Welcome back Lovely Readers,
As Spring has begun to peek around corners here in the Western Hemisphere, I’m excited to share with you all the wonderful new releases and WIPs that are currently “haunting” my busy laptop. And “haunting” is the perfect word to describe my newest release, ONCE UPON OUR TIME, available everywhere on line, in both e-book and print form, April 26th, 2026.
Do you believe in ghosts? How ’bout the whole range of supernatural abilities like the reading of Tarot cards, healing crystals and managing hexes? According to a gallop poll conducted in July of 2025, 39% of Americans believe specifically in ghostly apparitions, while 29% believe in some kind of supernatural phenomena that includes clairvoyance, reincarnation and astrology.
Although this is by no means an overwhelming majority, it’s a large enough number to give one pause. What if there is truly something to all these strange events we can’t logically explain…
Whether you’re a true believer of things that go bump in the night, are part of the larger majority of “fence sitters” who aren’t sure what to think, or, like me, you just love a good love story that transcends reality’s sense of time and space, ONCE UPON OUR TIME is a tale that paranormal romance lovers can lose themselves within.
The narrative centers around Cordelia Mae Achley, an Appalachian “wise woman” who has been “blessed” with the ability to speak to the departed, lost souls who haven’t quite reached the Afterlife. But when we meet Delia at the beginning of the story, our mai character is wholly disenchanted with her ghostly gifts, all in response to a life-altering event that took place ten years earlier. It will take a fated meeting between our FMC and a charming, good ‘ole Southern boy “haunt” to change Delia’s idea about the power of love, even in the Afterlife.
This story is especially dear to me because it is set not only in my hometown of Spring Hill, Tennessee, but literally in my own backyard, a property that backs right up to the Civil War era mansion that is home to our gallant ghost character. Is the historic Rippavilla estate truly haunted? I can’t say that I’ve personally run into a chatty ghost, but the grounds surrounding the property certainly have a peculiar vibe, and many other visitors have claimed to see strange apparitions in its stately rooms.
There are a few curious and peculiar stories that surround the writing of this book. One of them has to do with this particular photo that I came across during some research I was doing on the US Library of Congress...
I'll save that story for next month.
Until next time, lovely readers, keep your TBR piled high, your worry level low, and be sure to check all the wonderful books and special editions here at Serenade Publishing!
Victoria
