THE MILLIONAIRE'S CHRISTMAS WISH—a character chat with Chance and Marcie

In honor of the season, I'd like to introduce you to Chance Fowler and Marcie Roper from The Millionaire's Christmas Wish by Shawna Delacorte, published by Harlequin for their Desire line, and tell you a bit about their Christmas story.

Good morning Chance and Marcie.  I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me today.

Chance:  Thank you, Shawna.  It was nice of you to invite us.  So…what would you like to know?

My first question is for whichever of you wants to answer it.  How did the two of you meet?

Chance:  (Winks at Marcie) Do you want to take that one?

Marcie:  My pleasure.  I was minding my own business, doing a little window shopping on my way back to my car from the book store, when he came along and accosted me in broad daylight.  He pulled me into his embrace against my will then proceeded to kiss me.  I was truly shocked and also a little frightened.  I had no idea who he was or why he had forced himself on me.

Chance:  Wait a minute…in my defense that wasn't quite the way it happened.

Marcie:  (grins) My way sounds more mysterious…and more interesting.

Did he literally grab you on the street, a total stranger, and kiss you for no reason?

Marcie:  Oh, yes…that's exactly what he did.

Chance:  Well…not really…not like that.

Ah, ha!  What's the true story?

Chance:  I was being followed by another one of those tabloid photographers who were always trying to get candid pictures of me that they can exploit, things taken out of context and blown up into something they aren't.

As sole heir to the Fowler Industries fortune, an eligible bachelor leading a very high profile life including yacht racing and making the rounds of the club scene always with a beautiful woman on your arm, I can see where there would be an interest in your activities.

Chance:  Since I was on my way to one of my special projects, I had to lose the guy following me.  I was looking for a place to duck away from him…hide in plain sight, so to speak.  As soon as I rounded a corner and was out of his sight for a few seconds, I turned my reversible jacket inside out to a different color, but there wasn't any place for me to hide.  I spotted her standing in front of the store window. My intention was to put my arm around her shoulder so it would look like we were a couple window shopping together, but for some strange reason she objected.  So I did what I had to do.  The photographer ran on down the street without paying any attention to a couple kissing in front of a store window.  I tried to apologize, explain to her, but she ran off without giving me an opportunity.

Marcie:  It was later that I discovered who he was…Take-A-Chance Fowler, as the media referred to him.  Major playboy, always being photographed with different women, yacht racing, seen at all the trendy clubs.  In other words, a spoiled rich guy living off the family wealth who had never done an honest day's work in his life.

Chance:  Definitely not a very flattering assessment of someone she didn't even know.  I was determined to set her straight and change that erroneous assumption.

Take-A-Chance?  Where did that come from?

Chance:  One of those stupid tags the press pinned on me.  "Always willing to take a chance on some wild stunt."

Marcie:  I can't begin to tell you how embarrassed I was when he told me Chance was his legal first name, not some cute little nickname.  It was his mother's maiden name.  And the more I found out about the real person behind all those tabloid headlines, the more impressed I was and the more I liked him.

You mentioned your special projects.  What did you mean by that?

Chance:  I have several projects I finance and am actively, hands-on involved with, things I don't want the media to know about.  Among other things, one of the projects is a job training program for disadvantaged youth. I don't want the other people involved to find their pictures and names splashed all over the front page of some tabloid newspaper.

What type of projects?

Chance:  (flashes a sly grin) You can find out all about them in the book.

Marcie, did you encounter any unusual problems when you began dating someone of Chance's…uh…notoriety?

Marcie:  (furrows her brow in a moment of concentration) Well, there were some uncomfortable moments with his family, such as the Christmas dinner at his father's house—

Chance:  (laughs) Merely uncomfortable?  That's an understatement!

Is there more to the family story than you're saying?

Marcie:  You mean other than his father being responsible for driving a wedge between us that nearly destroyed our relationship?

Chance:  My family is synonymous with the word dysfunctional.  They're the personification of that old joke…look up the word dysfunctional in the dictionary and you find their picture.  You'll find out all about them when you read the book.

I'd ask you to explain, but I already know what you're going to say.

Marcie:  (laughs) You have to read the book!

Thank you, Marcie and Chance.

Blurb:

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS…

When millionaire Chance Fowler first kissed the pretty stranger in his arms, he'd only meant to dodge the photographer who'd tailed him. Then she ran off—but he couldn't forget her tempting taste on his lips. So he sought out the tantalizing woman who'd ignited his long-dormant desire….

Lovely Marcie Roper was the first woman to close her eyes to Chance's fortune. And though she'd captivated the jaded tycoon, Marcie yearned for what his wealth couldn't buy—a man who would say "I do" and mean it forever. Could Marcie convince Chance that love—for the right woman—would last a lifetime?

Excerpt:

She was certainly different from the type of women he usually encountered. Her eyes sparked with the fire of emotion and her stance declared a very appealing independence. Yes, indeed. Marcie Roper was quite different—a breath of fresh air. He recalled the way she felt in his arms, the taste of her delicious mouth. He fought the almost overwhelming desire to pull her into his arms and kiss her again.

He watched her walk away from him—for the second time since he first encountered her. She had turned out to be a very intriguing woman. He already knew about the golden flecks in her hazel eyes, her soft pliable lips, her addictive taste and how good she felt in his arms. And now he knew she was certainly a challenge—and Chance had never been one to back down from a challenge.

THE MILLIONAIRE'S CHRISTMAS WISH, a Harlequin Desire by Shawna Delacorte reissued by Harlequin in ebook and available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com.  Also available from Amazon for Kindle, Barnes & Noble for Nook, and other online vendors.  Additional information and excerpts available on my website  www.shawnadelacorte.com  Information and excerpts from my other books also available on my website. 

Turkey Trivia…Just In Time For Thanksgiving

This year, Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 27, 2025, the day of celebration in the U.S. (Canadian Thanksgiving was on Monday, October 13, 2025).

Americans cook approximately 45 million turkeys each year for that Thanksgiving dinner.  So, in honor of the holiday, here are a dozen known and not so well known bits of trivia about turkeys.

1)  All turkeys do not taste the same.  The taste has to do with their age.  An older male is preferable to a younger male (the younger tom is stringy).  And the younger female hens are preferable to the older ones.  Hmmm…that older man and younger woman thing again.  I wonder if there's such a thing as a female cougar turkey.  :)

2)  A turkey less than 16 weeks old is called a fryer and a turkey 5 to 7 months of age is known as a roaster.

3)  Turkeys are a type of pheasant and are the only breed of poultry native to the Western Hemisphere.

4)  Wild turkeys are able to fly for short durations attaining speeds up to 55mph.  Domesticated turkeys raised on farms for food are too fat and meaty to achieve flight.

5)  Benjamin Franklin is said to have argued in favor of the turkey as the national symbol of America rather than the bald eagle.

6)  The first turkeys to be domesticated were in Mexico and Central America.

7)  The male turkey makes the gobble sound and the female clucks.

8)  A mature turkey has about 3,500 feathers, which is a lot of plucking before it can be cooked.

9)  The skin that hangs from a turkey's neck is called a wattle.  The fleshy growth on the base of the beak is the snood.

10)  Each year 90 percent of Americans have turkey for Thanksgiving compared to 50 percent on Christmas.

One thing that's marvelous about the Thanksgiving turkey dinner is all the terrific leftovers!  Anyone out there having something other than the traditional turkey for Thanksgiving dinner? 

Thanksgiving Myths and Facts

This year, the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S. falls on Thursday, November 27, 2025.

We all know the often told story of how the Pilgrims left England seeking religious freedom and finally settled in the New World, supposedly stepping off their ship, the Mayflower, onto Plymouth Rock in what is now the state of Massachusetts.  And how in 1621 they invited the local natives to share a feast with them in order to give thanks for a successful harvest and surviving their first year.

From those humble beginnings have come many facts and just as many myths about the Pilgrims and our Thanksgiving holiday.

I have some Mayflower myths to share with you, followed by some Thanksgiving facts.

Myth:  The first Thanksgiving was in 1621 and the Pilgrims celebrated it every year after that.

Fact:  The first feast wasn't repeated, so it wasn't the beginning of a tradition.  In fact, it wouldn't have been called Thanksgiving because to the Pilgrims a thanksgiving was a religious holiday when they would fast rather than feast. That feast in 1621 was a secular celebration and would not have been considered a thanksgiving in their minds.

Myth:  The original Thanksgiving feast took place on the fourth Thursday of November.

Fact:  The original feast in 1621 occurred sometime between September 21 and November 11 and was a three day celebration based on the English harvest festivals.  In 1863, Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving. In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt set the official date for Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday of November, a decision fraught with controversy.  The date wasn't approved by Congress until 1941.

Myth:  The Pilgrims wore only black and white clothing with buckles on their hats, garments, and shoes as shown in numerous paintings.

Fact:  Buckles did not come into fashion until later in the 17^th century.  Black and white were commonly worn only on Sunday and formal occasions.

Here's a list of trivia that could be called Thanksgiving-by-the-numbers.

3,000—the number of calories eaten during an average Thanksgiving meal.

12,000,000—the number of whole turkeys Butterball sells for Thanksgiving.

2,000 - 3,000—the number of people used to guide the balloons during the traditional Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

214—the average number of miles driven for the family get together at Thanksgiving.

1939—the date the Great Thanksgiving Day calendar controversy began (when FDR declared the fourth Thursday of November to be the official date of Thanksgiving).

40,000,000—the number of green bean casseroles made for Thanksgiving dinner.

72,000,000—the number of cans of Ocean Spray cranberry sauce sold for Thanksgiving dinner. 

November's Bizarre and Unique Holidays

November is a month with a couple of federal legal holidays in the U.S., specifically Veteran's Day on November 11 which is Remembrance Day in Canada, and Thanksgiving on the 4^th Thursday of November. For this year, that's November 27, 2025. There are other recognized days such as All Saint's Day (November 1) and All Soul's Day (November 2).  And with a tip of the hat to our British cousins, Guy Fawkes Day on November 5^th.

The entire month of November is:  Aviation History month, Child Safety Protection month, International Drum month, National Adoption Awareness month, National Epilepsy month, National Model Railroad month, National Novel Writing month, Native American Heritage month, Peanut Butter Lovers month, Real Jewelry month, and National Sleep Comfort month. There's also Chemistry Week (first week of the month) and Game & Puzzle week (third week of the month).

But that's only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak. November, just like all the other months, is filled with bizarre and unique holidays. I hope you enjoy these November offerings.

November 1:

All Saint's Day

Book Lovers Day—this is celebrated either August 9^th or the first Saturday in November (for 2025, that was November 1st). Book Lovers Day, as the name implies, encourages us to find a place to relax with a good book. Not only is reading a great hobby, it's an important one. Reading is educational, informative, and relaxing.

November 2:

All Soul's Day

Deviled Egg Day

Look For Circles Day

November 3:

Housewife's Day

Sandwich Day

November 4:

King Tut Day—this celebrates the date of the discovery of King Tutankhamen's Tomb on November 4, 1922, in Egypt's Valley of Kings. King Tut became King of Egypt in 1333 B.C. at the age of 9 and ruled until 1324 B.C. when he died at age 19. The cause of his death is uncertain with murder and innocent accident being the two main theories.

November 5:

Gunpowder Day

Guy Fawkes Day (goes hand-in-hand with Gunpowder Day)

November 6:

Marooned Without A Compass Day—do you often find yourself going around in circles? Do you feel hopelessly lost? Which direction will your life take? Being marooned without a compass for a day could be a good thing. Our busy lifestyles seldom leave us time to relax. We can enjoy being marooned…until tomorrow.

Saxophone Day

November 7:

Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day

November 8:

Cook Something Bold Day

Dunce Day

November 9:

Chaos Never Dies Day—this day recognizes the turmoil in everyday life. Just when your hectic surroundings seem to calm down at work and home, along comes something to disrupt your life. Disorder is everywhere. This holiday is designed for you. Pick one thing that is really disrupting your life and change it for the good.

November 10:

Forget-Me-Not Day

USMC Day

November 11:

Veteran's Day

November 12:

Chicken Soup For The Soul Day

Young Readers Day

November 13:

National Indian Pudding Day

Sadie Hawkins Day—originated from a 1930s comic strip, Al Capp's Lil Abner. In the strip, the mayor of Dogpatch desperately wants to marry off his ugly daughter, so he creates the Sadie Hawkins Day race where all the single men are given a short head start then all the single women chase them. If a girl catches a man, then he has to marry her. The Sadie Hawkins Day celebration basically ended 40 years later when Al Capp died and the comic strip was discontinued, however it can occasionally still be seen celebrated on some college campuses.

World Kindness Day—the day encourages us to be kind to others, helping to create a nicer, better world. The holiday is intended to build a kinder and more compassionate world. Kindness rubs off on others and generates even more kindness.

November 14:

Operating Room Nurse Day

November 15:

Clean Your Refrigerator Day

America Recycles Day

National Philanthropy Day

November 16:

Button Day

Have A Party With Your Bear Day—is your teddy bear a real party animal? Hopefully so because today is the day you get to party. Invite all your teddy bears and your friends and have them invite their teddy bears for a fun day. Or, if you're looking for something a little more adventurous, you might consider a real bear.

November 17:

Electronic Greeting Card Day

Homemade Bread Day

Take A Hike Day

World Peace Day—encourages us to be kind to others and teach others to be peaceful. The creator of this holiday believes world peace starts with individuals and if we all do our part to promote peace we can make war and strife obsolete.

November 18:

Occult Day—this is a mysterious day, something outside the realm of the normal and natural world. Lots of words can be used to describe the occult…concealed, secret, hidden, mysterious, unnatural. Astrology and alchemy also could belong. Many secret groups are occult. Celebrate this day by not sitting back and waiting for something to happen. Have fun with it.

November 19:

Have A Bad Day

November 20:

Absurdity Day—is…well…absurd! Some days are illogical and senseless which is exactly the definition of Absurdity Day. Celebrate this day in an absurd manner, have fun with it.

Beautiful Day

Universal Children's Day

November 21:

False Confession Day

Great American Smokeout

World Hello Day

November 22:

Go For A Ride Day

November 23:

Eat A Cranberry Day

National Cashew Day

National Adoption Day

November 24:

Evolution Day—Today is the anniversary of the publication of Charles Darwin's book, On the Origin of Species, in 1859. His controversial theory turned the world upside down in its thinking of how we came to be.

November 25:

National Parfait Day

November 26:

Shopping Reminder Day

November 27:

Thanksgiving Day—the 4^th Thursday of the month

Pins And Needles Day

November 28:

Make Your Own Head Day

Red Planet Day—honors the fourth planet from the sun…Mars. On this day, take a few minutes to look up into the sky and gaze at our celestial neighbor. This day commemorates the launch of the Spacecraft Mariner 4 on November 28, 1964.

November 29:

Buy Nothing Day

Square Dance Day

You're Welcome Day

November 30:

Stay At Home Because You Are Well Day—this is the day to stay home from work because you feel well, taking an unofficial day off to enjoy yourself. Warning…proceed with caution. Doing this might get you in trouble, possibly even costing you your job.

So…there you have it. The bizarre and unique holidays of November. Pick the ones you like, or celebrate all of them! 

8 People Who Mysteriously Disappeared

People go missing every single day, but some are more well-known than others. Some are even well-known because of their disappearance. They could be victims of crime, involved in an accident, or they possibly could have taken off on their own. Despite efforts to find these missing people, some were never found, leaving a mystery surrounding their last days and disappearance. Some vanishings have been subject to massive search parties, media sensationalism, dead ends, wild speculation, wrong turns, false accusations, and a few have even been turned into television shows or miniseries. There are certainly more than 8 people who qualify to be on this list, but I’ve chosen to limit it to this number. Someone not on this list who certainly qualifies to be is Judge Crater who disappeared in 1930. Here, in no particular order, are 8 people who mysteriously disappeared.

1)  DB Cooper

A number of movies, TV show plots, songs, and books have been based on the legend of this man. On Thanksgiving Eve, 1971, DB purchased a ticket under an alias, Dan Cooper, and then proceeded to skyjack Flight 305 of the Northwest Orient Airlines (later changed to Northwest Airlines, now part of Delta Airlines) which was bound for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Right after the flight took off, Cooper told a flight attendant that he had explosives in his possession and demanded $200,000 and four parachutes in addition to a refueling truck when they landed at SEA-TAC.

Authorities paid the ransom and gave Cooper the parachutes. After refueling began, he said he wanted the plane to take him to Mexico City. About thirty minutes into the flight, he parachuted from the plane at an altitude of 10,000 feet near Mount St. Helens in Washington state (almost ten years before Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980 blowing away a large portion of the volcano).

Not only was he never found, his real identity remains a mystery. It's not even known whether he survived the jump. In July 2016, a two-part special was aired on the History Channel about DB Cooper, where they named Robert Rackstraw as the man behind the mystery. The FBI declared in the same month that they were no longer pursuing him. Rackstraw, a 72 old year man living on a boat in San Diego Bay claims he considered filing a defamation suit against the television channel, but it has never been filed. Whether or not he is DB Cooper remains a mystery.

2)  Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart is probably the most famous missing person in history. As both a pilot and a passenger, her flying exploits made her well-known. In addition to her aviation popularity, she was also a teacher, author, fashion designer, magazine editor, and cigarette spokesperson. In 1937, Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan embarked on a trip around the world. On July 2, Earhart sent a radio message asking for help saying they were dangerously low on fuel over the Pacific Ocean. The US Coast Guard sent a cutter, the Itasca, but they were unable to locate the plane. The cutter sent up smoke signals, hoping the pair would see them, but it was no use. Neither the plane nor the two people were found. Earhart's husband funded a private search, but it failed to produce any results. In 1939, Earhart was declared dead in absentia.

There have been numerous theories as to what happened and the resulting searches became the most intensive and expensive in American history at the time. The most common belief is that her plane ran out of fuel and she had no choice but to ditch in the Pacific ocean and subsequently sank. Even after the intensive searches at the time, in 2012 researchers spent another $2.2 million dollars trying to prove Earhart had crashed on a tiny island. Nothing was ever proven.

3)  Jimmy Hoffa

Jimmy Hoffa was president of the Teamsters Union for over ten years. He was corrupt, involved in organized crime, and went to prison in 1967 while remaining president of the Teamsters. However, he resigned his post in 1971 in order to gain release as well as a pardon from then President Nixon. Hoffa was last seen outside a Detroit restaurant where he supposedly met with two organized crime bosses. After his disappearance, he was declared dead in 1982. The circumstances which surrounded his disappearance and subsequent apparent death are still a mystery to this day.

It's believed that he was killed by mobsters the day he disappeared, although a body was never found. There were many stories circulating about his disappearance. According to one mob source, Hoffa was put in a shallow grave on a vacant lot about twenty miles from where he was last seen. The source claims this was supposed to have been a temporary location, but Hoffa's body was never moved. Another often repeated theory says he was buried in what is now the end zone of the NY Giants football stadium.

4)  Henry Hudson

Henry Hudson was a famous English explorer for which towns, bridges, rivers, bays, and straits have been named, even though it seems he must not have been a very nice fellow to work for. While exploring, his crew (who were starving, half-frozen, and homesick) became so restless they mutinied due to being unwilling to continue the search after being trapped for several months in ice. The crew put Hudson, his teenage son, and seven other crewmen who were loyal to Hudson in a small boat and set them adrift. They were never seen again.

The remaining crewmen who made it back to England were arrested and charged with the murder of Hudson. They escaped without being punished due to lack of details surrounding their captain's death. However, it's generally believed that he and the eight others who were marooned with him died while aboard the open boat, a scenario which was immortalized by the painter John Collier.

5)  Theodosia Burr Alston

Theodosia Burr Alston was the eldest child of Thomas Jefferson's Vice President, Aaron Burr. In addition, she was also married to South Carolina's Governor at the time, Joseph Alston. Aaron Burr was disgraced after being formally accused of committing treason. Five years after the fall of her father, she lost her son. She went into such deep mourning that it affected her health. The only bright spot for her was that her father was to be allowed to return to the US after being exiled to Europe.

In 1812, Alston boarded the Patriot, a schooner with an intended destination of New York. She was to be reunited with her father on that New Year's Eve. She traveled alone due to her husband, who had only recently been sworn in, being unable to accompany her due to his duties as governor. The schooner never made it to its destination. Some believe the vessel capsized or sank due to a major storm which had been documented to be in the area at the time. Others believed it was captured by pirates. Whatever happened to it, neither the vessel nor its passengers were ever seen again.

6)  Heinrich Muller

Heinrich Muller is considered to be among some of the most disgraceful people of the twentieth century, if not of all time. He joined Nazi Germany's state police, the Gestapo, in 1933. He quickly moved up the ranks to chief and in 1939, he formally joined the Nazi Party. Part of Muller's acts included helping to advance false information used in the justification of invading Poland as well as helping to carry out the Holocaust.

Muller was last observed on May 1, 1945, which was a day before Hitler took his own life. No one knows what happened to him, but most believe he died around that time. Hitler's pilot, Hans Baur, claimed Muller had said that he knew the Russian's methods and that he had no intention of allowing them to take him prisoner. From that day on, there hasn't been any sign of him. He is the highest ranking member of the Nazi party who wasn't known to be captured or killed, his whereabouts remaining a mystery.

7)  Glenn Miller

Glenn Miller was the best-selling recording artist from the late 1930s to the early 1940s, making him one of the most iconic big band leaders ever. Miller volunteered to join the US Navy after the US entered World War II, but he was turned down. He then tried to volunteer for the army and, eventually, was accepted into the Army Air Corps (on September 18, 1947, the Army Air Corps became the United States Air Force, its own military service separate from the Army). In December 1944, Miller and two others were to fly to Paris, France, in order to make arrangements for his band to play concerts for US troops.

His plane disappeared while flying somewhere over the English Channel. Neither Miller, the other two occupants, nor the plane were ever found. Rumors circulated that he was an American spy and the Germans had shot down his plane. In 2014, the Chicago Tribune reported that the most likely cause of their disappearance was a plane crash caused by a faulty carburetor. The carburetor in question was said to have been defective when used during cold weather and had a history of icing up and causing crashes.

8)  Frank Morris

Of the 36 inmates who had tried to escape from Alcatraz over the 29 years it was in operation as a federal penitentiary, 5 are still listed as missing, but presumed to have drowned although no bodies were ever found. Of the others, 23 were captured, 6 shot/killed, and 2 drowned. Of the 5  missing, Frank Morris is the most famous.

Morris grew up an orphan, spending most of his formative years in foster care. At 13, he was convicted of his first crime. He continued to break the law and was arrested for many crimes by the time he reached his late teens, such as armed robbery and narcotics possession. Morris was considered extremely intelligent at the time, ranking in the top two percent of the general population with an IQ of 133. He served time in several prisons and was eventually sent to Alcatraz in 1960.

Morris and 3 other inmates planned their escape, but only Morris and 2 brothers, John and Clarence Anglin, were able to carry out their plans. Prison officials believe the 3 drowned, but evidence over the years points to their survival. In fact, a letter was sent in 2013 to the San Francisco Police Department, claiming the writer was John Anglin. He went on to claim that he, his brother, and Morris had all escaped from Alcatraz in June 1962, albeit barely. He said he was 83 years old and had cancer. He went on to explain that Morris had died in 2008 and that his brother had died in 2011. However, the letter couldn't be verified, but it's been proven that an escape could have succeeded at the time. Clint Eastwood portrayed Frank Morris in the 1979 movie, Escape From Alcatraz.

Most Haunted Cities in America

With the approach of Halloween, it's natural for thoughts to occasionally dwell on ghosts, goblins, and things that go bump in the night.  This week I'm blogging about America's most haunted cities.

There are several lists of the most haunted cities in the United States, most of them basically naming the same cities in varying order.  Here's one list of 10 cities that recently came to my attention. There are certainly several cities other than these ten, perhaps the city where you live, that are considered very haunted.

10)  Portland, Oregon:  Portland has a reputation for being the most haunted city in the Pacific Northwest. It's a city of many haunts, both seasonal tourist attractions and historical happenings where the participants refuse to leave. One of the most famous…or more accurately, most infamous…historical haunts in Portland are the Shanghai Tunnels. We've all heard the expression of someone being Shanghaied, meaning to be abducted. This is where it originated.  In the Victorian era (around the 1870s), ship captains would put into Portland on the Columbia River looking for fresh crew members. Local middlemen drugged pub goers, dropped the bodies through trapdoors into the tunnels below where they were held captive until they could be carted off to the waterfront and sold to the captain for $50/each. These ships were quite often headed for China and the port of Shanghai, thus the term being Shanghaied. Many of these drugged unfortunates died while being held in the tunnels. Today, the Shanghai Tunnels have several ghosts, some menacing and others apparently confused.

9)  San Francisco, California:  A city of many haunted locations and happenings.  One of the most interesting is Alcatraz. The island has a long history, first as a military prison during the Civil War. It was used off and on by many different groups to house various prisoners from that time until 1933 when it was officially turned over to the Federal Bureau of Prisons and used as a maximum security prison for the likes of Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. On March 23, 1963, Alcatraz closed its prison doors for good. Over the one hundred plus years that the island housed prisoners of all types, many died in cruel and terrible ways. Those spirits still inhabit Alcatraz. Even today as part of the National Park Service system, tourists taking one of the park ranger guided tours report seeing and hearing strange things that can't be explained. I've done the National Park Service tour of Alcatraz and found it very interesting but didn't see or hear anything unusual or strange. But, I can honestly say, I wouldn’t want to be locked up there overnight.

8)  Chicago, Illinois:  Chicago was the center of gangland activity during the Prohibition years, including the famous St. Valentine's Day Massacre. Many gangsters of the era used Chicago as a body dumping ground. There were also six thousand Confederate soldiers and sailors buried during the Civil War at Oak Woods Cemetery which has ongoing paranormal activity. Only twenty miles from Chicago is Justice, Illinois, which is famous for the ghost of Resurrection Mary, named for Resurrection Cemetery.  She was killed by a hit and run driver on the street in front of the cemetery and now is often seen hitch hiking along that street.

7)  Charleston, South Carolina:  The downtown area known as The Battery was an artillery installation during the Civil War. The area is known for its ghost stories. The Battery Carriage House Inn is the city's famous haunted hotel where visitors often see strange happenings. The inn's two most famous ghosts are the gentleman ghost and the headless torso. The gentleman ghost is thought to be a young man whose family owned the house in the early 1900s and, for reasons unknown, jumped off the roof and killed himself. The headless torso is believed to be military from the Civil War. There is no evidence that he intends any harm, but guests have been scared and often felt threatened when he has suddenly materialized in their room.

6)  St. Augustine, Florida:  The nation's oldest city and the first permanently occupied European settlement on our shores, dating back to its founding in 1565. Castillo de San Marcos is a star-shaped fort and is considered to be one of the most haunted places in a city filled with unexplained phenomenon. The construction of The Old Fort began in 1672 and took twenty-three years to build. Many strange sightings, including a Spanish soldier, have been reported. It is not uncommon for individuals to capture on film strange lights, orbs, rods, spheres, and even distinct apparitions composed of strange mists.

5)  San Antonio, Texas:  The home of the Alamo is regarded as the most haunted city in Texas.  Prior to the Battle of the Alamo, the ground was a cemetery between 1724 and 1793. It's estimated that about one thousand people were buried during those years. On the morning of March 6, 1836, following the thirteen day Battle of the Alamo, one thousand six hundred Mexican soldiers lay dead along with the approximately one hundred forty-five defenders of the old mission. The remaining buildings at the Alamo as well as the surrounding area is one of the most haunted places in the nation. Tales of ghostly sightings have been reported for almost two centuries.

4)  New Orleans, Louisiana:  With a history of voodoo and slavery in its past, it's no wonder that New Orleans is considered a very haunted city. Its most famous ghost is voodoo priestess Marie Laveau who was buried at St. Louis Cemetery #1, considered one of the most haunted cemeteries in the country. New Orleans is well below sea level, so the dead are buried in above ground tombs or vaults resembling small architectural buildings. Located on the edge of the haunted French Quarter, this oldest still-in-service cemetery has been the setting for many haunted New Orleans movies such as Easy Rider, Interview With The Vampire, and Johnny Handsome. But its biggest draw is the tomb of Marie Laveau.

3)  Salem, Massachusetts:  This site of the infamous Salem Witch Trials in the late 1600s certainly makes the list of haunted cities. Gallows Hill is believed to be haunted by the spirits of the nineteen women accused of being witches who were hanged there. Most of the original witch trial activity actually occurred in Salem Village (now part of the city of Danvers, Massachusetts) located about 5 miles north of Salem. It also shouldn't be surprising that Salem has one of the largest Halloween celebrations in the country for people of all ages.

2)  Gettysburg, Pennsylvania:  The Civil War battle at Gettysburg resulted in 51,000 casualties. It is believed that nearly all forty miles of the Gettysburg battlefields have paranormal activity. Many of the ghosts show up in photos, including the ghost of Robert E. Lee. In July 1863, Gettysburg's living population was out numbered twenty to one by the dead.

1)  Savannah, Georgia:  Savannah was named America's Most Haunted City in 2002 by the American Institute of Parapsychology. The city was home to a Revolutionary War battleground as well as Civil War actions. Savannah offers several different haunted tours and is also famous as the location of the bestselling book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that all of these cities offer ghost tours. Have any of you ever had any firsthand experience with hauntings?

America's Haunted Hotels

Are you looking for that Halloween thrill that's real rather than manufactured?  A true haunted hotel for a night away from home?  The U.S. has many haunted hotels and inns from which to choose.  Here's a sampling (in no particular order) of 21 spooky destinations to spend the night.  Or longer…if you're brave enough.  Just make sure your stay doesn't become permanent.

The Myrtles Plantation—St. Francisville, Louisiana

Built in approximately 1796, this former home is considered one of the most haunted hotels in the U.S. with one murder and several natural deaths. The Plantation now has 11 guest rooms.

Hotel del Coronado—Coronado (San Diego), California

Opened in 1888 and a National Historic Landmark since 1977, the Hotel del Coronado is said to be haunted by the ghost of Kate Morgan, who committed suicide there after being jilted by the man she thought was going to be her husband.  This is one of my favorite hotels and has also been used as a location for many movies and television shows, probably the most well-known being SOME LIKE IT HOT starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe.

Marrero's Guest Mansion—Key West, Florida

Built in 1889 by Francisco Marrero for his bride, the 13 guest room Victorian home is rumored to still be haunted by her ghost.

Stanley Hotel—Estes Park, Colorado

First opened in 1909, this hotel is most famous these days as the inspiration for Stephen King's horror novel, THE SHINING.

Queen Anne Hotel—San Francisco, California

This B&B in San Francisco's Pacific Heights area is said to be haunted by the spirit of Mary Lake who was the Head Mistress of the school that used to be located inside the building. 

Manresa Castle—Port Townsend, Washington

The former 30 room private residence is haunted by 2 ghosts, including a former guest who was stood up by her lover and subsequently jumped to her death from the hotel.

Driskill Hotel—Austin, Texas

Originally built in 1886 for cattle baron Jesse Driskill, the Austin landmark hosts travelers today in addition to the spirit of Jesse Driskill.

The Lemp Mansion—St. Louis, Missouri

This hotel offers paranormal tours complete with appetizers and a drink.  Several members of the Lemp family died under various circumstances including more than one suicide.

Hawthorne Hotel—Salem, Massachusetts

The location of the infamous Salem Witch Trials would certainly lend itself to hauntings and Halloween visitors.  Guests of this hotel have reported hearing eerie sounds in the stairwells and feeling ill at ease while staying there.

Green Mountain Inn—Stowe, Vermont

Boots Berry died in a fall from the roof.  His ghost has been seen standing in room 1840, where he was born.

Buxton Inn—Granville, Ohio

The ghost of Orrin Granger, who built the Buxton Inn, has been seen wandering the halls.  The ghost of Bonnie Bounell, a former innkeeper, is said to hang out in room 9. 

1866 Crescent Hotel & Spa—Eureka Springs, Arkansas

The deceased who are still residing at the hotel include a stonemason, a cancer patient, a cat, and a man in a white suit.  A new ghost, a dancer, was recently spotted at the hotel.

Beverly Hills Inn—Atlanta, Georgia

This property is said to be haunted by the souls of 3 women.  An investigation in 2007 recorded voices whispering "Get out."

Hotel Queen Mary—Long Beach, California

With its history as both a luxury cruise ship and a troop transport ship during World War II, the Queen Mary is reportedly haunted by many spirits.  One of them is a young girl who broke her neck sliding down one of the ship's banisters.  She can be seen today hanging out by the swimming pool.

Gettysburg Hotel—Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Ghosts dance in the ballroom and the ghost of a Union soldier strolls through the halls.  The nearby Gettysburg Civil War battle field is considered by many to be the most haunted place in the U.S.  When the battle ended on July 3, 1863, there had been a total of 51,000 casualties on both the Confederate and Union side.

Congress Plaza Hotel—Chicago, Illinois

Built in 1893 for visitors to the Chicago World's Fair, the hotel is reputedly one of Al Capone's hideouts.  Members of a rival gang did a drive by shooting attempt on his life while he was staying there.  The hotel is said to be haunted by a young boy, possibly an innocent victim of that shooting.

The Battery Carriage House Inn—Charleston, South Carolina

Many guests have reported seeing the torso of a decapitated confederate soldier floating through the Inn.

1859 Historic National Hotel—Jamestown, California

Located in the Sierra foothills in the heart of the California gold rush country, the hotel is said to be haunted by a woman whose fiancé was shot by a drunk on the hotel premises.  She is said to have died of a broken heart while wearing her wedding dress and has been giving hotel guests an uncomfortable feeling ever since.

Burn Brae Mansion—Glen Spy, New York

The former home of the third president of the Singer Sewing Machine company offers ghost tours.

Prospect Hill Bed & Breakfast Inn—Mountain City, Tennessee

The haunting spirit at this Inn apparently has a sweet tooth.  The smell of baking cookies wafts through the Inn in the wee hours of the morning.

The Colonial Inn—Concord, Massachusetts

This 24 room Inn was established in 1716.  Room 24, located in the oldest part of the Inn, was reportedly used as an emergency hospital during the Revolutionary War and that is where guests have reported odd happenings.

There are, of course, many more hotels and inns in the United States reported to be haunted.  This is just a sampling.  Do you have any haunted hotels in your city?  I have been to seven of the hotels on this list and of those the Hotel del Coronado is definitely my favorite.  Actually, it's one of my favorite hotels in any season.