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Every year, the Santa Clarita Public Library’s One Story One City program encourages discussion among residents and promotes reading and learning through the celebration of one story during the month of March. The Santa Clarita Public Library is excited to announce this year’s 2024 book selection The Woman in the Castello by Kelsey James!
The Woman in the Castello
Rome, 1965: Aspiring actress Silvia Whitford arrives at Rome’s famed Cinecittà Studios from Los Angeles, ready for her big break and a taste of la dolce vita. Instead, she learns that the movie in which she was cast has been canceled. Desperate for money, Silvia has only one choice: seek out the Italian aunt she has never met.
Gabriella Conti lives in a crumbling castello on the edge of a volcanic lake. Silvia’s mother refuses to explain the rift that drove the sisters apart, but Silvia is fascinated by Gabriella, a once-famous actress who still radiates charisma. And the eerie castle inspires Silvia’s second chance when it becomes the location for a new horror movie, aptly named The Revenge of the Lake Witch—and she lands a starring role.
Silvia immerses herself in the part of an ingenue tormented by the ghost of her beautiful, seductive ancestor. But when Gabriella abruptly vanishes, the movie’s make-believe terrors seep into reality. No one else on set seems to share Silvia’s suspicions. Yet as she delves into Gabriella’s disappearance, she triggers a chain of events that illuminate dark secrets in the past—and a growing menace in the present…
Due to the nature of some of the topics covered in the book, this story is recommended for adults and not suitable for readers under the age of 18.
About the author
Kelsey James has always loved telling stories. As a young child, she liked to ask her listeners if her characters should get scared, or hurt, or DIE. Her process has stayed remarkably consistent over the years, and today she is a historical suspense novelist. Her debut novel, The Woman in the Castello, is being published in 2023 by John Scognamiglio Books, an imprint of Kensington Publishing Corp. She is a graduate of Dartmouth College, where she majored in Creative Writing and Classical Studies.
In addition to being a writer, Kelsey — who uses a different last name IRL — is also an experienced content marketer and currently works for DoorDash. Previously, at Tinder, she launched a dating and relationship content platform and had the pleasure of executive producing videos featuring celebrity talent such as Issa Rae and Jonathan van Ness. At TripAdvisor, she got to review and photograph hotels around the world, in places like Cuba, Costa Rica, Turkey, and Norway. (Yes, it was a lot of fun, and yes, she did get paid to do this.) Her articles have appeared in Conde Nast Traveler, Insider, ABC News, and The Huffington Post, among other publications. She’s a seasoned brand spokesperson who has done a number of TV and radio interviews, including for ABC World News Tonight, Cheddar TV, and Reuters TV.
After living in New York City for over a decade, she made the move to the ‘burbs, where she lives with her husband, two children, and King Charles Cavalier.
*Photo credit: Jody Soria Photography