FROM THE PUBLISHER:
The O'Brien Family are quite attached to their 150-year-old saltbox in the Irish Loop of coastal Newfoundland. Nothing makes them happier than their summer sojourns inside its charming, rustic, 3-story walls. And Ms. O'Brien, the wife and mother, is a mainlander who hardly knows what an ocean is, or how to play tidley or read by lamplight. She and her daughter Shelley, one of a twin, and extra sensitive to the presence of ghostly entities for harmless fun, are particularly entertained by the tales of one delightful old man, Dan Hannigan. But old Dan Hannigan is harboring a terrifying secret about his past, so terrifying that he has blocked it forever in his memory box, never to be revealed, under a long-ago priest's threats of eternal doom. One dark and gloomy night when a storm suddenly raged, and the kettle, woodfire, and company of his hosts were especially inviting to the lonely old man, he caves in and tells the forbidden story. Horror unimaginable is unearthed, and the wholesome, innocent lives of a family and their friends are changed forever. Is old Dan Hannigan just a crusty old codger who stepped in a ghost path many years ago, or is he now a demon to be feared? And will the Ouija Board, in a séance conducted by a senior lady, secretive ghost chaser be enough to put the visiting ghost woman and all the other restless, angry spirits to rest? Readers should be prepared for a ghost ride to hell, and a surprise ending they will never forget!
REVIEWS: "THIS BOOK IS A PAGE TURNER! After reading the author's collections of true Newfoundland ghost stories, "Haunted Towns, Ghost Stories Of NL," and its companion volume, "Haunted Towns, Vol Two," I am hooked! I came across this book and was blown away. Based on a true story from her childhood which happened to a family friend, she weaves a tale of a House of Horrors that is reminiscent of, and can even outshine, classics such as "The Uninvited" and the Poltergeist films. This book is a page turner! In her brilliance she made sure you will NOT be prepared for the surprise ending!"....ZEB296, London, via B&N
"Based on a true Newfoundland ghost story! Reminds one of R.L. Stine, but better! Ryan-Lush fleshes out her characters! Great read! Chock full of chills!" (From Chapters, Canada's National Bookstore chain.)
"Ryan-Lush evokes classic sensibilities back into the scary-tale genre.." (Goodreads)
"Ryan-Lush a vivid, imaginative writer. One of her finest to date. B&N .
Purchased by the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Public Libraries Board for use in all libraries in the province.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Geraldine Ryan-Lush is the bestselling, multi-award-winning, prolific author of 18 books, all genres and categories, and numerous other works. She holds a B.A. ED from Memorial University of NL, and was a classroom teacher, as well as a print columnist for The Newfoundland Herald, and The Evening Telegram. Her books, some in translation, have been reviewed in sources such as School Library Journal, N.Y., Copley News Services, Washington, D.C., London Free Press, The Toronto Star, Winnipeg Free Press, Quill & Quire, Canadian Book Review Annual, Canadian Children's Literature, Canadian Materials, CBC Radio, Rogers Cable, The Observer, Montreal, Atlantic Books Today, and a plethora of other sources in the literary and popular stance. Awards and honours for her books include 4-times Winner of The Canada Book Award, for her novels The Gravel Pit Kids, and The Seashell's Lament, her rhyming books Goodbye Wart, and MumpsMania: A Runaway Virus Tale; A Best Book Of The Year, School Library Journal; American Booksellers Pick Of Lists, Merit Magazine Studio Award, Alcuin Society Design Award, Atlantic Books Today Editors' Pick, Reader's Favourite 5-Star Award. Born and raised in St. Joseph's, S.M.B, NL, she resides in Mt. Pearl.
Geraldine Ryan-Lush is the triple award-winning author of many books for children, young adults and adults. Her many titles include: Jeremy Jeckles Hates Freckles, Hairs On Bears, Poils Poils Et Repoils, Malcolm the Klutz, Malcolm and the Hamster Lady, No Go Potty, Miriam Webber Stopped Being Clever, Katie's Pictures, The Listener On The Grate, Mrs. Woods' Bread, The Adventures Of Toby Trotter, Once When I Wasn't Looking, and many others. She is also an accomplished poet. She received her Bachelor of Arts and Education at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Her books have been on the American Bookseller's Pick of the Lists, reviewed in School Library Journal, N.Y., received the Merit Magazine Studio Award, and the Alcuin Society Design Award. They are also in schools and libraries all over the world, as well as the trade market. A former columnist and classroom teacher, she excels in all genres of writing, from evocative and humorous picture books, to realistic, wacky middle grade, to exciting fiction and novels for young adults and adults. She sets her teeth into her paranormal novels and stories, utilizing her home province's tantalizing hold on the realm of the supernatural. She is daily immersed in inspiration for this genre, residing in the City Of Legends, with its juicy 500-year-old history, the oldest city in North America: St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.
