Twenty-five years ago, Michael J. Kouri began hearing about friends in the Santa Clarita Valley who reported feeling “hauntings” in their homes. The stories ranged from families’ houses in Canyon Country and Saugus to Agua Dulce, Kouri recalled, so he started writing them down.
Now, after years of research visiting these sites in the SCV, Kouri is publishing a book on his findings. Kouri, who lives in Pasadena, will be at craft and antique store Barn and Charm 6-8 p.m. Thursday to sign and talk about his book.
Kouri, who said he is a psychic medium, is a paranormal investigator who has written 70 books about ghost stories and hauntings in different parts of the world. His next book, which publishes Thursday, features Santa Clarita paranormal activity, titled “Historical Hauntings of Newhall, California and Beyond.”
“People can buy copies of my newest book at this event as well as some of the other books I’ve written including ‘The Ghost of Walt Disney & Me,’ ‘True Hauntings Aboard Queen Mary,’ my spiritual cookbook and my ‘Psychic Mike Paper Dolls,’” he said.
Kouri said he has been able to communicate with spirits and ghosts since he was 4, growing up in Burbank. The author said he works as a paranormal and psychic consultant for researchers and major horror films such as “The Others,” starring Nicole Kidman, and “The Darkness” starring Kevin Bacon.
His new book focuses on stories from the SCV, as well as a focus on hauntings on its movie ranches like Melody Ranch and Golden Oak Ranch, where he said ghosts have been said to lurk for the past 25 years.
“Often, ghosts stick around because they don’t know why they died,” he said. “And the word ‘haunting’ doesn’t actually mean ‘evil,’ like people are afraid of. ‘Haunting’ means energy. Ghosts aren’t the scary demons of the underworld. They just haven’t left. And my book talks about that.”
The book, along with others Kouri has written, will be available for purchase at Barn and Charm. It can also be bought at his website icghosts.com. Barn and Charm is located at 22700 Lyons Ave.