"The Wizard Clip Haunting," a novel about the historic 1797 events in Middleway, West Virginia, has been released by NinevehsCrossing.com #WizardClipHaunting

MIDDLEWAY, WEST VIRGINIA, USA, March 13, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- “The Wizard Clip Haunting,” a historical novel about a well-documented Early American ghost story, has been released by Nineveh’s Crossing in multiple print and digital editions. Written by filmmaker and Hollywood story consultant Dr. Stan Williams, the release follows ten years of research and writing.

When America was young, reckless, and fiercely independent, an agnostic farmer, Adam Livingston, reluctantly recruits Fr. Denis Cahill, a renegade Catholic priest, to confront an ancient Babylon spirit who threatens their safety and the country’s freedom.

An Amazon reviewer wrote: "Stan Williams' novel is a riveting tale that kept me on the edge of my seat for all 814 pages! With the detailed historical research and colorful characters of a Ken Follett novel, and the witty other-worldly dialog of C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters (seasoned generously with Catholic doctrine and a pinch of romance), this book is a must-read!!"

The story was first brought to Williams for the purpose of making a movie by an Australian familiar with American History. But the story was so rich and deep in history, Williams knew he had to first write the novel.

The story is narrated by historic personality, Fr. Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin, a former Russian prince, who became the first American trained Catholic priest. Under the name Fr. Smith, so he would fit into the newly forged society, Gallitzin investigated the original events. As he tells it, the story is not one but four, woven into a colorful tapestry of historical characters to create a dramatic celebration of traditional American values and themes.

The first story involves a 35-acre plot of land in Smithfield, Virginia (today, Middleway, West Virginia) on the edge of the Opequon Creek. The land becomes the site of a deranged murder, and forged land deed, which results in its ownership being contested for nearly 100 years. Today it is known as Priest Field Pastoral Center.

The second story involves protagonist, Adam Livingston, an entrepreneurial but agnostic flax farmer, who comes to reside on the tainted land. He is forced to deal with not only the cursed land, but his own imperfections that together lead to disastrous consequences for his family and farm.

The third is the story of a heroic, pioneering but renegade Catholic priest, Fr. Denis Cahill OFM Cap.. Having escaped anti-Catholic Ireland, he forges a heroic missionary path through the 1788 New Orleans fire, and the early years of the American experiment. Having established a number of growing parishes, he falls out with America’s first bishop, John Carroll, in part over the haunting events surrounding Livingston’s farm.

The fourth is the source of the now famous hauntings, a strange demonic poltergeist known to history as the Clipping Wizard. The demon has a benign proclivity for cutting crescent moons from linen, but in the presence of a Catholic priest does not hesitate to lash out with tragic effect.

While a work of historical fiction, a great many of the characters and events in the novel are real. The main characters: Adam and Mary Ann Livingston, their neighbors Richard and Anastasia McSherry, and Fr. Denis Cahill actually lived through the hauntings. Further, at the request of Bishop John Carroll, the events were investigated by none other than Rev. (Prince) Demetrius Augustine Gallitzin, who founded the town of Loretto, PA. Gallitzin came to be known as the Apostle of the Alleghenies, and is under consideration for canonization by the Catholic Church. His current status is “Servant of God.”

During his life time, Fr. Gallitzin wrote of the Wizard Clip hauntings: “After three months of investigation, I was soon converted to a full belief of them. No lawyer in a court of justice did more than I, nor procured more than your unworthy servant.”

Today, over 200 years later, the village of Middleway, West Virginia continues to celebrate its place in history with wood badges on building fronts depicting a crescent moon and a pair of scissors. The village, to some, is still remembered as Cliptown.

Stan Williams is a writer and filmmaker, based in Michigan with occasional forays to Los Angeles and Europe. He is known in the film industry as a story and screenplay consultant, and workshop leader due to his book: “The Moral Premise: Harnessing Virtue and Vice for Box Office Success,” which Will Smith calls the “Most Important Tool in my new tool box.” In their free time, Stan and his wife, Pam, enjoy sailing on the Great Lakes aboard their 41’ ketch, Family Ties. They have three children, and ten grandchildren living nearby. Stan holds degrees in Physics (BA), Mass Communications (MA), and Film Studies/Narrative Theory (PhD).

The book is available through all major retailers. Signed copies available from NinevehsCrossing.com. Stan is available for interviews and collaborations.

Stanley David Williams
Nineveh's Crossing
+1 248-344-4423
stan@stanwilliams.com
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Book Trailer - The Wizard Clip Haunting: A True Early American Ghost Story