High on a hill was a lonely ghostherd

Nearly a year ago I was excited about two books coming out the following year, the ghost world was my oyster, baby, and I got a little crazy. I said yes to coming to a haunted mansion writers' retreat. The haunted part wasn't crazy: the writing part was. I've rarely been disciplined enough to focus on writing while surrounded by people, even those who main purpose was to work on their own projects and tell me to shoo, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to combine the prospect of a reportedly highly haunted mansion and hanging out with old friends who just happened to be fabulous authors. Kismet, right?

Now I'm trapped in the Northern California highlands with ghost critters, very noisy spectres with a penchant for early morning furniture rearrangement, and a bit of a sticky wicket. Was one of our own dabbling with the devil? I'm going to let you decide. For the first time in days I slept like a rock after this event, I'm not sure if that makes me an enabler or just really really tired.


How is the writing going? Let's say I have high hopes on the business end of one project and this retreat will hopefully work into it in a few months. But for now I'm watching. And waiting. Every whisper will have a home in a short story and EVPs of bodies dragging in the rooms over our heads may pop up in Mooncussers or in my lectures in October.

Follow the updates on Twitter with the hashtag #HMR12 or me at @staceyigraham. Ask questions: get curious.

I'm Giving up the Ghost for Halloween

A copy of the Girls' Ghost Hunting Guide is up for grabs on Goodreads! Enter now to get it before Halloween. Good luck!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Girls' Ghost Hunting Guide

by Stacey Graham

Giveaway ends October 15, 2012.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Busy season in the ghost business: muddy tunnels and window hops

Keelor/NVDaily

The ghost biz is ramping up early this year. Whether it's because we've jumped into fall and Halloween or the elections are making people uneasy, I'm hearing more stories about the other side making contact. 

Are they really reaching out to say howdy or are we just more aware of it? I think a lot of it has to do with our perception of what is now socially acceptable. Ten years ago, you'd hear stories of distant family members running into a ghost on a dark night, but rarely would I talk so someone who had encountered it themselves. Now with the influx of ghost hunting television shows and websites, such as mine at Wee Ghosties, having a ghost for a roommate isn't such a big deal. We're more prepared to face it than hide under the covers, better yet, we're able to discuss it with others without being labeled as a loony. Well, most of us. ;)

In the past week, I've encountered two cases of what may be parasomnia: night terrors in adults that result in violent behavior on the part of the sleeper that may lead to them leaping out of windows and other acts. When I first read about it, I thought adding a ghost to the mix would be a great story line. Then I was re-acquainted with a woman a few days later who had done the window hop.  She told me two figures in her dream had told her to go with them so she did -- out a two-story window. There may be more of a connection that I thought. This definitely needs more research before pen makes its way to paper but the question of "what if" is already there.

In other news, I was interviewed by my friend, Josette Keelor, for an article in the Northern Virginia Daily. It has all sorts of goodies I'm working on so please pop over and see what mischief I'm up to. 

Question: Do you think you may have parasomnia? Have you heard of someone whose nightmares are so crazy violent that they may hurt themselves? I'd love to chat. Please email me at stacey.i.graham[at]gmail.com.