The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker
Greetings! Thank you, oh most Smexy Mandi, for hosting me, I’m so thrilled to be here! I’m giving you the super-spooky one, Mandi, because I think you can handle it.
The purpose of this Haunted tour is to celebrate the release of my Gothic Victorian fantasy debut, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, this Tour will introduce you to some of the real, documented London haunts who “ghost-star” in my book. When Professor Alexi Rychman and his Guard of spectral police make their rounds, it is to any number of London phantasms. Since these characters are familiar to The Guard, I don’t get to tell their full story in the book, here I can give them their due. Leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win a signed copy of the novel, first in the Strangely Beautiful series!
Today’s ghostly tale is, in my opinion, the most ghastly *shudder*…
“Ghost-star” # 4 Amen Court – The Realm of the Black Dog of Newgate
Warwick Lane EC4
— At the rear of charming Amen Court stands a large, ominous wall. Behind that wall once stood the formidable, feared Newgate Prison. The small passage of “Deadman’s Walk” remains. Prisoners walked this path to execution and were buried beneath it. Newgate ghost stories abound, but the most striking and incredible is The Black Dog. The black form of a hound traverses the top of the wall, slides down and into the courtyard before vanishing, bearing with it a hideous smell and the sound of dragging footsteps. The origin of this spectral beast is said to date back to the 13th 
century when a famine hit London and Newgate inmates turned to cannibalism. A portly scholar was locked up on charges of sorcery and eaten by inmates. A few days later a terrifying black dog appeared, panting, with red feral eyes, blood dripping from its maw, and began ripping prisoners limb from limb in the middle of the night. Terrified inmates killed their guards and escaped, only to be hunted down, one by one, by the Black Dog until the sorcerer was avenged. The dog returned to Newgate to be seen on the eve of executions and deaths, and continues to slink along the Amen Court courtyard, the smell of death in its wake.
In my tale, The Guard wishes their problems were as simple as that terrible haunt, when in fact, it’s worse. Here’s how I refer to The Black Dog in The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker:
Elijah backed down the alley outside, staring at the demon cloud with horrified fascination as it followed, floating at the level of their heads and taking up nearly the entire width of the alley with its bulky canine body and flickering profusion of heads. It hunched forward, ready to attack.
Michael took Rebecca’s hand on one side, and Jane took the other. A powerful wind whipped around them. Josephine, having bade Miss Linden stay within, swiftly joined their ranks. She took Michael’s left hand.
“Elijah, come,” Rebecca commanded.
The beast lunged, but Withersby ducked out of the way. “Please tell me this is just the Black Dog of Newgate,” he exclaimed, joining his friends in their circle of clasped hands. London’s most gruesome tale of spectral revenge was much less horrifying than entertaining thoughts of a whole new breed.
Rebecca shook her head. “No,” she replied. “We’ve never seen this.”
The dog whipped around to face them, snarling. But as it prepared its next attack, Rebecca shouted a command in the ancient language of The Guard. The hellish thing cocked its head, opened its many maws wide and jumped—only to disperse at the last moment into a grey mist and pass through them.
At the other end of the alley the creature coalesced and hurtled off in the opposite direction. The Guard gave chase, Elijah trailing after, cleaning up any mess that might give away their battle. They all gave thanks that none of London’s passersby could see ghosts, as their spectral quarry would have caused a riot. They simply had to deal with being considered lunatics.
As they ran, Josephine sought to pinpoint Elijah’s reference. “Wait. The Black Dog … Was that the sorcerer?”
“Yes,” Rebecca answered, panting as they turned a corner. “The scholar imprisoned in Newgate centuries ago for sorcery.”
“The one where the starving inmates ate his body and then a huge, avenging black dog tore them limb from limb?”
“That would be the one. But this is not that dog.”
Michael seemed just as eager to make this beast something they knew. “What about the stench of decay that follows the Newgate dog? You smell it now, don’t you?” There was comfort in the familiar, even one of London’s most macabre specters. More importantly, the Newgate dog was something they could best. They already had.
“No,” Rebecca replied, breathless. “I smell brimstone. This is not that beast! Do you feel anything in your blood? Any of you? I feel nothing. We can’t track this, we can’t sense it …” Any further commentary was cut off as she stumbled, losing her footing on a cobblestone. Michael was quick to catch her arm. “Damnable heels,” she muttered, righting herself. “Why don’t they make a boot a woman can run in?”
“Hello, friends!” A fierce form on a black steed and trailing black robes appeared at the opposite end of the street. Staring up at the floating, shifting beast, Alexi cried, “What the hell is this?”
A snarl and a swipe knocked his hat off his head. Alexi growled right back, jumping off his horse and shrieking a curse in the ancient language of The Guard. Blue flame leaped from his hands, and it singed the spectral dog’s many noses. The blue flame streamed a circle around the shifting cur, which hunkered down opposite Alexi and seemed to be tensing its haunches. However, instead of attacking Alexi, when it found a weakness in its fiery containment the beast turned and swarmed back the way it had come, tearing off down the street in a gruesome splintering of canine forms—and through Elijah. Lord Withersby groaned and collapsed in a heap.
“Coward, face me!” Alexi cried, mounting his horse after glancing down worriedly at his unconscious friend. Elijah had been swept up into Jane’s arms, her healing powers at the ready—if she was not already too late.
Rebecca ran toward Alexi’s horse. “Alexi, don’t you dare—” But he was already after it, yelling curses and chasing the monster down the next avenue with bolts of blue fire.
— (End of Excerpt)
My research owes so much to Richard Jones (www.haunted-britain.com ) founder of the fabulous Discovery Walks of London (www.haunted-london.com ) and author of the fantastic compendium “Haunted London” and “Walking Haunted London” published by Barnes & Noble Books. Plus he’s a really nice guy, thanks Richard!!
Come visit me at www.leannareneehieber.com to find out more about The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker and follow along on the rest of the Haunted London Blog Tour! I hope you’ll pick up a copy of the book and I hope you’ll love it as much as I do! Be sure to leave a comment to be entered to win a signed copy!
Blessings!
Leanna Renee Hieber
www.leannareneehieber.com
www.twitter.com/leannarenee
I know I am not from the US but simply had to answer the question LOL One of my most favorite stories that features a ghost is DARK NEEDS AT NIGHT'S EDGE. The ghost ballerina Néomi Laress and Conrad Wroth are one of my all time favorites among the IAD series.
And last, my copy of Percy Parker arrived yesterday YAY Will read it soon after reading various interviews.
Great post Leanna, i'm waiting for my copy of this book, it should hit my mailbox anyday now and i can't wait. It sounds amazing, i've yet to come across a bad review of this book. I do hope there will be a French translation of it so i can share it with my friends =)
I'm not entering the contest, but i'll answer the question anyway. I haven't read many books with ghosts, but one did made an impression on me: A certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb, this was a beautiful tale and it's still haunting me years later.
Ohh, the dog reminded me (just a bit) of Sirius Black.
Another great ghost star intro
Hey, fun excerpt! Really vivid and imaginative!!! I can't wait to read it.
This is actually on my list to buy, so somebody else should win it, but I loved DARK NEEDS, too!!! As well as DEEPER.
My favorite would have to be J.R. Wards Lover Unbound. Jane is the coolest ghost I've ever read about.
Great post.
Please count me in.
cindyc725 at gmail dot com
I've been reading GREAT reviews about this book – I'm intrigued!
I like the ghost in Karen Chance's Cassandra Palmer series, Billy, the compulsive gambler. He is a good (and unusual) sidekick.
pspinney AT cox DOT net
"Odd Thomas" by Dean Koontz has some of my favorite ghost stuff. Elvis is a great, silent ghost. "Heart Shaped Box" by Joe Hill has a very scary ghost. I really like how J.K. Rowling uses ghosts in the Harry Potter series.
Love to enter the contest.
Renered1 at msn.com or you can tweet me.
I really enjoyed the interview. It was very interesting and informative.
I think the only book I have read with a ghost in it is Cindy Miles MacGowan's Ghost. It is was very good!!
forgot my email!!
magnolias_1@msn.com
Thanks friends (At home and abroad!) for stopping by! The Black Dog of Newgate is one of my very favourite and most spooky of the stories, in my opinion.
I'm SO glad to be getting these Ghost Story recommendations, keep them coming!
This creeps me out, mainly do to the horrid smell the ghost-dog leaves behind. Yuck. I could never be in the Guard, if for no other reason than my super-sensitve nose:) The sorcerer is very Tennesee Williams, that monologue in Suddenly Last Summer has always disturbed me.
My favorite ghost is the 'Ghost of Christmas Present' from A Christmas Carol, mostly because he is jolly, I love Christmas and he gets to eat, all things that I love as a living person.
I also love Peeves, because he chases Dolores Umbridge from Hogwarts with McGonagall's walking stick;)
I cannot think of a single book that I have read with any ghosts in it! I feel like Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult possibly had some in it, and I really liked that book, but I just don't know.
This book sounds so good though. I need to get on the ghost band wagon!!
Thanks
Amy M
atc218 at aol dot com
The Harry Potter books. They have ghosts. I also like J.R. Wards books.
pattepollue took my first choice, which would have been Laura Whitcomb's A Certain Slant of Light. So I'll go with someone who has been my favorite writer of ghost stories and romantic suspense ever since I was a teenager—Barbara Michaels. (She is better known for her mysteries written under the pseudonym Elizabeth Peters). Ammie, Come Home and The Walker in Shadows are two of my favorite ghost stories of hers—they might be dated, since they came out in the seventies, but I remember them being quite witty with just enough spooky atmosphere.
I am SO loving these book recs,
Kimberly, did you like A Certain Slant of Light? I love the title and it's been on my TBR pile, what did you think?
Oh,
And my answer is most certainly The Harry Potter books! :)
Emjay,
*hugs*
Yep, Peeves rocks! PARTICULARLY when he chases Umbridge *cheers*
I gotta say that picture is of a cute, pettable puppy compared to that Black Dog and the Ripper I imagined!
Oh also, don't count me in for the contest. I have read this book!
Oh, I love A Certain Slant of Light. Romantic ghost stories are my favorite, and that one definitely qualifies. Plus the heroine is a literature loving ghost who follows poets and writers, so she's really appealing to other literary types, I think!
The best "ghost romance" I've ever read is Stardust of Yesterday (Haunting Hearts Series) by Lynn Kurland.
Count me in!!!
tobfree35@sbcglobal.net
I just picked up the book today and can't wait to start it! I've read two reviews that really touted this book, one of them was by Smexy!
Favorite book with ghosts has got to be 'The Haunting' by Shirley Jackson. You never 'see' the ghosts but they're there!!
i thought that maybe, if i didn't read any more sightings about the book today, my copy would arrive. but it is now 8:25 and i don't have my book (whine). so instead of reading my copy, i am back to trailing you around the net. (whine, whine, grumble)
Im always looking for more good books with ghost stories. One of my favorites is the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz, while not scary it uses ghosts in a great way.
bacchus76 at myself dot com
I tried to think of a ghost but the only one I could think of was Bob, the talking skull in Dresden Files. Well, other than the ones in Strangely Beautiful. ;)
Just dropping by, don't count me for the contest, I've already read this awesome book.
I thought I knew a lot of ghost stories, but all of the ones on the tour so far are new to me. This one is really terrifying! Not only for the ghost, but for the actions of humans. This literally gave me the chills.
Several of the book already mentioned are ones I loved too. However, the first book I came across that had a romance slant and featured a ghost really made an impression on me at the time. It was Lynn Kurland's Stardust of Yesterday.
Janicu,
LOL, the stock photo said "hell-hound" when I downloaded it, felt a little misled. *grin* Good to see you, m'dear!
Kimberly,
Thank you so much for the recommendation sounds SO up my alley! Awesome!
Again, thank you, all of you, for these titles, a lot of them new to me and I'm really excited.
bigcabgirl,
YES! Shirley Jackson is one of my FAVOURITE writers! Good call!
Hodge,
But what would I do without you at this point?!
Jazz,
I KNOW, that's what really freaked me out, the people and then the spectral revenge? Serious shudder factor.
Lil,
Stardust of Yesterday – what a great title. On to the never ending TBR pile!
Thanks friends!
I'm having such fun with you on this tour!
Wow what a great post. One of my favorites featuring ghosts? Well I have I have a couple I love love ghosts storys!
hugs,
WendyK
Dark Needs at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole is my favorite!
delilah0180(at)yahoo(dot)com
Mary D
zenrei57 (at) hotmail (dot) com
What a wonderful excerpt and interview! I've got to get ahold of this one now – going on my WANT LIST asap :)
Hmmm… in answer to the question, I'd have to say that LASHER in the Anne Rice Witching Hour series is my favorite 'ghost' (if ghost is the right word lol)
Great giveaway, please enter me and thank you so very much!
I agree with the other poster that mentioned Jane from the BDB. I know she's controversial for some, but I still like the happiness she brings to V.
joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com
My favorite book with ghost involved is The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
throuthehaze at gmail dot com
My favorite book is Deeper which as ghost.
kalynnick AT yahoo DOT come
My favorite would have to be Ever's sister from Evermore by Alyson Noel. She was so spunky. Your book sounds wonderful. Thanks for the chance to win a copy.
cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com
My favorite book with ghosts? I would have to say.. the Lord of the Rings. There's ghosts, or shades, in there! And they help save the day!!
Please count me in. Thanks!
Morning Glow
ohmorningglow AT aol DOT com
My new favorite book with a ghost is A Circle Of Souls by Preetham Grandhi. It has the ghost of a little girl named Janet who was murdered and she visits another girl named Naya in her dreams so she can help catch her murderer.
lelou2 AT ymail DOT com
Happy New Year[url=http://nfksghjskf.com/],[/url] everyone! :)