Catherine Cavendish Believes in Ghosts!

Those of you who judge a book by its cover will be delving into your pockets to buy this little marvel. 

Catherine Cavendish has launched a new book, "The Demons of Cambian Street" published by Etopia Press , and she's here today to talk about paranormal fiction, ghosts and, of course, those Demons. 

Sue: Welcome Catherine. I've been fascinated by your recent novels, such as "Cold Revenge" and "In My Lady's Chamber", which are excellent horror reads. I know you also have an interest in history, so what spurred you on to write paranormal stories? Have you changed your genre? 

Catherine: Hi Sue. Many thanks for having me and I’m glad you enjoyed my previous stories. To answer your question, I decided to write paranormal fiction as it is also a great love of mine. I have loved being scared to death since I first discovered Dennis Wheatley when I was a  child! Then, of course, along came Stephen King and Anne Rice and they sit happily on my bookshelves next to Philippa Gregory and Barbara Erskine (among others too numerous to mention). As for whether I will write historical fiction again, the answer is that it’s possible to do both and that’s what I’m doing with my latest work in progress, ‘Miss Abigail’s Room’, which is set in Victorian England.

Sue: I love the title! But back to paranormal (and I loved Dennis Wheatley too).You wrote a fascinating blog post about an old haunted asylum in Denbigh, Wales (you can tell from the picture, above, that it's full of things that go bump in the night - and they do!) Tell me, do you believe in ghosts? 

Catherine: Oh gosh yes! We live with one in North Wales. Opur flat is haunted by a friendly female spirit. I have been aware of her moving things aorund and have heard her but she has actually spoken to my husband. She nearly scared him half to death a couple of weeks ago when he heard this voice say ‘hello’ and there was no one there. North Wales has ghosts aplenty and I blogged about one fascinating location quite recently:

Sue: I'd have fainted clean away on the spot. Since we're in the mood, can you give us a scary excerpt from your new book? 

Catherine: My latest is called ‘The Demons of Cambian Street’ and has just been published by Etopia Press. The inspiration came from a distinctly creepy and pitch-dark walk-in cupboard on the top landing of our haunted home. It’s so dark in there— and so rambling—that you can’t see how far it extends. The building used to be two or three dwellings way back in its 250 year history. It doesn’t take much imagination to start seeing all sorts of strange things as you peer through the old wooden door…

Firstly, here’s the blurb:
Sometimes evil wears a beautiful face...

After her illness, the quiet backwater of Priory St Michael seemed the ideal place for Stella to recuperate. But in the peaceful little town, something evil is slumbering, waiting for its chance to possess what it desires. When Stella and her husband move into the long-empty apartment, they're unaware of what exists in the cupboard upstairs, the entrance to an evil that will threaten both their lives.


Extract:
The soft aroma of Badedas bath oil pervaded the air and relaxed her senses as Stella Irwin lay back in the fragrant bubbles. Then she was drifting, the warm water bathing and soothing her, dissolving her fears. She could almost believe there was nothing wrong. That she had imagined it all. Then, without warning, came a thunderous crash. 
Her eyes snapped open. She jerked upright, splashing water onto the floor. “What the hell was that?” She scrambled to her feet. She was out of the bath and wrapped in her toweling robe in less than a minute. Panting, she opened the bathroom door a crack. 
Outside, the hall light was still on, just as she had left it, reflecting off the walls, freshly painted in a creamy off-white. Her gaze took in the empty landing before settling on the old wooden door to her right. Staring at it, her heart beat faster and a corkscrew of panic twisted in her gut. The bolt was drawn back. Again. She wasn’t imagining it. She’d prayed she was wrong. She sought the only possible explanation, calling her husband’s name. “Paul, is that you?”
She listened but heard nothing. Summoning all the courage she could find, she crept into the hall, lifted the ancient latch, and cracked the closet door open to peek into the darkness. It creaked. She slammed the door shut, bolting it tightly, as she’d done twice before. Sprinting across the landing, she called again, “Paul? Are you down there?” Silence. 
Clutching the banister, she made her way down carpeted stairs into the kitchen. She flicked the switch. The fluorescent light shuddered into life, illuminating the newly fitted pine units and gleaming stove. The aroma of boeuf bourguignon emanated from the oven. But Paul wasn’t there or in the living room. 


Catherine's blog is here


The Demons of Cambian Street is available from:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk 
Barnes and Noble  and other online booksellers.


Thank you again for interviewing me, Sue. I enjoyed it! Good luck with ‘Hewhay Hall’. It sounds just my sort of book and I shall look forward to reading it.