Home Sweet Lair : "Destruction of Obsession" by Catherine Miller

The Recommender's husband recently commented on the Recommender's preference for reading Phantom fiction "How can there be that much to say about 3 characters?"  Indeed. The variety of Phantom fiction knows no bounds! I was scrolling through Amazon to see what I hadn't read and a title caught my eye. Destruction of Obsession,  by Catherine Miller, which turned out to have originated, as many great Phantom stories have, on a Fanfiction site. So, I downloaded it immediately!
It is a charmingly different follow-up to Leroux's classic. Christine has turned the scorpion and made the choice to save her beloved Raoul's life and marry Erik, her Angel of Music and the mad man who has wreaked havoc on the Opera House at large. And, so begins their life together. Can she learn to truly love the man who will now be her husband? She made her promise to him and being good to her word she attempts to fit into his world. He is kind to her and prepares her meals but doesn't force himself on her as she fears he might...and then, though he sees no need for it, to make her happy, Erik arranges for a real wedding, to be presided over by an actual priest. Hoping that this gesture will help her accept him as her true husband. That the priest is blind doesn't negate the bond that now legally unites Christine and Erik. When his lovely bride is attacked by the carriage driver on their return to the lair, after Erik leaves her alone... he rescues her and kills the driver. An act for which she finds she feels no remorse.
As she heals and he cares for her they make their way towards a comfortable domesticity and although Christine felt she could not open her heart to any but Raoul...she slowly seems to find that there is far more to the Phantom than she thought.
Using Leroux's third person self referencing voice for Erik, Ms. Miller brings him to life with all his passion and pain, his genius and madness. Christine begins the story as a frightened and confused girl of 16 and over the course of this story grows to be a young woman with passions of her own.
There are moments that might surprise you and, if you love the Phantom and Christine...you will be caught up in the author's original interpretation of this great love story. If you are in the mood for a Phantom fix... then be sure to treat yourself to this thoroughly addictive read!



"Chanson de l'Ange: The Angel's Song" by Paisley Swan Stewart

Paisley Swan Stewart wraps up her truly epic revision of the Phantom of the Opera with the Angel's Song. I reviewed the first part here. That version has been out of print and sought by Phantom fans for a while but the good news is that the whole saga is now available as a trilogy and any serious lover of the Phantom's story will want to own this gorgeous collection. I confess, I fell in love with Ms. Stewart's Erik right from the beginning and in the final book, without giving anything away, let me just say that he is, here, a complicated man and musical genius whose madness may shock you but whose longing and love for Christine will break your heart. He is a great romantic who would do anything, anything possible to win her but whose obsession might be too much, too grown up, for a young girl to deal with.
This story is beautifully imagined and truly romantic and the author breathes new life into the characters of Louise Giry and Meg and Raoul. The Paris Opera House comes alive with all its workings and drama on stage and behind the scenes and in the rehearsal halls. Erik's grotto is a unique take on his lair and described in such detail you can practically see the candles flickering and hear the organ playing and Ms. Stewart has written Erik some lovely music, music that you can imagine Christine singing and captivating the jaded Opera audience.
Christine has grown, over the course of this trilogy, from the little orphan girl taken in by Madame Giry to an amazingly talented young woman who is trying to sort out her feelings for the man who has been her Angel, teacher and protector and who she may not be able to live with but knows she can't live without.
I've read many Phantom books and the ones I've read I've loved. I've loved each take on Erik and each author's vision for the life he might have led, after the Leroux ending. Ms. Stewart's Chanson is like the Gone With the Wind of Phantom fiction. It's a journey that takes you to some dark places but is also filled with hope and light. It may make you cry out "Oh No!" (and it probably will. Just warning you!) and it may make you weep all over the pages (or e-book). It may make you feel a lot of things, but most of all, it is a testament to love and a love story that never dies.

 (video from Youtube, a Phantom of the Opera fanfiction-based video created at the request of Swansong/Swansinger. Music by Nathan Allen Pinard; sung by Bonnie Anne Pinard)

Phantom / Phantom Give Away!!!!!

Here's some exciting news!!! As part of the Pagan Writers Press 21 Days of Solstice Event, Author Laura DeLuca  and I have teamed up to bring you a fabulous Solstice giveaway!  Laura and I met a few months back when I reviewed her fantastic novel, Phantom. I LOVED her character Justyn Patko who plays the Phantom in a high school production in the book. You can read my review here and below is the illustration I did based on the story.

Since that initial correspondence, Laura and I have become virtual friends and we especially bonded over our mutual love of The Phantom of the Opera. To celebrate the holidays, we decided to join forces and bring one lucky winner to the Point of No Return with an amazing Phantom giveaway!

Some of you know I have an Etsy shop called  Saturday Chick, where I create unique and beautiful Phantom inspired jewelry. For the blog hop, I've  designed an amazing, one-of-a-kind charm necklace! Check out the photos to see all the details!
                                    
In addition to the necklace, Author Laura DeLuca is also offering a signed copy of her great YA Thriller Phantom! You'll fall in love with Justyn just like I did!  To enter, just fill in the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway will end on 12/21/13. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again to the sponsors for offering this fantastic prize.

 Buy Links: Amazon    Smashwords     Barnes & Noble

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also be sure to check out all the other stops on the tour for more giveaways, book excerpts, and lots more holiday fun.