Any time I get to write a ghost story I’m happy, so it was a no brainer when I saw that Crowvus was hosting a short ghost story competition. I submitted a story called “A Sea Shanty in Four Parts” about a woman waiting for her husband to return from sea. I mean, come on, ghosts and the ocean go hand-in-hand, don’t they?

Crowvus has now published a little anthology — Apparition: The Ninth Crowvus Christmas Ghost Story Anthology — that hosts the top 12 stories from the contest. Delighted to have my tale included.

(Note: This is not a book of Christmas-themed ghost stories. It’s a book of ghostly tales published at Christmastime for those that might be weary of the season’s fa-la-las!)

Now, as the title suggests, I wrote and framed my story around a sea shanty. It would be kind of rude to tell you that and not let you listen to it, so here’s a recording of the shanty (isolated from the story). Temper your expectations, kids, as I recorded this on my phone and I’m not very talented with the whole audio thingy. But I hope you enjoy!

Make sure to get a copy of the book. There are some spine tingly tales in there to enjoy!