HAUNTED LILY is a new supernatural chiller, combining frightening imagery, paranormal study and "otherworldly" delights.
Reality is shattered for British filmmaker, Darby McGregor, when his beautiful fiancée is tragically killed on their wedding day. After a dark time of mourning, Darby is tormented by a horrifying “phantom bride” in the eighteenth-century church he recently renovated. Is this the spirit of his beloved fiancée or something more sinister? Darby’s sanity is in question, when fate steps in.
Her name is Lily, an enchanted young woman, who vibrantly shines through the darkness like a beacon of light for lost souls. Lily has been surrounded by the dearly departed since she was born and has the gift/curse to penetrate the shadowy veil separating the living and the dead. Feeling an immediate connection, Lily agrees to be the subject of Darby’s new documentary. However, Darby and his unsuspecting crew are not prepared for this chilling journey through the “spirit world”.
As they spend time together, their bond grows. And when Darby learns of Lily’s tragic upbringing and dealings with dangerous apparitions; he wants nothing more than to protect her. But it turns out he is the one needing protection, when Lily’s frightening childhood nemesis returns from the “afterworld” to claim her.
Ghosts, thrills, and chills drive the story in HAUNTED LILY, a tale sure to scare.
HAUNTED LILY TRIBUTE VIDEO
Thank you so very much, Carly!
HAUNTED LILY – THE NIGHTMARE BALL
Review by: Gabby Goff, Managing Editor “PRETTY-SCARY.NET”
I have seen snippets of reviews that say things like, “Riveting!”, “Truly creepy moments!”, “Once I started, I couldn’t put it down!” and finally, “Excellent…A natural story-teller.” This all applies to Sidney Fox and her book, Haunted Lily: The Nightmare Ball. Haunted Lily is an entertaining and fantastic read! I could not put this book down and I looked forward to reading it every single day until I was finished with it. Of course, reading it every single day wasn’t always feasible but man, on the days that I couldn’t I absolutely looked forward to reading more of it!
A synopsis: Darby McGregor—-an award winning documentary film-maker—-is a sharp, sexy Englishman who lost the love of his life on their wedding day. A year later, a spirit haunts him: a phantom bride. Everyone else believes him to be still grieving; Darby thinks he may be losing his mind. Then he comes across footage of a ten-year-old child surrounded by glowing lights that everyone claims to be spirits of the dead. After a few more run-ins with the tormented spirit that keeps weeping outside his bedroom door in the eighteenth century church that he has renovated, Darby decides to seek out Lily Dufrene—the ten year old girl from the footage, and prove or disprove her gifts as well as his sanity. What he finds is something beyond cheap parlor tricks or a bunch of hocus-pocus.
He finds that Lily is no longer that small child in the footage, but a grown woman who is as wounded, as talented, and as loving as she is beautiful. However, something other than a tormented childhood looms over Lily. Something twisted from a circus in Hell…and it loves Lily enough to go so far as to kill the competition, if that’s what it takes. It has already chased off other prospects and has sent Lily into a time of deep reclusiveness and exclusivity.
But something about Darby makes Lily allow him into her world as well as her life, cameras included. What enchants and ensnares Darby, however, is not Lily’s ability to charm the spirit realm into the light, her ability to brighten a room just by entering it, nor her simple beauty—it is something more. Destiny? Maybe the hopeful whisperings of a bride-to-be wishing for nothing but happiness for her lost love? You decide!
A little aside: I am a closet romance reader, and it is not very often that I do partake of romance stories. It takes a lot of talent and skill to keep me interested in your storybook romance. More talent still does it take to have me so hooked that I’ll buy ANOTHER one of your romance stories. Sidney snuck romance in on me without my realizing it and before I knew it I was sighing, laughing and crying alongside the characters. This book was definitely an indulgence for the woman, as well as the little girl, in me. I am definitely buying a second book, a third book and any other book that Sidney puts out. As I stated in my opener she is a natural story-teller.
I was glad to read a story that wasn’t about A.) Zombies. B.) A homicidal Maniac. C.) A damsel in distress. or even D.) Teenagers in any situation. Absolutely nothing was “dumbed-down”. No baby talk, no teen-talk-- this is definitely a mature novel. Don’t confuse the word mature for the content rating of violence, gore, and sex. This is mature in thought, delivery, and is a book that I would pass on to my mom. Trust me, she wouldn’t read just any ol’ thing. Especially if the word horror was anywhere near it. I would also pass it down to my sons, my daughters, and my friends as well to read.
Haunted Lily carries a strong underlying theme of hope and renewal. It is adventurous, not at all pretentious, mature and well-developed. Sidney is descriptive, imaginative, polished, and mature. She takes her readers on a literal joyride of fear, romance, happiness, and sorrow. I am a Fox-Fan! Trust me, if you enjoy a little romance, some supernatural happenings, a fairly good feeling of suspense and haunting creepiness—and characters that become so real it is as if you know them personally—then you’ll become a Fox-Fan too. This book is sincerely pure-entertainment.
Something that I personally noticed that I thought was cool; Sidney gives a thank you list to a list of songs, bands, singers, and songwriters. The titles of the chapters are song titles and I love how the story's mood fit the song. I could flick on my playlist, play the selected songs of Sidney's choice (on repeat most times) and the mood of the chapter fit the song sometimes! I suggest listening to the list of songs that Sidney has listed. It brings a whole new level to the reading experience. BUT I will state for the record, after a second reading--the story just gets better. And it can be read without the playlist suggestion and you will still feel the mood of chapter just fine. I thought that was very clever, myself.
Anyway, don’t be sad when the story “Haunted Lily” ends (as I was), there is more coming from this author. Though the hope of more works coming from Sidney does little to ease the fact that all good stories still have to come to an end. Sigh.
Wear a smile!
Link to review:http://www.pretty-scary.net/article-2219-thread-0-0.html
Haunted Lily – Paranormal Book Club Review
Haunted Lily is a rip-roaring ghost story, chock full of hauntings, spooks, ghoulies, clowns (yes, I said clowns), and gives the reader a glimpse into the lives of full-time paranormal investigators. The way Sidney Fox incorporated real-life reports of actual paranormal occurrences is clever, and the characters are all complete people, which is so rare in your average novel. They are like the people you know and talk to every day - flawed.
You will find yourself transported to an alternate reality as you flip the pages and get more and more involved in the lives of Darby and Lily. It’s a fun, entertaining, thought provoking, and heartbreaking. I cannot recommend Haunted Lily strongly enough, and am eagerly anticipating the sequel!
Annette Jones
Host of the Paranormal Book Club and Paranormal Talk Radio
A must read for everyone!
Haunted Lily was hard to put down, the book gives an intimate look into the mind of a woman haunted for a life time. With the perfect combination of suspense, love, ghosts, and inspiration; Haunted Lily should be on everyone's wish list this year, as it is sure to be a hit!
The end of the first book left me not wanting the book to end, I found my self feeling that there was more to the story, and I can not wait until the next book comes out!
This book is highly recommended to anyone who likes a good scary ghost story. It is written so beautifully that it is easy to see why Sidney Fox is a repeat author, and hopefully will continue to write for years to come! She is sure to become one of my favorite authors very quickly! I would like to see this book be turned into a movie at some point also!
I will be sitting on Pins and Needles waiting for the next installment of her book, Haunted Lily!
Kristy Hinkle
Haunting Existence Radio
Fantastic! What else would you call it!
It's just your imagination, some would say! Sidney Fox a young writer, talented in so many ways can now add one more accomplishment to her resume Haunted Lily: The Nightmare Ball. The story is thrilling, her characters believable, she writes with her voice as if you could hear her read her story.
I love any books that talk about ghosts, after all a good ghost story leaves you with your hair on your arms standing up the chill running down your back, and that’s exactly what Haunted Lily does for you. I LOVED IT…I LOVED IT…I am looking forward to her next book.
Tuesday Miles
Portal Talk Radio, Exec Producer & Host
Long Beach, CA
“It is quite difficult to find a good ghost story, and Sidney, you have done the genre proud!”
Darren Mann - The Paranormal Database
Read an excerpt of Haunted Lily featured on the
Midnight Syndicate website – Legions of the Night
THE MUSIC OF HAUNTED LILY
Music has always played a huge part in my writing. I honestly don’t think I could write without music. I used Michael Hutchence's "Possibilities" as sort of Darby's theme song. And a song by Midnight Circus called, "Temple of Temptation", which is really spooky, as Varton's theme. While writing Haunted Lily I found myself listening to certain songs in particular during different chapters. So I decided to name each chapter after the song I felt suited the feel of the chapter. Basically, if I put a song in the chapter, I was listening to that song while writing…sometimes over and over again.
All through the writing I found myself listening to the brilliantly frightening and fabulous music of Midnight Syndicate, which my husband and I play at our Halloween parties, and on Halloween night as ambient music for our excited trick-or-treaters.
Here is a list of the songs and artists for each chapter.
Death of a Party – Blur
Vow - Garbage
Threads – Vic Chestnut
Tourniquet – Marilyn Manson
Lullaby – The Cure
Wish – Nine Inch Nails
Everything Zen - Bush
There is a light – Nick Cave
Fixing a hole – the Beatles
Exit music for a film - Radiohead
Spark – Tori Amos
Spider webs – No Doubt
The Passenger – Michael Hutchence
Sawdust in the blood – Rob Zombie
Sympathy for the devil – Rolling Stones
Someone to die for – Belly
Season of the hollow soul – K.D. Lang
Possibilities – Michael Hutchence
Precious Things - Tori Amos
By My Side – INXS
Gardening at Night – REM
My new favorite artist, Australian singer…SIA