A few years ago, Haunted Hills and Hollows: What Lurks in Greene County, Pennsylvania by authors Rosemary Ellen Guiley and Kevin Paul, declared Greene County the most haunted county in America. Greene County is so haunted that the book has spawned a sequel, written by Kevin Paul.
Kevin, a Greene County native, grew up hearing local folklore and stories from his grandparents. When Kevin was about ten years old, he read an article about Mothman in the paper that terrified him. The story left a lasting impression and sparked an interest in the paranormal. Kevin has experienced the paranormal in his life in many ways, including shadow people and apports (an apport is the paranormal movement of an item from one place to another).
Kevin’s first book was published in 2018, and continues to do well. It’s selling in approximately 26 countries and receiving mostly positive feedback. “I thought I’d get a lot of negative feedback, but I didn’t,” says Kevin. “[The book’s] got legs. The sales have continued steadily, and it’s never taken a nosedive.”
The sequel, Haunted Hills and Hollows: Still Lurking in Greene County, Pennsylvania, will release this autumn. Kevin originally hoped to have the book out in 2019, but his co-author Rosemary died that year, then COVID-19 hit in early 2020, and the book was put on the backburner. Kevin has worked diligently throughout 2021 writing and preparing the book for print.
The second book will feature new local stories, as well as revisit some stories disclosed by eyewitnesses in the first book. A chapter will delve deeper into the paranormal activity at the Greene County Historical Society, and another new chapter will share some of Kevin’s personal paranormal experiences, told for the first time with the public. “I’ve always been hesitant to share my personal stories with the paranormal without resorting to pseudonyms. The experience from the first book has made more open about it.”
In addition to his books, Kevin is active at paranormal conventions, and gives talks about the paranormal to organizations and schools. He’s lining up some talks to be held at local libraries and hopes to use his own paranormal conventions to benefit local nonprofits. Kevin started his own convention, SWPA HauntedCon, in 2019. The third HauntedCon will be held in March 2022 and will benefit Flenniken Public Library. He has plans to introduce a second paranormal convention to be held in early summer 2022.
Kevin is also creating a self-guided tour of paranormal locations in Greene County and creating a series of vlogs about accessible paranormal sites in Greene County. As a member of the tourism board, Kevin believes strongly in bringing visitors to the area: “It might be a niche market, but if we can get people to come in to see, why not do so? Visitors coming in for the weekend will help revenue for local businesses and lodging.”
If you would like your own copy of Haunted Hills and Hollows, contact Kevin at hauntedgc@yahoo.com. Paperback and digital copies are also available online at Amazon. Kevin’s upcoming appearances include WV CASE Paranormal Expo at Cheat Lake on October 9, and the GCHS Harvest Festival in Waynesburg on October 10. A presentation and book signing will be held at the Flenniken Library on October 23.
