Ghosts and History

I discovered when I was writing The Home Child that I enjoy doing research and incorporating this research into a novel--enough to interest readers in the subject matter, but hopefully not enough to overwhelm them with details.

I'm currently working on my second novel, which is based on various sites in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, that are reportedly haunted. An interesting side benefit of researching these sites is learning more of the history of this country and its people. For example. I've learned of the tragedies that befell some of the builders of the Rideau Canal--renowned for being the world's longest skating rink--who were French-Canadians and poor Irishmen from County Cork in Ireland. And I've discovered that such research puts a human face on the historical past.

In addition, I've found out that many of  the ghostly encounters recorded at these sites are scarier than anything I could come up with on my own.

I'll keep you posted on the progress of my second novel. In the meantime, back to my research...

The Ghost Ship of Northumberland Strait

Image courtesy www.phantomship.ca

A previous post on ghost ships in Behind the Walls of Nightmare proved to be extremely popular so I thought readers might enjoy another post on the subject.

One of the most interesting of phantom ships is the ghost ship of Northumberland Strait, a body of water that separates Prince Edward Island from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia on Canada's eastern coast. There have been various sightings of this ghost ship for over 220 years. The ship is said to be a schooner, which is a type of sailing vessel with sails on at least two of its masts. According to various onlookers, the sails burst into flames before their eyes.

There is no predetermined spot where the phantom ship appears, and sightings occur most frequently between September and November, although they have been reported at other times. Because the sightings frequently occur before a northeast wind, local folklore suggests that the ship forewarns of impending storms. The last sighting of the ship was in mid-January 2008.

Because the ship appears to be on fire, there have been attempts to rescue the crew, but the ship always disappears without a trace.

There have been various scientific explanations proposed for the ship and its fiery appearance, including electrical phenomena, moonlight on a fog bank, and a crescent moon setting below the horizon.

Of course, there could also be an element of the supernatural at work...

For the account in the Truro Daily News of the last sighting of the ghost ship, please click here.

(Source: Wikipedia)

The Walking Dead: Los Angeles

If you're a fan of The Walking Dead franchise, you may have followed the buzz for the past two years concerning a proposed "companion" series. The new series, which is set in Los Angeles, is now in production with the working title Cobalt. There is much speculation that the new show will be a prequel showing how the zombie epidemic began. Unlike the CSI and NCIS franchises where actors from the original series appear in special episodes of their spin-offs, it's not expected that Rick and his crew will pop up in the new series--unless they somehow make it out of Georgia.

And if you're anxious to see what happens in Season 5 of The Walking Dead now that Beth ( Emily Kinney) has shared the fate of her screen dad Hershel (Scott Wilson) in being killed off suddenly and violently with a blade, the series resumes on February 8, 2015.

Upcoming Horror Movies in 2015

As a fan of horror movies, I did a quick survey to see what's on the horizon for 2015. Included among the ones that look interesting are the following:

The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death - I really enjoyed the original movie, based on the novel by British horror writer Susan Hill. Hill has co-written the screenplay for this movie, which occurs forty years after the original haunting when a group of school children are evacuated from the London bombings during World War II. The group takes up residence in Eel Marsh House and soon discovers they are not alone. (Release Date: January 2, 2015)

The Visit - I enjoy the movies of M. Night Shymalan, even if they tend to be uneven in the quality of their scripts and acting. There's always something of interest and some element of newness in his story-telling. The Visit is the story of a brother and sister who are sent to their grandparents’ remote Pennsylvania farm for a week-long trip. The children discover that the elderly couple is involved in something deeply disturbing, and see their chances of returning home diminish each day. (Release Date: September 11, 2015)

There are a number of other horror sequels and re-makes planned for 2015, including the update of the Predator franchise. To see more movies airing in 2015, please click here.

And, speaking of 2015, Happy New Year to everyone reading this blog!

Remembering Rocky Wood

Photo courtesy of Rocky Wood Official Website

Rocky Wood, the president of the Horror Writers Association, died on December 1, 2014, after battling ALS, often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, since 2010. If you watch the video of the 2014 Bram Stoker Awards banquet, you will see Rocky Wood in attendance in a wheelchair, remaining, as always, extremely active in support of horror writers in spite of his debilitating illness.


Rocky Wood was considered the foremost authority on Stephen King, and he published extensive research on King, as well as a collection of his previously unpublished works.  He won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction for Stephen King: A Literary Companion. King once commented that Rocky Wood knew his work better than he himself did. In fact, King called upon Rocky Wood's research skills to ensure continuity between The Shining and Doctor Sleep.

Rocky Wood also wrote graphic novels, and he won a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement on a Graphic Novel in 2012 for Witch Hunts: A Graphic History of the Burning Times, which examined the witch hunting phenomenon in Europe and New England.

Lisa Morton, a long-time friend and admirer of Rocky who co-authored his award-winning graphic novel on witch hunts, is the new HWA president. In an open letter to HWA members, she speaks of his kindness, his strong support for women's rights, and his devotion to charities, including his work at local animal shelters. Ms. Morton describes him as a master of organization, who worked tirelessly to encourage young writers and to expand the HWA volunteer base and membership. 

To share condolences with his family, please visit the guestbook at his official website.

R.I.P. Rocky Wood, 1959-2014.

The Evil Dead and the Versatile Bruce Campbell

Bruce Campbell in Evil Dead II: photo courtesy of the IGN website

Fans of The Evil Dead cult horror movies will be pleased to learn that there will be a new television series next year called Ash Vs. Evil Dead. Director Sam Raimi, who made the original movie in 1981, followed by Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness, will be the executive producer of the new show, as well as writing and directing its first episode. And, of course, actor Bruce Campbell of Evil Dead movie fame will play Ash Williams in the new series.

My son is a huge fan of cult horror movies, especially The Evil Dead franchise, and was able to get an autograph from Bruce Campbell at this year's ComicCon in Ottawa. Mr. Campbell signed the autograph despite the fact that his booth had technically closed for the day, and he was very kind to my son, who will be a fan of his for life.

I'm currently watching Bruce Campbell in the series Burn Notice, which I bought on DVD. He plays a thoroughly enjoyable character who is ethically-challenged, but always comes through for his friends.

In addition to starring in many cult horror films and co-starring in the Burn Notice television series, the versatile Campbell has had roles in mainstream movies and numerous other television shows, as well as being a voice talent for Disney. And believe it or not, he is an ordained minister who has performed marriages. (Source: Wikipedia)

To visit Bruce Campbell's official website, please click here. To read more about his upcoming TV series, please click here.

The Home Child: A New Release from The Plaid Raccoon Press

The Plaid Raccoon Press is pleased to announce the publication of The Home Child by Lynn L. Clark. The novel tells the story of Jake Hall, a transplanted city dweller who is trying to adjust to the realities of country life. Jake knows it isn't going to be an easy transition, and he's prepared for major renovations to the old farm house he's purchased. But what he hasn't counted on is finding a former resident still inhabiting the house in spirit form!

 Synopsis

Set in eastern Ontario, Canada, against the backdrop of a rural town in transition, the novel combines historical detail and the supernatural in the poignant story of a Scottish home child who wants simply to be reunited with the family he lost so many years ago.

Historical Context
 
Starting in 1869 and continuing to the mid-twentieth century, approximately 100,000 children were sent to Canada from the United Kingdom. Although the majority of the children were from England, approximately 7,000 children came from the Quarrier orphan homes in Scotland. Organized as a mission of mercy, this child migration was supposed to allow poverty-stricken children to have a better life abroad. But only two per cent of the home children were in fact orphans. Separated from their parents and siblings, many of these children were abused and exploited as a source of cheap labour when they came to Canada.

 

 Author Biography

Lynn L. Clark was born in Woodstock, New Brunswick. She received her B.A. and M.A. from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Prior to her retirement in 2011, she worked for the federal government in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. She lives in a small town in eastern Ontario with her husband, crime fiction writer Michael J. McCann. Lynn is currently working on her second supernatural novel. 

  
Excerpt and Buy Links

To read an excerpt from The Home Child, please click here.

The paperback version is available from Amazon.com or Amazon.ca. 
The e-book version for your Amazon Kindle is available at http://www.amazon.com/Home-Child-supernatural-novel-ebook/dp/B00QEBQNPK/. 
 For all other e-readers and devices, please click here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/497674. 

To enter a Goodreads giveaway for this book, please click here.

 
A Final Note

Now that Lynn has published her first novel of the supernatural, she has agreed to assume full editorial control of Behind the Walls of Nightmare, which will continue to focus on the horror genre, including topics related to my supernatural thriller, The Ghost Man. Meanwhile, I'll be managing The Overnight Bestseller blog on crime fiction, writing, and other adventures.

Lynn also has a new Goodreads blog, Writing in Retirement, which is available at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10057406.Lynn_L_Clark/blog.