Nelson’s Candy and Music in Wilton is planning an “All Hallow’s Eve” event this Saturday, Oct. 26, with spooky books from two local authors, a local paranormal investigator and two rock bands.
“Rotten Ground,” is a ghost story by Wilton author Chris Balch. The retired science teacher and current state representative has written three previous books based off his real life experiences, but this is his first fiction book and will be the first time he sits for a book signing, Balch said in an interview this week. The book, however, is set in and inspired by Wilton and local lore.
“The book is based on a lot of Native American mythology as it applies to the area,” Balch said.
A chain link fence along Route 101 in Wilton that appears to enclose nothing but woods inspired Balch to create the ghost story, he said.
Eric Stanway of Fitzwilliam is also scheduled to attend the event to talk about his latest book “Satan’s Kingdom: And Other Weird Tales from the Bay State.” He will also talk about his other books, including “Weird Tales of Keene,” “Haunted Hillsborough County” and “Yankee Phantoms.”
“I’m all about Halloween. I’m like the evil Fritz Wetherbee,” Stanway said in a recent interview. “I mainly write about ghost stories or homicidal lunatics. You know, local stories that have been forgotten. … I dig up really obscure stories.”
His latest book is a collection of five stories that draw from Massachusetts history and ghost lore. He plucked one of the stories from the headlines last spring when he read about a Victorian ghost haunting the frozen food aisle at a Market Basket in Wilmington, Massachusetts. His research revealed the strange life of France Hiller.
“It turned out France Hiller lived in the 19th century and she was one of the richest women in the Wilmington area,” Stanway said.
She and her husband had a morbid obsession with building their own elaborate coffins, he said, and said he suspects the ghost is miffed by the town, which tore down her “gaudy” mausoleum. “She’s got good reason to be annoyed. She didn’t get anything she wanted.”
The book’s name comes from one of the stories, Stanway’s research into the small unincorporated community of Satan’s Kingdom, Massachusetts, which is on the outskirts of Northfield, Massachusetts.
It turns out Satan’s Kingdom, which today includes a wildlife refuge, got its name from a particularly nasty battle in the 17th century during King Phillips War that included many bloody battles between English soldiers and Native Americans.
“The whole thing was nasty,” he said of the battle in Satan’s Kingdom.
Nelson’s Candy schedule of events for Saturday:
■3 p.m., Paranormal expert Shane Sirois of New Ipswich plans to talk about some of his interesting experiences and findings. An audience discussion is planned to follow, and attendees will be encouraged to share their strange and/or mysterious experiences.
■4 p.m. Chris Balch “Rotten Ground” book signing.
■5 p.m., Eric Stanway talk and signing about “Satan’s Kingdom.”
■6 p.m., Light dinner items will be available for purchase with free local apple cider.
■7 p.m., Parietal Eye, a high-energy alternative funk rock, Milford area band.
■8 p.m. Boston-based Peter Hi-Fi Ward and the Electric Blues. Peter plans to give free copies of his latest CD Train to Biscayne to everyone in attendance. Other artists featured on the CD include Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson, Ronnie Earl, Sugar Ray Norcia, and Michelle Wilson.
All daytime events are free and open to the public. The live musical performances begin at 7 p.m. with a ticket price of $15. The show is BYOB and costumes are encouraged.
Nelson’s Candy and Music is located at 65 Main St. in Wilton.