Today is the release day–book birthday, if you will–of Discernment: Washington Square Secrets 1. This book is a bit different than all my others. Besides being the shortest novel (only novella Mosaic of Seduction is shorter), Discernment had a quick turn around period. From conception to birth, the first book in Washington Square Secrets took eighteen months.
I first sought a location for the story during a Holiday Homes tour in December 2021. While crisscrossing the Oakleigh Historic Garden District in the misty rain, I hoped to find a house for Alvin and Deborah Farley. Find it I did on Rapier Avenue, tucked between two massive ones that make this American foursquare that much more charming.
While Washington Square Secrets is its own series (and Discernment stands well by itself), when I thought things out further I realized many of my established characters and families from The Possession Chronicles and The Malevolent Trilogy have homes or at least roots in the Washington Square neighborhood. And the fact that Sean Spunner’s bachelor house is on the next block made for a welcome return of not only Sean, but the ghost of Eliza Melling.
I hope you’ll enjoy journeying to this charming neighborhood in 1910. You’ll get to meet a new cast of characters and possibly see some old favorites if you’re familiar with my Southern Gothic sagas. Alvin and Deborah Farley are new in Mobile and seeking friends. Pick them up in paperback or ebook formats from your favorite bookstore/app.
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