Lone Star Book Blog Tour: Paranormal Texas by Tui Snider (Review)

Paranormal Texas by Tui Snider is a must read for anyone interested in exploring haunted sites across North Texas. While many of the ghosts highlighted in each chapter come across as somewhat friendly and harmless, the creepy factor is still pretty high. This collection is chock full of enough ghostly sightings and paranormal activity to keep any ghost hunter busy for a long time.

It stands to reason that haunted sites and paranormal activity are steeped in either historical facts or local lore, or both. Of course, some historical backstory is necessary to set the scene and introduce the spectral characters; however, Tui Snider’s book is not bogged down with lengthy descriptions but is instead filled with quick snapshots (and some actual black/white snapshots) of only the pertinent information about each location and its resident ghosts. Tui Snider evidently possesses the enviable ability to present paranormal stories succinctly and with panache.

The author details haunted sites and offers physical and sometimes electronic addresses that serve as a jumping off point for readers to continue investigating on their own. If one (or more) of the stories captures your imagination, you can simply peruse the website or take a road trip and experience such paranormal activity for yourself. If you’re not afraid, that is.

Tui Snider is obviously not afraid to explore and often stay at haunted hot spots to get that ever-elusive first-hand experience of ghostly encounters. While many entries in Paranormal Texas are based on Snider’s research and interviews with the living, she often includes anecdotes of her own participation in discovering and experiencing some paranormal activity.

An interesting recurring theme in many of Snider’s entries (and probably in many other ghost stories/urban legends as well) is the Lady in White. This lady has captured my imagination because I inevitably think of a bride, which makes me think of one of my favorite characters (who isn’t actually a ghost…or is she?) in classic literature: Miss Havisham in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. While the Lady in White is no doubt a different spirit across several of the entries in Paranormal Texas, it is fun to speculate on why so many ghostly figures are roaming around in a long white dress.

All of the entries in Paranormal Texas are well researched and beautifully presented, and several have piqued my interest for further investigation, which means a road trip may be in my foreseeable future. Some of my favorites include the Lost Cemetery of Infants (with the Industrial Home for the Redemption and Protection of Erring Girls) in Arlington, Texas (the name is haunting enough); Hill House Manor in Gainesville, Texas, which is touted as “one of the the creepiest houses in America” (I mostly like this one because the name reminds of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, so I need to check it out); and Mineola, Texas, because it is still a railroad town, and I am obsessed with trains and would love an excuse to hop on Amtrak again and take a slow adventure north to see (or hear) a few apparitions. Check out the full list in Paranormal Texas and build your own haunted itinerary.

With its brief historical snippets filled with colorful and often creepy ghostly encounters, Paranormal Texas will entertain just about any reader, including people who believe in ghosts, the firm skeptics who are convinced it is all a hoax, and those who are on the fence but still love a good ghost story. Which one are you?

Enter the giveaway below on or before October 11, 2019, for a chance to win some fabulous prizes, including a handmade cemetery angel pendent!