Inspirational Fun Days Out - Castle Heddingham Battle

As we have just had the Easter weekend and I always like to do something constructive with my time off. As I have always said no work and no play makes Ali a very dull girl indeed and I'm sure no-one wishes to read blogs about how many words I've written for my next novel or how many submissions I've made that day for my latest completed novel!!!







So I found an events page for 'Essex at Easter' advertising a Medieval Siege and Battle Re-enactment day at a local Castle Heddingham near to Braintree. I have always wanted to see a battle re-enactment from British history and as I have a huge fascination with castles (having written three books about a bunch of fictional witches living in castles around the UK My book website 'plug plug').

As I arrived we could see people from The Medieval Siege Society Ltd (oh yes it's BIG business) dressed in some very realistic costumes carrying various weaponry such as swords, bows, spears, which to me was all very exciting, because although my imaginary covens live in modern Britain they have withdrawn from society and live as they did in the past. So to see what I had envisioned in real life was exhilarating.

We walked around the Castle inside, which I must say was impressively preserved and decorated with wall hanging and rugs. There was archery to try and a traditional camping area where we could look at the crafts and chat to the serious re-enactment fans who lived for the full weekend as they would've one in the middle ages.








No cheating either with a gas stove tucked away in the tents somewhere. They ate traditional food and drink cooked over old log fires. They had a falconry display, a jester and some minstrels playing traditional music. I was very impressed and recommend stepping back in time for a little insight into our illustrious history. Plus it gave me inspiration for writing further about the Romanov Witches coven in my next Beyond Series of Books.

Cities of Old Are The Best

As a supernatural writer I love all things old, dark and creepy... So a visit to York was inevitable and I have to say was one of the best city breaks I have been on for sinister, ghostly ambience, I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone else.

Yorvik Viking Centre:- An Interesting museum where you climb aboard a car and ride through the Viking Village of old York. You listen to conversations and interestingly they add the life like man sat on his porcelain throne at the bottom of his back garden… Yes Vikings had back gardens. Interesting. The place smelt of old York too, which wasn’t very pleasant, but I love museums.

Ghost walk:- York is such an old city that it cannot be visited without going on the obligatory ghost walk around the older parts of the city including The Shambles, which I loved, very atmospheric and reminding me of Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter movies. The stories were pretty much standard as I have heard on other ghost walks, vengeful spirits who have been wronged in life and death… blah, blah blah, but entertaining evening none the less. I love walking around old cities on a crisp dark evening whilst listening to ghost stories.

The Golden Fleece:- As you know I like all things supernatural so I had to visit the most haunted pub in York, The Golden Fleece, which has been investigated by the Most Haunted Team on a couple of occasions. It does have a very gothic and spooky feel to it, especially when they have a real human skeleton sat at the bar and every night they change it’s sitting posture and pour it a drink. Creepy and intriguing, God I love scary things and places. Am I weird? Probably… Do I care? Not really…

Details of Alison's Supernatural Books

Cornish Fairy Gardens and Satanic Locations

I loved Cornwall so much I returned. Went to Carnglaze slate caverns which was interesting, but slightly disappointed as I was expecting something along the lines of the Caves of Drac. There was also a cute little fairy garden and village you could walk around. When I returned home I was straight off to the Garden Centre to get myself some wild looking plants and some fairy and Dragon Statues. I was mightily dissappointed that they didn't have anything like that and this place is massive!


You can buy little manquins made from coat hangers, smelly candles and pointless other stuff to make you house the envy of your neighbours, but sadly not a fairy or dragon in sight. Rubbish. Even tried to google some pictures of fairy gardens and all I got was a stupid site selling fairy liquid!






In complete contrast we went to see Roche Rock. A great spooky and sinister location that was used to film the third omen film. Very atmospheric and would love to use this location in one of my books. I was even brave enough to climb up the rickety ladders to the top. Cracking Views.

Writing Inspiration From Cornwall

I love my caravan holidays in Britain. I try to get away at least twice a year. Coastal getaways in cute little caravans are my idea of vacation heaven. No fighting in queues at airports or long delays. I enjoy foreign holidays, but the hassle of getting there means I only go away if I REALLY REALLY want to see that country.

Anyway, last week we jumped in the car and headed to Cornwall, a county I have never visited before so was excited with anticipation of what to expect and I wasn't disappointed. We stayed near a tiny fishing town of Perranporth. The locals were very friendly and the beaches were spectacular, in particular Cartock beach, although I did end up with third degree burns. Damn my fair skin!

The Highlights:

TRERICE: This was a beautifully preserved Elizabethan Manor house. I arrived whilst it was still daylight and the gardens were outstanding, but the real tour of the house began as it turned to dusk. We were guided through the Orchards where they had candles hanging from the trees, which gave a romantic atmosphere. Then the tour turned to the great Hall with a roaring fire, mulled wine and savoury biscuits. To add to the ambiance foliage from the gardens had been scattered over the stone floors and candles dotted around the room and in the Minstrels gallery.



Once dusk had fallen to night, we were instructed not to utter a single word from there on. The whole house was lit only by candles and we were led to a drawing room and what I found so hypnotic were the paintings as the candles flickered I could have sworn one painting of a female smiled at me and another of a man winked at me! Spooky!

We were then led to the minstrels gallery and as I looked over into the hall we had just been sat in, two women dressed in Tudor clothes were giggling as they swept the floors by the fire. Now I found this bizarre because I felt like I was the Voyeur, none more so as we entered a bathroom. The bath filled with bubble bath and clothes and towels strewn on the floor we then entered a bedroom and as my eyes became accustomed to the light I looked at this body in the bed and thought"is this a dummy or real" so me being the curious creature I am walked towards the bed. I was seriously considering poking the bulk under the covers with my finger when the whole thing moved and began snoring! I nearly jumped out of my skin, then had to stifle an attack of one my famous giggling fits. I LOVE BEING SCARED. Whatever floats your boat right?




What I loved about this tour was the attention to detail the staff had put into this night time tour and instead of it being another Most Haunted style ghost hunt they had cleverly flipped it on it's head so that we were to experience what it must be like for a spirit to watch the living going about their daily lives without anyone being able to see or hear them. Fantastic!

Book Review Come Closer by Sara Gran

Afternoon All,

Today I have a book review of a demon thriller called Come Closer by Sara Gran. The book begins with the narrator having trouble with tapping pipes and she seems to be quite a suppressed character, always doing things to please other people instead. Creepily all these strange perverse behaviours like stubbing cigarettes out on her husbands leg and blacking out only to find the local shopkeeper dead and the narrator has blood spots on her blouse.

The strange behaviours become increasing disturbing and violent until it reaches a terrifying climax.

I really enjoyed this book as there is something very sinister about demon possession and the thought of not being in complete control of your own body and knowing that some else is taking you over must be really frightening. Anyway there were a couple of questions that left me thinking that either the author had forgotten to tidy up a few loose ends or that she has purposely left it open ended so that you the reader can draw your own conclusions (personally I don't like this, if your going to tell a story then tell the whole story please.)

The loose ends were as follows:
1, Did her husband have the affair with her family doctor and was the shrink in cahoots with them? (as he tried to persuade her to leave her husband and he knew things about her that only her husband should know.) OR

2, Were the shrink and family doctor fellow demons, who were persuading her to eat more salt because this would speed up the possession process.
This was all too ambiguous for me.

3, If Naamah is this all powerful demon as was hinted throughout the book then why didn't she use her power and strength to bump off a few psychiatric nurses and escape the lunatic asylum? OR

4, Maybe the author plans to bring out a sequel that will continue Naamahs mischief further.
I hope so, this book was short and snappy and easy to read.

First Part of Sample Chapter to Vampire Sorceress Third Book in The Beyond Series

He sat staring, hypnotised by the only light in his room. The light of a single candle, he watched it flicker sporadically as a cool breeze, from a balcony door which was slightly ajar, it swirled around the hotel bedroom. The heavy, gold velour curtains, rustled gently by the window. The décor was very dark and oppressive, with wall to wall dark pine cladding, brown bedding sheets and worn paisley patterned carpets. He was staying in a very old ski lodge in the bowels of the once Eastern Block country of Romania, though thankfully the citizens were now free of the tyranny of the communist years, it was still very obvious to the westerners eye that a lot of work still needed to be done to the country to bring it kicking and screaming into the 21st Century.

He blinked for the first time in what seemed like an age, as the howl of a solitary wolf drifted over the pine covered ski slopes that engulfed the tiny village of Piona Brasov. He smiled as he was stirred from his melancholy stare, as he thought to himself “What a perfect place for him to find himself, being what he was and now the obligatory wolf resounding its sad chorus outside, how cliché.”
He rolled his eyes to the ceiling in a mock gesture of boredom. As he did so he stopped as his hearing began to tune in to a very different song now.

“Great.Euro-trash pop, that’s all I need.” He cursed under his breath.

He had heard youngsters call the music as such and he honed in his hearing to route out the source. A discotech from the basement of the hotel next door. He pushed his senses further, through the building and he could now hear the voice of young adults chatting about clothes, music and the opposite sex. He smiled again.

“Youth, they never change. And the 20th Century think they invented the teenager.”

He shook his head reminiscently. He sat staring at the candle once more, trying desperately to ignore the party next door, but it was no use, tracking the sources of the music and voices had also inadvertently woken his other great sense. Smell. He could smell the alcohol on their breaths as they spoke to one another in the disco and now the faint smell of human wafted under his nose, teasing his next great sense. Taste.
Young blood, his heart pounded. No, I mustn’t, his brain screamed, the old and evil only.

“That’s it.”

He slammed both hands on the desk in frustration and pushed himself up from his seat. The chair fell backwards onto the floor, but he didn’t even bother to set it straight again. He grabbed his black raincoat from the bed and paused for a second to admire his adorable chiselled features in the mirror. His black hair was dishevelled as it fell over his shoulders, but that was how the trendy youths of today wore it. His skin was pale, but perfectly flawless. He jutted out his jaw and ran a finger over his eyebrows, to ensure every hair was perfectly in place and his deep brown eyes shimmered with a flicker of gold in his pupils that no human could resist. The peacock was preened and ready to go out prowling. He shot out of the balcony door with invisible lightening speed.

The smell of young fresh flesh drove him insane as he leapt from the balcony of the fourth floor and landed with such precise agility he would have earned a perfect 6.0 in Olympic Gymnastics. He walked as slowly as he could so he could pass for human if anyone was watching from their windows. Why? He wasn’t too sure, seeing as anyone could easily have seen him throwing himself off a balcony.

“Must be more careful,” he thought, “don’t want a repeat episode of St Petersburg a century ago.” If it hadn’t been for his travelling companion he could have been burnt at the stake. “Well almost, slight exaggeration,” he smiled ruefully at the memory.

Any guilt or sense of morality was lost to him now, the lure of blood was too strong and the hunt was now on.

“Just a little nibble of the tiniest hors d'oeuvre,“ He mumbled to himself, then flashed a wicked smile. “Must not do that when I get in there,” he thought. “Don’t want them seeing my pearly whites now.”

He continued down the steep driveway to the hotel Lavka next door to the one he was temporarily residing in.

The smell of pine and cedar were strong now he was out in the open, but the smell of human was even stronger and certainly more alluring. He took one last look on to the ski slopes and saw the mist from the Carpathian mountains weave its way through the trees, when he caught out of the corner of his eye the flash of a wolfs red eye. “I hope you’re not spying on me?” He growled softly as he flashed a soft Gold glittery eye too the wolf. The Red she wolf watched him for only a second then scoffed loudly and sauntered off back into the woods.

Although this was a ski resort, it was September, the end of the summer season was yet not cold enough for snow. This meant there were hardly any tourists milling around the resort and this was just how he liked it. He entered the nightclub around the back of the hotel. The Disco was decorated from floor to ceiling with mirrors and the disco ball in the centre of the ceiling twinkled and flashed and bounced off every mirror. The place was relatively dark, but that didn’t bother his eyesight. He didn’t even need to adjust to night vision as his sight was permanently in night vision mode. He had to adjust his eyesight to light vision, if artificial light was switched on. The rest of the club was furnished in dark blue velour and the seats were set out in little dens. It was the perfect 1980’s roller disco/euro trash disco scene.

Sample Chapter - Great Escape - 2nd Book In The Beyond Series - Demon Lupus

They arrived back to the Rossendale Valley within an hour and half. Paul had already passed Lily’s new passport to Joseph as they entered a local French restaurant. There were two reasons for them coming here first. They needed somewhere quiet to discuss their plans in private without eavesdroppers by the names of Andrew and Carmel and the French restaurant was chosen by Joseph and Jason because it was the only restaurant for miles around that wouldn’t raise an eyebrow for asking to serve them raw meat, but actually sold it as a speciality.

As they sat down they ordered immediately.
“Five Steak Tartars please” Joseph smiled at the waiter as charmingly as he could. They were all starving hungry and the faster the food came the better.
No sooner had they sat down then the discussion began.
“So now we have a passport I want Lily on the next plane out tomorrow. We will take her to the Bobby Shop to check in then we will high tail it to the airport and get on the first plane out. That means we have a full twenty four hours to get back to the States and disappear back into obscurity at the Den.” Joseph took a huge bite out his bread roll.
“Wait a minute.” Everyone looked at Lily and suddenly realised that no one had actually had the courtesy to discuss plans with her first.
“So you’re telling me that I am going back to Eden Prairie tomorrow.”
“That’s right Princess. Are you okay with that?” Joseph smiled.
“Am I?” She grinned “Is this for summer or is it permanent?”

He smiled again “Permanent!” He loved giving his daughter good news and he knew how desperate she was to get away from her “Aunt and Uncle”.
“Well that’s great Joe, but we have a small problem that seems to have been overlooked. My Passport! Its been revoked, remember.”
“Ah yes, that’s why you may want this!” He handed over a small navy blue pocket book to her. She looked at the Golden Eagle embossed on the front and with her mouth gaping open, looked up at Joseph then to each of the three other men around the table one by one. She opened up the first page to see her photograph. It was a couple of years old as was the passport. She glanced at her name, expecting it to say Lily Roberts. Instead she took a double take as she realised her name actually read Lily Brannigan.

“I…” She paused. “I don’t understand!”
“Well we can’t sneak you out of the country with your current name or as a British Citizen. It will be easier this way.”
“But, but how did you get this made up so quickly?” She narrowed her eyes accusingly. “Is this a false passport?”
“No Princess. Its real. Bona-fide. Kosher.”
“Okay. Okay I get it. Its real. But Brannigan? How can I be two different people?”
“I registered your birth in the States, when you were first born. I think ahead. It was a just in case get out clause.” Joseph felt awkward about this conversation, especially as Jason, Paul and Tristan were all listening too. He had to play this carefully. He had warned them not to tell her the whole truth just yet. He had to get her to agree to come back to the Den.
“Just in case clause?” She repeated slowly and somewhat suspiciously.
“Well the life we lead sometimes warrants us to be overcautious.” He looked down and began to play with his fork.
“Are you guys gangsters or something?” Lily was partly right he thought ironically. The others just shuffled awkwardly in their chairs. They were gangsters of a fashion. They just didn’t always abide by human laws to make money or to get what they want.

“Look Princess, give me your passport back. I will look after it for you.” She dutifully obeyed. She felt so happy for the first time in a year, when she last stayed at the Den in Eden Prairie, but a little dubious about the name change. She concluded it was because she was in trouble with the law and nothing more, she had always wondered why Joseph had named his house the Den too. Maybe she would ask him when they got there and were alone, seeing as this was to be her new home.
“Wait, what about Aunt Carmel and Uncle Andrew?” Lily suddenly felt a pang of guilt despite the fact that she didn’t like her guardians very much.
“Well you can come back and visit, when all of this mess blows over and they can come out to Eden Prairie.” Joseph hated lying to her, but he had to get her to Eden Prairie and then deal with the consequences later.
Jason rolled his eyes. He thought she wouldn’t have cared less about them after the way they had treated her over the years, keeping her under a tight reign. Showing her no love all her life, he was just grateful that she had experienced it with Joseph and his other brothers looking after her. Granted three thousand miles away, but they were always only a seven hour flight away.

Jason snapped out of his thoughts in an instant. He started to have one of his intuitive moments.
“Heads up guys. We have visitors. Looks like THEY have cottoned on to what is going down here.” They all looked at Jason and were all on red alert except for Lily who just looked at him frowning with confusion.
“Who are they?”
Just as she asked this a blonde haired man appeared at the restaurant window. From under his black leather jacket he pulled out a semi automatic gun and held it up to the restaurant window.
“Holy Shit!” Exclaimed Paul
“Get Down!” Jason shouted as a burst of gun fire shattered through the restaurant and they all hit the floor. Tristan threw Lily to the floor and landed on top of her. He held her down as she screamed in fright. The noise was deafening even for human ears, but for them it was unbelievable torture. Jason thought his ears were going to start bleeding it was that painful.

The gun fire ceased and Lily was trapped under Tristan still screaming in terror. Tristan tried to calm her down.
“Hush Lily. Your okay. No-one is going to harm you.” She stopped screaming, but was shaking uncontrollably. They started to get up off the floor.
“Tristan get Lily out of here.” Joseph ordered.
Tristan didn’t need to wait for any more orders he dragged her up off the floor with such lightening speed and took off towards the Kitchen door that Lily hadn’t even blinked before she realised they were heading out of the back door. How the hell can he and me move so fast she thought? Her mind was racing. None of this was normal, but the need for self preservation took over as she was running with Tristan at the same speed. From behind her she could hear another burst of machine gun fire just as Tristan yanked her up into the air as the pair of them cleared a ten foot wall and she found herself landing sure footed in a back yard full of empty steel beer kegs.

“Great! A public bar. I hope they are not mad enough to open fire in here.” Tristan rushed to the door and yanked the locked door off its hinges.
“How did you do that? All of that Tristan? We just cleared a fucking ten foot wall for Christ sakes.” Lily was hysterical now. “And who were they back at the restaurant? What’s going on?” She screamed.
“Please Lily just keep your voice down and get inside. We don’t want them to hear you.” Tristan grabbed her arm and dragged her into the back of the public house. Now was not the time to cajole her with soft words. Act now and try to explain away what she had just seen later.

Back at the restaurant three men had jumped through the broken windows and opened fire again.
“Jason GET OUT! Get the car and find Lil and Tris!” Joseph shouted over the din. We will take care of them!”
Jason waited for the right moment and shot out the Kitchen door as fast as Tristan and Lily had. He followed their scent and leapt over the Pub wall and ran into the pub. Joseph and Paul looked at one another from behind the bar in the restaurant that they were using for cover.
“Do you know how many bullets we can take?” Paul laughed hysterically.
“Don’t know brother. Never been shot at before. Lets find out shall we, after three. One, two, three!” They both jumped high into the air and somersaulted over the bar. Paul landed in a crouch then charged at the blonde haired gun man that Jason had first seen through the window and head butted him in the stomach. He grunted as the wind was knocked out of him and they both hit the floor with a thud. Paul grabbed the mans hair and yanked his head forward so fast and with such force that his neck snapped instantly and his cervical vertebrae was protruding out of the back of his head.

Joseph though had lunged straight in with a kung foo kick and his foot landed squarely in another gun mans face. His sheer strength crushed the mans skull and his nose caved into his head. As they landed Josephs foot was still attached to the man’s face. Well what was left of it. He stood there looking at the brains, flesh and bone that was seeping out of the face when he felt searing pain shoot through his back and then registered the crack of gun fire. He let out a guttural growl and turned around just as the third gun mans round of ammunition ran out. He clicked his trigger twice and realised his mistake. He looked up as Joseph and Paul walked towards him. Horror was fixed on his face and his feet wouldn’t move like they were super glued to the spot.

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or if you prefer crime and suspense, why not try The Mancunian Tales