As a horror writer, it goes without saying that I love a scary story. But you know what scares me the most? Those tales told to me by rational, salt-of-the-earth people that defy logic and explanation. Are they true brushes with the paranormal? If so, what do they tell us about the world we live in and the one waiting for us after we pass through this mortal coil?
We humans crave answers. The paranormal disrupts that need for order. It’s the reason found footage movies like The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity work so well. They look and feel real. The doubts and fears they instill in us corrupt the core of our belief and safety systems. It makes us think : Is grandpa in heaven when I see his ghostly form walking in my bedroom? If he’s not, is there a heaven (or nirvana or whatever you want to call it) for souls that have passed on? Why is he even here? Can he see me when I _____? (you can fill in with whatever thing you do that you’d rather not have your deceased family witness).
When it comes to ghosts, it’s hard to deny centuries of first hand encounters and various forms of proof. Even the most hardcore skeptic knows someone who swears they’ve seen or heard something they can’t quite explain. Any ghost story is ourpotential story. Every single one of us is going to die. One minute we’re seeing a ghost, the next we are the ghost. And if you believe in life after death, we’re going to spend a hell of a lot more time as incorporeal beings than flesh and blood creatures.
It’s hard to deny the power and lure of a ‘true’ ghost story. I tend to think campfires were invented so the telling of ghost stories had the perfect atmosphere. Especially spine tingling is the tale repeated to you from a friend, only to learn that the nightly specter is seen in the very spot where you’re sitting!
And then comes a story so bizarre, so intense, it forever changes the lives of the people who lived through the living nightmare. They feel uncomfortable talking about it, as if their words have the power to bring the unknown back into their lives. Perhaps they’re right. There are people living among us right now, maybe the person sitting next to you in the office, who dread the night, fear their own homes. Every time the lights go out or they walk down that long hallway, the questions wait for them. Is this real? Am I sane? What is that shadow that creeps into my bedroom? Is it a ghost? A demon? A trick of the light?
Not knowing is what scares us, not the shadow or the groan or the flash of light at our periphery.
So now you have to ask yourself this – Do I want to know?
If the answer is yes, come take my hand…
Article by author Hunter Shea
Hunter is celebrating the release of his latest book, The Waiting!
The Waiting, Synopsis~
BASED ON ACTUAL EVENTS…
Clinging to life…haunted by the dead.
Newlywed Cassandra Pagano lies in a state between life and death, her body fed and preserved by the machines at her side. While she struggles, unaware of the world around her, someone waits—a boy. A phantom that appears solid, real, alive. Cassandra’s husband, Brian, sees him in the house, by her bedside, running down darkened hallways. The boy walks without sound, whispers words that can’t be deciphered.
Terror and tension are driving Brian to the breaking point. Why is the boy there, and what does he want with Cassandra…and her fading soul?
Early Reviews~
“It has all the makings for a classic ghost story. If you enjoy being spooked by ghastly little children with sinister intentions, this novella is definitely for you.” — Tim Meyer, Horror Novel Reviews
Published by Samhain Horror Publishing
Pre-order your e-book at Amazon, Samhain Publishing and B&N
Hunter Shea, Biography~
Hunter Shea is the product of a childhood weaned on The Night Stalker, The Twilight Zone and In Search Of. But he doesn’t just write about the paranormal. Heactively seeks out the things that scare the hell out of people and experience them, then he putsthose stories to the page.
His novels and novellas Forest of Shadows, Evil Eternal, Swamp Monster Massacre, Sinister Entity, and The Waiting are published through Samhain Publishing’s horror line. He’ll have The Montauk Monster out soon from Pinnacle/Kensington and Hell Hole from Samhain this summer.
He lives with his family and untrainable cat close enough to New York City to get Gray’s Papaya hotdogs when the craving hits.
He’s also proud to be one half of the Monster Men video podcast, along with his partner in crime, Jack Campisi. Their show is a light hearted approach to dark subjects. They explore real life hauntings, monsters, movies, books and everything under the horror sun.
Feel free to contact him any time at huntershea1@gmail.com. Writing is lonely work.
And don’t forget to enter to win some prizes in celebration of the release at:
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