The Ghoul Next Door

Author Essay

Hello, there, you fabulous paranormal fans!

Gilley Gillespie, the star of Victoria Laurie’s faaaaaaabulous Ghost Hunter Mysteries series, here to say hello and…wait. What’s that? (Hold on, Victoria’s talking to me.) I can’t tell them I’m the star? Why not?! Because M. J.’s the star? *rolls eyes* *sighs heavily* *pouts for a minute.*

Fine! The star of the series is Mary Jane Holliday-M. J. for short.

M. J.’s a petite little firecracker with Sandra Bullock’s looks, the mystery solving skills of Sherlock Holmes, and the southern charm of Julia Sugarbaker. She really is badass as protagonists go. Of course, I would know because M. J. and I have been BFFs since we were in elementary school, which is almost as long as she’s been able to talk to dead people.

A few years ago we, (meaning me), thought it’d be a great idea to utilize that talking-to-dead-people talent of M. J.’s and launch a ghostbusting business, and, (thanks to my amazing people skills), that segued nicely into a lucrative gig on a cable TV show. For the past several books we’ve been tramping through Europe, parading for the cameras and kicking some serious demon butt. But in The Ghoul Next Door, (available January 7th, 2014), we’re back home again in our adopted city of Boston, facing our biggest challenge yet!

M. J., myself, M. J.’s boyfriend, Heath, and M. J.’s ex-boyfriend, Steven, (oh what a tangled web we weave…) are joining forces to investigate a spook so creepy even I’m scared. (Please ignore Victoria’s guffaws in the background…)

ANYghoul, as I was saying, this spook has all the markings of a serial killer, and he seems intent on taking over the minds of other men, turning them into killers to satisfy his bloodlust. And, although we’ve faced down our fair share of wicked things going bump in the night, even we’d opt out of something this dicey if it weren’t for the fact that M. J.’s ex, Dr. Steven Sable, has a new fiancée, and she’s got a brother, Luke, who’s slowly being turned to the dark side. (Oh, the Star Wars puns I could run with here!)

Once again it’s up to me…uh…I mean us to figure out how to shut this spook down before he murders again. What we’ll do once we find him is anybody’s guess. (Personally, I vote for booking the next flight to Jamaica.)

If you get the opportunity to check out our adventures in Spookville, do pick up a copy of The Ghoul Next Door, and check out the other books in the Ghost Hunter Mystery series while you’re at it!

Until next time!

Gil