Hallowed Ground

by Maggie Hawkins

Some say there are no secrets in a small town, that they just stay dormant, lying in wait for the right messenger. When journalist Cassandra Bell moved to the town of Brookville in upstate New York, she thought she was leaving the madness of the big city behind, but what she found instead was madness of a different kind. The people of Brookville, once ordinary and predictable seem to change personalities overnight. Their behavior is accompanied by a series of strange events – lost time, hallucinations, and memories of a past with which they are unfamiliar. Cassandra had heard of haunted houses, but could it happen to an entire town? Will she be able to get to the bottom of these occurrences before it reaches a violent end? She will need to use her wits and her training to uncover the long-buried secret behind the mystery.

80 pages, Paperback

Published March 11, 2022

About the author

Born and raised in Utica, NY, Maggie Hawkins has been a professor of English for 16 years and currently teaches at Salt Lake Community College in Utah. She earned an MFA in Screenwriting from National University and writes poetry and nonfiction. She considers herself a spiritual person and loves studying the interconnectedness of all life and the mysteries of the past. She practices tarot reading, meditation, and other forms of soul-searching and divination. Hallowed Ground is her first self-published work.

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new library is to be built in an American smalltown. Ghosts of the past return to take revenge for murder. Who was killed back then in the 50s? A black couple, the Vaughns. Their bodies were never found. What happened? The author comes up with a compelling story that had many uncanny elements. It's good political horror with a good twist at the end. To me there were too many characters around. Otherwise a good story with a clear message, well written and compelling. Recommended!

[Adia Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing read! Ms. Hawkins sucks the reader in quickly and takes them on a ride through the past and the consequences of our action....or inaction. I loved every minute!

[Todd Grossman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished “Hallowed Ground”. What a skillful piece of work. I’m in awe of the almost lighthearted horror romp vibe in the beginning and the true mirror of humanity that left me in tears at the end. There are some truly gorgeous passages. It made me want to be a better person.

[Samantha Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I was blown away by how captivated I was to this story from beginning to end. Great emotional horror story with engaging characters and a good message. Loved the twists and the small town feel. I would recommend this to anyone.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in one day, and although I enjoyed it I got confused by the abrupt changes in time/speaker/etc. I think a simple change in formatting would help with that -- a definite break between the shifts would be helpful. The book did make me wonder how many stories like this are out there -- as in, how often did this really happen and get swept under the rug. Sad to think about.

[James]

A social thriller in the vein of Jordan Peele and Octavia Butler. It's a fast paced paranormal mystery - both an origin story for the heroine and a powerful reflection on race in America, exploring the relationships between the past and the present, courage in the face of evil, redemption… all while offering twists and turns and legit scares along the way. A truly great contribution to the Black Horror genre.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a fan of Octavia Butler, particularly Kindred or if you enjoyed Jordan Peele's "Get Out" I think you will enjoy this novella. I also got some Conjuring vibes (at least the first film, I haven't seen any of the sequels or spinoffs) though it's not a conventional possession or exorcism book. The intercuts of character points of view was interesting an effective. It keeps you a little off balance. Without giving anything away (or trying not to), horror is a very difficult thing to do well. Far too much of it is lazy or relies on gore or trauma or exploitation. To present a story as horrifying and relevant to a larger cultural context is an impressive feat. Especially without being heavy-handed. Definitely worth your time. I look forward to reading more from this author.

[misspinkeye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really great listen. The story's well-written and very intriguing. I really liked how the story was presented and the way the mystery unraveled.

Heather Jinmaku delivered a brilliant performance. She gave perfect differentiation to each character. Well done!

[LaWanda Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting short read. Page turner.