Giveaway - The Extraordinary Florence Stoker by Karen Brooks
From a bestselling, award-winning author, Karen Brooks, comes a compellingly realised story of an enigmatic figure, the beautiful 19th century muse and brilliant social powerhouse, Florence Stoker, whose life, in spite of her many gifts, was overshadowed by one of the most abiding and terrifying of contemporary culture's monsters, the vampire Dracula - her own husband's creation.
About The Extraordinary Florence Stoker
Dublin, 1878. When the witty and beautiful Florence Balcombe marries up-and-coming theatre impresario and putative novelist Bram Stoker, and her dazzling literary salons make her the darling of the literary, theatre and art worlds in London, no-one is surprised. So what if she came from humble beginnings and her prior engagement to Oscar Wilde was inexplicably broken off, she was always exceptional. Besides, none of that matters now she moves in exalted circles and Bram is managing the Lyceum for Henry Irving, the leading actor of his generation.
But appearances can be deceptive. Bram is in thrall to the tyrannical narcissist Henry, who is draining the life from him, and his distance from his marriage bed is noticeable. Dear friend Oscar is in court for gross indecency and Florence is afraid - for her family, of the secret she keeps and of the visions of a monstrous fanged demon that haunts her by day and night.
But Florence will fight for her family and rid herself of the threats - both real and phantom - that plague her, even if it threatens her own sanity.
After all, no ordinary monster can confound the extraordinary Florence Stoker.
About Karen Brooks
Karen Brooks is the author of seventeen books, an academic of more than twenty years' experience, a newspaper columnist and social commentator, and has appeared regularly on national TV and radio. Before turning to academia, she was an army officer for five years, and prior to that dabbled in acting.
She lives in Hobart, Tasmania, in a beautiful stone house with its own marvellous history. When she's not writing, she's helping her husband Stephen in his brewstillery, Captain Bligh's, or cooking for family and friends, travelling, cuddling and walking her dog, Bounty, or curled up with a great book and dreaming of more stories
How to enter:
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Leave a comment on our Instagram, Facebook or below to go into the draw. 5 winners will be drawn via Random.org
Contest ends 16 September 2026 AEST. Good luck!
The contest is limited to Australian readers only.