In this week’s instalment of “Author(ized) Accounts of the Paranormal and Unexplained,” Meredith R. Lyons, author of Ghost Tamer, will tell us the story of a mysterious specter that would frequently visit her bedside when she was a child…
When I was a young child, I was more attuned to things outside of my physical space. I would dream in songs, wake up and record the melody on my Casio keyboard—at a very low volume so I didn’t wake anyone—then turn them into songs the next day. I was drawn to crystals and incense. I was often in my head.
Often enough that it was unremarkable, I woke up during the night to find a girl pacing near the foot of my bed. Always talking—as if I was waking up halfway through her monologue—gesticulating and in full flow, as if she was trying to work out a problem or vent about something irritating. If I ever tried to comment on anything she said, if I tried to enter the conversation at all, she stopped. She stopped walking, stopped talking, looked directly at me, and vanished.
This never scared me. I didn’t ever think much of it. I was tired, I went back to sleep, and forgot about it in the morning. I never remembered these visits, and to this day I can remember nothing that she said. Except the last thing.
One night I opened my eyes to find she wasn’t talking. She wasn’t walking. And what’s more, she wasn’t by the foot of my bed. She was standing right beside my pillow, gazing down at me with a huge smile on her face. As if something marvelous had happened to her and she was bursting to share the news.
I didn’t feel afraid.
As soon as I met her eyes she said, “Goodbye!” And slowly faded away.
“Where ya going?” I asked. But she was gone.
The next morning, for the first time, I remembered her. I remembered all the other times, too. But I never saw her again.
When I tried to tell people about her, no one believed me. Adults said I was dreaming. Kids were either skeptical or tried to fabricate their own ghost stories to top mine. Eventually, I just kept it to myself.
One night in my twenties, drunk after a night out in Chicago, I found myself beside my friend Gillian while the rest of our group walked on ahead. I’m not sure why, but I told her the story.
“Did she look like you?” she asked in her Dublin accent.
“Yeah, I guess she kind of did.” I was ready for her to tell me I was dreaming.
“Did your mum have a miscarriage before you?”
I was surprised. How would she have guessed that? “She did.”
“It was your sister checking up on you.”
I can’t describe the feeling that went through me then, but it was a rightness. A joy. Not only had my story not been dismissed as the diaphanous dreams of a sleepy child, but a new possibility had been introduced.
I still kept this story mostly to myself. It was rare that anyone connected to it in that way and it was a special memory to me. A nice thought that I didn’t care to tarnish with too much outside scoffing.
When I wrote Ghost Tamer, I was initially just writing about a train crash. It was only after I decided my main character should survive that I mused on how, and thought about my childhood ghost.
What if not all ghosts were frightening and scary? What if there were some that truly cared about the living and perhaps checked in occasionally. Perhaps even try to shield us from the bad things before they went off to the next place.
I hope she’s doing well wherever she ended up. I hope it was as fantastic as she seemed to think it would be. And I thank her for the inspiration.
Author Interview
The Night Librarian: That was such a sweet story! I love that you had the chance to meet your big sister. I’m wondering: How do you prioritize self care and wellness into your routine?
Meredith: I go to bed early and get up early, at least during the week. I exercise first thing and usually a lot of internal problem solving happens during my runs. I make playlists for all of my books and listen to them when I work out. I also have a treadmill desk, so I can walk while I’m writing. My hips get stiff if I sit for too long. I feel like some of my best ideas come to me when I’m running.
The Night Librarian: That makes me think of how Agatha Christie would do her best plotting while washing the dishes! So, are you working on a new project right now? What can you tell us about it?
Meredith: I always have a few projects going. Right now I’m on submission with a sci fi romance and a separate sci fi fantasy romance. I’m also writing a brand new fantasy.
The Night Librarian: I can’t wait to hear more about your new fantasy! Where can we find out more about you and your writing?
Meredith: Subscribe to my newsletter! I only send it out once a month, so it’s not spammy. I also post a weekly blog and I do have a notification that goes out about that once a week where I try to include bite-sized news updates in addition to the blog teaser. You can sign up for one or both of those on my website. Other than that, follow me on Instagram. I’m on all the platforms, but I’m most active on Instagram.
Meredith grew up in New Orleans, collecting two degrees from Louisiana State University before running away to Chicago to be an actor. In between plays, she got her black belt and made martial arts and yoga her full-time day job. She fought in the Chicago Golden Gloves, ran the Chicago Marathon, and competed for team U.S.A. in the savate world championships in Paris. In spite of doing each of these things twice, she couldn’t stay warm and relocated to Nashville. She owns several swords, but lives a non-violent life, saving all swashbuckling for the page, knitting scarves, gardening, visiting coffee shops, and cuddling with her husband and two panther-sized cats. She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Ghost Tamer is her first novel.
Follow Meredith: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter/X | TikTok | Goodreads | BookBub
Death is one thing, it’s what you do afterward that matters.
Aspiring comedian Raely is the sole survivor of a disastrous train wreck. While faced with the intense grief of losing her best friend, she realizes that someone is following her—and has been following her all her life. Trouble is, no one else can see him. For a ghostly tag-along, Casper’s not so bad. He might even be the partner Raely needs to fight the evil spirit hell-bent on destroying her.
Raely and her friend must learn why this demonic spirit is haunting Raely and how she can stop him before he destroys her life—and her soul. Which, much to her chagrin, means she needs the help of a psychic (although she’s sure they are all charlatans) and must rid herself of the pesky ghost hunter who’s interested in exploiting her new abilities.
BibliOccult 