Karen Stevens

From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night, may the good Lord preserve us." Traditional Scottish prayer.

I've always loved Halloween, with all its mystery and excitement. As a child, I would linger in the leaf-whirled darkness as long as I dared, hoping to catch a glimpse of the spirits that were said to roam the earth on All Hallows Eve. I never saw one, but that only made me more determined to try my luck again the next year.

I never saw the ghoulies or long-legged beasties of the old Scottish prayer either, but things sometimes did go "bump in the night" at our family home. My folks didn't know the three story brick-and-stucco house was haunted when they bought it, but it wasn't long before we realized that we shared our house with an unseen presence. During the nineteen years I lived there, everyone in our family had experiences we couldn't explain. Doorbells rang, but no one was there and no footprints were visible in the fresh snow. Lights turned themselves mysteriously off and on, and someone we couldn't see occasionally walked up the basement stairs. On one memorable occasion, all four of us saw the knob on the basement door begin to turn back and forth as if someone were standing on the other side. My father grabbed the knob while it was still turning and yanked the door open. We saw only the empty darkness of the stairs that led down to the basement.

I have never lost my fascination with ghosts, whatever they are. For over thirty years I have collected ghost stories here in Montana, interviewing hundreds of eyewitnesses. My first book, Haunted Montana, was followed by More Haunted Montana and Glacier Ghost Stories: Eerie Tales of Glacier National Park.

Armchair Ghost Hunting is my latest book, written with author and fellow ghost hunter Pat Cody. Have you ever wanted to visit a haunted place? You'll enjoy our adventures aboard haunted ships, in haunted hotels, pubs, theaters, an abandoned prison and The Myrtles, supposedly the most haunted plantation house in America. We've even included a few odd photos that may contain something paranormal.

As always, my focus is on places of historic interest such as forts, museums, battlefields, theaters, hotels, restaurants, and railroad depots that welcome visitors. Many readers use my books as travel guides. Perhaps you, like some of those readers, will also have an eerie encounter!

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