Mark E. Drotos

Very happy to see that "The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor" was one of the top ten 2023 Best Selling Titles for BHC Press!

Author Mark E. Drotos is no stranger to the world of the Paranormal. While attending Radford University, he once lived in a haunted house during his junior and senior year.

His debut novel "The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor" is the first of a series that documents a fictional University Paranormal Club that investigates the strange and bizarre. Mark E. Drotos

Available through BHC Press: bhcpress.com | medrotos.com

https://www.podpage.com/lets-find-out-with-co-host-diego/episode-24-author-mark-e-drotos-the-haunting-of-crimshaw-manor/

Fall time is the best time for the paranormal and writing about the paranormal. I have been cruising along with writing book 2 "The Spirits of DeMaine's" and hope to have it completed soon. Of course then comes reviewing the drafts and editing, but I am excited about the story... a lot more will be revealed about what is happening behind the scenes with the characters and of course what is haunting DeMaine's Night Club.🧐

Did some travelling this weekend and like most writers you are always looking for inspiration. Sometimes I see something that reminds me of a scene or place I am writing about. Other times I see something that grabs my attention. Below are two places that grabbed my attention.

The first is a road, nothing else, but it had a feel. The second is an old abandoned house. My wife hates it when I suddenly swerve off the road to jump out and snap a photo.

With the photo of the house I zoomed in to the windows. I don't know, but the second floor window looked to me like a figure was in there. Didn't notice it when I took the picture but to me it looks as if a figure is standing there, right shoulder forward. He looks as if he has a bald head ringed by hair. I know, I know.... but I don't usually see things in photos.

Earlier in the year I had the pleasure of being interviewed for a podcast called "Ghosts in the Valley". You can check it out here at this link:

Mark Drotos Mark Drotos is the author of "The Haunting Of Crimshaw Manor." Mark is also a Detective. This is Mark Drotos's first novel and you can find it in the links below. Amazon book link for Kindle, Paperback, Hard Cover, and Audiobook: https://www.amazon.com/Haunting-Crimshaw-Manor-Mark-Drotos/dp/16439724...

Just finished up chapter 10 of "Spirits of DeMaine's". Approximately a 1/3 of the way done!

Nice 5 star review. Short and to the point. Thank you AJB.

5.0 out of 5 stars Just the best
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2023
Verified Purchase
This was an amazing story and so well written. It was a quick read and now I want to know what happens next. Really a must for anyone that loves a good mystery, not just the paranormal aspects of the story.

Very excited to be attending the Paravation 2023 in Strasburg, VA this weekend June 10/11. I will be there promoting my book "The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor" and would love to meet those interested in the paranormal, the book, boating/fishing or the Nationals... https://paravation.org/

Have been working on Book 2 "The Spirits of DeMaine's" and am moving along splendidly. I do get motivated when I go to paranormal events. Next one is June 10/11 in Strasburg, VA at Paravation!

ParaVation 2023 – Charity for the restoration of the historic Heater House Join us June 9, 10, and 11 2023 for the second annual ParaVation where we unite the paranormal and historical preservation! All proceeds raised from this convention will be donated to the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation and allocated specifically for the Heater House for study, archaeology, and r...

I was going through the web and found this on my publisher's web site. Thank you to those who helped make this happen!

Getting ready for Paravation in Strasburg, VA June 10/11! First time I am on a "poster".

Had a great time at White Hill in New Jersey. Book sells were great and I Meet some interesting people. I will be back!

Very excited. I am in New Jersey visiting my daughter and will be attending WhiteHill Paracon tomorrow. Today will be touring Cape May, maybe go to a haunted Christmas Store nearby.
https://whitehillmansionparacon.com/
https://www.hauntedplaces.org/item/winterwood-gift-shop/

White Hill Mansion Paranormal Expo Welcome We hope that you will join us on May 13th 2023 11am to 5pm for the White Hill Mansion Paranormal Expo.  Situated on top of a bluff overlooking the Delaware River in Fieldsboro NJ, White Hill Mansion is a location that has been ingrained in history since the beginning of our Nation. From a L...

Hello. I am so excited to be attending White Hill Paracon in Fieldsboro, NJ on May 13th. I will be bringing my book "The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor" and would love to chat, stop by. Info on the event can be obtained at https://whitehillmansionparacon.com/

Had a interesting time at Enigmacon at St. Alban's this past Saturday. I ended up selling 11 books, made some good contacts and will be back at St. Alban's in the fall.

Book Signing at Barnes & Noble Manassas, Virginia

I was just informed that my Publisher, BHC Press, nominated my novel, "The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor" for the Shirley Jackson Award. Winner will be announced in October 2023. Info on the award can be found at:

The Shirley Jackson Awards The 2021 Shirley Jackson Awards was presented in-person on October 29, 2022, as part of the Boston Book Festival, in partnership with Readercon, Conference on Imaginative Literature.

Had a phone conference with my Publisher this past Friday. It was good and then not good, but ended up being good. Follow? I will explain.

The book "The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor" is doing well. They are happy with it and see a real niche in that type of story. I will continue to write stories dealing with this genre and with these characters.

The not good news was that the Curse of McDoon Plantation had issues that in my opinion would be intensive to correct and time consuming to do. When I wrote the manuscript it was originally 220,000 words. Which is an insane amount of words for a book unless your a huge author. The price of a book that size would be extremely high and not marketable.

I figured I would therefore, do a part 1 and part 2. They did not like that idea. I went back to the manuscript, cut it down, tweaked it and resubmitted, but in the end it still had issues because the full story just could not be condensed to 75,000 words. The Curse of McDoon Plantation and Slaves of the Dead have been shelved. Disappointing, but it was the right decision.

Now back to the good news. I am now working on an new manuscript with the goal of keeping it in the 75K word range. I will "pull" from McDoon and Slaves of the Dead material which is good, just will tweak it for the new manuscript. Hard part for me is "forgetting" what had happened in those 220K words, but the bright side is I can do whatever I want with those characters since... that never happened. Confused? Don't be. It will all work out.

The new manuscript will pick up after Crimshaw Manor and focus on DeMaines. This makes more sense in the long run since it is an important part of Stephen's life... to address the Spirits of DeMaines (hmm, that just might be the title...) before going further with further cases for S.U.P.I. and the characters.

In the meantime I will continue my book signings and paranormal events. As always I appreciate the support and if you haven't yet please check out my web page at MEDrotos.com.

Here is my schedule for the upcoming months all in one place.
April 16th, 12-4 Barnes & Noble, Manassas, VA
April 22nd, Enigmacon St. Albans, Radford, VA
May 13th, Whitehill Paracon, Fieldsboro, NJ
June 10/11th, Paravation, Strasburg, VA

I have some other locations I'm working on, but this should keep me busy till the fall.

Wow, Today is a good day. Check out a 5 start review from the "Red Headed Book Lover".

The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor, Mark E. Drotos - RED HEADED BOOK LOVER Every town has a mystery. The Crimshaw family were once the caretakers of the prestigious Strathmore Estate. After the great blizzard of 1868, the townspeople found Elizabeth Crimshaw’s body hanging from the banister. Her young son and husband were declared missing and never found. Every town has ...

Here is the link to the event in June 2023.
https://www.facebook.com/strasburgparavation/

ParaVation Uniting paranormal and preservation to raise funds to renovate the Heater House. June 9-11

Paravation Con 2023! In Strasburg, VA June 10-11. I will be a vendor selling my book, "The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor". Stop by and chat, buy a book, or bring a copy for me to sign. Would love to see ya.

A nice review from a person in "Reader's Favorite" site.

Author's new book receives a warm literary welcome.
Readers' Favorite announces the review of the Fiction - Paranormal book "The
Haunting of Crimshaw Manor" by Mark E. Drotos, currently available at
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1643972456.
Readers' Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the
Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House,
Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the "Best Websites for
Authors" and "Honoring Excellence" awards from the Association of Independent
Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among
Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.
"Reviewed By Kim Zoby for Readers' Favorite
The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor by Mark E. Drotos follows Stephen Davenport, the
newly appointed Professor of Paranormal Studies at Strathmore University, as he and
his students investigate the infamous Crimshaw Manor. The manor was constructed in
the 1800s by the founder, Lord Edmund Strathmore. After his mysterious
disappearance, the estate changed hands until Benjamin Crimshaw took charge,
naming it Crimshaw Manor. In the winter of 1868, Strathmore experienced a winter
storm like no other. After weeks of harsh blizzards, the townspeople dredged through
the snow to the isolated estate finding only heartache on arrival. The livestock had
been slaughtered by attacks from animals or had starved. Inside the home, Mrs.
Crimshaw was discovered hanging from a noose, and there was no trace of either
Benjamin Crimshaw or his son Jonathan. Over a hundred years had passed since that
horrific discovery, but Crimshaw Manor remained embedded in local folklore. It is up
to Professor Davenport and his students to piece together the paranormal clues, fight
the evil that lurks in the manor, and survive to tell the truth behind Crimshaw's past.
Mark E. Drotos has written an entertaining paranormal mystery that has the potential
to branch off into numerous sequels. The historic town of Strathmore and its residents
are rich in detail which expertly sets the tone for The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor.
The character development creates a suitable blend of personalities for ghosts and
paranormal investigators. I adored Robb, as his hilarious banter in the face of danger
is matched only by his ninja skills. The book has everything that delivers an incredible
story. It is sure to please readers of the paranormal, suspense, and mystery genres. I
cannot wait to read any sequels."
You can learn more about Mark E. Drotos and "The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor" at
https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/the-haunting-of-crimshaw-manor where you
can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author
directly or through their website and social media pages.

Book review of The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor by Mark E. Drotos follows Stephen Davenport, the newly appointed Professor of Paranormal Studies at Strathmore University, as he and his students investigate the infamous Crimshaw Manor. The manor was constructed in the 1800s by the founder, Lord Edmund Strathmore. Aft...

Finished The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor on Audible. I have to say I was very happy with it. Even though I have read and been over the story several, and I mean several, times I really was into listening to the book.

The narrator did a great job. Being a Audible listener for years there are "little" things that I enjoy in a reading. Voice inflection for different characters and actual emotion in the dialog are two examples.

When the narrator speaks the EVPs that are caught in the recorder... gave me chills. Highly recommend listening to the story especially if you read it!

Now on Audible!!

The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor Check out this great listen on Audible.com. Every town has a mystery. The Crimshaw family were once the caretakers of the prestigious Strathmore Estate. After the great blizzard of 1868, the townspeople found Elizabeth Crimshaw’s body hanging from the banister. Her young son and husband wer...

BHC Press (my publisher) put this out as one of the Top Reads of 2022! Wow, that is outstanding!

I am working on book 4 and am in need of a name for a fictional Union Civil War fort and background idea. Any suggestions?

Exciting News! My publisher contacted me and said they are currently in production of a audio version of "The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor"!!! It should be out around end of January. More details to come but they are very happy with the narrator who says "I love the story".

5 Star Review!! Made my day from an unknown reader in Illinois. If you have read please consider a review.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor by Mark E Drotos (Author)
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2022
I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN AND I WANT TO READ MORE FROM THIS AUTHOR!!