Monday, December 17, 2012

Cover Reveal

The Devil's Triangle

by Toni De Palma

 


When 17 year old Cooper dies in an attempt to burn down his school, he finds himself in the afterlife. Lucy, the Devil's sister who has crossed party lines, decides to give Cooper another shot at heaven. The deal? Cooper returns to Earth and has to find a girl named Grace. The rest is up to him.
 
While Cooper figures out his mission, he's thrown into the life he's always wanted. Great parents, a spot on the Varsity football team and a real future are all within reach. But what he really wants is Grace, a feisty girl with an abusive boyfriend that can pound Cooper into pulp if he doesn't watch out.
 
While Lucy plays demonic-puppeteer, clues to an unknown past between Cooper and Grace start to unravel. Cooper discovers that what's keeping he and Grace apart is far more sinister than anything this bad boy could have ever imagined.
 
ISBNs


978-1-939173-03-4Devil’s Triangle print
978-1-939173-04-1Devil’s triangle Ebook
Find Toni and The Devil's Triangle here:



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Monday, December 3, 2012

Holiday Cheer Giveaway

It's here, It's Here, IT'S HERE!!!

 
And believe me it was worth the wait. This is huge. This is bigger than HUGE. This is by far the most colossal giveaway I’ve ever had the privilege of being a part of. *takes deep calming breath* Whew, okay, *drum roll* Some of the Spencer Hill authors have joined forces to host this gigantic super fantastically awesome giveaway and we will have not one, not two, but three, VERY lucky winners.
 
JUST LOOK AT WHAT'S UP FOR GRABS 


GRAND PRIZE Holiday Cheer Away Holiday Giveaway Bag

Books:

TOUCH OF DEATH
One Spencer Hill Press book (winner's choice--can include soon to be release selections)

Jewelry:
Bracelet
TOUCH OF DEATH Handcrafted Pendant- www.stainedglasscreationsandbeyond.com
Handcrafted Necklace and Earrings
So Many Books, So Little Time Necklace

Giftcards:
$20 Amazon or Barnes and Nobel (Winner's Choice)
$15 Starbucks
Two $10 Amazon

Critiques:
First Chapter Critique-Mary Gray
First Chapter Critique-Rhys A Jones
Query Letter Critique-Trisha Wolfe

Cool Stuff:
GUARDIAN T-shirt
BETRAYED Fridge Magnet
Flashlight
Ornaments
Holiday Towel and Potholder
Candy- nom nom nom

Swag:
BREAKING GLASS Handcrafted Bookmark
FINN FINNEGAN Handcrafted Charmed Bookmark- www.stainedglasscreationsandbeyond.com
PERFECTION
TOUCH OF DEATH
FINN FINNEGAN
BETRAYED
ANGELINA'S SECRET
COPPER GIRL
OTHER TREE
PODs


SECOND Prize Holiday Cheer Away Holiday Giveaway Bag

Books:

ANGELINA'S SECRET - 1st edition signed copy

Jewelry:
Bracelet
TOUCH OF DEATH Handcrafted Pendant- www.stainedglasscreationsandbeyond.com
Earrings

Giftcards:
$10 Amazon or Barnes and Nobel (Winner's Choice) 
$15 Starbucks
$10 Amazon
Critiques:
First Chapter Critique-Trisha Wolfe
First Chapter Critique (2500 Words Max)-Elizabeth Langston
Query Letter Critique-Kimberly Ann Miller

Cool Stuff:
BETRAYED Fridge Magnet
Flashlight
Ornaments
Holiday Towel and Potholder
Candy- NOM NOM NOM

Swag:
FINN FINNEGAN Handcrafted Charmed Bookmark- www.stainedglasscreationsandbeyond.com
PERFECTION
TOUCH OF DEATH
FINN FINNEGAN
BETRAYED
ANGELINA'S SECRET
COPPER GIRL
OTHER TREE
PODs


THIRD PRIZE Holiday Cheer Away Holiday Giveaway

Critiques:
First five pages--Sarah Guillory
First 250 word-DK Mok
Either query or first 250 word critique (your choice)--Michelle Pickett



Contest runs from Dec. 3-16th.
Open to US and Canada residents only.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

New Ghost Pic


One of the greatest things about my interest in ghosts is meeting people who are willing to share their ghost stories—and on occasion, their “unusual” pictures.  However, sometimes the “ghosts” in these pictures are very hard to see. To be honest, you might have to squint one eye, while covering the other one and you usually have to use lots of imagination to see what someone is trying to show you.
As you can probably see, that isn’t the case with this picture. Even though I can see several anomalies, one image made me stand up and say “WOW!” Without me saying anything else about what I think, I see, I’m asking YOU for some feedback. Please take a look and leave a comment.
With a picture this good, I know many will automatically assume it was photo shopped, so let me tell you what little I know about it. Wanting pictures of his work, an acquaintance of my husband was taking pictures on a construction site and he got a little more than he bargained for.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Wish Me Luck


YAY!!!!! Even though it has taken me way too long, I finally finished Angelina’s Promise, the sequel to Angelina’s Secret. With fingers crossed, it has been sent to the publisher.

Friday, November 2, 2012

I know it's November but...

October went by just a little too quick and I didn't get everything done that I'd hoped too. I had WAY more people submit ghost stories than what I thought  would and for that I want to say thank you, thank you, and  thank you. I didn't get the chance to post them all, but I have one more that I really wanted to share. Even though Halloween has come and gone, in some countries today is part of their Day Of The Dead celebration so I've still got time *wink* As they say, Where there's a will there is a way. Today's story is another one from my daughter written about a time when she was staying at my all time favorite place, The Crescent Hotel. I hope you enjoy it and remember you can find Keshia in the following places.
Blog
Facebook

                One year while in college, my best friend and I decided to take a “girl trip” full of shopping and pampering. On Mom’s recommendation, we went to Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and stayed at the Crescent Hotel. Of course, I knew about the hotel’s hauntings, but my friend wasn’t a believer, so I decided to just not put much emphasis on it. There was plenty for us to do without going ghost hunting.
                On our first night at the hotel, it stormed. If you’ve never been on top of a mountain (inside, of course) during a lightning storm, you don’t know what you’re missing. It was incredible. But eventually we got tired of taking pictures of the storm and went to bed.
                I was in that state between asleep and awake when I felt someone jump into bed with me after an especially loud clap of thunder. It wasn’t until after I’d rolled over to make more room that my brain kicked in and I realized that something wasn’t right about that. My best friend, the only other person in the room, was softly snoring in her bed, across the room. I slowly reached out toward the depressed area of my bed and felt a distinct cold spot. Whatever was in my bed only took up a small area of space, and I didn’t feel threatened, so I rolled over to go back to sleep.
                A few moments later, another bolt of thunder sounded, and my friend quit snoring. I’d almost drifted off when she hissed, “Keshia, there’s someone in my bed.” She sounded, well, panicked. But the little form snuggled next to me was still there. I have enough of my mother in me to know it was time to do a little ghost hunting. I rolled out of bed, flipped on the light, and grabbed my camera.
                My friend was sitting up, staring at an empty spot on her bed. “It’s right there.” She pointed, and when I ran my hand through the area, sure enough, there was a cold spot. I quickly turned and snapped one picture of my bed before my camera batteries died. But not to worry, I had extras. Rechargables, that I’d plugged in before we went to sleep. Or did I?”
                I ran over to where I’d left them, only to find the batteries scattered on the floor, and the charger, neatly folded up, sitting several feet from the outlet. Apparently, whatever was with us didn’t want their picture taken. As you can imagine, I had a lot of explaining to do.
                My friend and I sat up for hours, talking about ghosts, what it was like to live with them, and what I thought they were. I even talked to our bed-sharing ghosts, but they weren’t willing to move at all. I finally convinced my friend to close her eyes and try to get an impression from the ghost lying at her feet. She told me the first thing that came to her mind was a small child, afraid of the storm. When I told her that was very similar to what I felt, a mixture of being calmed and exhausted let her fall asleep.
                When we woke the next morning, the storm had passed, and the cold spots were gone. But neither one of us could get the incident off our minds. Finally, the evening rolled around, and the hotel was putting on a ghost tour. We got there early to talk to the tour guide, wanting to see if anyone else had reported what we had experienced. I told him everything, leaving out only that my friend and I had both thought of scared children. The owner of the ghost tour listened to our tale without comment. After we finished, he said he hadn’t heard anything of that nature before, but it didn’t surprise him. At one point the hotel had been a hospital, and our rooms were part of the children’s wing.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Spooktacular Winner

First I'd like to welcome all of the new followers and thank them for entering the giveaway. Catie Taylor you are the winner!!!!!! I'll contact you to get all of your info.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Blood Bound: One book--TWO cover reveals

Typically, I try to not post very much during a blog hop, but this is something I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting to do. As most of you know, I do quite a few cover reveals on my blog, but today’s reveal is SUPER special to me because it is for my daughter’s debut novel, Blood Bound. So WooHoo And Yay Keshia!
Another reason this reveal is so awesome is we have two covers to show you! That’s right TWO. Spencer Hill Press wants to know which cover YOU like the best so please go here to cast your vote.
If you are here for the hop scroll down or click here .



Now on to the reveal, which one do you like ???




 OR


 
Not only are both of these covers beautiful, but the book is AWESOME! And yes, I would say that even if she wasn't my daughter.  :)   
 
Blood Bound

Starting college a year early is hard. Starting fae college and learning to protect the world from the Unseelie is harder.
Brielle Reed has always been an over-achiever, but this time she may have bitten off more than she can chew. Between her crash course in fae politics, struggles to control her new mind-reading ability, training sessions with the demanding Dr. Schwartz, and discoveries about the father who is still a mystery to her, Brielle finds herself longing for a chance at a normal life.
But she may not get that chance. Or chance at a life at all, for that matter.
Title: Blood Bound
Author: Keshia Swaim
ISBN: 978-1-937053-45-1
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Formats: Paper, e-book

You can find Keshia on Facebook, Twitter, or her blog.
  

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

 
Hosted by
http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/2012/08/spooktacular-giveaway-hop-sign-ups.html
 

Hi blog-hoppers, welcome to Ghost Talk. Let me tell you a little bit about my blog. As the name implies, I love to hear and talk about ghosts so this is definitely my favorite time of the year. If you've had any encounters you'd like to share please use the contact me button.
As the side bar states, I am an author, so in addition to talking about ghosts I sometimes also talk about writing and the road to publication--which by the way, can be WAY scarier than ghosts.
On to the giveaway. On Nov.1 Random.org will choose one winner with a U.S. mailing address who will receive their choice of an autographed copy of one of my books. The winner may choose between my YA fiction Angelina's Secret or my Adult nonfiction On Haunted Ground All you have to do to enter is "Haunt" this blog and leave a comment for an additional entry you can follow me on facebook. or twitter

Happy Hopping

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Sunday, October 21, 2012

Pumpkins

I've been a little slack in posting pictures of my husband's awesome pumpkin carvings and for that I apologize. Today I want to share my all time favorite (to date anyway) 


Isn't this just too cool? He's supposed to carve another one soon and I'm going to try to snap a few pictures along the way.

Friday, October 19, 2012

True Ghost Story: #3 from Carol Anne Hunt

Today I'm bringing another story from Carol Anne Hunt (I told you she had a lot) 
This is Carol's blog and her examiner link

As a teen, I belonged to a group of youth who all had had paranormal experiences throughout their lives. In fact, my mother, and some of the other mothers were psychics, and some eventually went into readings as a full time business. Two of my friends from that group are also currently practicing psychics of some renown in Ontario.

Every Friday night, this group and I would attend a meditation circle - our mothers would attend as they usually drove us, and would also enjoy assisting the medium/spiritual trainer who lead the group. At this group we would practice readings with cards, or personal objects (psychometry); we would meditate and pick up information for each other (mini readings) and just generally try to hone our clairvoyance skills. It was a lot of fun! Many times unusual things occurred which caused us to be even more convinced of life after death and the spirit world.

One particular night was no exception.

It was a cold and wintery night (cliche i know - but true!) and we were glad to be warmly ensconced in Mary's living room in our cozy circle. Mary, our spiritual trainer, led us through what we thought was a typical meditation - however, as we came out of the meditation, stretching and revitalizing our limbs, we noticed Mary seemed to be deep in trance of some kind.

One of the mothers then went over to "guide" Mary safely through her experience and we watched a drama unfold which pushed even our imaginative boundaries. She started to speak, but it was not her, it was a young man (later we realized a teen) who was visibly upset, and though unable to properly manipulate Mary's body, was very clearly being channeled through her. He was crying, and tears were streaming down Mary's face; he said "What's going on; where am I?"

The mother who was trying to guide Mary asked who he was. He told his name, but it came out garbled as he started to become very agitated, so it was not clear but there were distinct syllables. He kept saying he was cold, so cold, and then he froze in one spot and said, "that's me! on the ground! they are covering me up!"

We quickly guessed he was witnessing his passing somewhere in the world and the guiding mother tried to turn him "toward the light" and accept his moving forward. We sat on the edge of our seats as this drama unfolded, and were extremely fortunate to see the youth did move on, we hope successfully, and Mary came out of her trance with no knowledge of what transpired.

Was this faked? We had absolute faith in our training medium and the other moms, so we couldn't believe they would stoop to that, but it was all so melodramatic and surreal we could not be sure - until the next day, when the headlines screamed about an accident at a local highway death trap called "Precious Corners".

Today, I can't remember the youth's name, but I do remember when we read about this young person's death and his identity, the syllables we had heard "Mary" utter the night before clicked in our heads as the one we listed in the article. It had to be him! The accident had occurred at precisely the time Mary was in trance, and all the details she had related in her cozy living room surrounded by her students and friends were almost exact, as told by a confused, and frightened recently-passed spirit. There is no way she could have known any of this as it happened. I believe to this day, Mary channeled that young man's spirit and helped guide him to his afterlife, and we were willing witnesses.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

On Haunted Ground is FREE!!!!!!!!!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!! I'm interrupting our ghostly short stories to bring you a long one--book length in fact. In anticipation of Halloween, Amazon is offering the Kindle version of On Haunted Ground for FREE. No strings attached just click here and its yours.



Lisa Rogers sensed that the house she bought with her husband Wes came with a ghost. But nothing prepared them for doors slamming on their own, objects flying, and the nightly appearance of a freaky green orb in their bedroom. Their two children had opposing views on the paranormal activity. While Keshia grew attached to the grandmotherly ghost who taught her not to be afraid of thunderstorms and the Native American spirit that tucked her into bed, her brother Troy wasn’t quick to believe in their unearthly guests.
This amazing true story details two decades of terrifying, funny, and heartwarming paranormal encounters—the mischievous entity that imitated the voice of each family member, the spool that “came to life” to chase the kids, the shocking events that shake Wes and Troy’s skepticism—and the enduring love that keeps the family together through it all.

Monday, October 15, 2012

True Ghost Story: L.M. Graham

Hey guys we only have 15 days left before Halloween and as  most of you know, while we've been counting down I've been posting true ghost stories that readers have sent me. Today's story comes from L.M. Graham who is a full-time journalist and first-time novelist. She lives in rural Oklahoma with her husband and their two ridiculous Great Danes. When she isn't chasing news or working on her novel, she loves road-tripping, gardening, gaming and, of course, reading. Her short story, "The Keeper of the Trees," will be published in "Holiday Magick," Spencer Hill Press's upcoming anthology.
She can be found at LMGrahamwrites.blogspot.com or on Tumblr at everythingsbetterwithtea.tumblr.com.

It's an unassuming little house, a nine-hundred-square-foot place surrounded by the older part of town, but lucky enough to have a decent-sized lot that spreads around it. My grandparents bought it in the early 2000's - the very first house they ever owned, and they treated it that way.
My granddad passed away several years ago, leaving my grandma alone in the house. She made offhanded comments about "nighttime visitors" and strange happenings, but she spent her free time glued to true crime novels, so we chalked them up to dreams or her wonderful, overactive imagination. The few times my mom indulged her and asked if she was scared, my grandma would shrug and say, "Well, if they haven't hurt an old bird like me by now, they aren't going to."
Then, a few years ago, my grandma got sick. Sick enough to land her in a nursing home for several months, which left my mom and me in charge of going to the house every day and taking care of her two cats. Mom noticed anything off about the place, but she's a staunch skeptic when it comes to the paranormal, so I doubt she'd have mentioned it if anything had struck her as odd.
Unfortunately, she expected me to be a staunch skeptic too, which meant she had zero problems with sending me out there at nine, ten, or even eleven at night when she'd occasionally forget to run by the house during the day. I smiled and joked with her about how "the ghost in the house" might come after me if I was there after dark, but I never told her about the tension I felt any time I went in there by myself. Like a pair of eyes were watching every move I made, and they just plain couldn't wait for me to leave.
Then one night any doubt I'd had was totally blown away.
It was my fault I was there so late. In high school, my Friday nights were devoted to huddling on the football field's end zone with the rest of the marching band, wrapped in a blanket and trying to remember what it felt like to have full control over my fingers. That night, the game went into overtime, then double overtime, and I realized I'd forgotten to feed the cats.
After the game, I sprinted to my car, still in the polyester nightmare that passed for my marching uniform, and high-tailed it to the house. In the five or so blocks to the house, I managed to unbutton the jacket and pull on a hoodie, but I was still wearing the ugly suspendered pants that looked like I was gearing up for a monsoon. I parked, killed my headlights, fumbled around for the key, and headed up the driveway.
As soon as the key turned in the doorknob, I knew something was off about the place. Not "it's been robbed" off, but off in the sense that I'd interrupted something, and the silence I met when I swung the door open felt artificial and too complete to be real. I whistled for the cats, but they were nowhere to be found.
The blinds were up and the moon was full, so I didn't bother with turning the lights on. Instead, I made my way through the house by moonlight, grumbling to myself about waiting until the middle of the night to feed the cats, and they were so fat one day without food wouldn't kill them, anyway, but grandma would kill me if she found out I'd let her precious babies go a day without sustenance. My steps crunched on the heavy 70's-era shag carpet, and the wood floor beneath.
I rounded the corner to the kitchen, thinking I'd find a shattered plate, or some other crime scene that would explain the cats' disappearance. Maybe I'd even find them face down in their food bowl, trying to devour whatever was left so I'd think the bowl was empty and they were starving.
I didn't find the cats, or any broken dishes.
Instead, I found the ceiling fan, silhouetted against the moonlit windows. It was turned off and perfectly still, except for the chain that controlled the lights.
That chain was swinging. Violently, like someone had smacked it as hard as they could.
At first, it didn't occur to me why that would be odd. Ceiling fans got out of balance, after all, and the chains would swing and clink against the light fixtures or make a soft swooping noise that was almost as annoying as nails on a chalkboard. I shrugged, walked across the kitchen, and grabbed the chain, stopping its movement.
The cats still didn't make an appearance, but their dish was empty, so I refilled it and made sure the litter box in the corner of the room was clean. A couple cars passed by, the loud kind that most likely belonged to the more popular kids who thought their reputation depended on the number of car alarms they could set off with their mufflers. They broke the silence, but as the noise faded into the distance it seemed like the eerie quiet in the house was twice as pronounced as before.
Then, as I straightened back up from re-sifting the cat litter, I heard a clink. I straightened, turned, and looked around.
The light chain was swinging again.
A million things ran through my head. Miniature earthquake, the vibration from the mufflers, the cats somehow swinging across the room like tiny Tarzans when my back was turned. None of them made sense, but watching the chain swing back and forth made me suddenly want to be anywhere, anywhere but there.
I threw the plastic litter bag away and power-walked back through the kitchen, just sure I'd feel a pair of cold, clammy hands on my back any second. The silence was so loud it might as well have been screaming.
The floor shifted from tile to carpet, and I was back in the living room.
Then I saw it.
It was white and formless, like smoke, but brighter, and it stayed in one wispy column as it moved from the dark mouth of the master bedroom to the tiny hallway that led to the bathroom. It didn't make a sound as it moved, but it shifted and shook like it had enough weight to be thrown around. Once it reached the hallway, it vanished, like it had gone into a wall I couldn't see.
But I didn't wait to see any more. I turned toward the door, made an exit that could at best be called undignified, and slammed the door behind me.
Mom said she found the cats under the bed the next day. She just about had to pry them out from beneath the mattress, like something had thoroughly spooked them. And for the next week, if not longer, I wondered if my mind had exaggerated the incident, or if I'd seen a pair of headlights thrown against a wall. Nothing I came up with made sense.
I felt for the cats though.
Something had thoroughly spooked me, too.

Friday, October 12, 2012

True Ghost Story: #2 from Carol Anne Hunt

Hey guys I hope everyone is enjoying all of these wonderful ghost stories, I know I sure am. Today I have Carol Anne Hunt with us again with another remarkable story.
This is Carol's blog and her examiner link

I was living in a very old century home which had been built as a one-room place originally, and eventually, over the years, it became a multi-roomed chaotic but cozy home.

There had been incidents which caused me to feel the house was haunted, and reports from other people in the town who had also experienced things here.

One night, in bed, I was awakened by the back door opening and closing – and my dog leaving by that door! I sat up in bed, but then heard someone walking around in the living room. I could hear spoons being rattled in the kitchen sink, cups being lifted and put back down, knocking on tables and walls, as if someone was walking through and studying everything.

I was frozen in bed and could not get up – was it an intruder?

No, the dog did not bark. My German shepherd was very protective and had been professionally trained as a guard dog. She simply exited the back door when it was opened for her. There could not be a person in the house.

I crawled down the hall, keeping low on the floor and peered into the living room from where the noises were emanating. Though I could still hear noises, there was no person. And I could not see anything moving.

I realized it was a paranormal event, and became even more frightened, despite the fact that there seemed to be no danger.

I crawled back to bed, and about 4 a.m. (of course I did NOT go back to sleep, just stayed awake listening to the activity) the door opened, my dog came back in, and the activity stopped. 

After a couple of days, I had my brother stay with me overnight. Around 7:30 in the morning, we were up having tea sitting on the living room couch. Directly across the room from us was a small sunroom, I dubbed the “Plant Room” because with the skylights, it was a perfect setting. It was like a miniature greenhouse.

We were quietly chatting, watching my dog lying by the sliding doors in the Plant Room, and suddenly, the floor vent literally flew to the other side of the room.

The dog raised her head and in turn, looked at the hole in the floor where the vent had been, and where the vent now was. My brother and I looked at each other, askance, and I went over to the vent and picked it up.

“How did that happen?” I asked. “Maybe it was loose in the floor and a gust of the furnace popped it up?”

“That far?” my brother countered.

So I tried it. I popped the vent back into its spot. It was tough; it did not go in easily. Then I tried to pop it back out, just as tough, it was not loose in the floor and a gust of furnace air would not have moved it.

Very strange, but then strange things had been happening in this house.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

True Ghost Story: Keshia Swaim

Our next ghost story comes from my awesome daughter, Keshia Swaim. As most of you know, she grew up in a haunted house so she is very familiar with ghosts. When Keshia moved out of our home, her encounters with ghosts didn’t stop and that is what her story is about today, but befor we get to that let me say that Keshia is also an author. She contributed a chapter in On Haunted Ground which is a book detailing our lives living with ghosts. She has also had several short stories published and her debut novel Blood Bound is scheduled to be released September 2013 and I hope to be doing a cover reveal for her book very soon so keep a look out. You can find Keshia on facebook  and this is her blog


            For those of you wondering, yes, I am the daughter mentioned in Lisa’s book, On Haunted Ground. Ghosts, and ghost stories, have been a “normal” part of my entire life. I’ve prided myself on being far less jumpy, harder to startle, and just generally cooler than most of my peers. J 
            When my husband and I bought our first house several years ago, I knew before signing the papers that we were purchasing a haunted house. But since I spent my entire childhood in one, I figured that it would be fun. I was wrong.
            Our dream home was…well…a mess. But we could afford it, so it was still dreamy. At first. Before we could move in, we had to do some major renovations. Aside from the fact that the home had sat empty for years, the previous owner was a heavy smoker, and not overly interested in home maintenance. I thought that some opened windows and a fresh coat of paint would be all we needed to make the house livable.
            But the carpets were stained beyond repair, so we ripped them up, and found…tile. And wood floors, and more carpet. It seemed that the previous homeowner believed in simply layering the new flooring over the old. Now, I’m sure you’ve heard Mom mention that home renovations seem to stir up the resident ghosts like little else can do.

            Even though I could feel the increasingly agitated spirit of what I now believed to be a grumpy old man, I started complaining; loudly. As a carpenter’s daughter, I’d been around my fair share of home projects, and I could tell pure laziness when I saw it. It seemed like every shortcut the previous owner (which I strongly suspected was my current ghost) made caused me even more work.
            I ended up taking several days off work to dedicate to our new home. Since my husband was working, I was alone most of the time. Yet there was an unmistakable, angry presence following me around. Even after I stopped muttering to myself about the house’s condition, I could feel him. Always following, always angry. More than once I had to leave, just to get away from him. The air would get so thick I could hardly breathe, and I’d have to fight down a wave of panic.
            The worst times almost always came when I was working in a small bathroom, just across from the master bedroom. I’d get dizzy, short of breath, and terrified. On more than one occasion, I was convinced there was actually someone in my bathtub, even though I could clearly see it was empty. Finally, while painting the walls, it hit me: someone died in here. In the bathtub. Now, I’ve never experienced a heart attack, but if what I felt that day was even a shadow of the real thing, I hope I never, ever, have one.
            But, I’d lived with ghosts all my life. I could do this.
            With most of the major work done, my husband and I moved in to our new home. Since he wasn’t nearly as comfortable with ghosts, I chose not to mention my experiences to him, hoping it would calm down now that the construction was over. 
            It didn’t.
            Moving our stuff in seemed to enrage our ghost far more than griping about his style and home repair skills. He didn’t like where we put the T.V., our new dining room light, or anything about my things being in his cabinets.
            As I started loading closets and cabinets, I could feel him behind me, seething. But I chose to ignore him, instead singing upbeat songs or planning my next home purchase. And then I saw him.
            The only way I can describe this is that I saw him in my head. He wasn’t physically there, but he was real all the same. He started jumping out at me from around corners, slamming doors on me, hissing, and even creeping around my bed at night. And the most bizarre thing was that he looked very much like Gollum, from the Lord of the Rings movies.
            Now he had my full attention. I tried talking to him, explaining that we were making the home better, that we didn’t mind sharing our space with him, anything I could think of, but it didn’t calm him at all. Then my husband confessed.
            One night before bed, he marched across the hall and slammed the bathroom door. “I can’t take it.” He grumbled. “He won’t quit staring at me.” After talking for a while I realized that he had been picking up on our housemate as well, and that he was thoroughly freaked out. We didn’t know what to do. We’d already poured all of our money in this house, so we couldn’t just leave, but we were scared in our own home.
            Later that night I was jerked awake. “I saw him.” My husband hissed. Instantly, I was up. I hadn’t mentioned my impressions on what this man looked like earlier in the evening. But as I listened, he described exactly what I’d seen. Except he’d seen a physical apparition, glowing in the hall. But instead of scaring us into leaving, our poor ghost just made us mad.
            He couldn’t have picked two worse people to intimidate. I had been around ghosts all my life, and my husband is the most suborn man on the face of the planet, so we just dug our heels in, ignoring the flashing lights, slamming doors, missing belongings, and grotesque face that liked to pop out of nowhere.
            And then something major happened. I found out I was pregnant. About the time my “momma bear” instincts kicked in, our ghost tried to scare me while I was planning the nursery room. So I did the sane, logical, thing. I yelled at him. A lot.
            I informed him that he was dead, and that this was my house. If he didn’t like it, he was more than welcome to leave. Then I told him that the room we were standing in was my baby’s room and that he would not bother either one of us.
            I had no idea what I planned to do to back up those threats, but fortunately, I didn’t need to. I seemed to have found a language he understood, because he hasn’t bothered me since.
            Oh, he’s still here. I’ve seen his real face now. He’s still a skinny, withered, old man, but he’s just a grump, not a terrifying monster. I feel him hanging around, watching my home-improvement projects carefully, waiting for me to take a shortcut, I imagine. And he actually seems to like my son. I’ve caught my little boy babbling and making faces at an empty chair more than once, and one time, late at night, I heard an old man’s voice coming from the nursery, talking about modern baby toys.
            After making sure there was no physical old man in my baby’s room, I decided that we may have finally come to an acceptable living arrangement. My husband, however, still insists that we keep the bathroom door closed at night.  J




Saturday, October 6, 2012

True Ghost Story: Kimberly Ann Miller


Today's true ghost story is from Kimberly Ann Miller. Some of you might remember that a few months ago I did a cover reveal featuring her upcoming book Triangles. This book definitely sounds like a MUST read and it will be released June 2013 by Spencer Hill press. If you missed the reveal, you can see it here 

Kimberly Miller received Bachelor's degrees from Georgian Court University and Rutgers University and a Master's degree from The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. She is an avid reader and particularly enjoys true crime and young adult novels. She grew up in New Jersey and currently resides in Monmouth County with her husband and three cats. When she’s not writing, she loves to travel to sunny islands where she snorkels by day and stargazes by night. She always takes her Nook with her.

Twitter: @KimberlyAnnNJ:
https://twitter.com/#!/KimberlyAnnNJ
Blog: http://writersbytheshore.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000972287894
Tumblr: http://kimberlyannmiller.tumblr.com/
Email: KAMillerWrites (at) aol (dot) com
Website:
kimberlyannmiller.com


My first experience with ghosts happened one night when my sister and I were riding bikes as children. I was about eleven or twelve years old at the time, and my sister was two years older. Our younger brother ran down the sidewalk in front of us, and we both saw something strange. Running next to him was an apparition of a kid about the same age but wearing clothes from the 1800's. He had on white stockings and black buckle shoes and a loose shirt. He ran next to our brother like they were in a race. My sister called my brother’s name in a panic. He stopped running and turned around; the“boy” did the same thing, and then disappeared. I can still see it like it happened yesterday.




 

 

Friday, October 5, 2012

Cover Reveal: Timothy Miller


Even though we've just started the true ghost stories I am interupting it to bring you another awesome cover reveal from Spencer Hill Press. There will be a new ghost story posted on Monday.





Fourteen-year-old Michael Stevens has never been ordinary; no orphan who hears music coming from rocks considers himself a typical teenager. But life gets a lot more complicated when two-foot-tall, albino, doll-like men sneak into his room one night, transforming the harmless music into a frightening ability he cannot control.
Soon, strangers in black suits begin to ask unsettling questions while unnatural animals with mismatched eyes haunt the streets. They are hunting, and not just Michael: anyone he cares about is in danger.
With the help of a mysterious drifter, an annoying girl he's accidentally mutated, and one of those creepy doll men, Michael finds himself in the middle of a war that could forever change the world he knows - reconstructing the very definition of humanity.

Title: Awoken
Author: Timothy Miller
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press (www.spencerhillpress.com) Please feel free to use any images, text, links, etc. from our website.
ISBN: 978-1-937053-53-6
Release Date: August 13, 2013
Formats: Paper, e-book



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Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Halloween Kickoff


Carol Anne Hunt will be kicking off our Halloween count down with one of her (she has many) true ghost stories. Carol is a freelance writer and I first met her when she contacted me about doing an interview involving my book, On Haunted Ground. Not only is she super nice, but she is an extremely interesting person. Like me, Carol is drawn to the unusual and as a result she writes fascinating articles. You can find them here http://www.examiner.com/new-thought-in-toronto/carol-anne-hunt and this is her blog http://the-everything-blogger.blogspot.ca/
 

One morning, with daylight shining into the front room, I was trotting down the stairs from the bedrooms, not really paying attention to where I was stepping. It’s a path I traversed multiple times a day, both up and down.

My mother was in the living room doing some cleaning, and as I reached the last 3 steps, I glanced up and there was a woman standing at the very base of the stairs, but kind of cut off around the knees, like her legs went through the floor somehow.

She was wearing what we would call “pioneer dress”, long full skirt, pinched waist, high neckline and a shawl, and her hair was in a bun on top of her head. There was no colour to her, she just appeared a golden figure, like she was partly transparent and there was light shining through her, but clear enough that I could actually see the folds of her skirt.

I exclaimed “Oh!” as I reached the third step and in shock, I jumped the last 3 steps, I guess trying to avoid colliding with her, but in fact, I ended up jumping right through her.

I stopped when I landed, and turned to my mother, who said to me,

“You just ran through a woman!”

I was shocked she had seen what I had at exactly the same time, and with no prior communication!

Of course, at this point, we both got goose bumps.

 

Monday, October 1, 2012

October

There are many reasons I LOVE October. One of them is I get to watch my husband carve these Awesome Pumpkins. He did this one last year with a pocketknife! He is already eyeballing the pumpkins for this years masterpiece and I can't wait to see what he comes up with.
As part of my Halloween countdown I will be sharing more pictures of  his pumpkins and of course I will be sharing the true ghost stories that YOU guys submit. I've already had a few submissions, but I have room for more--so please keep them coming! I hope to have the first one up in a couple of days.
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Friday, September 28, 2012

Cover Reveal: Whisper Falls by Elizabeth Langston

Another beautiful cover from Spencer Hill Press
Whisper Falls
While training for a mountain bike race, high-school senior Mark Lewis spots a mysterious girl dressed in odd clothing, standing behind a waterfall in the woods near his North Carolina home. When she comments on the strange machine that he rides, he suspects something isn't right. When Susanna claims to be an indentured servant from 1796, he wonders if she's crazy. Yet he feels compelled to find out more.

Mark enters a 'long-distance' relationship with Susanna through the shimmering--and temperamental--barrier of Whisper Falls. Curious about her world, Mark combs through history to learn about the brutal life she's trapped in. But knowledge can be dangerous. Soon he must choose between the risk of changing history or dooming the girl he can't stop thinking about to a lifetime of misery.



Title: Whisper Falls (Whisper Falls #1)
Author: Elizabeth Langston
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press (www.spencerhillpress.com) Please feel free to use any images, text, links, etc. from our website.
ISBN: 978-1-937053-42-0
Release Date: November 19, 2013
Formats: Paper, e-book


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Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Let The Countdown Begin


Halloween is coming *creepy music playing softly in the background* Are YOU ready? If you’ll let your eyes scan all the way over to the right you can see just how close it is. Muhahahaha  

Seriously, I love Halloween—its just fun. When my kids were little, my husband and I would both dress up to take them out trick or treating and we all had a blast. Even though my kids outgrew this tradition long ago, I still remember these nights with fondness. It was the one night a year, my husband and I could team up and try to scare the bejabbers out of them and since it was done on Halloween, it was somehow okay. *evil grin*

Using that same logic gave me an idea…

This past year I’ve had a lot of people share some incredible ghost encounters with me. Some even sent pictures that they believed contained images of ghosts, but as soon as I asked if they’d be willing to share their stories/pictures on my blog the correspondence stopped. *weeps softly* 

I understand not everyone believes in ghosts and that fact makes many people uncomfortable in talking about them. But if it was done during Halloween season that would make it okay, right?

Soooooo my question is this, in the spirit of Halloween, how many of you would be interested in sharing some of your stories/pictures? *bats pumpkin eyelashes* Would a contest/giveaway help sway you?

Friday, September 14, 2012

Fireblood Cover Reveal




Another beautiful Spencer Hill Press cover!!!! & The book sounds AMAZING

Fireblood




To save a kingdom, Zara must choose between a prince who could be the answer and a rising rebellion that threatens to take control.

When Zara Dane is chosen to marry Prince Sebastian Hart, son of the man who ordered her father's capture, Zara knows she must fight to save everything she loves from ruin.

Being betrothed to the prince means a life trapped behind the towering stone walls of the Camelot-forged realm. Under the watchful eye of the prince's first knight, Sir Devlan Capra, changing her future becomes difficult.

When an unlikely rebel reveals the truth about the deadly secrets that fuel King Hart's twisted world, Zara's path to rescue her father becomes clouded by deception. The Rebels clear her path by forcing Zara's hand with an ultimatum: sway Prince Sebastian to join the Rebels, convincing him of his father's evil nature, or they will take him out.

But Zara is uncertain about a future under the Rebels' command and where the prince's heart truly lies. She must decide who to trust, what to believe, and what she's truly fighting for before the king destroys all of Karm, including her heart
.


You can find Trisha here
Blog: http://trishawolfe.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/trishawolfeya
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/TrishWolfe


 Oooohhh this is fun!

Sunday, September 9, 2012

My First Hollywood Moment

LOOK!!!!!!
 

My husband and I were out running around today and we decided to stop at a Barnes & Noble bookstore. To my surprise, On Haunted Ground was sitting proudly on the shelf, next to one of my favorite authors, Leslie Rule.

This was the very first time I’ve ever seen one of my books on the shelf and I have to say I LIKED IT. I liked it a lot! As a matter of fact, I liked it so much, I whipped out my cell and took a picture of it. And then my husband took another picture of me and my book!

After he took the picture he noticed a man looking at us like…Are you two crazy or what?!?!

My husband proudly told him, “That’s her book—she wrote it.”

The man asked me what it was about and then asked to see it. He promptly turned to the author page and compared me with the picture. After scrutinizing it, he said, “Hey that’s you.” We then got into a small discussion over ghosts.
Greatest. Moment. Ever.

 

Friday, September 7, 2012

Stalked by Death Cover Reveal

Stalked by Death

Stalked by Death (Touch of Death, Book 2) by Kelly Hashway.


Isn't this cover BEAUTIFUL!

Stalked by Death
Jodi knows that any slip-ups made by the Ophi--a special group of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac--will fall on her shoulders... and that Hades is just waiting for them to screw up so he can wipe out the Ophi line.

When the only Ophi Jodi can convince to come to the school and train with her is a gorgeous guy named Chase, it spells more than trouble for Jodi and Alex. Her mixed emotions for both guys send her powers surging out of control, and she begins raising the dead without even meaning to. Jodi doesn't want to lose Alex, but Chase is offering her something Alex can't. His very touch enhances her powers, making her stronger than any Ophi ever has been--maybe even powerful enough to stop Hades from threatening them all. But Chase's offering comes with a huge price. One that may cost Jodi everything she has.
Jodi needs to figure things out fast--because death is stalking her at every turn.
 
And for those who haven't already seen it...
This is Book 1 Touch of Death to be released Jan. 15, 2013  2013




Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendents of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.

Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.
 

You can find Kelly here
Blog: http://kellyhashway.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.kellyhashway.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kellyhashway
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/kellyhashway
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4528793.Kelly_Hashway


Monday, August 27, 2012

Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks


I’ve been going through one of the worst writing slumps of my career and believe me when I say I’ve been through some pretty bad ones. I’ve tried all of my usual tricks. I’ve forced myself to write, I’ve reread the MS, I’ve allowed myself to take a break and still NOTHING! This hasn’t lasted for days or even weeks, but literally for months. *hangs head in shame*

My daughter Keshia, who is also an author, has suggested on more than one occasion that I should take a break from my current WIP and write a short story. I smile and nod thinking, Why would I do that? I need to spend my time working on my novel. (Insert long drawn out sigh.) Crazy Kids…they think they have all the answers.

Not taking her advice, I’ve continued to write chapter after chapter of things I end up deleting, not because I’m being overly critical, but because they are honestly pitiful.

As I whine and complain, she has continued to encourage me to try the short story. Finally giving in—not because I thought she was right—but to shut her up (sorry daughter) I sat down to my computer and pulled up a new document, with new characters, and new ideas.

The story flowed! To an author, those three words are magic. THANK YOU Keshia. I’ll never doubt you again…until the next time you tell me something I don’t agree with. J

If you are a seasoned writer, someone wanting to get their feet wet, or somewhere in between, you might want to give this short story thing a try. One of my publishers, Spencer Hill Press, is taking submissions for short stories dealing with time. You can find more information here.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

It's In My Blood

According to wikipedia, on Nov. 22, 1718, Robert Maynard killed the infamous English pirate, Blackbeard. He then tied his head to the bowsprit of his ship for the trip back to Virginia. Upon returning to his home port of Hampton, the head was placed on a stake near the mouth of the Hampton River as a warning to other pirates.

Um, okay, you may be thinking.

“Well,” I say to you head scratchers. “The reason I am bringing up Robert Maynard, is he was my great, great, great, (maybe throw in a few more great’s) uncle, and like him, I do not like pirates.”

Ahh, you might say with the little light bulb going off over your head. 

Yes, this post is about piracy and I want to say a few words about it, starting with... STOP IT!

Seriously people, this is just WRONG. Let me say that I have no reason to believe that any of you are involved in this, (You're way to awesome) but I'm asking each of you to help me get the word out about this huge problem.


It was pointed out to me a few days ago that at least one of my books is being downloaded for free. Did you catch that? FOR FREE!!!!!!!! This is the same book that I worked on for almost 9 months. I then spent several more months trying to get it published. When I found a home for my MS, my publisher then had to produce it, which by the way, takes lots and lots of time and money  Pirated books take money from all of our pockets and if this doesn't stop we won't be able to continue producing books.

Believe me when I say I understand being broke. Broke and I are very close acquaintances. Because of this fact, I have purchased few books in my lifetime.( I know, *gasp*) This was not because I didn’t want them, but because I couldn’t afford them. Like anything else I can’t afford, I have to either do without, or find a LEGAL way to obtain what I want. And there are legal ways to obtain free books.

1.GIVEAWAYS Many authors, myself included, host tons of giveaways. Enter them.

2. REVIEW Many authors/publishers will send you a free copy for an honest review. Ask.

3. PUBLIC LIBRARY This is the easiest solution of all. You can read practically anything for free—legally. Due to my financially challenged bank account, I visit my local library A Lot.

Of course, as an author I wish everyone in the world would buy at least one copy of all of my books, but if you can’t afford it, check with your local library to see if they have a copy. Both of my books are in the library system. This means that even if your local library doesn’t have it, they can get it. Do the authors and publishers a favor and request it. It’s a win win for us all. You get to read the book legally, and we get a sale.

Consider this, If I were to make $1.00 for every book of mine that was sold (which I don't) and IF I sold 100 copies a month (which, I could only hope for) that would leave me making a mere $100.00 a month. Could you pay your bills with that? Yeah, me neither.


Let’s ban together to stop piracy.


Picture also from wikipedia