Jan 17, 2024 | The Writing Life
Hello everyone. It’s been a long time. Too long, and I apologize for that. So much has happened over the past year. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had two big dreams: live in a warm place by the ocean, and write full time. After many, many years of...
Jun 29, 2023 | Mysterious Places, Scary True Stories
In honour of my upcoming release, Forest of Ghosts, which is set in Romania, including a pivotal scene in Hoia Baciu, I thought it would be worth sharing my real-life experiences in the world’s most haunted forest. If I believed in omens, I would have been...
Jun 22, 2023 | Tales of the Supernatural
Human beings are superstitious by nature. Many of us believe in good luck charms, but how about the opposite? Could curses really exist? James Dean remains a Hollywood icon, even though he only made three films before he died–two of which had not yet been...
Jun 15, 2023 | Unsolved Mysteries
I know, I know. I can hear what you’re thinking. “We’ve had too many theories about Jack the Ripper already. Do we really need another?” Good question, and it has some merit. But hear me out–this is quite interesting. People are obsessed...
Apr 27, 2023 | Unsolved Mysteries
I read a lot of true crime. No matter how upsetting the story, I can usually put it aside after I’ve finished reading. Not so with the sad, strange case of Elisa Lam. Lam, a 21-year-old Vancouver woman, went missing during a solo trip to Los Angeles in 2013....
Apr 20, 2023 | Scary True Stories, Unsolved Mysteries
I was at a rural farmer’s market on a sunny day when something caught my eye. Amid stalls of questionable antiques was a treasure trove of old horror books that were in sad shape. Amid these gems was Murder in Amityville, written by Hans Holzer and published in...
Apr 13, 2023 | Mysterious Places
Going live on Instagram at 8 pm CDT tonight–April 14th, 2023–to talk about my experiences on Poveglia. Please join us at https://www.instagram.com/jh_moncrieff/ for The Witching Hour! “You realize you are alone on this island.” Those were the...
Apr 6, 2023 | Scary True Stories, Unsolved Mysteries
Nine experienced campers set up their tents in the Ural Mountains, in an area known as Dead Mountain. Something, or someone, awakens them in the night, terrifying them to the point that they cut open their tent with knives and flee into the snow. Some are in their...
Oct 20, 2021 | Tales of the Supernatural
Welcome to the last chapter of my interview with Amethyst, a real-life witch. If you missed part two, click here. Q: We had a question about what a day in the life of a witch is like. I know you said every witch is different, but what is yours like? A: I’m...
Oct 6, 2021 | Tales of the Supernatural
My interview with Amethyst, a real-life witch, continues. If you missed part one, click here. Q: What are some of the biggest misconceptions about witches? A: The biggest misconception is that we’re all the same, we all present the same, we all have the same goals,...
