The Demon in the Dark

Last year at this time I was hard at work on Haunted North Alabama.    I did numerous interviews with people to try to get interesting ghost stories.   I got one of my favorite stories from a young woman who lived in Huntsville.  I couldn't post it on my blog at the time because I had to save it for the book, but this story had a deep impact on me.  The young woman who told me the story just wanted to be heard.  Most people didn't believe her when she told them her story, so she had stopped talking about it.  Her husband believed her only because he was there, but he didn't like talking about it.

The young woman told me they had just purchased their dream house.  It was everything she ever wanted, but from the beginning the house was just wrong.  Even as she unpacked, doors opened and closed.  Things moved around.   She was so happy to be in the new house, she ignored these things because she loved the house, but one door in particular kept opening every time she closed it.

Time passed and her husband worked the night shift so she ended up alone in the house all the time.   At first, there were noises.   The noises grew and sometimes light bulbs would explode when the light was turned off.   The young woman called an electrician and the electrician explained there was no way light bulbs could just explode with no current.  The young woman became afraid of the house.  One long night, she heard something in the spare room and went to explore.  As she walked into the room, she saw a dark shape curled up on the floor.  Just as she saw it, the light bulb exploded and the room was bathed in darkness.   The young women went to spend the night with her parents.    The young woman changed her entire life she was so afraid.  She only stayed at home when her husband was there.   One night, her husband heard the noises too.   He got up to investigate and found every light in the house turned on and the television on.  He couldn't explain it, but when he crawled back into bed the noises began again.  He described the noises as sounding like there was a party in their living room.   After that night, he agreed that they had to leave the house. 

Things got worse for the young woman.   She began having nightmares and she woke up with claw marks on her back.   She had three long, deep gashes running the length of her back.  There was no way she could have done this to herself.  Every morning she woke up with more injuries.  Finally, they were able to move.   they left the house and the haunting ended, but the young woman said she still was afraid to sleep.  She was still afraid to be alone.  The demon that had haunted her in that house had left her with scars that went deeper than the flesh. 

I went to find the young woman's old house after the interview and I found the house had fallen into disrepair.  It was a plain little house with nothing to distinguish it from the houses next to it.  The windows were broken and covered with cardboard and although there were cars in the driveway no one answered the door.   None of the neighbors would comment on the new or past residents of the house.  

Holy Smoking Monkies I Am Excited! I Have to Give Stuff Away to Celebrate!

When I started blogging last December,   I was just happy to think that someone out there would be reading my stories.  I wasn't overly ambitious about the blog.   I was just happy to have a few people reading my writing.  I never once imagined  someone would like it enough to ask me to write a book.  However,  this is exactly what happened in February of this year.   An editor of the history press asked me to write a Haunted America book for him.  I was, of course, thrilled.  I really had no idea what I was in for, however.  I write fiction.   Nonfiction is an entirely different beast.  I drove all over the state.  I chased people around and struggled to get interviews.   I spent late nights up researching supposed haunted locations to find out if  the stories behind them were true.   Sometimes,  the stories were just legends, which actually just made them more interesting.    It was a journey and I learned more about Alabama history in the 4 months it took me to write this little book than in the fifteen years I'd lived here.

And now here it is.  The book that this blog made is now available for preorder on amazon.  I am dizzy with excitement.   I'm putting together a party and a give away to celebrate.  Keep your eye on this blog!  Over the next week I'll be giving away over $200 in cash and prizes to celebrate my book!   I really am thrilled. 
My blog book is now available for preorder!!!!!!!

Haunted North Alabama Cover Art: The Cover For My First Book

I am travelling and unable to do much on the internet right now.  I'm lost in some kind of twilight zone where the internet no longer exists and cell phone signals are few and far between.   I call this twilight zone the woods.  They are beautiful and I've found many ghost stories, but I won't be able to share anything until I get back home to the real world on Saturday. 

I was, however, able to upload the cover art for my new book today!!!  Yay!   Thank you to the wonderful team at History Press for the wonderful presentation.  Thank you to my editor for his patience with me.  I'm so happy I had to post the cover art today despite having to drive to McDonald's free wi-fi zone to do it.   So here is the cover art for my first book.  I couldn't be happier.