The Ghosts of Gannaway Return!

I love Stuart West's writing, and now Grinning Skull Press have released a new edition of The Ghosts of Gannaway, I had to invite him over to talk about it. The stage is all yours Stuart:

Ghosts of Gannaway, my attempt at sweeping historical horror fiction (is that a thing?) has been given a second life by the fine folks at Grinning Skull Press. Just like some of the characters in my book, it refuses to remain dead.

Part of my novel’s resurrection is due to the poorly matched cover it was initially saddled with. Take a gander:

Despite the appearance of this old cover, my book’s definitely not a Chippendale dancer romance saga. It’s a historical ghost tale full of curses, scares, Native-American rights, one of the first feminists, greed, suspense, hissable villains, noble heroes, hippies, union strikes, violence, animated statues, haunted museums, pollution, and love that transcends death. It’s based on true events that transpired in the town of Picher, Oklahoma during the Depression and the aftermath of those results that took place in the swingin’ sixties. Sure, I moved the events over the state line to Kansas, but the book’s true!

Except it’s a horror tale. You decide what’s real.

This edition contains a new foreword and photos taken on my flip-phone camera (a ghost in itself) of what remains of the ghost town of Picher. Come with me now on a little virtual tour and visit what inspired the spectral hauntings of my book. 

First stop is the actual Picher mining museum (which was torn down shortly after I nabbed this photo…no doubt due to poltergeist activity).

Next on our ghost town tour is one of the last remaining standing structures in Picher, the gorilla mascot of the high school football team. I changed it to a lion in the book, but just like the gorilla, it comes alive late at night.

 Check out some of the dilapidated buildings torn asunder by tornadoes, pollution, and…dare I say it?…haints*.

One of my favorite photos is the shuttered store with the bathrobe hung up over the door. There’s a story in there somewhere and I hope to have given it justice.

 And, of course, there’re the chat piles**, a remnant of what killed the town and long outlived the populace all in the name of good old-fashioned American greed.

So, travel with me to the lovely town of Gannaway, Kansas. It’s just a day-trip away and a night full of bad dreams to come.

 Amazon

About the author:

 

 Stuart R. West is a lifelong resident of Kansas, which he considers both a curse and a blessing. It's a curse because...well, it's Kansas. But it's great because…well, it’s Kansas. Lots of cool, strange and creepy things happen in the Midwest, and Stuart takes advantage of them in his work. Call it “Kansas Noir.” Stuart writes thrillers and mysteries usually tinged with humor, both for adult and young adult audiences. 

Stuart spent 25 years in the corporate sector and now writes full time. He’s married to a professor of pharmacy (who greatly appreciates the fact he cooks dinner for her every night) and has a daughter who’s dabbling in the nefarious world of banking. (Stuart also finds it uncomfortable writing about himself in the third person, but whatever).

Stuart R. West Blog: Twisted Tales from Tornado Alley

Stuart R. West Amazon author page

Stuart R. West Facebook

Stuart R. West Twitter: @StuartRWest

* ghosts
** contaminated mining waste

Peculiar County - smack dab in the middle of October Country- with Stuart R. West

 

  Stuart R. West has the knack of keeping me entertained, not only with his creepy characters and storylines, but with the humour he injects into his stories. Here he talks about his latest - Peculiar County, where the creepiest things have a habit of happening....

 Peculiar County is not only the name of my new nostalgic ghost tale, it’s an October state of mind. It doesn’t matter where you live, Peculiar County can sort of creep up on you, kinda like a shadow that shouldn’t be moving of its own volition. You’ll know when you’ve been plunged deep into Peculiar County, the signs are many: falling leaves the color of fire; the crisp, brisk breath of air that teases ill omens; darkness so thick you’re tempted to take an axe to it to loosen an impossible ray of sunshine.

It’s a time and place where witches run the local library, a boy’s ghost stalks the cornfields next door, and strange, unseen creatures take flight at night. At least that’s the Peculiar County I’ve written about. But we all have our own personal Peculiar Counties to deal with, childhood fears to contend with and pesky monsters that still lurk under the bed.

 And that’s what I’ve tried to do with my book, Peculiar County. Evoke that curious blend of nostalgia and creepy allure even though we all know it’s bad for us. It’s the kind of book I would’ve alternately cherished and been terrified by as a boy, forbidden fruit. It’s what Halloween is all about. And I suppose, in a way, I’m once again writing about what scares me. Confronting my demons. (Because I don’t think I’ll EVER get over creepy old ladies coming back from the dead. Brrrr…)

The heroine of my tale is Dibby Caldwell, a teen tomboy, the mortician’s daughter in a small Kansas town in the ‘60’s. Dibby deals with common teen issues such as bullying, the cute new bad boy in town, a runaway mother, ghosts next door, a serial killer stalking the town… Wait. Okay, maybe all of Dibby’s issues aren’t so common after all. But then again, there’s nothing common about Peculiar County.

Nothing except for our childhood fears, the ones we still can’t shake.

So this Halloween, go outside, pull up a pumpkin, and read beneath a full moon. Settle in at Peculiar County. It’s gonna be a spine-tingling ride.

“Amazingly good. Brilliant. Pitch perfect characterizations and intriguing use of language remind me of the master writer, Stephen King. Dibby is a heroine of the first order taking charge in a very Peculiar County in Kansas. Totally recommended for light horror fans.” – The Cellophane Queen 5-starred review. 

Where to buy Peculiar County. 

About the Author

Stuart R. West is a lifelong resident of Kansas, which he considers both a curse and a blessing. It's a curse because...well, it's Kansas. But it's great because…well, it’s Kansas. Lots of cool, strange and creepy things happen in the Midwest, and Stuart takes advantage of them in his work. Call it “Kansas Noir.” Stuart writes thrillers and mysteries usually tinged with humor, both for adult and young adult audiences. 

Stuart spent 25 years in the corporate sector and now writes full time. He’s married to a professor of pharmacy (who greatly appreciates the fact he cooks dinner for her every night) and has a 25 year old daughter who’s dabbling in the nefarious world of banking. (Stuart also finds it uncomfortable writing about himself in the third person, but whatever).

*Stuart R. West’s brand-spanking new website!
*Amazon author page.
*BWL Publishing author page.
*Stuart R. West's (totally inconsequential) blog: Twisted Tales from Tornado Alley
*And the rest (like on Gilligan's Island): Facebook, Twitter