When Uta Burke chose the town of Jim Thorpe as the setting of her novel, something strange happened: the setting took over and the plot turned paranormal.

Burke chose Jim Thorpe because she found a town named after a man who never set foot in the place intriguing."What I did not foresee was how the setting would influence the plot, characters and outcome of the story. I finally let the spirits of Jim Thorpe and its old jail take over," she said. "The town presented a wonderful background to entertain readers, as well as introducing them to the 'best athlete who ever lived.' A little over a year ago, I had never even heard of Jim Thorpe; now I am his biggest fan."Catholine Keenan and her family grew entirely in the author's imagination, but the attack on a young girl and her two older brothers' promise to take care of her really happened. Burke heard about it by accident. She doesn't know how the boys took care of their sister or how the girl dealt with the aftermath; she only knew that the mother found out years later from a counselor. He told her that the way the children coped with something so devastating was superhuman.One evening in March 2010, Burke felt an urge to write about what happened to that family. An hour later, she had what would become Chapter 3 of her then untitled book."I had no idea where it would go or how it would end," Burke said. "All I had in the beginning was this terrible crime and three teenagers left behind to deal with it."Catholine has two cool, gorgeous brothers, the kind every girl wishes to have. They protect and care about their younger sister. They are hot. They are funny. They are also extremely troubled by what one of their friends did to her and all three suffer in their own way."Immortal Link" deals with a dark topic, but has a positive, hope-giving message that weaves throughout the book. After reading the story, visit Jim Thorpe and its Old Jail Museum, a truly intriguing place for those interested in the paranormal. The jail is open to the public from Memorial Day to Labor Day from noon to 4:30 p.m., every day but Wednesday. In September and October, the jail is open on weekends only.The owners of the Old Jail Museum have proofread and approved "Immortal Link." They gave Burke permission to take pictures in cell 17 for the book's cover in which her daughter's hand reaches toward the inerasable, 135-year-old handprint of its famous inmate."Immortal Link-You hurt me, I'll hurt you more" is available on Amazon.com. Copies can also be found at the Old Jail Museum on Broadway in Jim Thorpe.For more information about the story, visit utaburke.com,

www.facebook.com/Immortallink or write to

utaburke@gmail.com.