#Paranormal Wednesday-Imaginary Friends

Photo courtesy of jdurham via morgueFile

Did you ever have an imaginary friend when you were a kid? I did. I had one when I was about four-years-old. He was kind of faceless (well, it was blurry when I would try and look. Eventually I just gave up trying) and was always in my peripheral. I was an only child and he would indulge me by playing tag or hide-and-go-seek. Sometimes, we'd play board games. My mom would come into my room and I'd be chatting away and accusing him of cheating (which he did). She would frown and give me a stern talking to about real vs. imaginary.
In retrospect, I think it used to freak her out.

I know some kids blame their imaginary friends for doing things they'd otherwise get in trouble for. I never did that. I think he kept me out of trouble, truth be told. Kind of like a little voice in your head that says things like, "Do you really think that's a good idea?" or "Really? *sigh*"  Yeah, I was one of those kids.

As imaginary friends go, he eventually stopped showing up. I'm not sure I ever forgave him for that. I had a rough childhood and could have used a friend. Such is life.

There are two theories about imaginary friends. One is scientific and pretty cut-and-dry, the other is a little more complex and open for debate.

Theory One: Psychological
A phenomenon-where a friendship or other interpersonal relationship takes place in the imagination rather than external physical reality. 
This is the standard explanation offered by child psychologists. Most young children socially interact with dolls, stuffed animals and toys. But according to one study, only about 37% of children have imaginary friends. When questioned, the number drops even further--only 2% of these children insist they are real.

Theory Two: Paranormal
Children are much more open to seeing ghosts and other entities. Once they hit adolescence, it is no longer widely accepted by society and the phenomena either disappears or is kept secret. 
There are numerous claims that support this as well. Jason Hawes, co-founder of The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) states, “Many times, when I am contacted by someone having a paranormal situation, I am informed that their child or children are playing with invisible friends and that they talk to things that are not there." Hawes explains that the child could be psychic, and may possibly be “sensitive,” but a better explanation is simply that children have open minds. “They have not been conditioned by society yet as to what is real and what is not,” he wrote. “Over the years they will be told, ‘Stop playing with your pretend friend Bobby,’ and this helps close them off to what they experience. We have done some investigations into this, and the conclusions are outstanding.”

While I understand Theory One and in most cases support it, Theory Two gives me pause for thought. I was convinced that my imaginary friend was real. It was only through constant reprimanding that I eventually learned to keep my experience quiet and convinced myself that my imaginary friend was...imaginary.
Is conditioning children to deny their experiences a parental obligation? I find that kind of sad, really. I always indulged my children when it came to their imaginary worlds and friends. It's what leaves us open to life--in all it's complexities and unexplained madness.

How about you? Are there any stories you would like to share?

Tangled Tuesday-Guest Author Kindra Sowder

Kindra Sowder: Upcoming 2015 Release

Granted, I may not have an actual release date for my first book “Follow the Ashes: Part 1 of the Executioner Trilogy,” but that won’t stop me from spreading the word. I have been working on this for ten years and it went from a partnership with very campy humor, and a five part story to what is now. It is one of the best up and coming urban fantasy series that will have you on the edge of your seat and a knife in your heart. It is tragedy, love, loss, and destruction. All the campy humor is gone, the partnership is history, and the story has evolved to its three parts, much better self.  Now it will be published by Permuted Press, the same publisher who I have the pleasure of working with amazing author Clarissa Johal with. A real up and comer.  So, you guys might be wondering what it’s about.
Well, here is a brief synopsis below:

There is a Gypsy legend of a woman called the Executioner. She is the one who will take on the night and all of the creatures within its dark depths. Robin is this woman and along with her partner Elizabeth, who is a very talented witch, they will fight the darkness. According to this Gypsy legend, they are destined to take their places as the leaders of an army to fight the forces of darkness in the apocalypse. This is the beginning of their journey to that very moment. Robin encounters a man who Elizabeth has foreseen who will forever change her life, but he isn’t quite human. On her way home from this shadowy encounter with this mysterious man she comes across something else in the lonely death of a cemetery. At this moment, little does she know who this creature is who she has witnessed crawling from a small crater in the ground, covered in soot and it is up to them to stop her, no matter what the cost.

And here is an excerpt just for you guys to get you hooked, to become part of the following:

I was swiftly taken through our home and my eyes were able to drift open long enough for me to see our kitchen doorway as I was laid on the kitchen island. I felt very large, warm hands on me that rolled me onto my side. One hand moved to my shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze as I heard rummaging through a cabinet. I knew what was coming. A holy water shower, followed by a silver nitrate shot. This was going to hurt.

I heard glass moving around and knew Beth had found the bottles of holy water. I was already shaking because I knew what was coming. I had experienced this pain before. We both had, but she wasn’t the one who had almost burned the house down because of it.

Fear gripped me and my eyes shot open and met his. Beth laid a glass syringe and an amber glass bottle on the corner of the island next to the three bottles of holy water it would take for the process. She glanced at me when her eyes met mine I saw pity and concern. She knew exactly what I was about to endure, and she felt sorry for me. I half expected her not to be able to do it herself, but as she picked up one bottle of holy water she removed the lid and gave me a reassuring look. I turned onto my stomach and gripped both side of the island, and braced myself for what was going to happen next.

                

Beth held the bottle over the wounds and hesitated. I could see her arm shaking as well. She didn’t want to do this, but she had to. If she didn’t, I was going to turn and they would be my first victims. I’d kill myself before I let that happen. I would not be one of the monsters.

                

I looked her directly in the eyes and nodded, giving her the okay. It had to be done. I gripped the counter even harder and squeezed my eyes shut, holding my breath. Every muscle in my body tensed up, and she hadn’t even poured anything yet. Then I felt the first sting as a few drops landed on my skin, and I gripped the edges of the counter even harder. Those few drops weren’t as bad as the barrage of acid that was about to be poured onto me.

                

A river of holy water touched my skin and sizzled. I felt like acid was being poured onto me and I was able to stifle a few screams. The river stopped, and then another started. I couldn’t stop it this time. Screams of agony ripped through the air and filled every corner of the house. There was no way to fight it. It stopped again. I opened my eyes and Beth was standing there, holding the bottle but not daring to pour anymore. I gave her another nod and closed my eyes. She then poured the whole bottle and then moved onto bottle number two, then three. I was sweating and soaking wet and could barely breathe by the time that was done. Now came the worst part. The syringe full of silver nitrate.

                

I slowly sat up, wincing, and put my arm out, rolling up my sleeve so she could get to the veins at the bend of my elbow. She touched the very tip of the glass syringe to my skin, looked me in the eyes, and pushed it into the vein right at the surface. I cringed, but held still. I knew once she pushed the plunger down I wouldn’t be as retrained. The man grabbed my shoulders from behind.

She pushed the plunger all the way down and at first everything was okay, then I felt a sensation was starting to build. My veins were on fire and as the burning grew, a glow began in the center of my chest and began to spread through those veins. The pain grew with it. I couldn’t hold it back. My head rolled back and I shrieked, a demonic scream being released with it.

                

The pain was unbearable and my body felt as if it was on fire and I went limp. My vision went black, but I was still aware of what was happening. The man picked me up and I could hear Beth directing him on where to do. As he laid me on what I could only assume was a bed I felt the coolness of the sheets, which was more than welcome as far as I was concerned. I wandered off into unconsciousness again, and everything was gone.


Author Bio:

I am a Los Angeles native and moved to South Carolina with my grandparents seven years after my parent’s divorce. By the time I graduated from high school I was well known by my English teachers for my writing. Once in college, I took a creative writing class to obtain my AA in Psychology. My instructors loved all of my writing and even told me that I should invest more in it. This made me want to finally finish as much of my works as possible while submitting for publishing. I now live in a house in Spartanburg with my husband, step-son, and two cats named Cooper and Felix. I have now earned my BA in Psychology and am currently holding a 3.98 GPA. I also have high praise from a PR representative in Spartanburg who has also encouraged me to seek representation and publication. I am currently contracted with Permuted Press for four books, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. 

Links:

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

#MeatlessMonday-Tabbouleh Salad #vegetarian

Photo courtesy of  cyclonebill via flickr

Creative Commons (CC) license

Now that summer is in full swing here's a great salad to try! If you're not familiar with it, bulgur is made from the groats of several different wheat species (most often durum wheat). It's a whole grain and a good source of fiber and protein. If you’re vegan, go ahead and omit the feta cheese because it’s just as good. Enjoy!

1-1/2 cups dry bulgur
2 cups boiling water
1-1/4 tsp. salt
2 tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small cucumber, diced
3 green onions, diced
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 clove garlic, diced
1/4 tsp black pepper
3-T olive oil
1-15 oz can garbanzo beans
8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

1. In a large bowl, mix bulgur, boiling water and salt. Cover and let sit for about 30 minutes allowing bulgur time to absorb the water.
2. In separate bowl, combine tomatoes, parsley, carrot, red bell pepper, cucumber and green onions.
3. Add lemon juice, garlic, pepper and olive oil to bulgur and mix well.
4. Add vegetables, feta cheese and drained garbanzo beans.
Refrigerate before serving

The Equal Rights Blog Hop-July 4th-11th

This blog hop is over and the winner of my contest has been notified by email (congrats Shirley!) Thank you so much for participating!

Hosted by Queer Town Abbey an online magazine and a social networking website, tailored specifically for the LGBTQ community and anyone who supports the rights of its members.

The theme of this blog hop is “Your first experience in the LGBTQ community”

I actually don't remember my first experience. I never had the challenge of coming out as LGBTQ to my family or my community. I'm not gay but was always involved in theatre and went to a high school of performing arts. The culture was there and I never thought anything of it. It wasn't until I hit my 20's that I started to realize being gay was an issue for some. I knew on some level that my gay friends struggled within the community but embarrassingly, I didn't realize how much. One incident brought that "knew on some level" to a more personal one. My friend Gabriel and I had gone out for a night of dancing and fun. At one particular club, a group of guys decided to beat Gabriel up for no reason other than he was gay. I'm not a fist fight kind of girl but I do stick up for my friends. And it got bad. I think that's when it truly hit home (in more ways than one) the struggle he faced as a gay man in a straight community. Not because of the physical fight but because of the emotional pain it caused him afterwards. Emotional pain he didn't deserve. 

I always try and think of the good that comes from a bad situation. What good came from this? (Other than my Doc Martins+Ballet background=Good kicks in a fight) Well, it made me more sensitive and less naïve. Just because I grew up accepting of people's sexuality didn't mean everyone felt the same way. I was unprepared for how violent people could be. I was unprepared for the aftermath. I was unprepared for how much rage I felt at how blatantly unfair the situation was. It's why I'm so vocal about LGBTQ rights today. It's why I'm raising kids who are aware of the struggles and how important it is for people to have equal rights.

I do hope you have a wonderful July 4th and beyond. July the 4th marks the celebration of Independence Day in the United States. Queer Town Abbey invites you to follow the blog hop and celebrate the LBGTQ march toward independence. Onto the blog hop and prizes...

My prize is an ecopy of my latest paranormal gothic horror:

STRUCK

by Clarissa Johal

The shadows hadn't been waiting. 

The shadows had been invited.

After a painful breakup, Gwynneth Reese moves in with her best friend and takes a job at a retirement home. She grows especially close to one resident, who dies alone the night of a terrific storm. On the way home from paying her last respects, Gwynneth is caught in another storm and is struck by lightning. She wakes in the hospital with a vague memory of being rescued by a mysterious stranger. Following her release from the hospital, the stranger visits her at will and offers Gwynneth a gift--one that will stay the hands of death. Gwynneth is uncertain whether Julian is a savior or something more sinister... for as he shares more and more of this gift, his price becomes more and more deadly.

* To Enter Queer Town Abbey’s Giveaway *

Find the answer to this easy question from my post above: 

"What was the name of my friend?"

Leave the answer in the Rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you're hopping please continue to the other participating blogs for a chance to win other author prizes!

Thoughtful Thursday-My Interview with a (real) Vampire

On June 18th, I shared my thoughts on a recent MTV episode of True Life, Modern Age Vampires. I was contacted by the Queen of the Vampire Court of Austin who graciously offered me an interview. Please welcome Daley Catherine.

Q: How do you address the concept of immortality and how it applies to vampires?

A: Real vampires are by no means immortal as portrayed common mythology. Many of us age slower, get sick less often, and look much younger than our age. However, the only immortality we embrace is the legacy left behind once we leave this world, the imprint you leave on someone, or a change you created in the world/someone's life. That is true immortality. 

Q: The energy you require is more of a life force that people carry with them as opposed to blood. However, on MTVs True Life you do address vampires that drink blood. How do the two differ and what are your thoughts on that? 

A: There are 2 main types of feeding habits, blood feeding and energy feeding.The difference between feeding from someones life energy and feeding from blood could be compared to the difference between having a cup of coffee and eating some coffee beans. For me, blood is much more of a potent source of energy. Certain vampires may require this form over others, while some vampires prefer and require the life energy from the individual. 

Q: Explain the structure and hierarchy of the Vampire Court of Austin. Do you meet or have contact with other groups/courts? 

A:The VCA, despite certain terminology used, is mostly democratic. Every Vampire in this city has a voice and a time and place for that voice to be heard. We have a Council that will deliberate in order to ensure the will of our people and keep our relationships strong. Logan and myself run the court and have the most responsibility out of everyone. We are the faces of the court and organize meetings, events, and community outreach. We are also the ones who form alliances with other communities outside our own. We currently have a very strong alliance with both the Houston Vampire Court and the New Orleans Vampire Community. 

Q: In MTVs True Life episode, there seems to be a Code of Ethics in the vampire community. Can you outline/reiterate that for my readers? 

A: Certainly! The most important rule within our court is that there will be no feeding from an individual without their consent. This goes for both blood and energy feeders. Willing donors are required for direct feeding unless feeding from ambient energy like that of a concert or club. 

Q: There are many ideologies that don't "fit in" with mainstream--the umbrella term of Pagan comes to mind. Do you consider yourself a Pagan and/or vampirism to be a religion of sorts? 

A: While we have many Pagans within our court it has nothing to do with being a vampire. Vampirism is neither a religion or a choice. It is something one is born with and awakens to later in life. Our court has members of many different religions and faiths, from Pagan, Wiccan, and Buddist, to Christian, Catholic, and atheist. 

Q: You work in a veterinary clinic (or did when MTVs True Life was filmed). How do they and the clients feel about you being a vampire? 

A: I would say only a few of the clients knew I was a vampire (before the show aired anyways). It wasn't exactly something that came up in conversation while I was checking them and their pet into the clinic. The ones that did know, were very kind about it. Some had questions, others just accepted it. A small handful called me out on it while I was at work. We would get someone experienced in energy work or psychic readings in, and they could sense it on me immediately and would bring it up. My co-workers however, were very aware of what I was. I never hid it from them the entire 6 years I worked there. During the last few years of me working there, they were very supportive and accepting. 

Q: What advice would you give to people that feel they want to explore the concept of vampirism? 

A: The 2 things I recommend over all is research and self exploration. The #1 book I recommend on the subject is "Vampires in their own words" by Michelle Belanger. It is comprised of many different experiences from many different vampires throughout the world. No one can tell you what you are, that is why it is called an awakening. My advice is to research, meditate, try new things, question everything, and allow yourself to think outside the box and grow. Awakening can be both terrifying and amazing depending on how you see it.

Thank you for the interview, Daley!

You may contact Daley Catherine via Facebook
Facebook Page of The Vampire Court of Austin

UPDATE regarding this post: ANY ridiculous comments regarding vampires will be marked as SPAM. Quite honestly, I'm getting tired of it. Go bother someone else.
 

#Paranormal Wednesday-Spontaneous Human Combustion

Photo courtesy of Dawn Hudson via PublicDomainPhotos.net

Cases of spontaneous human combustion (death from a fire originating without an external heat source) have been recorded for over a century. There are many hypotheses, both paranormal and scientific, but no definitive explanation as to why it happens. In most cases, bones have been completely turned to ash, burns are not evenly distributed but confined to the torso, the fire never spreads from the body, and a greasy soot deposit is left behind on the walls and floor.

Scientific Theories

External heat sources: 
1) The "wick effect." A small external flame source, such as a burning cigarette, chars the clothing of the victim, splitting the skin and releasing subcutaneous fat. The fat is absorbed into the burned clothing and acts as a wick. The human body has enough stored fat energy to fully combust--even lean people have several pounds of fat in their tissues.

2) Ball lightening, sunspots or cosmic storms

Ketosis: Alcoholism or low-carb dieting produces acetone which is highly flammable and theoretically could lead to spontaneous combustion.

Paranormal Theories

God's wrath 

Psychic disturbances: Famed anomalist Ivan T. Sanderson proposed that SHC might be a psychic phenomenon related to cases of severe depression or sedentary lifestyles

Poltergeists: Known to cause spontaneous outbreaks of fires, the psychokinetic activity is internalized

Negative entities: ie. ghosts, demons, or entities from other dimensions of reality. The Spiritual Research Foundation states that "attacks of spontaneous combustion by negative energies last between 5 seconds to 3 minutes" and "the reason a victim of spontaneous human combustion does not move to try to shout for help and put the fire out is because negative energies induce a paralytic state which results in the victim’s mind becoming blank and rendering the person unconscious."

Notable deaths

In March of 1997, 76-year-old John O'Connor was found dead in his living room in Gortaleen, Ireland. An intense and localized heat had left his head, upper torso and feet unburned. The chair in which he was sitting was untouched.

In 1980, 73-year-old Henry Thomas was found in the living room of his council house in South Wales. His entire body was incinerated, leaving only his skull and a portion of each trouser-clad leg below the knees. Only half the chair in which he had been sitting was destroyed. 

On September 13, 1967 a group of female office workers phoned the London Fire Brigade. They had noticed flickering blue flames visible through an upper window and presumed it was burning gas. The first fireman to the scene said: “When I got in through the window I found the body of a tramp named Bailey laying at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the second floor.(...) There was a four-inch slit in his abdomen from which was issuing, at force, a blue flame. (...) The fire was coming from within the abdomen of his body. (...) There’s no doubt whatsoever, that fire began inside the body.”

In December of 1966, the ashes of Dr. J. Irving Bentley, 92, of Coudersport, Pennsylvania, were discovered by a meter reader. Dr. Bentley's body apparently ignited while he was in the bathroom and burned a 2 by 3-foot hole through the flooring. Nearby paint was unscorched.

On May 18, 1957, the remains of 68-year-old Anna Martin were found by her son. She was completely burnt to ashes from waist to head. Fireman predicted that the temperature had to be at 1700-2000F⁰. Newspapers several feet away remained intact.

On September 20, 1938, in Chelmsford, England, a woman burst into flames in the middle of a crowded dance floor. No one was able to extinguish the blaze and within minutes she was a heap of ashes.

On July 30, 1937, a woman was paddling in a small boat with her husband and children. She was suddenly engulfed by flames and in a matter of moments was reduced to ashes. Her family and wooden boat were both untouched by the flames.

In order for a human being to be reduced to ash, temperatures of 3,000°F must be maintained. Even at 2,000°F for eight hours, bodies are not reduced to ash as seen in these cases. Some recorded incidents report the victim was ablaze for minutes to less than an hour--which leaves a mystery indeed. What are your thoughts?

Tangled Tuesday-Guest Author Carol Browne

An Elf’s Lament Upon Leaving & Other Tales

BLURB

This little anthology of short stories and poems was originally published as an experiment. I had not been able to find a publisher for my novel and thought self-publishing on Kindle might be the way forward. First of all, I needed to try out the procedure, so I collected a number of stories and poems I had written over the years and put them all in an eBook.

I write about the things that interest me – animals, nature, magic, history, astrology – so there is no set theme for this anthology, but I do like my short stories to have a twist in the ending.

The poem I decided to open with, An Elf’s Lament Upon Leaving, gave me the idea for the title. The cover photograph was one I had taken myself back in the 1980s. I had always liked it and even suspected it might one day be perfect for a book cover. I wasn’t able to correctly format the text, however, although I’ve been told it makes no difference to its readability.

As for my novel, The Exile of Elindel, it did get accepted by a publisher after all.

EXCERPT

Martin found just the spell he needed. It was in a very old book, wedged among countless other volumes at the rear of the occult bookshop.

     
He pulled the book from its hiding-place. ‘Eight Ways to Magic’, proclaimed the title. The book cracked in protest, as Martin pried it open. His eyes flicked hungrily down the list of contents and widened as they reached Chapter Six – Love Spells.

     
Martin glanced warily around the shop, as though fearful of discovery, but, apart from an elderly lady squinting at a book on Flower Magic, he was quite alone. And the proprietor, a raw-boned man whose fuzz of grey hair ringed the summit of his skull like a helm-cloud, was engrossed in a book catalogue at the counter, his long nose like a spike of bone wearing spectacles.

     
Martin’s fingers fumbled their way through age-thickened pages until they reached Chapter Six. And there it was: spell number eight. How to attract the lover of your choice.

     
He closed the book, hugged it to his chest and made for the counter, his heart quickening with excitement.

     
Now, Debbie Starsmore, he thought, you shall be mine.

AUTHOR BIO

Carol Browne first appeared on the planet in 1954. She regards Crewe, Cheshire, as her home town and graduated from Nottingham University in 1976 with an honours degree in English Language and Literature. Now living in the Cambridgeshire countryside with her dog, Harry, and cockatiel, Sparky, when she’s not writing fiction, Carol spends her time as a housekeeper, proofreader, and ghost writer in order to pay the bills. Pagan and vegan, Carol believes it is time for a paradigm shift in our attitude to Mother Nature and hopes the days of speciesism are numbered. Carol's first novel 'The Exile of Elindel' was published by Musa Publishing on 18th April 2014. This eBook is part one of her fantasy series - The Elwardain Chronicles.

BUY LINKS (Elf’s Lament)

Amazon USA

Amazon UK


My Review of Carol Browne's book

I had the pleasure of reading An Elf's Lament Upon Leaving and Other Tales. Here's my review:

★ 5 Stars ★

Very atmospheric writing. The poetry is steeped in a love of nature, magic and mythology. The short stories hold interesting twists. No spoilers! The Boomerang Effect (dabbling with a love spell, Martin Nevis finds himself having second thoughts) A Force to Be Reckoned With (an outcast with thoughts of being "destined for something great" wants to join the police force) and Transformation (once bullied, Patricia attends a school reunion and emerges victorious) were my favorites.
Give this collection a read, you won't be disappointed.