A
Parliament of Crows
by
Alan M. Clark
Genre:
Southern Gothic Crime, Horror
In
A Parliament of Crows, the three Mortlow sisters are prominent
American educators of the nineteenth century, considered authorities
in teaching social graces to young women. They also pursue a career
of fraud and murder. Their loyalty to one another and their need to
keep their secrets is a bond that tightens with each crime, forcing
them closer together and isolating them from the outside world. Their
ever tightening triangle suffers from madness, religious zealotry and
a sense of duty warped by trauma they experienced as teenagers in
Georgia during Sherman's March to the Sea. As their crimes come back
to haunt them and a long history of resentments toward each other
boils to the surface, their bond of loyalty begins to fray. Will duty
to family hold or will they turn on each other like ravening crows?
Amazon
* IFD
Publishing
A Parliament of Crows is a historical fiction novel inspired by the criminal activities of the three infamous Wardlaw sisters. In writing the story, I’ve changed their names and some of the place names. For purposes of storytelling, I have not adhered strictly to their history and where needed I created scenarios out of whole cloth to further the plot.
The lives of the Wardlaw sisters began before the American Civil War and ended early in the twentieth century. They had a habit of wearing mourning clothes and living in dwellings with few furnishings. Accomplished educators, they took positions of prominence within communities, but were secretive and wary of those outside the family. They would drop their responsibilities and flee suddenly if they anticipated the slightest threat. Several close members of their family turned up dead under extraordinary circumstances. Eventually, they generated enough suspicion that they were arrested and charged with murder.
Because the information about the Wardlaw sisters gives a rather two dimensional view of them, I can’t help but wonder about their emotional characteristics. I’m curious about the choices they made that led to their crimes, and how they justified to themselves what they did even as they went about their dreadful deeds. A Parliament of Crows is my exploration of the possibilities with the use of fictional characters and the fun of storytelling.
—Alan M. Clark
Eugene, Oregon
Alan
M. Clark grew up in Tennessee in a house full of bones and old
medical books. As a writer and illustrator, he is the author of
sixteen published books, including 11 novels, a lavishly illustrated
novella, four collections of fiction, and a nonfiction full-color
book of his artwork. His illustrations have appeared in books of
fiction, non-fiction, textbooks, young adult fiction and children's
books. Awards for his work include the World Fantasy Award and four
Chesley Awards. Mr. Clark's company, IFD Publishing, has released 42
titles of various editions, including traditional books, both
paperback and hardcover, audio books, and ebooks by such authors as
F. Paul Wilson, Elizabeth Engstrom, and Jeremy Robert Johnson.
Follow
the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
No comments:
Post a Comment