Publication Date: January 7, 2025
“A supernatural story of love, friendship, and discovery that’s heartwarming and frightening… engaging, sweet, and realistic all at once.” – Kirkus (Recommends Get It!)
Heartstopper meets Haunting of Hill House in this queer coming-of-age romance and ghost story.
Cameron can’t believe the boy of his dreams just moved into the house of his nightmares.
Sixteen-year-old Cameron Walsh dreads the haunted Victorian mansion across the street, where the ghost of the White Lady roams the halls. When he sees her through the bay window, his ghost-hunting friend Abby wants to investigate. But then the new owners pull up, and Cameron is captivated by the brooding, handsome boy moving in. He longs for a boyfriend, but years of bullying have shattered his self-esteem.
Sixteen-year-old Hugo Cruz and his father flip old houses, moving often, fleeing from the grief at the loss of Hugo’s mother. They unknowingly move into the most haunted house in Port Townsend, Washington. From day one, Hugo encounters shadows that move by themselves, locked doors without keys, and hidden rooms. He hides the mysteries from his superstitious father, not wanting to uproot their lives.
When the White Lady becomes impossible to ignore, Hugo turns to Cameron to help uncover the house’s dark history. They soon form a bond that goes beyond friendship, but as their feelings deepen, the White Lady’s wrath intensifies. Entangled in a web of sinister secrets, they risk not only their love but their very existence.
Paul Michael Winters has written another winning coming-of-age story. The Haunting Between Us pulls together the best of high school and the worst of a haunted house. What young adult wouldn’t want to check that out?
Cameron is comfortable with who he is, although his dad hasn’t quite accepted the fact that he likes guys. His mom and even his big brother are supportive, and he has the best inclusive group of friends. What could be better as a high schooler? Maybe a cute guy moving in across the street could amp things up!
There is only one problem: the cute guy Hugo has moved into the house that is not only known to be haunted but once caught Cameron in its’ evil power, and he has scars to show for it! Everyone in town is aware of the spirit of The White Lady, so it is shocking to find anyone has dared to disturb her home, which has been avoided for decades.
Anyone eager for friendship, understanding, and love will be drawn into the rapport of Cameron’s group. They root for each other and show up when it really matters. The established and newly developing couplings are written with honest attraction and respect. This character development is a true gift of writer Paul Michael Winters. Many young adult novels highlight physical attraction only. However, Mr. Winters’ ability to demonstrate vulnerability and young excitement while allowing the characters to display respect is genuinely unique in this genre. It should be noted that scenes were set up as fade-to-black, but some included heavy sexual innuendos.
Now, onto the HAUNTING; it is not gore nor keep-you-up-for-days terror, but it will keep you reading and make you jump at any bumps in the night as you won’t want to put this down well into the wee hours of the night. The storyline is unique, and the unveiling of the ghosts is an almost whodunit.
The Haunting Between Us is filled with frightful scenes for a vivid, wickedly good ghost story, another edge-of-your-seat novel by Paul Michael Winters.  
Paul is a lifelong creative writer whose life is filled with queer joy. His passion is to spread that joy through storytelling, writing books where you might not typically see queer characters. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his husband and two tuxedo kitties and might have a slight addiction to reading queer fiction. But it’s not a problem. He could stop any time he wants. Honestly.
