Do you believe in ghosts?
I know I do. But that might be because I have my own personal ghost. About the age of twenty-three, my ghost started appearing to me regularly.
Let's preface this with a mention that around that same time, several tragedies meant I lost multiple loved ones over the course of a year or two. In researching ghosts, the two most common types of sightings either involve a haunted location or involve loved ones who've passed. For those loved ones who've passed, most family members report seeing them most frequently right after their death, with the frequency decreasing as time goes by.
So based on timing and events, my assumption has always been that my ghost falls into the second category--a loved one. My sightings weren't at locations where I knew any of my loved ones, however. All my sightings were in new and differing locations, including hotel rooms. I would wake up and a man--indistinguishable features, just a presence--would be standing over me. And would scare the ever-living daylights out of me. Every darn time.
This went on for years. Sometimes I would even wake up, heart pounding, and throw things (like my pillow) or kick out at the apparition. Finally, I got used to seeing my ghost on a regular basis. One night I woke to find him standing directly beside me. Very calmly, I said, "It scares me when you stand so close. Can you please stay at the end of the bed?" And after that night, he always showed up at the end of the bed.
That was when I concluded that my ghost must be a loved one watching over me. My own personal bodyguard. It's been more than a decade, and I no longer see my ghost every night. In fact, he only pops up every once in a while. Every couple of months or so.
Now, I could easily explain everything away by saying I squeeze my eyes shut when I sleep, especially when I'm stressed and at night it takes a while for my eyes to clear. But where's the fun in that? Besides? Would my poor eyes know to stand at the end of the bed? Nope!
When I wrote A Ghost of a Chance, my story in the recently released Moon, Mist, & Magic anthology, I drew upon my own experience with a loved one watching over me, and tried to give my ghost-whisperer, Josie, her own personal ghost. With a twist, of course, because she has a chance to save her brother.
What I find particularly fascinating is that, during the release of the book, I participated in a few Facebook parties, during which I would play a game asking others about their own ghost experiences. You'd be amazed (or maybe not) at how many people have personal ghost stories. Even being able to describe the ghost's physical form in detail, and multiple family members sighting a ghost. With so many folks having experienced ghosts, how can you not believe?
Do you have a ghost story? I'd love to hear it!
Award-winning paranormal and contemporary romance author, Abigail Owen was born in Greeley, Colorado, and resides in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two adorable children who are the center of her universe.
Abigail grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. A fourth generation graduate of Texas A&M University, she attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.
