Alcatraz Part 3

 For my third and final post (at least for now) about Alcatraz, I'd like to share this video I ran across. It combines Alcatraz's intense history with the stories of those who may still call it home.

Alcatraz Part 2

As I searched the Internet, it seemed the ghost stories of Alcatraz were endless. People claim they have witnessed everything from hearing screams to smelling smoke and seeing the heavy metal doors closing on their own. Some even say they have seen full-bodied apparitions who talk about the abuse they suffered during their incarceration. If, as many believe, ghosts return to haunt the places where they suffered traumatic experiences it’s no wonder Alcatraz is haunted. Although some of these stories seem a little outlandish, others make me want to jump on a plane and go see for myself.

They say that even before the prison was built, mystery and fear surrounded the island. Supposedly, the Native Americans believed the island was an energy portal where evil spirits were allowed to come through. Some think this may explain "The Thing" with glowing eyes that had been witnessed over the years by both prison staff and inmates.

During the 1940’s, an inmate was put in “The Hole” for breaking one of the many rules at Alcatraz. According to the guard, the inmate began screaming soon after being locked in. The prisoner claimed that some creature with "glowing eyes" was in there with him. The man’s screams continued into the night until finally, there was silence.

 The following day, when the guards went into the cell, they found that the inmate was dead and there were handprint marks around his throat.

To add to the mystery, on the day following the tragedy, several guards who were performing a head count noticed that there were too many men in the lineup. Then, at the end of the line, they saw the man who had recently been strangled. After getting the guards, attention the man disappeared.

Some believe “The Thing,” with glowing eyes murdered the prisoner while others think it was the ghost who many prisoners and guards claimed to continually see walking “D” block wearing 1800’s clothing. Of course, others point their finger at the guards thinking one of them had simply been fed up with the man’s screaming.

Alcatraz, home of murderers, gangsters, thieves…and perhaps ghosts.

 If you believe in ghosts, there are some places you just expect to be haunted. Alcatraz is one such place. The construction of Alcatraz began in 1854 and housed its first prisoners in 1859. These 11 anonymous soldiers of Company H. slept side-by-side, lying on the stone floors. There was no running water or heat in the cells. Sanitary facilities were almost non-existent, and disease was rampant. The army used this prison until 1933. At that time, the Federal Government opened a maximum-security prison to deal with what society considered the most vile criminals. Some of which included infamous mobsters such as, Al Capone, George "Machine-Gun" Kelly, Alvin Karpis and Arthur "Doc" Barker.

Alcatraz was known for its poor treatment of prisioners. If a prisoner didn’t follow the rules, he could be confined to the “Strip Cell.” This was a dark steel cell, where inmates would be stripped naked and given water and bread once a day and “occasionally” a meal. At night they were provided with a mattress, which was taken away during the day. The toilet consisted of a hole in the cell floor. When a prisoner was sent to the Strip Cell, their time was spent in pitch-dark solitude.

Due to the number of deaths suffered at Alcatraz and the claims of unspeakable torture, many say that some prisoners are still there serving out their sentences.

Come back next week to learn about the alleged haunts at Alcatraz.

The winners are...

A BIG thanks to all who entered the blog jog giveaway. The Winner of the shimmering glass angel is The Inner Butterfly.

And the winners of the autographed rack cards are Nicole and Coley

Please Email me at  Lisajrogers@aol.com with your mailing addresses. 

 Congratulations!!!!!!!!

A Real Paranormal Encounter

Several post ago I asked how many of you would be afraid if you witnessed some type of paranormal activity, even something simple such as an object moving on its own. Most people responded with a yes, and I have to admit, I was a little surprised by that.

Now, for those of you who seriously believe in ghosts, and answered yes, I have to ask, where does this fear come from? Personally, I think we’ve let Hollywood convince us that witnessing paranormal activity has to be a bone-chilling experience. It doesn’t—at least not always.

For those of you who don’t know, I live in a haunted house, and have for almost 27 years. My book, On Haunted Ground, tells the story of what it’s really like to live with ghosts.

An example of what I’m talking about happened today. I live in Oklahoma and we were experiencing a bad thunderstorm. When I went into the kitchen to get a drink there was a loud clap of thunder and the lights went out.

We’ve lost our electricity many times, so this wasn’t anything new. What was new was for a split second I thought my electric fragrance burner was still on. Looking into the dark dining room, I could see a light shining in that general direction. On closer inspection, I realized what I was seeing was a bright glowing orb hovering above the burner. The power, thank goodness, came back on and the light disappeared.

As always, I’d love to hear what you thought of my experience and if you’d like you can share some of your own.

If you haven't already entered the giveaway you can do so here http://talkingaboutghost.blogspot.com/2011/08/ghosts-angels-and-giveaway_06.html

Dreaming Of The Day

As most writers, I LOVE to read. Whether you’re going to the beach or you’re curled up in your favorite chair at home, a good book just makes it better.

Sadly, I’ve had to put this passion aside for a little while. ***sigh*** As some of you know, the day I finished a round of edits for Angelina’s Secret, I started the initial one for On Haunted Ground.

Nearing the end, fingers crossed, of these particular edits I’m dreaming of taking a few days off to read, and read, and read. I have two books on my shelf, Accused by Kate Kaynak and Half-Blood by Jennifer Armentrout, that are whispering read me, read me. They will be the first books I devour on my reading binge. Like any addict, two will not be enough so any must read recommendations out there?   

Ghosts, Angels, And A Giveaway

Welcome to Blog Jog Day! I hope you enjoy Ghost Talk. After you enter the giveaway click over to The Queen of Cool at http://sheisdallas.com/category/fort-worth-fiction/ to see what the next Blog has to offer! Lost in the links? You can always go back to the main Blog Jog Day Blog at http://blogjogday.blogspot.com and find a new link to jog from.
My name is Lisa Rogers and I'm the author of Angelina's Secret, a YA fiction. I’m also the author of, On Haunted Ground, an Adult nonfiction. Even though these two books are very different, they do have one thing in common—ghosts. Yep that's right even the nonfiction one.
Both books are scheduled for release in 2012. You can find out more about Angelina's Secret here:
http://www.midpointtrade.com/detail.aspx?isbn=978-0-9831572-8-1
For this blog jog, I'll use http://www.random.org/ to choose three lucky winners with the prizes shipped to a US mailing address.
The first name picked will receive a beautiful little glass angel that glimmers by day and lights up at night. ***Oooooh*** Of course you won't know the significance of the angel until you read the book....which isn't out yet.

The next two names picked will receive an autographed rack card of Angelina's Secret.
All you have to do to enter the giveaway is become a followew of Ghost Talk and answer the question below:

Do you believe in ghosts?

Post your answer in the comments section by midnight Aug. 14. That's all there is to it no jumping through fiery hoops or anything.
Good luck everyone and thanks for stopping by!

Just Too Cute

This is one of those videos that just makes you feel good. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.