My new book, CURSE OF THE STAG’S EYE comes out on 4th October 2024. It’s a gay paranormal romance story set in a haunted lighthouse. I based the setting on South Stack Lighthouse in Wales and I thought I’d do a little blog post about my inspiration.
CURSE OF THE STAG’S EYE sees gay bear and paranormal enthusiast Rhys conducting his first-ever ghost tour. On the tour are ghost-hunting veteran Dawn, her boyfriend Nikesh, and first-timer Gaz, who intends to learn more about the paranormal, and about Rhys, for various reasons, not all of which are entirely innocent.
I am, as you can probably guess, a big fan of lighthouses and they crop up occasionally in my work (most notably in The Moth and Moon). When I was asked to be a part of the Haunted Hearts series, my mind naturally turned to a lighthouse as the perfect setting for a spooky romance.
South Stack Lighthouse was built in 1809 on a small island off the northwest coast of Holy Island, Wales.
In my story, Stag’s Head Lighthouse was also built on a small island in Wales, although one shaped roughly like, wait for it, a stag’s head. Though one of the antlers has long since fallen into the sea.
In my story, in order to build the lighthouse the engineers wanted to move an ancient standing stone, one with a hole running through it. Locals referred to the stone as the Stag’s Eye and warned of terrible consequences should it ever be moved. But moved it was, to he carpark overlooking the island and the new lighthouse. And eve since then, the lighthouse and its keepers have had more than their fair share of bad luck and tragedy.
There are 400 steps down to the island. One of my characters, Gaz, loudly complains about the amount of steps, having counted them all on the way down.
Credit: https://walesguidebook.com/things-to-do/anglesey/visit-south-stack-lighthouse/
A bridge connects to the island, just as in my story. This is the only lifeline, the only connection back to the mainland. Sure would be a shame if it were to suddenly disappear…
Once on the island, visitors can view the engine room and exhibition.
In my story, the keepers’ cottages have been converted into a museum. It’s here that the characters first encounter some spooky events, such as disembodied voices, and mysterious footsteps on the gravel paths outside.
Stag’s Head Lighthouse is larger than South Stack, but both have a shaft running through the tower. This once held the weights and chains needed to turn the light.
South Stack Lighthouse is said to have its own ghost. During a storm Keeper John “Jack” Jones was killed when a was rock knocked loose from the cliff face and struck him on the head. His ghost is said to haunt the lighthouse to this day. A similar fate befell a keeper in my story, as the ghost tour will uncover.
You can read more about South Stack’s ghost over at Mysterious Britain.
It’s hard to find a good image of the lamp room due to it being quite cramped. This is where a bit of creative licence comes into play, as in my story the lamp room has plenty of space and can easily accommodate the four adults on the ghost tour. And maybe even some unexpected visitors…
Over the course of a single night secrets are revealed, lies are uncovered, and bonds are forged as Rhys, Gaz, Dawn, and Nikesh race to discover the truth behind the CURSE OF THE STAG’S EYE.
CURSE OF THE STAG’S EYE is part of the Haunted Hearts MM paranormal romance series. All ten books are written by own voice authors and are stand-alone stories, but why not read them all?