Countenance by Joy Ross Davis

Countenance by Joy Ross Davis

Countenance is a suspenseful yet heartfelt story full of intrigue and unexpected revelations, where magic is made in the kitchen and angels can fall in love. Memorable characters inhabit a home that is more than it seems, and unwittingly prepare for a final showdown where forces battle for the souls of both those who reside there and the dead who cannot move on to the next realm. Thirty-eight-year-old Nealey Monaghan's life is turned upside-down one night when her sister's estranged ex-husband kills nearly everyone she loves in one fell swoop. Numb to the world, Nealey is taken in by her charmingly eccentric Aunt Sylvie, cookbook author and proprietress of the Playhouse Inn Bed and Breakfast in the hills of Tennessee. Hoping to help her niece find purpose and meaning in her life again, Sylvie makes Nealey a coowner and begins teaching her the tricks of the trade...and the secrets of the house.

Unbeknownst to either of them, nor to the ghost relatives who have lived there since they were murdered in 1889, there is a common thread running through their veins, and a deep secret that is dying to come out...

Joy Ross Davis is more than an eloquent story teller! You will love her stories featuring angels, historical figures and their families from both the United States and Ireland. Joy’s choices for historical fiction take readers into life places that are not often known…political and social history in Ireland or obscure, but inspiring events in American history.

Joy Ross Davis is a student of the lore and magic of the back hills of Tennessee. She writes imaginative fiction featuring unusual angels as main characters. Her novel, Countenance, won a Silver Medal of Excellence in an international readers' awards contest. She has lived and worked in Alabama for most of her life. She has a Ph.D in Creative Writing, and for many years, taught English at a local community college. She retired to become a caregiver for her mother who suffered from dementia. She wrote her first novel shortly after her mother's death. For several months in 2007, she lived in Ireland and worked as a travel writer and photographer. She lives in Alabama with her son and three rescue dogs.

“My fur-buddies, Murphy, Sophie and Maddy Lou help me get the words in the right order. The characters in my novels and stories frequently find their lives enriched by a special dog. In Countenance, an Irish Wolfhound, LuLu, plays a special role. The old beggar has a special friend to share a warm spot and simple meals when available.” Joy