Jennet Preston was an ordinary woman, with an extraordinary death. Pursued and vilified by her young lord and master, Thomas Lister, she was accused and tried - twice - for Murder by Witchcraft in 1612. This is the story of her second trial.A friend of the Device family of Malkin Tower, Jennet Preston's story starts and ends in Yorkshire, yet is inextricably entwined with the most famous witch trial in British history - that of the Pendle Witches.Murder by Witchcraft is the first book in an exciting new series of five historical fiction short stories exploring the true life events that inspired Karen Perkins' forthcoming supernatural novel: A Question of Witchcraft.Please click 'Follow' on Amazon's Karen Perkins' author page to be notified of these upcoming releases.

Based on a true story. —————— Jennet Preston was an ordinary woman, with an extraordinary death. Pursued and vilified by her young lord and master, Thomas Lister, she was accused and tried – twice – for Murder by Witchcraft in 1612. This is the story of her second trial. A friend of the Device family of Malkin Tower, Jennet Preston’s story starts and ends in Yorkshire, yet is inextricably entwined with the most famous witch trial in British history – that of the Pendle Witches. —————— Inspired by the treacherous true events surrounding the Pendle Witch Trials, Murder by Witchcraft is a gripping historical short story, written with honesty and passion. Perfect for fans of Katherine Clements, Stacey Halls, Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Caroline Lea. “The queen of this era, bar none” – Timothy Smith, Amazon reviewer —————— What readers are saying about Karen Perkins: "I love your books!" - Rowan Coleman/Bella Ellis, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Vanished Bride and The Girl at the Window "Love your books so much, have all on Kindle and paperback" - Carole Mortimer, USA Today Bestselling Author of over 260 novels. “Great book!” – Kathleen McGurl, author of The Forgotten Gift “Ms Perkins is a true artist of the spoken word” – JJ Toner, author of The Black Orchestra “Fantastically creepy ghost story” – Lee Franklin, author of Nang Tani

A PENDLE WITCH SHORT STORY Lancashire, 1612: Fourteen-year-old Grace Sowerbutts is at a dangerous crossroads, caught between the righteous might of the local Pendle Protestants, the fury of their Catholic neighbours, and the insidious threat of witchcraft. Inspired by the true story of the Samlesbury Witches Desperate to do the right thing, Grace's family is torn apart as the local Jesuit priest in hiding - Father Christopher Southworth of Samlesbury Hall - uses her to further his personal vendetta against his nephew's widow, Jane Southworth. Jane's crime? To reject his Catholic faith and join her parish church. Therefore, she must be a witch. Now all he has to do is prove it. * * * Divided by Witchcraft is the second in a new series of historical fiction short stories examining the frenzy of witch hunting that swept the north of England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries - including the most famous, that of the Pendle Witches in 1612. Please click 'Follow' on Amazon's Karen Perkins' author page to be notified of upcoming releases.

A TRUE PENDLE WITCH SHORT STORY Lancashire, 1612: Fourteen-year-old Grace Sowerbutts is at a dangerous crossroads, caught between the righteous might of the local Pendle Protestants, the fury of their Catholic neighbours, and the insidious threat of witchcraft. Inspired by the true story of the Samlesbury Witches Desperate to do the right thing, Grace's family is torn apart as the local Jesuit priest in hiding – Father Christopher Southworth of Samlesbury Hall – uses her to further his personal vendetta against his nephew’s widow, Jane Southworth. Jane’s crime? To reject his Catholic faith and join her parish church. Therefore, she must be a witch. Now all he has to do is prove it... *** Inspired by the treacherous true events surrounding the Pendle Witch Trials, Divided by Witchcraft is a gripping historical short story, written with honesty and "audacious humour". Perfect for fans of Katherine Clements, Stacey Halls, Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Caroline Lea. “The queen of this era, bar none” – Timothy Smith, amazon reviewer *** What readers are saying about Karen Perkins: "I love your books!" - Rowan Coleman/Bella Ellis, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Diabolical Bones and The Girl at the Window "Love your books so much, have all on Kindle and paperback" - Carole Mortimer, USA Today Bestselling Author of over 260 novels. “Great book!” – Kathleen McGurl, author of The Forgotten Gift “Ms Perkins is a true artist of the spoken word” – JJ Toner, author of The Black Orchestra “Fantastically creepy ghost story” – Lee Franklin, author of Nang Tani

THE COMPLETE SET OF THREE BOOKS - The Lancashire Witches - A Romance of Pendle Forest by William Harrison Ainsworth, Esq. - The Lancashire Witches is the only one of William Harrison Ainsworth's forty novels that has remained continuously in print since its first publication. It was serialised in the Sunday Times newspaper in 1848; a book edition appeared the following year, published by Henry Colburn. The novel is based on the true story of the Pendle witches, who were executed in 1612 for causing harm by witchcraft. Modern critics such as David Punter consider the book to be Ainsworth's best work. E. F. Bleiler rated the novel "one of the major English novels about witchcraft". The subject of the Pendle witches was suggested to Ainsworth by antiquarian and long-time friend James Crossley, President of the Chetham Society. During 1846 and 1847 Ainsworth visited all of the major sites involved in the story, such as Pendle Hill and Malkin Tower, home of the Demdikes, one of the two families accused of witchcraft. He wrote the story in 1848, when it was serialised in the Sunday Times newspaper. On completion of the work, Ainsworth was paid £1,000 (equivalent to about £78,600 as of 2008), and the copyright reverted to him. As was common practice at the time, the novel was published in a three-volume set, known as a "triple decker". The first edition was produced by Henry Colburn in 1849, with the subtitle "A Romance of Pendle Forest". At £1 11s 6d, about the amount that a skilled worker could earn in a week, it was expensive. Routledge published an illustrated edition in 1854, reissued in 1878. The twelve full-page illustrations were by John Gilbert.