I’m thrilled to welcome Soul Mate author Claire Gem to the Power of 10 series. Today, Claire shares her favorite scary delights.
Here’s Claire!
I’m thrilled to blog today with Joanne Guidoccio for the Power of Ten Series. Since I write romances w/a ghostly twist, I thought it fitting to spread the vibes here, and give you a list of ten of the most notoriously haunted places in the world.
1. Screaming Tunnel in Ontario, Canada. This creepy, arched stone way tunnel runs underneath railroad lines, those connecting Niagara Falls to Toronto and New York City. The legend goes that if you enter the tunnel at midnight armed with a match, you’d best bring along a healthy dose of courage. The match will go out and a girl’s screams will surround you, echoing in the dark.
2. Going off to college? Want to add a little spice to the adventure? Ohio University is your destination. Located in Athens, Ohio, the campus is surrounded by five cemeteries in a perfect pentagram pattern, and the administration building sits right at the center. Jefferson Hall is famous for ghost sightings.
3. How about a trip abroad? Edinburgh, Scotland offers a spectacular medieval castle where ghosts still linger, trapped in prison cells. But the fun doesn’t stop there. Mary’s King Close, once a busy street, has fallen into disuse since spirits claimed it as their own. Victims of the plague were quarantined here, and eventually entombed as well. Edinburgh offers a little variety in apparitions too, including ghostly dogs and a headless drummer.
4. Next we’ll take a trip down under to Whepstead House in Wellington Point, Queensland. Numerous ghosts inhabit this old building, which served as a private hospital for decades. Not everyone was discharged, including a boy with a withered leg who haunts the staircase, and an elderly gentleman sporting a suit and bowler hat.
5. The Forbidden City in Beijing, China, is not only home to the Palace Museum, but also a steady stream of ghosts who parade in groups: sometimes ladies, other times eunuchs.
6. Now on to Germany, where we’ll visit Wolfsegg Castle in Bavaria. This 14th century structure is home to a ghostly “White Woman” who still inhabits the ancient stone walls.
7. Wikipedia claims that Renyle House Hotel in Galway, Ireland is “haunted by former anonymous remaining guests.” Hmm. Wonder how many ghosts actually rise above the identification status of anonymous?
8. Let’s head to South Africa next to the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town. The Dutch East India Company inhabited this 17th C. battlement, where soldiers still pace the towers, including one who ended his own life there, hanging himself in the bell tower.
9. The last two hauntings describe my favorite settings for my ghostly novels: libraries and mental asylums. One of the most famous is right here in the U.S. – Willard Library in Evansville, Indiana. A classic Gothic Victorian, the library has been the focus of numerous paranormal investigations, all trying to snap a shot of The Grey Lady. Ghost cams are actually set up throughout the building, and you can hope for a glimpse of her yourself here:
10. Our final destination is the site of my next ghostly romance, Spirits of the Heart. Talcott Hall is now abandoned, enclosed by chain link fence on the grounds of the defunct Middletown Psychiatric Hospital in Middletown, N.Y. Although there are no documented ghost sightings I could locate, this video shows the building in all its ghoulish glory: http://bit.ly/1HkO6TU Is Talcott Hall haunted? You’ll have to wait to find out in Spirits of the Heart, coming later this year.
Trailer
Blurb
A hunky history professor in a tweed jacket, a cheeky Goth chick, and a pipe-smoking, book-hurling ghost. Put them all together in an antiquated library and, well…
Professor Jack Wood’s silver-streaked hair definitely ages him, and he can thank Killer Dawn for that. He won’t be falling into the love trap again anytime real soon. But this new librarian has him curious, with her head-to-toe black Goth garb, piercings, and a defiant attitude to match. Definitely not his type of girl, but still…
Abigail Stryker’s got her work cut out for her. The last two librarians didn’t last a month before airborne books chased them off. But Abby’s determined to make her new life a go – and to stay as far away from older men as possible. Once was enough. Might be tough to do when the library’s best patron is none other than dreamy-eyed Jack Wood. And it seems the eccentric ghost may have taken a shine to her as well.
Bio
Claire Gem writes contemporary romance with a ghostly twist. An avid reader and passionate researcher, she’s a fan of strong but sensitive heroes, spunky, sexy heroines, and a ghost story worth a few goose bumps. She loves creating characters so real, readers miss them when they get to The End.
After achieving her MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University, Claire settled in central Massachusetts with her husband of 36 years (yes, happily-ever-after really does exist). Always fascinated by the paranormal, she holds a Certificate in Paranormal Studies from Duke University’s Rhine’s Research Center.
Chased by those pesky ghosts, Claire writes for her life.
Where to find Claire…
Joanne Guidoccio 