Marrow Bone Road and Other Tales

By L. William Gibbons

Many of us avoid the issue of ghosts and the paranormal or reject the possibility because we fear them or because their existence would defy our perceptions of reality. But, what if ghosts exist and they fear the living? What if they possess a sense of humor and can be our friends? In fact, exactly who is haunting whom? This collection of short stories addresses those questions and more.

"Marrow Bone Road" is the story of elderly Victor Hammond who senses threatening presences on the third and fourth floors of his future Victorian home while supervising its restoration. He ascribes his anxiety to his imagination - until they persist. On the final day of the tale, Victor learns the truth about the house and the presence that he feels on the top two floors.

In "The Painted Lady of Marrow Bone Road," Dr. Jack Tilghman and his wife, Patti, need a larger home for their growing family. They find a sad Victorian house that Patti, an architect, falls in love with. But, Jack resists because the house reminds him of his childhood home and memories that he fought and buried long ago. He is forced to confront those memories and learn the truth about his childhood from an unexpected source.

Together, the first two stories tell the tale of the same haunting event from two perspectives, one from the side of the living and the other from ... well, the other side. They also ask the question, "Exactly who is haunting whom?"

In "East Of Here," we follow the investigation of an old, Federal style house on Virginia's Eastern Shore. The protagonist, a part-time paranormal investigator, is a staunch skeptic – until his own high-tech equipment, on which he bases his conclusions, proves him wrong.

"Heart To Heart" is the story of a young woman, devastated by the death of her husband on the same day as her third miscarriage, until the impossible happens and her fondest wish is granted.

• Language: English
• Publisher: L. William Gibbons
• Release date: Jan 17, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301047727

L. William Gibbons

L. William (Bill) Gibbons is a published newspaper columnist and political cartoonist. His short stories have been published in a traditionally-published anthology and an essay broadcasted on NPR radio stations. His collection of short stories, MARROW BONE ROAD AND OTHER TALES, is available now and his completed novel, THE FOURTH MARKER, will be available soon.

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