Thursday, January 6, 2011

A Banshee, Baby!

We interrupt this Thursday for an emergency announcement: I seem to have a new book deal. Here's the blurb from Publisher's Marketplace:

Children's: Middle grade
Author of SMALL PERSONS WITH WINGS and THE UNNAMEABLES Ellen Booraem's CONNOR'S BANSHEE, in which a Irish-American boy is visited by a banshee prophetizing death for someone in his family, again to Kathy Dawson at Dial Children's, in a nice deal, for publication in Spring 2012, by Kate Schafer Testerman at kt literary (World).


This is why I've been reading up about early Celtic homelife, just to get a handle on where my banshee came from and what she might be like. As you probably know, some old Irish families (usually those with an "O" in front of their names) have their own banshees, spectral woman who wail when someone's about to die. Mine's the spirit of a young girl who died too early--one variant on the tradition as conveyed by Katharine Briggs, queen of folktales from the British Isles. The entire book popped into my head almost fully armed when I was flipping through one of Briggs's books. That seems like it might be a good sign.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Thursday.


17 comments:

Ruth said...

Congratulations!!! I hope your inner ear muffs are working properly... are they pink and fluffy?

Ellen Booraem said...

Not pink, oh dear no, not pink. Turquoise. With extra fluff.

StarlingUK said...

Woohoo!

(oooEEEEoooEEEEEEEEOOoo)

Ellen Booraem said...

That's actually the sound I made when I read "spring 2012" in actual print. That's like, next year, isn't it?

Guess I'd better stop reading and get writing, hey?

Anonymous said...

Squeeeee!!!!!!!!!!

I came over to see whether the new book deal meant you already had the idea for the new book! :D

But..."prophetizing"...??? :P

Anne, who couldn't get OpenID to work this time

Ellen Booraem said...

Hey, English is a constantly evolving language! ;-D

StarlingUK said...

Evolving as in "when Ellen spells it wrong it's evolved and this is how it shall be spelled for all time, hear ye, year ye."

Ellen Booraem said...

Hmmm. Good ploy. Think it'll work when we play scrabble with my friend Lisa tonight?

Peppergnome said...

Congratulations Ellen, from all of the Gnome family! Looking forward to reading it. We so enjoy your novels!

Sue

Anonymous said...

I thought it was a rule to make up words while playing scrabble, and then claim the dictionary is too old to have said word. Or at least that`s how we always played it.....Congrats on an idea so soon, now get writing! (where is Donna`s whip when you need it?)

Kzspot

Ellen Booraem said...

Thanks, Pepper &KZ.

Yes'm. I'm getting right to work.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations!!! This is so very exciting! Looking forward to reading it. :)

Connie

Deva Fagan said...

Yaaaaaay! Can't wait to read it! Big congratulations!

On an unrelated note: are you doing any Maine events for the release of SPWW? I'd love to see you and get a copy in person!

Ellen Booraem said...

Deva, I just emailed you. Love to see you sometime, though!

Amo ;) said...

That's super awesome, Ellen! Congratulations.
Georgie x

Anonymous said...

Brilliant news!

Kiki Hamilton said...

Congratulations Ellen! Sounds intriguing!