Hauntings

Obsessions, possessions, and stuff that won't let go.

I’ve been thinking a lot about hauntings lately. It’s that time of year, after all.

#1

I went to see the movie Weapons recently (side note: highly recommend!) and one of the trailers before the movie was for The Conjuring: Last Rites. I knew immediately what case they were basing the story off of when I saw the blurry image of a street in Pennsylvania from the 1980s.

I grew up just a few miles from the Smurl house in West Pittston and was just a kid when they started telling the world about the demon in their house. It was a big thing in my hometown—I distinctly remember everyone talking about it. There were reports of black stains, terrible smells, objects hurling around the house. Little kids being terrorized. Demon rapes. (Yes, you read that right.) The paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren were called in (hence the Conjuring tie-in) to help the family out. There was a movie and a book.

And then we stopped hearing about them.

The general consensus seemed to be that they were making it all up. For money? Fame? Not sure that entirely worked in their favor, if so. Daisy Egan did a great recap of the whole incident on her podcast Strange and Unexplained if you want more details. I’ve always been fascinated by the story. (I actually wrote a flash fiction piece based on that family that was published in Barrelhouse in 2013.)

I’ve driven past the Smurl house several times. It’s not much to look at—a sad duplex on a crowded street. I often wonder what really happened behind those walls. I do believe there was a haunting there. I’m not sure it was an evil ghost entity, but something dark was hovering over that family.

#2

My novel. It’s been haunting me in a different way for a long time now.

You may think I became a ghost because you haven’t heard from me in so long. I’m still very much of this world (I think, anyway), but I’ve been working hard to get the draft to my editor, and last month I finally turned it in! It’s not done—not by a long shot—but every step is closer, and every step is forward progress. Right? That’s what I’m telling myself.

I’m very excited about this book, and I can’t wait for you all to read it. Will share more information soon—and a cover reveal to come!

#3

I’m currently reviewing a book due out this month, The Night That Finds Us All by John Hornor Jacobs. It’s about a woman who agrees to a job sailing a big boat from Seattle to London to bring it to the new owner. Only problem? The boat is decidedly haunted. Look for my review at the Washington Independent Review of Books later this fall.

#4

Whimsical ghosts. I’m already into the Halloween spirit. Once August arrives, it’s game-on. To fill my spooky cup, I’ve been making these fantastic clay ghosts. I can’t get enough of them. Every one is a different personality and feel. There’s still plenty of time for you to get in on this super fun craft and create your own little ghost family for the best time of the year.

How cute are they?

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Upcoming Event—Serial Killers

If you’re in the DC/MD/VA area, check out George Mason University’s Fall for the Book Festival happening this month. There are some excellent writers joining the festival this year!

I’ll be moderating a panel with two of them on Tuesday, October 7.

Kill or Be Killed: Serial Killer Tales

Two psychological thrillers explore tales from both sides of serial killings: the hunter and the hunted. In Marie Still’s My Darlings, affluent DC stay-at-home mom and philanthropist, Eloise, spends her stolen moments stealing lives. But when the role is reversed and she becomes prey, everything changes. Jennifer Fawcett’s Keep This for Me follows the daughter of a serial killer’s victim. When the killer denies his guilt, Fiona goes back to her hometown where history repeats itself.

7 p.m. at Kings Park Library, 9000 Burke Lake Rd, Burke, VA 22015

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Book Recommendations

My family traveled to Europe this summer, and one of our stops was Venice. I fell in love with the city, and I also fell in love with Donna Leon’s detective series that’s set there. If you haven’t yet read any of her books, I highly recommend!

As for new and recent releases, I’m excited for We Don’t Talk About Carol by Kristen Berry (I gave her a shout-out in my summer Washington Post review of cult thrillers!), The Tarot Reader by Finley Turner, and Fiend by Alma Katsu.