An author who lives in Dunfermline is preparing for the release of her second book in the series, PJ and the Paranormal Pursuers.

Jacqui Dempster’s first book in this series, PJ and the Paranormal Pursuers – The Mackenzie Poltergeist, was published by The Book Guild in 2021.

After moving from New York to Edinburgh to live with his aunt, PJ very quickly discovered the parallel worlds of the living and the dead when he was forced to battle the evil Mackenzie Poltergeist at Greyfriars Kirkyard.

Now, in PJ and the Paranormal Pursuers: The Phantoms of Pittenweem, PJ and his fellow friends have been invited to stay in the fishing village of Pittenweem, a place which, unknown to them, has haunting echoes of its witch-hunting past.

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A qualified solicitor who now works for an education and qualifications organisation, Jacqui has always been interested in the supernatural.

She said: “I suppose it’s just a lifelong interest really. I was fascinated, but I was never really scared by it.

“The supernatural has featured in my life since I was young, with a grandfather who saw ghosts regularly and other members of the family, on my Welsh side, having strange experiences and even dabbling in magic!”

Jacqui’s latest book also has a bullying theme within it, which is reminiscent of the persecution of innocent people accused of being Pittenweem’s witches.

Speaking on why it’s important for young people to learn about Scotland’s witches, Jacqui added: “I think it’s because at the end of the day human nature continues throughout the ages and you can learn from mistakes of people gone by, it’s just different ways of bullying.”

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Jacqui studied on the Edinburgh University Koestler Parapsychology course to learn about the science of the paranormal and has been on a few ghost investigations.

She added: “I have been witness to a couple of odd things.”

She  went on a ghost hunt in Chillingham Castle, dubbed Britain’s most haunted historic castle, with a group of other ghost hunters. She said that when they went into the torture chamber the ghost hunters called out to ask if anyone was there, and then everyone’s torches went off.

“I think there are stranger things around that you can’t explain.” Jacqui added.

PJ and the Paranormal Pursuers: The Phantoms of Pittenweem will be released on April 28.