July 3, 2012

Blog Tour: The Grave Artist by Paula Lynn Johnson – Guest Post with Giveaway

The Grave Artist by Paula Lynn Johnson

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Today we are so happy to have author, Paula Lynn Johnson stop by the blog

and talk with us about a beautiful piece of jewelry called  ‘Lover’s Eyes’!

16-year-old Clare can’t stop drawing the bizarre, winged skulls she calls “Sammies”. Her psychiatrist assumes the compulsive drawings are just expressions of Clare’s grief over her father abandoning her. But then Clare discovers that her Sammies are exact matches for the Death’s Head on the grave of Samantha Forsythe, a teen who reportedly fell to her death over two centuries ago.

Before long, Clare’s drawings morph into cryptic writings that urge her to uncover the truth behind Samantha’s death. Together with Neil — the friend she might be falling for — Clare scours the local history for clues. She finds that, although Samantha was engaged to a wealthy landowner, there were whispered rumors of her involvement with a younger, biracial man.

Soon, Clare is haunted by disturbing dream images — a mysterious eye, a broken chain — that point to someone Samantha called her “Dearest”. But who is Dearest? And why does Samantha need Clare to find him so badly?

Isolated and carrying hidden scars of her own, Clare fears her obsession with Samantha will threaten her sanity and safety. But it seems she has no choice in the matter . . .

The Grave Artist is a compelling paranormal murder mystery and a poignant story about loss and what it means thrive in a less-than-perfect reality.

The Grave Artist by Paula Lynn Johnson

Publish Date: March 14, 2012

Publisher:  Indie

It’s All In The Eyes

In The Grave Artist, certain images keep appearing  to my heroine, Clare — skulls, crescent moons, and especially eyes.  In fact, in the grip of a trance, Clare obsessively sketches a single, disembodied eye.  This eye turns out to match a similar sketch she finds in an antique locket, compelling Clare to find out: whose eye is it?  And why is the owner’s identity hidden in the first place?

I based Clare’s antique locket on a type of antique jewelry known as Lover’s Eyes.  These were popular in England during the late 18^th/early 19^th centuries, although less so in America.  Typically, Lover’s Eyes were brooches that featured a miniature painting on ivory of a single eye, belonging to the wearer’s beloved.  They were beautiful tokens of secret romances and hidden love affairs.  They also served as mourning pieces, to remember a departed loved one.

I find Lover’s Eyes to be breathtakingly gorgeous and mysterious.  The best almost have a surreal quality to them.  Unfortunately, they’re not cheap, with genuine Lover’s

 Eyes selling in the thousands of dollars.  Still, some talented modern jewelers and artists are putting their own, more affordable spin on the form.  When I finished The Grave Artist, I celebrated by buying my very own Lover’s Eye from Etsy seller Mercury’s Moon.   She does fabulous work, hand-painting tiny portraits and framing them in genuine Victorian settings.

What do you think, readers?  Is there someone special in your life you’d like to remember in a Lover’s Eye?

Connect with Paula Lynn:

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

 Available for purchase:

Amazon

Enter for a chance to win:

A hand-hammered sterling silver pendant (about 3/4″ wide) on a sterling 16 inch chain!

Just fill out the Rafflecopter below!

Thanks for stopping by =)

a Rafflecopter giveaway