Are you in the mood for a little spook chasing? Novel Magic guest Pia Manning shares the real-life ghost-hunting inspiration for Hometown Spirits, her latest erotic paranormal romance.
The Ghost Hunt
by Pia Manning
In Hometown Spirits, the heroine, Emily Slater, buys what most of the Pinecone Creekers believe is a haunted cabin. Emily decides that 1 murder + 1 bloodstained cabin + strange sounds = 1 Haunted by Real Ghosts Home. So, she arranges to have paranormal investigators come out and well, investigate.
In October 2019, I participated in a paranormal investigation held in a large building located in town. The place was originally built in the 1890s and housed a furniture store. The owner also served as the town’s undertaker, and rumor had it that bodies were sometimes kept there before burial. I imagine there’s some truth to that, especially in winter when digging graves in the frozen earth would have been impossible back then.
After navigating through a road-drenching thunderstorm – yes, it was a dark, stormy night – I met five real-life ghost hunters. They each wore a jangle of amulets that clinked as they moved.
We were ushered into the dimly lit interior of the creaky, old building. The wind howled, and lightning splashed shadows against the walls while the paranormal team introduced themselves. In hushed tones, they assured us that we were ‘protected’ from being followed home and haunted by any entities that might want to attach themselves to the living. (No, that wasn’t creepy at all.)
The tools of their trade, mostly Electro Magnetic Field meters, were laid out for us to hold and experiment with. Three of the hunters slipped away to explore the store in the hope of finding ‘activity’ for us novices to investigate. Once they returned we divided into groups and the evening’s main event began.
In the darkest corner, farthest from any exit, one young woman’s EMF meter exploded into an array of lights. She was tiny, sparrow-like, and no more than 100 pounds. She stared, transfixed at the gizmo in her hand and then wide-eyed at our group’s guide.
“Wha, wha, I…” fell from her trembling lips. Her hands shook, causing the EMF lights to twinkle a bit like stars on a clear night.
It was clear she was utterly horrified.
Another student investigator stepped forward and claimed to be a ‘sensitive.’ She asked the entity to move toward her.
The lights stopped flashing.
The terrified woman slumped in relief. The ‘sensitive’ then commanded the ghost to, ”go back.”
The lights flashed.
Ms. Sensitive kept this up until our drama attracted the notice of the lead ghost hunter. She hurried over and relieved the petrified woman of her EMF detector.
Once the professionals arrived on the scene, the ‘sensitive’ (not to other’s feelings!) claimed to have ‘lost’ the vibe. The leader didn’t comment, other than to say that the area we were in had a lot of metal shelving units, and perhaps that could have had an impact on the EMF readings.
I’ll never know for sure why the EMF detector flashed. Did the metal in the shelving units mess with the electrical energies swirling around the room? Or the lightning generated by the thunderstorm? A ghost?
What do you think?
Hometown Spirits by Pia Manning
Nurse Practitioner Emily Slater wants a home of her own in a welcoming community. She fell in love with Pinecone Creek and hopes to connect with the people she serves and give back to her town. Emily needs the kind of relationships that last a lifetime.
Brothers Mike and Paul Lambert have always called Pinecone Creek home. They need a woman to share their lives and their bed. One look at Emily sends their hopes soaring, and they spin dreams of having a family and children. Their protective instincts roar to the surface whenever they’re close to her. Even though they’ve been disappointed before, they’re willing to risk their hearts again.
But Emily hasn’t finished unpacking and her ‘to-do’ list is a mile long. The men are panty-dampening hunks, and they make her feel safe, but she isn’t ready to commit to the brothers quite yet. And that cabin she just bought? Someone or something doesn’t want Emily there.
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Meet Pia Manning
Pia Manning is the erotic romance author behind the Caveman Creek series. She is married to a wonderful man. Rides herd on four cats (not easy to do) and canine Noodles the Schnoodle (schnauzer/poodle cross), raises monarchs, and plays Clash of Clans. Not a morning person.
