Second in my blog post series about the characters in Cleaning House – An Appalachian Fantasy, comes Gan, short for Ganolesgi. Gan is one of my elemental characters, and it shouldn’t be hard to figure out what sort of elemental they are.

Number one was Exan.

1) Name/ Nickname – Gan (Ganolesgi) Ganolesgi means windy in the Cherokee language

2) Occupation/ Purpose/ Title – Relief on a Summer Day, Snagger of Hats, Bringer of Storms

3) Associated Song: The All-American Rejects – “The Wind Blows”

4) Descriptive Sentence, Phrase, or Excerpt – A stiff breeze descended the stairs, congregating as a semi-translucent, white-haired Human form dressed in a billowing, white robe cut to their hip on both sides. Cellar dirt swirled around their feet, giving them an odd, pink tint, and they opened their sky-blue eyes to reveal cloudy bits that moved within the blue.

5) Quotable  – “You were reminiscing about how I helped keep the homestead cool in the summer, and how I provided fresh air during the winter when Pyre burned in the fireplace? Sounds nice, but, unfortunately, I wasn’t here then.” 

Release Date: 8/1/18

Centenary Rhodes is an old soul with a well-traveled name, but she doesn’t know this yet.

Growing up in southern Appalachia wasn’t easy, so Cent left home as soon as she could, but the post-collegiate happiness she’d expected has never occurred. She can’t find a decent date, much less find that special someone and, after losing her job in a corporate downsize, she’s struggling to meet her most basic needs. Her car has been repossessed, her bills are piling up, and her questionable North Chicago neighborhood is dangerous to navigate.

Returning home to Hare Creek, Tennessee, never crosses Cent’s mind until her Great Aunt Tess contacts her with an offer she can’t refuse. The family’s southern Appalachian homestead must be sold, and Aunt Tess needs someone to clean it up. Cent will have access to Aunt Tess’ garden and truck and can live on the homestead rent-free for as long as it takes. A part-time job is waiting for her as well.

It’s a chance to solve some of Cent’s financial woes, but will her return be enough when evil sets its sights on Embreeville Mountain and the homestead?

 Cleaning House is a carefully woven Appalachian tapestry of granny magic, haints, elementals, and the fantastic diversity of the human condition – served with a delicious side of fries and a generous quart of peach moonshine.

Want to read more about Exan and the other characters in Cleaning House? Check out my #WIPpet Wednesdays and #Rainbowsnippets posts.