If you’ve read my Sanheim Chronicles trilogy, you know how much I love Halloween. I love the costumes, the candy and the yard decorations. But most of all, I love the ghost stories. It’s the one time of year when seemingly everyone is ready to tell you about their personal experience with the supernatural.
More than 15 years ago, I went on assignment for the Loudoun Times-Mirror to report on a professional ghost hunter. He, in turn, led me to a woman whose house he claimed was so haunted he suspected there were multiple “entities” living in the house with her. When I interviewed her, you’d never know she believed in ghosts. But sitting in her parlor, she told me stories that chilled my blood. I was on the fence about the existence of ghosts, but she was so normal—and her stories were corroborated by so many other witnesses—that I wondered if they could be real.
“It takes a long time to finally admit it,” she told me. “You go through years where you tell yourself that you left the light on, or the kids did something. My youngest son continually talked about the lady at the end of his bed. Eventually, you just can’t fight it any longer.” (You can read both original articles here and here!)
Toward the end of our conversation, the owner of the house made me an offer, one that she had frequently extended to skeptics—I could stay alone overnight and find out for myself just how haunted the house was. I’m embarrassed to say I was too cowardly to take her up on it. But I’ve always wondered what might have happened if I had.
That interview was the impetus behind my short story, The Last Blog. It’s the account of Sean Gordon, a newspaper reporter who decides he will post a live-blog of his overnight stay in one of the most haunted houses in America. And while I don’t want to give anything away, his experience doesn’t go well.
If you’re interested in reading more, The Last Blog is free today through Sunday, Nov. 1. Just go to the Amazon link and download it. It’s my way of saying thank you for all the support over the years. In particular, I’d like to thank the readers who have reviewed my other works. I read every review (I know authors who claim they don’t, but I don’t believe them) and they mean the world to me.
The Last Blog is the perfect story to get you in the mood for Halloween. And if you haven’t already, please check out Carnival of Stone, which has collected 15 great reviews so far: “Another highly enjoyable romp through mythology,” “Soren Chase does it again,” “Every time I read a Rob Blackwell book, I can never quite guess what’s going to happen next.”
And for an extra treat: The Forest of Forever is on sale for half price until Halloween! Act fast if you haven’t read it already.
I hope you have a fun and safe Halloween!
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