by Kala Ambrose
Stiles, T. J. The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Manhattan: Vintage, 2010.
Terrell, Bob and Roberts, Ralph. The Will Harris Murders: November 13, 1906, a Night in Which Asheville Was a Tougher Town Than Tombstone and Dodge City Rolled into One. Alexander, NC: Land of the Sky Books, 2001.
Whedbee, Charles Harry. The Flaming Ship of Ocracoke and Other Tales of the Outer Banks. Winston-Salem, NC: John F. Blair, 1971.
Whedbee, Charles Harry. Outer Banks Mysteries & Seaside Stories. Winston-Salem, NC: John F. Blair, 1978.
Acknowledgments
THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE who I have to thank for this book. To begin, I have to thank the stars of this book, which are the ghosts themselves. Many of them were kind enough to show themselves to me while I visited their homes and gravesites, and I appreciate their time very much.
I was also surprised and amused that when I returned home from my travels and began writing this book, that one curious ghost came to visit me often as I would write. He wouldn’t say much, preferring to stand quietly next to me while looking over my shoulder as I wrote each day. I would always sense his presence first by smelling tobacco smoke entering my office as I wrote. No one in our home smokes, nor do we allow anyone to smoke in our home, so it would catch me off guard at first as I would wonder where that smell was coming from. Now I’ve grown accustomed to it as he appears often when I write.
During his visits, he would stay for a good period of time, and he appeared to like what I was writing. I would be in deep concentration during these times, not wanting to lose my train of thought of what I wanted to say. One day my husband walked into my office as I had just finished writing for the day, and he squinted his eyes and began to wave his hand in front of his face and asked me, “Where is that smoke coming from?” He was looking all around my office, trying to find the source and then said, “It smells like tobacco smoke. Where in the world would this be coming from?”
He’s a very technical, scientific-minded man, and I remained quiet for a minute while he searched the entire room trying to discern where the smell was coming from. Exhausted by his efforts and finding nothing, he sat down to chat with me, and I told him that a ghost had been coming to see me while I wrote the book and that I expected that he would remain with me throughout the course of writing the book. I then explained that when he appears, the heavy scent of smoke is the first indication that he is here in spirit. My husband was not surprised by this news, as ghosts have visited with me throughout my life and he’s seen firsthand accounts of their visits in our home and during our travels. Our little Chihuahua, Griffin, also senses ghosts and spirits when they appear, and we find him from time to time barking at a spirit that he has caught wind of as he attempts to tell them to move on. He’s very protective and is our fierce, otherworldly guard dog. Chihuahuas have a history of being psychic and connected with the spiritual planes. The Toltecs of Mexico understood this well about the Chihuahua breed, also that the dog is a companion guide for the human soul. So I must also thank Griffin, my beloved white Chihuahua pup, for his constant companionship and guard dog patrol during my ghosthunting adventures.
A huge thank-you and enormous gratitude and appreciation go to my son, Brandon Ambrose, whose wit, wisdom, and generosity always entertain and inspire me. Brandon is an accomplished outdoor photographer who loves to travel. He was willing to take this journey with me to explore Ghosthunting North Carolina, and his assistance was essential to my getting this book completed. All of the photographs in this book were taken by Brandon Ambrose, with the exceptions being the photos of the Star Hotel, which were provided to me by Gary Spivey, and the Page-Walker, Hillcrest Tree, and Grove Park photos, which I took.
I asked Brandon, after our adventures were done for the book, which place had been the most haunted to him, and his reply was Somerset Place Plantation. While there, he ventured out deep into the woods to have a look in the forest and experienced the presence of an entity following him through the woods that wasn’t happy to have him around. Brandon recommends a visit to Somerset Place for a truly haunting experience.
High on my list to thank is Tim, my partner in life and love. Without him, I would not be able to accomplish all that I am able to do. He’s my rock, my love, and my soulmate. He’s also one of the finest men that I have ever had the privilege to know.
A special thank-you also goes to Gary Spivey, who provided the photos of the Star Hotel, including the vortex around the fountain and gardens. The reports continue to come from people who experience overwhelmingly positive moments at the fountain as it offers them a view to the spirit realms.
I would also like to extend a tremendous amount of gratitude to my editor, John Kachuba. John and I met several years before Ghosthunting North Carolina was conceived, and I’ve always enjoyed our talks. He’s a special man with a talent for writing and editing, and his students are very lucky to have the opportunity to study with him. He’s been a blessing in my life, and if you haven’t checked out the Ghosthunting books he’s written for the America’s Haunted Road Trip series, I suggest you do, for he covers several states in great haunting detail.
I would also like to thank Donna, Kara, and Alison at Clerisy Press for all that they do. I think the creation of the America’s Haunted Road Trip series with a book on each state in the U.S. is a phenomenal idea. As I spoke with people during my travels and described the book to them, so many were delighted with the idea of such a wonderful way to teach history and to encourage families and friends to visit the rich variety of historic sites in each state, along with having the fun and sometimes fright of visiting haunted sites. My thanks go out to everyone at Clerisy Press for the creation and delivery of this idea, as I know I picked up the books to read long before I knew I would be writing the book on North Carolina, and I look forward to reading many more to come as each state is covered.
It goes without saying, as I try to say this as often as possible, I am most grateful to my family, my friends, my colleagues, and the fans of Explore Your Spirit with Kala. My friends, and you know who you are, I appreciate you being there for me and going for the occasional ride with me somewhere for a little adventure and fun. To my fans of the Explore Your Spirit with Kala show, I appreciate your support so dearly. The e-mails I receive from you, the Facebook and Twitter posts, all inspire me to do more and deliver more to you every day. Thanks for taking the ride with me, and I hope you’ll do just that now; pile in the car with some friends and let’s go Ghosthunting North Carolina.
In love, gratitude, and joy,
—Kala
About the Author
Author, intuitive, and paranormal researcher Kala Ambrose (Photo by Kala Ambrose)
A PSYCHIC SINCE BIRTH as well as an empath, Kala had the good fortune to be raised by an understanding mother who allowed her to study the tarot, astrology, and other metaphysical arts and sciences at a young age, enabling her to explore her unique abilities. Her research of comparative religion, folklore, magic, and mythology led her to her greatest passion of studying the ancient esoteric teachings of Egypt and Greece, which she later began to teach to small groups of dedicated students.
Kala Ambrose is an author, national columnist, intuitive empath, wisdom teacher, paranormal researcher, inspirational speaker, and voice of the highly acclaimed Explore Your Spirit with Kala show, which features interviews with world renowned authors, artists, teachers, and researchers discussing metaphysical and paranormal topics.
She is the award-winning author of 9 Life Altering Lessons: Secrets of the Mystery Schools Unveiled, Ghosthunting North Carolina, and The Awakened Aura: Experiencing the Evolution of Your Energy Body. Kala is the creator of a trilogy of sacred site meditation CDs, and she writes for a variety of magazines about intuition, the supernatural, and empowering lifestyle choices, along with her Ask Kala column, where she answers questions directly from her readers.
Kala Ambrose is a highly interactive teacher on a mission to educate, entertai
n, and inspire. She is the founder of The Rowan Society, a private organization founded to research and explore paranormal phenomena in many of its forms, including ghosts, psychic development, and ancient mysteries. She shares the esoteric wisdom from the ancient mystery temples of Egypt and Greece and teaches workshops around the United States at venues including the Omega Institute, the Learning Annex, and Lily Dale Assembly on Understanding Auras and Chakras, Developing Business Intuition, Mystery Schools and Healing Temples, and Wise Woman Wisdom (how to connect with your divine feminine power). For more information, visit ExploreYourSpirit.com.
