Some of my blogger/author friends may have noticed I've been MIA for some
time. Well not entirely...but missing more than around. It's my grandma and
then some. My dear grandma that I love very much was diagnosed with
Mesothelioma two years ago. Yep years ago, many, many years ago, she smoked one
of the cigarette brands that had asbestos in their filters. She is now in
hospice and I am cherishing my time with her.
My grandmother is a wonderful woman. I love spending time with my
grandparents and it is heartbreaking watching my grandma deteriorate before me.
To make matters worse my cousin died unexpectedly earlier in the week.
I loved my cousin and the loss of him is hard. For those of you who know me
well, you’ll know that I am a firm believer of the paranormal. I am a dedicated
Ghost Hunters & Ghost Adventures fan (I blogged about them in the A to Z
challenge even).
I instill religion in my life( I am after all LDS (Mormon)- yes I even have
profile with the LDS church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints)
stating “
I’m a Mormon") and became that ghost believer through my experiences with my uncle. He
passed away twenty four years ago and is the father of my recently passed away
cousin :0(
A few years after his passing, my mother wasn’t sure if some unusual things
going on were because of my uncle checking in to say hello. You know lights, TV
turning off, noises…So she said a loud to him one morning “leave me a dime
every time you visit, so I know you were here and it was you. Well guess what?
He did.
Every time my uncle dropped in for visit, a dime would be found. Dimes do
not show up so easily as pennies and quarters do, this is why she chose that
coin. Where the dimes are found and how are proof there is no mere coincidence
to them.
I have a tootsie roll cardboard piggy bank that now holds all the dimes my
uncle has lef my family.
Four years ago, when my son was born, he came very premature (my placenta
tore). Sixteen weeks premature.
I was very anemic and chewing even tired
me out. I was also in pain and worried about my little guy. A dime was found between my covers, between my legs ( a respectable
place) while I was lying in the hospital bed. No purses or change were ever
near me . I was very tired and hurting after a visit from my kids and was mustering the last of my strength to go visit my son for a few minutes before time for bed) I found the dime as I pulled the top cover aside . Lying on the sheet between my legs was the dime.
When my son came home, life was hard. Hard feedings, oxygen, very bad reflux and just unhappy baby. Dimes were found in my son’s bed and near him (empty and found upon rolling the blanket back to lay him down- not when baby was in bed, he was a daddy once.)
I found them in my bed, a dresser drawer, in the washer (just the dime, no other change) on the floor when I just
walked before and wasn’t there. Many places.
Another time returning back, walking along my path I had just taken, lost in
deep thought about a big decision in my life, I found a dime waiting for me. Two
years ago, doubting if I should be writing, I open my laptop and what do I
find; A dime. Did I mention every time the dime is always heads up.
I can go through dry spells finding nothing and then once in a while, one
will show up. It seems when things are rough (health or emotional) the dimes
appear. I believe this is my uncle letting me know he cares and I am not alone.
My ghost story is a very dear one to me. It’s not scary and won’t give
you a fright, but it does touch the heart and just might make you a believer. I love my uncle very much and my cousin. I love my grandma dearly too.
The point of this share is being a believer of the spirits, I also believe
in divine intervention and inspiration.
Just six days ago, I came home and an idea clicked into my mind about a
story. I had just recently finished writing The Other Vampire.- the sequel to
my One of Them and wasn’t planning on writing anymore stories for at least a
month. I had editing to look foward to. The Battle- the fourth book to my Anna Kippling Series was supposed to
come next.
Well, so I thought. I go with this idea and sit down at my computer. I start
typing and in four days produce 20,000 words(not typing every hour, spurts, really spurts!) This is a feat, at least for me.
My longest book to date is shy of 48,000 words. Today I am shy of 29,000 words
on this book. I have a title and I think this is an amazing story. It just
poured out of me and won’t stop. I am nearing completion. I am guessing it will
end at my average: fewer than 50,000 words. I guess that’s just how I write :0)
So… this story is of course a ghost story. It’s also a mystery/sleuthing
kind of one as well. I loved Nancy Drew and other mystery novels. Writing one,
I never thought I could. I also write in third person, I felt comfortable with
that. Never thought I would write in first. Well, I am with this book. Very
interesting….
As I am steadily nearing completion
of this book, I am now realizing a series is in the making. I have my title and
now a book cover (I am going to show it too you!).
I have also incorporated the special tokens
that my uncle leaves me and my cousin’s name is a character. I started this
book before my cousin died. In fact just a few days before.
I do not know why this story came to my thoughts or why I felt inspired to
incorporate the dimes into it, but it did. The name Freddie (my cousin’s) just somehow
worked in there too beforehand. As a writer/author our
characters are us; sometimes tiny bits and sometimes the spitting image. They
have our personalities and our imperfections. They have a touch of the person
we wouldn’t want to be or the person we would.
In turn, we leave ourselves vulnerable to our readers. You are in essence peeling us
in layers down to our tender core. My main character is Rebecca Daniels and I
can honestly say Rebecca is me. Her thought process, her demeanor and her
spirit are a mimic of my characteristics. It will be a few months before Stalking Claire
Stevens is published in the Kindle Store via Amazon, but I just had to share it
with you now. I had to share my thoughts as they are so very random…
Think of as many nasty labels for a human being you can
think of in one second and then double it, no triple it. After that form it
like clay, chisel it out like marble until perfection is formed and then call
it Claire Stevens.
I was murdered and Claire Stevens had something to do with it.
All I need to do is prove it now. Easier said than done being that I'm dead.
This is why I am stalking Claire Stevens...
I shall of course dedicate this book to my uncle and my cousin.
Thank you for dropping by and reading this,
