Monday, December 9, 2013

Looking for Daniel

Since appearing on Darkness Radio, I’ve received a lot of email. *happy dance* Even though I've already sent out my replies, I again want to thank each of you. Your encouragement means so much to me. That is why I do what I do.
I love hearing from others who are also interested in the paranormal, so when someone contacts me, I ALWAYS respond. Unfortunately, many times I get the email returned saying that it could not be delivered. L
After my interview, I received one such email from a man named Daniel. His paranormal experience was very intriguing and heart warming. Before finishing his letter, I had tears in my eyes—it truly touched and amazed me.
I wrote him back thanking him for sharing his incredible story, but my reply wasn't delivered so Daniel, if you see this, Thank you. 
 

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Darkness Radio

Just like a lot of authors, I tend to be a little shy. Last night I stepped out of my comfort zone (as in waaaaaaaay out) and did my very first radio interview. The interview was with Dave Schrader on darkness radio and you can listen to it here.
If you have any problems with the link please let me know.

Monday, October 21, 2013

A Halloween Story


Most of you who have followed this blog for a while know that I Love, Love, Love Halloween. You also know that I usually do all sorts of fun ghostly things here on my blog during the month of October. Yet, here it is October 21 and I have yet to do one spine tingling post.
 
But why, you may ask with tear filled eyes. Well, let me explain... recently we found out that my husband has Type 2 Diabetes. Apparently, he has had it for quite awhile and his numbers were through the roof. Instead of taking the time to schedule Halloween post we have spent the better part of October learning all we can about diabetes and making major life style changes.

To make up for my Halloween slackiness I do have a story to share with you. Several months ago, my husband and I went on a small vacation and we experienced the strangest encounter of our lives.(For us, that is saying quite a lot) I simply could not get this incident out of my head so I do what writers do and I wrote the experience down. Llewellyn Worldwide, the publishing company who published my nonfiction, On Haunted Ground, chose also to publish this article in their journal. If you’d like to read this bizarre encounter go here.  If you read the article I’d love to know what you think about it and if you have any wonderful diabetic recipes you’d like to pass along I’d appreciate that as well.

 

 

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Happy, Happy, HAPPY


Writing a book is hard. Getting one published can be down right excruciating. Usually by the time a book hits the shelf, countless hours have been poured into it—not only by the author, but by the publisher, editors, and cover designers.

I will never forget the sheer joy I felt the first time I held a REAL copy of my first book. It was surreal. Suddenly, all of the work, all of the ups and downs was finally worth it. I didn’t think that I’d ever experience anything like it again… I was wrong.
 
 
A few weeks ago when my daughter handed me a copy of HER book, all of those wonderful feelings came back. Knowing what it takes to get a book published and knowing that she had went the distance made me so extremely happy and proud that I find the experience hard to put into words. Not only is my daughter a wonderful Christian, but she's an awesome daughter, sister, wife, mother, and an EXCELLENT author. Today is her first novels official release and I simply couldn't be any prouder of her. Please join me in congratulating her in this monumental event. You can find Keshia here or here.
Blood Bound is available online at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, WalMart, etc order your copy today!!!










Friday, October 4, 2013

Only A Little Late...

Wow I can't believe two weeks has already past since the paracon and my very first ever book signing at Barnes & Noble. Earlier, as in a month ago, I promised to post pictures of these events and then...life happened. Grrrrr

This is me at Paracon!!!

 
I had never attended an event quite like this and simply cannot wait to go to another one. Even though the attendance was lower than expected I met some amazing people and had a great time. If you've never attended an event like this one, I urge you to do so. If you know of an event like this in or around the OKC area please let me know.
 
This is Mary Barrett and I at Barnes & Noble :)
 
 


Friday, September 6, 2013

Upcoming Events


Things are getting busy around here and I couldn’t be happier about it. I will be signing copies of my books in Mustang Oklahoma this Saturday, and then I will be here....

 
 
and then here...
 
 
Hope to see you there.
 

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

New Feature


It’s here! It’s here! It’s here! The ever-awesome Silvia from Darkest Sins has added a new feature to my blog. If you’ll look up, you should see the Purchase My Books tab. Once you click on it, you'll find several different options of places where you can buy my books, which now also includes the option of buying them directly from me. I can autograph and/or personalize them for you.

Monday, July 29, 2013

As Jeff Foxworthy would say… True stuff is the funniest


Last night my husband and I decided to go out to dinner at our all time favorite restaurant. Having a lull in our conversation, I decided to bounce a few ideas off him for my current WIP. Not coming up with anything new, I brought up his suggestion from a few days earlier of killing off my main character at the end of the book.

Revisiting this topic, I told him it would never work. I explained that in classic story telling, there NEEDED to be a more agreeable ending.

To this he replied, “Make the ending in the next book more agreeable.”

Even though I’ve never considered there being a “next book,” I thought about it for a minute, shook my head no and said, “What next book? I already killed everyone.”

It was then that the waitress who was serving a man seated directly behind my husband, stumbled and almost fell. As I tried to convince myself that it was all a coincidence, I couldn’t help but notice that the man at the table was now sitting very rigid.

Seeing my expression, my husband asked me what was wrong. Letting the waitress finish up and walk away, I told him what had happened. Just when I got to the part of repeating what I’d said about how I’d already killed everyone, a waiter, who was now behind me, jerked his head up and looked our direction.

Even though we had gotten very good service, up to that point, the staff seemed to avoid our table for the rest of our meal.

Long story short, if you are a fiction writer, be VERY careful when and where you decide to talk about your books, especially if they involve murder. BTW, if you happen to be from the OKC area, could you recommend a good Tex-Mex restaurant? Even though I’ve eaten at this one for 30 years, I’m not sure I will be able to go back. J  

 

 

Thursday, July 4, 2013

New News

For those of you who do not follow Angelina's Secret on facebook I'm reposting this here for you. But if you're not following you should...you really really should. follow here

Bad News + Awesome News = Emotional Rollercoaster… which translates into the wonderful (it truly is) life of an author.

As some of you know, I had hoped to turn the characters from Angelina’s Secret into a character series. I had planned to publish another book with Angelina, Kobi, Josie, and all the favorites through the awesome Spencer Hill Press. Unfortunately, *sniff* that didn’t turn out. After crying, sulking, and kicking the door a few times I decided to go another route.

I’m happy to say that I’ve signed Angelina’s Promise with agent Albert Longden. I’ve worked with Al in the past. In fact, he is my agent for On Haunted Ground. So wish us luck and hopefully, I can soon report that Angelina’s Promise has found a home. Angelina’s Secret is still with SHP so if you haven’t gotten your copy it is still available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble website.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Oklahoma

For those of you who follow me on facebook, you know that I was super excited about attending a ghost hunt at the Stone Lion on May 19, 2013. I'm happy to report that I was able to go and I had a couple of experiences that I wanted to share with you all, but then... Monday rolled around and it just didn't seem that important anymore.

I'm sure that by now most of you have heard about the horrible tornado that hit several towns in Oklahoma that day. I'm sharing this video to let you see a little of what Oklahoma is dealing with right now. The pictures in this video are from Moore Oklahoma.

I live about 20 miles from there and I have a lot of family that lives in Moore. One of my nieces lost her home, but ALL of my family is okay and for that, I'm feeling very very blessed.

There are many reasons why I LOVE living in Oklahoma, but the main reasons are the awesome people who make up this great state. From the time of the tornados (some actually hit on Sunday night while I was driving to the Stone Lion), people have come out in droves to offer money, supplies, equipment, and labor—lots and lots of labor to help these victims.

Eventually I will get back to the routine of things and I will tell you all about my time at the Stone Lion until then Please keep Oklahoma in your prayers. 



Friday, May 17, 2013

The winner is.........

Natasha Donohoo entry #70.


A BIG thanks to all who entered. If you didn't win, be sure to check out the "purchase my books" tab for the latest deals on both books. AND remember you can download the prequel to Angelina's Secret  for FREE.  Angelina's Friend

Thursday, May 2, 2013

HaPpY BoOk BiRtHdAy Giveaway

Even though it's hard to believe, both of my babies are celebrating their very first birthday. *sniff* They grow up so fast.

In honor of this occasion, one lucky winner will receive their choice of an autographed copy of Angelina’s Secret or On Haunted Ground. Package can only be shipped to a U.S. mailing address and will also include autographed SWAG for both books.

The hardest part about entering this giveaway is deciding which book you want.

Will it be Angelina's Secret?
 
Most cheerleaders don’t have THIS kind of spirit… 

As a child, Angelina spent years in counseling learning that Josie, her imaginary friend wasn’t real, but it turns out her childhood friend wasn’t imaginary after all. 

Now Angelina has to accept she’s either (A) crazy or (B) able to see ghosts. Wanting to believe in her sanity, she chooses (B) and welcomes Josie back into her life. But even Josie can’t help her deal with Shelly, the spirit of a confused teenager, and things go very, very wrong. 

When Angelina finds herself in a psychiatric hospital, she faces a choice: she can spend the rest of her life pretending to be someone she isn’t, or she can embrace who she is and take a chance that she may never get to go home.

 


 
 
OR will it be On Haunted Ground? 
 
 
The true story of a family and its ghosts

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 glowing green orb in their bedroom.The men in the family wouldn’t—or couldn’t—accept the paranormal activity. While daughter Keshia grew attached to the grandmotherly ghost who taught her not to be afraid of thunderstorms and the Native American spirit who 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 imitates the voice of each family member, the spool that “comes 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.

 

 
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7b76970/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway


 

 

Monday, March 25, 2013

Paracon 2013

Paracon 2013



 
 
Even though this isn't for a looooooooong time, I'm SUPER excited to announce that I will be signing copies of On Haunted Ground and Angelina's Secret at this event.
This amazing event will be held at the historic Ft. Reno in El Reno, Oklahoma. If you're interested in going, click here for more information and tickets.
 
This is going to be so much fun!!! And look, there
will even be a Masquerade Ball.
 

 
 
Hope to see you there!!!!!!!!
 
 
 



Monday, March 11, 2013

Shout out to all authors


There’s more than one way to skin a cat…or write a book for that matter.
 

There’s an old saying, at least in the south, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” Thankfully, that is of course, just another way of saying that there are multiple ways to accomplish the same goal.

During the writing/publishing process, I’ve had the honor of getting to know many authors. As a result, I’ve learned that we ALL do it differently. Some spend countless hours outlining their books from start to finish. While others, like me, have a general idea of where the book is going, but we basically write from the hip.

As with anything else, these two methods both have their ups and downs. For me it doesn’t get any better than “getting in the zone” and letting the characters do what they will. On the down side, sometimes they don’t do anything at all and I wind up sitting at my computer watching the cursor blink.

During these times, I do what all good writers do and I get on facebook or other social websites to see what’s going on in the world. Of course when I see fellow authors talking about how they reached their goal of writing 3,000, 5,000, or yes even 10,000 words in a single day I want to slam my head on the keyboard and rethink my method of writing.

Truth is, no matter how you do it, a career in writing can be both fulfilling and frustrating. So here’s to you all of my awesome and creative writing friends, *lifts glasses of chocolate milk to all* Whether you’re on a roll or staring at the evil mocking cursor, thank you for all that you do, after all I’m a reader too.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

New Ghost Pic


 
 































New follower, Stephanie Blackwell Gutierrez, sent me this awesome picture. (Thanks Stephanie!) She took it at a restaurant while she was on vacation in New Orleans. After seeing the image of what she thought was a smiling man, she went back to the restaurant and asked them if any one recognized him. Unfortunately, no one did, but as Stephanie pointed out, the building, like many in New Orleans, was very old so it is possible that he was there long before this restaurant came into existence. Can you see him?

Friday, January 25, 2013

Falling in love


Some of you may recall that back in November, I sent the publisher my latest MS, so with fingers crossed, I decided to take a little time off and enjoy the holidays. All the while, I had an idea for a new book niggling away in the crevices of my mind. I pushed it back and lovingly whispered later.

This idea refused to be put off any longer so on January 22, 2013; I blew the dust off my keyboard and sat down. As with most new relationships, I was a little timid at first—not quite sure what to expect, but a mere two days and only 2,500 words later I must say I think I’m falling in love. I find I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, I think about it all of the time. Life. Is. Good.

 

Friday, January 4, 2013

Apparently, “George,” Doesn’t like the holidays.


As many of you know by now, we have a ghost that we call George, who lives in the back part of our house. George isn’t a malevolent spirit, but as the paranormal investigators said, “He’s a bit grouchy and just wants to be left alone.”

This usually isn’t a problem since he stays in what used to be my daughters room. When she got married three and a half years ago, George had the place to himself and was very content with the new arrangement.

However, with the holidays, we’ve needed to utilize “George’s room” much more than usual. We’ve used it to store things and even house over night guests. At first, George didn’t seem to mind too much, but that soon changed.

George completely minded his manners with our guests. (Which I am truly appreciative of) The problem came after the holidays. With all of the hustle and bustle that holidays bring, I was simply worn out. When the guests were gone and the mess was cleared away, I found that I NEEDED sleep. Serious sleep, but between my husband’s snoring and him having to get up at 4:00 a.m. this seemed like an impossible dream—until a little light bulb went off in my head. We have a perfectly good guest room, I thought.

My husband, the sweet man that he is, agreed to sleep in our daughter’s old room. The first night was wonderful. I slept better than I had in a long, long time. My husband said that he too had slept well, so we agreed to stick with this arrangement for a while.

I was happy—my husband was happy—George was not.

The first thing I noticed happened on about day three of our new sleeping arrangement. I woke up late after another restful night and I stumbled into the kitchen for my coffee. As I sipped the magical liquid down, I heard the door to my daughter’s old room slam shut. I giggled to myself, thinking George must want to be left alone.

I honored his wishes by leaving the door shut and staying out of the room. When nighttime rolled around, my husband and I kissed each other goodnight and went our separate ways.

After falling into a blissful sleep, I woke to the sound of my closet door slowly creaking open and just as slowly creaking closed. Even though it is not unusual to experience paranormal activity in any part of the house from several different entities, I had a feeling that this was George’s way of telling me that he had had enough of his room being invaded and was wanting me to see what it felt like.

Even though the opening and closing of my closet door was irritating, it still wasn’t as bad as hearing my husband snore all night so we continued with our new sleeping arrangement.

A couple of nights later, my husband said that he was awoken by unseen hands poking him in the shoulder. He told George to stop and then he rolled over and went back to sleep. He was later woke up by a loud thud and again he went back to sleep. The next morning he found a book that had previously been on a table in the adjoining room laying by the closet door. I think poor George has had enough.