Peter Gray's Blog

The brightest of days.

It has been too long since I have updated my blog or reached out to my followers. I suppose you may think that I am a hermit. I can assure you that although I am an introvert by nature, none of this was deliberately done.

Just as your lives have changed after the pandemic, so has my life taken some unexpected turns. I found myself in a new work place and inadvertently found the love of my life. I have been happier and found that the desire to write had suddenly ceased. As a romance writer, it was my desire to come up with elaborate plots full of mystery and intrigue, while the heroine of the story finds herself helplessly in love with the male character. As for myself, my love and I have bonded over poetry and literature. In truth, I have been reading more than writing the last few years, and delved into topics that I have scarcely encountered before like philosophy and ancient Greece/Rome texts.

As for the updates to my novels, I am not sure when they will be published yet. I have a lot of finished novels stored away, but I don't feel it is the right time for the public to see them. I may be living in the brightest of days, but there will be a time in the future where I am ready to reveal the mystery and dark intrigue that my novels have encapsulated, only then will they be self-published and given to you... dear reader.

Thank you to those that still reach out to me through email or instagram. Apologies to those that cannot find me on Facebook, I have decided to permanently delete the account and spend less time on social media and more of my efforts dedicated to the real, tangible world. On a final note, I would also like to thank those that have taken the time to read my novel on Amazon Kindle and willingly give my novels a chance.

Until we speak again,

Peter Gray

In the lone silence.

For a long span of time I have been absent from social media, even this blog has been put on the back burner. The truth is, I have been writing a great deal behind the scenes. Sometimes a writer has trouble promoting past published works when they are so invested in their present story. At the moment I am working on a dark sinister Gothic style novel titled 'The Master of Morton Hall.' It is the darkest story I have ever written to date. Heartache can make you write things you've never expected, and for the last few months I have been designing a character that is haunted by his past and does everything possible to run away from them. The Master of Morton Hall is admittedly deliciously evil, a man I can both loath and yet admire from afar. His resolution to ignore all propriety and morality itself makes him dangerous for both the other characters in this story, but also the reader that must observe his dark descent. The heroine, Heather Sterling, does her best to forget her criminal past life and hopes the ancient manor, Morton Hall, might give her a fresh start in life. Little does she know the evil that lives there, and the man that is determined to bring out the wretch greed and lust that lies within her.

To be perfectly frank, I am still uneasy about publishing this story. Perhaps, when I write the final chapter I will know for certain whether this is a story I want the public to read. I feel as though my pain and heartache over the last several months have been poured into the novel, and what is left is something akin to Dorian Gray staring at his devilish portrait. I will keep you updated on my latest story and the possible date when I will publish 'Far from Home: Part II.'

I have some great news to share with everyone! In the month of July I managed to finish 'Far from Home: Part II.' I have also spent a great deal of time editing my work, for the third part to this vampire series as well.

I confess most of my inspiration to finish this story was done at Dublin airport. A long time waiting at the gate for my next flight gave me ample of time to focus on the story and type the final chapter with an unexpected plot-twist.

There will be a delay to publish this story, but I should hope that 'Far from Home: Part II' be launched closer to the end of the year. Furthermore, the story 'At Peace' looks all ready to go, just need to submit the work to an editor. The date to publish this work will be pushed back too, mostly because the significant size of this novel, it will be my longest one to date.

It is important to note that this vampire series 'Far from Home' will challenge the reader to think about morality and religion. I think it will also challenge the ideas of existentialism. As per usual, I question the idea of free will and destiny in my writings, a recurring theme that I often reflect upon in me solitude. The concept of afterlife and reincarnations is also an ongoing theme in this vampire story. On a final note, I ponder upon the concepts of soulmates; the sense of belonging and that uncanny inclination of feeling at home with someone. Obviously these are heavy topics for such a short Gothic novel, but I like to put a philosophical spin to my works.

Anyways, thank you for taking the time to read this short blog. Please do not hesitate to leave a comment or reach out to me.

Have a wonderful day!

Peter

Photo by Farrinni on Unsplash For months I have been neglecting my writing. The truth is, there was no story to tell. I had the great privilege to fall in love and have that love be returned. I became the main character of my own story, felt the exhilarating rush of kisses and long-held cuddles. Only when I have no story to tell, when that last page to the novel flips to the left and closes that I realize how much time has past, and how happy I once was in my own love story.

They say that time will heal our wounds. I believe that this age old saying is true. I also believe that I can find solace in words, the truest friendship of a paper and a pen. What stories will come? I dare not know, but one thing is certain, I had been loved and I loved in return.

Photo by Dan Meyers from unsplash.com As a Canadian I am prone to apologize for everything. So let me start off by apologizing for my lengthy silence. Over the past few months I have not written a single story, not even a chapter. I was battling with severe lapses of anxiety from stresses from work and other life changing events. Fortunately I am at a place where I can breathe and feel at peace with the world. So without further ado, here is my story...

Mental healthy is an important thing to discuss at work and in our everyday lives. Sometimes it is okay to take a step back and withdraw yourself from the world. Consequently, those were my exact actions over the last several months. I needed to take a break from the publishing industry, but now that the dust has settled, I think it is a good time to step back into action.

'At Peace' is still due to be published by the late summer, ideally the month of August. The second instalment of 'Far from Home' needs to be rewritten in certain sections, so I am not certain when it will be published. I am still aiming for 'Far from Home II' to be released in the year 2022. Ironically, the third instalment is already done, it is ever so patient to be released. It is by far my favourite Gothic horror type novel, so I think you will enjoy the dark descent of this new heroine.

At the moment I have no plans to publish any further books. My mind has been on hyper-speed ever since the autumn of last year, so I won't get into a "creative space" until things in my life settle down. All the same, I hope to publish many more books in the coming years, most of them belonging to the genre of romance or eerie Gothic horror novels.

I would like to end off this blog post with a special acknowledgement to the fans that have reached out to me. It touches my heart when you send me a quick message on Instagram to share your appreciation of my work or simply hitting the "like" button on Facebook. Thank you to those  that left a book review on Goodreads or other book related platforms. On a final note thank you for my friends and family that have supported me during my period of instability.

Here is to a brighter future in the year 2022 and a lot more stories to come,

Peter

The Overcoat and Other Short Stories by Nikolai Gogol
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In this slender paperback book there are a series of short stories introduced by the esteemed author Nikolai Gogol. I am familiar with his work since I first encountered it in a Gothic Horror anthology, which featured a short story by him called 'The Viy.' I believe it is the finest work that I have read by Gogol thus far. The short stories in this book did not contain any horrifying tales of an elderly witch stalking the night for their next victim, but instead I read short snippets of marginally boring, run-of-the-mill lifestyles of everyday people in Russia. In these stories the reader will encounter drama stemming from two friendly neighbours that have a sudden disagreement over an old, long-forgotten gun and an elderly man that is brokenhearted after he lost the love of his life- his wife. In spite of the quotidian lifestyles of the main characters in Gogol's short stories, he still manages to exhibit a certain flair of artistry in his simple tales of life and love. Dripping black ink on a thin sheet of paper, the author Gogol is able to create images for the reader to fully visualize. His writing is exemplary and should not be so easily dismissed by other readers or critics of text from European writers in the twentieth century. I would highly recommend him to readers that are interested in reading stories that do not stem from the typical westernized culture (i.e. Britain or America).

My favourite story by far is the 'Overcoat.' Mainly because it contains a supernatural element at the very end of the book, an unexpected twist that left a whimsical smile upon my face. I do love a good ghost story! Anyways, I am happy I purchased this thin paperback at my local book store, although I will admit (with some reluctance) that it is not something that I will quickly re-read anytime soon.

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26 Brentwood Avenue and Other Tales by Katrina M Thornley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Are you a fan of chilling short reads? If so, you might enjoy Thornley's '26 Brentwood Avenue and Other Tales.' Each story is extremely short, and yet, it has an underlining spooky tale that generally has an ambiguous ending that leaves further questions for the reader.

My favourite by far is the first story 'The Strange Case of Cousin Felix.' The title reminded me of H.P. Lovecraft's 'The Curious Case of Charles Dexter Ward,' which is a favourite horror story of mine and one that haunts me often. Thornley's story is immensely shorter and is told by a somewhat unknown narrative that is a cousin of Felix. In the story we learn about Felix's eccentric ways and his love of entertaining large audiences at his family's estate. One evening, Felix announces to a crowd of people that it should be his last and that very night he suddenly disappears without a trace... or does he? As you can tell I do love a good mystery with an thrilling twist, so this one was right on the button.

Most of the dark tales in this paperback book featured supernatural creatures or objects that verged on the unexplained. For instance, the short story 'Claire's Mirror' reminded me of something from the Twilight Zone or a dark episode of Doctor Who. Random objects or strange people suddenly take on a malicious air when it falls in the hands of this author. Suddenly mirrors become a grave danger, or dark shadows at night can bring the main characters of the story to a tragic end; abandoned houses hold tragic secrets or tarot cards take on a whole new meaning when it falls into the hands of a certain young woman. In short, I enjoyed the first segment of this book titled 'Tales inspired by darkness.' The other two segments belong to a different genre that is devoid of dark, foreboding tales, which resulted in me having less of an interest for the remainder of the book (although the stories were still enjoyable to read).

All in all, the highlight of my weekend was me reading Thornley's short stories, especially the first few spooky tales that were featured at the front of the book. Anything with vampires and werewolves are an easy sell for me. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is a fan of fantasy, mystery or dare I say it... Lovecraftian horror.

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The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A story with the potential to reel the readers in, but did not exactly hit the mark. I have very little knowledge of 'The Hunchback of Notre-Dame' although I am well aware of the named author, Victor Hugo. There is no doubt in my mind that he is a talented and prolific writer. He uses his words as a paintbrush, describing the city like a bird that soars through the air to take in its surroundings. He does not write in a poetic way, but he does describe the scenery with such descriptiveness that the reader feels like they are in the hollowed gloom of Notre Dame.

The story centers around a few characters, each with their own designs in life and want to make the most of their opportunities in France. The focal point is the looming tower of Notre Dame, its figure head emits throughout the city like a God high up in the sky. In the dark dwelling of its hollowed abyss is a decrepit, limping monster-like creature named "Quasimodo." he is known as one of the central characters, the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

The origins of his Quasimodo comes in little snippets throughout the novel, making him a mystery to both the characters of the book and the readers alike. I came into the novel with a clear expectation that he would be the central character, but I was terribly wrong. Over time the readers becomes acquainted with other members of the Cathedral, both the glorious noble and the helpless fallen. I had taken an interest in the Priest, the Archdeacon Claude Frollo, mostly because he appeared to be a haunted man, torn between his loyalty to the church and his desire to learn more of the sciences. His secret dabbling in alchemy and possibly sorcery adds a certain element of Gothic notary that is prevalent in this genre.

The person that stole the show is a young woman, a Bohemian Gypsy, which naturally steals the heart of many characters in the film. Her name is Esmeralda. She takes on the stereotypical characteristics of that time period for "Gypsies." She is young, beautiful, enchanting and feared by God-fearing men. She is like a ray of starlight, dancing effortlessly in the street, which unfortunately spells disaster for her in the end.

I confess that I spent a good portion of this novel skimming through the pages. Reading the full-length novel on an e-book was a mistake, and it is one that I would not recommend to others. The author has a talent of creating memorable characters, but the long-extended descriptiveness of the city streets, the history of the cathedral and the features of the poverty-stricken people lost my interest. I found most of my attention was fixated on Esmeralda and her devoted goat. To me it screamed witchcraft, so I was not surprised when others whispered those very words in the dark alleyways of Paris.

I can comprehend the reasoning for this novel to be listed as Gothic romance. It is dark to be sure, it has elements of the supernatural, the grotesque, and the disfiguration of the soul of man. I suppose most readers would have imagined that it is the most blackhearted villain would be the Hunchback of Notre Dame, but they are terribly wrong. Beauty is held in the eye of the beholder, and in the case of this novel it is especially true. Although I did not finish the book in its entirety, I can understand the reason it is proclaimed as a masterful piece. The author does have a natural art of drawing the reader in, but for myself, I found it burdensome to read and at long last I gave up on the adventure.

For those readers that enjoy a good dark tale with seedy characters scuttling down dark alleyways and tightly enclosed abbey's then this is the book for you. If you love anything involving "Gypsies" or a great grizzly tale of love and despair, I can assure you that this is the ideal novel for you. As to my parting words, if I want to read a book about a "Holy man" losing his sanity over a beautiful woman that he can never be with because of his sacred vows to the Church, I would rather read the deliciously sinful and exceptionally Gothic horror story 'The Monk' by Matthew Gregory Lewis.

I will leave this book review with my favourite quote from this book, coming from none other but the deeply despaired and undeniably lusty Priest. The prisoner recoiled with horror. “Oh!” said the priest, “young girl, have pity upon me! You think yourself unhappy; alas! alas! you know not what unhappiness is. Oh! to love a woman! to be a priest!"

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A huge congratulations to the two winners for this month's giveaway. Supremely happy to be giving away two signed copies of 'The Tragic Tale of Teddy Woven." If you would like to take part in the next giveaway, make sure to follow me on this site or Instagram under the username @petergray_writer

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Huge announcement! My two paranormal romance books 'Cursed' and 'Far from Home: Book One' are now featured on the popular website, Webnovel.

Thank you to that special reader that recommended me to post my novel on Webnovel, and putting me into contact with the amazing staff members that have been so exceptionally supportive throughout this process.

If you are a member of Webnovel, please check out my books online and be sure to rate it.

There is lots more still to come, so keep an eye out on my social media or follow me on the Webnovel site.

Happy reading everyone! Read Now