The Ghost Next Door: True Stories of Paranormal Encounters from Everyday People [Paperback]

Mark Morris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 4, 2004

A collection of chilling stories eerily believable and truly spooky very strongly recommended -Midwest Book ReviewMost people think of ghosts as rare, elusive creatures that are more or less inaccessible to the average Joe. Sure, we read about them, watch TV shows about them and tell stories about them, but we'll probably never run into one-right? Don't be so sure. Even if you've never personally encountered a ghost, chances are you know someone who has.The Ghost Next Door takes a revealing look into the lives of average, everyday people from across the country who have had experiences in the realm of the unexplained. Whether you're a true believer in ghosts or a hard-nosed skeptic, you're sure to get a chill or two when you read about the woman who was visited by her grandfather on the night of his funeral! Or the man who was forced to move by a troublesome spirit only to find it had followed him!As you make your way through these and other genuinely spooky stories, you'll probably find that ghostly encounters are a lot more common than you had imagined. Could there be a "haunted house" in your town? Perhaps on your very street? Maybe even right next door?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mark Alan Morris has studied paranormal phenomena for a number of years, and has documented many cases of ghostly activity. Mr. Morris works as a writing consultant for a major airline. He currently resides in Dallas, Texas.

Product Details

• Paperback: 114 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse; Copyright 2004 edition (January 4, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595297862
• ISBN-13: 978-0595297863
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 0.2 x 6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #305,142 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating reading...from a fresh perspective! March 25, 2004

By Pete M.

I just finished reading this book for the second time, and I feel compelled to write a review. I purchased THE GHOST NEXT DOOR several months ago and devoured it within the first few days I had it. I really enjoyed it.

One night, recently, the weather was nasty outside and I was home alone. I was in the mood for some ghost stories, so I pulled THE GHOST NEXT DOOR off the shelf and made myself comfy in my Lazyboy. It was just as good the second time around! I found myself continuing to read through it over the next few days, until I had finished it once again.

This book does something not many books of its kind can lay claim to: It holds my interest from cover to cover. Maybe it's the author's wonderful writing style; maybe it's the fact that the stories are new and original; maybe it's because the book describes ghostly activity as experienced by ordinary people; heck, maybe it's the oh-so-creepy picture on the cover of the book! The fact is that it's all of these things that make this book so eerily entertaining.

I look forward eagerly to Mr. Morris' next book. Until then, I'll probably read this one a few more times!

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars ENGAGING AND CHILLING! April 7, 2005

By Tim Janson HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

It's always interesting to read real-life accounts of people who've had encounters with spirits. Real, everyday people, not some celebrity has-been on some half-baked mediums show, trying to shill a book or something. And although the various shows that pop up on the History Channel and Travel Channel, there's still something not quite as scary when actors are used to re-create an encounter. That's why this book is so satisfying and so downright chilling to read. The encounters are from just everyday people like you and me. Some are rather humorous and some downright unsettlingly scary.

Author Mark Alan Morris pens these stories like a master craftsmen. You'll not only find traditional haunted house hauntings but hauntings in Inns, battlefields, and in cemetary's as well. I'm not bother by some reviewers complaints that the author didn't try to authenticate these stories. I don't think that was what the book is about. These people seem to be speaking form their hearts and directly to the readers. Morris adds a postscript to the stories that wraps them up fairly neatly. This is a great one for reading on those dark and stormy nights or telling a few tales around Halloween. Great stuff!

35 of 40 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A Little More Background Please April 30, 2005

By Dennis Phillips VINE™ VOICE

Mark Alan Morris has put together a nice little book of ghost stories that he has collected from family and friends. This is an interesting book, an intriguing book, and a well-written book, but most of all it is a book that could have been so much more. Morris' conversational writing style makes one feel as if he or she is sitting by a crackling fire while the author tells his ghost stories in person. The stories are very good and begin to draw the reader in but just as I would begin to edge up on the edge of my seat, the story would end.

The main problem is that Morris has done no research on any of these stories, which he tells so well. If he had put just a little effort into finding out the possible origins of these haunts this book would have been so much better. Some ghost story books spoil the mood with too much historical background but it helps the reader immensely to have some idea of the origin of the ghost in question. The few stories in this book that do have some background have it because the possible ghost is a relative of the person who related the story to the author and even then there is often very little information provided about this person's life.

A good example of this lack of background comes from the last story in the book, which deals with a photograph that the author took in Savannah. In this picture there appear a couple of shadowy figures, which he feels might have been ghostly Monks. He and his new bride had wondered if the building across the street from the B&B where they took the photo might have once been a church even before they even took the picture in question, let alone had it developed.... All it would have taken would have been a phone call or two to find out but that apparently wasn't done and just that little bit of effort would have added a great deal of creditability to the story. On the other hand, the eyewitness accounts of the eerie events told of in this book do lend a strong air of creditability to the stories. Again, so close but yet so far.

Once again, this is a very enjoyable book but it could have easily been so much better. The fact that this book was so close to being so good is probably why the lack of research upset me so much. Maybe if Mr. Morris turns out another book on this subject he will rectify this problem. If he does I have no doubt that it will be a superb five star effort. As for this book, you will enjoy it I'm sure but you will almost certainly feel as if there is something missing. Read more ›

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Accounts February 11, 2005

By Mysteries Magazine

No longer limited to the realm of professional mediums and psychics, stories of paranormal encounters are starting to be told by more people from all walks of life, and The Ghost Next Door is a collection of these unearthly experiences compiled from friends, family, and sometimes total strangers. Some of the stories are amusing, and some downright disturbing, but all are fascinating accounts from everyday people who have come into contact with otherworldly forces.

For instance, one story describes how, during one family's visit to the gravesite of their grandfather, his spirit appeared to them in photographs, superimposed over the figure of his least favorite nephew. Other tales include the story of a jogger whose morning run past a cemetery stopped short when an invisible assailant inexplicably held her in place. Other stories include a haunted hotel and a house that explodes with ghostly phenomena only when its owners make their annual pilgrimage to Gettysburg. One of the most terrifying stories, however, involves a sinister force that not only drove a married couple from their vacation cabin but also terrorized them once they had returned home.

While many ghost stories seem contrived, one of the most refreshing things about Morris' book is how genuine the stories seem. These are tales told by real people who have nothing to profit by describing their encounters, and the similarities between many of them are compelling. Members of the same family describe precise details about their experiences without ever having mentioned it to each other while characteristic odors, such as the scent of perfume or a particular brand of cigarette might indicate a spirit's presence in an intensely personal way....

Whether one believes in ghosts and wants to know more, is looking for validation of one's own spiritual encounters, or is simply looking for a spine-chilling read, The Ghost Next Door is a fine book for those interested in the supernatural.

-Richard Mackenzie, Mysteries Magazine - issue #5 Read more ›