Please Meet Penelope Marzec

For Hannah Howell’s Blog:


I am so pleased to be here at Hannah Howell’s blog! It might be freezing outside, but I’m feeling the welcoming warmth from Hannah and her readers. Most people complain about winter and I have to admit it isn’t my favorite season. However, I have found that sometimes on the frostiest days there are special moments that could only happen when a bitter wind is blowing outside. There’s a special ambiance created by the soft quiet of snow falling and a flickering blaze in the fireplace.

The setting for my latest release, The Company You Keep, occurs in January on a farm in New Jersey. I wrote the book during my dark winter of the soul at a time when my usual optimism had vanished and I vacillated between anger and hopelessness. It had all started with a family crisis. I’ve endured other family crises since then, but that one in particular hit me hard.

For some it might seem pure folly to attempt to write a book in that state of mind and in truth I had written nothing for months. But as winter blew in with its long, dreary nights I found myself once more at the keyboard thinking that I might be able to write at least one page of the story which had presented itself to me many months before when I had visited a haunted historic home.

I stared at the monitor and repeated an old mantra to myself. I am a writer. Writers write. They write because they have to write. They write because they have stories to tell.

I had a story. With some hesitation I tapped out the details on the keys.

The heroine, Jennifer, is not like me—she is better than me, as I tend to think all heroines should be. She is fiery, talented and gorgeous, with long, thick hair. The hero, Nathan, is a billionaire, incredibly handsome, and thoroughly smitten with the heroine—though he refuses to admit it. He is rough around the edges, but he simply needs to be tamed and the heroine is well suited for the task!

The plot bears no resemblance to my life. I wanted fantasy when I wrote the story—not real life. I wanted to leave my troubles behind for a little while and see how my characters handled their problems, which were far, far worse than mine.

On the Brant family farm, a cursed spirit guards a deadly portal--a lethal gateway that would wreak havoc if disturbed, but Jennifer is about to lose the farm to Nathan, the billionaire developer haunted by the sins of his past. Then someone who intends to control the portal kidnaps Jennifer's brother. Jennifer must marry the wickedly handsome, but tortured, billionaire to obtain the ransom money.

There is a ghost, too, who guards the deadly portal with her small lantern. Jennifer can hear and see the ghost who dishes out advice in a Scottish brogue.

By the time I finished writing the story, spring had arrived and my positive attitude had returned.

The book has garnered much praise. Romance Junkies gave it Five Blue Ribbons. Cherokee, a reviewer for Coffee Time Romance, gave it Four Coffee Cups and said, “The suspense spills along the way, and keeps the reader engaged and on the edge-of-the-seat.”

Anastasia Cassella-Young from Mind Fog Reviews gave it 4 Bookmarks and said, “The action starts immediately and the storyline will keep you enticed. Ms. Marzec continues to keep you attached to the story by her drama packed demonic and spirit filled tale along with the underlying love story. I found that Ms. Marzec’s paranormal romance kept my attention throughout this novel from the very first chapter. I highly recommend this paranormal romance to those interested in demons, spirits, adventure and love. Penelope Marzec hits the mark dead on!”

Donna at Fallen Angel Reviews gave it Four Angels and said, “If you love paranormal and mystery, this is the book to get. Ms. Marzec has told an intriguing story that keeps you guessing until the end.”

My advice to readers, pick up The Company You Keep on a cold, winter’s night and forget about the bitter chill outside.

But first watch the video at: http://www.youtube.com/pennyspix#p/a/u/0/Zfrf1-9ux4E

Penelope Marzec