Friday, June 27, 2014

Author Appearance at Scares That Cares Saturday!

I will be at Scares That Cares Saturday, June 28th, at the Doubetree Hotel at 50 Kingsmill Road, Williamsburg, Virginia, 23185. I am reading at 10-11 am, sharing the limelight with author Nikki Hopeman and selling and singing my books. This incudes my ghosts books and my fiction. I will be moderating a panel at 5 pm.. Check http://scaresthatcareweekend.com/events/author-programming-schedule/ for where I will be, plus what else is happening that weekend with the authors.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Supernatural Friday: Beware! The Bogeyman Is Going To Get You!





Dictionary.com explains fear as a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid.

Fear is a vital response to physical and emotional danger. Without this response, we couldn't protect ourselves from legitimate threats. Often we fear situations that are far from life-or-death, and we would then hang back for no good reason. Traumas or bad experiences trigger a fear response within us that is hard to quell. Yet exposing ourselves to our personal demons is the best way to move past them.

Fear is also a response of anything unknown, like the supernatural or something from another world. This is why we freak out when we go see a scary movie, like The Haunting, or when we read a book, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, or a Stephen King thriller. I admit that The Haunting of Hill House is the only novel to this day that had me scared silly during the daytime, in a room full of students and teacher when I was in the eighth grade. King had to do it at night when I was alone in my bedroom. And these were only It and Salem’s Lot.



For the longest time, as children, we all have heard about the Bogeyman, an embodiment of fear.  A bogeyman (also spelled bogieman, boogeyman, or boogie man) is an evil, mythical creature in many cultures used by adults or older children to frighten bad children into good behavior. This monster has no specific appearance, and conceptions about it can vary drastically from household to household within the same community; in many cases, he has no set appearance in the mind of an adult or child, but is simply a non-specific embodiment of terror. Parents may tell their children that if they misbehave, the bogeyman will get them. Bogeymen may target a specific mischief—for instance, a bogeyman that punishes children who suck their thumbs. Whatever general misbehavior, that depend on what purpose the Bogeyman will serve. In some cases, the bogeyman is a nickname for the Devil.



So what scares you? What is your Bogeyman? Does something live beneath your bed or within your closet? Is some specter haunting your dreams, turning them into nightmares? We all have something that scares us, whether supernatural or from another world. Some scary movies we just can't watch. Some books freak us out more than anything else.  Now, come on, what is your Bogeyman?
 
Two well-known songs about the Bogeyman:
 
 
 

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Supernatural Friday: Canadian author tackles thorny issue of UFOs & Alien Abduction





Please welcome my author guest, Martha Jette, as she blogs about tackling thorny issues of UFOs and alien abduction.



Who in their right mind would attempt to tackle the much-maligned issue of UFOs and aliens? The answer to that is that I had already written on just about every aspect of the paranormal, except that one because I knew that I would be viewed as somewhat of a flake. As well, as former magazine and newspaper editor, I just could not see myself entering into this murky field of study.

However, after researching this topic for several years, I realized that countless people including former military personnel, former NASA employees, airline pilots, former U.S. president and senators, various world leaders and even some renowned scientists had begun to come forward to tell what they knew about UFOs and aliens. There were also UFO sightings that occurred on almost a daily basis around the world. Were these people all crazy?

With many world governments releasing their secret files, and admitting that UFOs and aliens did indeed exist, it also became clear that the U.S. government had exerted strong-arm policies to deny this phenomenon at every turn. As long as this government refuses to give the public full disclosure, abductees will continue to be maligned and will not received the long overdue help that they deserve. This in itself compelled me to tell their stories in hopes of educating those who still believe that this phenomenon does not exist.

The evidence seemed overwhelming that UFOs and aliens were a part of our reality and have been at various intervals in human history evidenced by not only religious beliefs but also countless artifacts uncovered by archaeologists. Even so, I remained somewhat skeptical.

However, when I learned of a former Finnish doctor and military man whose life had been turned upside down due to the alien presence in his life, it peaked my interest. His story is a heartbreaking tale of alien intervention and abduction that pushed him to the edge of his sanity. Being a doctor, Usko Ahonhen was a rational man whose world revolved heavily around science and facts. When the aliens first entered his life and subjected him to mental, emotional and physical abuse, he could not rationalize these experiences in any way that made sense to him.

I then put the word out on the Internet that I was interested in hearing from other people who were affected by the alien presence and my inbox was flooded with emails from many other abductees, who either wanted or needed to share their experiences. As well, a select few were reluctant to have their stories made public out of fear that family members, friends, co-workers and others would subject them to ridicule.

And that is one of the issues that particularly bothered me. Not only were abductees already victimized by aliens but also by the public at large – a double whammy that no person would wish to suffer. However, the majority of people I interviewed were brave enough to risk the adverse reactions in favor of educating others about the stark reality of UFOs and aliens.

One thing that struck me while conducting my research was that the abductees I got to know were ordinary people living ordinary lives despite what was happening to them. These folks had wives/husbands, children and full-time jobs. Had I not known about the alien influence in their lives, I would have assumed they were perfectly normal and the fact of the matter is that in every other aspect of their lives, they truly are sensible and sane individuals.

I also learned that abductees displayed similar physical symptoms including everything from small scooped out areas, cuts, bruises and/or needle marks on the skin that fluoresce under UV light, nosebleeds, rashes, burns, and nasal, ear or eye pain, to sudden onset of medical problems, painful genitals in men and loss of a fetus in women to mention only a few. They also displayed similar irrational fears including the need to check and recheck that all doors and windows are locked at night, insomnia and fear of doctors’ examinations, fear of being watched and much more.

Another thing I learned is that in some cases, abductees undergo regression therapy in hopes of further understanding what happened to them. While some people were too afraid to learn the details of their abductions, the majority of those who did, as well as those who maintained total recall of their abductions subsequently suffered post-traumatic stress disorder.

One of the most astounding aspects uncovered is that in virtually every case, abductees also experienced a wide variety of paranormal events, which included everything from seeing ghosts and/or poltergeist activity to predictive dreams, speaking in tongues or other strange languages, psychic abilities, healing abilities or communing with nature.

Terror In The Night I: Alien Abduction Exposed! http://www.amazon.com/Terror-In-The-Night-Abduction-ebook/dp/B00GUR8MMK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385488982&sr=8-1&keywords=Martha+Jette provides a long list of symptoms, including those exhibited by children because most people were first abducted when they were very young. The book also includes information on various alien species as reported by abductees and what each of them seems to want from us.

Along with the stories of 19 abductees, there are lots of photos of UFOs that they have taken over the years, many of which are truly astounding. Details are also provided on the mental and emotional impact of alien abduction as well as information on the various support systems available to help victims cope with their experiences.

Terror In The Night 1: Alien Abduction Exposed is currently available as an ebook on Amazon.com. However it should be noted that a more comprehensive version with larger photos and additional information will be available within the next couple of weeks as both an ebook and physical copy. Those wishing the updated version should look for the new cover through Create Space and its affiliates.

There are also plans in the works for a sequel entitled Terror in the Night II: End Game, which will go much deeper into government cover-ups, secret document, the alien agenda, conspiracies theories and more. Much of the groundwork has already been done and it is hoped that book two will be available in 2015.

Since writing Terror In The Night I, I also wrote two others about specific abductees and what they experienced. They are Phenomenal Paul: An Incredible True Tale of Insect-like Creatures & UFO Sightings http://www.amazon.com/Phenomenal-Paul-Incredible-Insect-like-Creatures-ebook/dp/B00FZ0785U/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1385486700&sr=8-3&keywords=Martha+Jette and The Borg Files – A Case of UFOs & Alien Abduction


Previous books:

1. Playing With The Devil

2. Glimpses: True Stories of the Paranormal

3. Glimpses 2: (it could happen to you!)

4. Blood Vengeance: (Cold Case #4-183) (fiction)

5. The Man With The Magic Spectacles (teen fiction)

6. Talking To My Angel (children) http://www.talkingtomyangel.blogspot.com

7. Totally Scared: The Complete Book on Haunted Houses http://www.totallyscared.webs.com



Other Links:






Ryze Business Networking http://www.ryze.com/go/teeka1234



Angel Editing Services: marthajette@yahoo.com

Senior Editor for Bangari Content Gallery http://bangaricontentgallery.com




Monday, June 16, 2014

My Author Appearance at Scares That Cares Weekend In Williamsburg, Virginia June 28th




I will be a part of the author programming at Scares That Cares Convention on Saturday, June 28th. http://scaresthatcareweekend.com/events/author-programming-schedule/ I will be doing a reading and selling and signing my horror/dark fantasy fiction and my nonfiction ghost books (particularly, Virginia's Haunted Historic Triangle: Williamsburg, Yorktown, Jamestown, and Other Haunted Locations) at 10-11 a.m, sharing the hour with author Nikki Hopeman. Then at 5:00-5:45 p.m. I will be the moderator of Desert Island Horror-- with horror authors Brian Moreland, Hunter Shea, Matthew Warner, Sultan White, and Lorne Dixon. The premise is these authors have been shipwrecked on a desert island, and are only allowed to bring one horror novel, one horror short story, and one horror movie with them. They will tell the audience what they picked, and why. Then the audience gets to tell their picks. All scheduled Author Programing will take place in Room A & B of the 1st Floor Conference Center of the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Williamsburg, 50 Kingsmill Road, Williamsburg, Virginia. For more about the convention and its other guests, plus other events going on: http://scaresthatcareweekend.com/

Friday, June 13, 2014

Supernatural Friday: Wendigo






This creature is considered by many to be the creation of horror writer Algernon Blackwood in his classic terror tale, "The Wendigo." But it is very real to many in the northern woods and prairies of Minnesota, a part of Native American legends. Way before Blackwood’s story.
Many legends and stories have circulated over the years about a mysterious creature encountered by hunters and campers in the shadowy forests of the upper regions of Minnesota. One variation has the creature so thin that it could not be seen from the side and only those who faced head-on could see it. This creature is said to have a voracious appetite for human flesh and that many forest dwellers who disappeared over the years believed to be victims of the monster.

The American Indians had their own tales of the Wendigo from long ago. The Inuit Indians of the region called the creature by various names, including Wendigo, Witigo, Witiko and Wee-Tee-Go. Roughly translated, it meant "the evil spirit that devours mankind." Around 1860, a German explorer translated Wendigo to mean "cannibal" among the tribes along the Great Lakes.



Indian legends described a gigantic spirit, over fifteen feet tall and lanky. It had once been human but had been transformed into a creature by the use of magic. Though all of the descriptions of the creature vary slightly, the Wendigo is generally said to have glowing eyes, long yellowed fangs and a long tongue. Most have a sallow, yellowish skin but others are said to be matted with hair. They are driven by a horrible hunger. Also the lore says the Wendigo is created whenever a human resorts to cannibalism to survive. In years past, such a practice was possible, although still rare, as many of the tribes and settlers in the region were cut off by the bitter snows and ice of the north woods. Unfortunately, eating another person to survive and the legend of the Wendigo was created.

According to the settlers' version of the legend, the Wendigo would often be seen to signal a death in the community. A Wendigo allegedly made a number of appearances near a town called Rosesu, Minnesota’s North Star City in the late 1800's through the 1920's. Each time that it was reported, an unexpected death followed and finally, it vanished one day.
A true story about the Wendigo concerned a Cree Indian named Jack Fiddler. He claimed he had killed at least fourteen Wendigos in his lifetime. The murder resulted in his imprisonment at the age of 87. In October 1907, Fiddler and his son, Joseph, were tried for the murder of a Cree Indian woman. Both men pleaded guilty to the crime and defended themselves, stating that the woman had been possessed by the spirit of a Wendigo. Their story went that she was about to transform into the monster. According to their defense, she had to be killed before she murdered other members of the tribe

Stories are still told of Wendigo's seen in northern Ontario, near the Cave of the Wendigo, and around the town of Kenora, where a creature has been spotted by traders, trackers and trappers for decades. There is belief that the Wendigo still roams the woods and the prairies of northern Minnesota and Canada. 

The Wendigo has fascinated us enough to be a character in Marvel Comics universe, novels, television series, movies, artwork, and so much more. It's just another legend to enjoy, but next time you go hiking in the woods during winter, be sure not to get lost and get back. Otherwise, if it snows heavy and you are caught out in it and you hear a howl, beware, the Wendigo might be stalking you, or worse, it just might want to possess you and make you the Wendigo!



If in a mood to enjoy a story about a Wendigo, check out the movies and books below: 
Short Stories:
"Wendigo" by Algernon Blackwood (free):

Year of the Wendigo by Ernest DeVore (Kindle-99 cents)

Wendigo (Kindle-99 cents) by Joseph Sweet

The Wendigo by Lijah Phoenix (Kindle—99 cents)

Wendigo: A Joe Bell Short Story by Alan Stanford (Kindle-$2.99)


Movies:
Frostbiter: Wrath of the Wendigo (also known as ‘Wendigo’ too): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116371/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Television:

Wendigo (Season 1 of Supernatural): Sam and Dean follow the coordinates left in their father's journal and land in the middle of the Colorado woods where they investigate the disappearance of several campers.


Who, What, Where, Wendigo (Season 2 of Haven): Audrey and Nathan lead a search party into Haven's sprawling woods when a local teen goes missing - and find they are not alone out there when a local supernatural legend seems to be more than a story.
 Wendigo (Season 1 of Charmed): After Piper is almost killed by a beast, she notices a strange transformation she begins to make.


 Wendigo, Dogma, Wolfman (Season 2 of Monsters and Mysteries in America): Hybrid beasts are not legends in Michigan. They are real. Across the state a Wendigo transforms men into cannibals; in the countryside a man-wolf preys on one road; and in the city a bloodthirsty manimal confronts Jeff Cornelius.

Others Wendigo appears in an episode, is of Grimm, X-Files, and many others to put down.

Books:
Pet Cemetery by Stephen King (available at Barnes and Noble, Books A Millions and your local independent bookstore)
Night of the Wendigo by William Meikle

The Curse of the Wendigo by Rick Yancey

Wendigo by Jeremy Terry (Kindle-99 cents)

Warden (Book 1: Wendigo Fever) by Kevin Hardman 

Wendigo by Raven Bower (available at Barnes and Noble, Books a Millions and your local independent bookstore)


Shadow of the Wendigo by Dale T. Phillips


The Witchy Wolf and the Wendigo by Rose Anderson and Gordon Bennetto


Cry of the Wendigo by C.W. James


The Curse of the Wendigo: An Agate and Buck Adventure (Vortex Books) by Scott R. Welvaert and Brann Garvey


Flesh by Dylan J. Morgan

Edgewise by Graham Masterton (available at Barnes and Noble, Books a Millions and your local independent bookstore)

Where the Chill Waits by T. Chris Martindale

Friday, June 06, 2014

Supernatural Friday: Hell Hound Poem






Hell Hound
By
Pamela K. Kinney

A long howl on,
The night wind
Dark beast coming
No place to hide.

Monstrous form,
Cannibal sharp teeth
Eyes of blood,
Claws of poisonous intent.

It slides,  
Out of shadows
A silhouette barely there,
Growing substantial
Torment alive.

Nowhere to hide,
It tracks its prey
To leap over moonbeams,
Victim caught.

Teases the soul
Delves into the flesh
Rips the heart out
Feasts on the fear,
Dragging leftovers,
Back to Hell.



(Copyrighted orginal poem by the author-please  do not copy and paste it elsewhere, but do share the link.)