"Dakota Apparitions 2 -- The River"

"Dakota Apparitions 2 - The River" And Other Short Stories by Laurel L. Burke

Published April 2009

This is my second collection of short fictional , somewhat spooky stories. I'm really proud the way this book turned out and the stories themselves. I learned alot from publishing my first book, and this collection is quite an assortment from my strange imagination! The final touch to this creation are the wonderfully sketched pictures by Shelli F. Jacobson, a.k.a my best friend! I really think you will enjoy this!

"The River" -- Trevor goes in search of a long, lost grandfather living along the Missouri River near the Lower Brule Indian Reservation. He discovers his grandfather has a "talent" and learns just what happens to people who drown in the river.

"A Ten Dollar Bill" -- Homeless Donald watches a ten dollar bill float to earth days before Christmas, and after he spends it, the bill has an impact on every person to touch it, eventually bringing strangers together on Christmas.

"Nothing Wasted" -- A well known convenience store, popular for homemade hotdogs and brats, has a recipe they can never share.

"The House On The Corner" -- Kind old Mr. Rosa has killed his wife in the little stucco house on the corner. When twelve year old Brandon has friends spend the night, one of them brings a Ouija board to call on dead Mrs. Rosa.

"Unexpected" -- Life is fragile and very unpredictable in this short story of a mother and her two children.

"Aw, Rats!" -- A homeless man discovers it's not always safe to seek shelter from the cold in an abandoned old house. (This story won an Honorable Mention in the Writers' Journal Magazine.)

"Baldwin O'Hara" -- A blizzard hits SD on Halloween, and in an attempt to entertain teenage boys at the annual Grover Halloween party, Michelle Grover and her best friend pretend to hold a seance with the boys, calling forth a mythical character taken from a story off the internet. Little did they know of the terrifying night they would face. (One of my favorites! I had fun writing this one!!)

"Happenstance" -- Christmas break is over and on the way back to college in the dead of night, Brad collides with a large Whitetail buck. He realizes he is without a phone, the car won't start, and the deer is still alive...

"Gimme" -- Teenagers and Halloween again in this cat-and-mouse story of a demanding stalker.

This book will also be available at http://www.madeinsouthdakota.com/ and http://www.barnes&noble.com/

"Dakota Apparitions"

"Dakota Apparitions"

A Collection of Short Stories by Laurel L. Burke

This is my first collection of short, fictional ghost stories published in 2006, each based in South Dakota. I dare you to take a step into the unbelievably believable world of apparitions among us, from Indian spirits in the Badlands, to a Sturgis Rally biker ghost forever watchful over a portion of Interstate 90.

The book is compiled of seven short stories, each unique in it's tale and ending.

"Badlands" takes you on an accidental break down in the Badlands where a news reporter discovers an old Indian's words of warning hold true.

"Snow Angel" will show you angels exist, and a young man who just recently lost his Grandmother, narrowly escapes a fatal accident in a blizzard after locking his keys in his truck.

"Restitution" is the story of a hard lesson learned by a mother and daughter instructed NOT to pick up artifacts in the Badlands, and what they actually bring home because they did. (My personal favorite!)

"Massachusetts" is based on the actual death of a man on his way to the annual Sturgis Bike Rally on Interstate 90 near Chamberlain, SD. While only his first name is real, the rest of the story is a weave about his ghost destined to roam that section of interstate, and the woman who sets out, determined to prove the ghost story unreal.

"Below The Surface" is a feel-good story of a teenage baseball team discovering the injustice served upon a young Indian boy after a small tree is transplanted in the park beside their baseball field.

"Watermelons" takes you to urban legend style story telling, as a curious story-seeker sets out on one of SD's loneliest highways to retrace the steps of a tragic ending to three teens during the State Fair in the seventies.

"Never Missed" won an Honorable Mention in Writers' Journal magazine. It's the story of two young boys discovering the dead body of a local homeless man, and how it effects one of them in a completely unexpected way.

This book can also be looked at and ordered from http://www.madeinsouthdakota.com/ or the Barnes & Noble website.

Greetings readers and writers! Welcome to the official site of "Dakota Apparitions" and soon to be released "Dakota Apparitions 2 - The River." Both are soft cover books of collected short stories I've written and published through small press publishing.

I'm extremely new at this blogging thing, but hope to eventually get reader feedback on my stories, orders for books, and gladly answer any questions about self publishing. I will also keep posted all my future book signings and events for the year, should anyone be interested!

Thanks for dropping in to visit my blog site and I hope you come back!

~Laurel~