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THE GHOSTS OF STONY MANOR
The Stonebridge Ghost Tales (Book I)
2015 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards Silver Winner for Best Chapter Book Series
In Book III of The Stonebridge Ghost Tales, Stony Manor in Southern Indiana is now filled with ghosts of almost every generation of the Jones family. When a secret letter hints of a Jones family treasure yet to be found, all generations are united, except one. Could the missing ghost hold the key to the Jones family treasure? When underhanded businessmen try to take Stony Mansion from Christian and his mother Allison, angry ghosts spur into action to create as many complications as possible. Will Christian and his mother lose Stony Mansion forever? Could the one missing ghost be the final puzzle piece that unlocks the Jones family treasure? And what do the gargoyles have to do with it all?
THE GHOSTS OF STONY MANOR [©2015] Book III of The Stonebridge Ghost Tales by Roberta Hoffer and Illustrated by Madison Gaines | Juvenile Fantasy (Rated G for ages 8-12 and up) 74 pages / 24,000 words (Illustrated) | Available in ebook and print from the DFP Books label of Dragonfly Publishing
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PAPERBACK [EAN 978-1-941278-12-3 | ISBN 1-941278-12-4] 6x9 library trim (74 pages) illustrated | Average Price: $9.99
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READ AN EXCERPT
CHAPTER 1:
MOM and I stood in front of our small cabin as Walter placed the last suitcase into the trunk of the car.
I looked up at Mom and saw a tear running down her cheek. We had both been born in Alaska and now were leaving the only home we had known to start a new life in Indiana. I was going to miss the snow and the scenery, even the strange daylight. Indiana was definitely going to take getting used to, but we weren't moving into a small house like the one we were leaving behind. We were now the proud owners of Stony Manor, a huge estate with acres and acres of land.
My name was Christian Jones Arnook, and I was getting ready to turn eleven in a few weeks. Until just a few months ago, my life had consisted mostly of snowboarding, school, and hanging out with my friends. Then Mom received a letter from a man claiming to be her Grandfather. A jet was sent to Alaska to bring us to Indiana and meet this man. It turned out to be true, and I was able to meet my great-grandfather, Jeremiah Ebenezer Jones. Mom was hesitant to go at first, but it's a good thing she agreed to go when we did. Great-grandfather was very ill and passed away shortly after we arrived.
He had put everything in Mom's name and even included me in his will.
Walter, the chauffeur, had made the trip back to Alaska with us. Mom grumbled that she could take care of us just fine, but John, the butler at Stony Manor, had insisted that Walter accompany us. Most of the time we were in Alaska, Walter sat in the passenger side of our old clunker of a truck while Mom drove. Walter had been my great-grandfather's chauffeur for a long time, so I think having someone else do the driving was a nice change for him. He did beg Mom not to tell John that he had allowed her to do some of the driving in Alaska. She agreed, placing her fingers near her mouth and making a motion like she was locking her lips.
Today we were leaving Alaska. Walter held the door for Mom. It wasn't a limo like he drove in Indiana. It was more like a fancy car with an extra-large back seat.
"Is there something wrong, Master Christian?" Walter asked, as I hesitated near the open door.
Walter always called me Master Christian, even though I had asked him to drop the 'Master' part. I think it was just a habit he couldn't break. He was trained in etiquette and proper manners. I couldn't very well tell him I had let two ghosts go in ahead of me. I was afraid that if I went in first Walter would shut the door and leave both ghosts behind. They weren't the kind that could evaporate into a door and come out on the other side.
Yep, I had not one but two ghost relatives traveling back to Indiana with me. I had met Jeremiah in Indiana. Before Great-grandfather passed away, he had shared the Jones family secret with me and introduced me to Jeremiah. I was a little scared at first, but Jeremiah and I were now best friends. Jeremiah was actually my great-great-great-grandfather. We agreed that three greats before grandfather was a bit of a mouthful, so I just called him Jeremiah.
Now I had met my grandfather, my mother's father who was also a ghost. He was named after Jeremiah, as well, so we agreed I would call him Granddad. My great-grandfather Ebenezer believed that only the males in the family were able to share the Jones secret about our ghostly ancestor, but then Mom found Jeremiah's Union soldier hat. As soon as she held the hat, she was able to see Jeremiah in his ghostly state. Great-grandfather had been wrong about the Jones family secret. I theorized it this way. First, you had to be a direct descendant of the Jones' family bloodline. Second, you had to believe with your heart that ghosts could and did exist. After doing some digging into my family tree, I found an odd thing. Each generation had only one child. And Mom was the only girl. By my theory it made sense that Mom was able to see the ghosts.
Now that Mom had met Jeremiah, we had another issue to face. I guess you could say Mom was hit with the double whammy. Jeremiah and I had just met my grandfather, Mom's dad, who also happened to be a ghost. We found him in the old house in Alaska where Mom had lived as a child. He and her mother had been killed during an arctic expedition when Mom was only in high school. Since Mom was able to see Jeremiah, we weren't sure if she would be able to see her father, as well. Turned out, she could and did see him. At first, she seemed totally overwhelmed. I mean, meeting one ghost would be pretty freaky, but meeting two ghosts in one night might be unimaginable. In spite of all the strange events, Mom was really happy to have her dad back in her life, even if he was a vaporous figure.
Now we were traveling back to Indiana with two ghosts, but Mom and I were the only ones who knew. When we got home Mom was in for yet another ghostly surprise. If she could see these two ghosts, I was betting she would see her grandfather, as well.
What was one more ghost when you already had two in your life?
[Copyright ©2023 Roberta Hoffer | No unauthorized reproduction or distribution]
READ REVIEWS
"Secrets are nothing new at Stony Manor, and of course a few strange occurrences are par for the course, after all there seem to be more ghosts, than living beings at the manor. When Christian finds a letter about a hidden treasure it could be the answer to the money issues that his mother worries about. Christian is determined to figure out where the treasure is and solve the mysteries that crop up, thing is school is about to start and he isn't going to have much time! What secrets will he uncover and will the family fortune be found? I have enjoyed each book in The Stonebridge Ghost Tales, but think THE GHOSTS OF STONY MANOR was the best one yet! Christian is about to turn eleven and he is starting sixth grade in a new school. The mysteries and ghosts that surround the manor really keep the plot zipping along. I really enjoyed the interactions of Christian and his 'ancestors' and it was interesting to watch them work together. I also enjoy the interactions between him and his mother, they really depict a true mother, son relationship. I thought the part the gargoyles played in the story was great and will certainly put readers imagination into overdrive. Glimmers of humor really round out this story quite nicely. Even though this book is geared toward ages 8-12, older readers will enjoy it as well. I only hope that Ms. Hoffer continues this series, because I am certain that Christian and the residents of Stony Manor have many more adventures to share." ~ reviewed by Brenda Casto for WV Stitcher [FIVE STARS]
SERIES
The Ghost of Stonebridge Lane (I) • The Ghost of the Frozen North (II) • The Ghosts of Stony Manor (III)