Book Review for Real West Virginia UFOs

Title: Real West Virginia UFOs: Sightings and Close Encounters, Revised Edition

Author: Dave Spinks

Published by Starborn Illumination Publishing, 2022

Amazon Purchase Information

Dave Spinks' Website Information

After a two-year pandemic related hiatus, the annual Mothman Festival finally returned in September of 2022...and I'm pretty sure it was one of the largest paranormal events in history! So, needless to say, it was pretty crowded and pretty overwhelming, so much in fact that I really didn't get a chance to take many pictures or really do too many of my usual festival activities---except for one of my favorite activities: book buying!

No amount of crowds can stop me from taking advantage of having so many wonderful paranormal authors and vendors in one place. Yeah, most of the books that I buy at these types of events can be picked up online, through Amazon or the authors'/publishers' websites, but there's something really special about getting to meet the author in person. Even an introvert like me enjoys chatting about the paranormal with other paranormal enthusiasts. I love having the opportunity to add personally autographed books to my library. And, most importantly, I love directly supporting my friends and colleagues in the paranormal community. 

Among my pickups this year was Real West Virginia UFOs: Sightings and Close Encounters, by local author and researcher, Dave Spinks. As the title suggests, it is a compendium of UFO sightings in the Mountain State. Much of the book is laid out chronologically---each chapter covers a decade of UFO sightings in West Virginia, ranging from highly publicized cases such as the Flatwoods Monster incident and the Woodrow Derenberger encounter, to  never before reported sightings found only in this book. However, this book is more than just a laundry list of sightings; it is a fascinating look at how the history of West Virginia's ufology directly correlates with the history of ufology in the United States as a whole. 

For whatever reason, West Virginia is an absolute hot spot for UFO sightings and UFO-related phenomenon. This book is packed with information about eye-witness accounts, famous close-encounters, and the people/organizations who investigated them. Historically, there has been so much strangeness going on in the skies above the Mountain State and within the hills below, that we were chosen as an official spot for Project Ozma and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence! The huge radio telescope can be toured today at the Green Bank Observatory in Pocahontas County, and special SETI tours are offered periodically. 

Real West Virginia UFOs is a well-researched glimpse into that strangeness mentioned above. There's plenty of meat to each featured case to give readers a good, satisfying summary, but not so many details as to bog down the casual reader with unnecessary information. Resources and bibliography provided at the end are available for those who wish to deep-dive a little further into certain subjects discussed. Photographs of suspected UFOs are provided when available, and there's even a whole chapter contributed by Ron Lanham featuring cases sent into the Wild and Weird West Virginia High Strangeness Collective!  Overall, this is just a really fun, informative read about one side of West Virginia's unique history. Grab yourself a copy if you love anything to do with the strange and spooky history of the Mountain State, or pick up a copy for a friend or relative this holiday season---I'm sure this book will be the perfect stocking stuffer for the UFO enthusiast in your life!

Want MORE UFO content? Check out my post, UFO Tourism in West Virginia!

Big Announcement: WV Monster Con!

 

Hey, everyone! I just wanted to share with you this upcoming paranormal event that I am honored to be a part of. On March 12th, 2022 I will be speaking at the first annual WV Monster Con! 

Monster Con will be a three-day event held in Richwood, WV. It is hosted by Dave Spinks' World of Weird and will feature vendors, a VIP event Friday night, psychic services (including gallery reading) and some really interesting and knowledgeable speakers, presenting on MY personal favorite topic: West Virginia's weird and wonderful paranormal history! 

Dave Spinks is a well-known and well-rounded paranormal researcher, based here in the Mountain State. He's the author of paranormal nonfiction, has been featured in different paranormal television shows, and most recently, has opened up a wonderful paranormal store in Richwood, WV. 

I'll be speaking Saturday at 1pm on the topic of West Virginia's Cemetery Urban Legends! Ghosts, witches, 'vampires,' Mothman and even UFOs have all shown up in the spooky stories associated with our burial grounds, and I'll be discussing some of my favorite cases, as well as some tips on researching these types of locations for yourself. You can also find me throughout the weekend in the vendor area, along with several of my colleagues from Spectral Research and Investigation. Ticket prices range from $25 to $100 and can either be purchased through the EventBrite link below, or at the door. 

Come join us March 11-13 at the WV Monster Con for a weekend full of monster fun, and until then, make sure to check out the work of the awesome speakers who I can't believe I get to join! 

EventBrite Ticket Information

WV Monster Con Facebook Event Page

Dave Spinks' World of  Weird & Synergy Springs, LLC Facebook Page

Dave Spinks' Website 

Serenity Jenny's Website: Synergy Springs Soul Center

Night Stalkers Paranormal Research with Barry Gaunt

Eric Altman's Website

East Coast Bigfoot Researchers with Daniel Benoit

Books/Bio of Dr. Ray Keller

Frank Bennett's Website

Wild and Weird WV with Ron Lanham and Joe Perdue

Book Review for Paranormal Files: West Virginia

Title: Paranormal Files: West Virginia

Authors: David Weatherly, Ross Allison, and Dave Spinks

Published: 2019 by Eerie Lights Publishing

Amazon Ordering Information

You know me...I can't resist a book about West Virginia's paranormal history!  One of my latest acquisitions is Paranormal Files: West Virginia, a collaboration between three well known authors--- David Weatherly, Ross Allison, and Dave Spinks. 

I have quite a few books about haunted locations throughout the Mountain State, so I was pleasantly surprised by this book's unique format in sharing West Virginia's ghost stories. Both well known tales, and more obscure haunted locations are represented in three different sections covered by a separate author.  David Weatherly starts off with the Ghosts of Harpers Ferry. Stories such as Screaming Jenny, John Brown's Ghost, and Dangerfield Newby at Hog Alley are covered from a historic standpoint, but the author also discusses his own personal experiences and investigation data from both the former Hilltop Hotel and a private residence in the area.  

The second section of the book, authored by Ross Allison, is dedicated to West Virginia's haunted campuses. I'm pretty sure there isn't an institute of higher learning anywhere in the state that doesn't have at least one ghost story, and quite a few are represented in the book. Marshall, WVU, Glenville State, and others are featured, and there seems to be quite a bit of details added to the history of these haunted locations that tends to be largely left out of other works.

Paranormal Files: West Virginia wraps up with a chapter from Dave Spinks on the Haunts of Greenbrier County. As Dave is an active paranormal investigator in the state, this section strays from the simple re-telling of a ghost story.  Rather, Dave investigates each location mentioned in this section, including The General Lewis Inn, the 'Angel of Death Statue' of Old Stone Church's burial yard, and the Greenbrier Ghost. 

Also included in this book are the individual tributes of each author to the amazing Rosemary Ellen Guiley. Rosemary was an author and researcher who dedicated quite a bit of time in researching ghosts and monsters of West Virginia.  She tragically passed away July 18, 2019, leaving a void in the paranormal research community.  Ending the book with these touching remembrances was a sweet way to wrap up a volume of West Virginia ghost stories.

So what did I think of the book as a whole?  As stated, I thought the format was pretty unique. Having each author cover a small subsection of West Virginia's haunted history made for a fast and entertaining read. Each author brought his own writing style and point of view to the book. Aside from a few minor, yet distracting editing issues, each section was well-written and was full of information, both of a historical and a haunted nature.  This is definitely a book I'm glad to have on my shelf, and if you're a collector of paranormal non-fiction, or just love to read the haunted history of West Virginia, you'll want to add it to your shelf, too! 

*MORE Book Reviews*

Book Review: West Virginia Bigfoot by Dave Spinks

Title: West Virginia Bigfoot
Author: Dave Spinks
Published: 2018 by Leprechaun Press
Amazon Order Information

Long-time readers of this blog know I cannot say no to a new book for my personal paranormal library, especially when it deals with some spooky or strange topic relevant to West Virginia!  One of my latest acquisitions is West Virginia Bigfoot, authored by local paranormal researcher and investigator, Dave Spinks!

I picked up my autographed copy last November at the Flatwoods Monster Museum's Bazaare.  The Bazaare was a really cool event where various authors, film makers, and researchers of WV ghost and monster lore came together to meet and greet with paranormal enthusiasts, share and acquire new stories, and of course, sell some merch!

Since I go to quite a few paranormal-related events throughout the Mountain State, I was familiar with Dave's work, and excited to finally pick up a copy of his new book for myself.  West Virginia Bigfoot is a slender volume, coming in at 104 pages, but it is full absolutely fascinating case studies and personal experiences with the creature we've come to know as Bigfoot.

Admittedly, my interests in the paranormal lie within the realm of ghosts, hauntings, and afterlife studies.  However, I'm becoming more and more enamored with the study of cryptozoology and its connections, however tenuous, with other 'paranormal' phenomenon. This was a great, quick read to  incorporate into my study of this area.

After a brief introduction by researcher David Weatherly, West Virginia Bigfoot starts with Dave's own experience as a youngster with a Bigfoot creature.  Collected tales from friends, family, colleagues, and others fill out the majority of the book.  These tales come from all over the state and most occurred between the 1970's and 2016, with a few historical anecdotes thrown in as support.  Also included in the book are theories as to what Bigfoot might be, why West Virginia seems to be such a great habitat for such creatures, and some locations that seem to have a high concentration of sightings.

Obviously, there's a lot of value to scientifically examining the Bigfoot phenomena and presenting theories along with the evidence to support those theories. Dave takes an objective look at the various viewpoints of Bigfoot and includes information on historical perspectives, anthropological perspectives, and religious perspectives. Research from Rosemary Ellen Guiley is even presented as an overview to the theory of Bigfoot from a 'paraphysical' perspective.  These are all integral parts of a satisfying and complete Bigfoot book...but my favorite part was the stories!

I love to hear peoples' experiences.  Real people sharing their real stories in their own words is my favorite part of this book. Each experience is documented in just the right way as to be entertaining, yet still contain enough important detail to be useful to a serious researcher.  These stories read like stories...and not necessarily dry case studies armed with just the bare facts.  Further, these tales aren't ones you're going to come across over and over again.  Many of the experiences were submitted to Dave through family and friends who have never reported or published these stories anywhere else.

West Virginia Bigfoot is obviously a labor of love, and its apparent that quite a bit of time and research has gone into producing quite a comprehensive, yet entertaining and quick read concerning one of West Virginia's many mysteries.  If you're a Bigfoot enthusiast, or a just a fan of all things strange and spooky in the Mountain State, I'd recommend adding West Virginia Bigfoot by Dave Spinks to YOUR personal library!