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| Mike Ricksecker: Ghostorian, Author and more |
1. In your own words, who is Mike Ricksecker?
Mike
Ricksecker is a myriad of different things. He's a creative soul,
curious about the world surrounding him -- seen and unseen -- and the
paths we took to get here. Professionally, I'm a writer and Ghostorian
(and an IT Manager for my day job), producing my own shows on YouTube to
complement my writing. I'm also a father.
2. When in your life did you realize you were interested in the paranormal?
2. When in your life did you realize you were interested in the paranormal?
I'd
had a couple paranormal experiences as a kid, and I always loved a good
ghost story, including ones I wrote, but the genuine interest came in
high school after reading The Amityville Horror. Instead of being scared, I wanted to visit the home and see if I could discover anything about the alleged spirits.
3. What inspired you to start writing about the paranormal?
3. What inspired you to start writing about the paranormal?
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| Rob and Mike |
Part
of my mystery writing growing up also included a few haunted house
tales, and I came up with an elaborate background for a spirit I
"invented" at my grandparents' house when I was about 11 years old, so
it's always been there. Professionally, it came when my publisher
approached me about writing GHOSTS OF MARYLAND.
4. How did you get inspired to write your Chase Debarlo mystery series?
4. How did you get inspired to write your Chase Debarlo mystery series?
My
first writing passion, dating back to second grade, was in mystery, and
I wanted emulate the Encyclopedia Brown books. That matured, of course,
as I got older, but I always kept writing mystery. Chase Michael
DeBarlo was invented for a writing assignment in high school. I wrote a
number of short stories about him following the assignment, and some of
that material found its way into my first mystery novel, DEADLY HEIRS.
5. Tell us about your Oklahoma and Maryland Ghost books ? How did you come to write them?
5. Tell us about your Oklahoma and Maryland Ghost books ? How did you come to write them?
My
editor at Schiffer found me on MySpace, of all places. The publisher
was looking to expand its line of paranormal books and Maryland was one
they were looking to add. She liked my mystery writing style and the
paranormal short stories I had as freebies on my web site and asked if I
would be interested. It was that rare moment of being in the right
place at the right time. When I moved to Oklahoma for a few years I
proposed the project to them and they accepted. What I like about both
GHOSTS OF MARYLAND and GHOSTS AND LEGENDS OF OKLAHOMA is that they're
not just books that tell tales of things that go bump in the night. I
put in a lot of research to bring out the historic stories of the
locations and the people that lived there in years past.6, Where is your favorite haunted place? Why?
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Stone Lion Inn in Guthrie, Oklahoma. It's an extremely active old home that even looks
like a classic haunted house. I've had a number of fantastic paranormal
experiences there and one of my best photographic captures was taken in
the foyer. I have some other favorites as well like the Mudd House and
the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, but the pure ambiance of the Stone
Lion Inn really accentuates the paranormal activity that occurs there.
7. What was your most frightening paranormal experience?
7. What was your most frightening paranormal experience?
The
most frightening for me would have been my first as a child when I
awoke to a shadow person in my room. It actually interacted with me and
crossed my arms across my body before it darted off down the hallway. As
an adult, I haven't been "spooked" or frightened during any
investigations or otherwise on my own. I'm just curious.
8. Tell us about your e-books!
8. Tell us about your e-books!
The
Ghostorian Case Files series is solely on e-books (for now), and they
are short little books that read as if they were pulled right from my
paranormal investigative file cabinet. Each section is broken down into
"Exhibits" as if they were pieces of evidence that have been compiled. I
just released the second of these, MYSTERIES OF THE CHURCH OF DARKNESS,
which is based on my investigations at Black Bear Church in Oklahoma.
These mysteries include that of the "crawler" that lurks there, the
shadows seen around the perimeter, the grave of the Unknown Cowboy at
the cemetery across the road, and the plight of a young girl that had
been murdered. The first of the series, THE INSCRIPTION OF EVIL TIMES,
centers around a mysterious stone tablet that was unearthed in America
during the mid-1800s. Both of my mystery novels DEADLY HEIRS and SYSTEM
OF THE DEAD can also be found on Kindle, but they're also available in
paperback.9. What's next on the horizon for you?
Within
the next couple months Schiffer will be releasing my next title from
them, CAMPFIRE TALES: MIDWEST. These are a collection of fictional tales
based on real history and legends across the Midwest. They were quite
fun to write since I was provided a lot of creative freedom. I'm also
working on a book for History Press which focuses on the haunts around
Oklahoma City. That one should be out next year. Additionally, the next
Chase Michael DeBarlo mystery novel(s) are in the works, there will be
another Ghostorian Case Files piece, and I keep adding new features to
my YouTube channel on almost a weekly basis.
HOW TO FIND MIKE:
WEBSITE: www.rrdevelopments.com/mike
WEBSITE: www.rrdevelopments.com/mike
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/MikeRicksecker
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/mricksecker
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