Amelia Cotter is an author, poet, and storyteller with a special interest in the supernatural, history, and folklore. Her books include This House: The True Story of a Girl and a Ghost, Maryland Ghosts: Paranormal Encounters in the Free State, and the children’s book Breakfast with Bigfoot.

Amelia is also an award-winning poet whose work explores the themes of alienation, isolation, and anxiety, often incorporating supernatural elements. Her poetry and short fiction have appeared in journals like Barren Magazine, Frogpond, Modern Haiku, The Heron’s Nest, tinywords, and many others.

Amelia has appeared on various radio and television programs, including Travel Channel’s Hometown Horror, and in the documentaries Scary Stories and Tinker’s Shadow: The Hidden History of Tinker Swiss Cottage. She also appeared as a regular cast member on Really Channel’s The R.I.P. Files.

Amelia lives and writes in Chicago but is originally from Maryland, where she earned a degree in German and History from Hood College. She has given tours with Chicago Hauntings ghost tours and was the official jewelry model for the Chicago-based fair trade company Sandpiper Imports. Amelia regularly presents at conferences and events, and is a member of The Society of Midland Authors.

All this, and Amelia has a day job, too. She has worked for more than a decade in museum and nonprofit management, and has volunteered for a number of animal welfare and wildlife conservation organizations and projects. She loves traveling and has lived abroad in Germany. She also loves the outdoors and has hiked around many parts of the U.S., as well as braved the rainforests of Nicaragua and Ecuador. Amelia loves animals and has a dog named Oskar and five snakes. Amelia also sings and plays the banjo. Her neighbors love her.

Amelia is a cancer survivor (Stage IV Hodgkin lymphoma), and a mental and physical wellness advocate, who appreciates every minute of her “supernatural” career. She enjoys all of her adventures with her husband and best friend, recording engineer and photographer Jonathan Montgomery Pollock.