C. J. McGroarty
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C.J. McGroarty grew up in a small town outside Philadelphia, PA, where history was around every corner. She knew she was a writer early on and made it her life’s work. A former reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer with an MFA in Creative Writing, she has also taught English and writing at the college level.
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Her fiction and nonfiction has been published in journals and magazines that include The MacGuffin, BloodLotus, Newtopia, The Schuylkill Valley Journal, Dark City Mystery Magazine, Rathalla Review, and Toasted Cheese, among others. Her short story “The Dying Season” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
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C.J.’s debut novel, Clara in a Time of War, was published in 2022 by Atmosphere Press. Set in Pennsylvania during the American Revolution, the story features an earthy and determined heroine as well as some of C.J.’s favorite themes, including love, loss, friendship, and courage. Her novel The House on Chambers Road, a paranormal mystery, is forthcoming from Literary Wanderlust.
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When she isn’t writing, C.J. enjoys reading, gardening, and scratching her history itch as a tour guide at Historic Waynesborough, the lifelong home of celebrated Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne. She lives in Chester County with her wonderful husband, Jim, and their indomitable tortoiseshell tabby, Lily.
The House on Chambers Road
Sometimes the past that comes back to haunt you isn’t yours…
C.J. McGroarty blends the gothic touches of a good ghost story with the rich, evocative details of historical fiction in this tale of love, loss, and redemption.
Interior designer Libby Casey desperately wants to move on from her grief and the painful secret that has plagued her since her husband’s death. When she buys an 18th-century house on the outskirts of town that she feels inexplicably drawn to, she thinks she has a chance to do just that.
But soon after moving in, she finds she’s not alone. An ominous voice whispers in the night, mysterious objects appear and disappear, and odd scents waft from the old kitchen garden.
Looking for answers, she digs into the history of the estate and the man who built it, Hugh Peter Jones. Like Libby, Hugh harbored his own troubling secret. But will this secret hold the key to banishing her ghost for good? And will Libby finally find the peace she desires?
