Ghosts of the Past - New novel set in Louisa, Fort Gay, W.Va.

By TONY FYFFE
BSN Editor

LOUISA — Louisa and Fort Gay, W.Va., are the setting of a new novel written by an Ohio man with ties to the area. “Ghosts of the Big Sandy River” is a book by Eddie Hartshorn, a former disc jockey at WFGH Radio in Fort Gay in the 1980s who lives in Columbus, Ohio. “When newcomers Clayton and Scot Hall investigate ghosts, myths, and legends of Louisa and Fort Gay, they discover a fifty-year secret,” reads the back cover of Hartshorn’s debut novel. “The townsfolk don’t appreciate the intrusion and do not hesitate in showing their displeasure. Soon, the brothers face more than they could ever imagine.” Although a work of fiction, “Ghosts of the Big Sandy River,” as the title suggests, uses real-life places, such as Pine Hill Cemetery in Louisa and Paddle Creek in Fort Gay, to spin its tale. “I began working on ‘Ghosts’ in January 2018 with my second eldest son, Scot,” Hartshorn said. “My son lived in Louisa for several years. He fed me a great deal of information when it came to the legends in the area. A scene in the story involves a ‘killer clown,’ also known as ‘The Screaming Thing.’ It takes place in the book as Scot relayed it to me. The incident took place around 1988 involving Scot, his brothers, and cousins. Scot had been the one who had gone too far out on a limb.” His son died of a heart attack at the age of 45 on April 25, 2018, just 100 days into the manuscript, and is buried outside of Fort Gay near Tolsia Highway on Cyrus Mountain. “It took me over a year to return to writing,” Hartshorn said. Hartshorn, 66, began writing in the fifth grade and got his love for the written word from his grandmother, who was blind. “Nearly every day, she sat at the table reading stories printed in Braille,” he said. “Often, reading them out loud to share with me. I began writing stories in the fifth grade, at ten years old. I remember distinctly one story that I read to her had a happy ending. I was surprised when I saw tears stream down Grandma’s face. I told her that it was a happy ending. She agreed and called her tears ‘happy tears.’ I was more confused. Why cry if you’re happy? She told me that I would come to understand in time. That event takes place in a slightly different way in ‘Ghosts of the Big Sandy River.’” Prior to the book’s publication, a few of Hartshorn’s short stories were published in several anthologies. “Ghosts” is his first novel, but it will not be his last. “I have several stories in the fire,” Hartshorn said. “Plus, the kids in ‘Ghosts’ are slowly revealing events at the old Fort Gay High School, the Lock House, and locations in Louisa. “I believe a sequel is coming.” “Ghosts of the Big Sandy River” is available in eBook and paperback on Amazon.