The Hour of Phantoms

While assembling the stories to be included in 13 I came across a piece I wrote a few years ago titled The Hour of Phantoms. I'd forgotten about it but rediscovered it while picking and choosing from what I had in my files and what was recently written that would go well together in the new collection.

I will be reading The Hour of Phantoms on Saturday night during Ghost Stories LIVE at Blue Umbrella Books, 2 Main Street, Westfield, MA. The event runs from 7PM-9PM.

I was originally going to do a reading from McCleary's Haunt from Miss Peculiar's Haunting Tales, Volume III. It's a ghost story set in an Irish pub.

Then I was asked to read The Fly In The Ointment that I included in a folder of materials I handed out at my author event. It's what I classify as a little piece of psychological unease prose. It's the little voice in one's head talking and it's not a very nice voice. It's a little flip, a little creepy, a lot disturbing, and rather belittling.

Then I came cross The Hour of Phantoms which is a classic-type ghost story. I emailed it to Russell Atwood who is hosting the event and put together the companion anthology that will be available that night. The anthology will include McCleary's Haunt. However, I heard back today that I have the green light to read The Hour of Phantoms instead of The Fly In The Ointment.

All I can say is that it's creepy- about a woman rising from her bed to go to a cemetery where she is possessed by multiple spirits who dance with her during the hour of phantoms and nearly steal all her energy before returning to their graves.

I'm glad I didn't have to choose among the real ghost stories I could tell- I'll leave that to my brother if attendees are allowed to tell their own ghost stories. He lived in a haunted apartment and a ghost materialized and actually passed right through him! He can tell his own story!!

Ordered proof copies of 13 for the final read through because I've learned from past experience not to trust the digital proofreader- it's better to have a print copy to mark up with blue pen. I know Kelly can't wait to attack the interior copy- she loves to circle all her mother's comma errors!