Author Appearance at Monster Fest This Saturday, Oct. 4th, in Chesapeake, Virginia

 



Monster Fest will be this Saturday, October 4th at the Chesapeake Central Library, 298 Cedar Road, Chesapeake, Virginia 23322. I will be selling and signing my books there, plus selling Paranormal World Seekers DVDs (Williamsburg Ghost Hunt, Fort Magruder Ghost Hunt and Crawford) produced by AVA Productions. I will also be moderating the panel, "How Dark is Dark in Writing a Good Horror Story?" at 11 a.m.  I will also have a special giveaway you can enter for at my table, because of the release of my short story, "Weregoat" in Strangely Funny II anthology. You must be able to pick it up by 4 p.m when I draw the winner around 2 pm and call them by cell or home phone.

Besides me, there will be other authors, filmmakers, films, vendors selling, other conventions talking about their upcoming 2015 conventions, horror hosts of TV shows, costume contests-one for adults, the other for children, trick-or-treating for children at certain vendors' tables, and panels. There will be a special sneak peek of Dillzilla: Titan of Terror, a film produced by Pickleman Productions that I acted in. 

Besides me, there will be other authors, filmmakers, films, vendors selling, other conventions talking about their upcoming 2015 conventions, horror hosts of TV shows, costume contests-one for adults, the other for children, trick-or-treating for children at certain vendors' tables, and panels. There will be a special sneak peek of Dillzilla: Titan of Terror, a film produced by Pickleman Productions that I acted in. For more information: http://www.monsterfestva.com/

Supernatural Friday: The Story Behind the Jack-O-Lantern

Come now, friends and fiends, and enjoy the following  tale behind the jack-o-lantern. Every October, carved pumpkins peer out from porches and doorsteps in the United States and other parts of the world. Gourd-like orange fruits inscribed with ghoulish faces and illuminated by candles are a sure sign of the Halloween season. The practice of decorating “jack-o’-lanterns”—the name comes from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack—originated in Ireland, where large turnips and potatoes served as an early canvas. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America, home of the pumpkin, and it became an integral part of Halloween festivities. Counting to. . . HALLOWEEN!

Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who loved playing tricks on anyone and everyone. One dark, Halloween night, Jack ran into the Devil himself in a local public house. Jack tricked the Devil by offering his soul in exchange for one last drink. The Devil quickly turned himself into a sixpence to pay the bartender, but Jack immediately snatched the coin and deposited it into his pocket, next to a silver cross that he was carrying. Thus, the Devil could not change himself back and Jack refused to allow the Devil to go free until the Devil had promised not to claim Jack's soul for ten years.

The Devil agreed, and ten years later Jack again came across the Devil while out walking on a country road. The Devil tried collecting what he was due, but Jack thinking quickly, said, "I'll go, but before I do, will you get me an apple from that tree?"

The Devil, thinking he had nothing to lose, jumped up into the tree to retrieve an apple. As soon as he did, Jack placed crosses all around the trunk of the tree, thus trapping the Devil once again. This time, Jack made the Devil promise that he would not take his soul when he finally died. Seeing no way around his predicament, the Devil grudgingly agreed.

When Stingy Jack eventually passed away several years later, he went to down to Hell to see the Devil, but the Devil kept the promise that had been made to Jack years earlier, and would not let him enter.

Thinking, Ah, Heaven will surely let me in then!, he wandered up to the Gates of Heaven, but was refused entrance because of his life of drinking and because he had been so tight-fisted and deceitful.   
 
Jack went back to Hell to see the Devil.

"Where can I go?" asked Jack.

"Back to where you came from!" replied the Devil. "You doomed yourself to roam the earth, a restless soul who can find no rest ever." Lucifer tossed him a turnip and a ember straight from the fires of Hell itself. "Here, hollow out this turnip and place this ember inside. Use its light to find your way through eternity." 

And to this day, Jack wanders, never stopping in one place, a hauntingly lost soul, who learned you never ever really beat the Devil at his own game.

 

Author Appearance at ParAmericon in Manssas, Virginia This Saturday

ParAmericon will happen September 27th in Manassas, Virginia, at Manassas Park Community Center, 99 Adams Street. You can find out more about this paranormal conference and its times,  showcasing women in the paranormal field and everything "para" in the Nation's Capital area (and mid-Atlantic region) at http://paramericon.com/ They also have a page on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/paramericon 
You must preregister at http://paramericon.com/tickets.html to attend as there are no registering at the door.

I will be doing a panel of women in paranormal TV (because I do Paranormal World Seekers) at Noon and later, I will be doing a reading from Haunted Richmond II at 2:00 p.m.

Welcome Autumn

Welcome Autumn by Pamela K. Kinney 

(copyrighted, so share link of blog, not take the poem itself)

Cooler temps in the breeze,
Smoky odor of bonfires tickling the nose
Swirling carousel of colorful leaves,
pumpkins layering country fields
Halloween decorations spilling off
store shelves
Time for that pumpkin spice latte,
Hot and flavorful
Then kick back in a chair
on the porch
Enjoying the it all,
Autumn's spectacular show.

My Appearance at Williamsburg Book Festival in Williamsburg, Virgni This Saturday

I will be selling and signing my books (both nonfiction ghost books and my fiction) at the Williamsburg Book Festival this Saturday, September 20th, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, and will be held at Bruton Parish Lewis Hall, 331 W. Duke of Gloucester Street. Williamsburg, Virginia.  For more information (other authors and what free workshops they will be having): http://www.williamsburgbookfestival.com/index.html

Supernatural Friday: Moon Superstitions

A full moon rising on Friday the 13 is a very rare occurrence, with the next predicted to happen by NASA in August 2049. The last Friday the 13 full moon happened in October 2000.

                        Full Moon rising over Old Town Petersburg in July.

This past June 2014 we had what is called a strawberry moon. The “strawberry” moon, gets its name from the reddish color, and according to the Farmer’s Almanac, June is strawberry season.

In folklore, there are many myths concerning full moons and Friday the 13 that have led to superstitions surrounding the full moon. An ancient Babylonian manuscript prescribes that women are more fertile during a full moon. Many women today believe that their menstrual cycles correspond to the moon. There are stories that more women go into labor during the full moon. This belief has not been confirmed by scientific studies. In ancient Greece, Diana the Goddess of the Hunt was associated with both the moon and child-birth, demonstrating that this is an ancient association held by humans for centuries.

The most common myth surrounding the full moon is that it evokes madness. The word “lunacy” stems from the root “lunar.” From werewolves to myths about a higher rate of insanity homicide, and suicide, lunacy affected by the full moon appears frequently in old folklore.  There is no significant relationship between the full moon and insane or anti-social behavior though. Because the moon is such a powerful astronomical force that affects the earth’s tides and allows humans to track their lives according to a lunar monthly cycle, these kind of superstitions about the full moon are still popular.

Like there is the one that some people believe that there is a link between the full moon and seizures. Another tells about the full moon and the appearance of black cats. Some people believe that there must be a strong link between the moon and human behavior because of how much the moon affects the earth from a physical standpoint.

When I did an investigation in July on the full moon night, my group and I had some interesting paranormal results. Whether that was due to the moon as some think, it is hard to prove.

In Ireland it was believed to be bad luck to see the full moon reflected in a mirror. The worse luck happened if a person stared at the moon through the branches of a tree. The worst luck of all was if the light of the full moon shone on your face as you slept. If this happened, it meant that you were going to die.

A blood moon (like one happened in April 3014) signals a certain foreboding. Like the portent of the apocalypse. Though the moon has turned “into blood” several times before, and nothing apocalyptic happened.

Mothers refused to hang their baby’s nappies out in the moonlight for fear of bad luck.” A 1621 guide to healthy living helpfully offers the following advice: “When thou goest to thy bed… draw close the curtaines to shut out the Moone-light, which is very offensive and hurtfull to the braine, especially to those that sleepe.”

Those careless enough to sleep under a full moon risked insanity, blindness, or even being turned into a werewolf (but only if it happened to be a Friday night).

Pointing at the moon has been considered unlucky. Some say that the “man in the moon” residing there, considers it rude. A superstition from the British Isles says that anyone who points at the moon nine times cannot enter heaven, no matter how pious he or she has been.

It was believed in ancient times, that moon’s silvery glow was made of silver. That is the reason the metal became one of its symbols.

The commonest superstitions connected with the new moon are: seeing the thin crescent over the left shoulder is lucky.  Seeing it straight before you will signify good luck to the end of the season. Any wish made at the first sight of the new moon will come true, Superstitious persons believe that the time of the new moon is propitious to planting, courtship, the starting of new business ventures or trips, cutting the hair or fingernails to effect better growth, and many other things to be done.

New Book Release: A Ghost on Every Corner

I am pleased to inform you that a nonfiction  book I am included in, A Ghost on Every Corner, by Dawn Colclasure, is now published. It was just released by Gypsy Shadow Publishing. It is about stories from paranormal investigators who done investigations. The book is currently out as an eBook, but it will come out in print later this month.
You can find it here: http://www.gypsyshadow.com/DawnColclasure.html#GhostCorner

Also on Kindle  and Nook . I am sure the print will be available in a couple of weeks at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

 Book's Blurb:
There’s a ghost town then there’s a “ghost” town! A Ghost on Every Corner is a collection of stories from paranormal investigators who have done investigations in some of America’s most haunted cities. Read about the ghost haunting a restaurant in Galena, Illinois, or about a Gettysburg Battlefield ghost who follows an investigator home! There’s also Marilyn Monroe’s ghost haunting the famous Roosevelt Hotel, a ghost violently attacking an investigator at the Sallie House and the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe’s adoptive father angrily pushing an investigator down the stairs! You’ll also get to read historical (as well as ghostly!) information about places such as The Alamo, Myrtles Plantation and the famous BirdCage Theater. Walk with investigators located across the country as they gather evidence about ghosts and go where no other would dare to tread!

Supernatural Friday: Yo Ho, Yo Ho, Ghostly Pirates Abound in Virginia, Especially Blackbeard

“Now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.” ~Mark Twain

No matter what the movie ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ says, pirates have also been seen along the Eastern seaboard from Florida to New England. There have been myths and legends told about them in the Old Dominion.

Because valuable cargoes traveled through the Chesapeake Bay, trade in Virginia often came to a standstill when pirates patrolled sea lanes and threatened vessels could not leave the safety of ports. During one six-week period, not a single ship dared to leave the safety of Virginia shores. Edward Teach, Blackbeard, as he was more known as, was the main cause of this maritime panic. Using a summit, now referred to as Blackbeard's Hill, the pirate and his watchmen had an open view of the Chesapeake Bay, which the British navy ineffectively protected.
Blackbeard has inspired a Pirate Festival here in Hampton that usually happens the first weekend in June. You can find out more about this festival at http://www.blackbeardpiratefestival.com/.

Blackbeard’s Skull
Author Deborah Painter told me a legend about Blackbeard the pirate. He was killed off the shores of North Carolina and his head was brought back to Hampton to be suspended from a pole on a pier at Sunset Creek, just a mile from where Ms. Painter works. The story goes on that, to this day, the decapitated pirate searches for his head in the Chesapeake Bay.
One evening Blackbeard moored his ship at the mouth of the Potomac River and went ashore. There were two parties. One was to procure provisions, the other to assist in secreting their treasures. An English sloop-of-war followed hi

m and dropped anchor in just the right spot to prevent him from escaping. A manned barge was sent to capture his ship.

Blackbeard and his men went back to their ship. The commander of the men who boarded the ship was a Scotsman who desired the honor of subduing Teach himself. The men battled by sword. The Scot felled a strong blow upon the pirate’s shoulders, causing blood to flow.

“Ha!” said Blackbeard, “well struck, brother seaman.”

The Scot gave a reply, then with his next stroke separated Teach’s head from his shoulders.
The Scot ordered that the head be boiled in boiling water and thoroughly cleansed. As a sign to other pirates, Blackbeard's head was cut off and hung from the bow of a ship. Meanwhile, his corpse was simply thrown overboard. Then, the head was hung on a pole and placed at a point on the James River, also known as Blackbeard's Point. When the Scot went ashore he made a present of Blackbeard’s skull to the governor of the Virginia colony. Then the legend says that the skull was tipped with silver to become a drinking vessel.
Today, Ocracoke, with its history of piracy and maritime warfare is now a quiet island famous for vacationing tourists. The citizens of Ocracoke still continue to speak in the old English dialect, known as brogue. According to legend, Blackbeard's skull cup still exists around the island, even spurring accounts of locals and visitors sipping from the skull of the South's deadliest pirate.

Buccaneers at Carter’s Grove
There is a myth that three pirates were buried in the cellar at Carter’s Grove. It is also said that their ghosts still hold a card game there, every now and then.


Old House Woods in Mathews County
There is a story about Blackbeard involved with the hauntings of Old House Woods that says he killed other pirates burying a treasure there in the seventeenth century.

Buried Treasure of Blackbeard and Other Pirates on Assateague
Blackbeard and other pirates reportedly sailed the waters around Assateague Island and used the island as a hideout and as a place to bury their treasure. Whether it is true or not, standing on the island and looking out to sea makes the tales almost believable. One can breathe in the salt from the sea and hear the seagulls as they scream while soaring overhead. As I swept my gaze to the sea and watch a couple of ponies standing in the beach, I almost swore I could see a ghostly pirate ship forging through the white-capped waves. Then the vision vanished as I snapped some photos with my camera.

If Blackbeard or any of his cohorts had buried their ill gotten gains somewhere on the island, then only they, the ponies, and the seagulls know where for sure. For none has ever been found.

Guest Blogging at ColonialGhosts.com Today

I did a blog post for ColonialGhosts.com. You can read about why you should stay where the ghosts stay while visiting Williamsburg.  http://colonialghosts.com/stay-ghosts-stay-visiting-williamsburg-historic-triangle-area/

This blog is for a ghost tour company in Williamsburg, so check out the other posts not mine and their website and about the tour they do, too.