Writing True Haunting
The actual house, circa 1970.
Also used for the cover of True Haunting
True Haunting has actually been a 40+ year project, starting from the time we moved out. I receive a lot of questions as to why we did not tell our story right away? In a way we had, by agreeing to participate in the NBC interview. Also, the paranormal was not something people discussed, and it certainly didn't have the acceptance and toleration people have for it today. But, about twenty-five years later, society was a little different.
When I began to retire in 1995, I completed the story and was able to acquire an agent, as I was pursuing publishing in the traditional manner. The book was picked up with little effort by a major publishing company who wanted to write a contract coupled with a healthy check, provided that I "recall" certain events that I--nor anyone else--could remember, since the story in itself, as a thriller, lacked a large scare factor. I dropped the deal, dropped the agent, and set aside my book, intending to give it to my youngest daughter one day to allow her to seek publishing in the future, if she wanted. If one can recall a time before social media and broadband, a time before amazon.com...it's not difficult to imagine the stigma "vanity" publishing had. It was a difficult process, an expensive process, and there was virtually no way to promote your book. People that self-published were typically viewed in a negative light.
Well, a lot has changed since the early 90's. The rise of the internet has given power and ease to the success of self-publishing. My daughter brought this to my attention and she began to really push my hand to self-publish. It started a spark that fueled the fire in my writing career. As one can imagine, self-publishing is an obvious choice for many reasons, but my favorite of them (and the most important, as authors like Anne Rice and Stephen King have even attested to,) is the right to put your story out there the way that you want it. Editors and/with traditional publishing companies, will always change the book around. They'll hold the book and not publish right away. They have full rights to your work. And simply breaking into that industry requires a good agent...and to get an agent, you either have to have connections, or have already been published. See the frustration???
My (self) publisher allowed me the convenience and power to put my book out there the way that I wanted to...and man, did it break records. The world of the internet has done wonders with word of mouth and strangers writing some wonderful reviews. I never expected the way this book and our experience would resonate with people. For some, it has given validation to people's own experiences. For others, it's opened their eyes.
It was not a full year of our book being in the public before we received contact from Raw TV--a partner with Syfy--requesting to tell our story. (See more information about this in the Paranormal Witness section!)
The exposure continues and Marsha and I count our blessings every day. The time we spent at the Campbell St. home was probably the darkest period of our lives, and it has always remained in the back of our minds. Every time we move, every home or even hotel we stay in, brings memories and curiosities as to what or who could be staying with us that we simply do or can not see.
And the writing will not stop. Hundreds of emails have been pouring in asking about Marsha's story; and, we're happy to say that after publishing True Haunting, the "Dave" in the book--actual name: Dan White--contacted me 40 years later and we have since rekindled a lost relationship that was once hindered by business and the darkness that was encompassed within the house. Dan opened the door to so much more than I could imagine to was happening in their apartment. So, consider this official; True Haunting 2 is in the works, and will focus on the untold stories from Marsha and Dan!
Want more information on me and my family? Visit me at my main author site, www.EdwinBecker.com!
When I began to retire in 1995, I completed the story and was able to acquire an agent, as I was pursuing publishing in the traditional manner. The book was picked up with little effort by a major publishing company who wanted to write a contract coupled with a healthy check, provided that I "recall" certain events that I--nor anyone else--could remember, since the story in itself, as a thriller, lacked a large scare factor. I dropped the deal, dropped the agent, and set aside my book, intending to give it to my youngest daughter one day to allow her to seek publishing in the future, if she wanted. If one can recall a time before social media and broadband, a time before amazon.com...it's not difficult to imagine the stigma "vanity" publishing had. It was a difficult process, an expensive process, and there was virtually no way to promote your book. People that self-published were typically viewed in a negative light.
Well, a lot has changed since the early 90's. The rise of the internet has given power and ease to the success of self-publishing. My daughter brought this to my attention and she began to really push my hand to self-publish. It started a spark that fueled the fire in my writing career. As one can imagine, self-publishing is an obvious choice for many reasons, but my favorite of them (and the most important, as authors like Anne Rice and Stephen King have even attested to,) is the right to put your story out there the way that you want it. Editors and/with traditional publishing companies, will always change the book around. They'll hold the book and not publish right away. They have full rights to your work. And simply breaking into that industry requires a good agent...and to get an agent, you either have to have connections, or have already been published. See the frustration???
My (self) publisher allowed me the convenience and power to put my book out there the way that I wanted to...and man, did it break records. The world of the internet has done wonders with word of mouth and strangers writing some wonderful reviews. I never expected the way this book and our experience would resonate with people. For some, it has given validation to people's own experiences. For others, it's opened their eyes.
It was not a full year of our book being in the public before we received contact from Raw TV--a partner with Syfy--requesting to tell our story. (See more information about this in the Paranormal Witness section!)
The exposure continues and Marsha and I count our blessings every day. The time we spent at the Campbell St. home was probably the darkest period of our lives, and it has always remained in the back of our minds. Every time we move, every home or even hotel we stay in, brings memories and curiosities as to what or who could be staying with us that we simply do or can not see.
And the writing will not stop. Hundreds of emails have been pouring in asking about Marsha's story; and, we're happy to say that after publishing True Haunting, the "Dave" in the book--actual name: Dan White--contacted me 40 years later and we have since rekindled a lost relationship that was once hindered by business and the darkness that was encompassed within the house. Dan opened the door to so much more than I could imagine to was happening in their apartment. So, consider this official; True Haunting 2 is in the works, and will focus on the untold stories from Marsha and Dan!
Want more information on me and my family? Visit me at my main author site, www.EdwinBecker.com!
