About the Book
Book: The Lady in Residence
Author: Allison Pittman
Genre: Christian Historical
Release date: February 2021
Can a Legacy of Sadness be Broken at the Menger Hotel?
Visit historic American landmarks through the Doors to the Past series. History and today collide in stories full of mystery, intrigue, faith, and romance.
Young widow Hedda Krause checks into the Menger Hotel in 1915 with a
trunk full of dresses, a case full of jewels, and enough cash to pay for
a two-month stay, which she hopes will be long enough to meet, charm,
and attach herself to a new, rich husband. Her plans are derailed when a
ghostly apparition lures her into a long, dark hallway, and Hedda
returns to her room to find her precious jewelry has been stolen. She
falls immediately under a cloud of suspicion with her haunting tale, but
true ghost enthusiasts bring her expensive pieces of jewelry in an
attempt to lure the ghost to appear again.
In 2017, Dini Blackstone is a fifth-generation magician, who performs
at private parties, but she also gives ghost walk tours, narrating the
more tragic historical events of San Antonio with familial affection.
Above all, her favorite is the tale of Hedda Krause who, in Dini’s
estimation, succeeded in perpetrating the world’s longest con, dying old
and wealthy from her ghost story. But then Dini meets Quinn Carmichael,
great-great-grandson of the detective who originally investigated
Hedda’s case, who’s come to the Alamo City with a box full of clues that
might lead to Hedda’s exoneration. Can Dini see another side of the
story that is worthy of God’s grace?
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author
Allison Pittman is the author of more than a dozen critically
acclaimed novels and a four-time Christy finalist—twice for her Sister
Wife series, once for All for a Story from her take on the Roaring
Twenties and most recently for the critically acclaimed The Seamstress
which takes a cameo character from the Dickens’ classic A Tale of Two
Cities and flourishes her to life amidst the French Revolution. She
lives in San Antonio, Texas, blissfully sharing an empty nest with her
husband, Mike. Connect with her on Facebook (Allison Pittman Author),
Twitter (@allisonkpittman) or her website, allisonkpittman.com.
More from Allison
From Haunting to Healing: How Stories Bring New Life to Old Ghosts
If you really think about it, every story is a ghost story. Not the
floating spirits of the dearly departed kind, not bumps in the night or
mysterious howling in the darkness—but the best stories come from
examining a haunted heart. Memories that pursue the present.
A few years ago I took the walking tour of haunted San Antonio. It
was a lark, a fun tourist-y thing to do with some visiting friends. I’m
not a believer in ghosts, but I am a collector of stories. The tour
opens at the Alamo—sacred ground of slain soldiers. The second stop is
the Menger Hotel, listed as one of the most haunted hotels in the United
States by those who measure and evaluate such things. And while the
tour guide waxed on about the guests’ litany of haunted experiences
(including Teddy Roosevelt raging through the lobby), my mind stuck with
the story of Sallie White. Sallie White is the Menger Hotel’s most
famous ghost—a chambermaid whose apparition is reported to be seen
walking the halls, towels draped over her arm, or to be heard as an
efficient two-rap knock on your door late at night. My mind, however,
didn’t dwell on Sallie the ghost, but Sallie the woman—just a normal,
hard-working, poor woman, murdered in the street by a man who claimed to
love her. But for that, she would have passed into history unknown.
Instead, her story is told every night as strangers gather on the very
sidewalk where the crime took place.
Years after first hearing the story of Sallie white, I stayed in the Menger for a few days to gather details for The Lady in Residence. I
booked what they call a “Petite” room—meaning it is a room that
maintains its original structure. Read: tiny. Exposed pipes, creaky
wooden floors, antique furniture—the only update, the bathroom fixtures.
As it turned out, my room was directly above the place where Sallie
White was murdered. One night I pressed my ear against the glass and
listened to the ghost tour guide tell her story. The next morning, I
stood in the exact spot with a fancy Starbucks drink, thinking about
her. She lives on, not because people claim to see her walking and hear
her knocking in the dead of night, but because she is a woman
remembered.
So, is that beautiful? Is it ghoulish? Maybe it’s both, but when I
was given the chance to write a story set in and around the Menger
Hotel, I was determined to make Sallie White’s story a part of it. I
didn’t want to write her story—that would have required
embellishment beyond those few historic, factual tid-bits that such a
woman left behind. Sallie White didn’t have correspondence to catalog or
a journal to give us insight to her thoughts. Instead, I wanted to tell it to readers everywhere who might never make it to San Antonio to hear it for themselves. When you read The Lady in Residence,
you are going to hear the true story of Sallie White, all of it taken
from a newspaper account of the time. And then, I did what all
historical writers do…I folded it into my own tale and folded that tale into another.
That’s really the joy of writing a split-time novel—being able to
draw back and shoot a narrative-arrow straight through the hearts of two
stories, threading them together, to bring a haunting to a place of
healing.
Blog Stops
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 23
Artistic Nobody, February 23 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)
Fiction Aficionado, February 24
For the Love of Literature, February 24
Where Faith and Books Meet, February 24
Texas Book-aholic, February 25
Mia Reads Blog, February 25
Connie’s History Classroom, February 26
Inspiration Clothesline, February 26
Locks, Hooks and Books, February 27
Books I’ve Read, February 27
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, February 28
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 28
Remembrancy, March 1
Bigreadersite, March 1
For Him and My Family, March 2
Hallie Reads, March 2
deb’s Book Review, March 3
Blogging With Carol, March 3
By The Book, March 4
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 4
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 5
The Write Escape, March 5
Life of Literature, March 6
Inklings and notions, March 6
Godly Book Reviews, March 7
Vicky Sluiter, March 7
To Everything There is A Season, March 8
Pause for Tales, March 8
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Allison is giving
away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of The
Lady in Residence!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
GIVEAWAY
My Thoughts
I really love this book because it was so much better than expected. The mystery starts right away and I just loved the setting and the characters and dual time line story. That being said I didn't give it five stars because this is promoted as Christian fiction and I don't think the faith element was handled well when it comes to one of the story lines and characters. I won't give anything away but it was a bit disappointing that it wasn't explained or resolved by the end of the book.
All of that aside this was a really fun book to read. It is a quick mystery with quirky characters. It was like a breath of fresh air when it comes to all of the people in this story. They are so different than cookie cutter typical and I loved that. I loved the fun history and the banter in both stories is fantastic. There is a lot of romance but there is also a lot of past pain.
I really enjoyed this book and if you like historical romance you will enjoy it as well!
Four Stars.
"I received this book from the publisher for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."