Saturday, June 1, 2019

Book Review: Haunted Charlottesville and Surrounding Counties by Susan Schwartz

by Susan Schwartz  (Author), Cliff Middlebrook Jr. (Photographer)
June 28, 2019
196 pages
107 b/w photos
Publisher: Schiffer; 1 edition
Charlottesville, Virginia, and its 12 surrounding counties are filled with history and charm. They also hold spirits who aren’t ready to leave their beloved homes or families behind. Visit more than 75 haunting locations with this experiential and historical guide. Shiver your way through haunted graveyards, mansions, parks, private residences, and other locations as you discover the past and learn of current lingering ghosts and the havoc they continue to instigate. Have you ever pondered about the spiritual implications from murders of olde? Think you might like to be pinched by a ghost or have your name called when no one is there? Interested in what a paranormal investigative group might find? Then make plans to explore these strange and frightening locations. Contact information is provided for those places allowing visitations. But when you visit, be ready for a haunting good time!

I had a spine-tingling good time with Haunted Charlottesville and Surrounding Counties!

Author Susan Schwartz doesn’t rely on cheap, overdramatized, embellished tactics to sell her book, she doesn’t need to. Instead, she shares historical information about well known and many unknown (to non-locals anyway) places where reported paranormal activity has taken place. More importantly, Schwartz, a skeptic herself, shares her own experiences in many of these locations. Her straightforward approach to chronicling ghostly occurrences in locations like Castle Hill Manor, The Exchange Hotel, and more appealed to my enjoyment of the paranormal experience without frustrating me with a lot of nonsense theatrics.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Haunted Charlottesville as both a fan of ghost stories, and of history, and highly recommend the book to anyone who is a fan of the paranormal but doesn’t want to feel like they’re reading a reality show script.

Rating: 4 ½ sheep






Adria Reyes

About the Author:
Susan Schwartz RN, MSN, MSHA has been an avid writer for 10 years writing freelance articles, editing manuscripts, and proofing medical competencies. She has published three short stories in the anthologies of Nightmare & Echoes I, II, and III and a non-fiction piece for the Virginia Writers Club yearly anthology. Her alter ego is an Operating Room Nurse/Nurse Educator who loves creating tales from the interesting things she has seen. She is a member of the Horror Writers Association and the Virginia Writers Club where she is serving as President of the Richmond Chapter and 1st Vice President of the state organization. She also has two novels in the works, a paranormal romance and a medical thriller.


Photographer
At the urging of a good friend in 2005, Cliff began taking pictures of trains and various railroad settings. As his photography skills grew, he branched out into landscapes, sunrises &sunsets, and architecture. His photographs have been published in several magazines and books in Great Britain and the United States; they are also displayed in businesses and homes across the country. Cliff wishes to thank those who unselfishly shared their time and knowledge to help develop his skills. Paying it forward, he is always willing to share his knowledge with others new to the craft. Cliff's goal is to share the world from his perspective and connect with others through a single moment in time. Please leave feedback at cliffmiddlebrook@yahoo.com or on his website.

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