A map illustrating the hauntings of Virginia City from the new book of ghost tales by author Stacia Deutsch.
Courtesy of Arcadia Publishing
Sunday, September 11, 2022
For young readers not quite old enough for teen or adult fiction, the book has 16 chapters, each containing a ghost story.
“I love ghost stories,” author Stacia Deutsch said via email. “My husband says he sees ghosts all the time, and he’s the first to say it’s not scary like on TV and in movies. He just sees ghostly characters passing by, and they do their own thing. So when it came to writing ghost stories, I wasn’t afraid to go for it.
Deutsch, who lives in Temecula, Calif., is no stranger to mid-level fiction. She’s written more than 300 children’s books, including “The Jessie Files,” a spinoff of the detective series Boxcar Children, and movie-related novels like “Boss Baby 2” and “Hotel Transylvania.”
A member of her local historical society, Deutsch said she was drawn to Virginia City’s historic — and spooky — reputation.
“Virginia City is declared ‘the most haunted city in America,'” she said. “It caught my attention. I was excited to learn more, learn more, and write this book.
Deutsch adapted the book “Haunted Virginia City” by Janice Oberding, which is published by the adult branch of Arcadia. Deutsch said adapting for young readers was its forte.
“I took the adult novels, reduced the word count, tried to figure out which stories would be most interesting for children, and then did a lot of my own research to confirm what I wanted to share,” she said. “The source material was really great. The authors of the adult novels worked hard and I was thrilled to be a part of adapting these publications.
Of all the ghost stories in his new book, Deutsch prefers those revolving around the Gold Hill Hotel and Saloon.
“It feels like every room is haunted,” she said. “The question is, would you stay in a haunted hotel? Should I? I know I said a minute ago that my husband likes to tell me that he sees ghosts and they are nice and kind and generally mind their own business. But I have to admit that doesn’t mean I’m going to look for them.
For more information on the book tour, https://www.amazon.com/Ghostly-Tales-Virginia-Spooky-America/dp/1467198846