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Heather Graham

Dear Librarians,

CRY OF THE BANSHEE, with 1001 Dark Nights, was a great deal of fun for me and a bit of a trip down memory lane. My mom emigrated from Ireland and I spent a lot of time with her family when I was a child.

My great-grandmother sometimes watched my sister and me. (My mom's mom died of pneumonia soon after they arrived in the States.)

Granny was great. Her brogue was so heavy that people sometimes asked me to interpret but her tales were fantastic. My dad once told me she was the strongest five-foot, ninety-pound being he had ever met. While my grandfather worked and established a residency, she made the arrangements to move the family to the States — not an easy task since so many family members were trying to make the trip.

But, by the time I came along, it was all great. And Granny was a fantastic babysitter. Fannie Mae had candy, took me on great trips to museums, and told wonderful tales. To make us behave, she warned us: "If you not be behavin', the banshees be gettin' you in the outhouse!"

She threatened that so well that we were teenagers before we realized we didn't have an outhouse.

But her stories were phenomenal — all about pixies, fairies, leprechauns, and more. We needed to know that, sometimes, things aren't always as they seem.

CRY OF THE BANSHEE is for Granny, and wishing we could go back and hold more tightly to the things we don't realize will be so precious when we're older.

I so hope you enjoy this tale. And, hey... Ireland. It's a wonderful country if you're able to take a trip — or if you happen to be there already.

Thanks for reading this.

Heather Graham
www.1001DarkNights.com