Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Catch Me at Fantasci in Chesapeake, Virginia This Saturday, August 3rd



I will be at Fantasci at the Chesapeake Central Library Saturday, August 3rd, selling and signing copies of my books--from fiction to all four nonfiction ghost books, even the erotic urban fantasy, "The Witch And The Familiar" by my pseudonym, Sapphire Phelan. The address is 298 Cedar Rd., Chesapeake, Virginia.

Fantasci will be from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. I will only be at my table, but there will be other authors, artists, vendors, panels, presentations, a costume contest, and two movies you can watch free at night after the daytime activities.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Supernatural Friday: Haunted Objects




Can spirits be attached to objects? Objects like jewelry, furniture, statues, and others? If you ever seen The Haunted Collector on the SyFy Channel, John Zaffis makes claim that is true. He even has a paranormal museum, with items founded to have paranormal activity connected to them and after taken from the places, the activity has stopped, or lessened. Honestly, I feel one should do a blessing and cleansed, and keep the object. Taking someone's family heirloom or something is not something I would do.

I do believe that ghosts can leave the places they haunted and go to other places; some even are attached to objects they owned in life.  It does depend on how badly one is haunted by the phantom or phantoms, to attempt a cleansing or bring in a psychic or priest to do a blessing. If anyone needs to have a blessing or cleansing, here one place to find out: Cleansing

Like I said, most hauntings are associated with houses, castles and other things that go bump in the night, but hauntings can include objects, like the Hope Diamond, tchotchkes (Yiddish tshatshke trinket-the term has a connotation of worthlessness or disposability as well as tackiness) found in antique shops, even items on eBay. Hauntings have gone so mainstream that eBay has a “Guide to Buying Haunted Items.” 





One such famous cursed item is the "Hope Diamond." According to the legend, a curse befell the large, blue diamond,  when it was plucked (i.e. stolen) from an idol in India - a curse that foretold bad luck and death not only for the owner of the diamond but for all who touched it.  Several centuries ago, a man named Tavernier made a trip to India. While there, he stole a large blue diamond from the forehead (or eye) of a statue of the Hindu goddess Sita. For this transgression, according to the legend, Tavernier was torn apart by wild dogs on a trip to Russia (after he had sold the diamond). This was the first horrible death attributed to the curse.


Whether or not you believe in the curse, the Hope diamond has intrigued people for centuries. Its perfect quality, its large size, and its rare color make it strikingly unique and beautiful. Add to this a varied history which includes being owned by King Louis XIV, stolen during the French Revolution, sold to earn money for gambling, worn to raise money for charity, and then finally donated to the Smithsonian Institution.



“Haunted” Items (this author does not say yay or nay if these objects are truly haunted or not):

There is a painting titled “Hands Resist Him.” It was done by Bill Stoneham in 1972. Years later, a family found the painting in a dumpster and thought they’d found some free artwork. After taking it home,  their 4-year-old daughter claimed the children in the painting were fighting. An experiment was done, by the family as they recorded the painting over several nights. Supposedly, the figures moved within the painting in the video. They made a claim too, that the owner of the gallery where the painting was first displayed and a Los Angeles Times critic who reviewed the show died within one year of the art show. Of course, was it due to the painting? The family sold it on eBay along with the story for $1,025. Obviously, someone believed it was haunted or cursed.

 “The Crying Boy” was painted by Bruno Amadio, and is not just one painting, but a mass-produced print with numerous alternative versions, all with young boys or girls crying. These were distributed in the 1950s. The stories about these particular paintings began in the 1980s after a fireman in England claimed he kept coming across the paintings in burned houses. Funny thing, the paintings were remarkably untouched. The newspaper, The Sun gave readers a chance to bring in the paintings and destroy them in a bonfire. Psychics said the painting was haunted by the spirit of the boy or girl it depicts. If someone wanted the curse lifted, the owner must hang a boy and girl crying together, or pass the painting onto another person. 



I just watched about this doll on William Shatner's  paranormal TV show on SyFy, The doll was called Robert. It had been owned by painter Eugene Otto, and allegedly cursed. Otto got the doll as a gift in 1906 from a servant who was supposedly skilled in black magic. Neighbors reported seeing the doll moving from window to window. Otto screamed at night. He said that the doll turned over furniture. When he died in 1974, the doll fell into the hands of a 10-year-old girl who began to scream at night, and that the doll tried to kill her. Robert is now in the Fort East Martello Museum and Gardens in Key West, Fla., where guests can take a picture with him. But if they make fun of him, visitors have made claims of bad things happening to them. They send letters to the doll, asking him to forgive them, so their curse will be lifted. The doll is the inspiration for the movie “Child’s Play.” 



Located in Newport, R.I., Belcourt Castle was completed after three years of construction and opened in 1895. Nowadays, there are ghost tours conducted there. Visitors claim to feel chills when they are near two chairs in particular in the gothic ballroom. Some sit in the chairs, feel resistance, and evicted, ending up on the floor.

The wedding dress of Anna Baker at Baker Mansion is supposedly haunted. In the mid-1800s, Anna became engaged to a man her father did not approve of. Her father sent him away. The wedding never took place, the dress sat unused, and Anna died an old maid. Since then, visitors of the mansion in Altoona, Pa. (bought by a historical society) have seen the dress flutter in its glass case. Does the spirit of Anna still want to wear it, or wanted to be buried in it?

The Roosevelt Hollywood Hotel is famous as the address of the first Academy Awards in 1929. Marilyn Monroe also stayed as a resident for two years. Now, it is now a swank party place for Hollywood’s hip crowd. While there have been “sightings” on the ninth floor, Cabana Suite 213 and Blossom Ballroom, it is the mirror that used to hang in Monroe’s room—now in storage--that concerns being on this list. It is said, that when you gaze into the mirror, you might see more than your own reflection. A busty blond is what has been seen. Is it Marilyn Monroe?

Ah, here is another paranormal active doll for your pleasure—Annabelle. Annabelle was a Raggedy Ann doll given to a girl named Donna in the 1970s. Messages started appearing on parchment paper in a child’s handwriting, and yet, there was no parchment paper stored in the house. The family contacted a medium and learned that a young girl named Annabelle Higgins died and that she “possessed” the doll because she felt comfortable with the family. If the doll is friendly, the family preferred enemies. The father Lou had nightmares about the doll trying to kill him. He even gotten clawed in the chest from something unseen. The family felt they had been deceived through the medium by "the Father of Lies." That there was anyone named Annabelle in the doll, but something evil.  They had an exorcism performed and got rid of the doll. It now resides in an occult museum.




Who hasn't heard of the "curse" of James Dean's car "Little Bastard?" It has become part of America's cultural mythology. Warren Beath, a James Dean archivist and author, believes the source of the myth is Hollywood's George Barris, the self-described "King of the Kustomizers." This man said he was the first to purchase the wrecked Little Bastard. Barris promoted the "curse" after he placed the wreck on public display in 1956. Over the years, Barris described a series of accidents that mysteriously occurred from 1956 to 1960 involving the Little Bastard, resulting in serious injuries to spectators and even a truck driver's death. Porsche historian Lee Raskin states many claims regarding the "curse" of the Little Bastard appear to have been based on Barris' 1974 book, Cars of the Stars.
 


Myrtles Plantation is known as “one of America’s most haunted homes.” The plantation is supposedly the home of 12 ghosts, and reputedly built over an Indian burial ground. To make it a trifecta of terror, people were also murdered there. But it’s the mirror that contains the spirits of Sara Woodruff and her children that gets the haunted object award. After their deaths, per custom, the mirrors were covered, but someone forgot to cover this one. Supposedly, they are trapped forever in it. Visitors have reported seeing hand prints in the mirror.



Bunk beds that aired on an episode of “Unsolved Mysteries,” In 1987, Allen and Deborah Tallman who come from the town of Horicon, Wisconsin bought a bunk bed from a second-hand shop. Suddenly there are noises, a snow blower moving for no reason, and unexplained illness. The parents began to believe their children’s bunk beds were haunted. They buried the beds in a landfill. 


Friday, July 19, 2013

Supernatural Friday: Ghost Strawberries Recipe






Strawberries are perfect for summertime. And who doesn't like ghosts? Combine the two and you got a recipe for ghost strawberries.


Ghost Strawberries

24 large fresh strawberries
8 ounces white chocolate or white chocolate chips
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with waxed paper.
2. Wash the strawberries and pat them dry. Make sure they're truly dry and don't have any wet patches, otherwise you'll have trouble dipping them.
3. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave, stirring after every 30 seconds until it is smooth and fluid. If you are using white chocolate chips, they might be quite stiff when you melt them, so you can add a spoonful of vegetable shortening to make the chocolate more liquid if necessary.
4. Hold a strawberry by the stem and dip it in the chocolate until it is almost entirely covered. Hold it over the bowl and let the excess drip back into the bowl, then scrape the bottom against the lip of the bowl. Place the berry on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Repeat the process until all of the strawberries are covered with white chocolate. Refrigerate the tray until the chocolate is set, for about 15 minutes.
6. While you're waiting for the white chocolate to harden, melt the semi-sweet chocolate. Pour it into a plastic baggie with a small hole cut in the corner.
7. Decorate the strawberries with the chocolate so that they have eyes and mouths and resemble ghosts. Let the chocolate set completely before serving.
8. Ghost Strawberries are best eaten the day they are made. Store them in the refrigerator until serving.

Casting Call Juy 27th for Thriller To Be Filmed in Richmond


CASTING CALL: Production title: The 19th-by High Mountain Films LLC. 
Company website: www.HMFilms.tv. Shooting Location: Richmond, Va It will be held Saturday, July 27, 2013, 12pm – 4pm. Please bring resume and headshot.
Director: Greg Mitchell
Producer: Lawrence Hall IV
Casting Director: Pamela K. Kinney
Audition Location: 13509 East Boundary, Suite F, Midlothian, Va. 23112'
Please bring: Head shot and resume.
Union / Non-Union: Non-Union
Production Type: Independent
Project length: Full length Feature (90 minutes)
Email: the19th_casting@hmfilms.tv
Compensation: No / Some compensation some roles 

Not just speaking roles, but may need extras/background. There will be cold reads, so we can pick the best for the roles.
 
On Channel 8:
 

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Pamela K. Kinney's Book Signing at Books A Million This Saturday

I will be doing a book signing of my nonfiction ghost books at Books A Million in Midlothina, Virginia this Saturday, July 20th.  The address is 15701 Westchester Commons Main St. Midlothian, Virginia 23113.  804-897-9813. 

 

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Supernatural Friday: The Crimson Rush



Enjoy my original poem, "The Crimson Rush," but please do not copy it and paste it elsewhere, share the link instead so others may enjoy it. It is copyrighted to me.



The Crimson Rush
By
Pamela K. Kinney


So much red;
Delicious, lip-smacking
Liquid,
I want it
No, need it.
The fountain of life
Beneath the flesh,
Beckoning,
Taunting,
Calling me,
Until,
I can’t help it
But sink fang
Into the softness
Drinking;
Rush of crimson,
Of daylight and life.
Leaving a husk
Behind,
Flying off
To sleep
The addiction off.


Friday, July 05, 2013

Supernatural Friday: Every Child Needs a Pet






For your reading pleasure on Supernatural Friday, I offer an original story. Please do not copy and paste it elsewhere, as it is copyrighted to me. If wish to tell others about it share the link. Thank you.



Every Child Needs a Pet
By
Pamela K. Kinney



The little boy, John took what remained of his hot dog and fries to the edge of the pier and threw it all into the water below. An old man who’d been fishing nearby snatched him by the arm and brought him over to his mother. She was busy texting someone on her Smartphone.
“Madam, if you would quit texting or playing a game or whatever you are doing on that damn phone of yours, you might have noticed your child tossing his lunch into the ocean.”
She looked up with a frown. The man pressed his face closer.
“Hello, lady? Did you hear me? Your son just polluted the sea.”
“He didn’t pollute anything. John was just feeding his new pet. Every child needs a pet, and his father—God rest his soul—and I found this one when we all came on vacation here last summer.” ” She returned to the screen and began tap-tapping again. The sound grew louder, even overshadowing the nearby scream of gulls.
This infuriated the old man. He knew people were rude nowadays. No wonder her son did what he did. No supervision or morals from a mother who thought more of her phone than what her kid did.. He let go of the boy and grabbed the hand holding the phone.
“It’s people like you who have their kids grow up to shoot innocents at schools and theaters. Too busy with their Twitter and Facebook accounts to give their children the time of day or keep them from getting into mischief. In my day—”
The mother blew through her nose in irritation. “—you walked to school for miles, played outdoors and helped your mother around the house. Yeah, I’ve heard it before.” She slipped her phone into the purse propped against her thigh. “John, can you show the nice man your pet? You can even feed him.”
The boy wiggled with excitement as his eyes danced. “Wanna see my pet? Levi’s cool.”
The old man looked around. “Levi? I don’t see any dog.”
“Oh, Levi’s not a dog,” said John with a giggle. “Come on. Mama’s right. I know Levi is still hungry.”
The old man followed him to the edge of the pier. The boy pointed down at the water. “Levi lives down there.”
The old man peered over down, looking perplexed. “Are you trying to tell me your pet is a fish or a dolphin? And what are you going to feed it?”
Something arose from the ocean, sea water raining off its dark green scaly skin and the massive twin horns that sprouted from the top of its gigantic head. It stared at the man and opened a giant maw of frighteningly sharp fangs. The old man tried to screamed but found he couldn’t. He couldn’t move either, just stood there like a statue. A hot wetness on his pants at the juncture of his thighs told him he had peed. He felt ready to shit his pants too.
A forked tongue whipped out and snaked around the man. It sucked back in. The jaws snapped shut. The monster sank back into the water.
John skipped back to his mother. “Mama, Levi was fed.”
The mother smiled. “Isn’t Leviathan the best pet ever? Better than that dog or cat you wanted. And he’s easy to feed too. He even stopped Daddy from hitting and screaming at us like he kept doing all the time. With all of that nice insurance we got for Daddy, we were able to buy a house right near here so you can be near your pet, too.” She stared down at the phone’s screen and began to text her sister. “Now go and play with Leviathan.”
John laughed as he headed off the pier and down to the beach beneath.
John’s mother typed: Leviathan ate another person today. LOL. Such a perfect pet for John.