Interview at Day of the Woman and Horror Society.com
An interview with your’s truely, the author of the Legends and Lore of Illinois, was posted over the weekend at horror blogs Day of the Woman and Horror Society.com. It’s the same interview, so take your pick… Go over there and get commenting! I talk about my new books, what movie influenced my writing the most, and how I feel about contemporary American horror films.
Also, check out Day of the Woman generally. Miss Colangelo does a great job at dissecting the horror genre, and she’s a fellow Illinoisan!
“There are things that go bump in the night, unseen whispers after dark, and an entire atmosphere that has inspired many movies we know and love. We’ve told ghost stories around campfires and sleepovers for generations and I think it’s safe to say everyone gets nervous in the dark…at least a little. Today I interviewed paranormal author Michael Kleen to give us a little insight on what it’s like to play with ghosts, and get paid for it….”
Interview at Day of the Woman
Interview at Horror Society.com
Paranormal Illinois is Now Available Online!
Why did hundreds of people line up, in the winter of 1980, bumper to bumper in rural Illinois, to catch a glimpse of a scantily clad phantom along Kennedy Hill Road? Did you know that a ghost of a homicidal mother still haunts the road near her former home? What is the real history behind Independence Grove and Devil’s Gate? When these questions and more are answered, you will never look at the history of Illinois the same way. This painstakingly researched book leaves no ghost unturned.
This book is the culmination of years of research, and it is accessable both to casual fans of the paranormal and anyone interested in Illinois history and folklore (or, what I like to call “folk history”). It’s fun, informative, and greatly entertaining. Even though I wrote the book, I became engrossed in it as soon as I got the preview copy in my hands. It’s not every day an author can say that!
The book is divided up into four sections:
- Archer Avenue
- Haunted Colleges and Universities
- Rivers and Roads
- The Abandoned
I promise you, you have never seen most of this information before! If you think you’ve read everything there is to know about Airtight Bridge from my previous writing, you are mistaken. Paranormal Illinois is the first and only book to contain the complete story, featuring interviews and first hand accounts by people who were involved with the case. This book also contains a detailed history of the abandoned schoolhouse along Shoe Factory Road, as well as camp St. Francis and “the Gate.”
Paranormal Illinois is available at several fine retailers, as well as a local bookstore near you. If you don’t find it there, ask them to order it! The book is also available online at the following websites:
Amazon.com ($13.25 – a really good deal!)
Borders ($14.99)
Schiffer Books ($16.99)
So what are you waiting for? Order it today before it’s sold out!
Our Lastest Issue: The Ghost of Williams Hall!
“You’re right, no human being would stack books like this.”
Download entire issue (in .pdf): $1.35!
Founded in 1857 and originally a teacher’s college, Illinois State University is currently home to around 23,000 students and faculty, as well as one tenacious ghost. This ghost is said to be that of Angeline V. Milner, or Ange for short, a librarian who remained with her books long after she passed from this world. Since at least the 1980s, staff members working in the Williams Hall archives have reported encounters with what they believe is Miss Milner’s ghost. Employees have reported eerie feelings, sightings of mist or fog, and even discovered books that inexplicably fell from the shelves.
Download the entire issue, featuring the history & hauntings of Illinois State University, the adventures of The Fallen, trivia, letters from our readers, and more! Make sure to click the download link and “save as” when your purchase is complete!
Hey Redbirds: be the first to send us a photo of yourself in front of haunted Williams Hall and get a free copy of Legends and Lore of Illinois: Case Files Vol. 1! The next five to send us a photo will win a free copy of this month’s issue of the Legends and Lore of Illinois. E-mail your photo and your mailing address to: thefallen2@gmail.com. Good luck!
Click on the cover above to read a section from the new issue, or click here to download the complete issue.
Make Your Own Gwrych Ghost
Recently, the Sun, a British tabloid, published an image of what looked to be the ghost of a young woman looking out a window at Gwrych Castle in North Wales. We had our own photo expert, Greg Inda, analyze the photo and tell us what he thought. As it turns out, with some knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, the exact same picture can be reproduced, calling into question its legitimacy. In this age of digital photography, one can never be too careful. Watch this slideshow to see how it was done: Create your own “Ghost Window”!
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Step 1: Pick a creepy location and subject to make your ghost photo.
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Step 2: Pick a “haunted” window.
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Step 3: Cut and paste your “ghost” over the window.
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Step 4: Erase or “mask” out the unwanted bits.
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Step 5: Blur the ghost a bit. Part of being a ghost is being a little blurry.
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Step 6: Remove unwanted colors and drop the opacity to make your ghost transparent.
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Step 7: Admire your hoax.
What's that in the window?
A ghost!
Ghostly Image from Across the Pond
Controversy has erupted over an unusually clear image taken at Gwrych Castle in North Wales that appears to be a ghost. Disagreements over who the image might represent – Winifred, Countess of Dundonald, or that of an anonymous servant girl – as well as questions about its validity (it looks like it could be a person’s reflection in the window), have only increased interest in the photo. The Sun covered the story:
Is this ghost at the castle?
By NEIL MILLARD
Published: 16 Feb 2010
A GHOSTLY girl snapped at a ruined castle could be the spirit of a Countess who lived there, experts said last night.
A photo of the building showed the mystery figure at a window – as The Sun revealed yesterday. Researchers think the spectre is Winifred, Countess of Dundonald. She inherited Gwrych Castle – hailed as one of Britain’s most haunted sites – in 1894.
Locals in Abergele, North Wales, believe she fell out with caretaker Bill Price and haunted him after she died in 1924. Bill would lock up the library at night only to find it opened next morning. Items had been mysteriously moved. Ghost author Mark Baker, who founded Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust, said: “Mr Price and the Countess did not get on terribly well. Read the entire article and view the photo.
Willy Adkins on the IGH Open House
How excited are you to be celebrating the four-year anniversary of the Illinois Ghost Hunters?
I’m very excited about it! Its amazing to think of all of the progress IGH has made. Not every paranormal team can say they have worked for not only residential and commercial clients but even government offices! And the most rewarding part for me, just knowing all of the people we have helped feel more comfortable in their homes and places of business.
We’ve seen the great line up of speakers for the open house, but do you have any surprises in store for us?
This seminar is going to be amazing! We are all about supporting others in the industry and working together. That is why we have invited so many outside teams and investigators to come in and take part in the event. As far as other surprises, nothing to off the wall crazy.. But I can say you will learn a lot from the people you encounter. Some amazing stories, points of view (you might not have considered before) and what it takes to build and grow a paranormal group.
Will tickets be available at the door?
YES. I have made presale tickets available via the web on the IGH website (www.IllinoisGhostHunters.com) to ensure entry to the event for ticket holders. Provided the near 175 person capacity isn’t reached, Tickets are going to be available at the door.
What is the strangest thing you’ve encountered in all your years of paranormal investigation?
Before I started doing this work about 5 years ago, I had never experienced anything paranormal. I was the “skeptic,” the one who had an open mind but an answer for everything. With my experience over the last 5 years I’ve learned one thing for sure.. If you look long enough, you will experience things. I would have to write a book to share all of the stories (ranging from down poring rain inside a concrete jail cell, to possession and even being physically scared by something not seen to the naked eye).. That is what our seminars are for, to educate and exchange information gathered from our experiences and research.
Do you have anything else you would like to note about the upcoming open house seminar?
Yes. The event starts at 3pm, however your able to come in early to get a seat. This event is all ages, however parental guidance is suggested for younger attendees. Great food and drinks are also available at the venue, so please help support the venue for supporting us! Fallowing the IGH Seminar is another event called “Paranormal Escapade”. It is a music event along with some other artwork on display. Seminar visitors are encouraged to hang out for the later show (at discount) to continue to meet and greet with investigators, authors and have a good time!
Join Me at the IGH Open House
Time: February 21, 2010 from 3pm to 7:30pm
Location: The House Cafe – 263 East Lincoln, Dekalb, IL
Organized By: Willy Adkins
The Illinois Ghost Hunters celebrate 5 years with this annual open house event featuring paranormal speakers state wide! An event all about Ghost Hunting, The Paranormal and all of those things that go bump in the night! Come listen, learn, share your stories and more!
Speakers include: Willy Adkins, George Hawrylenko, Dale Kaczmarek, Chad Griffiths, Michael Kleen & Michael Kravchuk
Visit the Illinois Ghost Hunters Website for More Details & $5 Advance Tickets!
www.IllinoisGhostHunters.com
Join Ursula Bielski and Scott Marcus for Wine & Cheese and Ghosts!
Authors Ursula Bielski and Scott Marcus will be at Horrorbles in Berwyn signing their latest books on Friday February 19, from 6-9pm. Horrorbles is located at 6729 W. Roosevelt Rd.
Meet the Ghosts of Willow Creek Farm!
Download entire issue (in .pdf): $1.35 $1.00!
Willow Creek Farm dates back to 1838 when William Boardman and his wife Mary staked out a claim in Cherry Grove Township, Carroll County and erected a log cabin there. According to public records, the current farmhouse dates back to 1878, although there is evidence to suggest it was built more than a decade earlier. In 2006, Albert Kelchner, the farm’s current owner, bought the property and immediately sensed that he was sharing his house with some invisible guests. He began to record his encounters and has invited mediums and paranormal investigators to his farm in the hopes of corroborating his experiences. Home to as many as seven identified ghosts and as many as a dozen others, Willow Creek Farm has been called one of the most active haunted sites in Illinois.
Download the entire issue, featuring the history & hauntings of Willow Creek Farm, the adventures of The Fallen, a special report on the Forest City Paranormal Society investigation of the farm, and much more!
Don’t miss our exclusive interview with Ron Fabiani, founder of the Chicago Paranormal Detectives – now the subject of the TV show “Paranormal Cops” on A&E!
Click on the cover above to read a section from the new issue, or click here to download the complete issue.
Encounter at the Seventh Ave Dead End
Carla fumbled with the keys to her 2002 Ford Escape on the parkway of Seventh Avenue, just east of downtown Sterling. It was night, but the moonlight reflected off the fresh snow just enough to find the key hole. Her head swam. She had drank one more Goose Island than she intended, and was paying for it with the eternity it seemed to take to get into her car.
She was so concentrated on the task at hand that she almost failed to notice the shape out of the corner of her eye–almost. She spun around. “Hello?” she called out. There was nothing but the deserted street. A porch light turned on, and the chilly breeze brought with it the distant sound of crying.
Carla immediately thought of the river just a few yards away, past the railroad tracks. Was someone hurt? She shoved her keys back into her purse and stumbled toward the dead end. Her shoes clicked on the brick street, and the sound echoed among the darkened homes. She stopped at the metal guard rail and strained to see beyond the railroad tracks. For a brief moment, she thought she caught a glimpse of a figure standing among the barren trees at the riverbank. “Hello?” she yelled. “Are you ok?”
Suddenly, a male voice called out through a nearby screen door. “Who’s out there? What’s going on?”
“I think someone needs help,” Carla replied, turning her head momentarily to face the new interloper. When she turned her head back toward the railroad tracks beyond the Seventh Avenue dead end, the mysterious figure was gone…
Download our entire issue featuring the history & hauntings of the Seventh Avenue Dead End, the adventures of The Fallen, trivia, a brand new section for the skeptics among us, and much more! Only $1.35 – 1/2 the price of a gallon of gas! Make sure to click the download link and “save as” when your purchase is complete!
Praise for the Author
With 130 mystery sites and 60 illustrations, plus the only bibliographic time line of paranormal and folklore research in Illinois, Haunting the Prairie is the most comprehensive guide to haunted and legendary places ever written about Illinois! Click on the cover to order!
Now you can have the first two years of the Legends and Lore of Illinois all in one convenient book! Click on the cover to order!
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