October is Great for Ghost Stories!

 

Hi everyone,

To celebrate my favorite month (and all things spooky), I’m blogging about my two ghost stories, Dead ‘Til Dawn and Kropsy’s Curse.

First, let’s spend a night in the land of the dead with…

Dead ‘Til Dawn

Disturbing the dead doesn’t prove you’re brave – it proves you’re stupid.

After touring Gettysburg battlefield, Jessica, Tim, and Steve decide to sneak out to the Devil’s Den for some late-night fun. Jessica’s friend Kathy objects, and warns them about trespassing where they’re not wanted.

Undaunted by ghost stories and fueled by his own arrogance, Tim races toward the Devil’s Den. When the group drives through mysterious battlefield fog, they find themselves surrounded by Civil War soldiers looking for a little fun of their own.

Kathy leaves the others to fend for themselves and flees to Little Round Top. Although she’s rescued by a kindhearted Union solider named Charlie, she refuses to believe what she’s experiencing is real. As the nighttime battle rages on, Charlie introduces Kathy to other weary soldiers, and she quickly realizes she’s trapped in the land of the dead until dawn.

Order Dead ‘Til Dawn here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Til-Dawn-Civil-Horror-ebook/dp/B015LHI08A

All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/4X9aLb

Read reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/dead-til-dawn

So how did this story come about? Well, if you know me, you know I love writing psychological/creepy/spooky horror stories. And I also love traveling to historic places—especially if they’re haunted.

This novella was inspired by actual events that happened to me in Gettysburg, PA. I had a very unusual experience with battlefield fog and I wanted to use it in a story. I blogged about that night here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/post/remember-the-battle-of-gettysburg-with-dead-til-dawn

I don’t consider myself a “paranormal investigator” but I love exploring haunted places and taking ghost tours. Historic houses and “anything old and creepy” appeal to my imagination. Is it any surprise that I love Halloween?

And because Halloween is my favorite holiday, I wrote this Halloween-themed horror story…

Kropsy’s Curse

Late one Halloween night, two young boys venture into a secluded graveyard in the hopes of conjuring up a spirit. Although Kyle is skeptical and would rather be home eating candy and watching horror movies, he reluctantly goes along with Jerry’s plan. He doesn’t believe Ouija boards work—until this one starts spelling out a message…

Kropsy’s Curse is only $.99! Get spooked here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kropsys-Curse-Kelli-Wilkins-ebook/dp/B014IAH848

All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/47kMYj

Read reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/kropsy-s-curse

This piece of flash fiction came to me when I was mulling over horror ideas. I actually came up with the (strange) ending first, then built the rest of the story around it. I can’t give away any more without spoiling the story, so you’ll have to read it for yourself.

In addition to these two horror stories (and my “disturbing” horror novella Nightmare in the North), I’ve also published two mini-mystery/thrillers (The Route 9 Killer and The Route 9 Stalker), two short story collections (Extraterrestrial Encounters and Surreal Escapes) plus several of my stories appear in horror anthologies. Visit my Horror, Mystery and More page https://www.kelliwilkins.com/horror to read summaries, reviews and get buy links.

Happy Haunting!

Kelli A. Wilkins

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 24 romance novels, and 9 mystery/thriller/horror ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with her horror, mystery, and thriller fiction.

Kelli’s story “Neighborhood Watch” was included in the Witches Save the World: Covens, Cauldrons and Curses Gone Right anthology published by Gorgon’s Gaze Press. Read more about it on her site or here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HBPGVBNS

Her latest mystery/thriller, The Route 9 Stalker, is set in Central NJ and follows Detective Jim Rourke on a disturbing new case. Meet him for the first time in The Route 9 Killer.

Kelli published For Love’s Sake, an epic historical/fantasy romantic adventure, in 2025.

In 2024, she released Surreal Escapes, a collection of 7 speculative/spooky stories. Anything can—and does—happen in this anthology.

Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and visit her website/blog www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list, social media links, and more.

 

Remember the Battle of Gettysburg with… DEAD ‘TIL DAWN

 

Welcome to July! 

While everyone is celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary, I’m remembering the Battle of Gettysburg that took place July 1-3, 1863. 

Several years ago, my husband and I went there on vacation. Our unusual paranormal experiences inspired me to write my horror novella, Dead Til Dawn. Here’s the summary, link, excerpt, and more about that eerie battlefield visit.

DEAD ‘TIL DAWN

Disturbing the dead doesn’t prove you’re brave – it proves you’re stupid.

After touring Gettysburg battlefield, Jessica, Tim, and Steve decide to sneak out to the Devil’s Den for some late-night fun. Jessica’s friend Kathy objects, and warns them about trespassing where they’re not wanted.

Undaunted by ghost stories and fueled by his own arrogance, Tim races toward the Devil’s Den. When the group drives through mysterious battlefield fog, they find themselves surrounded by Civil War soldiers looking for a little fun of their own.

Kathy leaves the others to fend for themselves and flees to Little Round Top. Although she’s rescued by a kindhearted Union solider named Charlie, she refuses to believe that what she’s experiencing is real. As the nighttime battle rages on, Charlie introduces Kathy to other weary soldiers, and she quickly realizes she’s trapped in the land of the dead until dawn.

***

So how did this story come about? Well, if you know me, you know I love writing psychological/creepy/spooky horror stories. And I also love traveling to historic places–especially if they’re haunted.

This novella was inspired by actual events that happened to me in Gettysburg, PA. My husband and I had a very unusual experience with battlefield fog and I wanted to use it in a story. Here’s the short version:

It was around 11:30 pm and we wanted to explore. Since you can’t go onto the battlefield at night, we decided to drive around it. As soon as we got outside of town we came upon a wall of fog. You could literally see the line where it started. (I incorporated this into the story.)

I thought that was strange–but what the heck–we’d drive through it and come out the other side. Wrong. The thick, swirling fog completely engulfed the car. We couldn’t see more than two feet in front of us, and saw nothing but fog on all sides.

We figured the fog would dissipate or… something. Nope. The further we drove, the thicker it got. From time to time I swore I saw shadows in the fog, but I figured it was my imagination.

Robert was getting a little nervous because it was pretty obvious this wasn’t normal. He was worried about another car coming down the street (there weren’t any, who else would drive around in creepy fog?) and hitting us. I told him I was more worried about what we would do if a Civil War soldier on a horse ran out in front of us.

After about half an hour we decided to turn around. As we headed back to town, I was on the side of the car nearest Little Round Top. The fog was on the ground in the field next to us, but it wasn’t high up on the ridge. I looked toward the top of the ridge and saw several flashes of red and orange light. At first I thought it was heat lightning (but it was April), then I remembered all the reenactment photos I’d seen in the museums. Whenever a cannon went off, they always showed a burst of red or orange light. (Again, I used this in the novella.)

I watched the bursts of light go back and forth for a while. I rolled down my window and heard a muffled “boom” noise. Robert asked me if I’d heard thunder. When we got back to the hotel, I told him what I’d seen and heard. (He said he was happy that I had waited to tell him until we were off the road.)

A few years later, we were in Colonial Williamsburg on a ghost tour and I told my fog story to the woman running the tour. Her face actually paled and her mouth dropped open. “You went out in battlefield fog?” (She was clearly shaken up and horrified.)

I said, “Yes, so? What’s the big deal? What exactly is it? What happens if you go out in it?” (I had my own theories, of course, but I wanted to hear what she had to say.)

I never got an answer. All she said before she took off was, “Don’t ever do that again.”

Flash forward another few years. Robert and I went back to Gettysburg with friends who wanted to see the fog for themselves. We waited until late and went to the edge of town. There wasn’t a wisp of fog anywhere.

I guess Robert and I witnessed something special that night. I’m not sure what would have happened or what/who we might have seen if we’d stayed longer (technically we were “safe” in the car… I think), but common sense prevailed. We’ll go back another time and see what happens – because you never know….

Here’s an excerpt from Dead’ Til Dawn, featuring the infamous battlefield fog.

***

Steve leaned forward in the back seat and tapped Tim on the shoulder. “You think we can get to the Devil’s Den now? Won’t they have security guards?”

“Who’d guard a battlefield at night? Ghosts?” Tim chuckled.

“The ghost stories we heard today were cool,” Steve replied. “I wanted to take that ghost tour at the orphanage. They let you investigate and try to contact dead soldiers. Maybe tomorrow–”

“I told you, that was a rip off,” Tim interrupted. “Who cares who died out here, anyway? It was over a hundred and fifty years ago. I don’t know why you keep wasting your time and money on that paranormal crap. There’s no such thing as ghosts. People in town made up those stories to rake in tourist money and sell costumes to idiot reenactors. If playing dress-up… Whoa!”

Tim stopped the car. A wall of white mist covered the road ten feet ahead of them.

“Is that fog?” Jessica asked, brushing her long red hair over her shoulder.

“Yeah,” Steve answered. “But why is it there and not anywhere else?”

Kathy peered out the side window. The two-lane road was crystal clear on both sides of the car, but the line of fog blocked their path. It’s waiting for us to advance. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Let’s go back.”

Tim stomped on the gas and plowed into the fog.

“Check it out. We’re surrounded,” Steve exclaimed.

Fog engulfed the car, blocking out the fields, trees, and fences along the road. Every so often Kathy thought she saw a glimpse of movement in the misty darkness, but it was hard to tell with Tim speeding like a maniac.

Steve pointed behind them. “Look back there. The town’s gone, swallowed up,” he said.

Kathy gazed out the rear window. Steve was right. Behind them, Gettysburg lay sleeping, wrapped in a blanket of milky whiteness.

***

Wanna find out what happens when they get out of the car? Read reviews and order your copy of Dead ‘Til Dawn here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/dead-til-dawn

Looking for great summer reads? Visit my site to learn about all my titles: www.KelliWilkins.com

Happy Summer!

Kelli A. Wilkins

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 24 romance novels, and 9 mystery/thriller/horror ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with her horror, mystery, and thriller fiction.

Her latest book, The Route 9 Stalker, was published in January 2026. This mystery/thriller is set in Central NJ and follows Detective Jim Rourke on a disturbing new case. Meet him for the first time in The Route 9 Killer.

Kelli's 24th romance, For Love’s Sake, an epic historical/fantasy romantic adventure, was published in January 2025.

 In 2024, she released Surreal Escapes, a collection of 7 speculative/spooky stories. Anything can—and does—happen in this anthology.

Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and visit her website/blog www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list, social media links, and more.

 

Spend a night in the land of the dead with DEAD ‘TIL DAWN…

 

Happy Almost Halloween Everyone,

I hope you’re ready for the scariest night of the year! To get you ready for the holiday, I’m sharing a true horror story, plus an excerpt from my Civil War horror novella…

DEAD ‘TIL DAWN

Disturbing the dead doesn’t prove you’re brave – it proves you’re stupid.

After touring Gettysburg battlefield, Jessica, Tim, and Steve decide to sneak out to the Devil’s Den for some late-night fun. Jessica’s friend Kathy objects, and warns them about trespassing where they’re not wanted.

Undaunted by ghost stories and fueled by his own arrogance, Tim races toward the Devil’s Den. When the group drives through mysterious battlefield fog, they find themselves surrounded by Civil War soldiers looking for a little fun of their own.

Kathy leaves the others to fend for themselves and flees to Little Round Top. Although she’s rescued by a kindhearted Union solider named Charlie, she refuses to believe that what she’s experiencing is real. As the nighttime battle rages on, Charlie introduces Kathy to other weary soldiers, and she quickly realizes she’s trapped in the land of the dead until dawn.

***

So how did this story come about? Well, if you know me, you know I love writing psychological/creepy/spooky horror stories. And I also love traveling to historic places—especially if they’re haunted.

This novella was inspired by actual events that happened to me in Gettysburg, PA. My husband and I had a very unusual experience with battlefield fog and I wanted to use it in a story. Here’s the short version:

It was around 11:30 pm and we wanted to explore. Since you can’t go onto the battlefield at night, we decided to drive around it. As soon as we got outside of town we came upon a wall of fog. You could literally see the line where it started. (I incorporated this into the story.)

I thought that was strange–but what the heck–we’d drive through it and come out the other side. Wrong. The thick, swirling fog completely engulfed the car. We couldn’t see more than two feet in front of us, and saw nothing but fog on all sides.

We figured the fog would dissipate or…something. Nope. The further we drove, the thicker it got. From time to time I swore I saw shadows in the fog, but I figured it was my imagination.

Robert was getting a little nervous because it was pretty obvious this wasn’t normal. He was worried about another car coming down the street (there weren’t any, who else would drive around in creepy fog?) and hitting us. I told him I was more worried about what we’d do if a Civil War soldier on a horse ran in front of us.

Although I don’t consider myself a “paranormal investigator” I love exploring haunted places and taking ghost tours. Historic houses and basically “anything old and creepy” appeal to my imagination. Is it any surprise that I love Halloween?

Here’s an excerpt from Dead’ Til Dawn, featuring the infamous battlefield fog. I’m happy to say that the book got several great reviews on Amazon!

***

Steve leaned forward in the back seat and tapped Tim on the shoulder. “You think we can get to the Devil’s Den now? Won’t they have security guards?”

“Who’d guard a battlefield at night? Ghosts?” Tim chuckled.

“The ghost stories we heard today were cool,” Steve replied. “I wanted to take that ghost tour at the orphanage. They let you investigate and try to contact dead soldiers. Maybe tomorrow–”

“I told you, that was a rip off,” Tim interrupted. “Who cares who died out here, anyway? It was over a hundred and fifty years ago. I don’t know why you keep wasting your time and money on that paranormal crap. There’s no such thing as ghosts. People in town made up those stories to rake in tourist money and sell costumes to idiot reenactors. If playing dress-up… Whoa!”

Tim stopped the car. A wall of white mist covered the road ten feet ahead of them.

“Is that fog?” Jessica asked, brushing her long red hair over her shoulder.

“Yeah,” Steve answered. “But why is it there and not anywhere else?”

Kathy peered out the side window. The two-lane road was crystal clear on both sides of the car, but the line of fog blocked their path. It’s waiting for us to advance. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Let’s go back.”

Tim stomped on the gas and plowed into the fog.

“Check it out. We’re surrounded,” Steve exclaimed.

Fog engulfed the car, blocking out the fields, trees, and fences along the road. Every so often Kathy thought she saw a glimpse of movement in the misty darkness, but it was hard to tell with Tim speeding like a maniac.

Steve pointed behind them. “Look back there. The town’s gone, swallowed up,” he said.

Kathy gazed out the rear window. Steve was right. Behind them, Gettysburg lay sleeping, wrapped in a blanket of milky whiteness.

***

Wanna find out what happens when they get out of the car? Order your copy of Dead ‘Til Dawn here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Til-Dawn-Civil-Horror-ebook/dp/B015LHI08A

All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/4X9aLb

Want more horror stories for Halloween? Visit the Horror, Mystery & More page on my site: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/horror

Happy Haunting!

Kelli

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 100 short stories, 24 romance novels, and 8 mystery/horror ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with her horror and mystery stories.

Her twenty-fourth romance, For Love’s Sake, an epic historical/fantasy romantic adventure, was published in January 2025.

In August 2024, she released Surreal Escapes, a collection of 7 speculative/spooky stories. Anything can—and does—happen in this anthology.

Kelli also released her fourth gay romance, A Thousand Summer Secrets, in 2024. This tender contemporary romance takes place over a summer weekend, where two friends reconnect while seeking love and acceptance.

She published The Route 9 Killer, a mystery/thriller set in Central NJ, in 2023. Look for a follow-up story coming in 2026!

Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins 

and visit her website www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list and social media links.

 

Just in Time for Halloween… Out of Time - 26 True Stories of the Paranormal!

 

Hi everyone!

As most of my readers know, I love all things supernatural. My idea of an exciting weekend is exploring historical/haunted/creepy places. I have no qualms about investigating haunted mansions, and videos of orbs or strange shadow figures intrigue me.

It’s no secret that my husband and I have had our share of paranormal adventures. Many of my friends and relatives already know about the unusual events that occurred in Gettysburg—but now I’m sharing my story with the rest of world in the Out of Time anthology from Timber Ghost Press.

Out of Time

Are ghosts real? The question has haunted us for ages. Almost every culture in the world has tales and stories of the unknown things that lurk in our periphery.

Contained within are 26 true stories about ghosts, poltergeists, haunted houses, unexplained events, and possessed items. You'll find stories about strange noises, objects that vanish and reappear in odd places, dolls that refuse to sit still, haunted battlefields, abandoned castles, and much more! But beware: after reading this anthology, you might just start believing in the things that are trapped out of time.

The anthology features tales from Kristi Petersen-Schoonover, Errica Chavez, Judith Baron, Nat Whiston, Caryn Larrinaga, C. J. Hislop, Lisa H. Owens, Lehua Parker, Chris Tyroak, Amanda Cecilia Lang, Caillou Pettis, T. J. Tranchell, William Presley, N. A. Battaglia, Bryan Stubbles, Nathan Alling Long, Susan E. Rogers, Kelli A. Wilkins, John Stratton, C. M. Saunders, L. E. Daniels, Catherine A. MacKenzie, Rebecca A. Demarest, A. Morton, Brianna Malotke, and Nathan D. Ludwig.

Order your copy here: https://www.timberghostpress.com/out-of-time1.html

I’ve read several of the stories and some of them are pretty creepy—even by my standards! If you’re looking for a great Halloween-season read (or just love true stories of the paranormal), be sure to get a copy of this book… if you dare.

Happy Haunting!

Kelli