Ghost Story Romance
Date Published: 04-22-2024
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
In this sequel to Stonebridge, it is 1959, and Rynna Wyatt's abusive husband Jason has fallen to his death after a fight with his bookish, disabled cousin Ted Demeray. The police would like to know exactly what happened, but Ted and Rynna can't tell the whole truth. Jason's death doesn't end his relationship with them either. Rynna is pregnant with his child and traumatized by his abuse. She and Ted leave Stonebridge Manor to start a new life in Brenford, where Ted teaches geology at the university, but Jason's restless spirit follows them and continues to haunt Rynna's dreams. He wants her back. He wants revenge. And he wants his son. Can Ted and Rynna find a way to oppose his claims and finally put him to rest?
Interview with Linda Griffin
Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?
Not really, but I was interested to learn that reading fiction is considered the best way to forestall dementia, and losing interest in it is often an early symptom. It’s also how we learn compassion, through getting inside the minds and hearts of other people.
How do you select the names of your characters?
It varies a lot. Sometimes the names just come to me and sometimes I spend a lot of time settling on just the right one. In the case of Stonebridge and Beyond Stonebridge, Rynna was originally the name of the heroine of an unfinished story, inspired by a friend named Brinn. For Ted I wanted a short, masculine nickname like Nick or Ned, and Ted Danson tipped the scales for Ted. Fran is a nod to my sister, who is also a good neighbor.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
Not in this one, but in my first Wild Rose Press book, Seventeen Days, an author is mentioned who is actually a character in a story my sister wrote.
What was your hardest scene to write?
The childbirth scenes were tough because there was tension between what I wanted them to be and what was realistic in 1959. There was a dramatic shift toward the involvement of fathers during the 1960s.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
Except for Beyond Stonebridge, which is a sequel, each book is different. I tell the story that wants to be told and don’t try to fit into any particular genre.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
I just wanted to find out what happened next after Stonebridge ended. I think the sequel ties up all the loose ends nicely.
What inspired you to write Beyond Stonebridge?
I never intended to write a sequel, but the only way I could stop myself from repeatedly rewriting the ending of Stonebridge was to wonder how Ted and Rynna would explain what happened to the police and begin writing to find out. Stonebridge was inspired by my fondness for ghost stories like The Uninvited and The Crying Child.
Can you tell us a little bit about what you have planned for the future?
I’m not working on a new book at the moment, but I’m in the process of turning at least a couple of my backlist titles into audio books, which is quite a new experience for me.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Beyond Stonebridge?
In Stonebridge, Rynna came to live with relatives after the death of her mother and soon fell prey to a seductive abuser. She’s very much a woman of her pre-feminist era, expecting to be dependent on a man, so she rushes into emotional involvements. Ted is a scholar, unimpressed by the wealth he grew up with, and his disability has taught him patience and perspective. He is a skeptic, so the ghost that haunts Rynna is doubly disturbing for him.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Ted was based on a man I was in love with, so bringing him to life was a lot of fun.
About the Author
I knew I wanted to be a "book maker" as soon as I learned to read, and I wrote my first story, "Judy and the Fairies," at the age of six. My passion for the printed word also led me to a career with the San Diego Public Library. I retired to spend more time on my writing and have had stories of every length from short shorts to novellas published in numerous literary journals. Beyond Stonebridge is my ninth book from the Wild Rose Press. In addition to the three R's--reading, writing, and research--I enjoy travel, movies, Scrabble, and visiting museums and art galleries.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
4 comments:
I enjoyed the interview. This sounds like a good book.
Thank you, Marcy!
Thank you for the challenging questions! It was fun.
Thank you, Daniel!
Post a Comment