Goosebumps Guaranteed.

Ghost Stories of California's Gold Rush Country and Yosemite National Park.
By Antonio R. Garcez
ISBN 0-9634029-8-6
Red Rabbit Press, New Mexico
207 pp with illustrations

My interest in the paranormal sciences goes back to when I was a kid. I was fascinated by books about ghosts, and reading about them. So when I had the chance five years ago to co-found a paranormal research group with some friends I took it. In the course of the last few years I've widely read up on paranormal activity and stories about haunted locations and ghosts, but sometimes I'm left disappointed because the books are just a rehash of old legends with very little eyewitness reports or scientific research to back it up.

I found this book at a local used bookstore in Arroyo Grande, CA a few weeks ago. The title stood out and so I decided to take a chance and buy it and I'm glad I did. I spent the next hour at a local Starbucks tearing through the first few chapters. To begin with, Mr. Garcez is an excellent writer and historian, his use of words paints a wonderful picture of the region.

What made this book truly stand out is his use of personal interviews with actual people from the Gold Rush towns who have experienced haunting's and sightings of ghosts in their homes and businesses. I found myself reading with real excitement and in truth the book almost makes made me want to take my car and head up Hwy 49 for several weeks just so I could see for myself the fascinating locations he mentions.

All in all, this is an excellent read, and a few of the stories really do get creepy enough to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up and your arms get goosebumps. So once you get your copy, sit back, turn down the lights and settle in for a really good set of true ghost stories.