Synopsis

She escaped servitude for a worse fate. Now she wants everyone to know what happened.

Travel writer Simone Doucet is searching for a meaningful life, but she hasn’t found a purpose yet. But after she accepts an assignment that takes her to Magnolia Sunrise – a historical bed-and-breakfast on the bluffs of Natchez, Mississippi – strange events begin to take place.

Frightful images of a young slave girl, Delphine, haunt her nights. The first night at the B&B, Simone is transported to 1863 antebellum Natchez. Through spectral eyes, Simone sees Delphine’s history, the horrors she witnessed and was subjected to.

Delphine wants everyone to know what happened to her, and she won’t stop haunting Simone until she tells her story. But why has Delphine chosen Simone, and will this awakening bring new purpose to her life or open up more untold mysteries to be discovered?

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Review

This is a twisty tail, set in the mid to late 1800s, brings in the horror of slavery and what they were forced to endure. But it is also a tale of hope that one woman’s story will not be forgotten.

While not a long story, it still packs a punch, and it reminded me of what slaves had to endure during that time. While we can’t change the past, we can learn from it and recognize that some were not kind to their slaves/servants, as depicted in this story.

I found myself engaged in this story as I watched Simone deal with some cryptic dreams, and by the end, all questions were answered. I loved the trip to Natchez, and the description of the area was beautiful and horrifying, especially when it came to the Devil’s Punchbowl area. So much death and destruction during the civil war. The story is told from Simone’s POV and also from Delphine’s, a slave girl from the past that sought a better life for herself and her family.

While most of the story is heavy with what Delphine goes through, there is hope at the end for better times.

I’m excited that this is a series, and I already have the second book queued up and ready to read.

If you are looking for a different point of view on the civil war, I suggest picking up this book. We give it 5 paws up.

About the Author

E. Denise Billups was born in Monroeville, Alabama, and raised in New York City, where she currently resides. She’s a former Financial Analyst turned writer. A multi-genre fiction author, she’s published six novels and several supernatural short stories. A skilled artist, she trained as a dancer (ballet, modern, and jazz dance) in her younger years and dabbled in writing, which she would not pursue until much later. As an avid reader of many genres, she was greatly influenced by magical realism, mystery, suspense, and supernatural novels. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s running miles in the park, finding her inner calm with yoga, experimenting with vegan dishes, and enjoying time with family and friends.

Presently, she is working on book two of her trilogy, Twilight Ends, a paranormal historical fiction, and book three of the Simone Doucet Series.

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