewolf]

Tell me about some of your favourite faeverse like, world building facts?

So, for my novel, I've been working on how fae courts function. Currently this is the makeup for where Will's come from. Strap in, it's LONG. Ty for the ask! @malkaleh

Court of the Autumn - the court of artisans, warriors and writers. Ruled by King Quercunius and formerly his queen - the king's name is a bastardization of the Latin word for oak. This name may change!

The smaller "Flora" courts that marry into the royal family of the Autumn noble fae. All of these courts's children know one another and some of them are chosen to be the playmates/betrothed of the royal children.

Court of Ivy (formerly known as Hedera): Will's court

Court of Birch

Court of Maple

Court of Firs

Court of Spruce

The Order of the Cracked Acorn:

These are the King's most trusted knights - think Order of the Garter. These knights ( regardless of gender!) are distinguished by their burnt orange sash and the fact that their blades hilts are topped with gold acorns that are purposefully cracked. This signals the fragility of their roles and the fae courts themselves. These knights are chosen from longterm soldiers, those who have proved their mettle, or are members of the Kings/Queens guard. Some of the sons and daughters of the

Lords and Ladies of the order of the red maple:

These nobles serve as the King's advisors and rule over any smaller holdings in the territories held by the Autum court. they are able to take the law into their own hands. They are not allowed to marry into the noble family, but may socialize and marry members of the Cracked Acorn.

The Justiciars of Marchwood:

The justices of the king - they organize the courts's lawyers and work with the Order of the Red Maple to preserve law and order. They can also check the Cracked Acorns in case of brutality and the concern of taking the kings's justice into their own hands.

The order of Tailors and Sweepers:

Lower fae, such as Brownies and Sprites who are unionized and serve the royal family as valets, maids, nursemaids and upper level service positions. they ensure the royal household is running spotlessly behind the scenes. Cases of marriage to these fae by extended royal family members is the subject of many mummers and ballads, however the reality is unsure.

The League of scrappers and gardeners:

a league lower than Tailors or Sweepers but no less important, these fae take pride in working as the royal gardeners and scrappers - those responsible for ensuring the courts raw materials are made into weapons and building materials. Scrappers work closely with Builders and Blacksmiths.Gardeners work closely with stable-hands and the fae in charge of the kitchen gardens. Pooka are often used to tend to the royal steeds to keep them from getting into mischief, or paired with Brownies since both section of fae are excellent at finding rare items and enjoy chaos and control on different levels.

[coolronyposts]

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[catkin-morgs-kookaburralover]

Carey Greenway (Green Grass of Wyoming)

Judy Woolcot (Seven Little Australians)

Marah All-Alone/Magdalen (A Time to Hear)

Meg Murry (A Wrinkle in Time)

Jen Robins/Marchwood (Abbey Girls)

tagging @swinging-stars-from-satellites @stealingmyplaceinthesun @sunshineandrosesnoraincamemyway

5 Comfort Characters, 5 Tags

Tagged by @soaringornithopter

This was tricky because I'm not that much of a fandom person typically, so my main comfort characters are the cats from my brain who I play in my D&D game. But I've landed on:

Darlington from Ninth House

Alex, also from Ninth House

Maugin from The Edge Chronicles series (My original blorbo and the first character I shipped and wrote fanfiction about years before I even knew those were concepts)

Elend from the Mistborn trilogy

Door from Neverwhere

No pressure tags @catkin-morgs @and-back-again @beansoup3000 @themaverick2319 @preraphaelite-wombat

[einchop]

“You belong to me.”

Mad King Ryan and Prince Aleks AU

( @electricmindart ships this rarepair as hard as I do and has officially dubbed this ship Marchwood)

[fmwwi-blog]

A good listener must be a good implementer. . #marchwood #rural #village #resturants #resturant #architecture #architecturephotography #landscapephotography #naturelovers #trees #flowers #blooming #architecture_hunter #architecture_view #architecture_best #architecture_magazine #architecture_minimal #architecture_masters #architecture_greatshots #architecture_addicted #architecture_desires #architecture_se7en #architecture_competitions #architecture_is_priceless #architecture_ #architecture_need #architecture_minimal_day #architecture_porn #beautiful_world #beautiful_mandalas (at Marchwood) https://www.instagram.com/p/CByJhOfgLwG/?igshid=1ss2ujt7ztpo9