Shell St. James lives in an 1895 farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. A victim of insomnia, she lies awake most nights listening for the footsteps of ghosts and spinning stories in her head. Her overactive imagination is graciously indulged by her musician significant other, and enthusiastically encouraged by her spooky cat, Sam.
She writes both adult and middle grade fiction. Her short stories have appeared in :
The Periodical Forlorn
The Elephant Ladder
Share Your Scare Volume 4
The Spectre Review
La Presa Literary Journal
86Logic
Theme of Absence
3 Moon Magazine
Epoch Press
Night Terrors Volume 12
The Vanishing Point
Hippocampus Literary Magazine
Shenandoah Magazine
The Writing Quarter (contest winner)
Quibble Magazine
An excerpt of her novel "The Mermaid of Agawam Bay" was featured in Shenandoah Magazine's Fall 2021 issue, along with an accompanying essay, titled, "Let a Little Magic In."
https://shenandoahliterary.org/711/the-mermaid-of-agawam-bay/
https://shenandoahliterary.org/thepeak/let-a-little-magic-in/
Connect with her on Twitter@shellstjames1 or drop her a line at [email protected]
The perfect beach read, for the young and the young-at-heart!
Do you recall a time in your life when you still believed anything was possible? Join Allie and Chris and let yourself drift back to those carefree summer days, when magic was found at twilight each evening, and fireflies might possibly be fairies...
Agawam Bay is a coastal town
full of secrets and sea-faring tales. When 12-year-old Allie arrives for
summer vacation, she finds herself immediately drawn into the town’s
mysterious past. Someone leaves a cryptic note for Allie, stating
they’ve seen the mermaid in Agawam Bay, and she is determined to
investigate.
Allie pairs up with Chris, a boy her age who’s an
aspiring reporter, and together they dive deep into the town’s ancient
legend of a sea captain and mermaid’s ill-fated romance.
While
investigating a suspicious newcomer to town who bears an uncanny
resemblance to the celebrated mermaid, Allie and Chris stumble on
another mystery: a key, and a hand-drawn treasure map with a puzzling
quatrain:
"Between Rapunzel’s Tower and the Lake of Tears
The Tree of Knowledge holds the key
The Stones will sing when the time is right
The Dragon’s Head will point the way"
With
the help of a lovable Newfoundland dog, Allie and Chris put together
the clues and unravel both mysteries, making new friends and
unforgettable summer memories along the way.
This book includes five authentic New England recipes, which are prepared by the characters.
“Believe in everything…until there’s a reason not to.” – Mr. Danforth, a character in The Mermaid of Agawam
Available on Amazon.com, in paperback and e-book format! Read for free with Kindle Unlimited!