Ghost Stories

Skyhorse Publishing, May 1, 2011 Paperback, 320 pages ISBN-10 :   1616082348 Ordering Information:  Amazon.com Long lost to the public in out-of-print pulp magazines, dusty Victorian anthologies, and the pages of now defunct newspapers these vintage vampire stories have truly proved immortal. Resurrected now for the year 2011, this is a stunning collection of nineteenth-century vampire stories by heavyweights such as Sabine Baring-Gould and Bram Stoker.  These 15 rare stories are arranged in chronological order from 1846 to 1913 and are compiled by two of the world’s leading vampire anthologists and experts. Also included are rare images of Bram Stoker’s handwritten manuscript pages for Count Vampire (1890) courtesy of the Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia. Now, it took me awhile to finish this book but I'm finally starting to get caught up on my reviews. This book didn't grasp my attention as much as I would have liked.  I was lo...

Graphic by Destination America Has Destination America found its hit paranormal series with Mountain Monsters? An order for a second season says possibly. A group of hardcore hunters and trappers called The Appalachian Investigators of Mysterious Sightings (AIMS) based out of West Virginia use their expertise in attempt to catch elusive supernatural beasts. Will they be successful where others have failed? Unlikely, but viewers will tune in to watch them try. When I first switched Mountain Monsters on, m initial reaction was "Oh, no. Not another Deep South Paranormal disaster". I was surprised to find it wasn't a total waste of time. They talk to witnesses, view evidence, use a combination of cameras, homemade traps and years of hunting/trapping knowledge to track their supernatural prey. White it's not completely terrible, Mountain Monsters isn't going to revolutionize the paranormal world. Allegations of fabrications have already began to make the ...

Earlier today, Lemon Press Publishing released crime novelist Mitchell Nevin's latest novel that touches on matters of law and justice, psychic phenomena, criminal investigations, and personal redemption. In Psychic Reprieve: Deception & Reality, a handful of colorful characters -- a well-liked college baseball prankster, a disgraced Chicago police sergeant, and a folksy Twin Cities identify thief -- devise a plan to market a member of the trio's clairvoyant abilities. During this venture, the lines between deception and reality blur as the motivation for monetary gain clashes with conscience and personal responsibility. Purported psychics use their talents to provide a service and earn an income. In this particular line of work, scammers abound like thieves in the night. To realists, a psychic reading is a pricey form of entertainment. To those in search of inner peace, however, the hopes of bringing a loved one's killer to justice or communicating with a relativ...

This review will be short and sweet. It took all of ten minutes to develop a complete viewer evaluation. To sum it up, Deep South Paranormal is Duck Dynasty meets paranormal investigation. I don't think I need to elaborate any further on the subject.  As much as I am a proud Southerner, I was hoping from a new Southern paranormal show a little more science and logic and a little less "frog's breath wards off evil spirits". Maybe someday....

I haven't written a TV review in a while but after watching the debut of Syfy's Stranded, perhaps I should have waited a little longer. It appears finding life on Mars may be an easier task to accomplish than finding a decent paranormal show with an original concept these days. Stranded promised to make even the most veteran ghost enthusiasts terrified. It didn't deliver. Some potential viewers, including myself, were hoping for something to rival that of Scariest Places on Earth and MTV's Fear. They may have been overly dramatic and possibly containing fake elements but at least they were entertaining. What makes Stranded different from other paranormal shows on TV? Nothing. It's amateurs wandering a possibly haunted location with cameras and the power of suggestion leading the way. I expected more from a project involving Josh Gates. If this show doesn't improve in episodes to come, I don't see it making a return trip to Syfy's lineup.

Zondervan (April 12, 2011) Paperback, 224 pages ISBN: 0310723140 Young Adults – Ages 15 and up Ordering Information Amazon.com , Barnes & Noble , Christian Books Some secrets won't let you go. Elvira Witsil lives about as far away from civilization as you can get, in a remote corner of Wisconsin where nothing much ever happens. In a house crowded with her mother, her cantankerous grandmother, and her little sister, Jessie, Elvira feels forgotten and alone. Their house also contains numerous secrets, and Elvira's family holds their secrets closely. Secrets about the father that Jessie never knew, and that Elvira can't forget. Secrets about that day five years ago. And the one secret that Elvira can't quite understand: that Jessie sees things no one else can see. These secrets will lead Elvira and her family on a journey far away from home---on a journey toward redemption and healing---if she can just bring herself to believe. This is a nice coming-of-age story set in...

New Page Books, September 15, 2011 Paperback, 256 pages ISBN: 978-1601631947 Ordering Information: Amazon.com , Barnes & Noble A familiar scenario for ghost stories is a group of people surrounding a campfire. The sun bows down to the moon to create the atmosphere for all that is scary. Jim Harold took stories of ghosts, monsters, and death and turned them in to a nice collection for an outdoor night of spooky fun. Jim Harold is behind three of the top paranormal podcasts entitled The Paranormal Podcast, Jim Harold’s Campfire and The Paranormal Report. Many listeners graced his shows with their personal accounts. Jim Harold’s Campfire was turned in to Jim Harold’s Campfire: True Ghost Stories . Writers have a way of embellishing the paranormal to truly paint a portrait of fear. Sometimes when nothing stands between real people and the ghosts they encountered a reader can feel what they felt. See what they saw. Harold stripped away everything and gave us the paranormal reality. Jim ...

Otherworld Publications LLC, May 10, 2011 Paperback, 294 pages ISBN: 1936593106 Ordering Information: Amazon.com , Smashwords Zach Kalusky, host of Sci-D TV's Xavier Paranormal Investigators, is ecstatic when he's given the opportunity to explore the most haunted site in Chicago for a Halloween Special: Rosewood Asylum, a place long made off-limits by the local government, plagued by decades of mysterious fires and unexplained events. It's Zach's dream investigation- but there's a catch: the network forces Xavier Paranormal Investigators to partner with the more dramatic-but less ethical-Demon Hunters. Now, Zach must fight for both his show's integrity and his team's loyalty while trying to protect his own secret: that he, himself, is possessed. Ghosts of Rosewood Asylum is basically a behind-the-scenes look in to paranormal TV with a few twists and turns. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Ghost Hunters teamed up with Ghost Adventure...

Amazon Digital Services Kindle, 144 KB ASIN: B004MDLN7K Ordering Information: Amazon.com Dead celebrities are just as f***ed up in the Afterlife as they are on Earth. At least according to Dr. Abraham Tribesky, 95-year-old psychiatrist to deceased Hollywood stars. In Michael Jackson Is Being Harassed In Heaven, Dr. Tribesky reveals the tabloid-worthy lifestyles and outrageous opinions of his famous patients from the Other Side. Not to mention how these egocentric spirits hassle living celebs and ordinary folks alike. In shocking stories like: *DJ Decapitates Fan with Flying Vinyl. *Lady Gaga’s CDs Torched in Rock ‘n Roll Heaven. *Karen Carpenter Blasts Brittany Murphy: “No Fatties Allowed on the Other Side!” *Sinatra’s Frank Advice for Justin Bieber. *Same Ghost Appears in 20 Episodes of Paranormal State! The only son of Sigmund Freud’s favorite charwoman, Abraham Tribesky grew up playing peek-a-boo with the great man’s patients. He slept beside his impoverished mom on Freud’s legendar...

Typically, the historical accounts displayed on Ghost Hunters International are somewhat close to actual facts. But I've been noticing, on occasion, how completely off they can be. For example, they visited the Gran Hotel Viena in Argentina last year that supposedly was a hot spot for the Nazis maybe even Hitler after WWII. After writing an entry about this location, reporting very much the same, I was contacted by the descendants of the hotel's original owner, stating the stories were fabricated. I believe I may have found myself in a similar situation. During last night's premiere, viewers were given a short and sweet history behind the Lopinot Plantation. Also known as Compte de Loppinot Historical Complex, it was established in the 1800s by Charles Joseph, Compte de Loppinot. He was a general in the French army and later a member of the Trinidad military. He settled there with his family and 100 African slaves on several hundred acres of land. This portion of the bac...

Ghost Hunters International "Rising from the Grave - Trinidad" In the season premiere of Ghost Hunters International, the team is investigating a cave and as they go further and further they continue to hear noises with a deep bass tone. They encourage the noise to come out and meet them as they take pictures of the cave hoping to catch a little more than just the rock formations. As they’re exiting the cave, Kris feels something grab her leg. You’ll have to watch the clip and tune in Wednesday to see if the team really didn’t come out of the cave empty handed. Legend Quest "Ark of the Covenant/Mayan Talking Cross" Also, in the Legend Quest series premiere, Ashley Cowie leads his team under water in search of an ancient cross. It would be a great find for the team as it’s the most spiritual legend in the Mayan culture. Watch the clip and tune in Wednesday at 10/9c on Syfy to see if they can brave the elements and find it together.

“It’s the sins of slavery” “A real horror of the middle passage” “Southern reality and history never forgotten”  “Supernatural fiction at its best” Chicago, Illinois – July 2011 - - Rising fiction author, Deno Sandz has announced the release of his new book, Blood Plantation at Amazon.com now. His latest novel takes readers back into the history of slavery with a supernatural/thriller story that’s well written, shocking, heart wrenching, plot driven, spellbinding, and frightening. The Novel, Blood Plantation is a historical fiction set at a Bed and Breakfast owned by the great, great, great, granddaughter of Captain Rollins the 3rd once known as the big house on a plantation in Virginian. The antagonist, the SOTO (The Soul of the Ocean) is a captured slave from the southern tip of Africa, thrown overboard near the shores of Shonwaay, Virginian where the Shonwaayians now call, “The Shores of the Evil Soul” in 1810 after a mutiny he spearheaded leading to the murder of cre...

Celebrity Ghost Hunt Celebrity Ghost Hunt is set to premiere on Saturday, July 9th at 10 pm CST. Be sure to watch Chip Coffey investigate the homes of Eric Roberts & Chris Atkins on the Biography Channel. I don't have BIO. So, you all will have to let me know if it's any good or not. Eureka - Airs Monday, July 11th at 8/7 CST The town where anything is possible returns with all-new adventures. In our sneak peak “Liftoff”, Fargo is busy working on a spaceship when Zane hops on board to grill him about Lupo, closing the hatch behind him. Unfortunately for both of them the ignition switches were on and with the hatch closed the ship’s engines ignite and launches both of them into outer space! Catch the extended clip to see how things went terribly wrong and tune in to the premiere this Monday to see if Sheriff Carter can get them safely back to Earth. Warehouse 13 - Airs Monday, July 11th at 9/8 CST The team gets a new face, new mysteries and a visit from familiar friends. Ar...

On the season finale of Haunted Collector, lead investigator John Zaffis and his team are detecting outrageous readings on their EMF reader near a wall of swords. They suspect it could be because there’s something electrical in the wall behind the sword but that doesn’t seem to be the case which makes the sword even more suspicious. Tune in tomorrow at 8 pm CST to see just how haunted the sword may be.

Ever wonder if there really is a soul? Do you believe that people can talk with the dead? If spirits of the dead exist, where do they reside? Do Parallel Universes really exist? Can we receive visitors from Parallel Universes? A Paranormal encounter led to this eBook by Walter Parks available in all formats, including PDF that addresses these questions. "My friend Dr. Robert (Bob) Russell said that he knew a girl that could communicate with the dead. I didn’t believe him. He invited me to an “encounter” to prove it. We went to a very weird old house where a Paranormal Investigative Team was working. They had some pretty sophisticated equipment. We all watched as their equipment recorded the paranormal encounter in detail. The temperature sensing equipment showed significant and rapid temperature drops when the "entities" appeared. Their electromagnetic sensors recorded the spikes of appearance and higher than normal levels as their presence continued. Their infra red ...

In this week’s Haunted Collector sneak peek clip, the team tries to record a voice stemming from a music box. When they ask “What year is it?” there is a peculiar response that is whispered into the recorder. You’ll have to watch the clip and tune in on Wednesday at 9/8c on Syfy to see if the team can pick apart the meaning. By now, I'm sure you've learned Destination Truth has been picked up for a fifth season. What will we expect to see from Josh and the DT crew in 2012? They will be traveling into a remote Transylvanian village hunting for vampires, exploring the reportedly haunted Mayan ruins of Tikal in Guatemala, and searching for phantoms in one of the world's biggest caves in the jungles of Vietnam as well as doing their first investigation in Kazakhstan. But that's not all. Remember their investigation of the Hoia-Baciu Forest in Romania? Apparently, fans really responded to it and managed to talk the team in to going back for a second round. Will be interesti...

John Zaffis is well known among paranormal circles. His museum is well known among paranormal circles. Can his Syfy show Haunted Collector stack up against heavy hitters such as Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures? I say any new show has the potential with the right ingredients to be a success. Does this one have staying power? I think its a bit too early to tell. I directed my attention to Twitter to see how others were reacting to the premiere. There seem to be two consistencies. One, many were not thrilled with Zaffis' pronunciation of the word "library". And two, some appalled his method of "stealing" a person's belongings. Call it haunted and they'll gladly hand it over. Personally, I wasn't all too bothered by it. I was, however, under the impression this program was going to be about a team going in to investigate cases where spirits attached to known objects were the cause of paranormal activity or somewhere in that ballpark. It seems to me Za...

There is nothing worse than a ghost – unless it is a ghost inhabiting some of your beloved family heirlooms. In the new Syfy reality series Haunted Collector a family of paranormal investigators hunt down haunted items bewitching their frightened owners. Follow paranormal researcher John Zaffis each week as he and his family investigate some of these terrorizing objects in homes across the country. In the premiere, the team digs deep as they literally go hunting after a haunted item under a house with a metal detector. Watch the clip and tune in to the premiere on Wednesday, June 1 at 9/8c only on Syfy to see what they unearth!

St. Francisville Experiment was suppose to be an actual documentary about a night in an actual haunted house. It starts off with the producer telling the audience that everything presented in the movie was true. When you actually see the movie, you learn it is anything but that. It is allegedly a film marketed as a real version of the Blair Witch Project. In order to do this, they needed a ghost story and a location to film. St. Francisville, Louisiana is known for its hauntings, making it a perfect location for this movie. The actual ghost story that inspired it was that of the Madame Delphine LaLaurie. She was married to a doctor named Louis LaLaurie and they lived in a beautiful mansion in the French Quarter. According to the story, she was particularly cruel to the slaves they owned. She kept one woman chained in the kitchen and was never allowed to leave. It was thought this female slave was the one who started the fire at the Lalaurie house thus allowing the world to discover wha...

What if you lost a child tragically. What would you do to have one final moment with them? Hammer Films takes on this question in one of their latest movies Wake Wood . Vet Patrick and Pharmacist Louise Daly loss their only child to that of a crazed dog attack. They relocate to the remote Irish village of Wake Wood after learning of their unusual tradition. Inhabitants participate in a pagan ritual which brings back a person one year after their death for three days. This ritual allows a deceased to say their final farewells to their loved ones before making their final journey to the spirit world. Patrick and Louise are faced with two realities: their nine-year-old daughter Alice is dead and there's no possible way to conceive another child. They take over the local veterinary clinic. Then, make their pleas to the villager's leader, Arthur, to get those three precious days with their daughter. They accepted the villagers rules, but breaks them after Alice returns and pays a h...