It's here!!!

It's finally here!  I can't believe it!  I have so much to say (for once) and very little time today.  I will be doing a post (very soon) about how this all came about, and where I am going from here.  While you're waiting, please feel free to watch the book trailer, and check out the smashwords site!


ttys!

Real life Ghost Hunters!!!

Today we have quite a treat!!!  An interview with real life Monster hunters!!! 

Our interview is with Joe Cottone founder of G.R.A.B (Ghost Research Association of Buffalo) and ghost hunter extraordinaire, Kim Olivencia.

Joe, what made you decide to start GRAB?

Ironically enough, a friend of mine and myself sat around watching TAPS every wed night faithfully, and decided to see what we could get from a cemetery.

We  only had a digital camera so we took lots of pictures and in the pics, found 2 of the best spirit orbs that live sci-fi TV has ever seen.  It is one of the pics on the home page of our site

After that I fell in love with the whole thing.  It helped prove things I saw and felt when I was young.

Joe, can you tell me a little about what happened when you were younger?

I opened the closet door and the smell of flowers seeped out.  The smell clung to my mom’s shirt.  She was standing right next to me.  The only thing that was in the closet at that time was my grandma’s funeral mass cards.

Another time, two of my friends and I were sitting on my porch.  My friend saw a lady in the window inside my house wearing a red dress. My friend jumped up and asked who was in the house, and I said just my grandpa. Funny thing is that my grandma was buried in a red dress.

Kim, how long have you been interested in the paranormal?

As long as I can remember.  I was six years old and started having dreams that would come true.  I had a dream that my brother fell off a bridge across the street from my house.  I saw him in the water and everything.  I also saw him walk back up my driveway to my house.  Three days later I fell of that same bridge from my dream. 

Also, we had a religious figure in the corner of my house on a shelf, and like a warning, every time something bad was going to happen it would fall.

My father called every day at 1 o’clock.  For some reason he didn’t call the day he died.  But the religious figure fell at the exact time he always called.  When he came in the door from work, he died of a massive heart attack.  I’ve talked to people who live in that house now.  They have seen him and have described him to me.  

How often do you go on a hunt and how do you find them?

Well, we try to get at least 1 per month, sometimes as many as 4....and we research the area, or someone calls us and says they need help.  Most of it comes from word of mouth

Do you get rid of the ghosts or just investigate the haunting?

It depends on what the resident or owner wants.

Do you find that most people decide to leave well enough alone when they find out that their house really is haunted?

I wouldn’t say most.  Some embrace it, some freak out, and some want to get rid of it.  It is pretty even split.

What is the one thing about ghost hunting that will keep you coming back for more?

The variety.  There is always something new and exciting.

Each case is different, and I am a sucker to help someone in need

A  lot of the people that finally ask for help are at the end of their rope

Well thank you Kim, and Joe, for your ubber awesome insight into the world of ghost hunting.  Are there any thoughts you’d like to leave with our readers?

Just that people need to know that there is something that exists beyond life.  Please do not wait until it is too late to ask for help if you think your house may be haunted.  It is a very sensitive thing and should be addressed by professionals.   Do not try to contact them by yourself.   You could get into a world of trouble you know nothing about.

Please click the G.R.A.B. link and check out their site!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Well it’s about to be a brand new year.  Big things (for me) in the beginning of the new year.  I’m so anxious I can’t stand it!  Believe me, when I can let that cat out of the bag--you’ll hear all about it!
 

Right now, however, I want to spend a little time reminiscing about this past year.  So here goes.

I’ve met so many wonderful people in the past year.  Several of them I’m pleased to call friends.  Loved ones have died, but as the great circle of life spins, others have been born.  My children and grandchildren are healthy and relatively happy.  (It’s hard being a grown up.)  However, they understand me more now than they did before.  I’m so very proud to be their mother and grandmother. 

One of my sisters has moved to where I live, so I’m no longer without some extended family around.  And we have some new additions coming to the family! 

My husband is probably the best any woman could hope for.  He puts up with a lot of craziness and still continues to love me. lol  We don’t have everything ‘we’ want, but we have what we need.  And that alone is a reason to be thankful.

There’s been some rough patches this year, but sitting here and looking back I can honestly say it’s all turned out pretty well.   My favorite saying is “Everything happens for a reason.”  And today, on December 31st, 2010, I can say that I still hold to that.


An old Native American proverb from the Maricopa tribe states: “Everyone who is successful must have dreamed of something.”   So dream your dreams in the New Year.  Anything can happen.  And no matter what happens, rest assured that it will work out however its supposed to!

Things you'd like to say....

My last post was about the words you use when dealing with people you care about.  But what about people you don't care about, or that irritate you?  Just for fun, I've made a list of things I'd like to say, but never do.  I'm fairly certain they aren't politically correct--but I'm in a strange mood so for today I don't care. ; )

When dealing with stress:

Rum won't cure it, but it makes it a hell-of-a lot harder to notice.

For x's:

Consider yourself lucky that judges are less forgiving than God.

For condescending advisers:  

Lemonade?  How about I throw them at you?  At least one of us will feel better.

For skinny girls that constantly talk about how 'fat' they are:

Have you had an allergic reaction to something?  Your entire body looks swollen.

Clueless cashiers:

They're called numbers.  You can count them backwards and forwards.  

Egotistic guys in bars:

Aren't you cute!  Did you mother pick out that outfit for you?

People who enjoy talking about things they know nothing about:

Do you realize you sound smarter when you're not talking?

For various occasions:

Do you realize how embarrassing it would be to wake up in the ER and have to explain that a woman knocked you out?

If you know so much, why am I paying for summer school?

Should I say these things?  Probably not.  It doesn't hurt to think them loudly, and it does make me feel better when I'm aggravated. LOL

Life is supposed to be what????

Summer is in full swing and I'm doing my best to enjoy it.  Hope you are too!

I have so many people in and out of my house that I've been accused of having a revolving door.  Now it doesn't revolve, however, it slams frequently.  This seems to be a difficult summer for most of the people (young and not so young) I know.  Lately, I've found myself trying to answer the same question: Why is life so hard?

Now the trite answer to that is:  It's supposed to be hard.  If there were no bad times, we wouldn't appreciate the good times.   After being put in a position to say it over and over, I've had to sit back and really think about this explanation I keep repeating.  What does that mean anyhow?  And why in the heck do I keep repeating words that have never helped me much to begin with?  

It's simplistic to narrow down today's problems with words from yesterday.  A young girl who finds out she's pregnant the day before her boyfriend dumps her, won't take consolation in, "It's supposed to be."  Neither will a middle-aged woman whose father has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.  Which brings us to the next stage of conversation:  Shit happens.

Some things are just beyond our control.  We can't make people love us.  They do or don't of their own free will.  My psych professor was fond of saying, "If you are in a room with 100 people, 25 will like you, 25 won't, and the other 50 won't care one way or the other.  If you change your personality to fit in with the 25 that dislike you, the 25 that did--won't.  And there will still be 50 that don't care."  

We most certainly can't stop cancer from invading our own bodies, let alone someone else. 

The point I'm trying to make here isn't about how or why bad things happen.  It's about words.  Our words and the advice we give to those around us.  Find new words.  Use new explanations.  Better yet, don't be afraid to say, "I don't know."   I don't know why this is happening to you, but I know a day will come when you'll feel better can sound cliche as well.  However, you can back that up with your own personal experiences.  We've all lost people we love in one way or another.  Everyone (that I've encountered) has financial issues from time to time.  Shit really does happen.  Sometimes it's our own bad decisions that take us down.  Other times, it's just plain bad luck.

Is life supposed to be hard?  Maybe.  We each have our own lessons to learn and obstacles to overcome.  Can we make it easier for each other?  Abso-freakin-lutely!  We can't take on other peoples pain, but we can ease it.  Actions help.  A hug, a twenty slipped into the pocket of a friend who doesn't have money for groceries, and sometimes just a phone call to let them know you care and are thinking of them.   Words are a valuable tool.  You can bring someone to their knees with your words.  Or you can pick them up, dust them off and send them forward with a smile and a lighter heart.

If we take as much care and consideration with the words we say as we do the words we write, this world might just be a little easier to deal with. 

Monsters we love

Have you ever wanted a Jacob or Edward in your life? What is it that fascinates us? Is it the bad guy persona? Is it the thrill of the chase? Wanting what we know we can't have?

I think it's more than that. I think most women have a need for a Jacob, Edward, Lucian, Sirius, or even a Blade in their lives. Why?

Because they love with intensity.   How often do you get that?  They will kill or die for you. (Or that.)  Even better, they are nearly perfect. Who wouldn't love a nearly perfect man? Sure they have their faults. Some drink blood, others have anger management issues--but who do you know that doesn't have some type of issue? We love to love the 'good' monsters because it's enticing. It's above and beyond the usual. We're used to picking up socks and underwear. Doing laundry--been there done that a thousand times. However, when was that last time you got to be someones lifeline? See that's it right there! In books and movies we can indulge in the concept of being saviors. Only the love of a truly good woman will save these so-called monsters. And aren't we all dying to prove our worth?

 

Which monsters do you love?  What is it about them that trips your trigger? 

Who am I writing for?

I’ve spent the last several months wishing and hoping time would somehow miraculously arrive in large quantities. What with the kids, and the house (and life in general) my daily writing schedule has been completely flushed. However, it seems that things have sorted themselves out and (knock on wood) I’m on the cusp of retrieving said schedule. There’s only one little problem with that. The words won’t come. I’m not getting any story ideas for my current WIP. Zip, zilch, nada. It’s driving me crazy!

Yesterday I spent the day trying to come up with something. I did my usual—throwing myself into my main character’s mood. Trying to figure out where we’d go from here and what we’d do. Still nothing. Several of my writer friends outline their stories from beginning to end. They tell me that’s how they keep on track. I really don’t like the idea of being constricted to a storyline. I enjoy the way my novels unfold in their own way. Each time it is unique. Each day I enjoy new surprises as plots twist and unexpected things happen. I LOVE that about writing.

Yesterday was a doubt-filled day for me. That old saying about everyone having a book or two in them, kept coming to mind. What if I only had three books in me? What if the story isn’t progressing because there really is no story there? What if I’m washed up already????!!!!

Today however, is a little different. I think I’ve discovered the trouble. It’s not the story, it’s me. The new book has nothing to do with vampires, werewolves, witches, or ghosts. Why? Because I keep hearing the term ‘market saturation.’ It’s an ugly term. Seems there’s just too many of those kinds of stories out there right now. My problem is—that’s what I love to write. Those are the stories that turn me on and motivate me. I don’t mean to sound like a genre-ist, but that’s what I like reading too. If you check out my movie or book collections, you’ll see that they mostly consist of things that go bump in the night.

So today I have a huge decision to make. I have to decide who exactly I’m writing for, and what my motivations are. Do I write for me and enjoy every minute of it, or do I write with the intention of actually selling something? My vampire/werewolf series has at least two (if not three) more books before it is complete. I’m itching to get at it. I love those characters. They feel like family. What am I going to do? I have no clue, but I am making the decision today and I’ll let you know.