‘Buying Ghosts’ podcast debuts July 19
BECCA MARTIN-BROWN
bmartin@nwadg.com
The tale begins like any good ghost story: Once upon a time, there was a spooky Victorian house with a reputation for being haunted. Rob and Annie Seals don’t really believe it is, but Annie hopes that all the would-be ghost hunters will want to check in and check it out.
Of course, you know what happens. The rumors are true, and she and her family find themselves trapped with the previous tenants.
Telling ghost stories has long been a way of life for Northwest Arkansas native Jonna Summers.
“I’ve always been in love with Halloween and obsessed with haunted houses,” she says. “I actively started working a little over 10 years ago to make my dream of owning my own haunted house a reality, learning everything I could about both the business and the creativity involved in such a venture. October 2019 will be the fourth season of Banshee Manor, and I’m proud how it has grown and improved every year.”
Summers’ Banshee Manor is set in a medieval castle populated by a Scottish lord “notorious for being ruthless and evil.”
“The Banshee has grown tired of all the death and has become a vengeful spirit, trapping the McCraulic clan inside the walls of the manor, along with the tortured souls of their victims,” she explains.
Not content to be stuck in the Middle Ages herself, Summers wondered how she could bring her story into modern times — and a 10-part podcast was born. Titled “Buying Ghosts,” it “came from a book I was writing for fun of how I could bring that story into the modern world.”
“The thought of trying to get a book published was very daunting,” Summer says. “Producing a play is very time consuming and expensive. I’m a big fan of audio dramas and felt this was the best way to share my story with the resources I have. So once again, I went about learning everything I could about the medium, then recruited a fantastic co-writer, Jude McCoy, to help convert the story into script form — and here we are.”
“Buying Ghosts” debuts July 19 on podcast platforms like Apple Tunes, Amazon, Google Music, Spotify, etc., uploaded through a hosting option called Libsyn.
“Plus they host a page linked with the Banshee Manor website so I don’t have to worry about storage or bandwidth,” Summers says. “Learning editing programs and techniques has been the biggest challenge. Fortunately, I didn’t have to look too far to find my cast. Banshee Manor is very actor/story driven, and I’ve been blessed with some amazing actors. Recording was done at my house after turning my office into a recording studio.”
“Buying Ghosts” is 10 episodes, each about 20-30 minutes in length. It’s free following the link on the Banshee Manor website or with subscriptions to the various listening platforms.
“I really enjoy entertaining people, whether it is through Banshee Manor, acting with a local troupe, singing or writing,” Summers says. “If a single person listens to ‘Buying Ghosts,’ and it makes their day sitting at work or in traffic better, then I’m happy.”
She’ll also be busy.
“Banshee Manor is in full preparation mode. A lot of planning, building, sewing, etc., is involved in putting on a haunted attraction, much like a play getting ready for opening night. Once November hits and I have down time again, we’ll see if ‘Buying Ghosts’ has another story to tell.”
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FAQ
‘Buying Ghosts’:
An Audio Drama
WHEN — July 19
WHERE — Apple Tunes, Amazon, Google Music, Spotify, etc., or bansheemanor.com
COST — Free
INFO — bansheemanor.com
BONUS — To listen to teasers, go to: http://buyingghosts.libsyn.com/
