For many of us, our pets are like our children. They bring us joy, companionship, good times... and unfortunately, break our hearts when they leave us for a greater place. I just lost Spooky... aka Spooky Bear, Spookers, Fat Daddy, Spooky James this past Sunday. My heart is breaking, but I did make choices that are helping me cope with my loss and heal, and as hard as it is to share my personal and precious last time with my little buddy, I thought it was worth sharing if it might help someone else deal with the pain of their loss.
Spooky was nearly 15 years old. This automatically makes some choices for you. Pretty much any required surgery is not an option because they aren't likely to make through a surgery, especially if they are already weak. Spooky probably weighed 25 pounds at his prime. He was a huge, fluffy long-haired boy. He died of chronic kidney failure. Organ transplant was out of the question, and as much as I loved him, I would never do that with an animal anyway. Over the past three or four years, he has dropped significant weight at times, but until this last time, always managed to make a come back. He truly had 5 or 6 lives. Once he disappeared for 5 days and we thought we lost him-turned out, he was hanging out underneath the neighbors bungalow. About 6 years ago, he lost a ton of weight in a short amount of time, started hiding and stopped eating. Luckily the vet was able to hydrate him and give him antinausea and he was back to the old Spook, eating everything in sight. This time was different and I knew it right away. So, I had to make a decision. Natural or euthanize. He never appeared to be in pain and the poor guy hated vets from the beginning. He would howl all the way...I didn't even know cats could make that sound. He would also pee in the car. I couldn't bear making his last moment in a loud vet office with barking and crying dogs and chaos going on, unless he was in pain. So I chose to let him go in his peaceful surroundings at home. For three weeks, I watched him barely eat but he continued to drink water and he also continued to appear to enjoy our time together. This was about a three week process. The last week, we had so many special times. One night we just hung out on the patio, one of his favorite places with the tiki torches lit. He sat on his chair and I sat one mine and we listened to music all night. One of Spooky's things was that he always had to have his paw on top of my hand. If I put my hand on his paw, he would always move his to the top-over and over again. The night he died, I held his paw and rubbed his head and he still insisted on putting that paw on top. It was bitter sweet and I did this until he took his last breath.
Spooky in his favorite chair on the patio.
One of the main things that is helping me deal with my loss, is that I prepared ahead of time for what I would do once he finally did pass. This is why people make their plans ahead of time, why not do the same for your furry family member? Being artistic, I decided to make him a Pet-Tribute. I realize some of you might think this is morbid, but for me, it was a beautiful way to pay tribute to a member of our family. Spooky had been with us since my daughter was 6. She is almost 21.
I made him the Pet-Tribute about two weeks before he died and I am so thankful that I had it ready and knew exactly what to do with him once he passed. This was the first animal I had ever had to deal with dying. I didn't want to have to handle this after the fact. I took some old boards and sanded them, stained them and bought a beautiful hinge and latch and built him his Pet-Tribute. I put pictures of our family inside and wrote him a letter with so many of my fond memories of him and put it inside a glass jar to preserve it. I made a copy of the letter so anytime I miss him, I can read it. And if in 50 or a hundred years someone happens to find his Pet-Tribute, they will know how dearly he was loved.
I am sorry for any of you out there that actually might need this post, but if you do, I hope it brings you some help in dealing with your loss.
I don't know if you are like I was, irritated as hell at my cable / internet provider who delivered to me a lovely present each month: their bill for over $185! Guess I was bored - or maybe it was raining outside, but I started looking at the detail of the bill and realized that $23 were for fees and taxes, including a $7 or $8 sports network fee, on top of the monthly subscription fee. I also saw the monthly rental of $11.99 for a box that I had now probably owned and paid for 3 times over. Then there was the $30 for the ever-so-annoying house phone that I didn't even have plugged in, but it cost more to not have the phone line than to have it. I never could understand that one.
Anyhow, I read this wonderful article about cutting the cord that described some of the other options available. I think most of us are familiar with Netflix and Amazon Prime by now. You may or may not know that you can buy Showtime and Starz subscriptions to watch any of their shows, anytime you like for $8.99 per month each, cancel at anytime. I love this part! It keeps them producing amazing shows. I had also just purchased Apple TV so that I could get HBO Now, which allows you to watch any HBO produced show anytime you like for $14.99, cancel at any time. Perfect!
Now, all I needed was AMC because yes, I love Daryl, too! This was from Walker Stalker in Atlanta 2015 - total blast and going again this year. If you go, make sure to do a set tour around Senoia, GA. Total blast and you can do it for free just by Googling on your phone.
But, back to this amazing article, they also mentioned an app I had not heard of yet (forgive me if I am a dinosaur here) but Sling TV! I felt like I had crossed a finish line! For $20 a month, I could get not only AMC, but also HGTV, History, H2, Disney, ESPN, ESPN 2, Food, CNN,and a bunch of others! I could have my cake and eat it too!
Here's the math: Last Year (2015)
$186 x 12 = $2,232 per year Verizon FIOS Triple bundle and entertainment pack
Now
$55.00 x 12 = $660 Brighthouse Internet 150
$20 x 12 = $240 Sling
$8.99 x 4 = $35.96 HBO
$8.99 x 3 = $26.97 Starz
Total = $962.93
Savings per current viewing interest: $1,269.07
That is a lot of extra stuff I can choose to purchase to watch if I am so inclined, but based on the current shows that I am interested in, this schedule serves my purpose! I did spend an initial investment of $298 for two Apple TV devises. I got my Amazon Fire TV Stick free because I had earned points. Now I own these devices and have activated 3 TVs in my house, where before, I only had two at the Verizon $186 per month. There are no more monthly rental charges!!!
So, I canceled Verizon and they have owed me $80.20 since November 19 when my cancellation took effect. Just sayin'... Cut the cord!
Hopefully I can help save you a dime or two as I figure things out.
-Ginger
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So, I thought this was worth sharing as it saved me potentially $800. My dog Arnold came up with an abscess on the flap of his left ear that grew to about the half the size of a golf ball, maybe a little smaller. There were no obvious wounds or scabs that I could detect. He also wasn't bothering it, but obviously it needed some sort of treatment to go away.
Well, a few years before, my cat Spooky had an abscess about the same size. I promptly took him to the vet where they recommended and ultimately knocked him out to lance and scar his ear so it wouldn't come back. That bill was over $800.
So, this time I turned to Google and did some research, and one of the remedies I found to try was to apply a warm compress to the abscess. I tried this for a couple of days, and nothing changed for the worse or better. Then, I remembered a remedy that my daughter Taylor uses for an oncoming stye on her eye that makes it go away before it really even starts: black and green tea bags!
I tried the black and green tea bags for Arnold's ear, heating the tea bags in a cup of water for about a minute and fifteen seconds, making sure it wasn't to hot, and then applying one to each side of the flap for about 5 minutes, and within two evenings, I noticed a decrease in the size. I continued to apply the tea bags once per day and after five days, the abscess is almost gone.
I would like to note that if your pet has obvious pain or severe infection, you should seek a veterinarian's assistance, but if your pet is like Arnold without the pain or infection, give it a try! It might save you a bundle!
-Ginger
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5 Stars!!!! Time Travel, Conspiracy and Murder! Scroll Back packs a suspenseful punch!
Brief synopsis: Scroll Back takes us on an epic journey through the eyes of anthropologist, Peter Mandes, who has been lucky enough to assist his mentor, Professor Alex Mostovolov, with what could be the most significant discovery in the history of the world. Alex comes upon a folio from the Thomas Gospel in an excavation site in Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945. Hidden coordinates lead him to the Dead Sea where he finds another scroll wrapped in animal skin. The painful deciphering process ultimately reveals Time Travel secrets imbedded in a Key Scroll hidden in Mexican pyramids.
The 20-year search culminates with a final journey to Mexico’s Pyramid of the Sun with Peter. Aware of the historic nature of Alex’s research, Nick Parseconis, an agent of a global brotherhood, is bent on acquiring the Scroll, and they will do anything, including murder in order to get it. Nick plays the good guy and funds Alex’s research, but reports his progress to the brotherhood, shaping his own agenda.
Steeped with intrigue, cruelty, deception and murder, the story delivers a heart-stopping succession of riveting scenes that cry out for a broader outcome: to reconnect people with their Creator.
Trapped between the unfolding tension for the priceless Scroll and his own spiritual struggle to discover God, Peter focuses on validating his faith as he uncovers the path to Time Travel. He launches a journey through Time that blends the unimagined with the real.
Characters: The writers did a great job with Peter Mandes, the main character who tells the story to his “nephew” Nelson, Jr., the son of a friend who had died in a terrible accident, but with time travel...could he still be alive? Because we travel through various times of Peter’s life, we really get to know him and understand him as he questions many things about his own religious beliefs versus the facts that he discovers though his travels, facts that many want to keep buried, including his former mentors from the Church, who refuse to believe the story of Jesus might have been different. I enjoyed the depth of the Nick Parseconis, a great bad guy who always manages to show up at the worst times for Peter and Alex, and who never works in their favor, throwing money at them only to beat them to the punch.
Originality: Though there are certainly other stories out there that feature time travel, scrolls, conspiracy and mystery, Scroll Back intertwines the elements into a highly original story! I enjoyed the adventure that Peter takes to find the truth of the origins, finding himself locked in a prison with John the Baptist, just before his execution; diving with man-eating sharks that disappear into the darkness of the Bermuda Triangle; and searching through the mysterious pyramids of Egypt, always seconds away from danger.
Recommendation: I would pare this with a glass of red wine for obvious reasons! Scroll Back is a fantastic story, with a concept so well written, one might even believe it. Highly recommend.
-Ginger p.s. If you enjoyed this post, please click the g+1 button below or reshare so that others may enjoy it too!
I don’t normally blog about products, but I just have to
spread the word! I just bought a 2015 Nissan Juke to replace my old friend
Captain Jack – a 2005 black Volvo XC 90, which I loved dearly for a long time….
But Jack Black died. So now, welcome Al Capone! Why Al Capone? I think this car
looks like a mafia bug, so seemed fitting!
It is so much fun to drive, and the more I drive it, the
more I love it! It’s the easiest car to drive that I have ever owned-I think a
five year old who’s ridden a big wheel could handle it! And driving isn’t
really difficult, but I needed a football field to turn Jack Black around where
this Juke can zip in and out of anywhere! Total breeze! It also gets fantastic
gas mileage, claiming 28 mpg in the city and over 30 mpg on the highway!
Now, it isn’t the fastest car I’ve owned, and before I drove
it, that was my main concern. Having had a Camaro, RX7, RX8 and turbo charged
XC 90, I had to make sure it had enough pick up so I wouldn’t get creamed on an
entrance ramp. Well, I am happy to report Al’s little turbo charge does just
what it needs. No, I won’t be racing anyone off the line, but I’m too old for
that anyway!
I love the blue tooth capability and hands free entry! It’s
awesome not to have to grab my keys out of my purse when my hands are full coming
out of the grocery store or Target! The interior is cute and fits with the
style of the car and there is plenty of room for cargo when I put the back
seats down.
So, if you are looking for something a little different,
give it a Juke a try!
-Ginger
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We've scrambled things up for the latest issue of the Authors' Cave Exclusive eZine and it's packed full of authors who will mystify, terrify and keep you on the edge of your seat!
Look inside for chapter excerpts, book trailers, audio clips and author videos!
One of my favorites is the Eno the Thracian series by C.B. Pratt. Look inside for her new release!
-Ginger
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We've been quite busy in the Cave revamping things! We have formed the Authors' Cave Exclusive for our premium members where we collaborate in all things publishing: marketing, cover designs, hook writing, book trailers, author videos and story telling. We aim to bring you more of what you want! Great stories!
Let us know what you think! -Ginger p.s. If you enjoyed this post, please click the g+1 button below or reshare so that others may enjoy it too!
So, I just have to share how excited I am because last night was one of those wonderful nights in a writer's life when the idea juice is flowing like the Nile. When ideas pop into your head so fast, you can hardly write them down and keep up.
My main resolution this year is to finish the entire series of Dark Days. Last night, the story line came to me... I'm thinking spies... South American explorers and Chileansoh and who is the stranger that Ben will meet in the woods?
Time to get 'er done!
Ginger
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We hope everyone’s New Year is
starting off fantastic—maybe like March McCarron’s! Fantastic results with ENT
and Book Bub! It is with this New Year, that we must now make some changes to
BRD and Authors’ Cave 1) because of time constraints, and most importantly 2)
to get us back to our ROOTS!
How do we all sell more books?
What are the most effective marketing avenues?
What is so ridiculous is that for
nearly 2 years as I have managed the group, I have hardly marketed my own books
at all! I want to get back to that—ROOTS! …and help you guys by sharing
what works for me, and in return, learn what has worked for you.
As many of you in the group know, I have
returned to a full time job. I am happy to be back at work, but unfortunately,
there are not enough hours in the day to maintain the stuff required by
the Authors’ Cave site and also the social interaction at BRD, as well as feed
my family, take care of the house and the garden, oh and write on my own books…I want to get back to that—ROOTS! Additionally, the group is now
being managed by only 2 of us—Chameleon and I.
So… ROOTS
Our goal has always been to
create a collaborative community in the hopes that marketing as a group effort
versus individually would generate more book sales for all of us. Since the
launch in July, we have put forth several free venues for collaboration
opportunities in which you could generate additional sales and reviews through higher visibility, including greater exposure through our eZine. Despite the free factor, only a
fraction of the membership has taken advantage of these venues.
In light of these things...
we are restructuring Authors' Cave and
streamlining our purpose
What we have found is that it has
been Premium Members who typically participate and are open to our ideas and we
believe we can do more with a smaller focused group. We have created the
Authors’ Cave Exclusive which will be made up of the 36 Premium Members we
currently have. The group will be capped at 50 for now, so we have 14 positions
open to fill.
With these 50 authors, we plan to
collaborate, hold workshops, share experiences in marketing, and co-market for
each other. The group is only for people who want to actively participate, so
if you are not willing to work together, please do not sign up. The eZine will be
revamped to feature a profile page for each member of the Authors’ Cave. Members
are encouraged to write columns, share poetry, chapter excerpts, videos,
trailers, etc on their page. The eZine can be used as a group marketing piece
and assist in co-marketing, without much effort.
Finally…Workshops!
We want to focus
our time in areas that have been a complaint of members for a long time. We
will go step by step in helping each premium member build the perfect,
effective Author's Toolkit. Beginning March 1st we'll be covering the following
topics, in-depth, as a group and individually.
Plot:
holes, unresolved issues, characters, world, etc.
Writing:
pace, info dumps, descriptive text, how to show and not tell
Presentation:
cover, how to easily make a digital table of contents, how to properly format
your ebook
Media:
video trailers and media presentations – easier than you think! You'll end
up with aprofessional media presentation (a $150.00 value) you'll
be able to post around that people
will enjoy reading and looking at!
Marketing:
effective marketing tools and strategies that will get you noticed!
How will this affect BRD?
We will still run the BRD group and have the BRD review
process but will be making some changes to that as well, including the
following:
Book Review Depot
Process
Books on the list 1 year or more will be removed immediately (after Mar 30, 2015, books on the list over 9 months will be removed).
A book can only be posted to the list 2 times in a 1-year period.
It will now take 7 reviews to earn a spot on the list to get 10 reviews in return.
The genre of the month is no longer in play for double review credits, it's too hard to track and we need to balance the post to review ratio.
We will be removing some of the genre categories that are not read as much and combine those into one “Miscellaneous” category. These include Non-fiction, and Children’s for now. There are a couple other categories that may be combined at a later date. We think it's only fair that authors understand the limited interest we've been able to generate for these before they do their reviews. We will still participate in the ever-fun conversations because those are great entertainment!
Book Club
Authors’ Cave will no longer
manage the book club. Participation simply wasn't enough for the amount of time it
took to organize.
Authors’ Cave
Services
Chameleon and I are going to focus
on more of the services for the marketing side of the selling books going
forward meaning we will not be doing express reviews, the Grind (editing and
redlining). We will be offering book covers, book trailers, media kits and formatting.
Welcome to the January edition of the Authors' Cave eZine! How do you feel about 3 star reviews? See what your peers thought... -Ginger p.s. If you enjoyed this post, please click the g+1 button below or reshare so that others may enjoy it too! Thanks!
That's right - a change is coming! A New Year is just around the corner. I want you to ask yourself if you are taking your writing career seriously. Are you doing everything you can do to become a best seller? Or, are you wandering around like a beggar, waving your book link in the air to every group you can find in social media, hoping for some reason that your book link stands out from the other million book links the readers have already seen that day? THIS DOESN'T WORK. YOU KNOW IT DOESN'T WORK.
Yet, some of you insist on sticking with that approach. Guys, book links are not interesting to people. They are a dime a dozen.
You have to create a plan to make yourself stand out! Did you really think because you published your masterpiece to Amazon that suddenly it was going to fly off the shelf like the next hottest thing to an iPhone?
NO!
It takes planning and work...and oh, being creative!
Why post a book link when you can post a book trailer video? Why only have print when you can also have audio? People are busy these days. Make it easy for them to like you!
When you submit your book to bloggers and readers, are you sending them a link or simple Word doc? Why not jazz things up with a flip style media kit that includes video, audio and all of the links on how to find you...and your books? All of your books.
Join an authors' book club AND PARTICIPATE! This is a fantastic way to gain sales and reviews, as well as honest, constructive criticism on how you can become a better and more polished writer. Click here to join a great one at Authors' Cave! Readers are always welcome too! Honest Collaboration is a fantastic tool to have in your tool box!
If you want to become a best seller, you have to get serious! It's time. Book links will never turn you into an Anne Rice (my favorite) or a Stephen King.
Here are samples of the items above. Hopefully, they will inspire you.
Audio book are a great way to gain an audience because the crowd you are competing in is much smaller. Lots of people out there love to read but just don't have the time. They do have to sit in traffic though on their way to work, on their way to pick up their children from school, and they want audio books!
Book Trailer
Please note: The trailer for Tressie: A Spirit Unleashed is still a work in progress so the images and video have not yet been finalized or purchased which is why you see the Shutterstock image.
Book trailers stand out way more than a book link...and they are super fun to create! Bring your story to life. Give some personality to a character and engage a new reader!
Media Kit
Readers want to know something about you before they decide if you are going to be their next favorite author. Give them more! Tell them something about yourself and show them that you care about your own books enough to give them more than a book link! It's time to get serious! What are you going to do for yourself? If you need help, Authors' Cave is here for you. Click here to check out our services for authors! Hopefully, I have made you think! -Ginger p.s. If you enjoyed this post, please click the g+1 button below here or reshare so that others may enjoy it too! Thanks!
Check out this fantastic media kit from Authors' Cave!
This one is for The Haunting of Hunter by Tracie Jules!
Don't send your masterpiece out in an ordinary package! Add some sizzle!
As you have probably learned by now, or will soon, posting book links all over the social media network does very little to sell books. You've got to get the attention of your audience.
Stand out in the crowd!
Millions of authors are posting their book links again and again and again. Self-published authors have worn out the readers on social media, so you have to do something different to gain attention.
Authors' Cave can create a media kit for your book starting at only $150! ($125 for Premium Members) Add a trailer for the low package price of $425! ($350 for Premium Members)
Welcome to the December edition of the Authors' Cave eZine! Lots of stuff to get you motivated for the upcoming year! Are you challenging yourself as a writer?
-Ginger p.s. If you enjoyed this post, please click the g+1 button below or reshare so that others may enjoy it too! Thanks!
Have you considered turning your books into audio books? I recently converted six of my books into audio books using the Amazon acX platform and have to say I am very pleased.
SO HOW DOES IT WORK?
First, you enter your ASIN or ISBN number into their search bar to find your book.
Then, it will bring up their Agreement which basically states that you are the rights holder and want to convert your book into an audio book - in many more words, of course. After you have agreed to their terms, it will load your description from the book's listing on Amazon. Check it carefully, because it doesn't bring in some of the punctuation correctly (ellipses, contractions, etc).
On the same screen, you will enter the Copyright information and the genre of the book. This is also where you will enter information about your preferred narration producer including gender, language, accent, age and style.
Once you have entered this information, you will be able to provide a short description which is also your sales pitch to the producers to hopefully entice them to audition for your book. Make it good! if you have been a best seller, make sure to mention that.
Next, you will enter any script notes to the potential producer. This is where you give them a sense of how your characters should sound, so they have something to work with. If you have an actor in mind that can be helpful, otherwise, they are shooting in the dark a bit. You will then upload your manuscript here in pdf or txt format.
On the next screen, you will enter the word count and territories you have the rights to, as well as how you would like to pay for the production. You have the option to pay the producer up front or let them share in the royalties. The chart below outlines the various options and the royalty rate you will receive.
Additionally, they have a Bounty program where you can earn $50. ACX pays Rights Holder and Producer $50 every time the audiobook is the first audiobook purchased by an AudibleListener™ member on Audible. The $50 payment is split 50-50 between Rights Holder and Producer, amounting to $25 each.
Once you have entered this information, it will bring up your listing to review one final time before posting.
Now, all that is left, is waiting for producers to audition. They will submit a short audition reading and you will be notified via email when someone has submitted an audition. When you receive the one that you like, you select them and the process begins!
They will submit a 15 minute sample and this is when you want to be careful to make any notes back to them on things you would like to change. Once the 15 minute sample is approved, they will start producing each chapter and uploading those for your review.
It probably will take a bit of tweaking because quite frankly, they aren't inside your head. It takes some teamwork to get the narration right.
Once you have approved all of the chapters and a short excerpt for potential buyers to listen to, acx will review the files to make sure everything is correct. Once they approve the production files, they will make the book live which usually takes 10-15 days. They will also send you 25 codes for free downloads that you can provide to readers.
Here are my two books if you would like to listen to the samples.
Hope this is helpful to you! Let me know if you would like to receive a code for a free download. I still have some left and would be happy to provide them in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks!
-Ginger
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Brief synopsis: When we first meet Leia York, she is depressed and alone, mourning the loss of her mother to cancer. She's never had a real relationship and has no shoulder to cry on. Fortunately, she receives an invitation from a former professor to come to the Amazon and assist him with gathering and studying various plants that may have medicinal purposes. With nothing to lose, Leia sets off on the adventure of her life. After a long journey deep into the Amazon, she finally reaches the Matis village. At first, she is awkwardly shy about the native dress (strings of beads only) and I had to laugh when she first sees her professor, James, completely naked along with the rest of the Matis tribe. One of the first people in the tribe she meets is Tanun because she falls unconscious at his feet. If she had only know the foreshadowing... It doesn't take long for Leia to forget about the high-pressure rat race she came from and she settles in to the Matis tribe, learning there ways and also learning to love them. One, far more than others... unfortunately, Matis must keep their bloodlines poor and a girl with green eyes from Chicago will never suit the tribe.
Characters: The author did a beautiful job creating characters that are believable and interesting. I absolutely fell in love with Tanun and the rest of his tribe for their sheer simplicity and how happy they were in their lives. They care for each other as a village, not as the "Smith and Jones who has the nicest house and car" syndrome. What I would give to live like them! Tanun is gorgeous and primitive, but smart and a healer and he falls for Leia every bit as much as she falls for him. If he would have only told her his secret from the beginning! Leia is so fun to grow with as the story moves along from her embarrassment of being naked all the time to a point where she actually participates in their painful rituals in order to fit in and try to become one of them - all out of love. I thought the author also did a great job with the dialogue because obviously, they didn't speak the same language, but it had great flow and never became distracting.
Originality: This one gets 5 stars for originality for sure. The story was so much more than a romance novel. It intertwined the serious and very real situation the natives in the Amazon are facing and hopefully brings to attention their need for help. You can't help but want to go there and help these people to continue their beautiful way of life. The author says at one point that it is like traveling back in time and that is true. Would we destroy our Indians in America now if we had the chance to do it over?
Recommendations:This one has to go with barbecued tapir, one of Leia's favorite dishes from the Amazon. Sorry, but it can't very well go with fine wine and a steak now can it? I highly recommend this story not only to romance readers, but to anyone who loves rich history, stories with a strong purpose, being lost in a lush tropical rain forest or simply getting away from the rat race.
-Ginger
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1. Include a picture or video of yourself in a Halloween costume! Here is Gemma Farrow in a Voodoo Skull!
2. What is your favorite scary movie? Pumpkin Head
3. What scene from a book or movie scared you more than any other? A scene from The Ring (remake 2002), when the dead girl, Samara, crawls out the TV screen.
4. If all of Stephen King's bad guys were after each other, who would win and why? I would have to say Randall Flag also referred to as R.F. I choose him because he has appeared in a number of King's books, including a starring role in The Stand; he isn't always a main antagonist, but the fact he's a continuous presence reflects his enduring personality and capabilities. His powers include necromancy, prophecy and he can influence both human and animal behaviour. He seeks the destruction of civilisations. Therefore the most likely to win out of all of King's bad guys.
6. Provide an elevator pitch for one of your books!Thomas's girlfriend is bitten by a vampire and needs to be buried to complete the change. Will he support her or turn against her? Both choices demand a high price, but which is he willing to pay?
WHOA! If you are just starting the Halloween Train Story, click here to go to Train Car #1 for the beginning - this is the ending!
...And the Ending!
I know my body is sedated on a hard bed, in a white room that has become more dominate upon my awareness than my long ago old life. I know I have lived a life before that, if Lord Hampshire is anything to go by, and maybe more lives preceding him. In the past week that has passed since waking to darkness with strange sensations upon me, my face invaded by something unknown and overwhelming, I have learned much about myself, and more about a future I never imagined in my past life as a woman who helped in the large kitchen of a convent. Yes, old memories have returned (though they are fractured, missing parts I yearn to know), sometimes with an intensity that is overpowering in their nostalgia. I remember my sister, Mary; her fragile smile. I remember Carson’s cruelty. I remember grief . . . and rage. I know these doctors with their strange new titles, such as psychologist, have placed medication in me, something like laudanum but so much stronger that my body (this new body) shows no consciousness. It sleeps as if for forever. And for a while, the real me; the soul these doctors brought back from the place where spirits belong, seemed to sleep too. I was grateful. There was no longer the sense of being pinned in an unknown world, captured inside a body that wasn't mine, and most terrible of all, being so with the monster who murdered my sister. Lord Hampshire, I think I can bear. But Carson . . . Then my spirit awoke, while my body remained passive. More strangeness, this inability to move at all, but yet within I am fluid, able to think and consider and suffer the nagging sense that I should be expecting something. These people put me to sleep for a reason. They did so because I could not deal with the spiritual conflict, not just the fight between Carson Barlow and Lord Hampshire, but the emotions I felt towards Carson Barlow. My hatred was untethering me, just as much as the two combating men were undoing my spiritual . . . core? It’s strange, the new words I am capable of attaining. I was a humble, hard-working woman. My intelligence as expected for a woman of my past time. Now, as I consider what it is I should be preparing for, I realize my intelligence is beyond anything I have known. I suspect it might even overshadow the good doctors. I scream. My spirit screams. Though my body does not move, I clench spiritually, hands, stomach; my toes curl as pain lances through me. Then heat follows. Then a cold that is reminiscent of the grave. We’ll start the extraction in one hour . . . As the pain passes it leaves me with this unsettling phrase. I focus on the word extraction. I think of rotten teeth being pulled. My old doctor, when he dealt with my abscess ruined tooth, had used such a word. Panic flutters to life. Another flare of pain, this time seeming to tug my spirit inward, as if encouraging a collapse. No, no, no . . . Extraction. Rot. Carson Barlow. They, the doctors, are trying to remove him from my body. A part of me exalts, but another part that which is fixated on the pain, is hit with terror. They are prising Carson, like one would a leach, from me, and in doing so my spirit is being pulled with him. And Lord Hampshire? No sense of him. No sense of Carson Barlow. Just this terrible pressure, the tugging, the cold and the fear. I root in, holding fast to the sense of me. My body, imagining it as it lies still and silent. I picture the white room. The doctors. Dimly, as if he is trying to distract me, hoping to redirect my attention to the vortex pull of disconnection, Carson Barlow starts to heckle. He abuses both me and the doctors. “No. Bitches. No. I’ll kill every one . . . of you. I . . . will—” I smile grimly as he screams. “You will have no body, Carson. No life. As you took my . . . sister’s life and stole her future, now the future takes . . . yours.” I laugh. I groan as the inexorable tug forces me to weaken my hold on myself. No. Doctor, she’s showing signs of stress . . That’s to be expected. Increase the pressure. “Miss Wade? Miss Wade? You must hold on. If you fail now, we will both die.” Lord Hampshire’s voice is like fuel to my lagging spirit. I imagine digging my feet into the ground, the way a person being pulled from behind will do to resist complying. I imagine holding onto a solid, immovable surface. And most of all I imagine Carson Barlow as a weak, dissolving irritant. I visualize him snapping free like a twig beneath a great storm. He screeches, the sensation of nails claw my psyche. I moan, begging the discomfort to be over . . . Dizziness washes in. The last thing I hear is Lord Hampshire’s voice, “We’re rid of the animal.” Mary smiles at me. Then she says, “Live well, Virginia. Live well.”
I wake with a start. I stare at the ceiling. It’s white. I am grateful for that whiteness because at least it isn't darkness. “Finally, you’re awake. You don’t know how pleased I am. You’re a strong soul, Miss Wade. Truly. How do you feel?” Dr Moore says. She sits by my bed, brown eyes taking in everything my face offers. “I feel exhausted. Am I well?” “You’re more than well. You are unique. And this success is as much down to you as it is to this institute’s research.” She leans forward, holding that odd contraption she calls
a . . . clipboard. Writing notes. Dr Moore always writing notes. “Can I ask you something?” And asking questions. I sigh, the good feeling I felt during my dream of my sister, fading a little. “Yes.” “Is there any awareness of the negative personality?” “No. Nothing. I felt him break free.” She nods. “What about other personalities? Our procedure was focused to his astral wavelength but as with any new trial, you were equally at risk. At the end of the day, energy is energy, and the extraction process targets energy. But, hopefully, the other consciousness present—” she checked her clipboard “—Lord Hampshire may have been . . . evicted too?” I was about to tell her what I’d experienced in the final moments of the extraction; Lord Hampshire’s supportive urging and declaration that Carson Barlow was done with, when he said in urgency: “Miss Wade, refrain from telling her those details. It would be best if we kept something back, do you not think? We are still at a great disadvantage, and in a strange time. As much as I detest being imprisoned in a female’s body, (and we, too, have our own relationship to contend with), you and I are for all intents and purposes unexpected allies—” “Miss Wade? Is Lord Hampshire still present?” Dr Moore’s eyes are filled with a look that though brief, stirs coldness in me. I give myself a little shake. I smile. “No. I believe he is gone, too.” I nod to reaffirm. “There is only me, Dr Moore.” She smiles. “Wonderful.” She claps her hands together. “There is so much you will come to understand, to experience. Miss Wade you are our prize.” “We are her prisoner, Miss Wade.” Lord Hampshire says. “It is a very unhappy situation for someone of my standing to be imprisoned by not one, but two females.” Lord Hampshire, I say mentally, we, too, will play this new game. We will learn all that we can, and then we will make our escape. And then? He replies, dubious. And then we will live well, because despite everything, we have been given life. And life is to be lived. Dr Moore continues to hold a satisfied smile. I smile in return, thinking that I have learned much, and can learn more. And the one important thing I have gained, as much as I hate to acknowledge it, is from Carson Barlow. He might have left, but there remains the memory of him, the shadow of his thoughts. I have put them inside a mental box. I feel that this new world may be more challenging than my old one. And what minds like Carson Barlow’s can give, I need to keep. And Lord Hampshire senses this change in me, because he does not contend me any further.
The End
-Ginger
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