Mark Your Calendar for the Multi-Author Signing at Creatures & Crooks Bookshoppe September 12th

Mark this date down: September 12, 2009, and the time: 1:00PM to 4:00PM, and please attend Creatures and Crooks Bookshoppe's last book signing. This will be a multi-author event, with many of C&C's fave authors, including me. :-D
Address: In Carytown: 3156 West Cary Street Cary Court Park & Shop Richmond, VA 23221 C'NC's Phone: 804-340-0277 or toll-free (888) 533-5303 http://cncbooks.com

• Pamela K. Kinney, author of Haunted Richmond, Haunted Virginia: Legnds, Myths ans True Tales, & Northern Haunts: 100 Terrifying New England Tales anthology (contributed a short story to this).
  
• Tony Ruggiero, author of Alien Deception and the Team of Darkness series
• Ellen Byerrum, author of Armed and Glamorous and the Crime of Fashion series
• Marcia Talley, author of Without a Grave and the Hannah Ives Mystery series
• Dennis Danvers, author of Circuit of Heaven, End of Days, The Bright Spot, The Fourth World, The Watch, Time and Time Again, and Wilderness
• G.M Malliet, author of Death of a Cozy Writer and Death and the Lit Chick
• Tee Morris, author of Morevi, Legacy of Morevi, The Case of the Signing Sword, and the Case of the Picher’s Penant and (nonfiction) All a Twitter
• Sandra Parshall, author of Disturbing the Dead, and Heat of the Moon
• Bob Cohen, author of Hammond’s Choice
• Andrew Fox, author of Bride of the Fat White Vampire and Fat White Vampire Blues
• Mary Montague Sikes, author of Hearts Across Forever, Eagle Rising and Secrets by the Sea
• Andy Straka, author of Kitty Hitter and the Frank Pavlicek Private Eye series (it is also rumored that Andy will bring a "friend")
• John J. Lamb, author of The Treacherous Teddy and the Bear Collector's Mystery series
• Maggie Steifvater, author of Shiver and Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception
• Ellen Crosby, author of Riesling Retribution and the Wine Country Mystery series

We'll be milling around the bookstore, sharing fond memories, talking to readers and signing our books, too. So if you’re a long-time patron of Creatures ‘n Crooks Bookshoppe or if you love to read mystery, science fiction, fantasy and horror books and ghost books, mark your calendar for this event. This was the only one of its kind on the east Coast and only mystery-specialty bookstore from Baltimore to Atlanta. It will leave a hole for many fans, besides loosing a great bookstore.

A Collection of Scary Fiction Finished and Submitted to Under the Moon

Okay, I finished the collection of scary fiction tales and one scary poem titled (tentatively--after all the publisher can change it), Spectre Nightmares and Visitations. It has some reprints of stories of mine that appeared in an old collection and magazines and anthologies before. But new ones, too, plus the poem is new.
It went off by email to my Under the Moon editor, Terri Pray. So keep fingers crossed,she wanted them.
Now back to work on the project was working on until her email to me.

Weird Wednesday

Today's Weird Wednesday picture has a snake with two front feet. Least I think they are that. What do you think?

I Was Interviewed By HauntJaunts.Net

I was interviewed by HauntJaunts.Net:

http://hauntjaunts.net/blog/2009/08/26/discovering-virginias-haunt-jaunts-with-pamela-k-kinney/

Bars have More than Alcoholic Spirits!

The last three weekends (that includes this one) I have been investigating the paranormal. One week was at Ferry Plantation in Virginia Beach. I’ve actually gotten shadows in several of my photos, besides orbs. evps too. What are evps, you say? That is electronic voice phenomenon. I have a digital recorder like they use on “Ghost Hunters” and can capture sounds and voices that no living person has made.

Last weekend, my husband and I went to do more footwork for my new ghost book I am contracted to do, visiting Jamestowne during the day and doing the Tavern Ghost Tour in Colonial Williamsburg that night. I caught loads of orbs and a shadow in a window there, plus an evp in a tavern that I got a special tour of after the ghost walk.

And now 3AM to 6:30AM I joined with others of Central Virginia Psychic Development and Paranormal Investigations and the core investigating group, CVAPI--http://www.cvapi.com/ (the core group) and investigated a local bar (I can not reveled the name of the places as the owner of the shopping center they are in does not want it out that the place is haunted and I agree) that the place has a few spirits hanging around.

I am sure I have gotten three evps so far, though waiting to hear back on the first one to make sure if no one in the group in the prep room said it. But it was very clear. I still have couple more long recordings to listen to. I also had gotten a few orbs in my photos, plus a shadow in the prep room too. I am sharing some of those photos with you.

Let me say that if you live in Richmond area, that CVAPDPI is a good meetup group to join. Jackie Tomlin is a good head of it. She not only lets us do hands on paranormal investigating, but developing of psychic abilities, too. If interested, the meetup link is here: http://www.meetup.com/paranormalcvapi/

It looked like we might have had a amorous ghost, who liked one of the women there, but was not happy about her husband who was with her. Something I have learned the last couple weeks, that even spirits can fall in love or lust. There was another such story connected with Colonial Williamsburg, but I am saving that one for my new book, so when it is out, you will get that story.

Besides using digital recorders and cameras, a diving rod was used, EMF (Electromagnetic Field Detector) and thermometer when temp got freezing cold and we asked the spirits to rise up the heat too.

I will also say I was touch, mainly on my arms. That was so cool.

On the photos, to see some of the little orbs better, click on to get the bigger pictures.

Weird Wednesday

Today's is an odd picture, as if the cowboy was saddling this giant jack rabbit.

Weird Wednesday

Today's Weird Wednesday brings a strange bubble.

HUGO WINNERS

Hugo winners for the 2009 World Science Fiction Convention, Anticipation.

The Hugo Award, first presented in 1953, celebrate the best in the field of science fiction and fantasy. Recipients are chosen by members of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS). The Hugos are presented each year at the World Science Fiction Convention.

The winner of the Big Heart Award for service to fandom is Andrew Porter.

The winner of the Hugo logo design competition is Jeremy Kratz.

Best Novel (I recommend this one)
* The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins; Bloomsbury UK)

Best Novella
* “The Erdmann Nexus” by Nancy Kress (Asimov’s Oct/Nov 2008)

Best Novelette
* “Shoggoths in Bloom” by Elizabeth Bear (Asimov’s Mar 2008)

Best Short Story
* “Exhalation” by Ted Chiang (Eclipse Two)

Best Related Book
*Your Hate Mail Will be Graded: A Decade of Whatever, 1998–2008 by John Scalzi (Subterranean Press)

Best Graphic Story
* Girl Genius, Volume 8: Agatha Heterodyne and the Chapel of Bones Written by Kaja & Phil Foglio, art by Phil Foglio, colors by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
* WALL-E Andrew Stanton & Pete Docter, story; Andrew Stanton & Jim Reardon, screenplay; Andrew Stanton, director (Pixar/Walt Disney)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
* Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog Joss Whedon, & Zack Whedon, & Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen , writers; Joss Whedon, director (Mutant Enemy)

Best Editor, Short Form
* Ellen Datlow

Best Editor, Long Form
* David G. Hartwell

Best Professional Artist
* Donato Giancola

Best Semiprozine
* Weird Tales edited by Ann VanderMeer & Stephen H. Segal

Best Fanzine
* Electric Velocipede edited by John Klima

Best Fan Writer
* Cheryl Morgan

Best Fan Artist
* Frank Wu

The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
* David Anthony Durham*

Recycling and Saving the Budget, Too

Have you ever thought how maybe recycling can also help you during the economy?

We all know to recycle things that are recyclable in the Recycle bin that is picked up maybe every two weeks. And to take plastic grocery bags to some stores that have a place to collect them to be recycled.

There's other ways now too, ways that'll help you watch your money.Like someone the other day said they take orange peels and make them into candy. Candy they give as Christmas gifts.
How about taking old clothing that is torn and cutting them into squares and making a quilt out of them? It's summer and if your jeans has holes in the knees, make them into cutoffs.
I'm a writer and seen it done before. Maybe when you go to a writer's critique group, you need several copies of your chapter or story.Take old copies and print the new one on the other side. Then after you bring them home and copy off what you need from suggestions given, just shred it all in the shredder for the recycle bin.

Newspaper comics can be saved and used as wrapping paper. I mean, why go out and buy some, when the comics are so cool? Or take paper bags, decorated them and walla! you got bags for your gifts.

On those peanuts used in packing boxes, when you get them at Christmas, find if any place in town will take them. I saw one in my town the other days that says will take them and used them.

I saved leftover plastic containers food from grocery store and reuse them, both as bowls and to store things. Why go out and buy plastic containers for storing, when you can use these you buy anyway?

There's more things you can do to recycle and reuse, but I will quit and see if anyone leaves comments on what they do. So please, do tell me how you help save the Earth and your budget too.

Couple Free, Cool Places to Visit in Richmond in August

Today, my husband and I drove to downtown Richmond. First we stopped at the Library of Virginia. Until October 2009, they have an exhibit,Poe: Man, Myth, or Monster until December 5th. This being Poe's 200th birthday, what better thing to do than take a trip for the day and see this. And there will be a docent from the Poe Museum who will lead couple times during the day a tour , talking about Poe. Lucky for Bill and me, we arrived at the right time to take this tour.Find out more about the exhibit and the library at http://www.lva.virginia.gov/

Another cool exhibit, free just until August 30th (actually the whole place is free) is at the Virginia HistoricalSociety. The exhibit is "The Vietnam Experience." We toured it today. It was very interesting.Find out more about the exhibit and the rest of the Society at
http://www.vahistorical.org/

Weird Wednesday

Today's Weird Wednesday photo is an oddball toilet sign?

The Hanover Book Festival Past Saturday

On Saturday, August 1st, I was at the Fourth Annual Hanover Book Festival from 10AM to 2PM. My husband drove us to the VFW Building and we unloaded my books and stuff. He went to park the car while I decorated my table in spooky stuff. We had unearthed tombstones from our Halloween decorations and a cat head vase with black flowers, witch on broomstick and raven I had made several years ago. New stuff came from Dollar Tree and Ben Franklin. Those were the ghosts, the homemade Edgar Allan Poe tombstone, the skull used as a candy dish, bottle of ghostly goop, and the cool, scary black cat that had flashing red eyes. I covered the black tablecloth with fake spider webs and spread out my books among it all.
Next to my table was paranormal author Beth Brown, who also writes for Schiffer Publishing and just had her new book, Haunted Plantations of Virginia come out.I had a copy for her to sign and I can tell you so far it's a good book. You can see her in the photo I took of her at her table, her standard cup of coffee in hand.
I also took a picture of mystery author Robert Bailey with his hardboiled detective novels from the Art Hardin series. They are a good series. Noticed his T-shirt and what it says? LOL!
The other two photos are from another author's table--I had to get a picture of that tombstone and what it said. The other was some of the entertainment they had at the festival. It was a good day for me. I plan to be back next year for the fifth annual one!