Ghosts, Lore & a House by the Shore - A Guest Post, Review, & Giveaway

I'm pleased to welcome Cassie McGuire to Cozy Up With Kathy today. You can find Cassie on the pages of the Lily & Cassie By the Sea Mystery series by Nellie H. Steele. GHOSTS, LORE & A HOUSE BY THE SHORE is the first book in the series and today is its release day!

Moving to Whispering Manor
By Cassie McGuire

When I first saw Whispering Manor, I was a little overwhelmed. I’ll admit, I wondered if it was a bit too much house for just my mom and me. I can remember staring up at the oversized home as it rose tall in the air in front of us while we waited for the realtor.

Little did we know the history the house had. I’m not sure if I had known it would have changed my mind at all. I fell in love with it from the moment I saw it. And then when Lucy let us in, I thought it looked like something out of a movie.

The wide wraparound porch alone was inviting enough to make me want to buy the house. But then Lucy opened the door and let us inside. The generous foyer blew me away! With its rich woods and intricate carvings, it’s definitely something from a bygone era. You don’t see work like that anymore! On either side of the wide stairs leading up to the second floor were wooden carvings of two angels holding lanterns. Amazing! Wide doorways led off both sides into a living room and a library.

The library is one of my favorite spots. It was filled with books when we got there (some gothic novels, which makes for great reading on a rainy day). There’s a lovely little window seat overlooking the front drive and the porch that’s great to curl up on with a good book.

Our eat-in kitchen overlooks the back of the property which is right up against our private beach! I love eating breakfast (or dinner!) and watching the sunrise over the ocean. I’ll often crack one of the bay windows so I can listen to the ocean.

Upstairs, we’ve got a number of bedrooms. Way more than Mom and I need. My mom has one overlooking the ocean. I took one that has a view of both the ocean and the front of the house. It’s got an en-suite and another lovely window seat that looks out on the water. The house has all kinds of neat features like a Widow’s Walk and beautiful trim outside. I’m really in love with it.

One of the things I didn’t expect when we moved to Whispering Manor, though, was the amount of trouble we’d have! Whew! What a tale! I hope you’ll read all about it in GHOSTS, LORE & A HOUSE BY THE SHORE!

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Review

GHOSTS, LORE & A HOUSE BY THE SHORE by Nellie H. Steele

The First Lily & Callie By the Sea Mystery

A tragic accident left both Lily Bennett and Cassandra Bennett-McGuire widows. Mother and daughter, unable to face homes filled with memories, decide to make a fresh start. Choosing the small town of Hideaway Bay, the pair buy an estate on the edge of town, and rent a storefront in town for their dream gift shop-Buy the Sea. They soon discover that their home has a tragic history and is supposedly haunted by more than one ghost. A ship captain lost at sea, his grieving widow jumped to her death from the widow's walk and centuries later a young girl disappears and her parents die in an apparent murder/suicide. No wonder townsfolk shudder at the mention of the house. Lily and Cassie are captivated when they find the widow's journal and discover the missing girl was researching the captain's alleged treasure. Soon odd sounds and vandalism start plaguing the pair. Someone isn't happy that they're looking into the past. But is it a ghost? Or a more worldly tormentor?

GHOSTS, LORE & A HOUSE BY THE SHORE is a unique mystery in that it has two protagonists, a mother and daughter. Written in the third person the book switches points of view, which the author handles deftly. Instead of being confusing, wondering who was thinking what, it was always clear if it is the slightly more cynical Lily versus her daughter Cassie. Both are competent women who I would like to call friends. I absolutely adore Whispering Manor and detailed descriptions make me want to live there. The multiple mysteries were ingenious, although I did figure out the modern day villain before our intrepid mother/daughter team. I figured out a few key things before they did, but, though I yelled at them, it didn't stop my enjoyment of the story. I was enthralled by Henrietta's tale and can't believe Lily stopped reading the journal at those climactic bits.

A glorious manor with mysteries spread across the ages GHOSTS, LORE & A HOUSE BY THE SHORE is a wonderful start to a new series.

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 Ghosts, Lore & a House by the Shore: A Mother/Daughter Cozy Mystery (Lily & Cassie By the Sea Mysteries) by Nellie H. Steele

About Ghosts, Lore & a House by the Shore

Ghosts, Lore & a House by the Shore: A Mother/Daughter Cozy Mystery (Lily & Cassie By the Sea Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series Number of Pages: 306 pages

A new town. A haunting legend. New beginnings or the beginning of the end?

After Cassie MacGuire’s husband dies in a plane crash along with her father, both her and her mother, Lily Bennett, are left as widows. Looking to make a new start, they move together to the quiet seaside town of Hideaway Bay. But their new home, Whispering Manor, has a reputation stretching back centuries. Legends of ghosts, paranormal disturbances and pirate treasure are all associated with the former sea captain’s mansion, starting with the death of its first mistress, Henrietta Blanchard.

When Cassie stumbles upon Henrietta’s journal and Lily uncovers a more recent tragedy in the home, they begin to wonder if the stories may be fact instead of fiction. When the strange occurrences turn dangerous, Lily and Cassie will have to investigate to save their home and possibly even their very lives!

Ghosts, Lore & a House by the Shore is the charming first installment in this small, seaside town mother-daughter cozy mystery series by Nellie H. Steele.

About Nellie H. Steele

An Indies Today finalist for Best Book of the Year 2020 with Cleopatra’s Tomb, Nellie H. Steele made the leap from science to art with her first book, The Secret of Dunhaven Castle.

An animal enthusiast, Nellie often features a version of one of her fourteen rescue animals in her stories, though the fictional pets are usually better behaved than her own fur-babies! A literary split personality, Nellie’s work ranges from cozy mystery to supernatural suspense to riveting adventure.

She lives in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. When she isn’t writing or engaging in animal care, she enjoys teaching Statistics and Data Science at a local university.

Check out all Nellie offers at www.anovelideapublishing.com/novels or at her blog, Nellie’s Book Nook, available at www.nelliesbooknook.com!

Author Links: 

Publisher Website: anovelideapublishing.com  

Blog: www.nelliesbooknook.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/nelliehsteele  

Instagram: www.instagram.com/nelliehsteele  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nelliehsteele1  

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nelliehsteeleauthor  

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19769743.Nellie_H_Steele  

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/nellie-h-steele  

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Nellie-H.-Steele/e/B07Z9PD3YN  

Purchase Link: Amazon: (eBook preorder is currently live. Book will be offered in eBook, paperback, hardcover, and audio).

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