Guest Blog with Meira Pentermann - Do You Believe in Ghosts?

Let me introduce, Meira Pentermann, author of Firefly Beach. She's here today to talk about ghosts. Take it away, Meria!

I love a good ghost story. Eager for spooky details but armed with a healthy dose of skepticism, I indulge my paranormal cravings whenever possible. From the televised sounds or images caught by ghost hunting equipment to a third hand tale of grandma’s apparition in the attic, a good ghost story can literally give me goose bumps.

After seeing or hearing a particularly convincing tale, the kind that makes you want to leave the lights on, my mind eventually wanders into the realm of why? Why are they here? Certainly not for my late night entertainment. Some ghost enthusiasts say that a sudden, unexpected death causes a spirit to be confused. Others say a spirit lingers because he or she has unfinished business. The latter explanation resonates with me, maybe just because I can’t abide the thought of a spirit being stuck forever. I need to believe that he or she has the possibility of finding peace. Still, it seems like many ghost stories live on through the generations – a particular ghost in one house, decade after decade. Could so many spirits be stuck for eternity? These eerie places the ghost hunters love to visit, are they all haunted by sad, trapped souls? Or do our imaginations take flight because we are eager to hear a good story?

I personally would stay miles away from these haunted places. In spite of my fascination with the paranormal, I’d much rather hear the stories from the safety of my own living room. Imagine my surprise when my husband and I stayed at a bed and breakfast in Maine and stumbled into a possible haunting. When I told the proprietors of the b&b that I was writing a paranormal mystery set on the coast of Maine, they became excited and relayed several spooky tales from bed and breakfasts in the area. Then they casually mentioned that a few visitors had seen a ghost in the room we had just settled into.

What?

Allegedly, over a hundred years ago, a girl threw herself out the window. Our window. I guess our hosts thought I might be intrigued, but they had no idea what a chicken I am. Seriously. I left the bathroom light on all night. We never saw anything, thankfully. If we had I would have awoken the entire household. Three wonderful breakfasts (and days of exploring the coast of Maine) later, we packed up and left Maine, my nerves intact.

But I never lost the image of the girl who walked to the window and jumped. Is she really there? Is she really stuck? And then my mind goes full circle and I am back to why?

 

When Beth LaMonte rents a cottage on the coast of Maine, she wishes only to withdraw and paint. A mysterious ball of light disturbs her peace and leads her to a secret beach where she finds the diary of a girl who disappeared in 1975. Now Beth is on a mission, not only to bury her own past, but to put to rest the spirit of Firefly Beach.

Author Bio

On slow, snowy days in her Colorado home, Meira Pentermann enjoys cozying up on the couch with a novel. Naturally, snow is not a requirement; neither is the couch. In fact, she sees no reason not to indulge in reading three-hundred-and-sixty-five days a year. Apocalyptic science fiction, mysteries, and young adult titles top her Kindle list, but legal thrillers and chik-lit make an appearance now and then.

When not absorbed in writing or reading, Meira enjoys life’s little moments with her family – the love and devotion of her black lab, the quiet wisdom of her artistic twenty-one-year-old, the trials and triumphs of her petite sixth grader, and the unlimited encouragement offered by her Dutch husband.

Meira strives to write stories that deliver the unexpected. She prefers down-to-earth characters that look and behave like regular folks. The prom queen and Adonis take a backseat to reclusive, soul-searching heroines and quirky, introverted gentlemen. 

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