It Was A Dark & Stormy Night …

And it’s not even Hallowe’en as I write this.

Thea Devine here, waiting on the storm, and feeling that an unbridled hurricane can be every bit as scary as a supernatural Hallowe’en scenario. For one, it comes out of nowhere with its own unearthly sounds. You’re at the mercy of its driving winds, and the full force of its destructive and uncontainable nature. You’re powerless and yet you try to defeat it every time.  And when you survive it, you feel as if you’ve gone through some mystical transformation.  You feel superhuman.  You feel you’ve cheated death.

Maybe that’s why Hallowe’en — and ghosts, ghouls, vampires and zombies — has such a powerful hold on the imagination.   Life beyond death, no matter form it takes, is beyond seductive, and perhaps worth the price you might have to pay.

It’s fun to fictionally play with the idea of life beyond eternity. But that’s underscored by the certain knowledge mortality is just around the corner for all of us.  That’s why we write about the monsters, the ghosts, the storms.  Leaving something tangible behind is a way to conquer the beast. Wading into the storm gives you strength.  Manipulating fears with words makes you feel superhuman again.   Overcoming the threat gives you the sense that you can surmount anything.

Hallowe’en always reminds me of the times I watched the classic horror movies with a friend who lived several floors above our apartment.  She would have to go up two or three flights of steps in a dimly lit stairwell after we watched that week’s movie.  Now, remembering those nights, I wonder what would have happened if she’d just disappeared.  In the stairwell. That was barely lit.  Her footsteps echoing and then suddenly, not. With no witnesses. And no clues.  And she was never found.  Ever …

Are you a ghosts and ghouls Hallowe’en person?  Or a princess and fantasy Hallowe’en person?  Your favorite old horror movie?  (Me, The Mummy — love 1920′s Egypt )  Any Hallowe’en moment in your life that you could make into fiction?

Thea Devine has been delving into the world of vampires with The Darkest Heart, and its sequel, Beyond the Night (April 2013 Pocket Star eBook). There are no vampires in her just reissued erotic contemporary novel, His Little Black Book, available now.

Amish Vampires, Oh My! Leanna Ellis & Her Scary Tale of Stepping out of her Market

Happy Sunday, Katy Lee here. Last October on this day, the Northeast was under 2 feet of snow with no electricity. This year we await a hurricane, hoping Halloween isn’t canceled AGAIN! Because of the loss of power last year, my special guest, Leanna Ellis missed out on all the Scribes’ readers. So she is here again this year to chat with you all.

Let’s hope the power stays on this time.

Now last year, her release, Plain Fear: Forsaken, an Amish vampire story hit the shelves. Now this year, Leanna has a second release in her Plain Fear series. Forbidden. As an Inspirational writer, there are pretty strict guidelines to follow when writing for this market. One of them being, absolutely no vampires. But Leanna had these stories to tell, so what was she to do?

Here she is to tell you about it. So please give Leanna a warm welcome!

Happy Halloween! Oops! Did I say something wrong? Did you know that little phrase can be fairly controversial? There are certain camps regarding Halloween.There are those who embrace the holiday with all the gore and such and drape their houses in cobwebs. Then you’ve got those who allow their kids to dress up and enjoy the candy but no gory or other-worldly costumes. Then there’s the group that shuns the holiday because of its roots in paganism. So I didn’t mean to offend anyone by saying ‘Happy Halloween,’ but I just meant it as a friendly greeting. Like Halloween, we each have to figure out what is right for us and what is right for our families. And this is true in writing too.

In light of all of that, it seems very appropriate to discuss my novel, Plain Fear: Forsaken, which is a bit like Halloween, somewhat controversial. Some people may love the idea. Others may withhold judgment until they’ve heard more about it or even read it. And others will shun it just because of the subject matter. Just last week, I received this great review where the reviewer said, “Plain Fear Forsaken is a book that screams to be opened. It offers a fresh portrayal of vampires and their complex world, while taking readers on a journey of love and heartbreaking loss. This haunting tale is wonderfully written, with such intensity that you will not put it down.” Obviously a really nice review. Within an hour, I received an email from a reader who called my book, “Evil.” Did they read the same book? Apparently. But like Halloween, it’s not for every reader and it was a risk to write it, much less publish it.

Amish and vampires? Really? Yes, really. I’m asked a lot how this book came into being. Forsaken actually began as a joke. I was at a book signing and another author and I made a joke about we should write an Amish/vampire story because those were the two genres that were selling incredibly well. It really was a joke. I didn’t rush home and start writing the book. But I suppose some seed was planted in my warped little brain and took root. Soon a character was speaking to me about her story and wanting me to write it. But I resisted. However, there was a very intriguing element that I couldn’t seem to ignore. To me, this was a Phantom of the Opera type story, with a love triangle, and a clear dividing line between good and evil. So just playing around with the story idea, I wrote the prologue and first chapter. Then I set it aside because I was busy meeting other deadlines. Besides what was I to do with an Amish/vampire story?

Really, where would an Amish/vampire story ever fit? I was writing in the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) where Amish is very popular. Why couldn’t I write a traditional Amish book? Well, that’s just not how my brain works. I mentioned my story idea eventually to a couple of writer friends. They laughed but in a good way and encouraged me to write it. Well, I wasn’t so sure.

However, I was becoming obsessed with the story and very passionate when I spoke about it to anyone. I spent a lot of time in prayer over this book, because I didn’t want to write something that God didn’t want me to write. Also, I knew I’d have to leave the Christian market and sell it in the secular market. I wasn’t about to make that move without God’s clear direction. He began to show me in more ways than one that this was the book He wanted me to write.

More than a year passed, and I was at a writer’s conference minding my own business and not pursuing this story at all. An editor said the perfect submission would be…you guessed it! An Amish/vampire story. So I made an appointment to meet that editor and just talk about the idea. It almost felt like when an addict first admits she has a problem. I felt like I was teetering on the edge when I said, “I’m a writer and I’ve written an Amish/vampire story.” Well, she requested it.

Then I had to tell my agent about it. Thankfully, my agent loves the way my brain works. I caught her at the same conference and whispered to her that I’d had a request for a book I hadn’t even told her about. When I said, “Amish/vampire,” she laughed out loud in a joyful way. Gotta love an agent like that.

After she had read the prologue and first chapter, we had some serious discussions about ABA or CBA (secular or inspirational) and adult market or young adult. We both felt that in order to have a book about good versus evil, you have to be able to show evil and in the inspirational market I would be hindered in that way. I was once told that I couldn’t have a character say ‘pee.’ Really. Also, my agent and I decided that even though the heroine was young, the topics were adult. In YA novels, the characters are often in school and dealing with issues teenagers deal with. But in the Amish world, kids stop going to school at age 14. They’re making big decisions about their life much earlier than Englisch teenagers.

So began the submission process. Some editors got it, and some didn’t see how the two genres could ever be combined. Thankfully, Sourcebooks had a visionary editor, Peter Lynch who got it and gave Forsaken a chance. It’s honestly been great working with him, and I know God led me to this publisher.

What I love about this story is that it shows the battle of good and evil. Yep, I guess that reader did get part of the theme of the book. Evil doesn’t always appear with pitchfork and horns though. Quite often, evil is appealing and attractive and hooks us in before we realize what has happened. Such is the case with my heroine Hannah. She simply loved a boy. But she opens her heart and her mind too easily and the consequences could be devastating. Even though this story is published in the secular world, it has a powerful spiritual message, a message the world needs to hear.

In Plain Fear: Forsaken, Hannah Schmidt, a young Amish woman mourning the mysterious death of her beloved Jacob, must decide between two brothers, between good and evil. When she learns her first love is now the vampire Akiva, she must forsake him and cling to a new love, a lasting love, one that will save her soul.

To read an excerpt, click here. And now also available is the sequel:

Plain Fear: Forbidden Rachel Schmidt Nussbaum, a young Amishwidow, is now seven-and-a-half months pregnant with her first child. She blamesherself for her husband Josef’s death, and believes she is being punished byGod for her past sins.
So when a stranger arrives claimingto be an old friend from her wilder years, saying only she can fix things forhim, for Josef, and for herself, she makes an impulsive decision to follow him.It is a decision that will send Rachel on a dangerous journey—one that willlead her to the depths of ultimate danger, the potential for new love, and abattle that will decide both the fate of her soul and the life of her unbornchild.

Winner of the National Readers Choice Award, Leanna Ellis writes women’s fiction. Known for her quirky characters and wacky plots, don’t let the quirkiness fool you as Ellis probes deep in the heart and plucks at the heartstrings. She lives deep in the heart ofTexas with her husband and children and an assortment of dogs and cats, including her crazy labradoodle, aka Hilo Monster, and her new kitten, Sawyer.

To keep in touch with Leanna, you can find her at:

www.leannaellis.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Leanna-Ellis/49487472434

Leanna, thank you so much for sharing how Plain Fear: Forsaken and Forbidden came to be. Stepping out of your market can really be a scary thing to do. It’s a risk we are glad you took.

Anthologies Abound

PJ Sharon, here. Another Tuesday has come upon us—much too quickly in my opinion. If you haven’t noticed how time is flying by, you have either been in prison, or have been living in a cave. Not to poke fun, but it really does seem like our days are short a few hours. The energy is all but frantic around me, and everyone is hustling to keep pace. With recreational time at a premium, there has been a resurgence in the popularity of short stories, and writers are jumping on board to meet the needs of readers to have a quick story fix.

This is good news for writers. It not only offers us a chance to perhaps try something new, short stories are a great way to keep readers interested and entertained in the long months between full-length releases. Although I’ve never been one to write short stories, when the opportunity arose to collaborate with other authors, I happily accepted the challenge.

Since D.D. Scott began her “All for Indies” Anthologies last year, I’ve noticed lots of Indie-published authors following suit…and readers are loving it. What better way to get a taste of a new author’s style or to have several quick reads available in one, very affordable book. Here are a few treats you might like for Halloween.

I’m excited to be a part of this project with some very excellent storytellers. My short story prequel to WANING MOON is among these spooky shorts just in time for All Hallows Eve. SOUL REDEMPTION gives readers a peek inside the mind of Lily Carmichael’s thirteen-year-old brother Zephron, who has to deal not only with teenage hormones, but a dark power that threatens to take him over–a very creepy prospect indeed. This 15,000 word short story leaves you asking, “What would I do?” Read the first chapter on WATTPAD.

In honoring D.D. Scott’s “Great books at great prices” motto, this anthology is available for .99 cents at Amazon, and Smashwords.

If that isn’t enough to set off your fright meter, here are some more fabulously written short stories for your speed-reading pleasure.

Many of my friends from the WG2E Street team contributed to this one and I have to say, they did an amazing job scaring the heck out of me as I read by Kindle light all alone in my big old farmhouse in the woods while my husband was traveling. I know…crazy, right? But don’t we all love a bit of suspense and ghoulishness this time of year?

Tales from the Mist is available on Amazon for $4.99, a bargain for these ten creepy stories by ten fabulous authors! Check out the book’s Amazon page for details on contributing authors and their stories.

How about you? Have you read any good anthologies recently? Do you like short stories?

Life in the Dark Ages

Hello!  J here, back from living in the dark ages.  So, you may know that I love to read time travel romance.  Some of those books (the ones that send an unsuspecting modern person back to the middle ages) are among my favorites.  Well, they were. 

You may have heard something about a freak October blizzard/nor’easter that poured snow on New England last week.  Well, my town was smack dab in the middle of it.  At the lofty elevation of 140 feet above sea level, we got more than 12 inches of wicked heavy snow.  That’s a big accumulation for us in January, let alone October.  Two weeks before the storm, it was 80 degrees out and we were running an air conditioner in my kids’ bedroom.  Obviously, not only were there still leaves on our trees, my maple leaves were still green! 

We spent a scary Saturday night in the dark, listening to a hundred ancient trees creak, moan and crash.  By Sunday morning, it was a toasty 59 degrees in my living room.  The power had been out for 12 hours.  It wasn’t too bad.  I cooked a ham on the gas grill and dumped everything from the ‘fridge but the condiments into a bunch of coolers and stuck them out in the snow.  

Thankfully, none of the trees fell on our house, but there were branches (big ones) all over the yard and on our cars.  A power line was draped like a crepe-paper decoration across the car roofs.  We shoveled (did I mention the snow was wicked heavy?!) and brought cupcakes to our neighbors.  My hubby got to use his chainsaw.  He and a couple of other fellas cut up a tree that had fallen across the road.  For dinner, we had scrambled eggs with ham.  Took a while to get the eggs to cook on the grill, but it worked.  By 5:30, it was getting dark in the house and we put the kids to bed.  The temp in the house was holding steady at 59, but now that we weren’t moving around, it felt cold.

Monday morning dawned (literally!) and the house was down to 53 degrees.  That’s a surprisingly important 6 degree difference.  It was cold.  But we got moving around and dressed in several layers.  By mid-afternoon, we were up to a luxurious 55 degrees.  The novelty of having no power had worn off for the kids.  It was tough to play out in the snow since being the end of October (!) we didn’t even have snow boots yet.  Last year’s hats and mittens were too small.  And I hadn’t bought any knee socks, yet.  It’s tough to rock snow boots in ankle socks!

Tuesday morning, it was down to 40 – 51 in the house, depending on which thermostat (thankfully battery operated digital ones) you were looking at.  We de-camped to stay with family who, surprisingly, still had power.  They live quite a bit higher up, around 1,000 feet above sea level, in an area that gets battered with storms and loses power regularly.  Nobody knows why they still had power, but we enjoyed it while we could.

They lost power a couple of hours after we arrived.  I had just filled the tub with some warm water to bathe my stinky kids when the power blinked out.  They have a well, so that was it for the water.  I bathed all three kids in the tub, then jumped in myself.  It had been days since I’d showered last and being 4th man into the same water didn’t seem as gross as it would normally.  It could have been worse.  Hubby was the 5th man in. 

And since the well situation didn’t allow for flushing, I got a whole new perspective on life in the dark ages.  We bucket flushed the toilet learning the important phrase, “If it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown call your husband to get a bucket of water from the stream out back.”

Today’s Secret: I spent four days living in the dark ages.  We ate whatever we had, strange things, like cupcakes for breakfast.  We slept three-in-the-bed, bundled up under down blankets.  Hubby even wore a knit cap to sleep.  I cooked over a fire (because I had to, not because I wanted to).  I heated wash water in pots over the fire and washed dishes, then dirty socks in the same dish pan.  I had no access to the internet, and tried to get information over a hand-crank-powered AM radio.  Once we got the car dug out, there really wasn’t anywhere to go, with power lines and trees down all over the roads.  So, after living in the dark ages for a couple of days, I’m pretty sure I’m no longer interested in time travel.  But don’t worry Lynn Kurland, I’m still game for your next book!

Today’s Questions: What’s your survival story?

 

Happy Halloween, Scriblings!

 

PJ here.  To top off our spooky week on All Soul’s day, I’d like to welcome our fabulous final guest, Fran Friel. Take it away Fran!

Inspiration and a Hubby Chat

As proof that inspiration can be found anywhere, I submit the hubby chat.  The other night, my hubby and I were talking about the TV show, Vampire Diaries.  For the most part, he ignores it when it’s on, but in a moment of unguarded interest (I know he’s actually watching from the corner of his eye), he asked me about the werewolves in the show.  “Are they suppose to be stronger than the vampires?”  I wasn’t sure, in fact I suspect it depends on what the script writer’s plot needs are for any given episode.  As if on cue, our cat yawned, and that girl has some serious fangs. 

Hell Cat

This lead us to a discussion about Vamp Cats (and yes, we have the oddest conversations), then on to even more fanciful speculation concerning the efficacy of Vamp Turtles or a Vamp Cows.  Nah, I thought, too slow, too cumbersome.

 

But then, my husband, whom is widely read in genre fiction and graphic novels, said, “Fran, it’s already been done.”  No way.  But after a quick web search, he produced the evidence—Hellcow. http://geek-news.mtv.com/2011/02/24/the-10-best-vampires-in-comics Ikid you not.

Hellcow! Really!

 

What’s the point of all this, you ask?  Well, when the Seven Scribes honored me with the opportunity to write their Halloween blog, I was looking for inspiration.  What could be more inspiring than Hellcow?  And what does Hellcow have to teach us about writing?  The art of reinvention.

 

The Challenge of Reinvention

The Hellcow source was an MTV Geek article on  “The 10 Best Vampires in Comics.” http://geek-news.mtv.com/2011/02/24/the-10-best-vampires-in-comics/ Take a look at the link—quite a diverse list.  Or you only have to go as far as Twilight, The Vampire Lestat, True Blood, Plain Fear: Forsaken (Amish Vamp from yesterday’s blog) and scores of other vamp stories to see the variations on a theme.  Some writers will shy away from writing about a familiar subject, because “it’s already been done,” but as the vampire theme shows us, it can be done again…and again. 

 

So I’m setting a Halloween challenge for you to exercise your writing muscles by using an old theme and reinventing it in your own unique way (in any genre).  Here are a few suggestions to start you off:

 Choose a common topic, but be sure it’s one that has a spark for you

 In the spirit of the day, Halloween themes like ghosts, witches, zombies, etc. are great.  And with the winter holidays soon upon us, you could rewrite the Thanksgiving story or Santa’s tale.  Or how about pirates, cowboys and aliens?  Childhood characters like the tooth fairy, or the boogie man are in serious need of some new digs.  Basically, anything that gives you that little zing of inspiration is game.  Even common everyday items can be fun.  I once wrote a story about homicidal dust bunnies, and another about demonic spuds!  And yes, they were both published.

 Turn Left Instead of Right

 Writing teacher, Terri Brown-Davidson, gave me a suggestion I’ve never forgotten., “When you want to go right, try turning left and see what happens.”  As writers, we can get into a rut of comfort or predictability, so as an exercise in the process of reinvention, do the opposite of what you might feel safe doing.  Give your story and your characters some unpredictability by challenging yourself to go where you might not normally tread.  A little discomfort for a writer can create exciting results.

 Be Brave

 You’ve heard the saying, “Dance as if no one is watching.”  Well, do the same with your writing (at least your first draft)–write as if no one but you will read what you’ve written.  Be fearless, and write to entertain, intrigue, or scare yourself.  Not worrying about what anyone else will think is very freeing.  If it turns out to be brilliant, then you can always share later.  But for now, this work is for your eyes only!

 New Life

Just like Frankenstein returning to life or a vampire being reborn as the undead, the exercise of reinventing old themes can really get the creative juices flowing.  If you seek to be brave and step beyond your comfort zone, turning left instead of right down the old worn path, you may find that reinvention extends beyond the story and into your broader writing life.  Staying fresh and challenging yourself to expand your reach as a writer is important to the longevity of your career (and your sanity).  Give it a try and let me know how it goes.  Remember, someone actually wrote a story about a Hellcow and got published.  You too can reinvent the impossible!

 Happy Halloween, have a wonderful All Souls Day, and Happy Writing!  

 Fran Friel is a two-time Bram Stoker Award Finalist, winner of the Black Quill Award and former editor at Dark Recesses Press.  Her short story collection, Mama’s Boy and Other Dark Tales, and her novella, Beach of Dreams, are available at Amazon and Apex Book Company.  Look for her novella, Grid Walker, in the upcoming anthology, Barbers and Beauties, from editor Michael Knost.  You can find Fran at Facebook, Twitter, Fran Friel’s Yada Feast.

Thanks for being here, Fran. Love the cat fangs! Anyone want to jump in and tell us what creative re-inventions you’re working on?

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

It snowed in Connecticut. Yes, snow. That white cold stuff that falls out of the sky. Snow in Connecticut is not out of the norm, but snow in October is.

Today is Halloween. It’s the time of year when kids go out trick or treating dressed in their other worldly costumes. When red, yellow and orange leaves fall. When we pick apples off trees and pumpkins off the ground. But instead of the usual fall fare there are inches of snow. And once again most of the state is without power.   

Bundle up friends and send warm thoughts to those who are left in the dark and cold tonight. Oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my baby brother who was born on this day seventeen years ago.

I really wanted a baby sister… but things worked out okay in the end.

Tell me… How are you faring on this unseasonable day?

Author, Leanna Ellis, Shares about Taking the Scary Step Out of Her Market

Happy Sunday, Katy Lee here. I am very excited to have Leanna Ellis visiting with us today to share her story on how Plain Fear: Forsaken came to be. As an Inspirational writer, there are pretty strict guidelines to follow when writing for this market. One of them being, absolutely no vampires. But Leanna had a story to tell, so what was she to do?

Leanna Ellis is here to participate in the Scribes Spooky Theme Week to talk about a scary step she had to make. After all, taking the risk to blurr your market guidelines can be pretty scary. So please, give Leanna a warm welcome!

Happy Halloween! Oops! Did I say something wrong? Did you know that little phrase can be fairly controversial? There are certain camps regarding Halloween.There are those who embrace the holiday with all the gore and such and drape their houses in cobwebs. Then you’ve got those who allow their kids to dress up and enjoy the candy but no gory or other-worldly costumes. Then there’s the group that shuns the holiday because of its roots in paganism. So I didn’t mean to offend anyone by saying ‘Happy Halloween,’ but I just meant it as a friendly greeting. Like Halloween, we each have to figure out what is right for us and what is right for our families. And this is true in writing too.

In light of all of that, it seems very appropriate to discuss my current release, Plain Fear: Forsaken, which is a bit like Halloween, somewhat controversial. Some people may love the idea. Others may withhold judgment until they’ve heard more about it or even read it. And others will shun it just because of the subject matter. Just last week, I received this great review where the reviewer said, “Plain Fear Forsaken is a book that screams to be opened. It offers a fresh portrayal of vampires and their complex world, while taking readers on a journey of love and heartbreaking loss. This haunting tale is wonderfully written, with such intensity that you will not put it down.” Obviously a really nice review. Within an hour, I received an email from a reader who called my book, “Evil.” Did they read the same book? Apparently. But like Halloween, it’s not for every reader and it was a risk to write it, much less publish it.

Amish and vampires? Really? Yes, really. I’m asked a lot how this book came into being. Forsaken actually began as a joke. I was at a book signing and another author and I made a joke about we should write an Amish/vampire story because those were the two genres that were selling incredibly well. It really was a joke. I didn’t rush home and start writing the book. But I suppose some seed was planted in my warped little brain and took root. Soon a character was speaking to me about her story and wanting me to write it. But I resisted. However, there was a very intriguing element that I couldn’t seem to ignore. To me, this was a Phantom of the Opera type story, with a love triangle, and a clear dividing line between good and evil. So just playing around with the story idea, I wrote the prologue and first chapter. Then I set it aside because I was busy meeting other deadlines. Besides what was I to do with an Amish/vampire story?

Really, where would an Amish/vampire story ever fit? I was writing in the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) where Amish is very popular. Why couldn’t I write a traditional Amish book? Well, that’s just not how my brain works. I mentioned my story idea eventually to a couple of writer friends. They laughed but in a good way and encouraged me to write it. Well, I wasn’t so sure.

However, I was becoming obsessed with the story and very passionate when I spoke about it to anyone. I spent a lot of time in prayer over this book, because I didn’t want to write something that God didn’t want me to write. Also, I knew I’d have to leave the Christian market and sell it in the secular market. I wasn’t about to make that move without God’s clear direction. He began to show me in more ways than one that this was the book He wanted me to write.

More than a year passed, and I was at a writer’s conference minding my own business and not pursuing this story at all. An editor said the perfect submission would be…you guessed it! An Amish/vampire story. So I made an appointment to meet that editor and just talk about the idea. It almost felt like when an addict first admits she has a problem. I felt like I was teetering on the edge when I said, “I’m a writer and I’ve written an Amish/vampire story.” Well, she requested it.

Then I had to tell my agent about it. Thankfully, my agent loves the way my brain works. I caught her at the same conference and whispered to her that I’d had a request for a book I hadn’t even told her about. When I said, “Amish/vampire,” she laughed out loud in a joyful way. Gotta love an agent like that.

After she had read the prologue and first chapter, we had some serious discussions about ABA or CBA (secular or inspirational) and adult market or young adult. We both felt that in order to have a book about good versus evil, you have to be able to show evil and in the inspirational market I would be hindered in that way. I was once told that I couldn’t have a character say ‘pee.’ Really. Also, my agent and I decided that even though the heroine was young, the topics were adult. In YA novels, the characters are often in school and dealing with issues teenagers deal with. But in the Amish world, kids stop going to school at age 14. They’re making big decisions about their life much earlier than Englisch teenagers.

So began the submission process. Some editors got it, and some didn’t see how the two genres could ever be combined. Thankfully, Sourcebooks had a visionary editor, Peter Lynch who got it and gave Forsaken a chance. It’s honestly been great working with him, and I know God led me to this publisher.

What I love about this story is that it shows the battle of good and evil. Yep, I guess that reader did get part of the theme of the book. Evil doesn’t always appear with pitchfork and horns though. Quite often, evil is appealing and attractive and hooks us in before we realize what has happened. Such is the case with my heroine Hannah. She simply loved a boy. But she opens her heart and her mind too easily and the consequences could be devastating. Even though this story is published in the secular world, it has a powerful spiritual message, a message the world needs to hear.

In Plain Fear: Forsaken, Hannah Schmidt, a young Amish woman mourning the mysterious death of her beloved Jacob, must decide between two brothers, between good and evil. When she learns her first love is now the vampire Akiva, she must forsake him and cling to a new love, a lasting love, one that will save her soul.

To read an excerpt, click here. Bonus Alert: Plain Fear: Forsaken is available for the Kindle and the Nook for only $2.99! I believe it’s only for another week. Don’t miss out!

Winner of the National Readers Choice Award, Leanna Ellis writes women’s fiction. Known for her quirky characters and wacky plots, don’t let the quirkiness fool you as Ellis probes deep in the heart and plucks at the heartstrings. She lives deep in the heart ofTexas with her husband and children and an assortment of dogs and cats, including her crazy labradoodle, aka Hilo Monster, and her new kitten, Sawyer.

To keep in touch with Leanna, you can find her at:

www.leannaellis.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Leanna-Ellis/49487472434

Leanna, thank you so much for sharing how Plain Fear: Forsaken came to be. Stepping out of your market can really be a scary thing to do. It’s a risk we are glad you took.

Readers: Leanna is giving away a free copy of her book to one lucky commenter who posts before 10/30/11 -11:59PM (EST) Good Luck!

Conversations with a Medium

Hi!  For Spooky Week, I decided to bring you a conversation with an honest-to-God Medium, Tracy Timbro. 

Brown Lady of Raynham Hall

So Tracy, what’s it like being a medium?  I don’t do the medium thing full-time.  I’m just a regular lady with a regular job, but with this ability to sense spirits around my friends, family, and coworkers.  I can also go into supposed “haunted” locations and sense spirits.  I have met with people who recently lost loved ones and have made connections as well. 

How do you sense spirits?  I feel a buzzing sensation–very much like static electricity or a magnetic pull–it is absolutely undeniable when I get this feeling.  I will either “hear” the voice of the spirit in my mind or get a mental image of the spirit the way they looked in life.  I may see letters above them that relate to their name. 

Why do you think the Spirits contact you?  They show me images that don’t mean anything to me, but are meaningful to the person with which they are trying to communicate.  I will sometimes feel an emotion connected to them, for example, humor, sadness, friendliness, and especially the love they still feel for the living person near me.  Every spirit communicates differently according to their personality.  I have found many times that spirits send you signs (feathers, coins, butterflies, etc.) 

What does it take to be a medium?  I believe that every single one of us can be a medium.  Everyone has received spirit communication of some sort.  The hardest part is allowing intuition to take over and quieting the rational side of the mind (which is very hard to do!)  The spirit world is at a much higher frequency or vibrational level.  For a spirit to communicate, they must lower their vibrational energy and the medium must elevate their vibrational level.  They meet somewhere in the middle and that is where communication takes place.  I know 100% that there is life after death and our loved ones who pass away still communicate with us and still love us. 

Do you get freaked out when spirits contact you?  I don’t find it scary at all.  I have felt much love and thankfulness from spirits when I communicate.  It may sound a bit weird, but I mentally thank them and bless them after communicating and they return the blessing with a pulsation of energy…yes, I know, it sounds weird.  This is all very weird, I know.  There has been only two times that I felt evil/dark spirits.  The first time was at a New Age sort of gift shop that has since closed.  I felt a choking sensation and felt as if I were going to pass out.  I just walked out of the place, knowing it was not an “enlightened” place as most spiritual shops are.  The second time was at Foxwoods Casino.  My husband and I were driving up to the casino, passing the empty fields just before the casino.  I heard drumming sounds and felt a hand grip my neck and squeeze.  I felt I was being choked and couldn’t breathe.  That scared me.  I refused to go to that casino and will never go back.  There is angry Native American energy there.  (Mohegan is just fine, though!)

Is the barrier between the living and the dead really thinner on Halloween? Is there a time of the year when spirits seem to be more active than other times?  I’m really not sure if the barrier is thinner on Halloween.  I think maybe the awareness of the paranormal is heightened at this time.  Being aware of the subtleties of the spirit world is the key to connecting with those who have passed.  Anyone at any time can ask a loved one who has passed to give a sign–any sign–that they are still near to them.  Then all that is needed is to be aware.  I guarantee if you are patient, you will get a sign.  It may be a song perfectly timed on the radio, a feather in your path, many sightings of coins, a bird unexpectantly close to you, butterflies, dreams that seem very real, or lights flickering.  You will instinctively know the sign is for you.  That is all it takes!  The time of year when spirits seem to be more active is when people gather:  weddings, holidays, and celebrations.

Is there anything people can do to disconnect with malevolent spirits who are bothering them? I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer this question.  I have never encountered this problem myself.  I can only offer my opinion.  I do believe that some forms of malevolent energy may, in fact, be created by the living.  For example, a very depressed, sad or angry person puts forth negative energy.  All energy created is very real (positive or negative) and greatly effects people.  When you walk into a room after people have argued, you can sense the heaviness in the room.  Consequently, when a loving, positive energy is created, you feel at ease and peaceful.  Some hauntings may be residual:  a sort of rewinding and playing out of an event that happened in the past.  The energy is imprinted into the surroundings.  Sometimes this can be exacerbated by the layout of the environment:  quartz or lime deposits in the ground or electromagnetic fields created by power lines/wiring.  Other hauntings may be intelligent and caused by a soul that refuses or is unaware that it has “passed on.”  I do believe you can take charge by making your demands known to a spirit haunting a location.  Prayer and imaging white light around onself are also very powerful in protecting oneself against negativity–even in daily situations.  In extreme situations of demonic and very dark presences, I would seek the help of a clergy member or paranormal expert.

Do you do spirit readings or anything like that for people? Can people contact you if they are interested?  I have met with people on a casual basis and done “readings.”  Most of my spirit contact has been incidental with people I work with, family, and friends.  It is my dream to reach out to more people.  I am amazed and truly fulfilled each time I make contact with a loved one in spirit!  It’s best to reach me by email:  tracytimbro64@yahoo.com.

 Is there anything that you’d want to people to know about the spirit world?  Yes.  The spirit world is our true home.  Life on earth is a learning experience to further advance our souls in the direction of love.  I like to compare life on earth to a student going off to college, and our loved ones in the spirit world are like our parents back home.  Like the college student, we will work tremendously, get tired and exasperated pulling all-nighters, fall in and out of love several times, party gloriously sometimes, learn a million lessons (some lessons staying with us, and others forgotten), lose our faith a couple of times, and then get our faith back.  All the while, our parents are back home, like our loved ones in spirit, worrying about us, praying for us, supporting us, trying hard to guide us in the right direction, and attempting to communicate with us with phone calls, packages, and emails!  I think many people would find comfort in knowing this is not our “true” home and that a greater existence awaits us. 

Thank you so much Tracy – what great information!

Julia Rachel Barrett – Ghostly Love

Happy Freakish Friday everyone! Casey Wyatt here.

Please welcome today’s guest  Julia Rachel Barrett.  If you haven’t read any of Julia’s books, you are missing out on some great reads. Click here to read my review of her book Beauty and the Feast.

 And in  the spirit of our  Spooky Week theme – please check out her ghostly love story Incorporeal.

Let’s here what Julia has to say about romance.

****

Why Write? 

Perhaps the better question is, why not? I have a spotty history in the world of literature. Like so many readers, I knew I wanted to be a writer from the time I was very young, maybe five or six years old. Here’s a truism, if you love to tell stories, to make up stories in your head, you probably love to read and chances are you’d like to write.

It’s not as simple as it seems and a lot depends upon what your goals are. Do you want to sell a whole lot of books? I suspect anybody can sell bunches of books if the subject matter is prurient enough. Do you want to be a damn good writer? Takes work.

A Tale of Ghostly Love

How did I begin? I began by reading everything in sight, in every genre available to me. My early loves were poetry, mystery stories, fantasy/science fiction, and even comic books. Don’t laugh. Comic books are great for learning economy of words. The creator has to express an emotion and move a story forward in very few words. Of course comics also contain expressive action words like Pow! Bam! Smack! Crash!

I moved from poetry to short stories – which are making a comeback with the advent of e-publishing – to nonfiction articles for nursing and medical journals to literary fiction. Aside from freelance articles, finding a publisher for my works of fiction was an exercise in futility. I queried agents and publishers for too many years without results. While I was raising small children and working part time, I filed the manuscripts away and focused on my job as a hospice nurse.

Smokin’ Hot Good Read

In 2007 I found myself sidelined by a climbing injury…tore my left knee up pretty bad. For a year I either wore a titanium brace or used crutches while researching surgeons and then waiting for the surgeon I chose to fit me in for a repair. A friend took pity on me and brought me a romance novel – Kill and Tell, by Linda Howard, and I was hooked. I had always dismissed romance as ‘bodice rippers’ and it was one genre I ignored. Linda Howard told a damn good sexy story. I went on to read everything she’d written up to that point and moved on to Karen Marie Moning, then Hannah Howell and Lynsay Sands. I realized that with the life I’d lived, I had stories to tell, romantic stories, gripping, touching, loving stories, and I wrote my first romance.

Never looked back. Now I look forward to a brave new world of self-publishing. I can revise and release the series of short stories I worked so hard on years ago. In the meantime I have a full-length paranormal romance available on Kindle, Incorporeal, and I’ll soon release the sequel, In the Flesh. I have nine romances out to date with publishers in ebook and print and I’ve self-published another five books in a variety of genres and lengths.

Coming soon!

Come visit me anytime on my site – Julia’s World – http://juliarachelbarrett.net

Thanks for having me, Casey!

Any time Julia. Thanks for being our guest today. Please feel free to leave Julia a question.

Tell us, what are your writing goals? And why do you write? And for our readers, what are you looking for when you choose your next book?

When There’s Something Strange in the Neighborhood …

Hey, everybody!  Suze here.  Spooky Week at the Scribes continues!  Please welcome Jim Chianese, naval officer and paranormal investigator.

Paranormal Investigator Jim Chianese

Welcome, Jim.  Tell us a little bit about yourself.

At a very young age, I was interested in the supernatural/paranormal.  I remember my parents did not want me to see the movie Jaws when it came out (didn’t want me to be afraid of the water) however, they took me to see the Amityville Horror.  My Mom was always interested in the supernatural and I guess this is where I get it from.  She would always watch the old horror movies or any movie having to do with ghosts.  As I got older I found myself reading books on folklore and mythology along with various spiritual beliefs from around the world.  I also read books about haunting, spiritualism, divination and even tarot.

How did you become involved with the East Coast Angels?

My good friend Jeff and I were talking one day about our common interest in the supernatural world.  We thought about forming our own group but, soon realized besides being eager, we had no idea what to do.  So we started looking for a group to join in the local area.  I came across a business card for the East Coast Angels in a used book store in Niantic, CT.  Both, Jeff and I contacted the Director, Mike “Sal” Salerno.  A few days later we met with Mike and his co-founder Sue, and were invited to join the group.  We were told that we would be brought in on the “light” cases until we were trained up.  The next phone call we got was anything but a “light” case.  I believe the words Mike used where, “Well, I know I said a light case but…hey, nothing like learning the hard stuff first.”  It turned out to be the beginnings of a demonic infestation.  So, much for the light stuff first.  Jeff and I cut our teeth, so to speak, on that first case and we have been with the group since.

Can you explain what the East Coast Angels do?

The East Coast Angels investigate claims of paranormal activity in private homes and facilities.  We are a formally trained team of Paranormal Investigators which use high-tech equipment in our investigations to measure everything from electromagnetic fields to the temperature in every room of the house.  We also use voice and video recorders throughout; to help capture anything we might miss if not physically present.  We then analyze our findings and present them to the client.  Once our client is presented with the information, we then decide what to do next.  Keep in mind, not every house we investigate is haunted.  Most of the time, there is a more natural explanation than a supernatural one.

Describe an investigation for us.  What sort of preparation is required, what happens during an investigation, and what happens afterward?

There is no “typical” investigation; East Coast Angels knows there are no real hard and fast rules, just a whole lot of theory. Other groups have different procedures.  For us, the investigation starts off with the client contacting ECA. Mike will then go out to the house and interview the client asking a variety questions to understand what the client has been experiencing and some background information on the client and anyone else who lives in the house.  The questions start off broad in nature but tend to get very specific depending on the answers.  All information obtained is considered confidential and is never shared outside of the case without prior permission from the client.  A day and time are then agreed upon for the actual investigation.  The actual investigation usually takes place about a week or two after the initial interview.  Although, there are times when it could be that night or within a couple of days, depending on what Mike uncovers during the interview.  Prior to investigation night, each investigator will make sure their equipment is in good working order and they have enough batteries, memory cards, video tapes, etc. to last us for the entire investigation. 

The team will all meet at the client’s house at the designated time.  The team is introduced to the client and at this time we are briefed on what the situation is.  This helps to keep us from forming opinions prior to the investigation.  We then unload the equipment and set up in the designated areas pointed out by Mike as he tells us what the client experienced in that particular area.  As the equipment is being set up, one of us will do a preliminary Electromagnetic Frequency (EMF) and temperature sweep of the entire house.  This helps us to establish a baseline and identify any strong electromagnetic fields being generated by lights, house wiring or appliances.  Once this is done and the equipment is set up and running, we then go room to room and shut the lights off.  Now if we get an EMF hit that is higher than the initial background one, it could (but not necessarily be) an indication of paranormal activity.

We will then gather and say a prayer to protect us just from any harm and to keep any type of entity from following us home after the investigation.  We will use a process called Religious Provocation to help determine if there is a spirit in the house.  Religious Provocation is when we ask the spirit to give us a non-lethal, non-threatening sign of its presence.  The theory behind this is a human spirit does not have to give us a sign, but a non-human spirit is compelled to do so.  This sign can be a knock, something falling over, a toy activating, basically something to get our attention.  If we do not physically see or hear something, there is the possibility of finding it later when we review the evidence recorded.  We then break up into teams (usually 2-3 people) and start the investigation.  We will pick a room where the client has experienced something and try to experience it ourselves.  This is where we will sit quietly and conduct an Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) session where we ask questions and hope to get answers on our voice recorders.  If the client experienced an object moving or a door closing we try to see if we can recreate it.  Is the door hinge loose? Does is swing freely?  Is there a draft from someplace?  If we can recreate the occurrence by a more normal means (i.e. there is a draft when the window is open that causes the door to swing closed) then we consider it “debunked” and move on to something else.

Once we feel we have sufficient data we will call it a night and break down the equipment.  There is no real set time for the end of the investigation.  This is where we go by feel.  If one of our investigators experienced something first hand in the house we are likely to stay at it for 8-10 hours.  If, on the other hand, things are real quiet, we might call it a night after 3-4 hours.  The spirits do not interact on command like you see on TV.  The spirit may not want to bother with all the strange people in the house running around asking it to make a noise or answer a question.

After the night of investigation, we all take the next few days to go over all the data we collected.  This data is usually 8-10 hours of video x 4 cameras, 8-10 hours of audio x 4 digital voice recorders (not counting the individual voice records the investigators carry with them.  This is the time consuming part you don’t see on TV.  If an investigator captures something during this process, they make a copy and send it to the others who where there that night.  At this point, we all check our individual data for the same evidence.  Sometimes, more than one investigator captured the same EVP at the same time.

Once we have all the information, Mike will contact the client and show them what we found.  At this time, they will decide what will happen next.  This could be anything from another night of investigating, a house cleansing, or nothing at all.

The East Coast Angels describe themselves as a “paranormal rescue team.”  Describe your most satisfying case.

The East Coast Angels consider ourselves a “paranormal rescue team” for the simple reason that we are here to help people.  We are not your typical ghost hunter group you invite to your house to set up cameras and voice recorders.  Then analyze the evidence and tell you either “yes, your house is haunted” or “no, your house is not haunted”, here’s a T-shirt.  We not only know how to gather evidence, but also can help the spirit to cross over or cleanse the house from an unwanted harmful entity.  Our cases come as referrals from other groups or we are contacted by the client themselves and asked to help.  Recently, we had a family who was literally afraid to live in their home.  The children were staying with other family members and the parents were living in a hotel room.  They contacted us and told Mike what was going on.  We investigated the house and determined there was a possible demonic presence trying to move in.  We performed a house cleansing ceremony.  Since the cleansing, the family has moved back in and has reported no further paranormal activity and a feeling of peace in the house.  Of course this is an extreme example.  We have also pointed out to clients that their electrical wiring is so old it is giving off a major electromagnetic field (which can make some people sick) when their lights are on in the basement.  We even told one client the scratching they heard at night was a squirrel and mice that moved into their attic.  After our investigation and some pest control their “haunting” was gone.  Either way, all the clients were satisfied with the outcome and felt at peace in their home again.

Have your experiences changed your personal beliefs or world view?  For example, since you’ve worked with ECA, are you more — or less — spiritual?

My experiences have definitely firmed up my belief that there is so much more out there that we really do not understand or can explain to everyone’s satisfaction.  I have always considered myself a spiritual person (not a religious person).  I have a very broad view of religion.  I do, however have a very strong belief in God.  I just don’t choose to say one religion is better than the other.

What do you think a ghost is?  Have you ever seen one?

I can’t say I have seen a ghost.  I have seen shadows on an infra-red video that someone would say is a ghost.  A ghost can fit into several different categories.  A ghost can be a human spirit who has not crossed over yet.  A ghost can be a demonic entity that wants to cause trouble.  A ghost can be a certain instance in time that keeps repeating itself when the conditions are right.  This kind of ghost is caused by the electromagnetic impulses of the brain imprinting a certain happening in the past, which when the conditions are right replays in the present.

Thanks, Scribes for having me here today

Thanks, Jim!  To check out some of ECA’s case files, or for more information, take a look at their website: http://www.ecangels.com/ and visit them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/East-Coast-Angels-Paranormal-Investigations/170828251263   Jim will be available later today to answer your questions, so please ask away in the Comments section below, and check back later for his responses.