CASTLE OF FOXES IS FREE FOR FIVE DAYS
As a late Christmas treat, another of my gothic mysteries/romances - Castle of Foxes - will be free to download on amazon from Wednesday, December 31st until the Sunday, January 4th.

This is the fourth in the series and has some of the spooky elements from the other three: Legend of the Loch, Midnight Visitor and Dead Man’s Moon (all available on Kindle).

Tanya Durris, widowed after a theatre fire in Victorian London, unexpectedly inherits Devenick Castle, her late husband’s ancestral home in the ruggedly beautiful Scottish Highlands. It comes with a price - her own life. Haunted by her dead husband’s voice, Tanya struggles against ghostly horrors, while Lord Edward, Queen Victoria’s godson, and Gavin Duthie both want her love - or is it her inheritance? And which one is trying to kill her?  

Best wishes to all my readers for 2015!

DEAD MAN’S MOON IS FREE UNTIL MONDAY
Dead Man’s Moon is free to download to your Kindle on amazon from Christmas Day until Monday, December 29th. 

It is set in my beloved Northumberland - I was born and brought up in Newcastle.

Summer 1969. Earth awaits the first moon landing while Joy Brigante, from her home near Hadrian’s Wall, sees archaeologists search for the legendary tomb of a Pictish princess and her Roman lover. Joy has reason to feel anxious for she is certain that Professor Julian Scott is the Italian officer - the escaping prisoner of war - she shot and believed she killed 25 years ago. There are many dark secrets and she is in mortal peril.

The other gothic mysteries/romances: Legend of the Loch, Midnight Visitor and Castle of Foxes are also available on Kindle.

Christmas greetings and best wishes for 2015!

LEGEND OF THE LOCH IS FREE UNTIL SUNDAY
My first novel Legend of the Loch is free to download to your Kindle on amazon from Thursday, December 18th until Sunday, December 22nd. 

It’s a dark tale of mysterious goings-on in the Scottish Highlands. Beth Ryan arrives to sell her inherited estate to find all that remains is a Victorian shooting lodge occupied by Calum MacRaven, local doctor and impoverished Laird of Glenrannoch - a whirlwind romance ensues, or so it seems. They marry but Beth has suspicions regarding a family feud, an abandoned baby and his ex-mistress Morven plus his ward Rona. Is the monster in the Loch, who allegedly drowned Calum’s first wife, on the rampage again and will Beth learn the truth too late? Her greatest problem becomes staying alive.

I have great affection for this book which launched my writing career back in 1969 when it received an award for the Best First Romantic Novel. This gave me the encouragement to go on writing, producing gothic style mysteries (three are shown below) before diverting to historical novels and then the Inspector Faro series. 60 books later I am still writing!

Dead Man’s Moon, Midnight Visitor and Castle of Foxes are also available on Kindle.

NEW COVER FOR ESTELLA
My book about Estella’s life after ‘Great Expectations’ now has a brand new illustrated cover featuring both of the main characters. Here’s a summary of the plot: in ‘Great Expectations’ Charles Dickens left an unsolved mystery with few clues. Estella is forced into a loveless marriage by the eerie Miss Havisham who had raised her to ‘break men’s hearts’. She finds herself in a house of evil corruption and danger. Accused of murder, she flees from her pursuers to seek safety and unravel the truth of her life built on a web of lies and secrets. It’s available on Kindle.

FIRST FARO BOOK IS FREE UNTIL TUESDAY
Following on the runaway success of the FREE promotion on Amazon’s Black Friday for the first Rose book, The Inspector’s Daughter, we’re doing the same for the first Inspector Faro book. Like daughter, like dad!

Enter Second Murderer (Inspector Faro #1) is FREE to download to your Kindle from Friday, December 5th to the end of Tuesday, December 9th.

Here’s the plot summary: 'The Gruesome Convent Murders'. Prime suspects are a fanatical nun, an aristocratic hermit and a public schoolboy in a chronicle of terror, betrayal, greed and violence. As this sensational case for which the murderer has been executed is reopened when a second victim is claimed, D.I. Faro is drawn into the shady underworld behind Victorian middle-class Edinburgh's theatres and salons.

Enjoy!

A GHOSTLY TALE SET IN THE HIGHLANDS
I am delighted to say that the fourth in my series of gothic mysteries is now available on Kindle!
This joins Legend of the Loch, Dead Man’s Moon and Midnight Visitor which all have redesigned covers featuring love-struck heroines in sticky spooky situations.
This is the strange story of Tanya Durris who, widowed after a theatre fire in Victorian London, unexpectedly inherits Devenick Castle, her late husband’s ancestral home in the ruggedly beautiful Scottish Highlands. It comes with a price - her own life. Haunted by her dead husband’s voice, Tanya struggles against ghostly horrors, while Lord Edward, Queen Victoria’s godson, and Gavin Duthie both want her love - or is it her inheritance? And which one is trying to kill her?  
Now read on...  

ROSE IS FREE UNTIL SUNDAY!
As part of the amazon Black Friday deals the first Rose McQuinn book, The Inspector’s Daughter, is FREE to buy on Kindle until the end of Sunday. 

Here’s a brief description...

Rose McQuinn returns to Edinburgh from the American wild west of 1895. Her baby has died while her husband Danny, working with Pinkerton’s Detective Agency in Arizona goes missing. She has little time to grieve before she unwittingly takes on a new career by agreeing to investigate the strange behaviour of the husband of her childhood friend Alice. But what appears to be an adulterous affair suggests something much more sinister, the brutal and still unsolved murder of a servant girl. Whatever heartbreak lies in store, Rose must discover the truth. From her home in Solomon’s Tower on Arthur’s Seat, aided by a wild deerhound who befriends her, her first investigation puts her own life in deadly danger.

Enjoy!

A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU LETTER

Have just received a letter from HRH Prince William!
‘The Duke of Cambridge has asked me to thank you very much for sending him a copy of your book ‘The Balmoral Incident’. He greatly appreciated your kind thought. His Royal Highness is most grateful to you for taking the trouble to send him the book and he has asked me to send you his warmest thanks and best wishes.’
It’s nice to know it reached him safely.

BALMORAL INCIDENT REVIEWED
The Cheltenham Standard wrote a brilliant review of The Balmoral Incident. Eve has really captured the essence of the book. Rose would approve!

NEW ROSE BOOK LAUNCH
I’m very excited by the book launch for The Balmoral Incident on 11 November at Blackwell's in Edinburgh, (6.30pm start). Also just packaging up a copy of the hardback to post to HRH Prince William. At the investiture earlier this year I mentioned that I was writing a book set in Balmoral and he showed an interest in reading this so now, at last, I can send a signed copy!
It is available on the Kindle and hardback, published by Allison & Busby.
Here’s a summary of the plot: Rose McQuinn is invited by her step brother Vince to stay in a small cottage on the Balmoral Estate. As Rose travels on the train with her trusty dog Thane and her step daughter Meg, she wonders what exciting adventures await them at the Royal household. Little does she realise that within just 48 hours of their arrival, death will have visited the great castle …Can Rose find out what happened and prevent any more bloodshed? 

BACK TO GOTHIC
We’ve had a makeover on three covers which were styled as contemporary crime novels. These were written long before Faro - Legend of the Loch was winner of the 1968 Best First Romantic Novel - and in fact was my first book! They belong to a certain era - I was a huge fan of Mary Stewart - but still have a lot of great qualities; dark brooding atmosphere, windswept locations, beautiful heroines and dastardly villains! I hope you enjoy these (as much as I enjoyed writing them). They are all available on amazon Kindle.

A GREAT DAY AT THE PALACE
Have been seriously out of touch working on my latest Rose McQuinn crime, The Balmoral Incident, set in 1905 and oddly enough begun long before I knew about the MBE which I received at the Palace from the Duke of Cambridge who chatted to me about my books. 
A great day and an exciting adventure shared by my two sons, Chris, Kevin and wife Patti. Now I am enjoying some time in Brighton, my second home, then back to Edinburgh - next book, please!

Chris, me, Patti and Kevin

My grand-daughters Julia (left) and Chloe

BLACKHOUSE BOOK LAUNCH

A delightful evening spent at Peter May's book launch. His 'Blackhouse' trilogy set on Lewis is superb.  His lovely wife manages my website: www.alannaknight.com

MBE
Happy New Year! Many thanks to all friends and colleagues who have been in touch with me about receiving this award in the New Year’s Honour List.