Where Echoes Lie

Where Echoes Lie

YA chiller
"The ending is my favorite part. The rise of the moonbow
illuminating the ghost bride as she wanders, heartbroken, through the
darkness. Ever searching for what she lost.
Except, as it turns out, that's not the end of the story at all.
It's only the beginning."
In my quest to bring you, my readers, the widest possible range
of spooky stories for this lead up to Halloween I have even included
one with decidedly romantic overtones. And you know I generally avoid
romance stories like I avoid COVID contamination.
Rena Faye, protagonist of Shannon Schuren's Where Echoes Lie,
has grown up with the legend of the ghost bride, an unfortunate girl
who, dressed for her wedding, waited under a full moon on a bluff
overlooking a waterfull. She saw his home go up in flames.
Despondant, she lept to her death. Only part of her never left. The
legend and the moonbows that draw people to her small Kentucky town
are what keep her family's motel in business.
On her first day of the summer before her senior year Rena Faye
learns that the legend is a lot more personal for her. She's visiting
Malice, her grandmother who is well known for her story telling and
sees stories as oral history. Malice tells her that a curse ties her
family to the ghost bride. The curse can only be broken by settling
the ghost's unfinished business. It's up to Rena Faye who will be in
peril until she accomplishes this mission.
Rena Faye has ample reason to believe that she's, if not cursed,
at least not listened to. She's determined to major in photography in
college. Her parents will only help out financially if she pursues
the business degree that will enable her to someday run the motel.
They've just vetoed the month long road trip she and Malice had been
planning as a way for her to build her portfolio. Instead her whole
vacation will be spent as unpaid chambermaid for the family business,
being bossed around by big brother, Graham. And long term boyfriend,
Chase, is planning a future for them that doesn't take any of her
hopes or plans into consideration.
It looks like Rena Faye has enough on her plate without tackling
the phantom curse. But time is not on her side. If she can't make
things right that summer the curse is going to steal from her
everything she values.
There is really such a thing as a moonbow. In 2005 Schuren
visited the site of the story and was enchanted enough to write a
"snippet" of a story, one she set aside. Fifteen years later her
agent encouraged her to flesh it out. When you read the story you
will probably join me in feeling grateful that she did.
On a purrrsonal note, it was a weather dreary (drizzles to downpours)
but productive weekend. Eugene was away. I did homework and blogging
and writing and housework. My favorite part was Tobago spending the
whole night in bed with me. She's so soft and warm. I'm lucky to
have her. (Jules)
That was my favorite part too. We had a slumber party. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene who got back safely.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway



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