Mystery Series & YA Book Sale
eBook Sale for Limited Time
Time to stock up for that summer reading. Click on the book to buy.
Taylor Browning Cozy Mystery Series
Mystery editor Taylor Browning just can’t stay in the publishing office. But sleuthing on the side can be fatal. Cranky authors, explosive bosses and quirky co-workers mix it up with murder. $.99 cents
Rachel Blackstone Paranormal Mystery Series
Rachel Blackstone was a reporter in Santa Fe, until she tried to return the dead. Now she has powers she doesn’t want. Her life is increasingly challenging with spirits, shamans and spirit animals. $1.99 each
For the Young Adult and the young at heart.
“… caught between being declared an adult & not quite allowed to be a child, Collins grabbed that young voice and ran with it for an impressive winning read, perfect for any age!” Teen Lit, Loss, Being a Teen. $.99 cents
Change is all around as Molly begins a new job at a stable. She dreams of riding in the Olympics. Trauma engulfs her family and she begins to doubt her courage. Given what happens next she will need it. Teen Lit, Being a Teen, Equestrian Fiction. $.99 cents
If you enjoy your read, please consider writing a short review on Amazon or Goodreads. Thank you!
Cozy Mystery “Dead Editor File” in Paperback
Book Publishing is Murder!
Click on the book to buy.
Taylor Browning is the mystery editor at Endicott Publishing when the CEO is found dead in his locked office. Everyone is under suspicion, secrets are revealed and Taylor does a little snooping. Things go from bad to worse. If you’ve ever wondered what goes on at a publishing house, this is the inside scoop. One thing is certain; Taylor can’t edit her way out of real murder.
Paranormal Investigation
Paranormal Investigation: Come Along, If You Dare
by G G Collins Copyright 2019
To protect the anonymity of the investigators and their group, names have been omitted.
The theatre is in total darkness as six people grope their way through the former playhouse. Abandoned instruments stand quietly on stage as if waiting for ghostly musicians. The five members of this paranormal investigative team and this reporter carry flashlights, cameras and a variety of measuring tools to check everything from temperature to electromagnetic fields. It will be a long night. Paranormal investigations begin around 9PM and usually end in the wee hours of the morning. The hours between midnight and 3AM are the most active so an infrared camcorder must be in place to catch energies which may appear as orbs or mists of light. One investigator watches the monitor in the outer lobby as the camera rolls.
Camaraderie is abundant and I was given unlimited access to the investigation which became quite exciting as camera flashes began to strobe the thick gloom. Shouts of “I’m in” and “I’m out” indicate that a participant is taking shots. Any sounds made from a stumble or impact with furniture is acknowledged so it may be culled from the data later on.
It has been reported that a director of a play, back in the theatre’s prime, died during a performance. Will his spirit honor us with his presence? All souls are welcome tonight. We patrol the theatre from back to front, over the stage, and behind the curtains looking for cold spots and other indications that energy, physical or metaphysical, exists. At times the EMF meters (including mine) screech like Geiger counters over radioactive matter. Then the deliberation: Is it electronic equipment, plumbing or a water source far beneath the building? If all those things can be ruled out, then things get real interesting. But, we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
Bump in the Night
It begins when something goes bump in the night. We’ve all experienced an unexplained noise or odor that we generally dismiss as nothing. Although it’s very unusual to see a true apparition, reports of sightings continue. If mysterious things create conditions in homes or offices that interfere with normal daily living it may be time to call a paranormal investigation team.
The founder of the team had her first brush with the paranormal when she was taking Polaroid photos where she worked.
“I got an apparition on film. I said, ‘Oh my, I think I’ve got a ghost.’”
That wasn’t the only strange thing to happen that day. When she loaded a new cartridge all the pictures came flying out. They were blood red. Polaroid’s usually come out grey.
It turns out a woman had been murdered at her place of employment and with that in mind she went to the internet for information. She found the woman’s photo in the obits. The murder victim had long hair and was wearing a striped shirt just as the apparition appeared in her own photo.
As if this wasn’t enough, doors slammed spontaneously and her business cards would disappear. She found them stuck between the pages of her calendar.
“I thought my crew was playing a trick on me.” They weren’t.
By then, she had more than a casual interest and reached out to others involved in investigating the paranormal. She joined a ghost club in another city because at that time there wasn’t a group where she lived.
“I was with them for a year and they said I needed to start my own team—and (my city) needed a team.”
The new team became a reality within a few months. Other members include a historian with a master’s degree in history, doctorate level work in history and anthropology. Other members have varied backgrounds including one with a master’s degree in psychology.
Tools of the Trade
When the team goes into a structure to investigate what might be paranormal phenomena it is done with permission of the owner and an arsenal of equipment: recorders, electromagnetic field detectors or EMFs, infrared night shot camcorders, temperature meters to check for cold and hot spots, 35 mm digital cameras—and open minds.
First, a baseline of conditions such as temperature, humidity and moon phase are recorded. Later, readings repeated for verification. Cameras are set up at different locations for correlation. If one camera catches something that the others did not, it’s significant.
Photos reveal paranormal energy in different ways: Orbs or “glowies,” mists and vortices that appear as a white line through a photo. Once readings are completed it is time for the sit-down. The team remains quiet during that period and allows the equipment to do its job.
“If there’s an underground water source and the EMF meter is going off, it doesn’t necessarily mean there is a ghost present. We look for any man-made sources first and any explanation we can find because we don’t want to harm the credibility of our group. We don’t want to fake it.”
Extensive interviews are done with clients prior to scheduling an investigation to learn as much about the history of the location as possible. That way, conclusions are reached with as many facts as possible.
Investigations take place in the overnight hours because that is when the activity is most likely to occur.
“There are lots of theories on why that is,” the founder says. “It could be the dew. Water is a conductor of energy. It could be the moon phase. It’s not real conclusive at this point.”
Light interferes with the process so all lighting is switched off. It’s easier to conduct testing at night because there is less evidence contamination with the outside world.
Invisible Friend?
The leader of the team is psychic and thus she becomes another tool in determining authenticity of possible paranormal incidents.
“Animals and children are very sensitive, so when your child walks up to you and says, ‘I’m going to go play with the little boy in my room’ and things of that nature you should pay attention.” Visual and auditory manifestations are very rare. Odors are the most common type of haunting. “That’s why it’s helpful to have someone who is clairvoyant.”
Unfriendly Ghost
It was in an abandoned, and creepy, hospital in another state an investigation became frightening. An entity is present in that building and likely evil.
“He gives off feelings of nausea, dizziness, and fear. If he preys on you, you know it. On the second night (of the investigation) we went into a lab area where we felt very strong energy. We set our recorder down and said, ‘Is anybody here who would like to join us? We’re open to that.’” Asking permission is one of the proprieties of this team. It’s respectful.
The two team members were using an external mic. It is helpful in that it doesn’t reproduce grinding noises from the recorder motor.
“It sounded like somebody sat down on the microphone. Everything on the tape from there is mush. It’s all muffled. We sat there a few minutes. We could feel something was there with us.”
They asked: ‘Would you like to talk with us?”
After a few more seconds they sensed it was time to leave. They bolted, leaving the recorder behind.
During an investigation in a structure that used to be an orphanage they felt the presence of some children and a female.
“We did get an EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena) of a woman singing. We kept hearing noises in the next room. We’d go into that room and investigate and there would be a noise in the next room. It kept avoiding us. We picked up a voice on our recorder saying, ‘I don’t care!’ It was none of us.” Voices of men arguing were also taped.
The team uses a computer program that filters out white noise and static. A clearer, more definitive tape is the result. The program also allows members to measure and profile their own voices so they can be identified.
During an investigation in another theatre things got far spookier. An opera singer reportedly haunts the building. Footsteps and other noises have been reported as have moving objects. It has been recounted that atrocities were conducted in the basement during a riot.
Who You Gonna Call?
What should the average person do if they fear a haunting? First, try to rule out a man-made cause. If you can’t, don’t go any further on your own. It’s not recommended that you try Ouija boards or séances as these could make the situation worse.
When looking for an investigative team, pick one that doesn’t sensationalize their findings or anger the entities in your home if you have them. Check for a professional association who specializes in paranormal research.The serious paranormal investigation teams have bylaws and regulations they follow.
“We have very strict protocol to make sure all our data is clean and we collect it in a controlled environment,” the founder says. “You have to wear your camera strap or take it off. All long hair has to be pulled back in a ponytail so hair doesn’t get in front of the camera and look anomalous. No reflective jewelry is allowed. No perfume or cologne. No smoking.”
These steps help avoid contamination of the site. Personal property is respected and the team leaves nothing but footprints much like the hiker’s motto.
Skepticism is a good thing
“We have skeptics in our group. There’s a good quote: ‘To believers no proof is necessary, to the hard-core skeptics you can’t get enough proof.’ We’re skeptics. We’ve thrown out a lot of data that is probably paranormal in nature because we couldn’t correlate.”
Did we find any evidence of paranormal activity during our investigation of the theatre? At least one photo produced an orb of blue light—blue orbs are said to be angels. The team determined that the theatre contained minor energies as a result of residual energy.
“These are event ‘imprints’ that happen over and over,” she explains.
The data collected at the theatre is being evaluated. As for the director? There’s nothing to indicate he materialized this particular evening. Maybe he didn’t care for the billing.
♦ ♦ ♦
For my post on Santa Fe Ghost Stories click here: https://reluctantmediumatlarge.wordpress.com/?s=Santa+Fe+Ghost+Stories
Glossary of Ghostly Terms
Anomaly: A deviation from normal.
Apparition: The manifestation of a spirit which can be seen in human form or in blobs or streaks of light.
EMF: Electromagnetic Field. Readings used to determine paranormal activity.
EVP: Electronic Voice Phenomena. Captures voices on tape when no obvious source can be found.
Earthbound: A spirit unable to leave the physical world. Filmmaker M Night Shyamalan explored this in The Sixth Sense.
Encounter: There are three kinds: intelligent and formerly human; residual energy left over from the past; and malevolent.
Ghoul: A demon who enjoys a meal of human flesh.
Ghost Hunt: Investigation of a reported haunting using earthly technology to record any paranormal occurrences.
Haunting: A manifestation of unexplainable phenomena.
Orb: Seen as blotches of light in photos. This energy form is frequently dismissed.
Paranormal: The unexplained.
Poltergeist: A mischievous and sometimes malevolent spirit.
Spirit: Ghost of a deceased human.
Spirit Guide: A protective spirit who is with each person since birth.
Book Review: “Shadow King” by Susan K. Hamilton
There’s More Than One Underworld in Boston
By G G Collins ( copyright 2019)
More than 600 years after the Desolation, a spell that destroyed the Faerie realm, the faerie race has established an uneasy coexistence with humans in contemporary Boston.
Although not all humans have acclimated to the new normal, Aohdan Collins has adjusted quite well and has built a criminal underground empire. He’s likely a one-percenter, but tells the local detective snooping at his heels that he owns the Asmodeus Ink tattoo shop. He also owns a club, Underworld, that’s good for both business and for flirtations when he’s in the mood.
Seireadan Moore, a Fae with Sight, can sometimes portend the future. She works part-time at the metaphysical shop Sacred Circle. While she doesn’t need the money because her web business is quite successful, she enjoys meeting customers as her own business can be lonely. She is also on a mission to find the Fae who killed her parents when she was a child. His words “kill them all” still reverberates in her memory.
Of course, these two are destined to meet and they do at Underworld, but Seireadan is reluctant to begin a relationship with Aohdan. But she does so with passion and great peril. He is a powerful Fae and takes no prisoners. Aohdan doesn’t know that Seireadan can give as well as she gets or that her Sight might save him.
Hamilton does a cohesive job of writing about the integration of the two cultures. Her characters are believable and inhabit their roles fully. The reader is drawn into this double underworld of crime and Fae because Hamilton allows you to dwell in this dark fantasy until you stop turning pages.
She’s an exciting new writer to watch—and read.
Note: Adult Content
World Building in Fiction Writing
Builder of Worlds
By G G Collins (Copyright 2019)
I never expected to be a builder of worlds and yet I’ve written two books where I needed to do just that.
Time travel is always tricky, but it’s also fun. In Lemurian Medium I sent protagonist Rachel Blackstone back in time via astral travel to the mythical continent of Lemuria. I began reading about the continent that reportedly sunk into the ocean when a cataclysmic series of earthquakes and volcanoes broke up the island country and the sea claimed it.
When you ask people to buy into a paranormal or fantasy story line, it’s important to include as much fact as possible, to lend integrity to the story. I began reading the works of Colonel James Churchward, who called Lemuria by another name; Mu. He studied monastery sources in India while serving in the British army.
After getting a basic idea of Churchward’s theories I read Frank Joseph’s book The Lost Civilization of Lemuria: The Rise and Fall of the World’s Oldest Culture. There are many creation stories and Lemuria is one for that part of the world. There is a museum in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan called the Mu Museum and is a tribute to the Motherland. In the Hawaiian Ethnic Art Museum in Oahu there are carvings that seem to verify the existence of a golden race who survived the onrush of the sea.
Click Read Review
Reputed to contain the history of the ancients.
To make the city realistic I researched the Romans from their garments to their communal toilets. In addition I read Shirley MacLaine’s dreams of Lemuria as she related them in her excellent book The Camino: A Journey of the Spirit. Her description of the Lemurians—some golden, some violet, and hermaphroditic—let imagination work on that. For homes, I went with crystal construction with private areas being opaque. Rachel was surprised to learn she could communicate either from her mind or with the use of Lemurian seed crystals and crystal balls.
I needed a villain in spirit and chose Quetzalcoatl, a Mayan god who liked to dine on humans. It is thought that Lemurians who survived the end of their homeland took to the vast sea and made their way to what is known today as Central American and to the southwestern part of the US.
When my research was complete I was no longer certain that Lemuria was a myth. I hope readers of the book can entertain that possibility as well.
UK Amazon CountdownDeal Cozy Mystery
Book Publishing is Murder!
Meet Taylor Browning, Mystery Editor at a Santa Fe, New Mexico book publisher.
8 AM GMT Friday to 8 AM GMT Monday. $.99 Cents for 72 hours. UK only.
Available at AmazonUK. Click on the book.
If only Taylor would stay in her office and edit manuscripts, but no, she can’t resist snooping. Amateur sleuthing, as she knows from reading mysteries, can be dangerous. But that doesn’t stop her.
In Dead Editor File, the first in this new cozy series, the CEO of the book publisher is found dead in his locked office. The staff, while shocked doesn’t seem to be grieving. His ex-wife is positively beaming. Their blockbuster writer wants business as usual. Taylor is new to the book publisher and doesn’t know how to feel.
Soon the police determine it was murder and everyone is suspect, including Taylor. Only her Abyssinian cat, Oscar, is above suspicion. But he has issues at home, especially when a meal isn’t served on time.
Discover why book publishing is murder!
4.8 Overall Rating on Amazon
4.59 Overall Rating on Goodreads
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B075MQVY1H
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Countdown Deal This Weekend
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Cozy Mystery Dead Editor File only #99cents through Sunday February 3, 2019.
Find out why Book Publishing is Murder!
Book Review: Without Notice by G G Collins
New Review of YA novel “Without Notice”
“G.G. Collins grabbed that young voice and ran with it for an impressive, winning read, perfect for any age!”
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To buy, click on the cover.
Review by Dianne of Tome Tender.
***** At thirteen, Courtney has faced the death of her mother, moving across the country with her father and sisters and now a true reality kick in the heart, her father has a girlfriend, who may be more than just a friend. Out of sorts, out of her element and wanting to be able to talk to her mother, she is caught up in a tsunami of guilt, fear, insecurity and betrayal. How could her father find someone to replace her mother so soon, if ever? Determined NOT to like Silky, Courtney will discover that when she needs a mother figure the most, an unlikely ally comes to her rescue like a mama bear protecting her cubs.
WITHOUT NOTICE by G.G. Collins was a most fabulous surprise! She takes us into the heart and mind of a teen in pain and clearly not equipped to deal with everything life has been throwing at her. The emotional maturity of a young teen is so fragile, caught between being declared an adult and not quite allowed to be a child, and G.G. Collins grabbed that young voice and ran with it for an impressive, winning read, perfect for any age!
Highly recommended for teens, who will understand and adults who forget what it was like to be so young and vulnerable!
Publisher: Chamisa Canyon Publishing (April 15, 2018)
Publication Date: April 15, 2018
Genre: YA Fiction | Coming of Age
Print Length: 87 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
My thanks to Dianne for her review.
Two Free Amazon Promotions This Weekend (11/30 – 12/2/2018)
Cozy Mystery & YA Novel Free Promotion
Both Seasonal Reads.
Mystery Cozy: Mystery editor Taylor Browning is dispatched to Arizona from her Santa Fe publishing office to take possession of their next best-selling manuscript. When she arrives in Sedona the author is uncooperative, the locals have strange pursuits and a killer has surfaced. Can she escape with the manuscript and be home for Christmas? It doesn’t look too promising. Once again proving that book publishing is murder!
5 Stars: “Love the characters, love the settings, love the plot! Book 2 left me ready for book 3. This is one of my favorite series.” — Amazon Customer
Teen/YA: What kind of Christmas gift do you buy for your dad’s new girlfriend? Especially when you don’t like her. Courtney’s dad moved the family to a new city after her mother died. In Santa Fe, all the houses are brown and she doesn’t know anyone. But a new friend next door introduces her to hot air balloons–and criminal mischief. Dad’s not in town. Will the girlfriend help her?
Click on the book to go straight to the Amazon product page.
Would love some reviews on these new books. Thank you for participating. Happy Holidays!
G G Collins