SPIRIT SISTERS, by Sydney journalist Karina Machado - who happens to be my sister! - was inspired by the scores of women who would preface their story with 'I've hardly told anyone this, but...'. The author would scratch the surface and their story would tumble out; they'd given up the ghost, so to speak. In SPIRIT SISTERS you'll meet Australian women of all ages who share their very personal encounters with the supernatural. From a high-flying banking executive whose life changed for ever after a visit from a bizarre, winged entity, to a mother of seven who was held and soothed by her husband for five days after she'd buried him, to the woman who lost most of her family in one car accident, this book is heart-breaking, scary and comforting. Karina was also inspired by some of the most famous historical hauntings ever documented, including the mind-bending account of plumber Harry Martindale, who came face to face with a Roman legion in the cellar of the ancient Treasurer's House in York, UK.

In an age when psychics are called the new therapists and buying your own high-tech ghost-hunting equipment is just a click away on eBay, this book is a celebration of the one thing that hasn't changed in hundreds of years. When a friend draws close, lowers her voice and begins to tell you her ghost story, as her eyes widen and her smile fades, as the very air around you seems to thicken and the back of your neck begins to tingle...isn't it delicious?

Spirit Sisters is published in Australia by Hachette