The bestselling author of "Ghosts Across Kentucky" now presents an all-new collection of amazing ghost stories of the state.

“This wonderful collection of Kentucky ghost stories” is a treasure trove of history, heritage, and commentary on the oral tradition of storytelling (Elizabeth Tucker, author of Haunted Halls). In Kentucky Hauntings, beloved storytellers Roberta Simpson Brown and Lonnie E. Brown present a thrilling collection of paranormal tales that will appeal to anyone looking for a friendly scare. Weaving together factual accounts of unexplained events, peculiar headlines, and local legends passed down from a time when most homes lacked electricity, Kentucky Hauntings combines spooky stories with commentary on historic customs. From "telling the bees" about a death in the family, to a friendly "fool's errand" practical joke gone horribly wrong, and from terrifying haunted houses to the lifesaving "Bathtub Ghost," readers are transported to a world of age-old superstitions and paranormal experiences. Whether shared around the fire on a crisp autumn night or whispered in a huddle of close friends at a summer sleepover, these eerie stories will thrill and excite anyone who loves a good scare.

"Lynwood Montell has collected ghost tales all over the state of Kentucky, from coal mining settlements to river landings, from highways to battlefields. He presents these suspense-filled stories just as he first heard or read them: as bona fide personal experiences or as events witnessed by family members or friends. There are over 250 stories in Ghosts across Kentucky that are set in specific places and times. They include tales of graveyards, haunted dormitories, animal ghosts, and vanishing hitchhikers. Montell describes weird lights, unexplained sounds, felt presences, and disappearing apparitions. Phantom workmen, fallen soldiers, young lovers, and executed criminals appear in these pages, along with the living who chance upon them. Though the focus is on the stories themselves, Montell also includes a chapter explaining our fascination with the supernatural and the deep truths these storytelling traditions reveal about our lives and our pasts.William Lynwood Montell, emeritus professor of folk studies at Western Kentucky University, is the author of several books, including Killings."

“Vividly re-creates the context of storytelling in Kentucky in times past.” —Margaret Read MacDonald, author of Ten Traditional Tellers A good ghost story can make your hair stand on end, your palms sweat, and your heart race. The bone-chilling collection Tales of Kentucky Ghosts presents more than 250 stories that do just that. William Lynwood Montell has assembled an entertaining and diverse array of tales from across the commonwealth that will keep you checking under the bed every night. The first-person accounts in this collection showcase folklore that Montell has drawn from archives, family stories, and oral traditions throughout Kentucky. The stories include that of the ghost bride of Laurel County, who appears each year on the anniversary of her wedding day; the tale of the murdered worker who haunts the Simpson County home of his killer and former employer; the account of the lost mandolin that plays itself in a house in Graves County, and many more. Tales of Kentucky Ghosts brings together a variety of terrifying narratives that not only entertain and frighten but also serve as a unique record of Kentucky’s rich heritage of storytelling. “Lynwood Montell is truly an icon in the field of Kentucky folklore.” —James McCormick and Macy A. Wyatt, authors of Ghosts of the Bluegrass “Lynwood Montell successfully reports on family stories, bizarre creatures, urban legends, classic country ghost tales, strange glowing lights, talking cats and so much more.” —Thomas Freese, author of Ghosts, Spirits, and Angels: True Tales from Kentucky and Beyond “Sure to both entertain and chill its readers while also allowing them to consider their own supernatural heritage.” —Manchester Enterprise

“Probably no section of the country can rightly claim more mystifying, more intriguing, or more enduring ghost stories and unexplained phenomena than Kentucky.” With this statement, based on years of personal research and investigation, the author presents his second collection of such tales from the Bluegrass State.

Kentucky's beauty is offset by a violent past of Indian wars, Civil War battles, and the tragic spirits from these conflicts.

“From ghost dogs to phantom orbs, from dead spirits visiting and avenging wraiths, there is plenty . . . to keep skeptic and believer both enthralled.” —Thomas Freese, coauthor of Haunted Battlefields of the South With its tales of benevolent and malicious specters, terrifying monsters, and unexplained phenomena, Halloween is the holiday most people associate with spooky stories. But do spirits remain hidden the rest of the year? In the rich storytelling customs of the commonwealth, the supernatural world is also connected with holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Memorial Day. In Haunted Holidays, celebrated storytellers Roberta Simpson Brown and Lonnie E. Brown have assembled a hair-raising collection of paranormal tales for readers of all ages. The stories present many new and spooky characters, including the deceased great aunt who still rocks in her favorite chair on Mother’s Day, the young boy who made good on his promise to return a silver dollar on the Fourth of July, and even the ghost who hated Labor Day. In addition to tales of haunting, the Browns reveal many Appalachian legends and their importance to the storytelling tradition, such as the phantom bells who guide the dead to the other side, and a “chime child” born when the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Day, who is rumored to be blessed with the gift of second sight. More than a collection of ghost stories or family legends, Haunted Holidays takes readers on a fireside journey that preserves and promotes oral traditions, revealing the importance of sharing beliefs, traditions, and values with a new generation of listeners.