"In the Manor of the Ghost" by Tina Pinson

Clash of the Titles, Where Authors Compete and Readers Judge

Tina Pinson and her novel In the Manor of the Ghost

From medieval prince to 21st century man-eater, Clash of the Titles (www.clashofthetitles.com) saw a gamut of interesting characters pass through its arena in January. The first half of the month we celebrated new life in Christ. In the second half, we grieved with our characters in their moments of loss. No matter the genre or theme, there’s always something exciting going on at COTT.

Tina Pinson (http://www.tinapinson.com/) joined us during our Most Gut-wrenching Clash. Her book In the Manor of the Ghost (http://www.amazon.com/Manor-Ghost-Tina-Pinson/dp/0595195911/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297022986&sr=1-1) took home our cyber-laurel. Congratulations, Tina!

There’s a ghost in the manor? Really? I definitely need to know more!

About the book: It's the 1870's and those who dwell in Clayborne Manor seemed trapped in time. Trapped amid the whispers of failure and sorrow; whispers of longing and defeat. Caitlin hears them clearly at night. But what ghosts really haunt Clayborne Manor? The ghost that restlessly walks the halls in the night? Or the ones that plague the minds and spirits of those residing there?

Here a tiny peek at Tina’s excerpt:

Kaitlin slipped past the barricades and pushed through the crowds. Heavy smoke made it hard to catch her breath. Nothing could stop her scream when she saw her apartment building engulfed in flames.

She scanned the lines of blackened faces. Her family wasn't there. Her gaze was drawn to the building, to the raging mingling of fire and life. Kaitlin prayed her family would come out. No one exited -- the agony of her thoughts cut her like a well-sharpened saber. Looking up, her thoughts became flesh.

Jean Marc stood in the upstairs window holding a bundle. Kaitlin knew, with another slice to her soul, the bundle was Simone.

For the full excerpt, click HERE. (http://www.clashofthetitles.com/2011/01/most-gut-wrenching-scene.html)

It was an amazing Clash as authors and readers shared their favorite scriptures and rejoiced in God’s mercy and grace. Join us this month as we turn the focus from God’s love toward man to that between hero and heroine during back-to-back Most Romantic Moment clashes.

April W Gardner (http://www.aprilgardner.com/) is the senior editor of Clash of the Titles and best-selling author of Wounded Spirits. (http://www.amazon.com/Wounded-Spirits-April-W-Gardner/dp/0981989616/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297021817&sr=1-1)

Tina Pinson's "In the Manor of the Ghost"

We're happy to have Tina Pinson with us today talking about her book, In the Manor of the Ghost. To learn more about Tina and her book, read on!

(Note: If you're not set up to read ebooks, scroll down on the blog to find out how to download a free Kindle app for your computer.)

Title: In the Manor of the Ghost
1) How did this story come to you?
It unfolded in a dream. I had just visited Minnesota, and passed through an area where there were black walnut groves. I was thinking about how to work the landscape and visit into a storyline, when I dreamed the first chapter for In the Manor of the Ghost, and subsequently the rest of the book.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I wrote the story in 2000 and tried to get it published, only to learn that I hadn't followed the rules of writing. They'd changed while I was on hiatus to have children, so I needed to tweak the story and do more editing to make it sellable.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I love to sing, was somewhat of a tomboy growing up, which made me think I should become the next Doris Day. I've been married for over 30 years. I am a grandmother and I wrote my first novel in elementary school.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
Lately, when I find time to write, I've been working on a Sci-Fi time-travel series, with clones, gene mutation, and bad people trying to get rid of Christ. Counting Tessa is the first installment. Then I plan to get back to two Civil War Era stories I've been working on, Finding Middle C, and From Hell to Eternity. Another novel, Touched By Mercy, will be released this December 2010 through Desert Breeze Publishing.

5) Parting comments?
Just wanted to take a moment and say a little bit about In the
Manor of the Ghost. Yes, it has romance, a love story and a ghost. But it's important to know that while In the Manor of the Ghost takes place in a manor, some of the houses we reside in aren't made of lumber or stones. They are fashioned from our fears and are as thick around us as a wall might be. Some of the Ghosts we face are those fears. Real or perceived, they can haunt us for years. In the Manor of the Ghost is an inspirational, written with facing those unseen ghosts in mind.
It is my belief that as God is the author and creator of love and romance, some of the most beautiful love stories come out of two people growing together through good times and trials, facing their fears and turning them over to the Lord.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
They can visit my website -- http://www.tinapinson.com/blank.html
Purchase my book at Desert Breeze Bookstore. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-92/In-the-Manor-of/Detail.bok
Stop at my Blogsite— http://tinapinson.blogspot.com/

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to share my books and myself.
In honor of the release of In the Manor of the Ghost, I am running a contest, Win a Kindle… Catch a Ghost for the entire month of June 2010. Check out my blog for the particulars.
http://tinapinson.blogspot.com/