Adverse Possession Fun Facts

What is Adverse Possession?
Dictionary.com defines adverse possession as “the open and exclusive occupation and use of someone else’s real property without permission (or knowledge) of the owner continuously for a period of years prescribed by law, thereafter giving title to the occupier-user.”

I have always loved haunted house stories. My favorite growing up (and to this day) was Poltergeist. But something about the endings to these movies always rang false. The ghosts, spirits, demons, or entities haunting the place or person were never truly gone. And while it makes for great sequel material, it falls short of biblical truth.

My first idea for this book was to create a situation where the Forresters moved in, experienced bumps in the night, and then contacted the former owners. The previous residents, two sisters who lived with their brother until he passed away, denied knowledge of any strange activity and were eventually sued by the Forresters. While the idea of a courtroom drama to prove a haunting seemed appealing, I personally have a hard time reading about court proceedings, so I cannot imagine what it would take to motivate myself to write about it.

The manifestations in Adverse Possession start slowly and build on top of each other until the idea of defeating the evil presence responsible appears insurmountable. I used this to show how sin starts small and might even seem fun or exciting, before building to the point where we become numb and no longer recognize it as something that is damaging and dangerous to our souls.

There is a scene near the end of the book where Tess looks up and sees the full moon in the sky. I saw a moon that was similar while standing in a parking lot one night and I just knew I had to include it the book.

The time that the power goes out and comes back on, 10:27 and 10:28, were taken from the verses of the bible I included at the beginning and end of the book. They are Matthew 10:27-28 and John 10:27-28.

Matthew 10:27-28
27 Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

John 10:27-28
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

Book Description:

The Forresters have found their dream home… So has something else.

After years of moving from place to place, Andy and Tess are ready to settle down. But from the day they moved into the sprawling Victorian house, something just wasn’t right.

The power cuts out twice a day on a fixed schedule. Windows unlock and open on their own. Strange scratching sounds come from behind the walls.

As the bizarre occurrences continue to increase in frequency and strength, the true source of the extraordinary activity is revealed.

What started as an enchanting curiosity has become a danger to them all, and the Forresters are in a race against time to save their family from an enemy unlike anything they have ever known.