Spirit Catcher

Liam O'Malley was just looking for an honest job. The California Gold Rush wasn't paying off for him, and he was tired of living in tents. In San Francisco he did find employment, but he wasn't sure how honest. He found himself assistant to a Daguerreotype photographer who specialized in photographing ghosts and departed spirits. Of course the pictures were all fake. Liam became sure of that when he learned to make the pictures himself. He didn't know he was about to get involved with Prince Susslov, self-appointed Witch Hunter. Or with Delia, daughter of an escaped slave and the most fascinating woman he'd ever met.

About the author: Following a previous life, he has turned his attention to telling stories about the Old West during the 19th and early 20th centuries. He has discovered there are thousands of untold stories to be found in old newspapers, magazines, and sometimes even history books. The stories he writes are mostly made-up fiction, but then so are a lot of history books. He has learned that what people most value are not the bare bone facts of the past, but the stories we tell about them. Steve (whose friends mostly refer to him as "Bart") derives his idea from listening to people, walking around old neighborhoods, and a lot of reading. As for his previous life, he had an undistinguished career in civil service. His first actual job was in the U.S. Army. Someday he may write a book titled "All I Need to Know I learned in the Army." He now lives in a rural part of northern California, where he likes to listen to folks and look at trees.