Celia Breslin is revisting my blog today with a favorite post which first appeared here last year during my October Goosebumps special. (Thought this would be a good day to decorate my blog for Halloween) Celia writes Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance at Champagne Books. She’s one of those authors I’ll be able to say “I knew her when …”I’ve read and LOVE all her books. Can’t wait to get my hands on her new one—Destiny—and share a review here. Why not buy the first two books in the award-winning Tranquilli series to be ready for the new release.
Fun facts not in my bio: Joss Whedon rules–The Cabin In The Woods is my current, favorite movie, and I’ve been known to walk around tossing out movie quotes from it. I’m not a morning person, so don’t talk to me before 8AM, unless you’re my trainer and we’re kicking serious exercise butt! Other random tidbits… Love Asian food, especially Thai and Japanese. Cinnamon addict. I have a tattoo I designed myself.
I originally wrote this post to honor my grandmother. She inspired my writer’s journey with the many stories she told me throughout my childhood. It was originally posted during Halloween month because what better way to celebrate this fun holiday than with a spooky story? Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
I grew up listening to my Irish grandmother’s stories about the Fae, including her encounter with a Banshee in her cellar when she was a teenager. Of her many stories, this is my favorite.
Bumped by the Banshee
By Celia Breslin
(Based on actual events as recounted by her grandmother)
I lived in a large two-story house with my parents, sister and grandmother. It was a cold, winter evening, nothing special or out of the ordinary. The family dined together, then my sister and I cleaned up while our parents and grandmother drank tea. We joined them at the dining table to do our homework, but my grandmother said she was tired and went upstairs to bed. My parents followed shortly after that, but my father paused on the landing.
“Maeve, it’s going to be a cold night. Fetch us some coal, please.”
I abandoned my homework, grabbed the empty coal bucket from the kitchen, and went down into the cellar. I filled my bucket and returned to the stairs. I had one foot on the first step when the temperature in the cellar, already cold, dropped dramatically. Chills ran down my back. Behind me, someone moaned.
But how could that be? I was alone…
Terror rooted me to the spot. The keening grew louder. I dropped my bucket and covered my ears. A cold wind bumped against my back. I stumbled forward as the shrieking wind rushed over me and up the stairs.
But how could that be? The cellar had no windows…
Above me, the cellar door slammed shut. The sound broke me from my stupor. I screamed and ran from the cellar, through the kitchen and dining room, up the stairs to my room. My parents and sister found me under my bed, shaking like a puppy lost in a snowstorm.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” They asked me, while pulling me from my hiding place.
“I heard the Banshee wail.”
We stared at each other in silence, all of us reaching the same conclusion moments later. We hurried to my grandmother’s room.
She was dead.
Copyright 2013, Celia Breslin. No part of this family story may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical without permission from the author. Rita Bay has my permission. 🙂
Destiny
Urban Fantasy with Romantic Elements from Champagne Books
November 3, 2014 (available now for pre-order!)
Vampires, love, mayhem…all in a day’s work for Carina.
In HAVEN, San Francisco nightclub owner Carina Tranquilli survives a vicious attack by her vampire family’s longtime archenemies. Several weeks later, as she struggles with PTSD and survivor’s guilt, supervillain Dixon resurfaces and kidnaps two of her best friends. To save them, Carina must comply with the evil bastard’s unusual demands. The kicker? She must tell no one what she is up to.
Meanwhile, she has a new dance club to open for the preternatural community, a fated soul mate acting secretive and distant, and a sexy, new, undead friend who’d love to take Alexander’s place in her heart and bed.
Blackmailed, betrayed, tempted…sometimes destiny has a wicked sense of humor.
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