Meet the Authors

Beyond Delicious: The Ghost Whisperer’s Cookbook

Mary Ann Winkowski was born in Cleveland, Ohio and has been communicating with earthbound spirits for most of her life. Her earliest memories involve speaking with the spirits of the deceased as if they were living people and helping these entities cross over into the White Light. Over the course of her work as a paranormal investigator, Mary Ann’s reputation

Mary Ann Winkowski has spread around the world. She has long been a consultant to the CBS hit television show “Ghost Whisperer,” has appeared on numerous national and local TV and radio news programs and is a much in-demand speaker. She has two-grown daughters and lives with her husband, Ted, in the Cleveland area.

Mary Ann has offered her abilities to those in need across the United States and in far away places such as St. Lucia, and Scotland. She is contacted regularly by Federal agencies and local police precincts investigating cold cases and other unsolved crimes. In addition to private consultations that have taken her into the homes of everyone from high profile celebrities to prominent businessmen, she is contacted by businesses, hospitals, clergy and various organizations, including major-league sports franchises who need her help.

David Powers earned a degree in Creative Writing from Ohio University. His fiction has appeared under the name David Christopher in magazines such as Lost Worlds, The MacGuffin, The Inflated Graveworm, and Enigmatic Tales. As David Christopher, he also wrote As Alive, So Dead with Mary Ann Winkowski. He  maintains “OH Hellmouth” at graveworm.com.

Chicago Haunted Handbook

Jeff Morris achieved his degree in English from the haunted Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and spent the early part of his career as an English instructor at a college in Cincinnati. While teaching, Jeff became interested in the ghost stories in the Cincinnati area. In 2005, he started working with his brother, Michael Morris, on their first book, Haunted Cincinnati and Southwest Ohio, which was published in June of 2009 by Arcadia Publishing. Beyond the book, Jeff has become very involved in the paranormal field in the Midwest. In 2006 he and his brother founded Miamitown Ghost Tours, which continues to run year round. In 2009, they joined a paranormal investigation group called CAPER (Cincinnati Area Paranormal Existence Research), and they started an online radio show called “Miamitown Ghost Talk.” In the fall of 2010, both Jeff and Michael published Cincinnati Haunted Handbook. He lives in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati Haunted Handbook

Jeff Morris achieved his degree in English from the haunted Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and spent the early part of his career as an English instructor at a college in Cincinnati. While teaching, Jeff became interested in the ghost stories in the Cincinnati area. In 2005, he started working with his brother, Michael Morris, on their first book, Haunted Cincinnati and Southwest Ohio, which was published in June of 2009 by Arcadia Publishing. Beyond the book, Jeff and Michael have become very involved in the paranormal field in the Midwest. In 2006 they founded Miamitown Ghost Tours, which continues to run year round. In 2009, the brothers joined a paranormal investigation group called CAPER (Cincinnati Area Paranormal Existence Research), and they started an online radio show called “Miamitown Ghost Talk.”

Through this show, Jeff and Michael have made many connections in the paranormal field throughout the country. They have attended a number of paranormal conferences and conventions and in 2009 hosted their own conference, Miamitown Paranormal Fest.

Aside from the Miamitown Ghost Tours, books, and the radio show, Michael is also a freelance graphic designer. He works closely with numerous paranormal groups and individuals to provide them with Web sites and graphics. Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in Visual Communication and has continued to pursue and help others in that field.

Ghosthunting Florida

Dave Lapham grew up in Iowa and, after enlisting in the Marines, attended the Naval Academy, and returned to the Marine Corps after graduation. He was an infantry officer (2 tours in Vietnam) and retired to Orlando where I worked in the defense industry for another twenty years before retiring to write full time. He is one of the more popular “ghost” writers in Florida with his popular books Ghosts of St. Augustine and Ancient City Hauntings. He has written for Raconteur, Fine Print, Jacksonville, and St. Augustine magazines and has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows, including the television documentaries Haunted Lighthouses and Ghosts–North Florida Legends. He lives in St. Augustine, Florida.

Ghosthunting Kentucky

Patti Starr is a world renowned paranormal investigator who owns the Ghost Chasers International organization founded in 1996 based in Lexington, Kentucky. She is also owner of the Ghost Hunter Shop located at 835 Porter Place, Lexington, Kentucky. Patti is the tour guide for the immensely popular Bardstown Ghost Trek which she started in 1997 in Bardstown, KY.

With over 30 years of paranormal research and ghost investigations Patti has captured many anomalies in photos, videos and audios while investigating haunted locations. Her goal as an experienced and accomplished paranormal investigator is to collect evidence to support the premise that life goes on even after death. She is very active as a ghost researcher, author, lecturer, consultant, dowser, and teacher. Her book, Ghost Hunting in Kentucky and Beyond, is widely hailed as a must-have resource for all serious ghost hunters.

Patti has been teaching ghost hunting courses at the Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Lexington, Kentucky since 2001. Her Ghost Hunter Certification Home Study Course is in great demand and she has students from all over the world enrolled. She is currently lecturing at numerous universities, colleges, and libraries throughout the United States. Colleges and universities Student Activity Directors can book Patti by contacting Wolfman Productions.

Patti’s work has been documented in numerous newspapers and magazines including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Oracle 20/20, Ghost Magazine and Southern Distinction.

Patti writes for the Lexington Herald-Leader online newspaper under the heading “Ask the Expert”. It is a forum for posing questions to certain professionals. Questions and answers are published for information and discussion purposes only.

In 2006 Patti Starr was voted as one of the Top Ten Ghost Hunter Paranormal Investigators in America for 2007, 2008 and again for 2009.

Patti is a frequent guest on television and radio programs. She has been featured on national TV such as A&E “Paranormal State” filmed at a haunted residence, A&E “Airline” filmed in Birmingham, AL, at the haunted Sloss Furnaces and a film clip of that investigation was featured on the Montel Williams Show. She was also featured on the Food Network “The Best of Fright Food” filmed at the haunted Talbott Tavern in Bardstown, Kentucky.

Ghosthunting Maryland & Ghosthunting Virginia

Michael J. Varhola is a freelance journalist, author/co-author of numerous books and innumerable articles, and a publisher of several publications. He is now the series editor for America’s Haunted Road Trip.

Ghosthunting Michigan

Helen Pattskyn first became interested in the paranormal at an early age and has since read many books on ghosts, hauntings, and strange phenomena. Helen has enjoyed visiting cemeteries, old buildings and other reportedly haunted locations, approaching each with an open mind. With an educational background in library science, Helen spends her time as a writer and artist attending local science fiction conventions.

Ghosthunting New York City &
Ghosthunting New Jersey

L’Aura’s interest in the paranormal started in childhood with her Dad introducing her to “Twilight Zone” and finishing out 8th grade living in a haunted house.

L’Aura has been ghost hunting since 1993 and founded the NJ Ghost Hunters Society back in 1998. In addition to hunting in New Jersey, she’s ghost hunted in Savannah, GA, St. Francisville (The Myrtles Plantation), LA, New Orleans, LA, St. Johnsville (Beardsley Castle), NY, Gettysburg, PA, Chicago (Bachelor’s Grove), IL, Nashville, Memphis & Chattanooga, TN and conducted the first NJ Ghost Conference at The Inn at Five Ponds in Vermont in 1999.

L’Aura has appeared on many local radio and cable tv programs including CN8’s “Family Talk” and Cablevision’s “Neighborhood Journal” as well as NJ 101.5 FM radio and WNNJ FM radio. She appeared on the nationally syndicated television show “Montel Williams” for the Sylvia Browne Halloween special on Oct. 31, 2006. (see pictures here) Included in this segment was her investigation of Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA.

Ghosthunting Ohio & Ghosthunting Illinois & Ghosthunting Ohio on the Road Again

John Kachuba has also written Ghosthunters: On the Trail of Mediums, Dowsers, Spirit Seekers, and Other Investigators of America’s Paranormal World, How to Write Funny, and Why is this Job Killing Me?. John’s short fiction and nonfiction have been widely published and he has received several awards for his fiction, including the 2004 Dogwood Fiction Prize. He holds advanced degrees in Creative Writing from Antioch University and Ohio University. He has taught writing at both the University of Cincinnati and Ohio University. He is also on the faculty of the Gotham Writers Workshop. John is a noted conference speaker and presenter and is a sought-after guest on many radio and television programs throughout the country and internationally. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Ghosthunting Oregon

As a native Oregonian, Donna Stewart discovered her interest in the paranormal at a very early age in the early 1980s, a time when very few others were even aware of a paranormal community. In 2004, along with cofounder Laura Schier, Stewart formed PSI of Oregon, working long and hard for a decade to make their team one of the most respected and sought after paranormal research teams in the area. When not researching and investigating claims of paranormal activity throughout Oregon, Stewart spends her time working as a pro bono CEO for Southern Oregon Project Hope. She is the creator and host of the featured Blogtalk radio show, PSI-FI Radio, along with three others. She lives in Coos Bay, OR.

Ghosthunting Pennsylvania

Rosemary Ellen Guiley, Ph.D. is an expert on paranormal, visionary, and spiritual topics. She has written over 30 books on a wide range of subjects, from angels to zombies and everything in between. She has written hundreds of articles for various publications, and is consulting editor for FATE magazine. Rosemary has had numerous experiences, from encounters with dark forces to mystical experiences with beings of light. She has been a believer in the unseen realms since childhood, when psychic dreaming opened portals to the amazing multidimensional universe. She says that our paranormal and spiritual experiences are undeniable, and have the potential to revolutionize every aspect of human life. Rosemary lives in Lutherville, Maryland.

Ghosthunting Southern California

Author Sally Richards had a near-death experience (NDE) when she drowned at the age of eight in Hawaii. Growing up in the 50th state, she, just like the other kids, learned a healthy respect for the dead ancestors who fiercely protected the sacred sites on the islands. Although able to see the dead before this time, her mediumship abilities seemed to become clearer after her drowning incident. Richards continued finding herself first on the scene of several murders, as the victims drew her to the locations and begged her to find justice. Years later she experienced her second NDE when she was hit by lightning during a severe pre-Hurricane Katrina storm. Her abilities seemed to reach a higher level after this, and she then set out to learn about what was beyond the veil between life and death. After spending years at the century-old Spiritualist camps across the country, taking classes and training from the senior members in the hierarchies, she trained as a medium and shifted those skills toward her work as a paranormal investigator, searching the globe for haunted locations, amazing stories, and unquestionable evidence.

Ghosthunting Southern New England

At the age of eleven, Andrew Lake had his first experience with a haunting during a summer getaway in Scituate, Massachusetts. He has been fascinated with the paranormal ever since. From 1987 to 1996, he worked in the field of home health care as a medical equipment technician. While visiting patient’s homes he would sometimes hear strange stories about the moment of someone’s passing and the occasional family ghost story. During this time period, he shared an apartment with two friendly ghosts in the historic village of Hope, Rhode Island. In 2006, Lake formed Greenville Paranormal Research in order to sincerely investigate and document reports of ghosts and the locations where they are said to haunt. Besides working on his own documentaries about haunted New England towns, he has contributed to the radio programs, “Spooky Southcoast” and “Ghost Chronicles”. He is also one of the cast and crew on Jeff Belanger’s web cast television show, “30 Odd Minutes”. He lives in Greenville, Rhode Island.

Ghosthunting Texas

For over half of April Slaughter’s life, she has been involved in researching and investigating all things paranormal. She has also had the privilege of working with numerous experts in the field of paranormal activity. April is currently a staff writer for TAPS Paramagazine (published by The Atlantic Paranormal Society & the SciFi Channel’s GHOST HUNTERS). Investigating claims of Paranormal Phenomena and sharing that information in her writing is a dream come true for her. In addition, April and her husband Allen are founders of THE PARANORMAL SOURCE, Inc., a non-profit research & education corporation based in Dallas, TX. April lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband and twin daughters.

Haunted Hoosier Trails & More Haunted Hoosier Trails

Wanda Lou Willis is a folklore historian who specializes in Hoosier folktales and historic research. She is a former features writer for the Indianapolis Star’s “Seniority Counts” section and contributor to the SouthernIn on-line magazine and the Suite 101 – Folklore site.  Currently she writes for Country Roads: Southeastern Indiana’s Lifestyle Magazine.  For many years she taught folklore at IUPUI and through the OASIS system and is a popular presenter at schools, universities, libraries, clubs and historical societies. 

Willis takes readers on a frightening journey across Indiana. Her More Haunted Hoosier Trails with all-new ghostly tales is the hair-raising companion to Haunted Hoosier Trails. Wanda explores Indiana’s hidden history in spooky locations around the state. Local history buffs will relish the informative county histories that begin each chapter, while thrill-seekers will eagerly search out these frightening spots. Willis, a fifth generation Hoosier, lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Nashville Haunted Handbook & Twin Cities Haunted Handbook

Jeff Morris achieved his degree in English from the haunted Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and spent the early part of his career as an English instructor at a college in Cincinnati. While teaching, Jeff became interested in the ghost stories in the Cincinnati area. In 2005, he started working with his brother, Michael Morris, on their first book, Haunted Cincinnati and Southwest Ohio, which was published in June of 2009 by Arcadia Publishing. Beyond the book, Jeff has become very involved in the paranormal field in the Midwest. In 2006 he and his brother founded Miamitown Ghost Tours, which continues to run year round. In 2009, they joined a paranormal investigation group called CAPER (Cincinnati Area Paranormal Existence Research), and they started an online radio show called “Miamitown Ghost Talk.” He lives in Cincinnati.

Garett Merk attended college at the University of Dayton and earned a degree in Computer Engineering. He joined the US Navy in late 2004. While in the Navy he had the opportunity to investigate several places in the Southern/Central California area. Garett is the founder of the Tri-State Paranormal and Oddities Observation Practitioners (TriPOOP). He enjoys research and investigations of haunted locations in an effort to capture undisputable evidence of the paranormal. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Donna Marsh has been ghost hunting and investigating paranormal locations for well over ten years. As one of the founders of the American Paranormal Society, she helps lead a team of paranormal investigators, as they travel around the southeast checking out claims of ghosts and hauntings. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her children and two dogs.

Spirit of New Orleans &
Ghosthunting North Carolina

Noted wisdom teacher, author, intuitive, inspirational speaker, and host of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Radio and TV Show (ExploreYourSpirit.com), Kala Ambrose’s teachings are described as discerning, empowering and inspiring. Whether she’s speaking with world-renowned experts on the Explore Your Spirit with Kala Show, writing about empowering lifestyle choices, reporting on new discoveries in the scientific and spiritual arenas or teaching to groups around the country, fans around the world tune in daily for her inspirational musings and lively thought-provoking conversations.

Kala is the author of four books including the award-winning 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled, Ghosthunting North Carolina, and The Awakened Aura: Experiencing the Evolution of Your Energy Body.

A highly interactive teacher on a mission to educate, entertain and inspire, Kala writes for Huffington Post, Examiner, AOL, Yahoo and Fate Magazine, and presents workshops nationally on the Mind/Body/Spirit connection including Auras and Energy Fields, Developing Business Intuition, Haunted History and Wisdom Teachings at the Omega Institute, John Edward Presents Infinite Quest, the Learning Annex, LilyDale Assembly, and Daily Om.

Spooked in Seattle

Ross Allison is the president and founder of A.G.H.O.S.T. (Advanced Ghost Hunters of Seattle-Tacoma) with 20 years of investigating the paranormal and 10 years running a ghost hunting group. He travels internationally to investigate paranormal activity, collect ghost stories, and research cemeteries. Lecturing to thousands of students at over 100 colleges and universities throughout the US on ghost hunting adventures and teaching a class based on his book, Ghostology 101: Becoming a Ghost Hunter, at the University of Washington. He’s appeared on a number of radio programs, in magazines, books, news coverage and television shows, including The Learning Channel’s America’s Ghost Hunters, The Tonight Show, MTV, CMT, CNN, ABC’s Scariest Places on Earth, SyFy’s Ghost Hunters, Nightline and two episodes of Travel Channel’s Most Terrifying Places in America.

Ross also is the owner of Spooked in Seattle Tours, which draws in more than 2,500 people annually and continues to grow every year. The tours are given by bus, by horse-drawn carriage, or on foot. Very popular with tourists, the tours also are attracting locals who want to find out more about the hauntings in the Emerald City. He lives in Tacoma, Washington.

 

 

 

 

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