Welcome to my stop on the Circe tour brought to you by Innovative Online Tours. Read a little about the book, author and exciting guest post by Jessica Penot and a giveaway! Don't forget to stop by the other blogs and check out what they have to offer from Circe and Jessica Penot!
Dr. Black is a
good man with a few vices. He is willing to sacrifice his career for his wife,
Pria. He takes an internship at a hick institution in Southern Alabama to make
his wife happy, but once he is situated in this old hospital, he finds that old
habits die-hard. He is sexually compulsive and easily seduced by his
supervisor, Cassie, who takes him to the bowls of the institution and shows him
its tragic history. As Dr. Black loses himself in his obsession with Cassie, he
becomes convinced that she is the key to Circe's mythology and magic and a
series of bizarre murders leaves him convinced that she has opened the gates to
another world. Madness and sanity begin to blur for Dr. Black and he becomes
entangled in the mystery at the heart of Circe. A mystery that's as old as the
ancient hospital itself. A mystery that could incriminate Cassie, an old god,
or Dr. Black himself.
The Haunted Hospital
Haunted Places inspire me to write more than anything. Most of my novels center around haunted places and my collections of ghost stories are my most popular books. It shouldn’t be surprising that Circe is based on one of Alabama’s more haunted state psychiatric hospitals. It is based on The Searcy State Hospital in Southern Alabama.
Searcy is one of my favorite haunted places. I did my internship here a very long time ago and I fell in love with its history and its white chipped walls. Everything about this old hospital spoke to me. It was even more remarkable because most of those who worked there and lived there every day were oblivious to its history.
Searcy State Hospital is located in Mt. Vernon Alabama. Prior to being a state hospital the old hospital has along and dark history that is very difficult to find, but easy to see upon casual observation. The hospital is encased in long, chipped, white walls that seem as old as anything in the United States. From outside these walls, you can see a battered watchtower that gives testament to the fact that the hospital is in the same location as a 300 year old fort. The fort bears witness to American history and was originally a Spanish fort. It switched hands during the Louisiana Purchase and became a US fort. After the US took possession of the fort it was converted to a military arsenal and became known as the Mount Vernon Arsenal.
The Arsenal switched hands again several times and was taken by the Confederates during the civil war only to be passed back over the United States again in 1862. From 1887 to 1894, The Arsenal became a Barracks and was used as a prison for the captured Apache people. The most famous of the Apache people to be held in these barracks was Geronimo. The infamous Aaron Burr was also held at this secluded prison at some point.
In 1900 the Barracks were transformed once again and the prison became a mental hospital. Searcy hospital was built as the African American mental hospital in Alabama. Conditions in the hospital were beyond questionable and at one time there were over 2000 patients in the crowded hospital and all were seen by one psychiatrist. All patients were expected to work in the fields.
The hospital was desegregated in 1969, but its history is all around it. The hospital is still in used today, and although the residents live in new buildings, many tell stories of ghosts and devils that linger in the white walls and abandoned buildings that surround the new facilities. These stories are usually ignored, because the patients are crazy, but I’m not the only sane person who saw a few ghosts while they were working there.
I was so haunted by Searcy that I was inspired to write Circe. Circe is the story of an intern’s steady descent into madness as the ghosts of the old hospital slowly destroy his life. You can buy Circe in print or in eBook form at www.amazon.com , Barnes and Noble, or at http://www.lachesispublishing.com/products.asp?cat=2 .
I am a
therapist and writer who lives in Alabama with my three corgis, children,
husband, and other strange creatures. My short stories have been
published in numerous literary magazines and anthologies including CSM,
Summer Gothic, Bound By Blood, and Outer Darkness. I have ghost story
columns in theValley Planet and White Cat Magazine where I share my love
for ghost stories that send shivers down your spine and keep you up at
night. I also share my passion for all things ghostly and haunted
at my blog, ghost stories and haunted places.
I am currently working on my next Haunted America Book for History Press,Haunted South Alabama. Follow me at my blog to learn about the ghost stories I am chasing and collecting for this fascinating addition to Haunted America. I'm also workng on the next book in my Circe series. The demon is awake and waiting for my new heroine in the swamps of Southern Alabama. Click Here to Follow My Blog!
You can contact me at jessica.penot@gmail.com
I am currently working on my next Haunted America Book for History Press,Haunted South Alabama. Follow me at my blog to learn about the ghost stories I am chasing and collecting for this fascinating addition to Haunted America. I'm also workng on the next book in my Circe series. The demon is awake and waiting for my new heroine in the swamps of Southern Alabama. Click Here to Follow My Blog!
You can contact me at jessica.penot@gmail.com
Website http://www.jessicapenot.net/
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Yay!! I love giveaways! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds pretty intense and awesome. I can't wait to read it!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to reading CIRCE. It does look amazing.
ReplyDelete