THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE GHOST CHRONICLES

The best stories lie at the intersection of truth and imagination. The Ghost Chronicles series began this way, as well. I had my ‘eureka’ moment one day while sitting on the beach in the Outerbanks of North Carolina (for those of you who don’t know where that is, I urge you to find out and go visit). At the time, I was reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Chapter Eight, The Deathday Party, deals with ghosts and what it might be like to ‘live’ in the afterlife, so that provided the spark that ignited the fire to write The Ghost Chronicles. As a flood of ideas filled my head, I scribbled down a rough outline and the book quickly took shape.

That was the imagination part, but let’s face it, we also distill our own personal experiences and our own truth into our novels. When I was seventeen I was in a car accident that was not my fault. An accident that almost took my life. The thought of ‘what if I had died’ has been one that has haunted me ever since. So immediately I knew I wanted The Ghost Chronicles to be not only a story of what it’s like to be stuck in the afterlife, but I also wanted it to be about a boy who dies tragically through no fault of his own. The kind of story ripped from the headlines about a promising young person who has their life taken away far too soon. Unfortunately we read these stories nearly every day in the newspaper or see them on TV. The kind of young person you hear has died and you find yourself thinking, What a shame. They had so much going for them, such a promising future. Why did that have to happen? For this reason, this book was the book of my heart. I wanted it to be as realistic a story as possible of what it might be like to die tragically and be trapped in the afterlife as a ghost. Let’s face it, we all have to die and none of us can say with certainty what happens when we do. It’s the biggest fear of the unknown there is! Oh, we may think we know, or may have certain beliefs about what might happen, but what if it doesn’t happen that way? What if you are suddenly and unfairly taken from this life and now you’re stuck and don’t know why? How angry would you be? What would you do? How much would you begin to question all you’ve ever believed in? It won’t be completely apparent until later in the series, but I wanted it to be a story of great hope for anyone who has tragically lost someone they love, especially someone young. I’m also hoping readers will take away the theme embodied in this quote from the book – “Cherish life, it’s absolutely precious.”

angelcompleteviewThe setting for most of the story was inspired by The Angel of the Sea, an award-winning bed and breakfast in Cape May, NJ that I visited several years ago and fell in love with. This spectacular inn has been featured on several television programs and in magazines throughout the world. Most notably, it was chosen by Oprah Winfrey as one of the “Best Vacations in the World” and included in her television talk show. The Angel of the Sea is one of the most recognized Victorian structures in the United States. Legend has it that in the late 1960’s, a girl did fall to her death at the Angel of the Sea and did at one time, haunt the inn. The story of the girl has been included in several non-fiction books about ghosts in Cape May. Sarah’s character in The Ghost Chronicles was inspired by this legend. You can learn more about The Angel of the Sea by visiting ANGEL OF THE SEA, CAPE MAY.

The Ghost Chronicles is a planned trilogy and the third book will be out in February of next year. If you’ve already read The Ghost Chronicles 1 & 2, I hope you’ll leave reviews everywhere. Doesn’t have to be a long review, just a line or two will do 🙂

All best,

~Marlo

P.S. Here are some of the previous reviews for the series:

“A haunting journey that will leave readers craving more.” – Natalie Zaman, co-author of the Sirenz series and Blonde Ops

“…Berliner’s touches give her novel innovation…” and“…dramatic and paranormal elements give this winsome tale flavor.” – Kirkus

“I loved The Ghost Chronicles. Simply loved it. Billed as a young adult novel with crossover appeal for the adult crowd, this book certainly got the attention of this adult…I highly recommend this book, and look forward to reading more from the extremely promising and talented new author, Marlo Berliner, as soon as I possibly can!” – Tracy A. Fischer for Readers’ Favorite, 5-stars

“…a most beguiling, intriguing, mystery-filled adventure. With a literary nod to the movie Ghost…and a certain resonance with the Odd Thomas series by the master of the genre, Dean Koontz, the story does remind us frequently that it is intended for Young Adults. And yet, the excellent plotting, precise editing, and well-projected development of storyline all guarantee that the writing is also perfectly suitable for an Old Adult.” – Joel R. Dennstedt for Readers’ Favorite, 5-stars

“This is an original and thought-provoking story that will keep readers wondering and looking forward to the next book in the series. It’s highly recommended.” – Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite, 5-stars

“For teens and adults alike, The Ghost Chronicles is an unusually thoughtful and mature take on supernatural romance that deserves attention for its efforts to break away from convention, all for the better. For curious readers old and new to the genre, The Ghost Chronicles is sure to set your mind ablaze, and puts “life” back into the “afterlife.” “ – James Grimsby for Self-Publishing Review, 4.5-stars

“I loved this book right from the beginning… I loved following Michael on his journey and I could feel the emotions behind the entire story. The sadness that his mother felt; Michael’s frustration and anger. Empathy for Melissa. I am not one who typically reads books more than once, but this one will remain on my Kindle to read again in the future. That doesn’t happen often, but when I find a book like this, it’s a treasure to hang on to!” – Leila, Life as Leels, 5 stars

I was pulled right into this story… I will definitely be reading the second book! – Stephanie’s Book Reviews, 5 stars

“Everything in this book seems to be written with great thought and care. Nothing seemed to be rushed or ignored…Paranormal that makes sense? Too good. Learning how to be dead? Yes, please!” Enthralling Dimple

“This is definitely one to add to your (probably neverending) TBR. With exciting characters, a heartbreaking narrative, and a story that will leave you bursting with questions in anticipation for the next book, Marlo is one to watch.” – Between The Pages, 4 stars

“This was a well written, steadily moving, paranormal tale…The characters are well defined and very realistic. The scenes are easily visualized. – Rockin’ Book Reviews

“This series continues to be spell-binding!” – Natalie Zaman, Author of Magical Destinations of the Northeast

“With wonderfully competent writing and a powerfully concise style, Ms. Berliner easily holds her readers enthralled throughout this high-octane, thrilling ride.” – Joel R. Dennstedt, Readers’ Favorite, 5-stars

“There is so much for readers in this book and the author makes it feel so real that readers find themselves believing in the mysterious world she creates.” Divine Zape, Reader’s Favorite, 5-stars

“Paranormal YA fiction at its best!”Melinda Hills, Reader’s Favorite, 5-stars

“This episode of the Ghost Chronicles was action packed.” – Stephanie’s Book Reviews

“If you love all things supernatural, you’ll adore this addictive series. A must read and highly recommend!” – N.N. Light

 

HOW SHE DIED…

tgcsmallthumbnailAs many of you know, the setting for most of THE GHOST CHRONICLES was inspired by The Angel of the Sea, an award-winning bed and breakfast in Cape May, NJ that I visited several years ago. This spectacular inn has been featured on several television programs and in magazines throughout the world. Most notably, it was chosen by Oprah Winfrey as one of the “Best Vacations in the World” and included in her television talk show. The Angel of the Sea is one of the most recognized Victorian structures in the United States. Legend has it that in the late 1960’s, a girl fell to her death at the Angel of the Sea and did at one time, haunt the inn. The story of the girl has been included in several non-fiction books about ghosts in Cape May. My heroine in THE GHOST CHRONICLES, Sarah McConnell, was inspired by this legend.

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Angel of the Sea bed and breakfast, Cape May NJ

Many people have been asking me about the legend surrounding Sarah and the haunting at The Angel of the Sea, so I thought I’d tell you the backstory about her death. News stories say that the young girl, whose real name was Sarah Brown, was an Irish exchange student rooming at The Angel of the Sea. At the time, the Angel of the Sea was undergoing renovations, so they were providing exchange students with rooms for reduced rates. Sarah, like many of the exchange students, was working as a maid for another local place, the nearby Christian Admiral Hotel, for a man named Reverend McIntire. The story goes that Reverend McIntire was a religious man and made it mandatory that all of his employees attend church. If they didn’t attend, or were late, or weren’t properly dressed for church, they could be reprimanded. So Sarah completed her shift that day at the Christian Admiral Hotel and returned to her room at The Angel of the Sea to shower and change for church. Unfortunately, she discovered she had left her keys back at work. Since she didn’t have time to retrieve the keys, still get ready and be on-time for church, she took matters into her own hands. She crawled out of a small window at the end of her hallway (second building, second floor) and attempted to shinny along the ledge to get in through the window of her own room. Apparently, she reached her window safely but had forgotten the window also had a screen. When she tried to pry the screen off it suddenly broke free, sending her tumbling to her death. It is believed she may have lay in agony for hours before succumbing to her injuries, when her lifeless body was finally discovered by a gardener.

Since the Angel of the Sea has these beautiful balconies today that wrap around the whole building, many people have asked me how a girl was able to fall from the window. The answer is simple really. The balconies weren’t there at the time, as this old photo of the Angel of the Sea illustrates. The ledge to install the balconies had recently been added around the time of Sarah’s death. If you visit the Angel of the Sea today, a large framed version of this photo still hangs in the parlor lobby.

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Old photo of the Angel of the Sea which hangs in the lobby, date unknown

Over the years, guests at The Angel of the Sea have attributed a number of experiences to the girl’s playful spirit. It is said she has an affinity for electronic devices. Lamps, radios and televisions have all been known to turn on and off by themselves from time to time. Guests and staff have noticed items disappearing from one spot only to reappear mysteriously in another. Objects also fall from tables and dressers as if knocked off by unseen hands. Furniture and pictures have been seen wobbling or shaking for no explainable reason.

Most notably, the girl seems to have an aversion to locked doors. Given the fact that a locked door contributed to her death, it is not surprising that her ghost has been said to lock and unlock doors in certain parts of the inn, and in particular, the door to her own room has been found inexplicably unlocked.

The Angel of the Sea bed and breakfast truly is as beautiful and romantic and haunting as I portray it in THE GHOST CHRONICLES and I have truly fallen in love with the place and its rich history. To learn more about the Angel of the Sea you can visit their website, which includes more of that history and an interesting story about how the B&B came to be split into two buildings: ANGEL OF THE SEA

Better yet, go visit in person and fall in love with it yourself!