Spirits of New Orleans: Voodoo Curses, Vampire Legends and Cities of the Dead

America's Haunted Road Trip

by Kala Ambrose

Join ghost hunter Kala Ambrose on an exploration of the magic, the mystery, and the supernatural happenings of the Crescent City. New Orleans is formed into the shape of a crescent, which is believed by many to form a sacred chalice that holds and stores energy. This reportedly makes it a unique area in which magic—and supernatural phenomena—are magnified. New Orleanians love their city so much that some of them stick around even after they should cross over to the Great Beyond! Since childhood, author Kala Ambrose has seen and felt ghosts and restless spirits. Now a ghost hunter, Kala serves as your travel guide, exploring the history of the city and taking you to 39 haunted places, where you might see or hear these ghostly residents for yourself. In Spirits of New Orleans , the author leads you to haunted homes and alleys; to cemeteries and hotels; to restaurants, bars, stores, and any other place where people have reported paranormal experiences. Each entry includes
From the grave of Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau to the discomfort and dread patrons felt at the LaLaurie House, from the ghostly monk a Place d’Armes to the ghosts of giggling children at the Hotel Monteleone, you’ll embark on a unique and enticing journey into the haunted history and magical ceremonies of New Orleans. Prepare to be introduced to supernatural rituals and practices that can help you understand and embrace the cultural significance of the beliefs, superstitions, legends, and lore in this singular city. Happy ghost hunting!

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Travel, Paranormal, Folklore, Supernatural, American History

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 11, 2012

About the author

Kala Ambrose is "Your Travel Guide to the Other Side". Renowned intuitive coach, award winning author, spiritual teacher, and host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show, Kala's books and courses are described as empowering by thousands who have been inspired by her teachings.

Author of six books including The Awakened Psychic, The Awakened Aura, Spirits of New Orleans, 9 Life Altering Lessons and Ghosthunting North Carolina, she shares how to connect with your soul path and create a life and career that is in tune with your life purpose and goals. Study online with Kala through her school, The Academy of Mystical Arts & Spiritual Sciences. More about Kala at http://www.ExploreYourSpirit.com

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer first - I received this book free as part of a goodreads giveaway.

Over all, I found this to be a well written, easy to read, interesting book. I felt very much like I was tagging along being shown the sights of a place I've never been before. I had some mixed feelings about her input when talking about the sightings from her personal standpoint, but got over that quickly. It is what she does, so in reality, getting her personal take on a haunting fits. There wasn't a single place she mentioned that didn't leave me wanting to visit myself someday.

I enjoyed the quotes at the beginging of chapters. It was a nice way to break things up, yet tie them together.

I really only have two complaints. The picture quality was just not that great. That is more of a prodcution issue though. The good thing is with the internet, if I want to find a better quality, maybe in color, I can do that. There were a couple of times when the same information was written in more than one chapter. It is a similar thing that happens when I read a series and the previous books are summerized for a reader that may not have read the earlier books. By the end of the book, I think I understand the intention, to show how the history all relates or is connected, but it drove me a little nuts.

If I ever make it to New Orleans, I'll be bringing this book with me.

[Vera Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have rated this book more highly if the production values were better. The book is printed on cheap paper and the black and white photographs are so muddy as to be almost impossible to see. That said, the book itself is a surprisingly good guide to New Orleans, with special benefits for mediums and ghost hunters, but solid information for others as well.

Read this guide book to New Orleans, when you’re in a Halloween mood. In Spirits of New Orleans , your guide to all things spooky and unworldly is Kala Ambrose, a psychic and medium. Since Ambrose introduces you to some, shall we say, former residents of New Orleans–now in spectral form– some readers may have to call upon suspension of disbelief.

Read my entire review at A Traveler's Library.

[Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kala, thank you for such an fun and entertaining book! If I ever make it to New Orleans (as I have planned in my life sometime, I want to look you up and have you be my real life tour guide. As a paranormal investigator, I found this book to be a great guide in and around the dark sides of New Orleans.

This book is filled with so much; ghosts, death, and voodoo. it was a great road map of solid information for someone who's into taking dark tours or investigates the unknown. The book is well written. This is saying A LOT; a huge plus for someone who has read a ton of paranormal based guides. The grammar, spelling and outline of the stories had an easy to follow flow to them. Kala is articulate and portrays that in the way she's composed this book.

I enjoyed the fact that she puts a personal take on some of the stories, leaves it more personable over dry textbook style as other paranormal road map books have been.

If you're into the paranormal, ghost hunting, historical events or spooky ghost stories read this book!

[Jessica Sargent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This kind of reading is my favorite! The stories were great, I'm thinking of planning a trip to visit New Orleans using the book to map out where to stay and where to visit. I can say how much I loved it!

[Whitney Staas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title is very misleading. She focuses less on the paranormal aspects and more on general history of locations. It's not a bad read. Just not really what I fully hoped for.

[Gerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weaving historical facts about New Orleans, stories from others about their ghostly experiences, along with her own personal experiences, Spirits of New Orleans is a fascinating book that will go a long way to enriching my next visit to this famously spiritual city.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cool stories about hauntings in New Orleans that I had to miss out on. So it was nice to get to read this and hopefully plan another trip soon!!

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I visited New Orleans, I wanted to find a fun book about the city's haunted history to read. I grabbed this one, and learned too late that it's not really what I had hoped for.

The author did tell some stories of famous hauntings, but more of the stories ended up being about her own "experiences," which include casting mojo spells to make the Saints win football games, finding rings in stores that belonged to her in her many past lives, and the most hokey, having a magical vampire cast a spell on her carriage driver to lead them all to certain doom. Good thing she had the wits about her to cast a spell-block.

There were some entertaining moments, but mostly this felt like it was written by a whackadoo...one who isn't all that great a writer. I was also disappointed that the only photos in the book were poorly produced black and white photos, and didn't offer much visual interest at all.

I wish the book had been better, as I feel there's a good chance of the author trying to hex me now. It doesn't take away from how much I loved the city of New Orleans, and I hope to return one day.

[Susan Gualtier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far the best researched and most interesting book I have read on haunted New Orleans! Kala does a great job of blending the local legends with actual historical research, as well as sharing stories of her own personal encounters with ghosts and vampires in different parts of the city. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on the LaLaurie house, Congo Square, and the Ursuline Convent vampires, all of which contained information that I had not read elsewhere. Kala also includes her own travel tips at the end of each chapter, which not only highlight the must-see attractions in each area, but also give recommendations regarding the best times and locations to seek out ghosts and other supernatural activity. This book is written by someone who has intimate knowledge of the city, and it captures the spirit of New Orleans perfectly! After you read it, you won't be able to resist visiting this amazing city. If you read only book on haunted New Orleans, this is the one that I recommend!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of true paranormal accounts, and a fan of any stories, fiction or non-fiction, that take place in New Orleans, I simply had to read this book. I am so glad that I did! Even if the writer was not a sensitive and able to see spirits, this would still have been a fascinating account of the hauntings in New Orleans. However, her own personal insight from a sensitive's perspective adds to the book immensely. This is not yet another repetition of the hundreds of other books out there about haunted New Orleans. Kala Ambrose has done her research and adds thought-provoking insight that sheds a new light on some old stories. I truly enjoyed this book and recommend it ti fans of true paranormal. You will not be disappointed!

Read this book if:
*you love true paranormal accounts
*you love New Orleans

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting information in this text and certainly a few things I'd love to research further. The author takes great care to give details about the history as well as discussing the paranormal aspects of a location. I felt those details made it a well rounded text.

[Cynthia Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative guide for anyone thinking of traveling to NOLA. The author did such a great job describing the scenery of the city which brought back so many memories of my trip to the point where I had to put the book down and go to the local nursery to purchase a wisteria tree for my backyard!

*Yes, I want my yard to be just as enchanting as the Court of Two Sisters!*

While I enjoyed each story and the history of this mystical town, I'm not sure if I'm buying into the psychic abilities the author claims to have. I really could have done without the ghostly encounters, and I feel that if you are looking for haunting tale, you might be disappointed.

But if you are looking to relive your beautiful time in an enchanting city, then this is the book for you.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read a lot of history books on the great city of New Orleans as my personal history dates back to 1721, and I must say that the author does a wonderful job of displaying the history in bite sized pieces coupled with ghost stories and travel tips. The history and ghost stories are well researched, and I really enjoyed the author’s style of writing. This book is not just for tourists - city natives will enjoy this book as well.

[Michelle Engel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent more than a day with this book but don’t recall when I started it. Maybe 4 stars is kind of a lot? My suspension of disbelief really strained with this one.

Not quite sure what to make of her detailed accounts of conversations with ghosts, and her supposed run-in with a vampire. And psychic dreams of past lives, etc.

The history was fascinating, and whether or not you give credence to the otherworldly aspects of her travels, it still makes for intriguing reading.

[Will allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book

I love reading books that pertain to haunting and mysterious things. This book not only provides this but also provides the history of certain places before getting into the stories. Definitely a great read. Chapters are not too long and easy to read. Makes me want to hurry back to NOLA so that I can understand just a little bit more.

[Alysha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks Kala! I'm going to New Orleans on a trip and I'm going to lead my friend around on a ghost hunt for her birthday. I learned a lot of good facts from this book and, while a skeptic myself, found them interesting! Loved the historical bits.

[Baroness · Rating 1 out of 5]

Voodoo! Vampires! Ghosts! New Orleans!
Oh My Goth!
I was very excited when I found this book.
Unfortunately, my excitement diminished as I read page by page.
The author focused too much on her own experiences.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, breezy read, perfect to read while visiting New Orleans. Lots of historical info and entertaining ghost stories.

[Rhina M. Finley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love her love for this city. She did such a beautiful job in making the reader envision all these historical places.

[Victoria Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super quick read. Slight repetition in some chapters but it didn’t deter from the many entertaining stories

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not quite what I expected, but all of the history included makes this an amazing read.

[Nicole Bannister · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book I had one thing about this book I didn't like which was they did not have anything about the mrytles plantation

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! I've always wanted to but have never been to New Orleans and this just made me want to go even more. To see the places Kala Ambrose wrote of in person would be wonderful as she did such great job describing everything including the things in the past that made New Orleans what it is today. She was really able to make her stories come alive for me. I feel like she was trying to fit a little piece of each part of New Orleans into each page and she did it. I tried to take my time with this book to make it last as long as possible so I as a little sad when I reached that last page.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this book at a book fair, where the author was attending. The book was on display but not being sold at the event. It was well-worth the effort of tracking down and purchasing!

This is much more than simply a collection of ghost stories about one of the most haunted cities in the U.S. It is also combination love-letter from a person who was raised in the city, and a wonderfully detailed and organized trip planner for anyone wishing to visit New Orleans with a "ghost-hunting" focus.

Not only do you get three books in one for a single purchase price here, if you happen to be a bit obsessed with the city of New Orleans [as I am] you get a perspective on the city and its history that no amount of reseach could offer quite like you get from someone who has actually lived in the city. You really feel almost like you are visiting the city yourself with the engaging, personalized way the author tells you about the various locations she profiles. The love the author has for New Orleans comes through on every page, and the reader can't help but go along for the ride with wild abandon!

As well, the author is a psychic, so her personal experiences with ghostly residents also adds an extra dimension of entertainment to reading the book.

The stories are wonderful, the pseudo-visit to the city is excellent, and the way the author lists her tips for those planning to visit the city to make it easy to create a list of "must see" places in New Orleans that will suit your own interests. In addition to the historical/haunted places, you are given options for accommodation, dining and entertainment that could easily span numerous visits to the city. This book was requested as a gift from a friend, and it is absolutely going to be what I use when I finally am able to visit New Orleans. Having an local's-eye-view on the city is terrific. Highly recommended to those interested in New Orleans, haunted cities, or just early U.S. history. This is wonderful on all counts!!

[Jane Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

New Orleans & Ghosts - A lively, informed, fresh perspective!

Although I first thought, "Ah, more re-hash of the same ol' stuff." I was very happily surprised that Kala gives us a first-hand, personal tour with her spot on intuitive insights. Having some intuitive capabilities, I can confirm some of Kala's impressions. The kids ARE having fun in the Monteleone! Even more worthwhile, Kala's done her research and brings to light the real monster at the DeLaurie house, as well as weaving the cultures together to show how the unique spiritual gumbo evolved in the Crescent City. This book is a fresh, new look at the beauty of an old Queen - I only gave it 4 stars because the book, like New Orleans, left me wanting more!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased this book during a recent trip to New Orleans, thinking it would be an entertaining adjunct to a tour I took ... as well as to my own research.

I was right on both counts.

Author and medium Kala Ambrose writes in friendly, entertaining voice. Her research on the sites and legends she discusses is impeccable, relying not only on first-person experience but also on primary source research (there is a bibliography at the end of the book). As a result, Ambrose's look at a city she clearly loves is lively and informative.

At the end of each chapter, there are travel notes and recommendations for those who wish to see a particular place themselves.

Well-done.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I downloaded this right before my fourth trip to New Orleans and had a great time reading it during and after my return. Kala Ambrose takes the reader on a journey through NOLA, exploring historical facts, legends, paranormal stories and current sights. She writes in a fun, light hearted tone, and I love her sense of humor.

[Dianne Landry · Rating 4 out of 5]

New Orleans is high on my bucket list and this book can be used as a travel guide. It also tells some really interesting stories of the haunted places throughout the city. I learned things I had never known about how slaves were treated differently there than in the rest of the USA. Except for the author's encounter with a vampire (really?) I found the book lots of fun.

[Travis Stacey Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable romp through a great city

I love NOLA and this book really helped me pull up memories of some of my times there. Ms. Ambrose does a fine job of introducing us to a wide variety of locales that may be haunted but you really need to go and experience the Crescent City in person.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book it's an awesome read. I read it fairly fast but it did combine my favorite things the south I was a resident of Texas and would drive to Louisiana many times awesome States! Also spirits. The author informs you of places to visit and how to show the respect that is due to those that passed.