Read by Candlelight Series by Gillian St. Kevern

Pip Leighton is in a fix. His sister’s marriage hinges on him staving off the family’s impending financial ruin by taking the job of secretary to Lord Cross, a reclusive man with a temper befitting his name. Developing a passion for his employer was not on the cards. Neither was getting caught up in the deep mystery surrounding Foxwood Court and its resident ghost, but Pip has never been one to shirk a duty... morePip Leighton is in a fix. His sister’s marriage hinges on him staving off the family’s impending financial ruin by taking the job of secretary to Lord Cross, a reclusive man with a temper befitting his name. Developing a passion for his employer was not on the cards. Neither was getting caught up in the deep mystery surrounding Foxwood Court and its resident ghost, but Pip has never been one to shirk a duty. As Pip delves deeper into the past, he discovers that his only hope for a future with Cross may depend on a man long dead—a man with a curious resemblance to himself. Written for lovers of gothic romance and ghost stories, The Ghost and the Secretary is the first in a series of gay romance novellas. A Gothic Paranormal Romance. less

When the full moon is a black-tie event. Felix Wood, valet, is determined to halt his employer’s downward spiral. Just because the man is a vicious beast three nights a month doesn’t mean he can’t be an impeccably dressed gentleman the rest of the month. Felix’s commitment to duty convinces Westaway, a man of more wealth than sense, that Felix is the valet he—and his large wardrobe—deserve... moreWhen the full moon is a black-tie event. Felix Wood, valet, is determined to halt his employer’s downward spiral. Just because the man is a vicious beast three nights a month doesn’t mean he can’t be an impeccably dressed gentleman the rest of the month. Felix’s commitment to duty convinces Westaway, a man of more wealth than sense, that Felix is the valet he—and his large wardrobe—deserve. There’s just one problem: Felix already has a gentleman, and his presence is the only thing between Robin and self-destruction. When a werewolf and his keeper are brutally murdered, Westaway and Felix must work together to prevent the Society of Lycanthropes and their Keepers being ripped apart. But even as he risks his life to save Robin, Felix finds himself drawn closer to Westaway, in an attraction that could destroy everything he values. less

Wiremu’s not come halfway across the world to be stopped by a ghost. Summoned from New Zealand by his tyrannical grandfather, Wiremu arrives at isolated Scarhill House to discover scheming relatives, hostile servants, and a secretary on the verge of a nervous collapse. Little wonder: the house is inhabited by a poltergeist with an apparent grudge against Wiremu’s family. The poltergeist isn’t the only ghost in Scarhill House. Wiremu shares his bedroom with an invisible presence... moreWiremu’s not come halfway across the world to be stopped by a ghost. Summoned from New Zealand by his tyrannical grandfather, Wiremu arrives at isolated Scarhill House to discover scheming relatives, hostile servants, and a secretary on the verge of a nervous collapse. Little wonder: the house is inhabited by a poltergeist with an apparent grudge against Wiremu’s family. The poltergeist isn’t the only ghost in Scarhill House. Wiremu shares his bedroom with an invisible presence. As the ghost grows increasingly familiar, Wiremu enlists the reluctant secretary Patrick’s help to uncover the secrets of Scarhill House. Can Wiremu and Patrick lay these ghosts to rest? Or will they be haunted for the rest of their lives by Scarhill’s ghosts? less

Does a vampire ever really die? Actresses Hester Wilson and Kitty O’Hara have taken some strange gigs in their careers, but their latest is something else. The aptly named Lord Cross has hired them to investigate the disappearance of Leighton, his secretary. Kitty’s convinced this opportunity will secure their fortunes. Hester’s not sure. The more she hears about Leighton, the more skeptical she becomes. It’s the 1870s, after all... moreDoes a vampire ever really die? Actresses Hester Wilson and Kitty O’Hara have taken some strange gigs in their careers, but their latest is something else. The aptly named Lord Cross has hired them to investigate the disappearance of Leighton, his secretary. Kitty’s convinced this opportunity will secure their fortunes. Hester’s not sure. The more she hears about Leighton, the more skeptical she becomes. It’s the 1870s, after all. Who in their right mind believes in vampires, let alone voluntarily hunts them? Countess Kohary, Vanda de Szigethy, is beautiful, charming, secretive—and cursed. Wherever she goes, sickness and dead bodies follow. Cross believes she has a hand in Leighton’s disappearance, but when Hester takes a position in Vanda’s household, she discovers a woman fighting the cruel legacy of her late husband. Vanda’s desperate struggle wins Hester’s admiration, even as her strange beauty casts an almost hypnotic spell. Is Vanda victim or vampire? Can Hester discover the truth in time to save Leighton? And what will it take to end the vampire’s legacy for good? less

How far will an artist go for his muse? Frustrated artist Francis Dawson has come to the remote Scottish fishing village of Armadale to reconnect with his battered muse. But he gets more than he bargained for when he's struck down by a condition fatal to art: love. Leith’s moods shift with the sea. Silent on his past, his present, in fact, on pretty much every subject, he nonetheless provides the inspiration Francis has been lacking... moreHow far will an artist go for his muse? Frustrated artist Francis Dawson has come to the remote Scottish fishing village of Armadale to reconnect with his battered muse. But he gets more than he bargained for when he's struck down by a condition fatal to art: love. Leith’s moods shift with the sea. Silent on his past, his present, in fact, on pretty much every subject, he nonetheless provides the inspiration Francis has been lacking. But even as his art takes flight, Francis finds himself mired in doubt. Are his feelings returned, or do Leith’s actions conceal a deadly secret? When a fisherman drowns in perfectly fine conditions, Francis is drawn into a conflict knottier than a fishing net. But will solving this tangle free Leith—or end Francis’s painting career? less

There’s no etiquette guide to lycanthropy.Passing oneself off as an ordinary member of polite society is harder than simply walking on two legs. Properly brought up gentlemen do not chase cats. They do not smell their peers. They certainly do not consort with mysterious young men who change their shape. So far, Julian is out on all counts. Unless he masters humanity to his father’s satisfaction, he’s looking at a fate worse than death: boarding school... moreThere’s no etiquette guide to lycanthropy.Passing oneself off as an ordinary member of polite society is harder than simply walking on two legs. Properly brought up gentlemen do not chase cats. They do not smell their peers. They certainly do not consort with mysterious young men who change their shape. So far, Julian is out on all counts. Unless he masters humanity to his father’s satisfaction, he’s looking at a fate worse than death: boarding school.A trip to Paris offers more than the chance for Julian to improve his cultural knowledge. An old friend, Dawson, is troubled by figures that appear in his paintings and follow him out of them. His tutor, Scott, is acting even more oddly than usual. Worst of all, Julian’s father, Pip, is sent away for his health, leaving stern Lord Cross as the arbitrator of Julian’s fate. As Dawson’s paintings take on a life of their own, Julian’s ability to control his other self is put to the test. But when his family goes missing, he’s going to need more than a knowledge of etiquette to save them. less

A Gothic Romance No one escapes the Collector. Gideon Lawes has never lied—not even to keep his job as junior partner in the prestigious Barchester Bank. Now on the brink of the poorhouse, Gideon’s reputation for scrupulous honesty is all he has left. When his college rival Westaway employs him to investigate a supposedly haunted house, Gideon suspects an ulterior motive. He’s never been able to decipher Westaway’s odd behaviour or pinpoint why the man unsettles him so much... moreA Gothic Romance No one escapes the Collector. Gideon Lawes has never lied—not even to keep his job as junior partner in the prestigious Barchester Bank. Now on the brink of the poorhouse, Gideon’s reputation for scrupulous honesty is all he has left. When his college rival Westaway employs him to investigate a supposedly haunted house, Gideon suspects an ulterior motive. He’s never been able to decipher Westaway’s odd behaviour or pinpoint why the man unsettles him so much. Gideon is determined Westaway won’t get the better of him this time. 32 Belcairn Road contains secrets that rival those of Gideon’s employer. Drawn by chance into the lives of cheerfully generous Fairweather and darkly ironic Holford, Gideon discovers things about himself he never imagined. But when the spirit haunting Belcairn Road comes to collect on unpaid debts, Gideon must choose between destroying the friendship he values most or sacrificing his self-respect for a lie. Whatever Gideon chooses, the Collector will claim another victim. less

There’s no Royal Society for the Protection of Werewolves.Taming a stray dog was supposed to occupy Pip while he recovered from illness—not embroil him in a chilling supernatural plot. Nothing in his occult library explains how to care for a juvenile werewolf, but Pip knows this much: he would sooner die than let Julian be recaptured by the sinister Professor Rathbone.He might have to. Rathbone will let nothing interfere with his experiments... moreThere’s no Royal Society for the Protection of Werewolves.Taming a stray dog was supposed to occupy Pip while he recovered from illness—not embroil him in a chilling supernatural plot. Nothing in his occult library explains how to care for a juvenile werewolf, but Pip knows this much: he would sooner die than let Julian be recaptured by the sinister Professor Rathbone.He might have to. Rathbone will let nothing interfere with his experiments. To save Julian, Pip must risk his life, his reputation, and the world he’s built with Cross. less

Death is not the worst thing that can happen.Thomas Cross, Lord of Foxwood, has received a double blow. The discovery of his terminal illness is followed immediately by the news that his longterm partner Pip is marked for death by the banshee of Connaught Castle. There is no cure for Cross’s condition, but there may be a way to save Pip—at the cost of his remaining time.Recruiting his adopted son Julian to aid him, Cross travels to Ireland to free Pip from the banshee... moreDeath is not the worst thing that can happen.Thomas Cross, Lord of Foxwood, has received a double blow. The discovery of his terminal illness is followed immediately by the news that his longterm partner Pip is marked for death by the banshee of Connaught Castle. There is no cure for Cross’s condition, but there may be a way to save Pip—at the cost of his remaining time.Recruiting his adopted son Julian to aid him, Cross travels to Ireland to free Pip from the banshee. As each successive encounter with the banshee leaves him closer to death, Cross grows more dependent on a dangerous fairy relic. But the gifts of the fair folk come at a price. What is the cost of Pip’s safety?The Lord and the Banshee is the thirteenth in the series of Read by Candlelight gothic novellas featuring an ever-decreasing cast of LGBTQIA characters. Pairs well with chocolate and regret. Preorder now to hate everything. less

Tidings of comfort and—ghosts?Pippa Goodfellow is a young woman with five thousand pounds a year and a simple ambition: to scare the socks off her stuck up cousin Julian and his odious friend Bryant. To do that, she needs the cooperation of Micah Evanovitch, sole inhabitant of a notoriously haunted house... moreTidings of comfort and—ghosts?Pippa Goodfellow is a young woman with five thousand pounds a year and a simple ambition: to scare the socks off her stuck up cousin Julian and his odious friend Bryant. To do that, she needs the cooperation of Micah Evanovitch, sole inhabitant of a notoriously haunted house.Micah is many things: thwarted composer, confirmed pessimist, spectre… Pippa’s plan to throw a Christmas party in his house imperils his very existence—but with her help, he might actually have a chance at leaving the failures of his life behind.Drawn into Pippa’s schemes, Micah discovers that Bryant has a sinister agenda of his own. It will take more than the ghosts of Christmas Past to save Pippa and her family. Micah must find a way to escape his past before Pippa’s Christmas party ends in Christmas tragedy.The Christmas Party is the fourteenth in the Read by Candlelight series of standalone gothic novellas featuring an extended cast of LGBTQIA characters. Pairs well with Christmas mince pies and ginger beer. less