This past week we gave the spotlight to The Ancient Ones, Cassandra L. Thompson’s Dark Fantasy novel, the first book in The Ancient Ones series. Our Roadies brought a wide selection of content to this show with their reviews, interviews and more. Now it’s time to bring the show to an end and it’s my pleasure to present you with the encore, including some extra content. Come and learn a bit more about the world of The Ancient Ones through our Q&A with Cassandra! And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
Shall we?


Gothic horror writer Cassandra L. Thompson has been creating stories since she got her grubby little hands around a pen. An Ohio native, she earned her BA in History from Cleveland State and her MLIS from Kent State. When she is not busy managing a house full of feral children (human and canine), you can find her wandering around cemeteries, taking pictures of abandoned things, exploring lonely patches of woods, or in the library doing research. She is the founder of the gothic fiction press, Quill & Crow Publishing House and she writes short horror stories for her blog, Tales From the Shadows.
Connect with Cassandra L. Thompson


Some things are not meant to die …
When David stumbles upon a tragic young woman in a sordid Limehouse pub, he has no idea she’d recognize him as the last vampyre alive, nor that she’d be the one to pull out his story. Yet as he recalls his life from the sweltering vineyards of Ancient Rome to the cold horrors of Medieval Romania – as well as his tumultuous past with the mad and mysterious Lucius – he realizes she is much more than what she seems.
Gothic horror and mythological fantasy blend seamlessly together in this thrilling adventure, breathing new life into vampire lore as it reveals its true origins. The Ancient Ones is a tale of myth, mayhem, and magic … with a dash of romance that bites.

Click on the blog name to read their full review or other content!

SEPTEMBER 26TH – THE KICKOFF
Whispers & Wonder – interview + IG spotlight @whispersandwonder

SEPTEMBER 27TH
Armed with A Book – interview, excerpt
Westveil Publishing – review
“Set in London in the middle of the 19th Century, The Ancient Ones balances intriguing romance with compelling action and demands that you stay right where you are and keep turning those pages. On top of that, the descriptions and prose in this book are beautiful!”
@all.you.read.is.love – review + IG spotlight
“A dark, gothic tale of lore and love, The Ancient Ones takes readers on a journey through time as ancient gods, reborn time and time again, seek each other throughout the centuries. Their eternal love is the backbone of the story, but it’s steeped in myth and the macabre and absolutely drenched in seamless, intricate imagery.”

SEPTEMBER 28TH
Geeky Galaxy – review
“My favourite part, 100%, is the mixing of pretty much every mythology I could come up with in one origin story and one explanation that was really well done. As a huge fan of reading about a variety of pantheons and mythologies, that section definitely appealed to me.”
A Part of Your Book World – spotlight
@vamplit – review + IG spotlight
“Thompson’s vampire mythology blends the religions of the ancient world into a unique creation that feels both familiar and new. She crafted a world where ideas become gods and one darkness god has gotten a taste for our plane of existence, even if it takes sacrifices to keep him there.”

SEPTEMBER 29TH
Dragon Hourglass – excerpt
@apocketfuloftomes – review + IG spotlight
“It’s beautifully written with vivid descriptions that set the tone of a dark and gothic story. It flawlessly blended various mythologies, religions, magic, and history.”
@Chapter.mjthomas – review + IG spotlight
“The story talks a lot about gods but also about the creation of vampires, werewolves and similar fantasy beasts. I have read a fair share of mythological fantasies and fusion mythological fantasies and this is the best ever. This masterpiece truly deserves 5 🌟. No doubt.”

SEPTEMBER 30TH
Beneath A Thousand Skies – review
“If you want a dark tale as the night draws in, a vampire tale with a difference, and one that will make you think and feel and lose yourself in the pages, then this is the book for you.”
@ofproseandspells – review + IG spotlight
“Overall, The Ancient One is a brilliant, gothic fiction that smoothly sucks you in. I highly recommend it if you enjoy vampire lore with fantastic world building and interesting characters.”
@thebookwebb – review + IG spotlight
“What this book does really well, however, is that it manages to create a dark, gothic atmosphere, while at the same time creating immersive historical settings, that have clearly been well-researched. The story as a whole felt like an epic journey and while I read an ARC of this book for review purposes, I will definitely be continuing with this series purely for my reading pleasure.”

OCTOBER 1ST
Jessica Belmont – review
“This historical story, like, and myth is so realistic. This is both fascinating and enthralling. The writing is beautiful and I couldn’t put this down.”
Kayla C. Reviews – review
“The narrative was dark, compelling, and addictive. The deep, poignant characters swept me off my feet while the realistic, varied settings held me rapt. Thompson’s writing style was so smooth that I hated having to put this book down even for a second. I found the historical scope of the novel impressive, and the way the characters’ lives were woven into the timeline of our world was interesting.”
@thenerdynook – review + IG spotlight
“This novel has some of the best writing that I have read in quite some time. Can I award it more than five stars?! From the very beginning, I felt transported directly into the story. I was thrilled to discover that this is the first book in a trilogy, as I could read Thompson’s lyrical and melancholy writing endlessly. I can’t think of a single aspect that I didn’t enjoy.”


What inspires your writing? Do you listen to music, stare into the fire, listen to the whispering of the wind, make deals with the Devil?
It’s funny you should mention my good friend Lucifer. He and I go way back, so for Book Two of The Ancient Ones Trilogy (Liminality), he came over for a fireside chat to tell me his side of things. Other than that, my greatest inspiration is nature. Whenever I’m hiking in the woods or on a long car ride through the country, my mind goes wild.

Describe an asylum set in the world of your book, The Ancient Ones!
Bethlehem Hospital, also known as Bedlam, stands opulent in facade. Inside the grandiose building, however, is a dank and despairing prison filled with poor souls trapped behind within its moldering walls. It is a place no man ever wants to find himself, the cries of the mad echoing from behind its gates, a warning to all who walk past of the horrors that await them if they neglect their duties to society.

Your MC is locked in an asylum. What did he/she do to end up there?
His brother, Lucius, probably set him up. I wouldn’t worry though. He’s got powers and friends in high places so I’m sure he won’t be there for long.

Which fictional character (it can be one of yours) and/or author would you like to live with in an asylum and why?
I’d want Morrigan (my character/an ancient goddess) to hang out with me so she can break us out. She and I both hate being stuck anywhere.

While you are locked in here for eternity, we will allow you one book – what would you choose?
Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour

Well then, we hope you’ll enjoy your stay in the Asylum! Any last words? *locks door*




Grab a copy of The Ancient Ones!


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