FOREST OF WHISPERS
Raised by an old
fortune-teller within the dark veil of the Bavarian Black Forest, Rune has
learned two valuable lessons: only take from the forest that which you can use,
and never, never look anyone in the eye in the village. For
something terrible happened in the forest long ago . . . and now, the whispers
of a long-dead mother with a vengeful secret have come haunting.
Forced to flee all
she has ever known, Rune soon learns of a legacy she is bound to -- one that is
drenched in fear, witchcraft and murder -- a birthright that stretches beyond
the grave to the trees where Rune is no longer safe.
CASTLE OF SIGHS
Some
secrets cannot be kept--in life or in death.
Months have passed since Rune has heard a single whisper from her long-dead mother, the great witch of Bavaria. But the absence of one evil has only made room for another. After rightfully inheriting her ancestral home, Pyrmont Castle, Rune settles into a quiet life taking care of two orphans left in the wake of the terrible witch hunt that claimed dozens of lives in the nearby village. As the days grow colder, the castle’s secrets beckon, and something darker seems to have been awakened, as well.
Rune finds herself roaming where no one has set foot in a long time. In the bowels of the fortress is a locked room full of memories that hang like cobwebs--shelves stacked with jars, strange specimens, putrid liquids, and scrolls of spells. Rune is undeniably drawn to what she finds there, and she begins to dabble in the possibilities of magic, hoping she will find a cure for the strangeness overwhelming the castle.
And the key may lie in the dark forest she once called home and the boy she thought she knew.
Months have passed since Rune has heard a single whisper from her long-dead mother, the great witch of Bavaria. But the absence of one evil has only made room for another. After rightfully inheriting her ancestral home, Pyrmont Castle, Rune settles into a quiet life taking care of two orphans left in the wake of the terrible witch hunt that claimed dozens of lives in the nearby village. As the days grow colder, the castle’s secrets beckon, and something darker seems to have been awakened, as well.
Rune finds herself roaming where no one has set foot in a long time. In the bowels of the fortress is a locked room full of memories that hang like cobwebs--shelves stacked with jars, strange specimens, putrid liquids, and scrolls of spells. Rune is undeniably drawn to what she finds there, and she begins to dabble in the possibilities of magic, hoping she will find a cure for the strangeness overwhelming the castle.
And the key may lie in the dark forest she once called home and the boy she thought she knew.
My Top Ten Spooky Places to Visit:
The Catacombs of Paris - I mean, walls made of skulls. How can that NOT be creepy?
The Catacombs of Paris - I mean, walls made of skulls. How can that NOT be creepy?
Alcatraz - I've heard this place is haunted. Not sure if that's true but that makes it creepy enough for me!
Greystone Psychitric Hospital - I just found out this place got torn down. But when it was still up and hovering on the side of the road as you drove by? CHILLS!
Pripyat, Ukraine (Chernobyl)- Totally abandoned since the nuclear disaster, this place is desolate to say the least!
Isla de las Muñecas - Island of the Dolls is a STRANGE place! Home of hundreds of terrifying dolls with severed limbs. I am so not a doll person, and creepy dolls? GAH!
Chapel of Bones in Portugal - Yep, more bones. Because Paris wasn't enough! I mean, how can this not be creepy to you?
Hill of Crosses - 100,000 crosses all in one place? And the Pope calls it a place of peace and love? Um...I just find it totally bizarre. And I can't imagine what kind of shadows those crosses throw at night!
Pompeii, Italy Garden of Fugitives - So this place is quite interesting. And I would definitely like to visit some day. I just think I'd probably stay away from all those mummified bodies!
Mt. St. Michel, France - So not creepy in and of itself but I can say when I visited I was terrified of what would happen if I was there at the wrong time and tide came rolling in. To go from a footpath out to surrounded by water? Sounds too claustrophobic for me!
Nara Dreamland, Japan - I think there's nothing more creepy than an abandoned roller coaster. I mean, plants growing through the tracks, no one around? I'm sure the coaster makes all sorts of creaking sound at night! *shivers*
So, tell me, are any of these places on your creepy list? Are there places on your list I didn't mention? Let us know in the comments!
Jennifer Murgia writes moody fiction for teens—from paranormal
fantasy (ANGEL STAR, LEMNISCATE, THE BLISS), to contemporary gut-punchers
(BETWEEN THESE LINES). Her latest, FOREST OF WHISPERS, a 17th century
historical mystery (about witches!) was a School Library Journal Fall 2014 HOT
TITLE, and a 2014 Moonbeam Children’s Literature Award Winner. The sequel,
CASTLE OF SIGHS, released October 27, 2015 from Spencer Hill Press. She is the
co-founder and coordinator of YA FEST and currently resides in Pennsylvania.
Literary Representation:
Connect with Jennifer:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.murgia
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMurgia
10/21: EAPL
Teens – Top Ten Witchy Reads – Graphic #1
10/22:
Heather Cox – Top Ten Creepy YA books – Graphic #2
10/23: Penny
Kriston Wright – Top Ten Creepy movies – Graphic #3
10/24:
Ashley Supinski – Top Ten Creepy YA books – Graphic #4
10/25:
Melissa Krampert Hoppe – Top Ten Creepy Destinations – Graphic #5
10/26:
Adriana Lister – Top Ten Creepy Destinations – Graphic #6
10/27:
Zachary Flye – Top Ten Creepy YA books – Graphic #7
10/28: Paula
Micahella Bulos – Top Ten Urban Legends – Graphic #8
10/29:
Brooke DelVecchio - Top Ten Creepy
Destinations – Graphic #9
10/30:
Kimberly Rouleau – Top Ten Urban Legends – Graphic #10
Awesome giveaway!!
ReplyDeleteForest of Whispers by Jennifer Murgia is a great read based on Bavarian witch hunting in the 17th century and a bit on the Salem Witch Trials. Mixed with historical facts and fiction, Forest of Whispers pulled me in and I read it straight through to the end!
ReplyDelete