LAKE CRESCENT — A new paranormal suspense novel from a veteran writer has transformed Lake Crescent into a place where death isn’t the worst thing that can happen to those who wander near the water.
Yasmine Galenorn’s Autumn Thorns takes place in a darkly mysterious West End where it’s not safe to walk in the woods, by the water or at home, or even to be a patient in the local hospital.
Autumn Thorns, promised to be the first of a new eight-to-12-novel series, was released in paperback and electronic editions Oct. 27.
On the north shore of Galenorn’s darkly magical vision of Lake Crescent, the Lady of the Lake routinely takes the lives of those she desires, the Crow Man and his flock are harbingers of danger, ghosts and ghouls walk the town’s streets, and some of the human residents aren’t too friendly either.
Protagonist Kerris Fellwater’s family has lived in Whisper Hollow for generations, but Kerris has fled her angry, verbally abusive and controlling grandfather to live in Seattle, where she has spent the past decade as a barista.
However, her grandparents have been taken by the Lady of the Lake, and she must return home to take up her grandmother’s post as the town’s spirit shaman, to guide restless spirits to their final resting place and to protect town residents from the things that go bump in the night.
There, she teams up with her guardian shape-shifter, a deadly violinist who lulls spirits to rest with music and a team of local residents dedicated to supporting her work in keeping the dead at bay.
Inspired by PT
Galenorn, a Seattle-based author who has published 40 books, said the idea of a spirit shaman in the old Celtic pagan tradition working on the North Olympic Peninsula was inspired during a visit to Port Townsend.
“The energy there just hit me, the entire Peninsula,” she said.
Galenorn said that after exploring more of the area’s moss-covered trees and deep, dark waters, as well as learning the rich tapestry of legends and tales, the Whisper Hollow community came to life in her mind.
Most of the antagonists and allies Fellwater will deal with in the books are from Celtic myths and legends, and some native traditions, such as some variation on the Sasquatch, and others entirely from her own imagination, she said.
There is also an element of mystery as Fellwater finds herself investigating very human crimes, including disappearances and murders.
Rather than selecting a real town to set her stories where it is easy to get a local detail wrong, Galenorn said she prefers to create her own places and weave in references to nearby real places and local history.
Galenorn said Whisper Hollow was inspired by horror author Stephen King’s town of Haven and David Lynch’s quirky Twin Peaks — a town with a personality and spirit of its own.
“The town is a bit of a character itself,” she said.
The “very compact” town of 3,000 to 5,000 residents is accessed via a fictional shoreline road that runs northeast from Fairholme, located east of Camp David Junior, on the northwestern shore of Lake Crescent.
Lady of the Lake
Galenorn said her version of the Lady of the Lake was inspired by the true story of Hallie Latham Illingworth, a Port Angeles resident who was murdered in 1937 and her body weighted and dumped into Lake Crescent.
The historical account was written by Mavis Amundson, a Seattle author.
Illingworth’s body was recovered in 1940 when it floated to the surface, and clues found on her body ultimately resulted in the murder conviction of her husband, Montgomery J. “Monty” Illingworth, in 1942.
However, in Galenorn’s world, the Lady of the Lake becomes an embodiment of the lake itself, a hungry spirit that drags down anyone unlucky enough to stray close to the water and capture her attention.
“The Lady of the Lake became more than the local legend,” she said.
Galenorn has published four previous book series, all set in the Pacific Northwest, and eight nonfiction books on the metaphysical world and tradition.
Her books don’t fit neatly into any single genre.
They have been categorized as urban fantasy, adventure, romance and paranormal.
Galenorn said she has been an active shamanic witch since 1980, studies Celtic shamanic traditions and is an elder in the pagan community.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.