Blood Sinister

Ellen's just sixteen, but she's dying-and nobody knows why. So when she's sent to her gran's house she's relieved to find a distraction in the form of her great-grandmother's diaries, written when she was Ellen's age. As Ellen reads, she becomes increasingly embroiled in the fascinating story of her life. Who is the enigmatic and seductive Count her great-grandmother was supposed to marry? And why is it that Ellen and her great-grandmother resemble each other so much that they could be twins? But Ellen's condition is worsening, and it's becoming more and more difficult for her to distinguish her own life from the nightmarish events recorded in the diaries. Is the past destroying her, or do the diaries hold the key to Ellen's survival...?

Celia Rees revisited her teen interest in gothic stories of ghosts, the supernatural, and Bram Stoker's Dracula as inspiration for Blood Sinister. Celia taught English in Coventry secondary schools for over ten years, which she says provided her with ample writing inspiration. She has published numerous teen novels, including Witch Child. The author lives in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. Her website is www.celiarees.com.