They got away with murder in Salem Village

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
October 15, 2024

They got away with murder in Salem Village just by saying they believed someone was a witch!

The accusers were responsible for the murder of 19 people found guilty of witchcraft and one crushed to death without a trial. Reading the list of those who accused innocent people may make you wonder if any of them were put on trial. The answer is no because there was no way to prove what they claimed to believe were nothing more than lies from their lips. Imagine the trauma inflicted on the colony of Massachusetts because the accused came from all over it. 

The accusations ran their course in Salem Village but not in Andover, where 48 were accused compared with 23 in Salem Village, says Burns. “A lot of people were against spectral evidence, so confessions were now the gold standard to find people guilty. The confessions that came before were from people with no agency whatsoever, like little Dorothy. But when they got to Andover, the magistrates were really good at interrogating people in private. By September, they could coerce people like clockwork. There, a lot who confessed were children as young as six.” National Endowment For The Humanities

There were many reasons for what happened there and what was behind it.

Evidence points to several factors that may have contributed to the mass hysteria: “An influx of refugees from King William’s War with French colonists, a recent smallpox epidemic, the threat of attack from Native Americans, a growing rivalry with the neighboring seaport of Salem Town, and the simmering tensions between leading families in the community created the perfect storm of suspicion and resentment.” Many historians believe the “witches” were also victims of scapegoating, personal vendettas, and social mores against outspoken, strong women.

But it didn't just happen in the colony of Massachusetts. The following is from New England Law.

The Salem Witch Trials occurred just as Europe’s “witchcraft craze’’ from the 14th to 17th centuries was winding down, where an estimated tens of thousands of European witches, mostly women, were executed.

The Puritans believed physical realities had spiritual causes. For example, if the crops failed, the Devil may have played a role. With this worldview, it was not a stretch for them to accept 'spectral evidence' of spirits and visions—which was the primary evidence used as proof of guilt during the Salem Witch Trials.

The thought of bad things happening as acts of God goes back to Biblical times. If people suffered, it was God judging them. If they prospered, then it was God's reward. This begs the question, if God was doing it to them, then how did they place blame on the Devil and witchcraft? How did they come full circle and again set their miseries on God and not the Devil? When the trials were over, they had a "Day of Atonement" to ask God to forgive them; that is precisely what they were led to believe instead of continuing to blame witches and the devil.

Whatever reason the accusers needed, it was provided. The list included torture, which made them very good at getting accusations "in private."

Aftermath of the Salem Trials
After the prisoners awaiting trial on charges of practicing witchcraft were granted amnesty (pardoned) in 1693, the accusers and judges showed hardly any remorse for executing twenty people and causing others to languish in jails. Instead, they placed the blame on the "trickery of Satan," thus freeing themselves from any sense of guilt. Jurors and townspeople also managed to maintain a clear conscience by claiming that, after all, many victims had confessed to their "crimes" and that the Salem, Massachusetts, community had been tricked by the devil. Yet families who had lost loved ones and property during the trials were expected to go on with their lives as if nothing had happened. Their attempts to regain social standing and receive financial compensation through formal legal channels took several years.

But we know the "clear conscience" they claimed wasn't real. Shame caused them to rename Salem Village. It became Danvers.

After the Witch Trials: Welcome to Danvers
By September of 1692, the peak of the witch hysteria was over and 25 innocent people were dead. 19 people were hanged. Five people had died in prison, and one elderly man was pressed to death. The vast majority of those executed came from rural areas, the majority from Salem Village.

After the trials, “in both Salem and Danvers, there was shame over what had happened here and a reluctance to deal with the trauma of the trials,” says Dan Lipcan, a library director and curator of the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts.

Slowly, Salem Village—the epicenter of the hysteria—began to move on, building a new meeting house in 1701 and abandoning the bad memories of the former. In 1706, Ann Putnam made a public apology, stating, “As I was a chief instrument of accusing Goodwife Nurse and her two sisters, I desire to lie in the dust and to be humbled for it.”

Putnam made her confession simply to be admitted back into the church, the same faith that supported the lies that caused so much suffering. She didn't list all the other people she falsely accused. Could it be that she couldn't be bothered enough to remember all of their names? According to Dr. John Howard Smith, there were 300 accused.

During that one year, 20 people were executed as witches, which Smith suggested “indicates a certain degree of restraint, considering that nearly 300 people were accused.”

But we also know that it didn't just happen in Salem. It happened in Connecticut, too.

Between 1647 and 1697, about three dozen people (the exact number is disputed, as many court records have been lost) were charged with witchcraft in Connecticut. Eleven were executed, all by hanging. Nine of the 11 were women. The two men executed were hanged along with their wives. Of those who weren’t executed, some fled their community; others were banished.

Having PTSD, we don't need to guess what all of this did to the people involved as victims, nor do we have to imagine what it did to the rest of the people in the area. They knew it could happen to them at any moment. They also knew the truly guilty got away with it once, and nothing could stop them the next time. No one was held to account for anything, and they were "free" to move on from what they did. Those who suffered were never free to move on.

Imagine knowing the accusers were free to continue their lives as if nothing had happened, and there was no reason to feel guilty. Imagine knowing the judges were rewarded for their actions instead of held accountable. This is from the History of Massachusetts Blog.

According to Emerson W. Baker in his book, A Storm of Witchcraft, these nine judges were considered the elite of the Massachusetts Bay Colony:

“As a group, the judges represented the proverbial 1 percent – the merchant elite who were wealthy, intermarried, and exercised power in social, political, and military circles. In short, they were the superrich of Massachusetts. Simply calling them ‘merchants’ shortchanges them…Most had considerable political experience, having served as deputies and assistants in the General Court.”

Look at the site and see what happened to the judges like William Stoughton, Chief Magistrate.

From 1694 to 1699 and again from 1700 to 1701, Stoughton served as acting governor of Massachusetts after Governor William Phips was recalled to England. He also continued to serve as chief justice of the Massachusetts courts until his death on July 7, 1701.

In 1697, Samuel Sewall was the only one to apologize for his part in horrific events. The others simply signed a letter.

And then there was Judge John Hathorne, who "was one of the most vocal participants during the Salem witchcraft trials."

Hathorne’s great-great grandson was Nathaniel Hawthorne, whose works reveal Hawthorne’s guilt over the sins of his ancestor. It is speculated that Nathaniel Hawthorne added the “w” to the family name as a means of distancing himself from the wrongdoing of his great-great-grandfather. It is equally possible this change was merely the result of a fashion of the period, as many families were altering their names to reflect the original English spelling. It is interesting to note that Hawthorne did hold particular disdain for his ancestor, as Judge Hathorne appears as the antagonist Judge Pyncheon in Hawthorne’s 1851 novel The House of the Seven Gables.

When you consider what was done to those accused of witchcraft, imagine being afraid of being the next one to be wrongfully charged, imprisoned, tortured, and held in horrid conditions. At the same time, they not only took what you owned, but they made you pay money for what was done to you before they would release you. Then imagine living the rest of your life while discovering none of them were held accountable for what they did to you.

You don't have to use much energy imagining if you were the victim of a crime and they got away with it. You don't have to imagine it if you saw your day in court and the guilty got away with it because of a technicality. You don't have to if you suffered from medical malpractice, but lawyers said it would cost them too much money to pursue the evidence.

No matter what caused PTSD to strike you after you survived it, it should be easy enough to understand what the people of Salem Town and village, now called Danvers, had to endure. When you read what they went through before the accusations were made, you'll see what we now know as traumas that can produce PTSD.

We are not only aware of what PTSD does to us, we are aware of what our families go through while we suffer.

This research showed that Vietnam Veterans have more marital problems and family violence. Their partners have more distress. Their children have more behavior problems than do those of Veterans without PTSD. Veterans with the most severe symptoms had families with the worst functioning.

We also know that none of it had to happen. As for Vietnam veterans, the research was left out a detail. While it wasn't easy, my husband and I have been married for 40 years. He got help to heal, and so did I. We believed in God, but we also believed in science. Ironically, that's how the people of Salem stopped blaming God and each other when other bad things happened to them.

Kathie Costos author of The Scribe Of Salem, The Visionary Of Salem and 13th Minister Of Salem

Readers' House UK Interview with Kathie Costos

"Costos brings a unique authenticity to her storytelling, providing a voice for those who often go unheard."

26 July 2024
readershouse.co.uk

Kathie Costos discusses her inspiration, research, and creative process in blending historical accuracy, psychological depth, and spiritual exploration in her novels. Throughout our interview, Costos offers insights into her creative process, emphasizing the importance of developing complex characters with rich backstories. For her, storytelling is not just about entertainment but about shining a light on the human experience and the resilience of the human spirit.

In our latest issue of Reader’s House Magazine, we have the pleasure of delving into the creative mind of Kathie Costos, an author whose works blend historical fiction, psychological thriller, and spiritual exploration with a deft hand. Her series, The Ministers of The Mystery, delves into the haunting legacy of the Salem Witch Trials while also exploring the psychological struggles of her characters, particularly regarding PTSD and personal demons.

Costos’ journey into the Salem Witch Trials was born out of a deep curiosity to explore beyond the obvious. In her own words, she shares her fascination with the over 200 accused individuals, their families, and the pervasive fear that gripped the townspeople during that tumultuous time. This exploration forms the perfect backdrop for her gripping narrative. Drawing from over four decades of research and personal experience, particularly as the wife of a veteran dealing with PTSD, infuses her characters with authenticity and depth. She expertly navigates sensitive topics, portraying the psychological struggles of her characters with empathy and understanding.

The Scribe of Salem, one of her acclaimed works, has drawn comparisons to the atmospheric and gothic elements of Edgar Allan Poe’s writing. Yet, Costos manages to balance historical accuracy with crafting a narrative that resonates with modern readers. She reveals how supernatural themes and spiritual exploration intertwine with historical events, offering a fresh perspective on familiar tales.

Her advocacy for veterans and their families shines through in works like For the Love of Jack, where she addresses combat PTSD with insight and compassion. Drawing from her personal experiences, Costos brings a unique authenticity to her storytelling, providing a voice for those who often go unheard.
read the interview here

Read the books from your favorite seller here.

The Scribe Of Salem

The Visionary Of Salem

13th Minister Of Salem

Can voices in your head be a good thing?

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
May 20, 2024

Everyone has voices in their heads. Sometimes they can come to life as we remember things people we love said to us. Unfortunately, the voices can also come from memories of terrible things people said. When you have #PTSD those voices can become the loudest ones we hear. How do we drown them out with the ones we need to hear?

“There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship.” ― Thomas Aquinas

As an author, I don't just hear the voices of people I know. I create the voices of people I wish I knew. They said the things I needed to hear when I was falling apart. My painful memories are poured into them as they confide in someone they trust. Instead of having their pain dismissed, they are comforted the way I wish I was back when the pain was often too much for me. The hope I write about comes from memories of strangers coming to help me, not just heal, but thrive.

One of my best friends told me the night before one of most memorable conversations he was suicidal. I could hear hope in his voice, so I didn't panic but I felt great sadness for him. I asked him why he didn't call me. He said he didn't need to because I was the voice in his head. That is how powerful it is to have a good voice in your head especially when a bad voice is shouting.

“Fear is such a powerful emotion for humans that when we allow it to take us over, it drives compassion right out of our hearts.” ― Thomas Aquinas

We tend to push people away from us when we need them the most. Do we fear they will judge us as being weak or fear they may believe we deserve suffering? Is it safer for us to hide our pain as we can wait it out and magically go back to the way we were before, or is it because we fear we are beyond being helped? While Aquinas was correct, the fact is, it doesn't have to drive compassion out of hearts unless we turn it into a contest.

If we think our suffering is so much greater than someone else we may not feel compassion for them. If we notice how much we have in common, we realize the words that would comfort us and dare speak them to comfort someone else. We may never hear those words spoken to us before they come out of our mouths, but we hear them when we say them, thereby comforting us in return.

Writing The Ministers Of The Mystery series was healing for me because I wrote all the things I wished I had heard someone say to me. Above that, I shared the suffering I feared to share with people I know. As you read The Scribe Of Salem, The Visionary Of Salem, and the 13th Minister Of Salem, you'll find yourself surrounded by friends you wish you had, hear what you wish you had heard, and find power in what you can do for others. You'll find out why you may have felt God wasn't interested in your suffering and then find your way back to Him directly by your spirit.

When you finish reading them, I hope they inspire you to deliver the voices of hope others need to hear and become the good voice in their heads too.

Mental Health Awareness Free eBooks

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
May 7, 2024

May is Mental Health Awareness Month but for us, it is every month. Every month we can become more aware of the power we have within ourselves to Take Back Our Lives from #PTSD and heal. While mental health is not just about PTSD, the only way to join this club is to become a survivor. That's the point we keep missing. There is no reason to feel ashamed of what surviving did to us. No shame in not understanding what it was doing to us or not knowing what it was doing to someone we love. Why? Because no one we knew told us.

Last year I wrote The Scribe Of Salem, The Visionary Of Salem, and 13th Minister Of Salem to change the conversation. The central character turned his suffering into a contest he didn't want to win. It took the efforts of two close veteran friends to open his eyes to the fact that PTSD strikes survivors of all types of life-threatening events. They understood what it took for them to become happier. Everyone else in the books had demons to fight but did not have to fight them alone. They were determined to help Chris as much as they could. In truth, the honest way to put it is life-changing events. It changes your life because you no longer live with daily normality. You are living with becoming a survivor. 

Most people will automatically assume the conversation beginning with the term PTSD will be about veterans. The truth is it happens to millions of people surviving many other events.  It happens to men, women, and children. If they feel ashamed of what surviving did to them, they won't talk about it until we change the conversation and let them know we care about them. 

The other thing most people never hear about are the scriptures they will not hear in church. Because they hold the power to bring people closer to God and discover the spiritual power they were created with, people will realize they don't need someone else to get in the middle. The spiritual battle is one of our most important ones, yet too often is ignored. 

The characters in the books helped him fight against what he was becoming so he could become what he was meant to be. He lost hope. They restored it. He loved God so much that he wanted to become a priest. Then he regarded God as "that He’s a vindictive son of a bitch playing around with people’s lives and making us suffer for fun." Surviving was some sort of punishment. Despite all of his pain, he still cared about being able to help his friends and others. He couldn't see how much compassion he held onto. 

A secret society took action to help him heal. One of them was a woman many called a witch but she was so much more. She opened his eyes and taught him to understand that he was sent to change the conversation from suffering in silence to sharing healing.

I hear your voice on the wind

And I hear you call out my name

"Listen my child," you say to me

"I am the voice of your history

Be not afraid, come follow me

Answer my call and I'll set you free"

I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain

I am the voice of your hunger and pain

I am the voice that always is calling you

I am the voice, I will remain

The Voice Celtic Women

All the characters had their own past struggles and suffered until someone else came to help them heal. They dedicate their lives to doing the same for others. 

The books are supernatural in nature and spiritual because that's what PTSD is. Our events are the horrible parts of our story. Our nightmares are our horror movies. A battle of good vs evil because our spirits filled with all that is good within us, are being treated by the memories of the bad that happened to us. We believe the darkness is all there is because no one showed us the light we can live in again, was there all along. Who we were, what made us "us," is all still there but trapped behind hopelessness.

That is why the ebooks are free for May. It is time for you to see there is so much more possible in your life than you could ever dream of.

Manik Chaturmutha for Readers' Favorite
In The Scribe of Salem: Ministers of the Mystery by Kathie Costos, readers are introduced to Chris Papadopoulos, who has witnessed his fair share of tragedies in life. As a newspaper correspondent, he has traveled the world, including the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. His life fell apart while working there. Back in America, Chris tries to survive as he suffers from trauma. He despises changes since most of them have made his life worse. However, one night at the Bishop Hotel bar in Salem, Chris gets an opportunity to turn his life around. A minister is waiting to help him in New Hampshire, and all he has to do is agree to meet her.
This book goes into great detail about topics not brought to light due to the stigma associated with them. It refers to the Salem witch trials in North America and how people were brutally tortured and executed based on hearsay and gossip. The Scribe of Salem explores themes like PTSD and domestic violence against men in marriage along with the stigma attached to it. It discusses meeting the right people, healing, the light and the darkness, addiction, and mental health. The book emphasizes how important it is to help people recover after trauma in their lives. Kathie Costos also explores feelings of hopelessness and the power within all of us to help one another achieve our life purpose. The book is recommended for those with an interest in mental health.

K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Kathie Costos weaves an engrossing and spine-tingling tale that beautifully blends dark fantasy, gothic fiction, and supernatural horror to deliver the best of all these genres combined. This is an area of history that I’ve read a lot about and enjoyed exploring. I loved the perspective that Costos takes with the idea of secrets, gossip, whispers, and the written word being more dangerous than any otherworldly monster could ever be. The writing style is sharp and focused on the moment at hand, moving quickly through different scenes with swift dialogue that helps keep the pace. Overall, The Scribe of Salem is a work filled right to the brim with intrigue, emotional depth, and historical horror, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the series holds in store.

Cloie Belle Daffon for Readers' Favorite
The first book in the Ministers of the Mystery Series is mysterious, unique, and spiritual. Kathie Costos’ The Scribe of Salem took me on an emotional, healing journey. The characters each have had their struggles. They have all reached a low point in their lives that made them think of giving up but a fateful encounter changes their hearts and minds. I was drawn in by the characters’ struggles and stayed to see how their stories would turn out. None of their journeys have been easy but the characters persevered and pushed through. I greatly admired the strength it took for them to face another day and to continue hoping against adversity. It is hope that allows them to listen for their salvation and see a brighter day. I learned a powerful and unforgettable lesson about faith and hope and the important role it plays when it comes to reclaiming one’s life again. Good job!

Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite
The Scribe of Salem by Kathie Costos is a great start to a new series. It’s an intriguing story, blending fantasy and supernatural horror as it delves deep into the Salem Witch Trials. Plenty of novels are based on the Witch Trials, but none are quite like this. It goes into great, descriptive detail about the horrors faced in those times and touches on other themes, such as domestic violence and PTSD. It’s also about having faith, not just in God, but in yourself and the power of friendship. It is a story of horror but also a story of pain, compassion, and healing, a gripping tale that will draw you into its tight clutches. It’s clear that Kathie Costos has done her research, and her characters are realistic people, easy to identify with, and infinitely likable. This wonderful story would make a great movie, and I highly recommend this author. I am looking forward to reading book two.

Monique Snyman for BookTrib
Kathie Costos was able to craft a wonderful, realistic — albeit terrifying — story that is both memorable and unputdownable. The Scribe of Salem will leave readers wanting more as soon as you close the book. Fortunately, two more titles are planned in the series, which means lovers of the dark and macabre can rest easily … More is on the way, rejoice!

We know these things are true

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
May 2, 2024

The knowledge that it happened to innocent people caused what we know as PTSD because they knew it could happen again...and they could be next.

Going through a hard time has been rough.  I wanted to stop watching the news. It's just too depressing. I've been binge-watching series on Netflix and Amazon to escape reality. (Or at least I try to.) I just finished watching the series Reign on Netflix. It is a great series with good actors. It is also a prime example of how religion has been used by powerful people to get whatever they wanted out of it. It is fascinating that Queen Mary was besieged because of her Catholic faith by Protestants. Both faiths claimed to belong to Jesus yet proved they only used His name. Had they truly followed Him, they would be more interested in what they could give than gain. It is still happening and turning people away from anything religious. The truth is, we have the power within us to stay connected to God without ever having to enter into a building.

“There is no greatness where simplicity, goodness, and truth are absent”

― Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

Reality reminded me of what Tolstoy wrote about "simplicity, goodness, and truth." I wonder where all that is when so many use the need for them to cause the opposite result. 

Over and over again we've seen something good corrupted by others for the power it yields. Their actions never produced good outcomes. It required the actions of good people standing up with good intentions along with bravery to attempt it.

Most of us have encountered people using their beliefs against us. They believe strange things. I've heard that our suffering came from God's judgment against us. Others claimed He was testing us. They believe that "God only gives us what we can handle." That is not as comforting as believing God gives us what we need to handle it. When we survive the cause of our PTSD, we know that help came when we least expected it just as the event came without warning. 

We know these things are true because of our experiences and what we've learned from history.

The Salem Witch trials have been the subject of countless books and movies. What's been missing from the fictional accounts are people finding the courage to take a stand against all of it. History claims that the trials ended because Governor Phips stopped them after his wife was charged.

As accusations of witchcraft spiraled, even Phips' own wife, Lady Mary Phips, was named as a witch. Soon after that, in October of 1692, Phips ordered spectral evidence and testimony would no longer suffice to convict suspects in future trials. Three weeks later Phips prohibited further arrests of witches, released 49 of the 52 of the accused witches still in prison, and dismissed the Court of Oyer and Terminer. In May of 1693, Phips pardoned the remaining suspected witches still in prison.

Religion was used to cover up greed and rhetoric designed to fuel fear was followed up by charges and arrests. History focuses on the 20 people killed but hardly mentions the other 200 arrested, jailed, and tormented before they were released.

During the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft. Twenty of those people were executed, most by hanging. One man was pressed to death under heavy stones, the only such state-sanctioned execution of its kind. Dozens suffered under inhumane conditions as they waited in jail for months without trials; many of the imprisoned were also tortured, and at least one died in jail before the hysteria abated in 1693.

The fictional accounts never compare to the reality of the horrors the people faced during and after the trials ended. Faith was being tested by God but by humans.

In June 1630 the Arbella sailed for New England with 300 English Puritans determined to establish “a Model of Christian Charity.” During the ten-week passage across the Atlantic, passengers were confined to narrow quarters for ten weeks, living on short rations and without comfort. During the following decade, the Great Migration brought nearly 14,000 Puritan settlers, successful, mostly highly educated persons unprepared for the hardships that awaited them. Building a new society in the wilderness while surrounded by wild animals and hostile Indians induced transgenerational trauma and psychological symptoms that we now recognize as post-traumatic stress and mass conversion disorder, culminating in the Salem Witch Trials. (PTSD in the Massachusetts Bay Colony)

The knowledge that it happened to innocent people caused what we know as PTSD because they knew it could happen again...and they could be next. How did all the terror end? People found the courage to stop it. That's the way our suffering ends today. We take a stand to prevent it from inflicting more pain. It begins when we stop being ashamed of what surviving did to us.

We know the pain others are feeling because we remember the pain we felt. We remember what it was like to lose hope that our lives would ever be better than the miserable way we were living. We also remember what it was like finally hearing we were not alone because others spoke up about what they were going through. We remember what it was like when someone helped us heal because they remembered what it was like for them.

We want to feel as if we belong so we seek out others. Are they the wrong ones? Yes, if you are trying to find people who will understand you, but have yet to learn about what you're going through. Trying to fit in with them should wait until you've healed. Seek out others in the club no one wants to belong to but needs to be there as survivors. They will help you heal so that PTSD does not control your whole life and you can help others too.

That's why I wrote the Ministers Of The Mystery series. For May, all three are being offered for free as ebooks. All I ask is that if you find hope for yourself and a greater understanding of how much power you do have within you, is that you leave a review and pass it on to others because you know what they are going through too. 

The Scribe Of Salem

The Visionary Of Salem

13th Minister Of Salem

"He’s a strong character with plenty of demons to fight"

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 8, 2023

Sometimes a book review comes in and leaves me feeling honored. This one did because of this part, "He’s a strong character with plenty of demons to fight," and it sums up a message I've been trying to send out to the universe about what having #PTSD is like. It is our own horror story, that's for sure but it is also part of a much bigger story. Supernatural forces not only saved us but help heal us if we know how to see them.

Readers' Favorite 5-star reviews

 

For immediate release:

Author's new book receives a warm literary welcome.

Readers' Favorite announces the review of the Fiction - Supernatural book "13th Minister Of Salem" by Kathie Costos, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BNGD2273.

Readers' Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon and Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the "Best Websites for Authors" and "Honoring Excellence" awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.

"Reviewed By Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite

Kathie Costos continues her series with the 13th Minister of Salem: Ministers of the Mystery. Chris is now famous beyond anything he ever imagined and cannot go out

without a security detail. Death threats from Haman Cain’s cult abound after Chris took him down, and his books have brought him prominence that he doesn’t welcome. All he wants is a normal life, but something is coming that even he may not be able to stop. Planning his wedding and hoping for normality, Chris receives a warning from the Master, telling him his time may soon be up. What will transpire and can Chris ever live a normal life again?

Kathie Costos expands on Chris and his journey in 13th Minister of Salem and it is a great addition to a supernatural series filled with plenty of suspense. Chris’s growth has been solid throughout the series and that doesn’t change in this installment. He’s a strong character with plenty of demons to fight, and each battle takes a bit more out of him. The remaining role players are equally well-developed and are easy to relate to. This is not a story for the faint-hearted, nor is it for younger readers. It’s a dark tale, with adult scenes, and will send chills down your spine in places. Like the other books in the series, this is full of action, and it’s all go from the start. If you’ve read the rest of the series, you’ll love this book. It should not be regarded as a standalone as you will need the background from the first two books to understand this one."

You can learn more about Kathie Costos and "13th Minister Of Salem" at https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/13th-minister-of-salem where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.

Readers' Favorite LLC
Media Relations
Louisville, KY 40202 800-RF-REVIEW support@readersfavorite.com https://readersfavorite.com

You can also find the 13th Minister Of Salem here at Books2Read for an ebook and print copy you can hold in your hands, turning pages for the twists and turns as well as what you don't expect will come next!

We have twists and turns we don't expect, but that's also how PTSD hits us. We don't expect the cause of it to happen and when it does, that is the first twist in our life. I view surviving as a supernatural force getting involved and saving me. Some view the inflictor of the trauma as coming from supernatural forces from the dark side. Sadder still is when the inflictor is seen as being sent by God to judge us and punish us. It sure as hell doesn't help heal us when we hear someone say they believe God only gives us what we can handle. They didn't just tell us they think what happened to us was sent by God, but in their minds, that's what they believe. Is that how they see us? Worthy of being a victim of what happened to us instead of seeing us as a survivor for a reason?

In the Ministers Of The Mystery series, I wanted to tell a story that most of us need to hear but never seem to have told to us. The first book, The Scribe Of Salem begins with the way surviving always does. With confusion, spiritual struggles, and losing hope. Things begin to change when we learn to trust others again and they try to help us. We learn from others that have been where we are until other people helped them.

The Visionary Of Salem picks up where The Scribe ended as lives are still changing with new challenges and a darker tone of the world around the characters. Instead of an invisible enemy to fight, there are real-life inflictors of trauma. Cults do battle as the inflictor goes after Chris and his secret society of master ministers fight more fiercely to take the inflictor down before he destroys Chris.

"What if" something else happened at the same time?

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 1, 2023

Have you learned something happened and wondered "What if" something else happened at the same time? If you read the Ministers Of The Mystery Series, you might have begun to wonder more "what ifs" about a lot of other things.

13th Minister Of Salem Reviews

The question for me began when I was growing up near Salem. I can't tell you how many days I was there considering I lived in a city right next to it. I remembered going to the tourist area where the city blended the terrible history of the witchcraft trials with entertainment. Everywhere you look something terrible was turned into something profitable.

I would get sick to my stomach seeing families lining up to put their heads and hands in the stalks, smiling and laughing while someone took their picture. I always wondered if they thought about what the people of Salem endured that was behind what the tourists were enjoying? Did they ever think about them?

The Salem Witch Trials Memorial: Finding Humanity in Tragedy is a fabulous article to read.

Salem’s witch trials were the largest and deadliest in North American history. Over the course of a year and a half, nineteen people were hanged and one man was brutally tortured to death. Though popularly referred to as “the Salem witch trials,” accusations had spread throughout Essex County and beyond. In total, between 150 and 200 people were imprisoned, ranging in age from four to eighty-one years old. At least five died in jail, including the infant daughter of convicted Sarah Good.

None of the accused were “witches,” defined in the seventeenth century as one who had sold their soul to the devil. Instead, it was a crime often lodged against social outsiders within a community.

Had any of them been what they were accused of, there is no way in hell they would have allowed themselves to be captured and tortured, but that never dawned on the pious crowd screaming for their death. The amazing thing is, the only way to prove the accused were witches was if they survived attempts to kill them. Yet again, it never dawned on the mob that those they put to death must have in fact been innocent since they died. What if they noticed that fact?

What if the church folk claiming to follow Christ, making them Christians actually followed what He taught instead of what they wanted to do? What if they followed the scriptures instead of preachers spewing hatred and contempt? After all, they all had Bibles in their hands and could have read the holy words by themselves so they'd know what was in the pages they would never hear uttered in church.

Today it is almost as if those dark days have returned to haunt all of us. Some people claim their religious freedom is being attacked because they do not want others to have the same freedom to disagree with what they believe. Imagine that! If they want to be free to choose for themselves that would require all people to have that same right, but again, those seeking to control others, never see that simple fact.

If you have PTSD have you ever wondered "What if," something happened at the same time the life-changing event happened to you? What if someone was trying to prevent it? What if that voice in your head heard words from the supernatural world trying to warn you? What if after you survived there were more voices competing for your attention from that world only this time, the voices came from God and Satan at the same time?

The 13th Minister Of Salem is not about those standing in judgment during the witch trials. It is about a secret society trying to prevent evil from taking over again. It is about defeating evil by doing good and opening the eyes, hearts, and minds of people being tortured by the actions of others. It is about the horror of the events that cause #PTSD within us and the empowerment friends offer us by helping us.

All of the characters are survivors from different causes but the thing is, as they struggle to help the protagonist heal, more traumatic events find them just as their battles are coming to a head. Will they find victory over evil or will they fail to see the prophecy come true?

K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite ***** Penned by Kathie Costos, 13th Minister Of Salem is a work in the supernatural horror, suspense, and gothic drama subgenres, forming the third installment in the Ministers Of The Mystery series. It is best suited to mature adult readers owing to its dark content and adult situations. In this profoundly intriguing continuation of the series, we find ourselves back with Chris as word of his achievements and talents has spread, but this only leads to more trouble for our hero. Trying to get married would be hard enough without the constant death threats from the cult of the now-defeated Haman Cain, let alone the Master’s warning that his end-time is drawing near.

Kathie Costos brings us back into the world of gothic suspense, deep drama, and a chilling thriller with a bang in this third installment in the series. I found myself deeply involved in Chris’s psychological storyline. We see the painfully realistic damage that his adventures, battles, and triumphs have left him with over the events of the first two novels. I felt his pain, isolation, and pressure deep in my soul; such is the efficacy of Costos’s intimate narrative, thought, and speech portrayal. The darkest elements of the work are also well-handled to avoid being gratuitous but remain chilling to the core. I recommend 13th Minister Of Salem to fans of the existing series as another accomplished paranormal chiller to devour.

"Can Chris ever live a normal life again?

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
June 16, 2023

"If you’ve read the rest of the series, you’ll love this book."

13th Minister Of Salem can be found here at Books2Read in eBook and print. It can also be found on Amazon.

Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite *****

Kathie Costos continues her series with the 13th Minister of Salem: Ministers of the Mystery. Chris is now famous beyond anything he ever imagined and cannot go out without a security detail. Death threats from Haman Cain’s cult abound after Chris took him down, and his books have brought him prominence that he doesn’t welcome. All he wants is a normal life, but something is coming that even he may not be able to stop. Planning his wedding and hoping for normality, Chris receives a warning from the Master, telling him his time may soon be up. What will transpire and can Chris ever live a normal life again?

Kathie Costos expands on Chris and his journey in 13th Minister of Salem and it is a great addition to a supernatural series filled with plenty of suspense. Chris’s growth has been solid throughout the series and that doesn’t change in this installment. He’s a strong character with plenty of demons to fight, and each battle takes a bit more out of him. The remaining role players are equally well-developed and are easy to relate to. This is not a story for the faint-hearted, nor is it for younger readers. It’s a dark tale, with adult scenes, and will send chills down your spine in places. Like the other books in the series, this is full of action, and it’s all go from the start. If you’ve read the rest of the series, you’ll love this book. It should not be regarded as a standalone as you will need the background from the first two books to understand this one.

When I read the review from Anne-Marie Reynolds, it hit me when she asked, "...can Chris ever live a normal life again?" If you have #PTSD, you may have been asking the same question.  Most of the people I've met over the years asked that question. What we all missed was that this is normal for us. It will never be 100% the way it was. Some of it may remain difficult for a long time but other things can become so much more than we ever imagined that they could.

I hope by the time you finish this series, you'll understand that the only limits on what you can become after surviving the cause of PTSD, no matter what it was, are the limits you place on yourself.

13th Minister Of Salem "delivers a satisfying reading experience"

"Costos once again demonstrates her ability to deliver a satisfying reading experience."

Reviewed by Parul Sood for Readers’ Favorite
Review Rating: 4 Stars

Kathie Costos's 13th Minister Of Salem, the third installment in the Ministers Of The Mystery series, immerses readers in a world of supernatural horror, suspense, and dark drama. In this intriguing continuation of the series, we are reunited with Chris, the protagonist whose talents and achievements have garnered attention but, unfortunately, also attracted trouble. Threatened by the lingering cult of the now-defeated Haman Cain, his attempts to marry become overshadowed by constant death threats. To make matters worse, the Master's warning about his impending end-time further adds to the mounting pressure. As Chris's battles escalate, the fame accompanying his books brings unwanted attention and danger. Death threats and an unexpected shooting test his resilience and determination to overcome adversity. The Master Ministers, ever vigilant, stand ready to protect Chris from the forces of darkness that seek to destroy him, highlighting his pivotal role in the ongoing battle between good and evil.

In 13th Minister Of Salem, Kathie Costos skillfully plunges readers into gothic suspense, drama, and chilling thrills. The psychological storyline captivates and resonates deeply as readers witness the realistic damage inflicted upon Chris by his previous adventures and battles. Costos's intimate narrative portrayal effectively conveys Chris's pain, isolation, and the mounting pressure he experiences. Handling the story's darkest elements is expertly executed, evoking a bone-chilling sensation while avoiding gratuitousness. The story is a compelling paranormal thriller that continues to showcase Costos's prowess in crafting an engaging narrative. Fans of the series will find themselves deeply involved in the twists and turns of Chris's journey. With its compelling narrative, intimately portrayed characters, and exploration of challenging beliefs, this paranormal suspense novel is a must-read for fans and enthusiasts of the genre. Costos once again demonstrates her ability to deliver a satisfying reading experience.

When I started writing the series, among the many goals, was to tell a story about what few can imagine. 

It had to tell a horror story since that is how #PTSD begins. One second your life consists of living day to day with the usual problems everyone else has. Then it changes without warning sending you into your own horror story as you struggle with surviving.

It had to be a story about peer support giving hope that healing is possible by someone willing to be an example of what seems impossible.

It had to be a story about the Witch Trials that tells an alternative story focused on what few have considered.

It had to be a story about how to use spiritual gifts. Separating "religious" divisions and focusing on uniting spirituality. 

Most of all, it had to tell the stories of other survivors of the traumas that cause PTSD because too many have been led to believe that it only happens to veterans of war. This is a war that millions find themselves fighting every year. Once we all see how, while the cause may be different, the struggle of survivorship is universal.

UPDATE

Another review came in on the 13th Minister Of Salem

Reviewed by Essien Asian for Readers' Favorite *****

With book sales doing well and his adversary Cain finally behind bars, everything looks like it can only get better for Chris, but as he continues his agenda to spread the gospel with his friend's help, he realizes a horrible truth. Cain may be gone, but his warped followers walk free with a grudge they bear toward Chris. When he is attacked by one of the zealots, Chris comes to a crossroads in his journey where he must decide how best to continue the work of God despite the mounting dangers to himself and his loved ones. What is the best way forward when the biggest obstacle is in your mind? Find out what he chooses in 13th Minister Of Salem by Kathie Costos.

Chris Papadopoulos continues his journey of self-discovery in the series' second book. Kathie Costos creates a storyline that sees her principal character make breakthroughs in his personal life and efforts to spread the gospel, similar to the travails of the apostles. Costos takes a firm stand in her position against the growing trend of the tolerance of sin in the church, with the quasi-Christianity topic featuring prominently. The supporting characters in the plot maintain that depth in their creation that I associate with Costos's eye for attention to even the least obvious details, and their conversations come across smoothly enough for the reader to follow. The best part of this novel for me has to be the romantic subplot coming full circle as Grace finds answers to the puzzle surrounding her life and the way it factors into her growing relationship with Chris. Kathie Costos's 13th Minister Of Salem is an all-around satisfying reading experience I am sure everyone will enjoy.

I love this review but feel the need to explain something the reviewer focused on. 

Are you tired of churches more interested in getting your money than delivering what Jesus taught? Do they preach about those they want you to hate, or do they preach about mercy, love, compassion, and tolerance? Do they condemn or do they show how you can be forgiven? Above all, do they preach about how Jesus taught that we should go to the Father directly and pray through the spirit because God is the spirit?

If they did then you'd totally understand that is the "image" of God and is within all of us. That He started one assembly that was not a building but a gathering of people. That we should be kind and understanding knowing that we should do for others the same way we ask God to do for us when we pray to Him. That we should, no matter what, value truth so that we do not fall prey to the father of lies.

It doesn't matter if you go to a church or not, or any other religious building. It does matter that if you claim to be a follower of His, then you should try to do what He preached about and not some man-made rules that cause division and hatred of others with the Spirit of God within them too. 

13th Minister Of Salem "accomplished paranormal chiller to devour."

There are many goals authors have when they write a book. By the time we're finished, we hope we achieved everything we intended to do. When the 13th Minister Of Salem was finished, I was satisfied with the results. I hoped someone else would feel the same way. After all, it's a big book with 328 pages.

I wanted to tell stories we all know differently to, not only change the conversation but to help people see how much power they have within themself to make a difference. That put the 13th Minister Of Salem into what publishers consider a genre-bender.

genre-bending (uncountable) The subversion of tropes associated with a particular artistic genre or the synthesis of multiple genres.

I always viewed myself as a heretic while my older brother called me a witch. There is an ongoing joke in my family centered on this including being given a baby broom in the crib. When our daughter was little and we were taking a trip to Salem, she said we were going to visit my relatives. I had to remind her that if they were mine, then they were hers too. 

Salem has always been close to my heart and so was my spiritual connection to God. I viewed the history of the witch accusations in a different way from the rest of my family. I couldn't just look at all the horror inflicted upon innocent people. I had to see past the suffering to consider what happened when people stood up against the mob rule and put the trials to an end. That was a goal I had to achieve.

I attended the church my family went to, but I reached out to God more often on my own. Yes, I am Christian, because I do believe Jesus was and is the Son Of God. I do not agree with the division of what He started with all the manmade rules. Churchgoers tend to see their chosen affiliation as the only right one. All that is fine because God gave all of us free will to make our own choices. 

In the process of all this, I read the Bible on my own and found it filled with love, power, and many things I never heard preached in church. Sharing what is there few have heard was another goal I wanted to accomplish.

There were several others along with wanting to expand the target audience, but not the reason you may be expecting. I wanted to reach more people to let them know something else that society has gotten wrong. The survivors of events causing PTSD are not what they think they are. They are not all veterans. They are not someone to feel sorry for. They don't have to feel helpless or hopeless. They are not weak. They are not defective or any other label they have been given especially the victim label. They, including me, are survivors!

Considering the review I received from Readers' Favorite, I achieved what I set out to do. I cried when I read it because I also achieved more than I hoped for!

Marketability: 5

Marketability refers to how effectively you wrote your book for your target audience. Authors may include content that is above or below the understanding of their target reader, or include concepts, opinions, or language that can accidentally confuse or alienate some readers. Although by its nature this rating is very subjective, a very low rating here and poor reviews may indicate an issue with your book in this area.

Overall Opinion: 5

The overall starred rating takes into account all these elements and describes the overall reading experience of your reviewer. This is the official Readers' Favorite review rating for your book.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite 5-stars

"I recommend 13th Minister Of Salem to fans of the existing series as another accomplished paranormal chiller to devour."

Penned by Kathie Costos, 13th Minister Of Salem is a work in the supernatural horror, suspense, and gothic drama subgenres, forming the third installment in the Ministers Of The Mystery series. It is best suited to mature adult readers owing to its dark content and adult situations. In this profoundly intriguing continuation of the series, we find ourselves back with Chris as word of his achievements and talents has spread, but this only leads to more trouble for our hero. Trying to get married would be hard enough without the constant death threats from the cult of the now-defeated Haman Cain, let alone the Master’s warning that his end-time is drawing near.

Kathie Costos brings us back into the world of gothic suspense, deep drama, and a chilling thriller with a bang in this third installment in the series. 

I found myself deeply involved in Chris’s psychological storyline. We see the painfully realistic damage that his adventures, battles, and triumphs have left him with over the events of the first two novels. 

I felt his pain, isolation, and pressure deep in my soul; such is the efficacy of Costos’s intimate narrative, thought, and speech portrayal. 

The darkest elements of the work are also well-handled to avoid being gratuitous but remain chilling to the core. I recommend 13th Minister Of Salem to fans of the existing series as another accomplished paranormal chiller to devour.

Discover more here 

We either choose to act out of evil or to act out of love

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
April 11, 2023

There comes a time when all of us need to open our eyes so we can see what causes us to believe what we do. That time should come as soon as we are no longer children. We either choose to act out of evil or to act out of love. 

Today I see far too much evil being supported by people I know. I refuse to believe they are evil. I believe they have simply closed their eyes. I do believe that the NRA has been operating for evil purposes, putting profits and power over everything, and everyone else. While they inflict fear into the minds of gun owners that their rights will be taken away, the rest of the people in this country are inflicted with fear that no matter where we go, no place is safe. 

Discover more at Books2Read 

Some friends of mine are turning against all gun owners, even though most of the owners want limits on who should have the right to have them. They wonder why responsible, law-abiding citizens do not stand up and demand members of Congress do something to stop the slaughter of kids going to school, people going to work, and in the community after community feeling as if they cannot even attend events or even houses of worship.

I believe the goodness within gun owners lives within their souls. They just don't know what to do to use the power they have for the sake of what is right.

So far this year, there have been 11,630 deaths by guns. 6,666 of them were suicides. Another 8,895 were injured. There were 146 mass shootings and 14 mass murders. 71 children below the age of 12 are gone and 404 children from 12-17 are gone. You can read more grim facts from Gun Violence Archive.

While we cannot prevent all gun deaths, as long as there are guns, we can reduce the ability to murder as many as possible, as fast as possible.

Kids are supposed to listen to their teachers. They are supposed to be listening to their parents. They are supposed to be listening to their friends. They are not supposed to have to listen to something like this in far too many cases it is the last sound they hear.

How many kids will spend the rest of their lives with #PTSD because of what could have, and should have been prevented, when we can't even manage to take care of adults now?

While non-gun owners no longer feel safe, a lot of gun owners don't feel safe either but they have been convinced that their only solution is to arm themselves. After all, the NRA stops Congress from taking action, and that fear increases gun sales. Having more people with more guns increases gun sales. Causing the thought of fear the owners will have their guns taken away, increasing gun sales, and even more, money going to the NRA so they can support politicians who will serve them.

"We also have a responsibility to help keep our families and communities safe. Right now, we’re facing a real crisis in America: too many are losing their lives or loved ones to gun violence. But the vast majority of gun owners agree that there are responsible measures we can take to save lives." Gilford's

The 13th Minister Of Salem is about being unwilling to accept the premise that gun owners are all evil. The problem is when evil people get guns to slaughter others because good ones do nothing. A man, who at one time was a good preacher, decided to kill Chris for speaking the truth.  So why was his mind fixed on that instead of leaving it up to God to handle? Why would he be so willing to support a liar, a thief, and a child rapist, that he was willing to kill for him? I wonder why so many good people are willing to support those that do not value life enough to make sure evil people are not able to get their hands on weapons intended to slaughter?

Chris was struggling with writing his new book about kids and gun violence when he was shot because he was hated for doing what he was created to do with love and compassion. He wanted to give hope to others because he knew what it was like to lose all hope until others gave him back more hope than he ever dared to dream of.

Chris's battles were growing. He was learning the hard way to be careful about what he wished for. He became so famous that he had to hire security just to go out in public. After taking down Haman Cain, he was getting death threats from his cult. He hated the fame his books brought him, as much as he hated the changes coming non-stop. The series from his first book, making wedding plans were only the beginning of his torment. He was shot and feared he'd never be able to use his hand again.

Master Ministers were on high alert and ready to battle the dark forces gathering to destroy Chris. The book forces of darkness feared most of all was in his hands.

The worst came when he received a Master Minister of the Mystery warning. "Dark forces are already at work writing your wedding dirge. Your assailant has been chosen but so has your avenger."

That is how the 13th Minister Of Salem begins. It is the 3rd book in the Ministers Of The Mystery series. I wrote them because I am damn tired. Tired of hearing people claim to be Christians when there is nothing they do that proves they follow Jesus. They lie, support, and cover up for other liars. They claim their faith is being challenged because others do not want to have their own faiths controlled by them. They quote scriptures from the Old Testament while avoiding the New Testament which is all about the life and teachings of Jesus. I came to expect no less from the quasi-Christians regarding the Bible as a deli menu, so they can pick and choose what they want to digest while avoiding anything that would leave a bad taste in their mouths.

When they seek to control what others do in their personal lives, that is not what Jesus taught. Screaming and supporting reprehensible people, calling themselves pro-life does not prove they are Christian. It proves they are pro-birth and want the power to control it by taking away the rights of others. Once a birth happens, they have nothing to actually do themselves, other than pat themselves on the back.

The Ministers Of The Mystery series is based on scriptures they ignore because they do not fit into their narrow view of what Jesus taught. Most of the time with the way things have been, I kept thinking about the Salem Witchcraft Trials and how it was caused by pure hatred among those who claimed to be Christian against innocent people. The thing is, Jesus warned all of us that what they say does not prove what they believe. It is what they do that proves it. 

When lawmakers defend guns above the targets of mass murderers, it proves what they are. When they blame people with mental illness, that does not make someone a mass murderer or evil, yet have no problem with letting them get weapons to kill as many as possible, as fast as possible, it proves what they are.

So much has been accepted because people fail to prove what it is they value and love.  So what is it you really value? Are you willing to risk your own children by sending them to school when it could happen to them? Are you willing to risk the lives of your family going anywhere in public? I've heard some say that they want guns to protect themselves. What good is your handgun when you are face-to-face with a murderer with an AR-15 and in full body armor? What good does it do to have a gun at home when your child is in school?

You can read Ministers Of The Mystery Series for free March 5-11

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
March 3, 2023

When friends and family told me what they thought about the Ministers Of The Mystery series, it made me feel good, but honestly, there was that tiny nagging thought they praised the books because they love me. When strangers praise the work, that is what every author wants to hear.

I don't know if my readers know what it is like to spend so much time crafting a story, putting it into a manuscript, editing, re-editing, and publishing the work. It is hard and lonely. (I am grateful I love to read as much as I do, but now I appreciated the authors more than ever before.) Then there are endless days doing whatever we can to figure out how to get people to find the books. It is draining, emotionally and financially.

So why would any author give the work away? Because the point is to share the work so that others can see the world through the eyes of the author.

Yesterday I received two reviews from Readers' Favorite and, honestly stunned by the 5 Star rating from one of the reviewers. The other gave it 4 Stars, and I am grateful to the reviewers that nailed the message of the books from different directions. (Update there are now 4 reviews)

LOOK BELOW FOR THE LINKS!

The series is free starting Sunday. If you read these books, please let me know what you think with a review on @Smashwords.

The Scribe Of Salem eBook is free on Smashwords from March 5-11

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite 5 Stars

The Scribe of Salem by Kathie Costos is a historical supernatural suspense story, the first edition in the Ministers of the Mystery series, and best suited to an adult audience. In this thrilling work filled with fantasy, magic, secrets, and scripture, we are introduced to the brutal and needless violence of the Salem Witch Trials from an interesting new perspective. Journalist Chris Papadopoulos is our central figure, and he thinks he’s already had his fair share of personal and professional horrors in the risky life he’s chosen to lead. But no modern-day warzone could compare with what awaits him in Salem and the minister he will have to deal with once there.

Kathie Costos weaves an engrossing and spine-tingling tale that beautifully blends dark fantasy, gothic fiction, and supernatural horror to deliver the best of all these genres combined. This is an area of history that I’ve read a lot about and enjoyed exploring. I loved the perspective that Costos takes with the idea of secrets, gossip, whispers, and the written word being more dangerous than any otherworldly monster could ever be. The writing style is sharp and focused on the moment at hand, moving quickly through different scenes with swift dialogue that helps keep the pace. Overall, The Scribe of Salem is a work filled right to the brim with intrigue, emotional depth, and historical horror, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the series holds in store.

Reviewed by Manik Chaturmutha for Readers' Favorite 5 Stars

In The Scribe of Salem: Ministers of the Mystery by Kathie Costos, readers are introduced to Chris Papadopoulos, who has witnessed his fair share of tragedies in life. As a newspaper correspondent, he has traveled the world, including the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. His life fell apart while working there. Back in America, Chris tries to survive as he suffers from trauma. He despises changes since most of them have made his life worse. However, one night at the Bishop Hotel bar in Salem, Chris gets an opportunity to turn his life around. A minister is waiting to help him in New Hampshire, and all he has to do is agree to meet her.

This book goes into great detail about topics not brought to light due to the stigma associated with them. It refers to the Salem witch trials in North America and how people were brutally tortured and executed based on hearsay and gossip. The Scribe of Salem explores themes like PTSD and domestic violence against men in marriage along with the stigma attached to it. It discusses meeting the right people, healing, the light and the darkness, addiction, and mental health. The book emphasizes how important it is to help people recover after trauma in their lives. Kathie Costos also explores feelings of hopelessness and the power within all of us to help one another achieve our life purpose. The book is recommended for those with an interest in mental health.

Reviewed by Jessica Barbosa for Readers' Favorite 5 Stars

The Scribe of Salem by Kathie Costos is a supernatural story and the first part of the Ministers of the Mystery series. When everything seems to go wrong in life, is it still possible to be saved? Chris Papadopoulos has seen war and death. He has experienced being hurt and there are days when everything is just too much to handle. His marriage destroyed his life and there is anger and regret in him. He can't see what could be better about the future. His friends present him with an opportunity to be saved. They urge him to meet someone who has helped them when they were at the lowest point in their lives. Things soon begin to look up for Chris but he is terrified. The only thing change has ever done is hurt him. He does not know what the future holds for him but he still doubts that it will be anything good. God has other plans. 

In this story, I was struck by the words of the character Alex Michaels: “If love could still live after all that horror, love could live in anyone." The start of The Scribe of Salem by Kathie Costos taught me about the importance of compassion and support from friends and even strangers. This is a heartrending and powerful tale of pain and healing. Mysterious forces are at work to give Chris the saving he deserves after the nightmare life he has experienced. I appreciate how this story does not shy away from the pain of trauma. Costos portrays Chris’s suffering succinctly and with great emotional depth. Chris is careful and tries not to be too hopeful that he too will have a chance at a happier life and that broke my heart. As I read through his and many other characters' stories, I could not help but cheer them on and wish them the best. This first book of the series was a journey of change and hope with an interesting twist and many important lessons to learn. I learned that the past may be painful but acknowledging the pain is important and it takes great strength to focus on the future and move forward with hope and love in our hearts. Overall, I found this to be an excellent and unforgettable read.

Reviewed by Cloie Belle Daffon for Readers' Favorite 4 Stars

Christopher Papadopoulos’ marriage and career have died. It is only a matter of time before he does too. He thinks God is someone vindictive who loves playing with people’s lives and making them suffer for fun. His life so far is proof enough of that. But after talking with his friends about his troubles and hearing their optimism about life, despite their fair share of tragedies, he doesn't know what to think. They are all saved from giving up on life by someone named Mandy. His pals think it is time for him to take his life back and agree that he should meet Mandy too. But who is Mandy? How can she help him when he can barely help himself? Read The Scribe of Salem by Kathie Costos to find out.

The first book in the Ministers of the Mystery Series is mysterious, unique, and spiritual. Kathie Costos’ The Scribe of Salem took me on an emotional, healing journey. The characters each have had their struggles. They have all reached a low point in their lives that made them think of giving up but a fateful encounter changes their hearts and minds. I was drawn in by the characters’ struggles and stayed to see how their stories would turn out. None of their journeys have been easy but the characters persevered and pushed through. I greatly admired the strength it took for them to face another day and to continue hoping against adversity. It is hope that allows them to listen for their salvation and see a brighter day. I learned a powerful and unforgettable lesson about faith and hope and the important role it plays when it comes to reclaiming one’s life again. Good job!

Review by Monique Snyman BookTrib

In The Scribe of Salem: Ministers of the Mystery, the first book in the Ministers of the Mystery series, Kathie Costos takes readers on a wild fictional journey that has one foot in reality. Filled with suspense, historical intrigue, magic and scripture, get ready for an edge-of-your-seat novel that’ll leave you wanting more.

Excellent Research and Superb Characters

Kathie Costos did some excellent research into the Salem Witch Trials, which will help spark readers’ memories on the tragic events that had occurred during the Puritanical days of the USA. What’s more, her writing draws readers into the story so vigorously that even someone who has never been to Salem can get a sense of the area and its rich history.

Readers will also appreciate the tragic characters that Kathie Costos crafted. Each character has a backstory, a darkness that surrounds them. They try to get rid of that lingering shadow, yes, but it’s always there. This, paired with the author’s atmospheric writing, turns The Scribe of Salem into an almost modern-gothic novel that is in the same vein as Edgar Allan Poe’s works.

Luckily, It’s Not the End

Kathie Costos was able to craft a wonderful, realistic — albeit terrifying — story that is both memorable and unputdownable. The Scribe of Salem will leave readers wanting more as soon as you close the book. Fortunately, two more titles are planned in the series, which means lovers of the dark and macabre can rest easily … More is on the way, rejoice!

Review from a reader of The Scribe Of Salem on Barnes and Noble

 

The Visionary Of Salem eBook is free on Smashwords from March 5-11
13th Minister Of Salem eBook free on Smashwords from March 5-11

Ministers Of The Mystery Series Ebook Week 2023 from March 5-11

I'm excited to announce my book, Ministers Of The Mystery Series will be promoted as part of a special sale on @Smashwords to celebrate Read an Ebook Week 2023 from March 5-11. Be sure to follow me for more updates and links to the promotion for my books and many more! #ebookweek23 #Smashwords #witches #secretsociety #supernaturalthriller

Why am I doing this? Because I believe these books can change the way you look at the world around you as much as you look at yourself in a more powerful way. All is not what it appears to be and that includes the people you think you know. They all have their own secrets and struggles. So do all the characters in these books.

I am offering them for free and only ask you to leave a review. I am writing the 4th part and value your opinion.

The Scribe Of Salem

The Visionary Of Salem

13th Minister Of Salem