Private House Investigation 2022

We were invited to investigate a private house to debunk the haunted reputation of the house.

The building, though abandoned for many years, was in fairly good condition. Vandals haven't yet destroyed it as they have so many fine old buildings.

The house is a large two storey house set back a little from the road with a large garden.

The front door opens into a good sized hallway with a staircase to the left and two reception rooms opening off either side of the hall.

One of the reception rooms leads into a twisting corridor and then into the kitchen area - which can be reached through a separate door further along the hallway.

Upstairs the stairs branch into three areas. The first area was probably the bathroom but is in a poor state of repair. The second branch leads into a small, separate bedroom while the third leads to the bedrooms at the front of the house.

We decided to start our investigation downstairs in one of the reception rooms.

We set up our equipment and immediately my motion sensor light, which I had placed in the doorway of the other room facing away from us, kept switching on.

I asked our team leader to put one of his there instead as I believed mine must have developed a fault.

This motion sensor also kept switching on. 

We tried jumping up and down and walking around our room to see if we were somehow triggering it but we were unable to set it off ourselves. 

Another team member had received some new toys for Christmas. Among these was a K11 meter - used to detect changes in emf. 

He had tried out his new equipment before the investigation and it all seemed to be working perfectly. 

As we were trying to figure our why the motion sensor was going off, this team member suddenly mentioned that his new K11 meter had just registered a reading.

We put this down to one of the team not having switched her phone off as she was trying to set up a separate motion detector over the fireplace. 

She was having trouble with this sensor as it kept going off. We were laughing at her and telling her she was doing it wrong although she has often set this up without any problem on previous investigations. 

We also set up 'cat balls' around the room and on the stairs. These are simply cat toys that flash in different colours when they are touched or rolled. 

We began our investigation, as we always do, by introducing ourselves and explaining the equipment. We always say that the equipment is only there to help any spirit to contact us and will not cause them any harm.

We also say that we are not there to harm or remove any spirit and that we are simply there to make contact. 

All during our calling out the cat ball on the window ledge kept lighting up and the newest K11 - being held - kept showing small but sudden bursts of energy. None of the other K11s in the room went off during this session.

The motion sensor in the other room continued to light up randomly and the cat ball on the stairs also went off.

We switched the cat ball on the window ledge to another ball as it was going off almost continuously and we thought it might be faulty.

The new cat ball immediately started to flash and the original one - now on the fireplace - did not go off again.

I began to feel very sick and at first thought it was due to medication that I'm on. However, this medication usually causes nausea that comes and goes in waves and if I try to speak I normally start retching. This sick feeling usually only lasts a few minutes and passes off quite quickly. 

The sick feeling I had now was very different. I was able to speak to the team without retching but the sick feeling wasn't going away. 

The team asked me if I wanted to go outside for some fresh air but I refused as I didn't feel faint and I didn't feel I needed to vomit.

After half an hour or so, we decided to move to the other reception room. 

While in this room I continued to feel sick and once again, one of the cat balls kept going off. The motion sensor, now facing the room we had vacated, continued to light up randomly and some equipment left in that room also flashed up from time to time.

The K11, still being held by the same team member, kept flashing up consistently. 

Two of us heard a clear sound that we thought may have been a cat or bird. I personally thought it sounded like a child playing. 

We continued to call out here for some time and eventually moved to the kitchen area. 

I began to feel a lot better in this area but put this down to the back door being open with plenty of fresh air here.

We didn't do a lot of calling out in this area. We spent most of the time telling jokes and having a good laugh. We did get quite a few K11 hits while we were laughing and, as we have often noted in previous investigations,  nothing when we stopped to pay attention and start calling out again.

We agreed to move upstairs. As we went up the stairs a different K11 meter - this one with sound - began to go off in a team member's hand. 

We went into the small bedroom at the back of the house first.

In here, as downstairs, one of the cat balls kept going off and the first K11 meter kept giving small but definite readings. We all laughed as we realised that the K11 only seemed to go off as the guy holding it looked away from it. 

He saw the flash each time in his peripheral vision but never saw it directly.

I saw a light anomaly low down near the floor shoot from where our guy was holding the K11 out of the door beside me. It sort of looked like a fast moving smoke ball and I have seen something like this before on an investigation many years ago.

I was standing nearest to the door and began to feel like we were being watched. I also heard what sounded like movement on the landing. 

One of the other investigators mentioned that she kept seeing flashes of blue light in the room. She said she wasn't sure if this was just her eyes reacting to the sensors going off but felt it was worth a mention.

We finally moved to the bedrooms in the front of the house.

Three of us stayed in one room while our team leader went into another room with a spirit box and headphones.

We have been trying an experiment lately where the person with the headphones cannot hear what we are calling out or what questions we are asking. He listens to the spirit box and calls back anything that comes through and we can check if it is relevant to anything we have said.

We have had some possibly interesting results previously but tonight we did not get a thing.

However, we got something we didn't expect.

As we were calling out we heard a few loud bangs. I thought it was the guy in the other room and dismissed it without really thinking about it. 

I suddenly thought I heard voices downstairs and some movement. The guy with us told us to keep quiet. We could just about hear faint sound from the spirit box in the other room. Suddenly, the three of us heard whistling coming from downstairs. 

We kept very still and quiet and clearly heard someone whistling a tune. It seemed to go on for ages but was probably just the verse of a song.

One of the team had been asking if any spirit present would like to hear a song. She said she would play it for them if they could let her know what they wanted to hear.

At the time, we didn't pay much attention to this as we thought people had entered the house without us knowing and we were thinking of our own safety. 

We managed to attract our team leader's attention and gesture for him to come to us. He asked what was wrong and we told him there was someone downstairs.

He thought he saw a light shoot up through a hole in the floorboards and after listening for a few more minutes, the two lads said they would go downstairs and check it out.

They came back up to us after having a good look around and said they didn't find anything to suggest someone had been there.

We decided to wrap up for the night as it was late and we were worried that if someone had been there they were clearly not worried about seeing our gear and also not afraid to advertise their presence with the whistling. 

We didn't want anyone spreading the word that we were investigating and risking them coming back with more people. 

On the way home we discussed the night. We couldn't really believe that someone would enter a house not knowing how many people were there and walk around whistling in the middle of the night. 

On the other hand, the whistling was so clear and went on so long it couldn't possibly be a spirit. Could it?

We were dying to get home and start reviewing the cameras and audio.

Our team leader had not heard the whistling and kept asking us if it could have been the wind or creaking floorboards. We assured him that it was someone whistling. 

We also asked him about the bangs we heard and he said he had heard them and felt the vibrations along the floorboards but assumed we were trying out something in the nearby room.

By 7.30am I got the first message from our team leader. He had spent the rest of the night going through most of the footage.

He had hoped to have captured the whistling on some of the audio recorders throughout the house. 

One of the audio recorders had a corrupted file so none of the recording had been captured. This same recorder was now working perfectly again and all older files were complete and not damaged in any way.

Another of the audio recorders was in the same room as the whistling but this recorder simply hadn't recorded anything.

We have never had problems with either of these devices before this and both were working perfectly again by morning.

The whistling was picked up faintly by the camera but there was a bit of sound pollution as the team leader had this camera with him at the time and had no idea what we were hearing so wasn't keeping particularly silent as he was listening to the spirit box through the headphones.

Our other investigator, the one who seemed to attract all the K11 hits is currently reviewing his equipment.  

He says he caught the whistling and also a possible evp (electronic voice phenomenon).

We are eagerly waiting to see what else he has captured.

The other thing of note is that the motion detector camera downstairs did not pick up anyone entering the house nor were the motion sensors triggered during the time we heard the whistling coming from the same room. 

On reviewing the initial footage, we are not sure if the whistling is a ringtone rather than actual whistling.

We will have to experiment with similar conditions before we can decide if we could have heard a ringtone coming from the road.

Personally, I am positive I heard someone whistling but as I know from long experience, nothing is proven in this field and I will keep an open mind.

We have picked up some evps and also caught a light anomaly on camera in the same room that I saw one.

Reviewing is ongoing and I will update this post with any other findings.

Thoughts about an old friend

Lockdown Blues

We all know how hard it is to stick to the lockdown laws but finally, with the vaccination programmes progressing albeit slowly, it looks like we may finally, be turning a corner.

There are so many places all over Ireland just waiting to be explored. All of the team have kept busy virtually hunting out these locations so that we can get back out on the road as son as we get the go -ahead.

I have been to many amazing places - from Leap Castle where I believe my father reached out to me from beyond the grave, to Ballinacarriga Castle where the spirit of a man called Stephen waits forever on the top floor.

'Stephen' has haunted me for along time. Not like a ghostly haunting but in my thoughts a lot. Who was he? Where was he from? What age did he die? 

I don't even know if that is his name. The name comes to me whenever I go to the top floor but I can't say for sure that it is really his name.

He has the power to make emf meters light up around the room when asked and I have heard his footsteps several times, shuffling though the loose stones on the floor.

Research

I have searched for records of a Stephen who may have lived or worked in Ballinacarriga during the fifties or sixties - as that is when I believe he died - but I have never come across any information about him. I think he died in or near the castle. Perhaps he took his own life? He seems a gentle soul and his energy feels warm and refreshing. 

I would love to find out anything at all about this man. This would validate the thoughts and feeling I have when I am in the castle. 

I am not a medium but sometimes strong feelings come to me and I would really like to know if these are simply my imagination or if they are something else entirely.

For now, I will be content to keep believing that my friend Stephen is still waiting for me to come and visit him when this lockdown finally ends.

Lockdown Blues

2020 proved to be a very challenging year for us all. At the beginning of the year the team and I had looked forward to a year full of investigations, evidence reviews and late nights. Although we did manage to get a few investigations done between the lockdowns, it was still a disappointing year.

One of the investigations we managed was in this abandoned asylum. It was a calm, dry night outside. We checked out the perimeter before we entered the building to make sure there was no one around to disturb us or contaminate the investigation.

We entered the building and immediately set up a camera and motion sensor covering the entrance so that we would know if anyone else entered the building. 

We carefully made our way along the corridor as the floor was not in very good repair and we didn't want to risk a fall into the basement. 

We set up our equipment not too far into the building - in a small side room - and began our investigation. 

On this particular floor, we have had a lot of reports of stones being thrown so we called out asking if there was anyone around us who wished to communicate by throwing pebbles up the corridor. 

As usual on these investigations, we spent a lot of our time laughing and joking amongst ourselves as we get on well as a team and, this time in particular, we hadn't seen each other for some time.

As we settled down to begin calling out again we were shocked to hear an incredibly loud bang coming from the direction shown in the picture below. 

We thought someone had entered the building without tripping our motion sensor so we all went to have a look. 

On reviewing the footage from the entrance, we could clearly see that no one had been near the entrance when the stone was thrown and the stone had not come from outside. I had been standing looking up the corridor when we heard the bang and there was no one to be seen.

We also had a look around to see what could have made a bang like it but although there was a lot of rubbish around we were unable to find anything big enough to re-create the sound.

You can see the video at the link below.

Stone thrown at us

Later on as I was standing with my back to  the corridor I clearly felt someone come and stand beside me. I mentioned this and Matt swung his camera towards me. He caught a weird light anomaly just beside me. We tried to re-create this but were not able to do so.

You can see the video here

As you can see from the pictures the place is massive and quite eerie. During the investigation we heard another sound which we thought was a broken window frame being moved. We made our way back to where we had seen the frame on the ground near the entrance but once again our motion sensor had not been tripped and we caught nothing on camera. 

Two members of the team returned the following night to try to capture some more footage but, as is so often the case, they had an extremely quiet night.

All in all, the first night was a great night which left us with plenty to think and talk about.

Thanks must go to Matt from Cork Supernatural Society for his excellent camera work. Follow the link to check us out on Facebook and while you're there don't forget to give us a like so that you don't miss any of our investigation reports.

An Unusual Location

A few months ago the team (Cork Supernatural Society) and I booked into an unusual BnB. This beautifully restored castle seemed like the perfect location for us to do a little ghost hunting mixed in with some fun and relaxation.

The location didn’t disappoint.

We arrived in the early evening and as we pulled up in front of the castle our excitement began to rise.

Inside we found that the whole place had been restored to a very high standard while keeping to the style (and hardships) of the times.

The castle had three floors as well as a seating area on the roof. The ground floor consisted of one room with a table and chairs. The small but beautifully decorated main door dominated the little room and we decided to make our way up the stairs to check out the other floors.

Jackie and I decided we would sleep in the main bedroom. This was on the middle floor and we even had an en-suite in a little room off the bedroom and a bath in our room. The bed was a four-poster double bed and looked comfortable – this did turn out to be the case and Jackie and I managed to get some sleep here in the early hours.

The top floor held the kitchen, a seating area, another toilet and a staircase to the roof. Barrie and Matt decided to spend the night up here – they stayed up all night talking with a warm stove to keep out the night-time chill.

We began the task of getting our gear up the stairs – no easy task! We had to pull ourselves up part of the way with the help of a strong rope as the steps were too tiny to gain a good foothold. It was a bit of a struggle, but we finally got everything upstairs.

After coffee and some food, we began our investigation. Jackie and I started on the ground floor, just inside the main door. The steep staircase was partially concealed by a wall so I placed a sensor light a few steps up where we could see it if it came on.

We began calling out and after a few minutes I felt there was some movement on the stairs. The sensor light came on and stayed on for longer than it normally would, so I assumed that one of the lads had come down the stairs. I called out to them asking if they wanted me to move it. Their muffled answers came from the rooms above us and then we heard Matt coming to the top of the stairs and asking if we wanted something. They hadn’t been near the staircase.

We kept calling out but there was nothing else of note during the session, so we moved up to the top floor to join the lads.

We sat around the table and drank coffee while the wood-burning stove heated the room. We decided to try a séance. We never do things like this as a team, but we all shrugged and said, ‘why not?’

We closed our eyes and held hands. Jackie began to call out to any spirits who may have been present. She invited them to come towards the light – meaning the candlelight – but this was too much for us and we all burst out laughing.

We spent the next hour or so relaxing, laughing and chatting and just enjoying being together as a team. We did do a calling out session as the night drew on but nothing of note happened. Jackie and I decided to try to get some sleep, so we struggled our way back down the steep staircase to our welcoming bed.

We were awakened in the morning by a loud bang outside our bedroom door. We assumed it was the lads – we had heard them talking, laughing and doing more investigations during the night and we thought they were coming back upstairs and had dropped something outside our door. Jackie stuck her head out of the door, and we could hear the lads talking from upstairs. We asked them about the noise, and they said they thought it was us.

When we listened back on the audio, the sound came through loud and clear, but we were unable to find any cause for it.

On the review, Matt picked up an amazing Class A EVP from the upstairs room when we were all sitting around laughing. Have a listen and see if you can make out what it says. The recording has been slowed down from normal speed to make it a little clearer – please post suggestions in the comments as I would love to know what you hear.

I'm wondering if it's worth going downstairs again!

Our trusty rope!

The easy bit

Checking out locations

Three of the team decided to take a tour of the West Cork area looking for possible locations for future investigation. We did a few mini sessions in  some of the places but mostly, we were interested in just having a look around.

Coppinger's Court

We began our tour at this beautiful, abandoned manor house. The weather was perfect and we were able to walk around and explore the whole place.

The owner called down to check on his cattle and shared some of the purported history of the place.

Walter Coppinger, the man who commissioned the house to be built for him and his family, was said to have a wicked temper. One of the stories about him tells of how he had to go to court to fight to keep the house. On leaving the house in the morning, he told his wife that if he wasn't home by a certain time, she was to set fire to the house as it would mean that he had lost possession of the place and he didn't want his enemies to get hold of it.

Legend has it that he won the case but decided to celebrate on his way home. Losing track of time, he continued drinking far past the allotted time. On approaching the nearby village he saw a bright light in the sky and when he finally arrived home, he found that his wife had kept her promise and had set fire to the house.

Another legend along the same lines is that a maid servant's brother was due to be hanged in the hanging room in the building the very next day but she set fire to the house while Walter was away so that her brother could not be hanged. Walter Coppinger never returned to the house so her brother's life was spared.

A full history of the life of Walter Coppinger - with some of these legends included at the end - is being written by a friend of mine and fellow Pararnormal Investigator, Barrie Jordan. This book will be released later this year and is much anticipated by both locals and strangers alike.

Follow Barrie's blog on Facebook here for loads of paranormal news and views.

During our brief time here, I felt pressure on the top of my head and a sharp pain in my right eye and ear. I also felt light-headed and dizzy. This only happened in one small area of the building and when I moved away from this area the pain and pressure disappeared. I also noticed that I felt that I should not speak when I was in this area. It was almost as if I had been told to be quiet. The other team members mentioned that they too, had briefly felt a pressure in their head in this area. We will review our audio and if there is anything of note found, I will update accordingly.

Drombeg Stone Circle and Abandoned Church at Glandore

We moved on to Glandore and found a couple of gems. Drombeg is well worth a visit and the history is fascinating. To this day, druids use the circle to celebrate the changing seasons.

Castledonovan Castle

We moved on to Castledonovan castle. This imposing castle has recently been renovated but unfortunately, as we arrived so late, it had been locked up for the night. We were able to see one of the lower rooms through the gate but were unable to enter this time.

This is another place I would recommend for a visit during the day. The views from the upper levels must be spectacular as the castle stands on a high promontory and overlooks the surrounding countryside.

Kilcoe Abandoned Church

Tucked away in a beautiful setting close to the sea, this mostly abandoned graveyard and church is another hidden gem.

The church has recently been cleared out and this was my first time being able to admire this beautiful medieval building properly. A large altar table rests under the large window at the top of the church and on the low widow sills, cup-shaped hollows remain - perhaps they once held holy water.

The gentle sounds of the sea in the distance add to the allure of this pretty place and although I have always felt uneasy here in the past, this time I felt nothing but peace.

On listening to the audio taken in the church I heard what sounds like a chuckle and a growl as I say we are leaving to go and look around the graveyard. This may have simply been an animal, unnoticed by us at the time but to me, it sounds too deep.

The rest of the team will review the audio and if this is something of significance, I will update as necessary.

Some Recent Investigations

The long bright evenings can make paranormal investigations difficult. Too many tourists, teenagers or hikers out and about. Too much noise - traffic, music, talking - makes it hard to sift the everyday from the paranormal.

Despite this I have been lucky enough to have taken part in a lot of investigations in very different locations.

Blackwater Castle

This beautiful castle has seen many famous and not so famous faces pass through its doors. At the side of the main building, an abandoned tower stands, quiet, lonely and holding its own secrets.

It is said that the mistress of the house in bygone times - Lady Roach - spent years locked up in this tower. People claim to have seen a woman's ghost on the upper floor of the main castle and in the adjoining room in the tower.

Even though I carried out a solo investigation of the 'spiral room' (named for stones on the floor set in a spiral pattern) I did not see or hear anything unusual.

The only events worth mentioning over the course of the night happened on the ground floor of the main castle.

I and two other members of the team were seated in the living room when we all heard noises on the floor above us. I thought the rest of the team were up there walking along the corridor but the guys with me assured me that the rest of the team were in the tower not in the main building.

A quick check via walkie talkie conformed that we were alone in the building at the time of the noises. I assumed that the noise must be caused by plumbing  - perhaps caused by air in the pipes along the first floor corridor. However, when I checked this out later on, I found that the upstairs heating was electric and there was no plumbing along the corridor.

The only other thing that captured my interest was when we were leaving the sitting room. I came out by a different door to the rest of the team. The two lads were chatting and laughing together and as I came into the corridor, I heard a child join in with them.

Unfortunately, this was not captured on any of our recorders even though I had mine running in my hand at the time. Therefore, I have to dismiss this as I have no evidence of the event.

The rest of the night passed all too quickly and although we did not capture anything of note, we were all sad to leave this beautiful place.

The Spiral Room - Pic by Matthew Clarke, CSS

A Hill Fort

This investigation was carried out by a large group of investigators but as it was such a massive place, this did not cause any problems.

Several evps were captured during the long night at this magnificent place, the best one being as follows:

We were in a part of the fort that had been used to store gunpowder many years before. One of the team lit a cigarette. On listening back to the audio a voice is heard saying 'they're smoking'.

Another moment of interest happened when we were in a room which had been used by officers. I was seated with my back to the door. Suddenly, I felt something rush in behind me and bite the top of my thigh. I jumped and nearly fell off the chair but there was nothing there. Later, I did find a red mark on my leg but no broken skin nor bruising.

We did get a lot of K2 hits around one indoor area but can not rule out phone signals as the group had all joined up at that point and someone may have inadvertently left their phone on.

The Black Gates

We joined up with some investigators from another group up the country. Unfortunately, there was loud music playing nearby and this made the audio recorders almost redundant.

The gates themselves lead into a ruined church and graveyard. Inside the church it felt very peaceful. It was a beautiful summer's night and, apart from the music in the background, it was idyllic.

One of our guests had a pair of divining rods with her. I got to try these out. My overall impression of these is that they are rather like Ouija boards, table tipping and so on. Fun to try but no real evidence to back up anything that 'comes through'.

The only thing of note that evening was when we gathered down at the gates themselves. One of our guests began to feel very sick and I soon noticed that I felt nauseous too. I started to feel quite dizzy and faint and was glad when my team leader suggested that the guest and I should return to the church where we had felt perfectly well.

As soon as I left the gates, I began to feel better and by the time I was back in the church - less than one minute - the nausea had passed and I felt fine again.

Later, as we were leaving, I had a brief feeling of nausea as I passed the gates once more.

Some of the graves - Pic by Matthew Clarke CSS

Dead Haunted - a chat with Claire Barrand

I recently came across this little gem and knew I had to share it.

The characters and storyline are well thought out and beautifully crafted. The paranormal flavour adds spice to the mix and makes this one of the best books I have read in quite a while.

Claire Barrand understands how to weave a wonderful tale and draws the reader in, holding them fast until the last page.

I can't wait to read Dead Haunted 2.

I hope you enjoy this page turner as much as I did!

Check out Claire's fantastic book trailer here

What are the books about?

Dead Haunted and Dead Haunted 2 are both collections of supernatural stories, inspired by events from 19th Century Gothic Wales.

Claire Barrand weaves these spooky tales using her ghoulish imagination, as she delves into the disturbing possibilities that lurked behind these nightmarish stories of murder, revenge, and ghostly hauntings.

Can you give us an idea of what some of the stories entail?

The Brynmarsh Ghost


This three-part chilling tale begins when an 11-year-old boy senses the presence of a chilling apparition watching him.

A tangled web of unforgiving and grisly secrets start to unfold; a murder, an illegitimate child, and a dreadful accident are about to catch up with the residents of Tywyll House.

Bloody Mary's Revenge

The horrific discovery of prostitute Mary Connolly is found murdered in Aberwayne. This leads to the hanging of ruthless and coldblooded murderer, Rhys Davies, who shows no remorse as he stands with the noose around his neck. However, he soon discovers that death brings no escape from his crimes and he must face Bloody Marys' revenge.

Author Bio

I was born in Timperley, Manchester and raised living above the Antique Shop my parents owned. I had a few strange experiences there and often wonder if some of the objects were haunted. My sister Linzi and I witnessed the full apparition of a ghost in my bedroom aged just 11, before we relocated to Abergavenny, South Wales aged 12.


An interest in the paranormal was always in the cards and Wales opened up a whole new side of the supernatural to me. I fell in love with the local stories of fairies, witches, giants and magical standing stones and there began my fascination with folklore stories. I managed a very haunted pub in Bristol for two years in my twenties, the ghosts were troubled, a man who had been murdered by his brother and the cellars had tunnels leading down to the docks where some horrific things had taken place like dog fighting, bare knuckle fighting and slave trading.


Writing about my experiences and researching have been my passion for years. I have written for many publications such as Haunted Magazine, Paranormal Magazine, Spooky Isles and many other online publications and local newspapers.


I have a website and blog which is updated regularly with articles about Welsh Folklore, Dark History, and Ghost stories

Click the pic to go to the Amazon book page

When did you first realise that you wanted to be an author?

I think from the moment I discovered stories I wanted to write stories. At primary school my favorite lesson was always English, and when we were asked to write a story they would be pinned to the display board. Mine were always pages long so had to be hung up with string whereas other kids would maybe write a page or two!

How long does it take you to write a book?

Oh gosh! I am not one for counting words or having targets and am quite a lazy writer. My first book took me 40 years and my second six months! Hopefully the next book wont take as long, but I have learned that it is not the writing that holds me back, it is the editing and finishing process that is the frustrating part. Thankfully I have had some great help from my editor, Kathy Denver, she edited my books and designed the amazing covers for me, without her Dead Haunted would still be on my computers hard drive!

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Ha! I have many quirks. I must have food with me. And several mugs of tea get consumed whilst writing. Writing makes me hungry! I also love to have an incense stick or scented candle burning in my office. It has to smell nice. Music is a no-no – I need silence. There is enough noise going on in my head.

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

Ooh! My favorite part of my stories is the research! I trawl newspaper archives looking for unusual stories dating back from the 19th century. Wales Online has a fantastic resource now where I can search keywords. Mine are always dark search terms like “death” and “murder”! I am always amazed at the stories I find in the archives, it is like opening Pandora's box.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

Oh I wrote a book when I was in primary school! I don’t remember much about it, it was about my cat and held together by sellotape. My first published book was only released last year and I am .. um.. *cough in my early 40’s!

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I am a mum, I have 4 children and lots of animals so that keeps me pretty busy! I am a part time paranormal investigator whenever I get chance to, I join up with a team or some friends and get my boots on the ground, you cannot write about things unless you experience them and one thing I am not is an armchair researcher. Another thing I find invaluable is para-con events. Listening to other people is the best way to learn. If I have any time after that I love to read, meditate, get my nails done or visit a spa with my best friend.

What does your family think of your writing?

I have had a very mixed bag of reactions. Mostly I have had very positive reactions though thankfully. Sadly, writing is still seen by many as a bit of a whimsical arty-farty way to spend one’s time, reserved for romantics and fantasists. Unless I suddenly write a New York Times best seller, I don’t expect others to appreciate how much it means to me as a writer to have published a book, which is fine. My husband and my best friend have been the most supportive and given me great feedback and encouragement. My kids couldn’t care less, they just want to know what’s for tea. My Nana who is 97 read my first book, and it was a bit too dark for her, but I love that she took the time to read my book and was proud of me! 

Why did you choose to write in your particular genre? 

It was a natural thing, it kind of just happened. Being drawn to dark subject matter, I began listening to gothic rock music as a teenager and was fascinated by the lyrics. So there began my research. I suppose I just write about what moves me, about the things that disturb me enough to give me nightmares. And the stories I found through my research did just that. I felt compelled to put my thoughts down into words.

Where did your love of reading/writing/storytelling come from?

My Dad and my Grandma. Dad was just the best father any little girl could ever wish for. He would read to me from a very early age. I would sit on his knee with a pile of books and he was so patient. He wasn’t much of a reader himself oddly enough, but he did read to me and my sister as kids. Enid Blyton was my favorite! Grandma would tell me stories about the “olden days” and I was fascinated by how my own ancestors used to live.

What inspires you?

Where I live inspires me. I am so lucky to live in Wales, surrounded by incredible lush green mountains and valleys, waterfalls, canals and beaches. When I get out there into nature it makes my heart soar to look around me. I have to pinch myself sometimes.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

I enjoyed being absorbed into the lives of my characters. I almost become them when I write. I love the feeling I get when the thoughts start flowing faster than I can type.

Click the pic and follow Claire on Amazon

Who are some of your favorite authors and what, if any, impact have they had on your writing?

I read an eclectic range of books, from Jackie Collins to Jessie Burton. Jackie Collins has had a huge impact on my writing because if you look beyond the glitter and wealthy characters, you’ll find a common theme in her work is about women being powerful. Revenge and retribution are also big topics of hers and I love the adrenaline that these stories give you. I loved how her stories would weave twist and turns and shock factors all the way through them and I couldn’t put them down. I try to ensure those themes run strongly within my own stories too! 

Are you a full-time or part-time writer? How does that affect your writing?

Part time. Ahhh yes, it’s difficult and frustrating when all you want to do is hide away and type but instead you have to get the dinner on or iron a school uniform! And it is hard to find motivation after a busy day too. But I think its ok as long as you make notes when inspiration hits and then you can attack the keyboard when you get the opportunity. Children grow up fast and I don’t intend to miss their childhood because I was locked away in an office. I am patient and my time to write full time will come.

What makes your book stand out from the crowd?

Well, it is based on true stories, and although many true stories are rewritten with artistic license I think its rare for a book to take on news stories where we never knew what the cause, the ending or outcome was, and give it an ending anyway. Nowadays we get the full double story behind murders and deaths, the court details and family members give reports. We didn’t have any of that 200 years ago. Someone was found dead, maybe presumed for example it was a “suicide whilst temporarily insane” and that was that! Well, I give the stories a story. 

What projects are you working on at present?

I am currently writing the final stories for Dead Haunted – The Collection where all fifteen stories will be published as one final book and released in paperback format too! I am also planning to write a novella.

I also continue to write my supernatural and folklore blog focusing on Wales at www.reddragontales.com every week as well and am always looking for new stories and themes to add. I have also been working with a small team developing ideas and concepts for television and can’t say too much about that as I don’t want to jinx it, but things have been interesting and have future potential!

Another thing I also do is make book trailers for other authors! I made my own trailers and thanks to Kathy who designed my book covers, who recommended me, I have been asked by a few people to make theirs so if anyone is interested, then I have links on my website, or we have a Facebook group called iPublishglobal - Cover City (link https://www.facebook.com/groups/487078161690430/)

What question do you wish that someone would ask about your book, but no one has?

Ah I am SO glad you asked that ha-ha! I wish someone would ask me if, when I am researching the stories and then begin to write them, do I feel a connection in a psychic way to the people in the story that the events really happened to?


My answer would be YES! I do not claim to be a medium or psychic in anyway, I don’t like “labels” however I am sensitive. I believe everyone creative is channeling something from within them and for me it is emotion. One of the things that I can do is pick up emotions of others very well and whilst writing some of the stories I get so drawn into this bubble, that I can almost hear their voices telling me what happened, and I feel their pain. I dream about them and things are “shown” to me. When I wrote the story “The Dead of Night” I was in floods of tears writing about the death of Nesta’s baby boy. And writing “Moon” was equally moving for me. I discovered this poor girl had drowned in the canal only a few hundred yards from my home in the 1800’s. She had been seen in some distress a few hours before. I felt that I was on the right path when I wrote why she had committed suicide that day and the tragedy of her story haunted me for weeks. I still feel her presence when I walk my dog along the tow path and I say “hello” to her.

Click the pic to go to the Amazon book page