I’m thrilled to share a progress update on “Beneath Beauford Grove,” my new Southern gothic novel that blends magical realism with supernatural horror. As you can see from this teasing glimpse of the cover art below, the visual identity of the book is taking shape alongside the narrative!

After months of dedicated writing, I’ve recently completed the first draft—that magical moment when the final chapters come together and the story stands complete in its raw form. While finishing a first draft is always cause for celebration, I now face what I consider the most challenging part of the writing journey: the second draft.

This crucial revision phase involves meticulously rereading the manuscript, identifying plot holes, strengthening character arcs, and making the difficult decision of which sections enhance the story and which to cut away. Developing that discerning editorial eye—knowing precisely what to keep and what to delete—is perhaps the most demanding skill for any writer to master. That’s why it’s so important to have an editor and beta readers – more eyes on the manuscript before publishing the book.

I’m incredibly fortunate to have assembled a team of trusted beta readers and a skilled editor who will soon provide their invaluable perspectives. Their fresh eyes on the manuscript will help identify blind spots and ensure ‘Beneath Beauford Grove’ reaches you as the most compelling version of itself.

For those curious about the story itself, let it delves deep into the mysterious undercurrents of a small Southern town where the veil between worlds grows thin, and long-buried secrets rise to the surface with supernatural consequences. I can’t wait to reveal more in the coming months!

Cover Teaser

Character Analysis

Main Characters (Present Day)

Evangeline (Eva) Beauford

• Boston’s leading hematologist at 28, with her great-grandmother’s light brown eyes and high cheekbones—a living testament to the Beauford bloodline she’s tried to escape.
• The last in a line of firstborn Beauford daughters and unwilling heir to a lucrative olive business thriving on an ancient covenant—one that has ensured prosperity at a devastating price paid in blood.
• Her clinical worldview clashes with her ancestral home where blood pacts, supernatural occurrences, and a dark entity reside.
• Intelligent and strong-willed, she’ll attempt to break the pact using her medical knowledge, but at what cost?

Raphael (Rafe) Durand

• Environmental scientist with eyes reflecting the amber brown of autumn leaves, a very distant cousin carrying Beauford’s essence in his very being.
• Descended from the Durand family that has served the Beaufords for generations, but like many in Beauford Grove, he shares François Beauford’s blood—making him a distant cousin to Eva.
• Their fated connection carries the additional taboo of their distant blood relation, further complicating their irresistible attraction.
• Chosen before birth to fulfill the blood pact, he fears the fate of all Beauford husbands—an early demise.
• Does he have the strength to walk away? Does he even have a choice?

Historical Characters

Celestine Sanvil

• Haitian-born daughter of a wealthy plantation owner who fled the 1816 revolution at age 16.
• Orphaned when privateers seized their ship, then sold at auction and purchased by François despite her free status.
• Unknowingly brought with her a malevolent entity her grandmother had conjured to protect their Haitian plantation.
• Forged a blood pact with this entity to save François, her forbidden love, from death—beginning a generational curse.
• Her grimoire holds both the terms of the original pact and potentially the key to Eva’s freedom.

François Beauford

• Member of the Olive and Vine Colony who fled Napoleon’s army to Alabama, hoping to cultivate Mediterranean crops in new soil.
• Despite agricultural expertise, his olive groves failed until he purchased Celestine at auction.
• Unaware of the true cost, he benefited from Celestine’s blood pact with the entity, which transformed barren land into thriving olive groves.
• His forbidden love for Celestine began the complex Beauford legacy that Eva inherits generations later.
• Founded the Beauford olive empire that continues to prosper through supernatural means rather than natural cultivation.

Secondary Characters

Ernestine Durand

• Rafe’s great-aunt, gatekeeper of Beauford Manor, and midwife whose weathered hands have delivered generations of Beauford firstborns—and performed darker rituals by moonlight.
• The keeper of secrets whose garden of peculiar herbs might heal or harm, much like her decades-long relationship with the Beauford women.
• What knowledge about the true nature of the pact keeps her bound to Beauford Manor?

Adelle Durand

• Rafe’s sister and Eva’s childhood friend—once thick as thieves, running barefoot through olive groves until shadows grew long.
• Torn between family loyalty, her work for the Beauford family, and her genuine affection for Eva.
• Friend or co-conspirator? She walks a dangerous line between two worlds that grows narrower each day.

Stay tuned for the cover reveal!