What’s a Nice Catholic Like You Writing a Paranormal Like This? by Catherine C. Hall
It’s the GoldenGirls meet the Ghostbusters when four women find themselves in anunlikely career: Southeastern Paranormal Investigations. Ree Lane, a stylishwidow, is more cynic than true believer, while her childhood chum Elle Harperhas a knack for getting sensitive info with the help of her homemade pies. Thepreacher’s wife, Betsy Jones, can’t be seen with SPI unless she’s in herdisguise as Nora, a psychic-in-training with a gift for Tarot. And therecently-returned-home Gillian Buchanan is a whiz at technology, especially ofthe supernatural sort. Their first case lands on the doorstep when neighborDoris Tucker is sure her prized vintage dolls are haunted. But there’s hardlytime for ghost-hunting when the bank director’s wife mistakes SPI for a privateeye venture. Now they’re also hot on the trail of a misbehaving husband. It’s awild ride as the sixty-something sleuths start digging into the past. But havethe Ladies of SPI gone too far? And how far will Sutter go to keep its secretsdead and buried? Purchase a copy of Secrets Laid to Rest on Amazon.You can also add this to your GoodReadsreading list.
What’s a Nice Catholic Like You Writing aParanormal Like This?
I suspect that most people reading SecretsLaid to Rest put me in Ree’s shoes. And yes, like Ree, I’m a bit of a merrywidow. But Betsy, the preacher’s wife who dresses in a disguise as Nora, aTarot card reader and wanna-be psychic, definitely holds a piece of my heart.She’s the character that allows me room to wander among the supernatural aswell as my faith.
Growing up in Savannah, Georgia put mesquare in the middle of priests and the paranormal. I attended Catholic schools,and all of my friends were Catholic, too. It would seem a somewhat insulatedupbringing but because Savannah is such an old city, I was exposed to all thathistory, much of which included spirits and hauntings.
ThereI was, learning my catechism, while my mother pointed out houses in downtownSavannah that had purported haunting activity. “The people who live here,”she’d say, “hear glasses clinking, voices, and laughter. And when they get upin the morning, chairs are moved around!” Wow! I was totally hooked on thosereal ghost stories.
I still love a good ghost story, the kind wherespirits roam old haunts; I never met a ghost tour I didn’t like. But I alsolove to hear the stories about loved ones who visit, the times when thesupernatural intersects the everyday.
And youwould be surprised how often regular folks have real ghost stories to tell.Long before I wrote Secrets Laid to Rest, I wrote a young adult novelabout a girl who’s psychic. It wasn’t uncommon, in talking about the book, thatsomeone, somewhere would tell me about their own paranormal happenings. Once,sitting in my hairstylist’s chair, she said, “I grew up seeing ghosts all thetime.” She was a psychic herself; the gift ran in her family, but she no longer“welcomed” spirits. Every time I got my hair cut, I’d get a spirited story!
Of course, there are all kinds of supernaturalexperiences throughout the Bible and faith itself is believing that which wecannot see but know to be real. So even though the nuns would not have anynonsense, like students entertaining the class with ghost stories, we certainlyloved hearing about angelic intervention and miracles!
SoI explore, in my stories, my lifelong interest in the paranormal. And I alsopray regularly for loved ones who I hope are enjoying themselves in heaven. Andif ever I wonder if my searching or beliefs are crossing a theological line,I’ll ask my cousin, the priest. He’s always happy to talk it out (or set mestraight).
Except Ouija boards. No goodCatholic girl goes near that!
About the Author
There’sa great song, I’ve Been Everywhere, made popular by Johnny Cash (and a couple commercials).If you put the song in Georgia, it would be about Catherine C. Hall, startingwhen she moved to the Peach State at eight-years-old. She grew up in Savannah,Georgia, where you can’t throw a stick without hitting a ghost. Even when shewas a little girl, Savannah was known for its haunted history, and she washooked! Broadcast Journalism hooked her as well, so she studied at Valdosta StateUniversity way down in South Georgia where it is the heat and the humidity. Sheworked in a few radio stations, but it was WNEX Radio in Macon thatturned out to be life-changing. She met a cute deejay from Sandersville, Georgia,and married him a year later.
Theymoved above the Gnat Line (Oh, it’s real) to the Atlanta area,where they grew their family to two boys and a girl, and she took a turn in theteaching world. And then whoosh! She met the half-century mark wondering whatto do. Maybe it was the merlot talking but after years of reading mysteries,Catherine thought it was high time she wrote one. And she did; it was awful.(And way too short. Who knew readers expected 70, 000 words?) So she learnedher craft, starting with flash fiction, then moving on to short fiction, whereshe won a few awards. She wrote essays that ended up in books like Chicken Soupfor the Soul. She penned assorted humor columns and continued to freelance. Andthen one day, she wrote another story that wasn’t exactly novel length but itwasn’t a short story, either. It was a children’s book.
Shejoined SCBWI, the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and hada wonderful career in children’s writing, including publishing six books. Butin the midst of her last two book contracts, life changed unexpectedly whenCatherine’s favorite deejay up and died. When at last she wanted to writeagain, she heard four women of a certain age, each seeking purpose and joy inwhere they found themselves, which for them was a small town in Georgia calledSutter. For Catherine, it was at home, still in the Atlanta suburbs, revisitingthe ghost stories of her youth, and finally getting that mystery written. All70,000 words of it!
Youcan find Catherine online at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551890907288
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathychall/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cathyhall55/
Website (Psst! Signup for Cathy’s Spirited Newsletter and get in on secret giveaways!): https://catherine-c-hall.com/
