Author Sam Baltrusis launches 'Ghosts of Salem'

Join “Ghosts of Salem: Haunts of the Witch City” author Sam Baltrusis at his book launch bash 7 p.m. at Salem’s historic Old Town Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 23.

Travel back through history to witness the early days of the Salem Witch Trial hysteria, learn about the city’s ghastly tales of murder and uncover the truth behind some of Salem, Massachusetts’ more infamous ghosts.

Copies of the book will be available at the 7-8:30 p.m. launch event at Salem’s Old Town Hall.

Click here to RSVP.

Here’s an interview with author Sam Baltrusis:

Q: Tell us a little about yourself. I’ve been a working journalist for years. I’ve always been fascinated with the paranormal but was extremely afraid for many years. I wrote a story in 2011 for Stuff Magazine about haunted hot spots and my fear turned into passion. The spirits had a story to tell … just like the many people I’ve interviewed over the years.

Q: What are 5 things about you that most people don’t know?

1. I sleep with the light on.
2. Haunted houses (the make believe kind) terrify me.
3. I’m originally from the Florida Panhandle.
4. My mom has a Southern accent and I said “y’all” for years.
5. Ghosts don’t scare me. People do.

Q: What is the first book you remember reading? Oddly, it was a ghost book for children. Gus is a Friendly Ghost by Jane Thayer.

Q: Do you have any quirks or processes that you go through when you write? I write late at night. In fact, I wrote most of Ghosts of Salem in a 24-hour Dunkin Donuts.

Q: Do you have a special place you like to write? Normally, I like to write in a public place. I had a fancy office in Salem, but found it too isolatory.

Q: What do you think makes a good story? Research. From experience, truth is stranger than fiction. So, I try my best to be historically correct.

Q: What book(s) have most influenced you? Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, Stephen King’s The Shining and Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire.

Q: What inspires you most? Realizing that I’m not perfect. My motto is “progress not perfection.”

Q: Where do the ideas for your book come from? My first book, Ghosts of Boston: Haunts of the Hub, was inspired by a magazine article that I wrote. The idea to turn it into a book, came from a dream I had. A woman appeared in my dream and said: “You must write. You don’t have much time.” I woke up and pitched my first book.

Q: Which of your characters do you think is the most like you? My books are historical-based ghost books. But, I love Abigail Ropes, the “stay behind” spirit who allegedly haunts the Ropes Mansion.

Q: What have you learned creating this book? If there was a fire or an extremely stressful event like a murder or suicide, the building has potential for paranormal activity. Many of the sites featured in Ghosts of Salem: Haunts of the Witch City, ranging from Ropes Mansion or the Lyceum building, have ties to some sort of major injustice or disaster.

Q: What do you think your readers will take away from this book? When I write my historical-based books, I spend months and sometimes years researching the ghost lore associated with a city before I even pitch the book to my publisher. I also let the “ghosts” guide me, so I let my intuition guide me at first. Sometimes my intuition leads me into extremely scary situations which was the case with Ghosts of Salem.

Q: What makes your book different than others that fall under this genre? There’s so much disinformation out there regarding the historical back story to many of the alleged haunted sites in the book. Ghosts of Salem: Haunts of the Witch City is a history book with ghost stories. It’s not a typical paranormal book with regurgitated tales. People who have read the book get that it’s about giving a voice to many of the victims of the Witch Trials - like Giles Corey and Bridget Bishop - who were terrorized in 1692. However, Salem is more than the witch trials. Many of the “ghosts” featured in the book are more contemporary, but 1692 did leave what paranormal researchers call an “aura of disaster.”

Q: What can we expect from you in the future? I’m working on my fourth book, Haunted Provincetown, for a different publisher. I’m also producing a Haunted Boston Harbor tour in October.