Hippo Halloween with Jane Gilheaney Barry

It's that spooky time of year again so what better time to be chatting to an author who has written an eerie tale about witches and magic. *Insert evil laugh here* 😈

I'm delighted to welcome Jane Gilheaney Barry to The Hippo today to talk about her book Cailleach~Witch and to ask her some suitably scary questions!

                                                      Blurb

A LITTLE SPOOKY, A LITTLE QUIRKY, A WHOLE LOT OF ATMOSPHERE AND MYSTERY...

Dara Cleary and her sisters are returning to their childhood home in the west of Ireland, where the aunts still live. Dara is seeking revenge for an incident that happened ten years earlier and was the reason for their leaving.

But when they arrive they find a far bigger story waiting for them. They are Bean Feasa, witches, bound to the Cailleach, a paranormal landscape witch. Now is the time of reckoning, and Dara and her sisters must face formidable odds to complete their family’s quest for freedom.

A beautifully lyrical and eerie tale, with touches of magic and an abiding sense of atmosphere and place.
Jane Gilheaney Barry drives her cast of memorable women at lightning pace through the landscape and climate of Ireland's wild west.

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I love a good spooky story and this one sounds perfect for reading on Halloween. If you like the sound of this as much as I do then you might be pleased to hear that you can download a copy - which will appear, as if by magic, on your reading device - for only 99p.

Now that you know about the book let's introduce you all to Jane, the lady behind the words.

Photo courtesy of Jane Gilheaney Barry

Jane Gilheaney Barry is author of CAILLEACH~WITCH, a modern gothic, mystery novel. And founder of creative lifestyle blog and brand That Curious Love of Green with over 25,000 followers.

With a passion for writing, creativity, freedom, and the creative path, Jane and That Curious Love of Green are becoming a go-to source for creativity inspiration. When she’s not writing, Jane is in demand as a workshop facilitator and retreat host.

Jane lives outside Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim, in the north west of Ireland, with her family; husband Adrian, and children, stylist Shaylyn Gilheaney, Saoirse, ten, and Sadhbh, seven.

A keen photographer, nature lover, stylist, and artist, Jane’s professional background is PR, Arts Management, Art Therapy, and Project Design.
Follow Jane at That Curious Love of Green on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thatcuriousloveofgreen Sign up to her mailing list at www.thatcuriousloveofgreen.com and find her on instagram @janegilheaneybarry

For workshops and press email janebarry17@gmail.com

So let's get down to some spooky chat.

Would you rather know the date of your death or the cause of your death?

The cause. I love a challenge. There might be something I could do about it if I knew, that would inspire me. The date would be a disaster. I'd be obsessed!

Which serial killer do you find most fascinating and why?

Does Dracula count? 

I think Dracula would count Jane but only if it’s this one

And not this one!

If you were trapped on an island would you rather resort to cannibalism or die of starvation?

Cannibalism all the way.

Would you rather see the ghost of a stranger or of someone that you love?

A stranger. Don't think I could cope with the other.

Would you ever stay the night in an abandoned house that was supposedly haunted?

Never. Houses are scary at night. All houses. 

If you met a vampire would you let it bite you for eternal life or would you shove a stake in its heart?

Depends on the vampire. If it's Matthew Goode then yes, he can bite me any day. 

I had to Google him but now I recognise him from A Discovery of Witches!

If you could only wear one Halloween costume for the rest of your life what would it be and why?

Has to be a witch. It's always been a witch.

You’re in a horror movie, are you the final girl, the first to die, the comic relief, the sceptic, the smart one or the killer?

The killer. 

You’re starting to scare me now Jane😱

If you’re home alone and you hear footsteps in your house what would you do?

That's a secret.

Whilst watching a scary movie are you the person who yells at the characters, the person with their hands over their eyes the whole time or the person that falls asleep?

Hands over my eyes, watching through my finger shield.

Name something you wouldn’t want to run into in a dark forest or an old abandoned building.

A man.

What’s your favourite scary book?

Bram Stoker's Dracula or Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.

Would you ever got to a graveyard at night?

I would indeed. 

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I think I'm definitely going to be having nightmares tonight now but I'd like to thank Jane for stopping by today to freak me out . . . erm, I mean chat with me.

Don't forget to check out her book Cailleach~Witch and if you've already read it, I'd love to know what you thought about it so please leave me a comment.

Have a very Happy 'Hippo' Halloween and watch out for the ghosts and ghouls. Stay safe!