Interviewing Author Susan Schwartz

 

Today, I interviewed author Susan Schwartz , who has a short story included in a horror anthology Nightmares & Echos: The 2014 GWS Press Charity Anthology that was just released in both Kindle and print. Enjoy the interview and do check out the anthology.

1.     Tell us about this anthology your story is in.

The title is “The Sparkling Floor.”

This horror anthology is filled with grisly and gory tales just in time for Halloween. The anthology contains nine chilling stories that may have you keeping the lights on at night. It is also a charity anthology where all the proceeds go to St. Jude Children's Hospital.

   2, Tell us I one sentence or two about your short story in the anthology. Give the title too.

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]        3.  Tell us in one sentence or two about your short story in the anthology. Give the title too.

The blurb I used for the story was “You thought you were going in for a simple procedure, but She had other plans.”

   4.  Can you tell the readers of my blog the motivation behind writing your story?

                    

 Being an OR Nurse, I started wondering one day what would happen if a surgeon or other team member drove the nurse in the room absolutely bonkers. The process of writing this story was very cathartic for me as writers do tend to kill off people that they dislike. It helped me get past some feelings I was having and move on.

     5. When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

  

I started out writing fanfiction for TV shows and getting that posted on different boards back in the 90’s. I started writing seriously in 2004 where I began with freelance articles and a couple of short stories.

I joined the Virginia Writers Club in 2004, and I feel like everything took off from there. It was so gratifying to work with such helpful writers who taught me more than I will ever remember.

I remember in 2008 that you challenged me to NANOWRIMO. I was racking my brain trying to come up with a good story, and I passed by an old graveyard on the way home. As a result, my first paranormal novel was born. I am currently trying to finish it as I also have a medical thriller in the works. I also am trying to publish a Nursing Manual for beginning nurses. This stemmed from my Masters project in school, and I would like to make it something that will help future generations of nurses.

                  

    
     6.   Tell us about your writing schedule.

Being an OR Nurse, I started wondering one day what would happen if a surgeon or other team member drove the nurse in the room absolutely bonkers. The process of writing this story was very cathartic for me as writers do tend to kill off people that they dislike. It helped me get past some feelings I was having and move on.

 

As far as my writing schedule, I grab time when I have it. I did this when I was taking classes as well. If I had an appointment, I would take my books with me and use the wait time to study. I do the same with my writing. I take it with me everywhere I go. At home, I try to spend one to two hours a day working on my Nursing Manual at present. I am currently looking at publishers and sending in book proposals. After I finish that, I will get back to my paranormal romance.

                      7.   Since you write too, how would you describe the genre in which you do most of your writing?

The genre I like best is horror with a twist. I want to lead you down the hallway and then turn and leave you standing there wondering what happened.

Since I am an OR Nurse who loves to play in blood and guts, I also tend to add a medical part to most of my stories.

So put the two together, and you get Medical Horror. Doesn’t that sound kind of creepy? It is interesting though, because I think hospital and other medical facilities have an unknown factor. What is really behind those doors and those masks? Think about it next time you are in the hospital.

                          8.  What other genre would you like to write in?

I would love to be able to write are comedy, plays, and inspirational type stories.

                        9. Where do your ideas come from?

I remember one time I asked you that very same question when I had just started the Writer’s Club. I think your answer was “From my head.”

I look around me and see what I can take out of focus to make a good story and then at the end, refocus it again in a different way. I have several other short stories I have written that do this. One was set in an antique store, another concerned an old quilt.

                       10.   What was the first scary story or novel or legend that frightened you?

I think my first horror story was Carrie by Stephen King. I went on to Pet Sematary and Needful Things, two of my favorites by him, not to mention Night Shift and Everything’s Eventual.

Another of my favorite writers is Bentley Little. He is just an awesome horror writer. My favorites of his are The Policy, The Mailman, The Collection, and The Store. Like Stephen King, he is simply a genius.

                             11. Okay, so you're an author. What do you enjoy reading? Name three good books for people to reads this month (since Halloween is coming).

I love to read, and I have pretty eclectic tastes. My wonderful hubby gave me a Kindle, so I get to carry all my books around with me at once. I tend to read four at one time, so this makes the weight a lot less.

1. I am currently reading The Man Who Became Frankenstein’s Monster by Robert Daicy. It is about a man who has everything, then loses it.

2. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. Harkness mixes historical and present day happenings to tell a story about a new witch coming into her own.

3. David Baldacci’s King & Maxwell series is simply awesome. It was also a TV series for one season. I sure wish they would bring it back. (Having met the fellow, he is another one of my favorite authors.)

4. Medical stories: Confessions of a GP by Benjamin Daniels, Miracles & Mayhem in the ER by Brent Russell, and the Angels of Mercy Medical series by CJ Lyon. (I have also met CJ Lyons, and she has a knack for bringing you right into her story.)

5. I also just finished a couple of series from Rose Pressey. These were the Charmed series and the Hotel in Honeysuckle series. She is a very creative writer that really keeps you guessing until the end.

                        12. Name four authors you admire and hope to be like.

The two mentioned above for horror, Stephen King and Bentley Little. On the medical side, I would love to aspire to the heights of Michael Palmer and Robin Cook. Another author, female this time, is Kathy Reichs who writes the Bones series. (I met her in Charlottesville at a book festival, and she was very helpful with some of my questions about writing.)

            13. Plotter or pantser?

I am probably a little of both. I like to sit back and think of new ways to entertain, but I also like to give the characters free rein. I just like to start writing and see where the characters take me, sometimes they really do take on a life of their own. They never cease to amaze me sometimes. Sometimes I have to write my ideas down quickly because they are in the back of my mind prodding me with a new idea.

1      14.    Now for fun: 

          

        1. Vanilla or chocolate?

Chocolate most definitely, especially the Dark Chocolate.

1      2. What do you like the most about Halloween?

Halloween is one of the best holidays for kids I think. They get to go around and get free candy. What could be better? As I got older, I loved to hand it out just to see their faces. In addition, I think the costumes are getting more and more creative each year as well. My favorite Halloween candy is the Mellowcreme Pumpkins. I get a bag every year.

1      3.  If there was any other job you like to do besides writing, what would it be?

Well, I am a nurse because I love helping others and being in the health care setting. If I had to choose another job, I would probably follow in my son’s footsteps and be an actor. I loved doing plays and shows in school.

         4. Favorite television show?

I have to say anything my son, Timothy, has been in so far. Haha, I am biased, I know. He has been in episodes of A Haunting, Ice Cold Killers, and Nightmare Next Door as well as a 30 second commercial and a music video.

As far as myself, right now my TIVO is recording Castle, Big Bang Theory, Doctor Who, Forever, Scorpion, and Bones. I am also recording past episodes of Leverage as I am a big fan of Christian Kane.

  

     5.  Favorite movie?

I have a couple: Always, A Perfect World, The Da Vinci Code, and any Star Trek movie.

   6. If could go anywhere in the world or universe, where would that be?

If I could go anywhere, I would just like to travel to many different places. My hubby and I have started trying to take one trip a year so far. We have been to Spain, Italy, and Korea. In November, we are headed to Australia. It is fascinating to immerse yourself in different cultures and sample their wonderful food. So far, Madrid, Spain has been my favorite place for eating. The jamon and manchego are simply heavenly.

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            7. If you were stuck for a month in a haunted house alone, what four things would you want and need with you.

1. My TIVO so I don’t miss any of my shows.

2. Camera for taking pictures of any strange happenings.

3. Some great reading material to pass the time, preferably from my favorite authors. In addition, I would take my computer and spend some time on my own stories. I am sure a haunted house would give me many creative ideas.

4. A flashlight with plenty of batteries and a fully charged cell phone.

2014 GWS Press Charity Anthology Book Blurb:

The 2014 GWS Press Charity Anthology contains nine stories of horror ranging from the gory to the unsettling. The collection spans the gamut of terror contributed from a variety of Indie Writers for the sole purpose of giving something back. All proceeds from this collection will be donated to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. Not only will you be sampling some awesome horror, but you'll be helping out a good cause.

 

Susan Schwartz’s Bio:

Susan Schwartz RN, MSN, MSHA has been an avid writer for around 10 years doing everything from writing freelance articles to editing manuscripts for other authors. She is extremely excited to be included in this anthology as she loves to write horror stories that have a twist at the end. Her alter ego is an Operating Room Nurse who loves playing in blood and guts and creating tales from the interesting and weird things she has seen. She is a member of the Virginia Writers Club and has served as President of the Richmond Chapter in the past. She also has two novels in the works, a paranormal romance and a medical thriller. In her spare time, she loves to read, crochet, and travel to such places as Italy, Spain, and Korea. Feedback can be sent to Ncc17lu@aol.com.

Find Susan’s Amazon Page at

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00O80X1OU

Also find her on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/susan.schwartz1

The anthology can be gotten on KINDLE

Find the book in PRINT

Author Appearance at Capclave in Maryland Oct. 10-12, 2014

                                            Where reading is not extinct  

Catch me at Capclave 2014 this upcoming weekend. It will be held at the Hilton Washington DC North/Gaithersburg, 620 Perry Parkway, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20877. 


Capclave is a small relaxed literary convention with a program that usually focuses on the short fiction form. Our Guests of Honor and other notable authors, editors, artists, and fans of the short fiction form will explore the creation and enjoyment of short fantasy and science fiction genre stories.
Past Capclaves have hosted discussions with authors and fans; readings by authors; a dealer's room with books, magazines, artwork, crafts, and other science fiction and fantasy related items; exhibits by artists; space science presentations from NASA; a hospitality suite; room parties; interesting conversations with other fans and professionals; and a relaxed atmosphere for visiting old friends and meeting new friends.

Find out more about weekend membership rates, day rates, and on other guests at http://www.capclave.org/capclave/capclave14/

Programming is here. 

Supernatural Friday: Boxes Are Made More Than To Hold Keepsakes, They May Hold Curses Too!

Today’s Supernatural Friday is about cursed boxes. It is said that curse boxes are locked, wooden containers with sigils on the exterior. They are designed to contain the magic , evil spirits, or cursed objects to prevent them from causing harm. Cursed objects are created by magic, and can kill their owners. The idea for the curse box may have come from the legend of Pandora's Box, a box that holds all the evil and all the diseases in the world, until - once opened - it releases all this evil upon the world, leaving only Hope behind.

In the fictional world of television, in one show, 'Supernatural,' Dean and Sam Winchesters' father, John Winchester, had curse boxes made for him by Bobby Singer. He kept these at his secret storage space in New York. One of his curse boxes were stolen by thieves working for Bela, who worked for those who paid to get their hands on supernatural objects, and when they opened it, they found a cursed rabbit's foot inside.

One now well-known cursed box, thanks to an episode of Paranormal Witness this year and a movie, The Possession, that came out in September, dybbuk box, or dibbuk box. It is a wine cabinet which is said to be haunted by a dybbuk. In Jewish folklore, a dybbuk is a restless, usually malicious, spirit believed to be able to haunt and even possess the living. The cabinet has the Shema carved into the side of it. Its dimensions are 12.5" × 7.5" × 16.25”. Shema are the first two words of a section of the Torah, and are the title of a prayer that serves as a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewish prayer services.

The term "Dibbuk Box" was first used by Kevin Mannis to describe the box in the item information for an eBay auction to describe it as the subject of an original story (not the story for the film) describing supposedly true events which he considered to be related to the box. Mannis, a writer and creative professional by trade, owned a small antiques and furniture refinishing business in Portland, Oregon at the time. According to Mannis' story, he purportedly bought the box at an estate sale in 2003. It had belonged to a German Holocaust survivor named Havela, who had escaped to Spain and purchased it there before her immigration to the United States. Havela's granddaughter told Mannis that the box had been bought in Spain after the Holocaust. Upon hearing that the box was a family heirloom, Mannis offered to give the box back to the family but the granddaughter insisted that he take it. "We don't want it." She said. She told him the box had been kept in her grandmother's sewing room and was never opened because a dybbuk was said to live inside it. On opening the box, Mannis found that it contained two 1920s pennies, a lock of blonde hair bound with cord, a lock of black/brown hair bound with cord, a small statue engraved with the Hebrew word "Shalom", a small, golden wine goblet, one dried rose bud, and a single candle holder with four octopus-shaped legs; all items supposedly used in Jewish folklore to exorcise demons. Numerous owners of the box have reported that strange phenomena accompany it. In his story, Mannis claimed he experienced a series of horrific nightmares shared with other people while they were in possession of the box or when they stayed at his home while he had it. His mother suffered a stroke on the same day he gave her the box as a birthday present — October 28. Every owner of the box has reported that smells of cat urine or jasmine flowers and nightmares involving an old hag accompany the box. Iosif Neitzke, a Missouri student at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri and the last person to auction the box on eBay, claimed that the box caused lights to burn out in his house and his hair to fall out Jason Haxton, Director of the Museum of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri, had been following Neitzke's blogs regarding the box and when he was ready to be rid of the box Neitzke sold it to Haxton. Haxton wrote The Dibbuk Box, and claimed that he subsequently developed strange health problems, including hives, coughing up blood, and "head-to-toe welts" Haxton consulted with Rabbis (Jewish religious leaders) to try to figure out a way to seal the dybbuk in the box again. Apparently successful, he took the freshly resealed box and hid it at a secret location, which he will not reveal.

Skeptic Chris French, head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit at Goldsmiths' College, told an interviewer he believed that the box's owners were "already primed to be looking out for bad stuff.  In other words, if one is primed to believe they’ve cursed. Bad stuff that happens is what you perceive to be the cause.

Another cursed box is used in the film, Silent Hill. I can’t tell you for sure if used in the video game, only a gamer that has played it can.

Of course, the most famous cursed “box” is Pandora’s. The original Greek word was 'pithos', which is a large jar, sometimes as large as a small person (Diogenes of Sinope was said to have once slept in one), mostly used for storage of wine, oil, grain or other provisions, or, ritually, as a container for a human body for burying. In the case of Pandora, this jar may have been made of clay for use as storage as in the usual sense, or of bronze metal as an unbreakable prison.
The mistranslation of pithos is usually attributed to the 16th century humanist Erasmus of Rotterdam who translated Hesiod's tale of Pandora into Latin. Erasmus rendered pithos as the Greek pyxis, meaning "box". The phrase "Pandora's box" has endured ever since.

I will end this article with the Greek myth, “Pandora’s Box.”

Once up a time, a long time ago, Zeus ordered Hephaestus (Aphrodite's husband) to make him a daughter. It was the first woman made out of clay. Hephaestus made a beautiful woman and named her Pandora. 

 

Zeus sent his new daughter, Pandora, down to earth so that she could marry Epimetheus, who was a gentle but lonely man. 

 

Zeus was not being kind. He was getting even. Epimetheus and Prometheus were brothers. Zeus was mad at one of the brothers, Prometheus, for giving people fire without asking Zeus first.  

 

Zeus gave Pandora a little box with a big heavy lock on it. He made her promise never to open the box. He gave the key to Pandora’s husband and told him to never open the box. Zeus was sure that Epimetheus' curiosity would get the better of him, and that either Epimetheus or his brother would open the box. 

 

Pandora was very curious. She wanted to see what was inside the box, but Epimetheus said no. Better not. "You know your father," Epimetheus sighed, referring to Zeus. "He’s a tricky one."

One day, when Epimetheus lay sleeping, Pandora stole the key and opened the box.

Out flew every kind of disease and sickness, hate and envy, and all the bad things that people had never experienced before. Pandora slammed the lid closed, but it was too late. All the bad things were already out of the box. They flew away, out into the world.

Epimetheus woke up at the sound of her sobbing. “I opened the box and all these ugly things flew out,” she cried. “I tried to catch them, but they all got out.” Pandora opened the box to show him how empty it was. But the box was not quite empty. One tiny bug flew quickly out before Pandora could slam the lid shut again. 

 

“Hello, Pandora,” said the bug, hovering just out of reach. “My name is Hope.” With a nod of thanks for being set free, Hope flew out into the world, a world that now held Envy, Crime, Hate, and Disease – and Hope.

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.