02/12/2026: SHADOW MANOR
- Candace Nola
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Out of all the books I’ve written so far, Shadow Manor intimidated me the most. I grew up reading gothic ghost stories, haunted house stories, ghost stories of all kinds and as a reader before I began writing professionally, I devoured hundreds of them, especially books by Lee Mountford, who, in my opinion, can do no wrong when it comes to a gothic ghost story. And now, here I was, about to try my hand at one, knowing Lee might read it. Knowing him as a friend and even knowing he’s a fan now and knowing what he does so well. Intimidated might be the wrong word; terrified? Overwhelmed somehow?
More so than the potential of the master himself, possibly reading this story one day, I just wanted to do it justice, the story and the trope. I wanted to write a proper ghost story but somehow also make it fresh, make it my own, while keeping all the trademarks of a gothic tale. I outlined it loosely, then let it marinate in my head for months. I never begin a story until I can see it in my mind, fully detailed, fleshed out, with living, breathing characters. When the house came to life in my head, I knew it was time.
I started writing it week by week, pacing myself, waking up early every Sunday to write, then posting each raw installment to my Patreon as my story in progress with no editing, no backspacing, no revisions. Just raw words as the house told me the story. I could have sat down and written it in a week or two, but I could feel the manor breathing, letting the story come to life on its own, so I took it slowly.
The house felt real to me. The lady of the manor, bit by bit, I gave her pieces of me. My grief, my sorrow, my pain, my own humiliation and anger. The young girl, the same, pieces of me went into her. Both characters are parts of me and my life, one young, one old, at different stages in life, coming to terms with the cruelties of life. I told it through dual timelines, one modern, one past, one brittle journal bridging the gap, and more tears than I can express. One page at a time, I gave the manor my deepest grief and an ocean of tears, and I let the lady do the rest.
My mother loved it, called me sobbing the next day. For me, that was enough. My mom, my number one fan, I need never write another ghost story because this one would be enough. Imagine my surprise when my readers loved it too. I hope that one day maybe I will find out that Lee read it too, and maybe there's a chance that he also loved it.
I love this story for so many reasons; the manor is the home I always wanted; the lady that carried my sorrow my elegantly, and so vividly; the girl that illuminated just one hard lesson that I too had to learn along the way, that our parents are people too, flawed and hurting and confused and misunderstood and just learning as they go, just like we all do. It takes time for a child to see their parents as a people, and I think this is the most important lesson that we take away from this book. Shadow Manor is more than a story; it’s a lesson about maturity, compassion, and understanding.
SHADOW MANOR
A stranded young woman seeking shelter from a violent storm discovers a journal written by the former lady of the manor. As the storm rages around her, something more than shadows shakes the girl to her core.
Will she be able to solve the mystery of the manor before time runs out?
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