THE MISREMEMBERED LIGHTHOUSE
by
p.m. terrell
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Mystery
Publisher: Drake Valley Press
Publication Date: September 1, 2025
Page count: 305 pages
Publisher: Drake Valley Press
Publication Date: September 1, 2025
Page count: 305 pages
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SYNOPSIS:
While researching her next book, historian and author Hayley Hunter rents a lighthouse in Southeastern North Carolina. The modern lighthouse and vacation home replaced an original wood structure that only functioned during the Revolutionary War. The old lighthouse may be long gone, but the lightkeeper’s ghost remains.
Hayley becomes increasingly obsessed with finding why the spirit of Jonathan Corbyn lingers between realms. Joined by her lover Shay MacGregor, her search will take her into a world of spies, double agents, and espionage at the dawn of American democracy.
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ENJOY AN EXCERPT:
I bolted upright and tapped on the latest alert. I found myself staring at the lantern room. The security camera encompassed nearly the entire circular room, save for the wall behind it. My eyes skimmed the walls, alighting briefly on each window. The moon was high and full, and for a moment, I thought the camera might have picked up the glow or perhaps even something flying against the window. But as I continued to stare into my phone, I spotted something moving along the top steps as if ascending.
I quietly tossed the covers off me and glided into my slippers as I grabbed my robe. I cautiously strode to the spiral stairs to peer upward into the stairwell. It was not as dark as I had expected, but a muted light from the moon struggled to illuminate it. I glanced downward to discover it was darker beneath me. Turning my attention again to the stairs leading upward, I remembered the curvature in the design prevented me from seeing to the top. How, then, my mind argued, could the moonlight find its way down?
I stepped onto the staircase. My right hand clenched the phone, while my eyes continually moved from the image on my screen to the steps above me. My naked eyes could see nothing out of the ordinary. The steps appeared just as they had a few hours earlier. But my phone displayed a shadow moving upward.
As I reached the uppermost stairs, I realized the image picked up by the security camera was not a human, but rather a human form. It was opaque, but I detected the outline of a man’s broad shoulders, his torso, arms, and legs. His legs were misshapen, as though he were wearing breeches that ballooned slightly from him. There was something else that extended beyond his body, like a waistcoat. I could see the outline of his head, but it was shadowy, with facial details absorbed into the darkness.
I froze on the step. I could see the image clearly on my phone’s security app. But when I used my naked eyes without the benefit of the phone, I could see nothing at all in the spot where it should have appeared. Shakily, I climbed to the next step and then the next.
The figure moved just beyond me as if to entice me to follow him. As my head topped the floor, it turned to me, as if he was looking straight at me, though I could see nothing but darkness where his face should have been.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
My full name is Patricia McClelland Terrell, and I have been writing under the pen name p.m.terrell ever since a publisher presented me with my first fiction book cover. The graphic designer had also entered my name in lower-case letters; my editor hated it, and I loved it. It’s been p.m.terrell ever since.
I began writing when I was nine years old, inspired by a schoolteacher and elementary school principal. Scott-Foresman published my first book, a computer instructional for universities, in 1984. Scott-Foresman, Dow-Jones (Richard D. Irwin branch), Palari Publishing, Paralee Press, and Drake Valley Press have published 26 books to date.
Before embarking on a full-time writing career, I founded McClelland Enterprises, Inc. in the Washington, D.C. area in 1984, specializing in computer instruction for employees in the workplace. I opened another business, Continental Software Development Corporation, in 1994, which focused on custom application development, programming, website design and development, and computer crime.
I was honored to be the first female president of the Chesterfield County/Colonial Heights Crime Solvers. I also served as the treasurer for the Virginia Crime Stoppers Association. Since moving to North Carolina, I served on the Robeson County Friends of the Library and Robeson County Arts Council.
I launched The Book ‘Em Foundation with Waynesboro, Virginia Police Officer Mark Kearney, and assisted in Virginia, New Hampshire, and South Carolina events before establishing the annual Book ‘Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair, chairing it for several years before turning it over to Robeson Community College in Lumberton, NC.
REVIEW:
5 stars!
Spooky, intense paranormal mystery!
The Misremembered Lighthouse may be the second
riveting Hayley Hunter Mystery by author p.m. terrell, but readers new
to the series can easily dive right in and enjoy a great story. In this book,
renowned historical fiction author Hayley Hunter returns to the U.S. after a
year’s sojourn in Ireland, where she went to research her Irish roots for a
book but stayed to pursue a new love and a slower, more rural lifestyle. Due to
visa restrictions, she must leave Ireland for 1 year. She rents a secluded,
long-decommissioned lighthouse near Raleigh, North Carolina, where she plans to
research her Revolutionary War-era ancestors and their involvement during the
conflict for her next novel. She soon discovers she may not be alone on the
remote property as she glimpses ghostly, disappearing figures and the original
lighthouse lamp that lights with a will of its own.
Hayley is a gutsy gal, sticking around when she feels the
ice-cold presence of spirits, hears disembodied voices, and inexplicably moved
objects, as well as things that go bump in the night. She initially clings to
logical explanations and excuses for what she sees, but when Shay MacGregor,
her love from Ireland, arrives for an extended visit and corroborates her
experiences, it becomes all too real.
The book is two stories in one, as Hayley uncovers the
journal of the original lighthouse keeper, Jonathan Corbyn. Jon is a tragic
figure, coming from Scotland to the British colony of North Carolina after
participating in the Battle of Culloden, only to end up on the losing side and deemed
a traitor. He builds the lighthouse himself with the goal of a quiet, solitary,
and peaceful future, but is caught between family and friends and the oath of
royalty he swore to the Crown when he was granted his property in the new
territory.
The story is well-paced, with the ghostly activity beginning
immediately. Hayley’s initial encounters are a little disconcerting but still deliciously
creepy, and immediately evoked The Ghost and Mrs. Muir vibes. However,
as the action progresses, the situation becomes more tragic and dangerous, and,
while there is a romance, it is between the main character and her very much
alive love interest. Unfortunately, the lighthouse keeper is not alone, and he
has a story he’s determined for Hayley to uncover. I enjoyed the dual-timeline
structure, with Hayley’s story unfolding in the present and Jon’s in early
1776, presented as journal entries. Hayley and Shay’s relationship is loving
and strong, and it is a wonderful storyline that continues through the series.
This book was a definite page-turner for me.
I recommend THE MISREMEMBERED LIGHTHOUSE to readers of
paranormal suspense.
GUEST POST:
Please welcome p.m. terrell, the author of today's featured book, to the blog to discuss why her book is a "must-read."
p.m. terrell: The Misremembered Lighthouse is like a cozy, early
summer vacation at the beach. Historian and author Hayley Hunter has rented the
isolated lighthouse to complete her research, and from the first chapter, you
can envision arriving at a peaceful and serene rental where no one can bother
you. You can sit in the lantern room atop the lighthouse and watch spectacular
sunrises and sunsets, or awaken in the round bedroom to windows that surround
you.
If you enjoy a good mystery while you’re lounging along the
coast, you’ll find yourself pulled into Hayley’s mystery concerning the
original lighthouse keeper and his role in the Revolutionary War. And maybe
you’ll want to discover the reason that the keeper, Jonathan Corbyn, still
haunts the lighthouse, turning on the lantern in the middle of the night,
opening and closing windows, and moving objects.
Perhaps you enjoy books that educate within the threads of a
mystery. When Hayley finds Jonathan’s journal, she discovers the pivotal role
that the lighthouse played during the American Revolutionary War. Her discovery
takes her to immigrant Scots converging at Cross Creek for a march to the sea
to engage the patriots, and British ships moving up the channels from the ocean
to catch the patriots between them. You might find the Battle of Moore’s Creek
near the Widow Moore’s house particularly engrossing.
And as the days get shorter and the nights get longer, you
might want to curl up in the downstairs living room surrounded by windows all
around, a cozy cup of tea and a treat beside you. There’s just one thing: to
have the place all to yourself, you’ll need to help Jonathan on his way to the
other side.
GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
p.m. terrell will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
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