Real Hauntings 4-Book Bundle. Mark Leslie

so much time with local “ghost busters” Daniel Cumerlato and Stephanie Lechniak, owners of Haunted Hamilton Ghost Walks & Events. I knew that much of what readers enjoyed in that book was the fact I wasn’t just reporting details from afar; I had planted myself directly into the settings I was writing about, so I could describe them first hand. If I wanted to be true to the way in which Haunted Hamilton was conceived, researched, and written, I needed to do the same with the Sudbury book.

      So, to be able to create a genuine, experiential appreciation for my beloved hometown in a relatively short period of time — without having to be back there for every single element, or conduct each interview in person — I would need to collaborate.

      And who better than the experienced journalist I was speaking with, who was as fascinated by the topic as myself?

      The concept of writing a book of true stories about the Sudbury area lingered for several minutes, both of us enthusiastic, and it seemed natural for us to explore the concept of working on the book together. We parked the idea and completed the interview, agreeing to discuss it in more detail by phone, then again in person a couple of weeks later when I was visiting Sudbury.

      At a Tim Hortons in New Sudbury we met in person for the first time, each having mapped out a few ideas on how we could put the book together. Combining Jenny’s interviewing and reporting skills with my experience having already put together a book in this category, we sketched out an outline for how Spooky Sudbury could be broken up, how we could divide up the work, and what sorts of stories we were already familiar with that would help build out the tales involved.

      From there, thanks to technology, it was a series of regular phone calls, texts, emails, Skype calls, and occasional coffee/breakfast/lunch meetings, when we were both available the same time in the same place, to complete the manuscript.