As the dense coastal fog rolls in to blanket the shoreline in gloomy silence, one thing becomes very clear. Oregon is a state in which ghosts roam. Not only here on the coast but in the lush green inland regions as well. Oregon is the ninth largest state in the US, and is one of contrasts from the fertile Willamette Valley with its hundreds of wineries to its rugged coastline; from its twenty-two feet tall Pioneer statue, known affectionately as Gold Man, sitting atop the state capital in Salem to its ghost towns, Oregon is a state of stark beauty, hauntings and history. Ghosts linger for any number of reasons. Those who've stayed on in Oregon range from millionaires who refuse to move from their mansions, lonely cemetery inhabitants, those attached to local theaters, saloons and hotels to ladies of the evening who made the wrong life and death decisions. Their reasons for staying put are as varied as there are rose bushes in the state.

Time has all but forgotten the tragic tales of those who have passed through Nevada, but their spirits remain. As arguably the most haunted state in the nation, Nevada has more than its share of ghosts with intriguing stories and historical connections. Among them is the unfortunate gangster, Bugsy Siegel who died in Beverly Hills only to return to his old stomping grounds, the Flamingo Las Vegas; Julia Bulette, the ill-fated prostitute who was slaughtered in her bed on a cold January morning in 1867; and the many haunted houses in Reno, their owners forever tied to their homes, refusing to depart.

Few states can rival California in terms of natural beauty and exciting history. But nearly three centuries of violent crime, sickness, greed, and murder have tarnished the Golden State and made it ripe for ghosts and hauntings. From the Spanish priests who founded the first missions in their quest to bring Christianity to the Native people of the region, to the ill-fated Donner Party committing acts of cannibalism in order to survive. This book explores the most famous ghost stories from California's past (dating back to the 18th century) with spine-tingling details that will delight readers.