Ravens Hollow
RRP: $22.95
Author Bio
Judith’s main passion through her life has been painting, exhibiting in Victoria through the 1970s, then through to the 2000s in Queensland. The solo exhibition “Wisdom in a Wicker Basket” based around the strengths of woman came with the idea to accompany each painting with a meaningful poem, thus inspiring her interest in writing. An idea for a story emerged but the many scribbles, words and sentences that were written over the years stayed hidden. Now, living in Ballarat, confidence came when Judith joined her U3A writing group. Listening and learning from other writers and the encouragement that came from likeminded people allowed the story to be finished. The development of Ravens Hollow was a journey to live with the characters and walk in their footsteps. Judith's hope is that they will come alive and speak to others. Judith has dedicated her first novel to her father who was an avid reader and writer that never achieved publication.
Ravens Hollow
RRP: $22.95
Ravens are the sentinels that watch over the town of lost souls…
Ravens Hollow is a hauntingly beautiful story of facing confrontations from the past and overcoming the terrifying bleakness of the future.
Set in a small, central Victorian town, rooted in the gold rush of 1851, Lee Ping, a Chinese migrant and gold digger, is murdered and his soul left to drift; trapped in the eternal terror of Ravens Hollow.
Ravens Hollow follows families haunted by the dead as they become trapped within their final resting place.
With the dead watching and the living often providing no comfort; family secrets are forced to be revealed as a dim hope for peace is craved.
With secrets finally revealed too late, the implications of Ravens Hollow are profoundly emotional and tragic for all residents.
"Begin by reading Rook’s poem, The Sentinels. Don’t just read it, re-read it. Then sit back, have a coffee, and let it enter your realization that you are about to take on the weight of black lines like these,
We are the Judge and Jury.
We dispatch
We execute
We rectify.
Now pick up your gold mining tools, turn the page, and enter Ravens Hollow. It is Victoria, 1851 and you will be kicked to death on page 4. The Ravens will be delighted as they peck your eyes out and wrench strips of flesh from your body, for at least, you, like innocent Lee Ping, cannot desecrate their land anymore. And, like Lee Ping, your soul might float into the abyss. Over years, you may become a member of the lost soul community, still looking down on a once, gold-fevered town.
But what if you don’t die on page 4? You, like the author, will stay until the end. Rook will take you through generations of the Born and Bred, unraveling, and revealing their horrific secrets. She will show compassion for the new-comers and the returners, drawn to this strange town where Ravens still flap and listen for the sounds of desecration.
Like a brilliant puppeteer, Rook shows complete control over all her characters. She pulls the strings and her characters do as they are told. We will recognize ourselves at some point in Ravens Hollow, for Judith Rook is a master at capturing the slightest blink of ‘give-away’ human behavior." Jan Price, poet, painter & photographer
“An unnerving, well written tale of terror and a great new work by a new author learning the craft… Enjoyable read...” Tabitha, Indie Book reviewer
