Sue Barnard Visits Today!

I am delighted to welcome Sue Barnard today and learn about her novel, The Ghostly Father.

Sue was born in North Wales but has spent most of her life in and around Manchester. After graduating from Durham University, where she studied French and Italian, Sue got married then had a variety of office jobs before becoming a full-time parent. If she had her way, the phrase "non-working mother" would be banned from the English language.

Since then she has had a series of part-time jobs, including some work as a freelance copywriter. In parallel with this she took several courses in Creative Writing. Her writing achievements include winning the Writing Magazine New Subscribers Poetry Competition for 2013. She is also very interested in Family History. Her own background is stranger than fiction; she'd write a book about it if she thought anybody would believe her.

Sue has a mind which is sufficiently warped as to be capable of compiling questions for BBC Radio 4's fiendishly difficult Round Britain Quiz. This once caused one of her sons to describe her as "professionally weird." The label has stuck.

Sue joined the editorial team Crooked Cat Publishing in 2013. Her first novel, The Ghostly Father (a new take on the traditional story of Romeo & Juliet) was officially released on St Valentine's Day 2014.  Her second novel, a romantic mystery entitled Nice Girls Don’t, is due for release in July 2014.

You can find Sue on Facebook, Twitter (@SusanB2011), or follow her blog here.

I must say I am thoroughly intrigued by this novel. Here is a little bit more about it.

Romeo & Juliet - was this what really happened?  
 
When Juliet Roberts is asked to make sense of an ancient Italian manuscript, she little suspects that she will find herself propelled into the midst of one of the greatest love stories of all time. But this is only the beginning. As more hidden secrets come to light, Juliet discovers that the tragic tale of her famous namesake might have had a very different outcome...  
 
A favourite classic story with a major new twist.

You can find the novel at

Facebook Events page -

Amazon UK 

Amazon.com

Waterstones

Smashwords


And now for an excerpt of The Ghostly Father:

The friary clock struck the hour of four.

“May it please Heaven to smile upon this happy union.”

“Amen to that, Father!”

Romeo was pacing around my cell in great agitation.

“But just to be able to call her my wife is sufficient.”

I shuddered. Had I been too hasty in agreeing to perform this marriage?

He loves too strongly, and too soon, I thought. Could he fall out of love just as swiftly and as violently? Heaven forfend…

“Son, even the sweetest things can lose their appeal if taken to excess.”

I gestured towards the half-filled pots of honey on the table.

“So do not wear out your love too quickly. It will last longer, and be stronger, if you love in moderation.”

There came a faint tapping at the door. Romeo froze.

“Come in!” I called.

The door opened and Giulietta entered.

As she bade me good afternoon, Romeo crossed the room in two strides, clasped her tightly in his arms and kissed her passionately – a kiss which she returned with equal fervour. If I had previously harboured any doubts about the strength of their feelings for each other, now I saw them together these doubts were utterly dispelled. 

Each totally absorbed in the other, it was as though they had already forgotten that I was even there.

I coughed gently to attract their attention, and beckoned them towards the improvised altar. As one they knelt down before it, their faces radiant, their fingers still interlaced.

I opened my breviary:

“Ego conjugo vos in matrimonium, in nomine Patris, Filii et Spiritus Sancti…”

Their vows exchanged, and one of Giulietta’s own rings blessed and employed as a wedding ring, the newly-made husband and wife left my cell and reluctantly went their separate ways until they would meet again at nightfall. I watched them go, and murmured a silent prayer for their happiness.

Had I but known what was to befall them ere that very same day was over, I would have said many, many more…

I hope you enjoyed reading about Sue and The Ghostly Father. I certainly did!