Wicked Strange Book Launch in Freetown Showcases Acushnet Photographer

Spooky season is upon us and things are getting "Wicked Strange" on the SouthCoast.

This Sunday, September 7, the Profile Tavern in East Freetown will host the official book launch party for Wicked Strange: Your Guide to Ghosts, Monsters, Oddities, and Urban Legends from New England.

From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., guests can meet the creative team behind the project, have their copies signed, and even pick up the brand-new 2026 Haunted New England calendar.

The best part? This event is free, family-friendly, and will also feature giveaways, food, drinks, and the chance to swap strange stories with the authors. So if you have something spooky or strange happening in your neck of the woods, here's your chance to bring it to the table.

Acushnet’s Own Frank C. Grace

While the book is written by Jeff Belanger: host of the New England Legends podcast and a writer/researcher for Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures, the SouthCoast has its own local tie to the book: Acushnet resident Frank C. Grace provided the photography that brings these tales to life.

READ MORE: A New Bedford House Captured Three Ghostly Orbs and Unexplained Movement [VIDEO]

Grace, known for his cinematic eye and ability to capture the “ghost story within a photograph,” has been collaborating with Belanger for over a decade on projects like the Haunted New England calendar. His images add an eerie realism to each legend, making readers feel as if they’ve stepped into the story themselves.

Grace told Spooky Southcoast paranormal expert Tim Weisberg that he approaches every location with the goal of making the viewer feel the legend’s atmosphere, whether it’s the haunted halls of the Lizzie Borden House in Fall River or the quiet ruins of a forgotten mill. His photos serve as much more than decoration; they’re storytelling tools that immerse readers in New England’s strangest places.

Listen to Jeff Belanger and Frank Grace on WBSM's Tim Weisberg Show

Inside Wicked Strange

The book itself covers more than 100 stories spread evenly across all six New England states.

Each chapter offers a mix of haunts, cryptids, UFO encounters, cemeteries, and roadside oddities, many of which can still be visited today. From mysterious phone calls in small Maine towns to legendary teapots in Boston, Belanger and Grace balance the eerie with the humorous, reflecting the quirky personality of New England itself.

Unlike traditional ghost story collections, Wicked Strange leans into the odd, the unexplained, and the overlooked. Belanger’s research and Grace’s visuals create a dynamic pairing, resulting in a book that’s equal parts coffee-table conversation starter and road-trip guide for anyone curious enough to chase legends across the region.