Carrie Dalby

In December of 1912, Josephine Wolf of Washington Square has three things on her mind: the changing dynamic of home life, her approaching spinsterhood, and the legacy of her lingering childhood nickname. Josephine's telepathic and astral skills create a personal web of empowerment for the woman who lives on the fringe of society as an herbalist, but the threads begin to tangle. Her first love walks back into her life the same day she meets a new man in town. Then Josephine crosses paths with the person responsible for the majority of torment she went through in her youth. Armed with her mystic abilities, sibling ties, and strong friendships, Josephine battles her way through heartache and distress in an attempt to build a life with the man she loves while safeguarding her brother's secrets-and her own.

Newly wed and newly arrived in Mobile, Alvin and Deborah Farley attempt to settle into the Washington Square neighborhood in September 1910, but all is not peaceful in the idyllic, tree-lined streets. Suffering under widowed Aunt Catherine's jealousy and control of the household, Deborah is also struggling with an increase of ghostly apparitions and messages from beyond. While Alvin is busy with his teaching position at Barton Academy, Deborah seeks to establish her place in their new home and bring peace to neighbor Sean Spunner, who is tormented by the weight of his dead fianc e's haunting. Will Deborah be able to further develop her powers as a medium to master her weaknesses and banish Sean's oppressor, all while the truth of Catherine's husband's death comes to light?

In the summer of 1917, the world is in turmoil. Ethelwynne Graves sees her fianc off to war while yearning to stretch her wings within her still-sheltered life. As the war rages across the sea, Sean Spunner has his sights on a local battle of his own. Running for political office threatens to resurrect his past sins, and dredge up the not-so-distant behavior of his wife and her progressive ideals. Will Sean and Hattie survive the public pushback his campaign ignites? World War I and its aftermath completes The Malevolent Trilogy in this poignant novel spanning half a decade.

The spring and summer of 1916 is fraught with family secrets, friendship troubles, and growing pains for sixteen-year-old Ethelwynne Graves. Reeling between conflicts with her mother and her best friend's relationship with an older man, Ethelwynne attempts to learn how to be true to herself while balancing fluctuating relationships and life. Hattie Spunner yearns to support her young friend and widen her sphere of influence amid the high society crowd she married into three years previous. A progressive science club is her vehicle, but will the conversations be too bold for the conservative city of Mobile, Alabama? First loves, scandals, and a natural disaster are a sampling of what readers will find in the second tumultuous novel in The Malevolent Trilogy.

Summoned by her aunt and uncle to help with her recently orphaned cousin, nineteen-year-old Merritt Hall arrives in Mobile, Alabama, at the end of summer in 1897. Straight-laced Merritt and fifteen-year-old Winifred clash with most of what's important to the elder cousin-decorum, responsibility, and education. To make Merritt's dire situation more complex, Winifred believes her dreams are haunted. Sean Spunner, an ardent young neighbor, is all too willing to help protect Winifred from evil spirits and the deadly infection sweeping the city, but what if he poses the biggest threat during their isolation? Set against the backdrop of the final yellow fever epidemic in Mobile, the first novel in The Malevolent Trilogy is a fresh Southern Gothic family saga by the author of The Possession Chronicles.

The Mellings and Davenports don't go quietly into the Roaring Twenties. Settled with his new wife and expanding family, Alexander Melling is once again jubilant, but not everyone is pleased to see him successful with Magdalene by his side. Embittered Phoebe Davenport seeks to claim what she believes is her rightful place as the head of her mother's legacy. Armed with the crazed desire of the Easton family, Phoebe will stop at nothing to seek her revenge on her stepfather's family. Bethany Davenport tries to calm her sister, support her best friend, and find her place amongst the emotional chaos Phoebe creates. She cautiously moves forward in life, despite the precarious situation surrounding her faltering family. Alexander does his best to hold things together as the stepsiblings clash. His own weaknesses are brought to the surface once more during a fresh surge of sinful-and demonic-activity. Discover who will thrive amid the perilous odds in the final installment of The Possession Chronicles.

Can a haunted past make amends with the present? Lucy is her own worst enemy. She loves her husband, Frederick, and longs to be a good mother to their daughter, Phoebe, but her heart aches for her true love who died years before. In the books she writes of love and loss, she envisions herself back in Alexander Melling's arms, reveling in the second chance she thought fate too cruel to allow them. As Lucy flounders, the family hires a young aid for her to lean on. Darla Beauchamp is eager to please her new employers, and quickly takes to juggling Phoebe's care with that of a very pregnant Lucy. But when she discovers her younger cousin has become the object of desire for a traveling violinist, a fire ignites within her to protect what little family she has left. Both women find their lives part of an intricately interlaced tapestry, one that will unravel all that they have worked for with the smallest snag. This character-driven saga is a haunting look into the tumultuous secrets families bury deep. Find "Safe Embrace", a Fortitude/Possession Chronicles short story, included as a bonus to this new edition.

While World War I has the globe in turmoil, the Melling and Davenport clans have their own unrest. After the shattering loss of their youngest child, Frederick and Melissa mourn in their own ways, but Melissa's isolation leads to further heartache that stretches the bounds of repair. Father Claudio De Fiore is always first in line to comfort, but his moments with grieving Melissa Davenport eclipse his vows to the church. Will he go too far when the previously independent woman buckles under her sorrows? Longtime friend and employee to Lucy, Naomi Joyner has witnessed everything amid the turbulent life of the Eastons and Mellings. Trapped between the draw of her first lover and being a loyal companion to declining Lucy, Naomi must decide if she wants to continue with the never-ending drama of the Mellings. Find out who will survive the war years in this formidable installment of The Possession Chronicles. Also included in this new edition is the brand new Possession Chronicles short "Mystic Misperceptions."

Their love brought scandal and demons. Lucy Easton, an aspiring novelist, will do anything to help boost her chances at publication-including betraying her family. But when she crosses paths with the charismatic Alexander, her aspiration for success pales in comparison to the attraction she feels towards him. Alexander Melling is a young lawyer from a powerful family, striving to free himself from his father's shadow. The more time he spends with Lucy, the more desperate he becomes to shed the secrets of his past-a past which can destroy both himself and the woman he loves. While Alexander struggles with his past sins, Lucy must decide whether loving him is worth risking her own safety...and her heart. From gossip magazines to gleaming Mardi Gras balls, Lucy and Alex navigate the Gilded Age in the Deep South with both passion and guilt. Also included in this new edition is The Possession Chronicles prequel short story "Masked Flaws." Find out how Edmund Easton joined the Mystics of Dardenne society during the 1904 Mardi Gras season.

In 1905, eighteen-year-old Eliza Melling's artistic drive is overshadowed only by her thirst for the forbidden. She wants her appetites quenched-both creatively and physically-but her lust for freedom rules them all. Newly arrived in America, Deacon Claudio De Fiore had set aside the natural man in his quest to serve God, but when his desire to protect Eliza eclipses his training to become a priest, he must decide where his true allegiance lies. In a scandal only a Melling could produce, Eliza entraps the deacon while publicly courting a man from her elite social circle. Step into one of the most tumultuous years of The Possession Chronicles in this tantalizing novella spanning both sides of Mobile Bay. The bonus short story "Dashing Through the Snow" featuring Sean Spunner is included in this new edition.

Thrust into a household infested with demons, Magdalene must cling to her faith-and safeguard her heart-to overcome the temptations waiting to snare her. Hired to be a companion to Mrs. Melling, a woman who still mourns the death of her daughter, Magdalene enters Seacliff Cottage. Besides finding the house filled with vile spirits, Magdalene is at odds with an unearthly attraction to Alexander Melling-her employer's bachelor son. Magdalene soon befriends a young Italian deacon, Claudio De Fiore. Together they try to solve the puzzle surrounding the demonic activities within the house. Meanwhile Douglas Campbell-the Scottish nephew of the coachman for the Mellings-arrives at the cottage. Balancing her growing love for Douglas and the memory of her haunting weekend with Alexander, the demons attempt to claim Magdalene. Can Douglas and Magdalene's romance survive the murmurs of evil, or will past secrets destroy their lives as well? The bonus short story "The Portrait of Eliza Melling" is included at the end of this new edition.

Enchanted romance or cursed love? Seeing his ex-wife, Lucy Melling, happily remarried, Frederick Davenport longs to move on from his failed first love. However, he has no interest in the catty women in town who feed off gossip and the misery of others. Then Melissa Stone enters his life. Assigned to ensure Lucy finishes her latest romance novel, Melissa moves into her house as a long-term guest. Little does she know, she's arriving just as an unholy darkness begins to haunt the unsuspecting family. Despite her growing attraction to Frederick, Melissa feels obligated to the Melling household as they battle against an evil entity determined to destroy them all. Can their blossoming love withstand otherworldly odds? Or will fear keep them both from true happiness? Look for the Chateau Rouge/Possession Chronicles short "Revelry's Requiem" included as a bonus in this new edition.

As 1912 draws to a close, Alexander Melling should be on top of the world. His wife is expecting their long-awaited child, and he is in sole possession of the Melling legacy. Unwilling to use his parents' tainted fortune, Alexander labors to make ends meet defending his first murder case and helping his sister-in-law find a new asylum to call home. On the verge of reaching for a drink-or one of his past lovers-the last thing he needs is to see fear in Lucy's eyes once more. Amid transitioning out of a fulltime career and managing life as a stepmother, newlywed Melissa wants to spend uninterrupted time with her husband, but Frederick Davenport's attentions are pulled elsewhere. Juggling two daughters, a needy ex-wife, and Alexander's personal drama, there isn't much time left for Melissa and Frederick to enjoy life together. Will Alexander's past wreak havoc on his happily ever after-and Frederick and Melissa's as well-or will the united forces of the Melling and Davenport families overrule the remains of their previous lives? Don't miss "Natural Selection in Life and Love," a Possession Chronicles short story, included as a bonus in this new edition.

Secrets, lust, and demons-all in a day's work when you live with the Mellings. Fall has come to the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay, bringing chilling winds of change to Seacliff Cottage. Settled into her employment as Mrs. Melling's companion, Magdalene has accepted the proposal of the Mellings' chauffeur, Douglas Campbell, and is happily anticipating their new life together. That is, until temptation reappears with Alexander Melling's return. As if triggered by Magdalene's tumultuous emotions, demonic activity flares once more. Those within the walls of Seacliff Cottage must battle against their passions as nefarious possessions call forth the longings they've fought to keep hidden. Can Father Claudio De Fiore cleanse the house from the storm of evil ravaging it? Or will exposed secrets crumble the very foundation the manor was built upon? The Possession Chronicles short "Grace Shadowed" is included in this new edition.

Fortitude will see you through the darkest times. In April 1898, sixteen-year-old Claire O'Farrell makes a decision that ultimately changes her life. She has never been one to follow society's rules. Her best friend is a Creole during a time when that isn't done, and she volunteers to serve as a nurse for the Buffalo Soldiers before the Spanish-American War-despite Jim Crow laws. After Claire gives her heart to one of the soldiers, she finds herself caught in the racial violence besieging the area. When the consequences of her past decisions follow her home, she has no choice but to cling to faith and find the path she was meant to travel. Listed as a "Best History Book for Kids" by Grateful American Foundation. This updated third edition includes the bonus short story "Courtship and Courage" at the end of the novel.