Take a Haunted Journey with Ohio-Author, Chris Woodyard

Ohio-native Chris Woodyard delivers spooky and (mostly) true tales of terror to both the young and old in two of her books, "Spooky Ohio" and "Haunted Ohio"!

In "Spooky Ohio," Mrs. Woodyard begins by introducing us to the concept that even young children can benefit from mild-mannered, scary tales. They can help children deal with and conquer fears in a safe environment, they encourage kids to read, and they are just plain fun! "Spooky Ohio" contains 13 (supposedly) true tales that have been passed down through the generations; no doubt picking up embellishments here and there.

Read about the Bride that haunts the bridge in Columbiana County, the seven evil dachshunds seeking revenge in Yellow Springs, the ghost of a headless Civil War soldier trying to return home in Fairfield, and the ghost of an angry mother named Kate trying to drive away her daughter's suitors in Ross County. Learn about the specter of a jealous man in Egypt Pike who haunts happy lovers, a mad yet long-dead trapper and his "special" drum in Williams County, the ghost of a boy whose body was forgotten in a field after a car accident in Butler County, and the apparition of a Civil War soldier who died in battle but someone managed to "walk" home with his living soldier brother. You and your children will shiver to hear of the Headless Horseman of Cherry Hill, the little girl who drowned and lost her beloved rag-doll but still managed to attend school in Tuscarawas County, a man in Butler County whose grotesquely large head was stolen for medical purposes after he committed suicide in the yard of his unrequited love, and the evil black dog that caused the death of a blasphemous man in Putnam County. Finally, read about an ax-wielding hermit who came to a bizarre end in Batavia and chuckle at the world's shortest ghost story.

The author finishes up the book by adding some ghostly bits of folklore and wisdom (Such as, "Ghosts can be seen if you look through a ring."). She includes historical notes, a glossary, and a listing of where she obtained each of the tales (mostly from newspapers and long-time Ohio families). She gives the reader a bibliography, an index, and suggestions on where to find more local ghost stories. "Spooky Ohio" is a paperback (ISBN: 0-9628472-32) by Chris Woodyard and illustrated by Jessica Wiesel. It is listed at $8.95 and published by Kestrel Publications.

For a more adult-appropriate book on true ghost tales, try "Haunted Ohio". In the introduction, Mrs. Woodyard tells us of her and her family's own experiences with ghostly phenomena and psychic ability. The first chapter tells of area ghost stories involving spirits attached to old clothing, the second describes stories of ghosts that result from tragic love relationships, and the third relates the amazing story of Thomas Edison's dealings with the spirit world and the stories of other people who have experiences strange telephonic and machine-related phenomena.

The reader is given stories of children and their relation to the supernatural, ghosts of those involved in various wars, specters that haunt the theatrical scene, and phantoms that hang around local cemeteries. The author tells of less-known household hauntings, ghosts who are searching for missing body pieces, Ohio's history of presidents and their particular supernatural connections, and haunted churches and clergy of the area.

Be spooked by the stories of ghostly occurrences at schools, Native American hauntings, Ohio's haunted authors, and roadside phantoms. Finally, Mrs. Woodyard ends her book with an extensive Appendix of ghostly contacts, suggestions, references, and an index.

"Haunted Ohio" by Chris Woodyard is a paperback (ISBN: 0-9628472-0-8) listed at $12.95. It is 211 pages long and published by Kestrel Publications. Both books are available to order where books are sold.

Pick up any ghostly book by Chris Woodyard and be prepared to get goose-bumps!