Welcome and introductions

[Dorcas]

oh cool! Ill definitely check it out! Thanks :)

[Alyne]

Hannah wrote: "Welcome to the Gothicked discussion board.

Introduce yourself here and tell us why you're a gothic novel fan."

Hi! I'm Alyne de Winter. I grew up reading Phyllis A Whitney. I loved her! I love the old Gothics, the old Gothic films and everything atmospheric, mysterious and darkly glamorous.

Thanks for making this group!

[Alyne]

TheFountainPenDiva wrote: "Hi all!

I've been reading gothic novels for decades. I was happy when Zebra brought them back for a while and I've been trying to slowly rebuild my collection.

I love Jill Tattersall, Anya Seton..."

Yes! I have had a hard time finding really good 21st century Gothic novels. There has to be a sense of nostalgia I think.

[Hannah]

Alyne wrote: "Hi! I'm Alyne de Winter. I grew up reading Phyllis A Whitney. I loved..."

Hi Alyne and welcome!

I'm 100% with you in your comment about it being difficult to find good gothic novels in the 21st century. One of the few that I enjoyed recently was a homage to Rebecca called The Lantern. But nothing beats those good old gothics from the 60's and 70's.

[Hannah]

Someone here on GR recently made a listopia of gothic novels. I added some of my favorites. How about you guys? Care to vote or add to the list?

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...

[Pat]

Alyne wrote:
Hi! I'm Alyne de Winter. I grew up reading Phyllis A Whitney. I loved..."

Hi, Alyne, and welcome! I'm a huge fan of Phyllis Whitney as well. And while it's still hard to find many new gothics, there are a few new ones coming out now. Not many, but enough to give me hope that perhaps there will be a resurgence in popularity. I think they're being written by folks who miss them!

[Pat]

Hannah wrote: "Someone here on GR recently made a listopia of gothic novels. I added some of my favorites. How about you guys? Care to vote or add to the list?

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3......"

Ooo, Hannah, what a great list! Thank you for pointing it out. Off to see which ones I have and which are new to me!

[Martin]

Hello all! I sought out this forum because I was a member of the GothicRomanceForum.com which unfortunately has become inactive. I'm glad to find a group that's actually posting!

I'm a big fan of the Gothic Suspense genre as it existed until the mid-1970s, the ones with the great covers showing the heroine running from a mansion or castle with one light on. Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney, Virginia Coffman, et al.

I'm looking forward to interacting with members of this group and learning more about this alluring genre, especially where it stands today and whether there still is a niche market for the traditional kind of Gothic we all seem to love.

[Martin]

Hannah wrote: "Someone here on GR recently made a listopia of gothic novels. I added some of my favorites. How about you guys? Care to vote or add to the list?

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3......"

Hannah, thank you for posting this list. There are many on here I haven't read, and I'll add some I don't see.

[Kat]

Martin wrote: "Hello all! I sought out this forum because I was a member of the GothicRomanceForum.com"

Hi, Martin. I remember finding that forum and being disappointed it wasn't more active. And weren't those covers wonderful? I don't know if you do Pinterest, but there are a number of folks who pin those great old covers (if I recall, one of the boards I spotted is even called "women running from houses". LOL!

[Martin]

Kat wrote: "Martin wrote: "Hello all! I sought out this forum because I was a member of the GothicRomanceForum.com"

Hi, Martin. I remember finding that forum and being disappointed it wasn't more active. And ..."

Hi Kat,

Yes, the cover art for those Gothics was often the work of extremely accomplished illustrators who flourished during a kind of "golden age" -- back when book covers where so good they often MADE you buy the books! I miss those evocative painted covers (so many books now look so generic and dull -- how many times are we going to see a grainy, blurry photograph of someone's shoes standing on shadowy pavement?)

So glad this forum here is alive and full of enthusiasts for this genre!

[Kat]

Martin, I think there are still some pretty good cover artists ot there, just using new techniques. I know Kim Killion of Hot Damn Designs did the cover on the (fairly recent) gothic romance "Sea of Secrets" by Amanda Dewees. I know it's done using stock photography, but she managed to still give it a lovely "painterly" quality. She also did the cover on my work and managed to make a photo look more like a painting. Although you're right, few things today match those old covers. There used to be an artist's name I saw all the time, "Pelligrino", although I've never been able to find out anything about him/her. Very classic covers.

[Kat]

"Penhallow Castle" by Caroline Essex is anther recent gothic with a cover that's inspired by the old classics. The only think missing on that one is the single light shining from the tower (a must have, in my humble opinion! LOL!)

[Martin]

Kat, I didn't mean to disparage any cover artists currently working who apply their skills to creating a genre-appropriate cover, and I agree that the covers you mention are fine work. I do admit that I'm still partial to the old gouache illustrators (some even worked in oil) but the reality is that there simply isn't much of a market for that kind of work anymore, so I'm forced to catch up with the times, kicking and screaming the whole way. :\

That one light on in the tower or attic storey -- that's an interesting symbol, the watchful eye, and I agree that it's a necessary touch that should be considered "traditional" to the style! Of course if someone were actually up there watching, there should be a silhouette in the window (and why have the light on at all if you're spying on someone?). But as Alfred Hitchcock said, the critic who insists on plausibility is a dull fellow indeed!

[Martin]

Alyne wrote: "atmospheric, mysterious and darkly glamorous"

Alyne, that really sums up the appeal of this genre. I've often wondered how it's possible that there's something almost soothing about reading these books, even though they take place in spooky old houses and are fraught with menace and tragedy. I think part of it may be the empathy we feel for the heroine who tries desperately to find a safe, welcoming home in an inherently hostile environment. That struggle reflects one of the main plights of life, I think.

[Dorcas]

Toni wrote: "I am searching for some of my first reads. Long, long ago I read my very first gothic novel. Now that I am older I am trying to collect a few of my favorite books from my teens and I have two books..."

You were looking for a book with falcon in the title and I know this is an old thread but could it be "Falcon's Island" by Antonia Scott? It was published in 1973..

[Dorcas]

Has anyone read Caroline Carr's books? She wrote tons of old Gothic paperbacks but I haven't actually read any yet. you can get many of them used on amazon pretty cheap...anyone familiar with her?

[Dorcas]

That should be "Farr" not Carr.. drat auto correct.

[Hannah]

Dorcas wrote: "Has anyone read Caroline Carr's books? She wrote tons of old Gothic paperbacks but I haven't actually read any yet. you can get many of them used on amazon pretty cheap...anyone familiar with her?"

I've read a few. Very prolific author, and the covers of her books are quintessential "gothic" in every sense of the word.

That being said, I personally don't think her gothics were very good :(

[Dorcas]

Ah...you know when I looked up her books on GR very few had reviews and those that did were low star ratings so I wondered....but the covers look amazing and I thought well...maybe one person bombed them all. lol. but maybe they WERE just lousy. :)

[Hannah]

Hard to say. I only read 1 or 2, so it's very possible I just picked the worst ones to read.

I agree that the covers were "pick me up and buy me"!

It might be worth it to buy one and see if you enjoy it. I wouldn't recommend The Castle on the Loch though. Pretty "meh".

[Dorcas]

I was thinking the same thing, just get one and try it out. But I will make sure its not 'the castle on the loch'. :)
Another two I was interested in are "Green Fire" by Anne Maybury, and "Fog Island by Marilyn RossGreen FireFog Island
ring any bells, anyone?

[Hannah]

I haven't read Green Fire but I have read other books by Anne Maybury and they were pretty good:

Dark Star
The Jeweled Daughter (this one was my personal favorite)
The Midnight Dancers
Walk in the Paradise Garden

[Dorcas]

oooh! Ill check them out! thanks :)

[Dorcas]

Hannah, I see your page is private. is there a way to follow your reviews?

[Hannah]

Dorcas wrote: "Hannah, I see your page is private. is there a way to follow your reviews?"

Dorcas,
Just sent you a friend request - and while on your profile page I found another book to add to my ever increasing TBR pile :)

[Martin]

Another two I was interested in are "Green Fire" by Anne Maybury, and "Fog Isla..."

Dorcas, I haven't read Green Fire, but I've read Fog Island which I really wanted to like, but alas did not because Marilyn Ross's (alias Dan Ross's) writing is, frankly, just terrible. This book was one step above a Scooby Doo episode. Great cover illustration, though! I wish it had been a better book.

[Martin]

Any other Carola Salisbury fans out there?

Carola Salisbury (a.k.a. Mike Butterworth, 1924–1986) wrote a number of excellent traditional Gothics in the 1970s, including The Pride of the Trevallions (also published as Mallion's Pride), Dolphin Summer, The Winter Bride, The Shadowed Spring, Count Vronsky's Daughter, An Autumn in Araby, Daisy Friday, A Certain Splendour, and A Woman in Grey.

If you haven't read any of these books yet, you're in for quite a treat!

[Martin]

Another author who deserves to be better known is Evelyn Berckman. Is anyone familiar with her work?

I recommend her excellent traditional Gothic, The Evil of Time. The title isn't all that inspiring (although relevant), but it's a beautifully written tale of suspense set just after WW2 in an ancient German castle presided over by a pair of strange elderly spinster sisters. Berckman did a great job bringing the eerie, mouldering castle to life (it was a character in itself, with a strong presence in every scene). I thought this book was very good and deserves to be listed among the best in the genre.

[Hannah]

Martin wrote: "Any other Carola Salisbury fans out there?

Carola Salisbury (a.k.a. Mike Butterworth, 1924–1986) wrote a number of excellent traditional Gothics in the 1970s, including The Pride of the Trevallio..."

Hi Martin!
I've only been able to read one Salisbury, The Winter Bride, and loved it. Thanks for the heads up - I will look for those others by "him".

Interesting that some of the better gothics were actually written by men (Madeleine Brent was the pen name for a man), as the primary reading audience of this genre were women.

[Dorcas]

oh wow! my to -read list keeps growing and growing!!! thanks, guys!

[Dorcas]

Martin wrote: "Another two I was interested in are "Green Fire" by Anne Maybury, and "Fog Isla..."

Dorcas, I haven't read Green Fire, but I've read Fog Island which I really wanted to like, but alas did not beca..."

Wow, good to know, Martin! That book wasnt cheap either so Im glad I didn't buy it!

[Martin]

Hi everyone, I'm not sure where I'm supposed to post book reviews, but I just finished reading Virginia Coffman's The Devil's Mistress and have reviewed it. My review can be read here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

If this is the wrong place to post this, please advise! Thanks, all.

[Tweety]

It's a tad embarrassing to introduce myself weeks after joining but… I will rectify that right now. My only Gothics have been Mary Stewart, Victoria Holt, Sylvia Thorpe, Janet Carid and a few others I've forgotten. After seeing that several GR friends where in this group I jumped right in. I can't wait to find and discus Gothics with everyone! :)

[Hannah]

Hi Tweety!
This board hasn't been very active as of late, but welcome nonetheless. Maybe we can revive it!

[Tweety]

Lol, we'll see what this full-of-cold-and muddled-tweetybird can do. ;)

[Hannah]

Tweety wrote: "Lol, we'll see what this full-of-cold-and muddled-tweetybird can do. ;)"

8-D

[Pamela]

I don't think that I've ever introduced myself. I grew up on gothics; read them often as a young adult through teen years and 20something. Dorothy Eden, Victoria Holt, etc. In terms of current authors, I am a huge fan of Kate Morton. Any suggestions for other current authors?

[Toni NB]

Hi everyone,
I'm Toni and I wanted to introduce myself as I've belonged to the group for a short while but never posted before.
I'm looking forward to your recommendations on new authors, favorite authors, and reading suggestions.

Have a great Sunday!
Toni

[Dorcas]

Toni wrote: "Hi everyone,
I'm Toni and I wanted to introduce myself as I've belonged to the group for a short while but never posted before.
I'm looking forward to your recommendations on new authors, favorit..."

Hi Toni! Welcome!

[Jenni]

Pamela wrote: "I don't think that I've ever introduced myself. I grew up on gothics; read them often as a young adult through teen years and 20something. Dorothy Eden, Victoria Holt, etc. In terms of current a..."

Pamela, have you read books under Victoria Holt's psuedonyms?
I think Simone St. James might write along the gothic lines, but I haven't read any of her titles yet. The books of Lucinda Riley and Diane Setterfield look good also.

[Dorcas]

Hi Stacey! Welcome to the group :)

[Tweety]

Welcome Stacy!

[Corinne]

Hi. I'm Corinne. I have been reading gothic ever since I can remember. Seems they have fallen out of favor now, but I still read & collect them. My favorites are Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart, Jill Tattersall. Some of Phyllis Whitney are good. I like the newcomer Kate Morton. The Forgotten Garden is a good example. Love Rebecca and a very old book that I ran across in 1968, Tryst by Elswyth Thane, falling in love with a ghost! Always looking for new reccomendations.

[Dorcas]

Hi Corrine!Welcome! its so nice to find another Gothic lover!

[Tweety]

Hello Corinne! Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart are excellent. :)

[Corinne]

always looking for new or new to me authors. Recently rediscovered a couple of Mary Stewart's books and decided to go back and start at the beginning. Now I see that she has died. some of these gals had really long careers writing my favorite go to books. happy to meet like minded readers.

[T.A.]

Hi!! New here, though I may not be on very often, cuz to say my life is hectic would be a drastic understatement! But you can always message me here if you'd like! Always looking for something wickedly dark to read, especially if it has vampires! The bloodier and gorier, the better! Always open to suggestions, and am always willing and able to give some when you are in need of a new read. ;-)

http://gothicmoms.blogspot.com/

http://gothicmoms.blogspot.com/p/revi...

https://www.facebook.com/GothicMoms

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Mary Beth]

Hi my name is Mary Beth, I love Gothic Suspense. My favorites are Phyllis A Whitney, Victoria Holt also known as Phillipa Carr, Barbara Michael's, Mary Stewart, and I have. been trying to find books by Madeline Brent, but they seem to be hard to find.

[Dorcas]

Hi Mary, welcome! Have you looked on abebooks.com for Madeleine Brent? That's where I bought most of mine. They have almost everything and I spend waaaaay too much money there!