Ghost Stories: Love Them or Hate Them? by J.Q. Rose

Deadly Undertaking by J.Q. Rose
A handsome detective,
a shadow man, and a murder victim
kill Lauren's plan for a simple life.

I love ghost stories, reading and writing them. Maybe it’s because when I was a kid my favorite cartoon was Casper the Friendly Ghost. Emphasis on friendly. I’m not into horror stories of ghosts and demonic spirits creating havoc for a person. 

Remember the TV show The Ghost and Mrs. Muir? That's the kind of ghost I like.

How about that crazy movie, Ghostbusters? And one of my all-time favorites, Emmy award-winning Ghost with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze?

I love stories with ghosts in them so much that I wrote a romantic suspense novel, 

Deadly Undertaking. The setting is in a funeral home—the perfect place for a ghost or what I refer to as a shadow man. Henry was a fun character to write. He's a friendly ghost that is full of mischief, but also very caring. 

Deadly Undertaking by J.Q. Rose
A handsome detective,
a shadow man, and a murder victim
kill Lauren's plan for a simple life.

Why is Henry haunting the funeral home? Is he the key to answer why a murdered man was left in the garage of the funeral home and hidden between the funeral coach and flower car? I mean, everyone expects bodies to be at a funeral home, but really!

Do you love ghost stories too? Please leave a comment below and tell us your favorite.

Click here to connect online with J.Q. Rose

Hauntings on the University of Missouri Campus by Stuart R. West

In honor of all things Halloween, I'm taking a break from regaling all of you with tales of my visit up and down the Amazon River this month. But not to worry! Like everyone's least favorite uncle at Thanksgiving, my tales will continue next month!

But now is the time for everything spooky, like some of my books. Recently, my wife and I went on a local "haunted" tour of the University of Missouri in Kansas City campus.

Wait...that light just turned on, right?

Fascinating history hosted by the very knowledgeable Chris Wolff, unofficial historian of UMKC and author of A Pearl of Great Value: The History of UMKC. 

I only yawned a few times. 

Onward!

All that's left of the University Playhouse. Except, of course, for ghosts!

One of the first stops was the grounds of the (now demolished) University Playhouse. In the 40's and 50's, Broadway actress Vaugn Burkholder worked at the theater, known for prowling the catwalk in an almost obsessive manner. In 1957, she keeled over in the playhouse from a heart attack. After she died, students claimed to have seen her in the rafters. Her high heels tic-tic-tacking across the boardwalk were heard by many. After the building was torn down, some believe her spectral figure still haunts the newer UMKC Conservatory, a replacement for the old playhouse. Hey, ghosts gotta hang out somewhere!

Next was a morbid tale that shed some surprising light on one of America's most notorious, unsolved murder cases. In 1941, UMKC education major, Leila Walsh, returned from a date and went to bed. Later that night, Leila's mother heard a strange thumping sound. She searched the house, found nothing awry. Leila's door was closed, and her brother, George, was sound asleep on the sofa. The mom went back to bed. The next morning, Mrs. Walsh went to wake up Leila and found her dead, savagely bashed with a hammer, her throat slit, and a strip of flesh ripped from her back. Not the best way to start your morning.

Leila's brother, George, was arrested for the murder because some guy claimed he sold the murderer's gloves (found in the yard) to him. The witness was later discovered to be a kook, reneged on his testimony, and said he'd had a vision of selling brother George the gloves. Holy O.J! George was exonerated, primarily on his mother's testimony that he was sleeping during the crime. Plus a chair had been lodged beneath Leila's doorknob.

The Kansas City police were embarrassed, the mob got involved, everything was sorta swept under the rug. Until the KCPD got a call from the L.A. Police Department. Back in 1947, the brutal murder of actress Elizabeth Short shocked the country. Better known as the infamous "Black Dahlia" murder, a name and phone number was found in the victim's purse. It belonged to a World War II veteran, Carl Basinger. Basinger claimed he'd only met Short for a few hours which later proved to be a lie. Furthermore, Basinger trained at Camp Cooke where Short volunteered until leaving due to harassment from a soldier.

I now know who killed her! (Probably a little late to collect that reward, though.)

More intensive investigation unveiled that Basinger went to UMKC at the same time as murdered student Leila Walsh. Hmmm... Also, the two murders were markedly similar, the signature of a strip of flesh torn from the back a giveaway. Alas, the lame Kansas City PD were still embarrassed by the entire unsolved debacle, didn't want to dredge it up again, and didn't cooperate with the LAPD. To this day, the two murders remain unsolved... OR DO THEY?

Let's move on to the haunted Epperson Mansion! Way back in the early 20th century, long before smart phones (and maybe even dumb phones, too), millionaire couple, Uriah and Elizabeth Epperson (along with organist, Harriet Barse--their living arrangement quite the scandal at the time), built and lived in this kooky mansion. The floor plan's apparently super bizarre, every five feet a new set of steps leading to other honeycombed rooms. 

Not as scary looking in the daytime!

Barse died in the mansion from gallbladder issues (the good ol' days!) and her spirit is said to haunt the mansion. The mansion's closed now, but not too long ago it'd been donated to the university where the music school resided. Students heard footsteps constantly, some saw Barse floating through the labyrinth hallways. Notoriously, an antique car nearly ran a cop down in the driveway and then vanished. And, of course, lights mysteriously go off and on.

Sadly, we weren't able to enter the haunted mansion. But as we stood on the cobblestone driveway, a light went on in the now abandoned mansion, then went off. I saw it. Some others (including our guide) remarked on it. My wife totally Scullied me, said it was a reflection from an outside light. (Whatever. The damn mansion's haunted and I saw it with my own eyes! I want to believe, Scully!)

Speaking of hauntings, have you guys visited the very strange and haunted town of Peculiar County in Kansas? Perfect for Halloween reading, it's just a day-trip away (best not to travel at night, though.).

One click away from paranormal mystery and fun, perfect for Halloween.

Hello from Snowy Alberta Canada by Nancy M Bell

WIld Horse Rescue is the first in The Alberta Adventures Series featuring the same characters from The Cornwall Adventures. I hope you enjoy Laurel's latest adventure. For more info and buy links please click here.

But now, back to snowy Alberta! This is only the middle of October and already we've had more snow that is necessary. I mean really Universe... Although the ski hills in the mountains are celebrating those of us prairie dwellers are not. Crops are still in the fields, some swathed and some still standing. Canola, barley and wheat stretch for hectares under overcast skies and highlighted by a frosting of snow. It's been a crazy year, we went from winter to summer with no spring to speak of and then from summer to winter with no fall to speak of. Usually, we take a drive through Kananakis Country west of Calgary to enjoy the golden leaves and blue skies, but not this year.

On another note, it's been a busy summer promoting the Canadian Historical Brides series of which I have two titles. His Brother's Bride representing Ontario and Landmark Roses representing Manitoba. I also did research for the New Brunswick title On A Stormy Primeval Shore. Then I had a deadline to finish Wild Horse Rescue and I'm happy to say it released September 30th of this year. I was privileged to present at When Words Collide in Calgary in August. On the 14th of October a panel of the Brides authors hosted an event at the Carstairs Museum and on the 20th we will be at the Strathmore Library. Busy busy.

I'm also very excited to be involved with the Alexandria Writers Centre Story Coach program. Story Makers were chosen by the Centre and they in turn chose who they would like to work with from a list of Story Coaches. I'm happy to say I was picked and I absolutely love the writer I'm paired with. Her steam punky magic filled story shows great promise and I look forward to working with her. The program runs from October to end of April when there will be celebration of work well done. If you live in the Calgary area and are interested in learning more about the Alexandria Writers Centre you can click here.


For now I leave you with some snowy Alberta pictures. So those of you who are enjoying Indian Summer, don't blink, it's coming your way. LOL Until next time stay well, stay healthy and happy.