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Showing posts with label Ghosts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ghosts. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

COME, THE DARK: New #Paranormal Released!

Coula Killed Me
Thanks for stopping by to view this quick announcement on Rebecca Hamilton's latest release, COME, THE DARK, book 2 in the Forever Girl series. Although this book is the second in the series, it is a complete standalone following a completely new set of characters. And you can grab your copy today for only $0.99! Still apprehensive about reading the second book in a series? Well, you can grab the prequel, HER SWEETEST DOWNFALL, off kindle--Always Free--and on January 9th, THE FOREVER GIRL will be free also, for the first time ever! Worried you might forget the date? Join the mailing list using the option on the Rafflecopter below and you'll receive a reminder on January 9th to download your free copy anytime between January 9th and 13th!
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COME, THE DARK

by USA Today Bestselling Author, Rebecca Hamilton
Come, the Dark 2Rose desperately wants to escape the abuse of the father who impregnated her and the dark spirits that haunt her life. Being thrust from Georgia 1961 into the era of Salem’s infamous witch trials isn’t what she had in mind, and now her daughter is left hopelessly out of reach.
The only way to return to her daughter is by facing certain death to banish the dark spirits that plague Salem. If she doesn’t eliminate these dark spirits in time, they will destroy civilization and trap her in this strange new place, ages away from her daughter.
Even if she can complete the task in time to return home to save her daughter, there’s still one problem: she’s falling in love with a man who can’t return with her. Achieving her goals will force her to choose between the only man who has never betrayed her and a daughter she can’t quite remember but will never forget.
A heart-wrenching tale of a mother’s love for her daughter, this romantic paranormal fantasy underlines the depravity of both historical and modern society while capturing the essence of sacrifice and devotion.
TRIGGER WARNING: This book deals with the sensitive subject of sexual abuse.
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THE FOREVER GIRL

by USA Today Bestselling Author, Rebecca Hamilton
NOW OPTIONED FOR FILM!
Beautiful blonde with dandelionsAt twenty-two, practicing Wiccan Sophia Parsons is scratching out a living waiting tables in her Rocky Mountain hometown, a pariah after a string of unsolved murders with only one thing in common: her.
Sophia can imagine lots of ways to improve her life, but she'd settle for just getting rid of the buzzing noise in her head. When the spell she casts goes wrong, the static turns into voices. Her personal demons get company, and the newcomers are dangerous. One of them is a man named Charles, who Sophia falls for despite her better judgment. He has connections that might help her unveil the mystery surrounding her ancestor's hanging, but she gets more than she bargains for when she finally decides to trust him. The Forever Girl is a full-length Paranormal Fantasy novel that will appeal to lovers of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, witches, vampires, ghosts, paranormal mystery, and paranormal horror.
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a Rafflecopter giveaway
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About the Author

BeccaRebecca Hamilton is a USA Today Bestselling Paranormal Fantasy author who also dabbles in Horror and Literary Fiction. She lives in Florida with her husband and four kids. She enjoys dancing with her kids to television show theme songs and would love the beach if it weren’t for the sand. Having a child diagnosed with autism has inspired her to illuminate the world through the eyes of characters who see things differently. She is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA and has been published internationally, in three languages. You can follow her on twitter @InkMuse

What is a Forever Girl?

Being a Forever Girl Means

Thanks for stopping by!

Monday, August 4, 2014

Pandora #Paranormal Box Set Author Showcase: Rebecca Hamilton

Here is another favorite author of mine. Rebecca Hamilton has been amazing throughout this whole project.



Blurb:
Ophelia's been successful at hiding her true identity, until the mark of the serpent appears on her neck—a death sentence, should it be seen by anyone in her town. Hiding the mark might save her from falling victim to the witch hunts of her era, but the scorching sensation it carries can’t be ignored.

When the mysterious Ethan is sent to collect her for a life of something more, she learns concealing the mark is the least of her concerns. She’s destined to do a new task—to join a dark, supernatural world and protect the future of people she may never meet.

What she doesn’t know—what she learns too late—is that her initiation won’t be complete until she kills the man who’s captured her heart.

Review:
I meant to review this a long time ago and seemed to missed it. This is a short novella that takes us into he history of one of the side character fro The Forever Girl. We get to see how Ophelia came to be a part of the court in Damascus. This story is full of chills and heartache. It will keep you on the edge of your seat to find out if Ophelia will make the ultimate sacrifice. I love the different connections between the characters in the world of The Forever Girl Series.

Her Sweetest Downfall isn't a must read to understand the series, but it's a must read because the story is that amazing.

Excerpt:
Night crept over Damascus. After treating the rapidly warming serpent mark with more Cruor blood, Ophelia spun toward the open door. Ethan sat between the frame, his strong shoulders resting back, his face turned to the field where a small red fox burrowed in the dirt. The night breeze wisped through his hair. She set the blankets on the end of the bed and walked over.
“Is it far?” she asked.
“No.” He cleared his throat but didn’t look up at her. “Sorry. For a human, it’s very far, but it won’t be for us.”
Ophelia bunched her fingers together in front of her stomach. “Same as we got ‘ere then?”
“Yes.”
She stepped around, outside, and kneeled in the grass across from him, resting her hands in her lap. “Ethan, if something is wrong . . . ”
“I’d tell you,” he replied, lifting his gaze from a long piece of grass he’d been slipping between his fingers. Moonlight paled his tan complexion and darkened the shade of his jaw, making him appear more defeated than he had hours ago. “The Cruor I mentioned earlier is in the Americas. She’s not expecting us.”
“But I thought—”
“Please trust me.” He stood and dusted off his pants, then leaned his shoulder against the doorjamb. 
She tried for a smile and busied herself attempting to prop up a wildflower that was wilting among the yellow grass. 
When she looked up, Ethan’s expression was gentle. His gaze moved from the small flower to her eyes. There was a brief moment where she wondered if he, like Lady Karina, found her bright, ice-blue eyes alarming. But his express was soft, and her fears quickly melted. He walked behind her, crouched down, and covered her hand with his, his fingertips touching the flower. It revived before her very eyes, and Ophelia leaned her head against Ethan’s shoulder as she stared at the flower in awe.
“Beautiful,” she whispered, wishing she had been destined to be one of the Ankou—to be one of the elementals who revived life and put an end to evil, rather than bring death. 
She told him as much.
He sat back, and she turned around to face him. He was standing now, holding his hand out to her. 
“Come with me,” he said.
He took her hand and they fell through darkness just as they had when he’d taken her to the cabin. When she could see again, her stomach suddenly jolted. She hunched forward, heaving, but this time she did not vomit. She held her midsection until the feeling passed, then dried the moisture from her eyes.
Ethan smoothed his hand across her shoulder blades. “Traveling will get easier with time. By your third or fourth time you shouldn’t feel anything.”
“Why does this keep happening?” she demanded. She could hardly think straight.
“When we travel this way, we are in the in-between. You are suspended from such things as time and space and then thrust immediately back into it. Your system is forced to catch up instantly on arrival. If not for the magic the Ankou are granted, it could kill you.”
Ophelia sighed, nodding. “Where are we?”
Ethan turned her toward a small house and pressed his fingers to his lips.
He led her along the outer walls of the house until they reached a window. Inside, a man and a woman held each other, crying. Ophelia peered around the room, trying to make sense of what she was searching for. She found her answer on the floor. A young man sat, collapsed to his knees, covered in blood.
“What ‘appened?” Ophelia whispered.
“The young man just watched his comrades kill his sister.” Ethan’s voice was tight and his tone clipped. “He was unable to act to save her. He’s returned home to tell their parents.”
Ophelia backed away, shaking her head. When Ethan approached, she pounded her fist against his chest. “Why would ye show me such a thing?”
Ethan didn’t move, even as Ophelia tried once again to push him away. “The young girl who lost her life was a dual-breed. She was only killed because of what she is, and for no greater reason. This . . . this is what we’re fighting for. It is not that I want you in harm’s way, or that I wish for you to become a creature you detest. If I could do this for you, protect you from your calling, I would. But I cannot let my feelings for you sway our responsibility. I am confident you are capable, that you can do this to save the innocents in this world.”
Though Ophelia tried, she could not summon a response. She covered her mouth with hand, her entire body trembling. Could she live with herself, knowing all this, if she didn’t try to help?

About Rebecca:
Rebecca Hamilton is a bestselling Paranormal Fantasy author who also dabbles in Horror and Literary Fiction. She lives in Florida with her husband and four kids. She enjoys dancing with her kids to television show theme songs and would love the beach if it weren't for the sand. Having a child diagnosed with autism has inspired her to illuminate the world through the eyes of characters who see things differently. She is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA and has been published internationally, in three languages. You can follow her on twitter @InkMuse

To learn more about Autism Spectrum Disorder, please visit the website below.
http://www.autisticadvocacy.org


Pandora comes out Tomorrow!
Why Wait?
For Kobos, Nooks, iPads, and NOW Kindles Pandora is available for Preorder!

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Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Pandora #Paranormal Box Set Author Showcase: Susan Stec

Blurb:
Toni's grandmother is a psychopath.
Her sister is a ghost.
Her boyfriend is possessed.
And she has no idea who she is.

Summer vacation is ruined when Toni's twin sister, Sara, dies. Instead of walking into the light, Sara stomps directly away from it, totally pissed she didn't die in her skinny jeans. That's when Sara finds out their grandmother has a gift for talking to dead people, and two spritely spirits and a nasty soothsayer named Bartholomew are all working their angle with Toni's future caught in between.

Dear old Granny's determined not to be the last necromancer in the family, but with the death of her promiscuous granddaughter, her only option is Toni, who must remain a virgin until her eighteenth birthday without any ghostly interference from Sara.

Sara's not having any of it; especially since the guy Granny's conspiring with is the same guy that assisted in Sara's demise. Toni needs help! But protecting her sister is complicating all the ghostly fun on the other side!

Can death stop a twin? Maybe not, but Granny knows Dead Girls Never Shut Up.


***(PG rating) Contains mild adult content and profanity

Excerpt:
Several things happened at once.
Behind Toni, Sara lost her fight with the steak knife—it sliced through her throat—and blood squirted from her jugular all over the stout guy, and then she promptly fell face first into her salad. Paul let out an anguished cry, grabbed his throat, jumped out of his chair, and staggered back several steps, choking.
The room sounded like one big gasp.
Toni pounded on Paul's back.
Sara's date jumped up, knocked over his chair, and fumbled back a few feet, wiping blood from his face and chest. He lost his footing in the mess on the floor, passed through Ruth, and landed in an ass-cracking fall at her feet.
At the same time, the knife hit the floor and slid a bloody trail a few feet before it tripped a waitress. She sent a tray laden with food and drinks flying. Two patrons in the path of the tray yelped, slid into each other, and began to do what looked like an inebriated tango as they tried to stay afoot.
Toni put her hands around Paul's torso and began to administer the Heimlich maneuver. "Will everyone calm down? You're not helping! Someone call an ambulance. He can't breathe!" Toni shouted, face against Paul's back as she made a two handed fist and squeezed his torso.
Ruth steadied herself, stepped into the stout guy's stomach, and then leaned under the table as the whole bar fell into uncontrollable chaos around her. Several patrons ran through her buttocks on the way to the front door and her rear-end looked like a fluttering sail in the wind. She asked, "Will y'be needin' some help, Martin?"
Martin growled at her and wiggled out of the floor. He floated up from under the table about the time a fragmented puff of smoke started to rise from Sara.
"Oh dear, I'm afraid we'll 'ave some explainin' t'do, Godrest'ersoul," Ruth whined, stepping through the table to stand next to the smoke forming into a cloud of mottled pink and white, looking an awful lot like Sara.
"What the hell? Where am I?" Sara's ghostly image croaked. "Is that me in my salad?" 
"Yes, dear, I'm afraid so," Ruth answered.
"Sara, help me, dammit!" Toni shouted from across the room as she tried to maneuver Paul around so she could see her sister.
"Help you?" Sara spat, floating over her dead body. "I'm the one with her face in her salad. You idiot! Let go of the stud-muffin and get your ass over here!"
"I'm afraid she can't 'ear ya, dear."
Toni caught sight of her sister and screamed, "Ohmigod! Sara! That's my sister!"
Paul grabbed Toni's shoulder, gagged, and choked out, "I'm so sorry."
"Great! Just great!" Martin spat. "Bartholomew did it again. Let's hope incredibly noisy and obnoxiously vain over here can at least give us some information about Old-Navy-Boy over there." His finger pointed from Sara to Paul.
Martin whipped to one side as Toni ran past, Paul following like a well behaved marionette.
"Is that blood on my neck?" Sara shrieked, swiping her hand through the cadaver's throat.
"We 'ave a bit o'bad news, dear," Ruth said, patting the tips of her fingers through Sara's shoulder.
"You've friggin' got to be kidding me. I'm dead? Dead as in… freakin' dead? This has got to be a nightmare!" Sara lunged for her flaccid body and fell right through it.
"Oh my, now we 'ave t'get 'er out o'the cellar, we do. Come along, Martin," Ruth said, taking a nosedive into the floor.
Martin tapped his foot in and out of the floor, watching the chaos as lookey-loos congregated around the table.
Several teens, cell phones filming, were carrying on frantic conversations as Ruth burst through the floor with a screaming Sara in tow. Sara erratically hovered over the table and glared at her sister. Toni stood beside Sara's body, with her hands over her mouth, face horror stricken, head moving back and forth.
"Give me a good shake," Sara said. "Just shake me, Toni! I know if you shake me I'll come back to life."
Toni wrapped her hands around her stomach and rocked as tears streamed down her cheeks. She gagged, retched, and then vomited all over the table in front of her sister's body.
Sara's fists streaked through Toni's torso several times as she shrieked, "Uck! Eck! She pukes? She F'n upchucks? That's just nasty! Now I not only have Bleu cheese salad dressing all over my face and a gaping hole in my neck, but puke in my hair!" She tried to grab a handful of Toni's red curls but only made them flutter like leaves in a soft breeze.
Working up some attitude, Sara slapped her hands into her hips and shook her butt; fists embed in her pelvic bone. "Just kick me—slap me—do something to get my friggin' heart beating again! I need a damn shower!"
Paul tried to hand Toni a napkin and guide her away from the table.
Sara shoved her nose halfway into Paul's face. "Oh-no-you-don't!" She turned on her sister. "Stop your blubbering! Grab the napkin! Wipe that shit off my face; I've about had it with you!" Sara kicked her smoky foot through Toni and ended up floating horizontally in front of her.
"Don't you think we should say something to her?" Martin asked.
"Godbless'er, I think we should let 'er carry on a bit, love," Ruth said from the ceiling above the table. "Won't be long, it won't. They should be draggin' 'er carcass out o' 'ere soon enough."

About Susan:
I've always been weird, even as a child. Might've been influenced by all those fairies and trolls living in and around the streams behind Grandma's house. Today it probably has something to do with five crazy vamp-women, a fanged tyke, fairy, troll, werewolf, demon, and several sexy immortals living in my head.

In reality I live with my husband and my three King Charles Spaniels on 50 acres of woods, fields, and streams in upper Michigan; hunt deer with my Ruger or crossbow, paint watercolors, sculpture stained glass, and chase butterflies with my dogs.

One's real life is so often the life that one does not lead~~Oscar Wilde

Excited to get this awesome deal yet?
For Kobos, Nooks, iPads, and NOW Kindles Pandora is available for Preorder!

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Monday, July 28, 2014

Pandora #Paranormal Box Set Author Showcase: Apryl Baker

Introducing bestselling author Apryl Baker!
Blurb:
Snap...crackle...pop. The sounds of bones breaking and shifting and of muscles tearing haunt Alexandria Reed.

For the last five years, Alex has been locked up at Compton Academy, a "school" for the emotionally challenged. She calls it the politically correct way of saying they’re all nuts and Alex has no doubts she’s insane. She comes home to Jacob's Fork to face the demons she left behind her after deceiving the doctors into believing she’s well. Soon after her arrival home though, news of her estranged mother's death brings her uncle back into her life and she and her brother, Jason, learn a terrifying secret about their family.

After questioning her sanity for the last ten years, she discovers the night terrors she's suffered for so long has become a reality. She and her brother are now being hunted because of the secret her family has killed to protect. Her world has been turned upside down, every belief she held true destroyed. Aided by her new friends, who have some dark secrets themselves, can she and Jason survive long enough to figure out the secret behind the secret?

Excerpt:
Prelude

Alexandria Nicolette Reed
August 3, 1996 – August 25, 2012
Loving Daughter and Sister
Mental Patient,
Shy, Quiet, Reserved
Weird, Insane, and Invisible
May You Rest In Peace
And Never Return
You Will Not Be Remembered

I remembered that day in the park. I remembered writing the eulogy into my journal, tearing it out and shredding it. The pieces floated away on the wind like dandelion wisps. I remembered how I’d felt that day—excited, scared, determined.
Looking back now, I realize how innocent I had been. I’d thought The Event had changed me all those years ago, but I was wrong. It had been those words I’d written on that piece of paper which had truly sealed my fate.
I am Alexandria Nicolette Deveraux and this is my story.
********
I ran through the woods, the sunlight warm on my face.
The sounds of the forest blended into the wind that tore at my fur. The ground gave way beneath my paws as I launched myself through the trees. Never had I felt so free, so exhilarated. I owned these woods. Branches tugged, trying to slow me down as I bounded through the maze of trunks and undergrowth. The cold autumn air smelled of dying leaves—their moldy, decaying odor signaling the birth of fall.
I was home.
I slowed, catching the scent of a deer and wove between the trees until I saw it. A doe stood before me drinking from the stream that wound its way down through the mountains. I admired the beauty of the animal. I found the deer's gentle eyes rather expressive. They glowed with a shy innocence. 
I inched closer, testing the wind. It blew towards me. My scent wouldn't reach her and I wanted a chase, a more challenging kill. As I eased forward, I made no attempt to hide the sound of the leaves crunching beneath me. I wanted her to hear me. 
Turning toward the noise, she saw me and went completely still for a heartbeat. Her eyes reflected her fear, her sudden panic. 
Her tail twitched and she bolted.
Growling, I barreled after her, letting her think she could be fast enough to get away. Silly creature. As if she could ever be faster than me. I lived to run
She streaked through the trees and I let her have her way for a bit. I enjoyed the chase. The sound of her deep, labored breathing drove me on, the smell of her fear driving me a little crazy. The thrill of the hunt wormed through me, building the sense of anticipation of the kill. I could almost taste all that hot blood gushing into my mouth. Her fear smelled sweet to my senses and made my hunger increase. I howled a challenge at her. She turned to start up the mountainside. I snarled and jumped, taking her down in one leap.
My teeth bit into her neck even as she bucked beneath me, trying to free herself. Adrenaline surged through me—the exhilaration of the hunt flooded my senses with her futile struggles. I had taken her down. She was mine. Victory made my snarl all the more fierce in the face of her soft whimpers. Mine. All mine.
As I had no wish to make her suffer I killed her quickly. Then I set to enjoying my kill. Her warm blood filled my mouth, coated my muzzle. I ripped and tore at the flesh until my stomach became full and sated. I left the carcass for the smaller animals. I was done and there were others that were hungry.
Running softly, I splashed into the creek to enjoy the feel of the cold water as I rinsed the blood from my coat. The water always soothed me. I blinked my eyes, more than a little sleepy now and thought I might find a quiet place to rest. I stepped out of the water and the unfamiliar scent hit me. 
I tasted the air around me. A sweetly bitter scent, not one I recognized teased my senses. It did not belong in these woods. I started to track the smell, listening for sounds. I heard nothing, but the smell became stronger the farther out I searched.
He jumped in front of me and shook his head, warning me to go no further. Rage filled me. Who was he to tell me what I could or could not do in my own forest? I growled a warning low in my throat.
He snarled at me in reply.
His head whipped around as he too caught the scent I’d been tracking. I stared past him. 
A new hunter had arrived.
He stood silently watching us, an indulgent smile on his lips. I felt fear gazing into that smiling face.
The hunter started forward.

About Apryl:
So who am I? Well, I'm the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up. I LOVE scary movies. My friends laugh at me when I scare myself watching them and tell me to stop watching them, but who doesn't love to get scared? I grew up in a small town nestled in the southern mountains of West Virginia where I spent days roaming around in the woods, climbing trees, and causing general mayhem. Nights I would stay up reading Nancy Drew by flashlight under the covers until my parents yelled at me to go to sleep.

Growing up in a small town, I learned a lot of values and morals, I also learned parents have spies everywhere and there's always someone to tell your mama on you. So when you get grounded, what is there left to do? Read! My Aunt Jo gave me my first real romance novel. It was a romance titled "Lord Margrave's Deception." I remember it fondly. But I also learned I had a deep and abiding love of mysteries and anything paranormal. As I grew up, I started to write just that and would entertain my friends with stories featuring them as main characters.

Now, I live Huntersville, NC where I entertain my family and watch the cats get teased by the birds and laugh myself silly when they swoop down and then dive back up just out of reach. The cats start yelling something fierce...lol.

I love books, I love writing books, and I love entertaining people with my silly stories.

You can reach me at any of these places:
Blog: http://apryl-baker.blogspot.com/
Twitter:@AprylBaker

Excited to get this awesome deal yet?
For Kobos, Nooks, iPads, and NOW Kindles Pandora is available for Preorder!

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Thursday, May 1, 2014

Win a #KindleFire and Get Some Great Books

WIN A Kindle Fire!
Enter for a chance to win a Kindle Fire! Also, to help start you out on your new Kindle Fire, you'll also win a kindle book from each of out Sponsors. Here's just one of the great books you'll win.

Chasing Azrael (Deathly Insanity)
By Hazel Butler


When Andee Tilbrook's husband died, her preoccupation with death turned to obsession. Thanks to her unique ability to commune with the dead, her husband remains all too close, yet never close enough. Mired in grief, she clings to James's spirit, slowly losing touch with the world, her friends, and any desire to continue living. 

But when her friend Josh becomes the target of Natalya, a jealous, capricious and violent Russian beauty, Andee somehow finds the strength to free herself from her misery long enough to help him. They soon discover that Natalya is wanted by the police for her involvement in a series of grisly murders, and Andee is dragged into the inquiry by the same man who investigated her own husband's death. 

Torn between new feelings for Josh, and fear that he might be involved in the murders that seem to threaten anyone who comes close, Andee must face the realities of her life, her past, and her very nature-and do it all in time to save her own life.


About the Author:


Hazel is a twenty eight year old author, artist and archaeologist from Cheshire, England. She is currently in the final year of her PhD, which focuses on Gender Dynamics in Late Iron Age and Early Medieval Britain. She has been studying archaeology since she was sixteen, attending The University of Manchester for her Undergraduate course in Ancient History and Archaeology, then Bangor University for an MA in Celtic Archaeology and on to her PhD. She spent two years between her MA and PhD doing corporate archaeology and research excavations, both in Britain and in Austria, and has two papers published in international journals.
Since 2010 she has been working on a series of Gothic Literary novels, the first of which, Chasing Azrael, was released in April 2014. The Deathly Insanity Series are a set of Paranormal Mystery novels with overlapping character and plot-lines. While her primary interests are in Gothic and Fantasy art and fiction, she reads a wide range of subjects and enjoys most forms of art. She also has a great love of dogs, and her King Charles Cavalier Spaniel, Dexter (yes, after the serial killer), is her near-constant companion.

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

A-Z Blog Hop: Tree Ghosts


Trees have been a favorite haunting place for restless spirits. In northern India, shrines are built under trees to honor some of these spirits. In America a well know story is of Mrs. Linnie Jenkins and her crying pecan tree.

On April 12, 1981, Mrs. Linnie complained to her relatives of her pecan tree making awful noises. When her brother, sister-in-law, and others went to inspect the tree, they heard the crying sound but couldn’t find the cause. Some claimed the house was built on an ancient Indian burial site and the sound was of an Indian warrior spirit crying.

Word spread and the story was reported to the media. People came to stand in Mrs. Linnie’s yard just to listen to the tree. As the numbers grew Mrs. Linnie began charge a fee to discourage the crowds. It was reported that more than 5,000 people came to visit Mrs. Linnie’s pecan tree. Within a month the noise began to weaken and a copper tube was drilled into the tree the serve as a megaphone. The noise died altogether by April 30th.

Explanations were given, such as beetles or gasses produced by souring wood in the tree. One far-fetched one was that seals in a subterranean sea were making whimpering noises. However, no proof was given, so this remains a small mystery to this day.
A Pecan tree photo by Carabou

Have you had any encounters with tree ghosts?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on AmazonBarnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Hauntings and Visitations

Outside of the Pride House (Taken from website)



Last October, my friends and I travelled to Jefferson, TX in search of ghosts. This is sort thing we try to do for Halloween. Yes, I know cliché, but it beats the haunted houses. For the record, I do believe in restless spirits and know that sometimes they can be dangerous. We took precautions.

Jefferson is a small town in Northeast Texas located on the Big Cypress Bayou. It is a stone’s throw away from the Louisianan border. It was considered one of the great riverboat ports in Texas starting in 1845. That ended in 1872, when the Red River Raft was destroyed and the level of Caddo Lake and Big Cypress were lowered so much that riverboat travel to Jefferson were no longer feasible.


Jay Gould signed the guest registry for the Excelsior Hotel

Many actually attribute this to Jay Gould, the river magnate. Legend has it that Gould wanted to bring his railroad through Jefferson but the town leaders refused. So, Gould responded with a curse: “Grass will grow in your streets and bats will roost in your belfries, you decadent port.”

This was a cool photo I got of my reflection over the story of Jay Gould

So, why did we choose this town? Because Jefferson is also the most haunted town in Texas. Seriously, nearly every hotel or Bed and Breakfast has a ghost or five. The most famous ghost is Diamond Bessie, who was murdered by her husband/pimp for her diamonds.

We were going to stay at the Jefferson Hotel, but at the last minute our reservations were cancelled. So, we stayed at the Pride House, which was a stroke of luck for us. The Pride house, documented as the first bed and breakfast in Texas, was built in the 1880’s by George W. Brown and his wife Daisy. Now it is run by a lovely lady named Jenny (Check out her The Pride House Facebook Page page).

Ironically, there is a ghost in the house named Jenny. She was the 15 year old daughter of George and Daisy who succumbed to burns from catching her gown on fire on Christmas Day. There were two other ghosts that we think we had contact with during our stay. One, I think was George and the other was a little girl named Sarah.

I never saw any ghosts or ghost lights. Most of our experience was sound. I’d left my phone in my room to record while my friends and I went to the parlor. While we were away, my phone recorded a rattling. Ok, so here are some of the sounds.

So in the recording you can hear the rattling. At the end is where my boyfriend came in to check the recording. Note his breathing. There was a lack of breathing with the rattling. This one is a little long but I want you to see the difference.


Next, this is when my friends and I were in the parlor. Yes, we were having a semi-philosophical discussion, it was 2 in the morning. You can hear my friends. One asks a question and the other answers.

Next, you can hear a little girl giggle.


We checked. There were no children staying at the Pride house that night. Jenny said that was Sarah and she did that often. During our weekend, we had several other experiences though I did not get them on tape. Mostly, the ghosts liked to chime in on conversations.

This may not be proof for others, since they were not present, but it is enough for me. So, what about you? Have you had any supernatural experiences?