But while I was researching these creatures, I was surprised to discover how many cultures around the world were populated with the same legendary beings. Other supernatural entities, like the fifolet, the cauchemar, and the chasse-galerie, were taken directly from Louisiana folklore.
The Johnny revenants, reanimated corpses of Civil War soldiers, were influenced by the Viking draugr. The Hara-hand, a creepy, crawling severed human hand was modeled after the Spanish la mano peluda. The shrieking, window-breaking bayou banshee was a customized version of the traditional Irish and Scottish banshee. The ones I decided upon fell into two categories: those I borrowed directly from traditional folklore, and those I created by combining traits from other legendary creatures and adapting them to fit into the swampy Louisiana environment.įor example, the Acadian fang worm, a large, irritable worm that spits blinding venom, was inspired by the Mongolian death worm believed to inhabit the Gobi Desert. I turned to these books often while researching which mythical monsters I wanted to include in WITCH GIRL. My interest in all things spooky continues to this day, and I’ve built up a collection of field guides and encyclopedias featuring supernatural beings from around the world. My fascination with them probably began when I was quite young, and I’d sneak into my older brother’s room to read his monster magazines and scary comics. The most enjoyable part of the process was populating Evangeline’s world with an assortment of mythical monsters.įor as far back as I can remember, I’ve been intrigued by creepy creatures. Making sure the action and excitement in WITCH GIRL continued from page one till “the end” was a challenge, but I had a lot of fun doing it.
With so many other sources of entertainment vying for kids’ attention, hooking them from the first sentence and never letting them go is essential.
Writing books for children is a dream job, but it’s also hard work. POPULATING WITCH GIRL’S WORLD WITH MYTHICAL MONSTERS When she and Gran are called to a creepy old mansion for work, she encounters a monster who’s been after her family for generations and a secret that will shake her to the tips of her silver-toed boots…Ī story of loyalty and determination, the powerful bonds of friendship and family, and having the courage to face your fears. 12-year-old Evangeline is apprentice to her witch grandmother, who spends her days and night studying the ways of magic and superstition, honing her skills hunting down banshees and other creatures of the night.
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