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 The Carolina Ghost Watch Club was founded during October 2005.
I wanted a way to stay in touch with all those who read my books and are also ghost enthusiasts. I have been given so many slips of paper and business cards over the years by people who asked me to stay in touch, but I was unable to properly do so. That really bothered me until I finally came up with the idea to start a club.
How it works it that I will send out emails twice annually to announce new projects, interesting ghost-related news, and anything else I think might be relevant. I have some ambitious plans in the future, including annual ghost tours.
So if this sounds interesting to you, please click here to join via e-mail.
There is NO fee to join and your email address will NOT be given out to anyone else. I look forward to sharing all my ghostly news with you!
Terrance Zepke, President
Ghost Watch Club Members can submit their own questions to Terrance Zepke. Here are some of the sample questions and answers:
Q. What are ghosts?
A. That is a widely debated topic and one to which I do not have the answer. Some believe they are angels, guardian spirits, or balls of energy that won't dissipate.
Q. Do you believe in ghosts?
A. Absolutely. I believe that there are some things that can not be readily explained by science or logic. There are too many [haunted] places, too many incidents, too many investigations, and too many witnesses to just dismiss ghosts as pranks or figments of overly active imaginations. I do believe that some, but not all, of these ghost sightings and stories are urban legend and hoaxes.
Q. How do I find ghost tales to include in my books?
A. I start by asking folks who attend book signings and events if they have any information. I travel all over the Carolinas doing book promotions and get some of my best leads during this time. After all, no one knows that area and its history better than locals. I also go to the local library and newspaper office, as well as interview local historical groups or others who are recommended. If I can't get enough corroboration, I drop the investigation. I am especially cautious when it comes to investigating hitchhiking ghosts, headless specters, and train specters!
Q. When did you get so interested in the subject of ghosts?
A. I have always been fascinated by them, ever since summer camp when counselors told us tales in hopes of scaring us. I loved them and begged for more! I have visited most haunted places in America and some overseas. I have personally been to all the places (cemetaries, inns, former plantations, lighthouses, etc) that are discussed in my publications.
Q. What advice would you give to someone wanting to conduct their own ghost hunt?
A. There is a whole chapter on this in The Best Ghost Tales of North Carolina. To summarize, be sure you are not trespassing. You could get arrested, chased by a dog, or shot -- so be sure not to trespass. Do preliminary research. Where precisely on the property is most haunted? You don't want to be staking out the wrong place! What time of day or night or season is best for possible sighting? When was the last time the spirit was witnessed? Is this a safe place to be at night? And the number one rule is "Never Go Alone!"
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