The Night of Elisa
Illustrated Gothic Novel
Book One
Isis Sousa
Genre: Gothic, Paranormal, Horror
Publisher: Tragic Books
Date of Publication: February 2016
ISBN: 9781519169945
ISBN: 9781367510418
ASIN: B00LMM3CMI
Number of pages: 220
Word Count: 60k words + illustrations
Cover Artist: Isis Sousa
~ The Corpse Bride meets Penny Dreadful ~
Book Description:
"Sometimes, life and love can follow the most obscure paths, just as they did for Elisa."
Her life becomes a dark, cold, lonely cage the day the devil takes her as his wife. He robs her of almost everything she holds dear: her health, her wealth and what is left of her family.
Trapped between the nuances of life and beyond-life, Elisa finds herself struggling for a better tomorrow. With her health deteriorating, how will she summon the courage and strength to stand her ground? And how far will she go in the pursuit of a dream?
Embark with Elisa on this puzzling Gothic adventure set in the late Victorian era, between the world of the Living and the picturesque, melancholic Duskland.
~~~~~
The Night of Elisa is first and furthermost Victorian Gothic, but can also fit within other genres such as Dark Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery and Occult.
Parental guidance: for 16+ Contains blood, nudity and dark themes.
Excerpt
2, chapter 1
As Leonhard felt
the small hand holding his arm, he was filled with a kind of joy for the first
time in decades. He didn’t want to remember the last time he had felt this way;
parts of his dark past were locked.
‘Elisa’ was
feeling reassured, at least for the moment. She and her new friend remained
silent, but sometimes suspicious thoughts invaded their minds.
As they walked
west, they heard feminine laughter in the distance. A conversation was taking
place behind some bushes and the exciting tone awakened the couple’s curiosity.
‘Elisa’ reached closer to Leonhard’s ear, stretching her body to stand on her
tiptoes, for he was a tall man. “I hear voices, sir! Sounds like two ladies are
sharing some secrets!”
“I recognize
those voices,” he whispered back, almost seduced by the sweet fragrance of her
hair and skin. “They are my gardeners. Come, you shall see them!”
Leonhard guided
her towards the voices. They approached two pretty, young girls sitting on the
ground, cutting dahlias. The girls looked up at the couple curiously. They
bowed to Leonhard and nodded to ‘Elisa’, who was shy and hid behind the
protector she knew so little about. She gasped at the sight of the girls and
gripped Leonhard’s arm tight. They are so seductive, she thought, envying the
girls. Her heart sped up, as if it wanted to escape through her throat. She didn’t
dare to speak, nor could she.
“So, who is this
pretty young rose you’ve brought with you?” the girl on the left enquired.
“Is she going to
stay in our garden?” the good-humored girl on the right asked, winking.
“She is my guest
and is staying with us for an undefined time. Gerania, Iphigenia, we don’t know
her name yet. I found her in the woods last evening and brought her here. It
seems like she is suffering from some kind of memory loss, but I will help her
as much and as long as I can. I am asking all in this house to welcome and
serve her as well.”
Leonhard bowed,
kissing the ladies’ hands, gallant as usual. ‘Elisa’ grew jealous as she
watched them. Gerania pinched ‘Elisa’s’ cheek and wished her welcome. ‘Elisa’
blushed with fear. Oh my! Why is this weird woman doing this to me?
“Don’t scare our
guest, sister!” said Iphigenia, abruptly. “Where are your manners? Oh dear!”
“I am so sorry,
my dear! I exceeded myself badly! I wish you a good stay in this house.”
Gerania stared at ‘Elisa’ with a chilling smile.
Leonhard and
‘Elisa’ resumed their walk, leaving the sisters by themselves. The girls knelt
on the ground again and talked about Leonhard’s new ‘friend’. They knew
everybody in the village, except for this one. “She was so pretty, delicate,
pure... This is bothering!” Gerania commented in a low voice. Her sister
agreed. They soon went back to gardening and sharing their little secrets. The
lady and the gentleman heard more laughter in the distance.
About the Author:
I am an artist, illustrator and graphic designer who writes on my free time. But with all the imagination I have running lose, there came some stories… And there came some books!
I am born and grown up in Brazil, however I live in Mid-Norway with my beloved husband, in a tiny valley surrounded by mountains and with very few neighbours.
When I’m not doing artwork and illustration for clients, I’m doing woodcarving, painting ornaments, painting artworks for myself, and so on. Love Arts, History, Heavy Metal and Dark things.
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFk4YpYdxixSBc2lkf8o4C
Interview with Isis Sousa
Where do you get inspiration for your stories?
I get it from different sources: I love music to the bone, so that is one important source and I breathe art, so that’s another. Classic tales are the foundation for my taste for literature and great influencers on my writing. I read, listen to music and appreciate art every single day as well as collect images on Fashion, objects and whatnot my Pinterest. These routines keep me inspired :-)
How did you do research for your book?
I love History and The Victorian Era. I read articles, stories, books, as well as watch films that can help me creating the scenes for my work and details such as costumes for my characters. Also, I try to incorporate real history within Fantasy. There are things in the narrative for The Night of Elisa which are facts, such as when Brazil, Elisa’s country, was once called ‘The United States of Brazil’.
Do you have another profession besides writing?
Writing is for me a hobby. It doesn’t pay my bills… yet. Also it is secondary to my biggest passion and greatest part of my personality: illustrating. I am a professional illustrator and do cover art for a living. Also once a week I teach arts at the local school, which I love! I started with it a little over a year ago and it was one of the best things I have done in life!
If you could go back in time, where would you go?
Definitely, I would love to experience the flavours and esthetics of the Victorian Era, a tour through the European capitals. That would be my top time travel destination! ^.^
What is your next project?
I have two in mind: A Gothic Steampunk novel with a protagonist couple. A young, poor, desolate girl who goes through tremendous hardship and a monstrous man, who antagonizes her for most of the story and has an important scientific discovery for mankind. It takes place in the Victorian Era. The other project is a very unstable couple, that do a lot of crazy stuff in a mysterious Urban Fantasy tale happening in modern day Norway.
