The fictional Candlewood Estate (actually the Lenoir Mansion). Photo by Jason Medina.
A Haunting at Candlewood
Believe it or not, I actually made up the entire plot for this story, while stopped at a red light. I saw a street sign that read Candlewood, and then proceeded to tell my girlfriend at the time, Jo-Ann, how it would make a great title for a haunted estate. I told her the entire plot before the light ever changed to green.
When I got home, I later did a location search using Google Earth to find the right place for my story, which had to take place high atop a cliff overlooking a beach. California quickly came to mind, so I began my search there and settled on the town of Dana Point near the Gulf of Santa Catalina. It is a beautiful area, which I hope to visit someday.
I decided to make this a sequel to my second book, The Diary of Audrey Malone Frayer. While it will not continue Audrey's tale, it will continue with the other main characters from that book, only eleven years have gone by since the reading of the diary.
The story begins at the Candlewood Estate, located atop the cliffs overlooking the gulf at Dana Point. A team of paranormal investigators have been hired to cleanse the old mansion of evil. It seems the spirits of its former owners simply refuse to leave. Be prepared for a tale of gothic horror. Be forewarned. Not everyone will survive.
When I got home, I later did a location search using Google Earth to find the right place for my story, which had to take place high atop a cliff overlooking a beach. California quickly came to mind, so I began my search there and settled on the town of Dana Point near the Gulf of Santa Catalina. It is a beautiful area, which I hope to visit someday.
I decided to make this a sequel to my second book, The Diary of Audrey Malone Frayer. While it will not continue Audrey's tale, it will continue with the other main characters from that book, only eleven years have gone by since the reading of the diary.
The story begins at the Candlewood Estate, located atop the cliffs overlooking the gulf at Dana Point. A team of paranormal investigators have been hired to cleanse the old mansion of evil. It seems the spirits of its former owners simply refuse to leave. Be prepared for a tale of gothic horror. Be forewarned. Not everyone will survive.
Cover Gallery
Photos of Dana Point by Jo-Ann Santos
These photos are for reference purposes only. They show locations in the story.
Photos of Dana Point Taken from Google Earth
These photos were saved to be used as reference photos only. They will not be published in the book. None of them are my images. See the captions for photo credits.
Ruth
These photos of Ruth were purchased from an antique shop in St. Augustine, Florida. I could not let them go to waste, so I changed the name of a character in the story to Ruth out of respect for the person's real name.
