PJ and the Paranormal Pursuers – Book Tour and Giveaway

Ghosts, Ghouls and Things that go Bump in the Night

I’m often asked why I’m interested in writing about the paranormal, ghosties and ghoulies and things that go bump in the night. It’s a difficult question to answer because personally, I can’t say that I’ve actually seen a ghost, although I think I may have sensed things and I have witnessed one or two odd happenings when I’ve attended organised ghost investigations.

I think my interest may have been ingrained in me from childhood as it was commonly accepted within and outside the family, that my grandfather was psychic and when I visited my grandparents in the sleepy, yet idyllic Rhondda Valley in South Wales, my grandpa would tell me of his own experiences and of other local ghost stories.

He, for example, used to walk between Cwmparc, where he lived with my gran, and Merthyr Tydfil, across the mountain roads, to visit his mother. One night, as he was returning from one such visit, he stopped to light a cigarette and rest for a moment. As he did so, his mother appeared next to him and told him that she had died, shortly after his visit. They apparently chatted for a few minutes and as she disappeared, he continued the walk home. On arrival, my grandmother was waiting for him at the door. A message had just come through from relatives in Merthyr to say that his mother had indeed died. As she broke the news, he said, unsurprised, “I know. I saw her up on the mountain and she told me.”

On another occasion, both my grandparents were kept awake by the screeching of machinery and the sound of clanking metal and screams. It seemed to come from the linen chest they had in the bedroom. My grandpa lifted the lid and the room, according to him and my gran, was filled with the stench of death. This continued through the night until they heard the desperate cries of friends and neighbours shouting in the street for people to come and help at the coal mine, where there had been a terrible accident and several people were trapped or had been killed. An ex-miner himself, my grandpa recognised that the noises had been those of the mine and the screams had been the desperate calls for help from the victims of the accident. The mine however, was not within hearing distance of their home. Tales of strange happenings peppered my grandfather’s life and the stories of them were familiar to me. I guess I grew up thinking such things were normal.

Like most children, I loved to scare myself silly reading ghost stories and in later life, I retained my interest.

My partner and I went on a ghost investigation at Chillingham Castle, where the Scots, supporters of William Wallace, were held prisoner and tortured by Edward I, or ‘Longshanks’ as he was known, due to his extraordinary height. While in the torture chamber of Chillingham, those of us gathered on the investigation had bought either new torches or fresh batteries as instructed by the paranormal investigation team. As they called out to those whose spirits might still have been there, the ten, or twelve of us gathered, stood with our torches around a table. Without exception, every single one of the torches went out simultaneously! More than coincidence? I think so.

Of course, I have been on a tour of the Black Mausoleum and Covenanters’ Prison in Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh, where those persecuted for their religious beliefs were kept in the open air by Sir George Mackenzie, Scotland’s Lord Advocate. When Mackenzie’s tomb was desecrated in 1999 as a homeless man seeking shelter inside, fell through the floor onto partially preserved bodies and ran for his life in horror, poltergeist activity began in the Kirkyard. The entity, thought to be an angry Mackenzie, is said to haunt the Black Mausoleum today, attacking many who visit with scratches, bruises and causing them to faint.

I have also spent time in Pittenweem, a beautiful village in Fife, my home county, where the horrific persecution of innocent people accused of witchcraft took place. Their ghosts have allegedly been seen in the Tolbooth where they were imprisoned and tortured.

Both of these incidents are explored in the PJ and The Paranormal Pursuers Books, told in a way that I hope middle grade readers will learn of the history of Scotland and enjoy the ghostly adventures of the team of young ghost hunters.

I am often asked if I believe in ghosts. I think, on balance, I do. I completed the Koestler Course on parapsychology with Edinburgh University to learn about the science behind paranormal activity, which tries to establish the evidence for and against. I would describe myself as a ‘sceptical believer.’ I am still to be convinced one way or the other, as nothing has yet proved the existence of ghosts. Like most people, however, I like to think that there is more to come beyond the life we have now.