Bøger af Troy Taylor

UNTIL DEATH DO US PARTMURDER, MAYHEM & MALEVOLENT TALES OF LOVE GONE WRONGBY TROY TAYLORThere is no question that we are fascinated by murder. And among those murders, there are none we find more intriguing than crimes of passion. They're compelling for many reasons, not the least of which is that crimes of passion are offenses not usually committed by criminals - but by ordinary men and women who only become criminals because of these acts. Love is strange - and it can also be tragic, murderous, twisted, horrible, and even cruel. Intense love is a form of madness that can inspire insanity, even in those who never seemed unhinged before. This special kind of madness has led to torture, stalking, obsession, abuse, and, yes, even murder. Love can push a man or woman to unthinkable things - direct responses to betrayal, broken hearts, ruined lives, injured pride, jealousy, and probably all the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins. It can even happen when someone can't have something - or someone - they desperately want.And then there are those couples who share their madness between them, resulting in dire and horrific events. Sometimes, lovers can bring out the best in one another -- at other times, not so much.In this blood-curdling book, Troy Taylor presents an American history of love, murder, and insanity with stories of murderous couples, violent ends, "lonely hearts killers," monsters, ghosts, "black widows," "bluebeards," obsessed stalkers, meat cleaver waving madwomen, and more. Read this one at your own risk - you never know who might be sleeping beside you!

FEAR THE REAPERAmerica's Rural Mysteries, Hauntings & HorrorsBy Troy Taylor & Rene KruseWOODS AND FIELDS DARK AND WICKED!Far away from the bright lights of America's big cities are the woods, forests, fields, and farms of America's heartland. Hidden among these isolated spots are heartbreaking tales of murder, mayhem, brutal violence, and ghosts. Such accounts of depravity and murder seem to be far removed from what we mistakenly believe to have been the "good ol' days" of our country's farms and fields. But, as you'll soon find, those days weren't always good and the isolation, loneliness and despair of country life often led to horrific acts that can hardly be imagined outside of our worst nightmares.From seemingly normal farmers who one day snapped and slaughtered their family to murderous hired hands, dangerous drifters, depraved lunatics, and worse, the reader will soon find there was something sinister lurking in the old woods and forests, the fields, farms, and small towns of America and the tales that remain about that sinister darkness are sure to convince you to make sure the doors are locked after the lights are turned out at night. Discover the chilling stories of the Murders on Saxtown Road; The "Inhuman Butcher;" The Meeks Murders; The "Moonlight Murder;" The Hoskins Family Murders; The Lawson Christmas Murders; The Wolf Family Massacre; The "Babes in the Woods;" The Clutter Murders of "In Cold Blood;" Ed Gein; the Keddie Murders; Fox Hollow Farm; and more! If you've ever believed that the most horrendous crimes in history occurred in the big cities, then you'll be both shocked and frightened by those who that occurred in the quiet countryside, along the dusty backroads, in the dark woods, and outside the small farming towns of America - and by the ghosts those crimes left behind.

WITHOUT A TRACEUNSOLVED DISAPPEARANCES AND MYSTERIOUS VANISHINGS BY TROY TAYLORWe all love a mystery - but what about a mystery that has no solution? Delve into the shadowy world of unsolved disappearances and people who have vanished without a trace, never to be seen again. Such strange and chilling tales run the gamut of the terrifying and the bizarre and include crime victims, lost explorers, ships vanished at sea, outdoor disappearances, and supernatural mysteries that defy all explanation.Among these pages you'll find accounts of America's Lost Colony, history's most famous ghost ships, famous figures who vanished into the unknown, the unknown fate of America's first kidnapping for ransom, a vanished heiress, lighthouse keepers who impossibly disappeared, the killer who escaped the noose - permanently, the Grand Canyon adventurers who were never seen again, the Prohibition lawman's nephew who was never found, the Ohio sorority girl who never made it home, the abducted housewife who disappeared, the Hollywood starlet who left her family behind, a missing West Point cadet, the babysitter who vanished on Halloween, the missing Texas couple who may have been Russian spies, the little boy who walked away for good in the Smoky Mountains, a missing heiress to a candy empire, a missing TV news reporter, a long distance runner whose run never ended, plus infamous vanishings of figures like Theodosia Burr, Amelia Earhart, Glenn Miller, Judge Crater, Jimmy Hoffa, and far too many more!Just remember as you turn the pages, that if these people so easily vanished from the face of the earth, then it means it could happen to anyone - perhaps even you. You may want to read this one with the lights on!

ONE AUGUST MORNINGTHE TRUE STORY OF LIZZIE BORDENBY TROY TAYLORLIZZIE BORDEN TOOK AN AXE... OR DID SHE?Lizzie Borden is a name that has lived in infamy. As everyone knows, she's the young woman who "took an axe and gave her mother 40 whacks" and then "gave her father 41." Everyone seems to know the rhyme, but most people don't know the truth behind the grim story of one of America's most famous unsolved murders. In this new entry in the "Dead Men Do Tell Tales" series, author Troy Taylor delves into the true story of the Borden Murders, revealing what really happened on that morning in August 1892, how Lizzie was hounded by the police, prosecutors, and reporters, and then finally acquitted - yet always believed to be guilty. Was she a murderer or truly innocent? Did she swing the hatchet that killed her parents, or was Lizzie simply part of a plot that accidentally led to murders committed by a madman? You'll have the chance to decide for yourself as the suspects are revealed, the conspiracies unveiled, and the strange circumstances of this haunting case are presented. Forget everything you already think you know about this compelling case and discover what did - and what did not - happen in the story of Lizzie Borden! What dark secrets have never been told? What happened in the grim aftermath of the murder trial? Do the spirits of the dead still linger in the house where the Bordens were killed? You'll find these answers and more and you'll never look at this chilling story in the same way again!

HAUNTED DECATUR: 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITIONTWO CENTURIES OF DECATUR'S SPIRITS, SCANDALS AND SINSBY TROY TAYLOROn the 25th anniversary of the publication of his first book, author Troy Taylor returns once more to reveal two centuries of spirits, scandals, and sins in Decatur, Illinois - the most haunted town in the Midwest! He takes you behind the scenes of the most spirited places in the city and reveals a collection of favorite hauntings, new stories you've never heard before, and offers new secrets about old stories that everyone only thinks they know! Journey back in time to the days of the first settlers and discover how the city came to be so haunted. Then, hold on for a wild ride to the most ghost-infested spots in Decatur from Greenwood Cemetery to the Common Burial Grounds, the Lincoln and Avon Theaters, Hell Hollow, Millikin University, Wabash Train Station, and many more. If you dare, take a walk into haunted houses, eerie hotels, ghostly graveyards, and find out why the entire city of Decatur was sent into a panic over a phantom in 1903. You'll be terrified by historic tales of crime, murder, bootlegging, and corruption and learn how Decatur earned the nickname of the "second most corrupt city in Illinois." You'll find lurid stories of gangsters, graverobbers, killers, thieves, prostitutes, and cold-blooded murders and scandalous suicides that left lingering ghosts in their wake.This is not a book for the faint of heart, but it is a celebration of a city that has worked hard to earn its reputation for bloodshed, murder, death - and ghosts. Decatur is a place that is haunted by its past in more ways than one. So, turn off the lights, lock the doors, and let this book take you back to where the history and hauntings in Decatur began.

Get ready to handle your financial fitness, manage your money and build your fortune. Whether you earn $25,000 or $250,000, are single or married, are debt-ridden or hunting for ways to boost your investments, Foundations of Financial Freedom will help you get a positive edge on life. No matter what age you are, country you are from, what kind of background you have, these Seven Smart Strategies To Streamline Your Success will deliver the answers you need to get to the level of abundance that you want. It's not about the economy. It's about you, and there's something YOU can do about it. You'll learn how to: Identify the greatest investment in finance for you Quickly choose and build the skills that will have the biggest impact on your money and life Redirect unintentionally wasted money into positive life-changing spending Maximize your daily fulfillment to avoid needless and aimless struggle and frustration Optimize your surroundings for the most constructive outcomes Tweak your habits for massive change Embrace advanced strategies for of rest and rejuvenation to maximize your waking hours And you'll find out how to take each strategy step by step so that you are positioned for tremendous success for the long run. Stop with get-rich-quick schemes. Take simple steps that are meaningful and powerful to set yourself up for life no matter what comes your way.

DISCONNECTED FROM DEATHTHE EVOLUTION OF FUNERAL CUSTOMS AND THE UNMASKING OF DEATH IN AMERICA BY APRIL SLAUGHTER AND TROY TAYLORAmericans have a complicated history with death - that final darkness at the end of life. Our ancestors dealt with death on a daily basis, dreaming up countless traditions and rituals to try and understand it. Society today, however, has disconnected from death. In years past, Americans died at home. Bodies were prepared for burial in our kitchens and funerals were held for our dead in the parlor. Now, we die under the sterile conditions of a hospital, far removed from the people who love us, and our death has become a business. From the God-fearing Puritans to the aftermath of the Civil War, the Victorian descent into mourning to modern day funeral traditions, authors April Slaughter and Troy Taylor take the reader along on a journey through America's history with death, dying, and how they've shaped our society today. This is not a book about religion, or what happens to us after we die. This is a book that tries to connect our modern lives to the lives of those who had more than a passing acquaintance with death. Far too often, the traditions and rituals of the past have been presented as "spooky" or "strange" and, while some of them were unusual, all of them served a purpose. No matter how bizarre they might seem, they managed to present a vivid portrait of how we are all connected to death. Death is - and always will be - a part of life and we hope this book will shed some light on the funeral customs, practices, and traditions of the past and how they have been changed, softened, and sterilized to make death seem like a distant stranger. Death was once a familial responsibility - a reality modern day American funeral directors would have you forget - but how did we become a nation so heavily dependent on them? What other options do we have? The answer is far more than you might have expected. We may not be as close to death as our ancestors were, but we can assure you that it's still with us, waiting to take us by the hand and lead us into the unknown

"When we think of the Roaring 20's -- that decade of gangsters, jazz, Prohibition, and flappers -- most of us think of Chicago, Al Capone, and the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. The Windy City has become famous for its one-way-rides and violent shootouts, but author Troy Taylor presents another part of Prohibition-era Illinois that not only outgunned and outdrank Chicago but has just as many ghost stories left lingering behind from those turbulent days. Southern Illinois -- or 'Little Egypt' as some call it -- not only had just as many gangsters and just as much booze and bloodshed, but it also had aerial bombings, homemade military tanks, dirty cops, unsolved murders, attacks on hospitals, and gun battles with the Ku Klux Klan! Take a trip back in time to the days of the explosive Southern Illinois gang wars, when Charlie Birger, the Shelton Brothers, the Ku Klux Klan, and a bunch of wild card gunmen wreaked havoc, created mayhem, and carried out countless murders as they fought for control of the liquor trade. And it was all happening at the same time Al Capone was the biggest mob boss in that city by Lake Michigan. Maybe the gangs of Southern Illinois didn't wear fancy suits or drink their bootleg liquor in fancy glasses on Lake Shore Drive, but they were just as deadly as their counterparts -- maybe even more so!"--

HELL HATH NO FURY 313 MORE SPIRITS OF THE SINISTER AND THE SLAIN"A villain is just a victim whose story hasn't been told yet."Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned... But have they been scorned because they have been overlooked, ignored, and underestimated for so long? Perhaps, because we do know that women have rarely been given the respect they deserve, even when it comes to homicide. As the unlucky can assure you, murders committed by women are almost always more terrifying than any man can imagine. Frightened yet? You should be. Women kill for money, revenge, love, and, yes, occasionally, just for pleasure. They have left behind slain lovers, dismembered children, and spirits who refuse to rest. They can be insane, vengeful, and malicious, and their ghosts often demand attention long after their deaths. They are also the slain - victims who become enduring specters that beg for their stories to be told.The women within these pages are the lost, disappeared, misguided, spurned, wicked, put-upon, vicious, neglected, misunderstood, sinister, haunted, devious, mistreated, murdered, and spectral - and women you will never forget. After two books about women who prey on the innocent - and who are sometimes the innocent who are preyed upon - Troy Taylor knew there were more stories to be told. In this third volume of the series, he recruited the talents of Amanda R. Woomer to reveal thirteen more tales of the sinister and the slain. It's another book of depravity that's not for the faint of heart!

ONE NIGHT IN SALEMTHE HIDDEN HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN WITCHBY TROY TAYLORWitchcraft came to America with the first European settlers. They came here and brought with them their histories and traditions, hopes, dreams, terrors, and fear of their gods. They had fled from home at a time when thousands were being accused, tortured, hanged, and burned for being witches. They came to America for a fresh start - and brought that fear of witches with them.The belief in witches - who carried out the Devil's evil deeds - was as real to the colonists as the constant threat of the Devil himself. They believed that witches caused livestock to sicken and die, crops to fail, and babies to be born dead or deformed. Fear and dread became hysteria when evil came to Salem Village, fueling hostility, distrust, and religious fanaticism that claimed the lives of innocents on the gallows. But Salem was not the end of America's obsession with witchcraft. Join Troy Taylor on a trip back in time as he reveals the hidden history of the American witch! Discover the strange tales of what happened in America in the wake of Salem, from the persecution and murders of accused witches to the conjure folk, Appalachian folk magic, Hexes and Powwowing, Voodoo and Hoodoo, killings, curses, witchcraft manias, and more! This is not another book about Salem, a spell book, or a how-to guide, but a haunted and historic look at how witchcraft came to America and the ways that it continues to thrive today.

Dive into the life and mind of a not so stereotypical African American male. In this book, he describes the emotional struggles of an introverted man living in an extroverted world. Survival stories of being bullied and rejected as a child, lust, fears, pride, sexuality, insecurities, divorce, fatherhood, manhood and the lifelong impact of living in a fatherless environment are all played out in the tale of this author's life. In this book, taboo subjects like men living on the "down-low" and the people who say they love them are discussed from the perspective of a black man who has a profound understanding of both those living in that glass house and the ones peering through the window, rocks in hand. Take a journey into the life and mind of a man who through perseverance and relentless ambition, emerged triumphant in spite of the many hurdles, hurts, and setbacks he was forced to face. Many may still be running through the maze of life, reaching towards the light at the end of the tunnel however life is not ultimately about how you start, it's how you finish.

Blazing from the West Side, the Great Chicago Fire left nothing but ashy remnants of the developing city, leveling its landscape but certainly not its spirit. While the West Side was home to the infamous O'Leary barn, it was also where news of some of the city's most gruesome and horrific crimes reverberated throughout the state and across the country. Read about the bloody end of Roger The Terrible"? Touhy, who, although he undoubtedly lived up to his name, met an ill-deserved fate. Troy Taylor also delves into the life of John Wayne Gacy, the depraved man masked by the clown costume, and yet again proves to be a master storyteller and historian of Chicago's criminal underworld."

In the company of author Troy Taylor, pull off the trick of coming back alive from some of Chicago's most infamous one-way rides." Meet the deadly womanizer Johann Hoch, who would propose to a woman within twenty minutes of meeting her and then poison her within a week. Follow "Terrible" Tommy O'Conner as he eluded the gallows for more than fifty years, until the city finally grew "tired of waiting" and dismantled them for the final time. Learn how even flower shops and cathedrals weren't safe from gangland violence, and relive the tragic fire at the Iroquois Theatre, where a "fireproof" curtain was made of cotton and did little to stop the blaze that killed more people than the Great Fire of 1871."

From the very beginning, Chicago thrived on its reputation as a wide-open town. After the Great Fire, no part of the city was rebuilt more quickly than the vice districts, where bribed cops and brutal force emboldened professional wickedness to celebrate itself with gala events like the First Ward Ball, begun in honor of a madam's pianist and often so crowded that passed-out drunks couldn't even fall to the floor. Randolph Street was nicknamed Gambler's Row because men gambled with their lives by visiting it. In Little Hell, guns and knives could be rented by the hour. In these seedy areas only put to sleep by Mickey Finn's knockout drinks or Gentle Annie's knockout punches, it is no wonder that Detective Woolridge kept seventy-five disguises, made twenty thousand arrests and was shot at forty-four times.