Happy Halloween! This is one of my favorite seasons—crisp air, crimson and gold leaves, hayrides and corn mazes, crackling fires, and a celebration of all things spooky. Halloween, or All Hallow's Eve, links back to the Celtic festival of Samhain, a time when the barrier between the paranormal and physical worlds grows thin. As a writer of ghost stories, it’s the perfect time for me to find new inspiration. My latest release, HAUNTED SOULS, was inspired by a ghost tour I went on with my sister in Cape Cod’s Barnstable Village. This “Haunted Tour” offered a guided walk to haunted places and historical sites, and it started and ended at the Old Jail.
I’d never even heard of the Old Jail, and it’s truly a historic gem. It’s the oldest wooden jail house in the entire country, actually, and is thought to have been built in 1690, on orders from the Plymouth and MA Bay Colony Courts. It was in use until the 1800s, and was moved around a bit, eventually attached to a barn. It was rediscovered in 1968, detached from the barn, and moved next to the Coast Guard museum on 6A.
The structure itself is quite small, containing three cells which held large numbers of people sometimes. According to our guide, conditions were rough and people had to take turns lying down to sleep when cells were crowded. As you can imagine, many people died, and the site is considered actively haunted.
Goody Hallett, the lover of the infamous pirate Samuel Bellamy, was imprisoned there in 1716, and is said to be one of the ghosts in residence. If you’re so inclined, you can even pay to spend the night at the Jail. On our tour, we were shown photographs with shadowy figures taken by volunteers who work in the jail house. A few of the volunteers shared their stories as well, and one claimed that a ghost had followed them home and engaged in some poltergeist-like activities. Well, that got my attention right way, and my imagination started churning. My sister had her little daughter with her, and I started to wonder what would happen if a young child with sensitive abilities took pity on a lost soul, and actually invited a ghost to come home with them. The initial idea for my fourth novel was born.
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| I took this one evening as I was passing by. Seriously, what's in the top right window? Also, there's a red flash in the middle of the bottom left window. There are no lights or electricity in there. |
Goody Hallett, the lover of the infamous pirate Samuel Bellamy, was imprisoned there in 1716, and is said to be one of the ghosts in residence. If you’re so inclined, you can even pay to spend the night at the Jail. On our tour, we were shown photographs with shadowy figures taken by volunteers who work in the jail house. A few of the volunteers shared their stories as well, and one claimed that a ghost had followed them home and engaged in some poltergeist-like activities. Well, that got my attention right way, and my imagination started churning. My sister had her little daughter with her, and I started to wonder what would happen if a young child with sensitive abilities took pity on a lost soul, and actually invited a ghost to come home with them. The initial idea for my fourth novel was born.
Of course, my stories also have a romantic element, and this one has been dubbed my steamiest yet (from a recent review at Romance 4 the Beach: “Hot damn these two are smokin' hot!”) So there are plenty of steamy scenes to counter the paranormal chills-up-your-spine ghost mystery. A perfect read for the Halloween season!
Two of my other novels, SILVER LAKE and GULL HARBOR, are also ghost stories mixed with romance, so as an additional giveaway, one commenter on my blog today will win a signed copy of the paperback of their choice ~ Silver Lake or Gull Harbor! To enter to win, comment below and be sure to leave an email address or twitter handle so I can contact you if you win, and don’t forget to enter the grand prize rafflecopter below for a chance to win the Grand Prize giftcard. Thanks for visiting my stop on the Haunting Halloween tour and happy haunted reading!
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Wonderful post and I love your books! Perfect for Halloween!
ReplyDeleteThank you Casi, and thanks for putting the hop together!
DeleteInteresting blog, but don't think I could spend the night in a haunted jail, or haunted anything.
ReplyDelete(mybeach52 (at) yahoo (dot) com)
I'm sure I would have my doubts if I actually decided to do it! Thanks for stopping by Michele!
DeleteI've never heard of that old jail! Thanks for writing about it, Thats very interesting.
ReplyDeleteTwitter: Krystalamaral1
Glad you enjoyed, Krystal! Thanks for coming by and Happy Halloween!
DeleteThe old haunted jail is creepy but very interesting. Your ghostly blog post is made for Halloween.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Judy Ann! I appreciate your stopping by my post in the hop!
DeleteTy for being in the hop. whitemagic (at) tularosa . net
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming by and Happy Halloween!
DeleteGreat post - and I can see how you got your idea for a ghost story! What a creepy place! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Hywela, thanks for coming by! And yes, very creepy :)
DeleteLove the looks of that haunted jail I'd love to visit. jean60212@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteIt's truly a historic gem! Thanks for coming by and Happy Halloween!
DeleteSounds like a great story! Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteThis is a perfect story for Halloween!
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