So here it is: my very first blog post ever! I wouldn’t say I’ve been forced into creating this blog. Yes, there was a bit of kicking and screaming, but nothing worth writing home about. Which, now that I think about it, was always my reason for not doing a blog; I didn’t think there was anything interesting to fill it with.
True, I have spent the last 25 years chasing after all things strange and spooky; from haunted houses and abandoned mental asylums t giant balls of paint and homemade roller coasters. And I’ve written about them in close to a dozen books. But for me, the best part of all of that was the journey. Gassing up the car, grabbing a bunch of unhealthy snacks, a couple of friends, and setting off on a journey where I was never really sure where the road was going to take me. Those were the stories people were always begging me to tell at presentations. Sure, they wanted to see pictures of the end results and hear about the location, but they really, really, really wanted to hear about my journey.
So when I was presented with a somewhat chaotic proposition to write TWO books in the course of 9 months, including one with a totally new approach to Ohio ghosts, I realized that this could be a unique opportunity to take all my friends, family, and fans along on the journey with me. And the Strange and Spooky Blog of James A. Willis was born.
With this blog, you’re going to get to hear about things as they are happening. Obviously, I won’t be able to give too much away about the specific locations until after I have left them, but from the moment the car’s packed, you’ll be coming along for the ride. You’ll see what I see, eat, and drink. And get this; since I’ve always considered myself more of a storyteller than a writer, I’m not going to worry too much about grammar. Yeah, I’ll run it through spellcheck, but other than that, it’s going to be pretty rough copy. If nothing else, it will give you a first-hand look at my writing skills at 4:00 am!
Anyway, I’m actually quite excited about this and I hope you will be to. If so, feel free to comment and let me know the good, the bad, and the ugly about my blog. Hell, you can even give me some restaurant leads (no chains, please). Either way, welcome to my Strange & Spooky World. I hope you enjoy your visit!
Cheers!
