Story Reading Ape Book Character Interview
Taylor Browning Talks to the Story Reading Ape
Check out one of the newest cozy mystery characters, mystery editor Taylor Browning. My thanks to Chris at the Story Reading Ape.
Click on the link below to read the interview.
Book Publishing is Murder! – As Told to G G Collins…
Available at Amazon. Click on the book.
Taylor is the new mystery editor at a publishing company in Santa Fe, NM. She’s learning the ropes of her job when the CEO is discovered dead in his locked office. When murder becomes apparent, the staff, the ex-wife and business associates come under suspicion; everyone but Oscar, Taylor’s Abyssinian cat.
Available at Amazon. Click on the book.
Taylor finds herself in Sedona, AZ. Her mission? Convince a recalcitrant author her book publisher does need a copy of her manuscript in order to publish it. Taylor is fascinated with the Red Rock Country and the New Age culture. Just one problem; trouble followed. Taylor finds herself alone and vulnerable on a cliff.
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And see why book publishing is murder!
New Cozy Mystery: Looking Glass Editor
Taylor Browning Cozy Mystery: Book 2
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Click on the Book Cover to Purchase at Amazon.
While rescuing a kitten, mystery editor Taylor Browning witnesses a murder. Only she doesn’t know it, but the murderer sees her. A dangerous game of cat and mouse commences in this second outing for the Taylor Browning Cozy Mysteries series. And no, Oscar, Taylor’s Abyssinian cat is not amused by the new baby in his kingdom.
At the Santa Fe book publishing house, things aren’t much better. A new metaphysical mystery writer, Crystal Visions, is exhibiting symptoms of an uncooperative nature. Taylor is sent to Sedona to encourage the author to fulfill her book contract. Once there, she is spellbound by the New Age community and its magical vortexes.
Detective Victor Sanchez is relieved Taylor left New Mexico. He believes she will be safer in Arizona while he works to solve the murder. Her amateur sleuthing had already led her right into a gruesome discovery. In the small town of Sedona, Taylor receives a disturbing note and realizes the killer followed her. The detective travels to Arizona to protect her, but has to leave his gun at home.
While Taylor explores one of the vortexes in Arizona’s beautiful Red Rock Country, she becomes aware she is no longer alone. By the time Victor arrives on the scene, Taylor is fighting for her life along the treacherous cliffs in the suspenseful conclusion.
Where Did the Idea Come From?
Before walking a reporter’s beat, I worked at a book publisher. Publishing is composed of exhausting details related to editing, bluelines, cover art, print runs and writing copy. The glamour is occasionally broken by an author who slams out of the office because it’s taking so long to publish the baby. And oh yeah, it’s not a baby to a publisher, but a product to be sold. And the hope is, it will make money.
I’ve taken these experiences, added cat companions and quirky staff to populate the Pinon Publishing office in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In this, the second outing for Taylor Browning, I threw in some travel to Sedona’s Red Rocks Country. And then, there’s the killer!
For more on publishing: https://reluctantmediumatlarge.wordpress.com/?s=We+say+we+want+a+revolution
#GhostStory Short by G G Collins
When Things Go Bump in Daylight
by G G Collins (Copyright 2018) 
Based on a true story. There are so many things we don’t understand and can’t explain.
Rachel’s eyes were puffy; her face carried red splotches. Last night’s news that her friend had died was difficult to understand in someone so young. Although expected, the finality of it was awful. When she heard Tanya’s husband’s voice she braced for the worst. Tanya was gone.
Now, alone in her bathroom she started as something flew through the air, straight across the room, hit the wall of tile and crashed into her bathtub. She witnessed it all within her peripheral vision.
“What the hell?” Rachel leaned over the tub and saw her small plastic travel clock lying in the tub. Except for the battery cover, it was intact.
“Weird,” she said to an empty room. “That clock has been sitting on that shelf since I moved into this house.” She picked it up, refastened the cover and replaced it on the shelf. It still worked.
“Creepy.” Rachel shook her shoulders to push away the unsettled feeling she had. She examined the clock to be certain it was secure and the shelf itself was level. “Check and check.”
Her thoughts returned to Tanya. Their last visit together was six years ago for lunch and a movie. They had a great time, lots of laughter, sharing their lives. When it came time to part, Tanya said, “I love you and I want you to know that’s forever.” Tanya had always been demonstrative. It was one of her many endearing qualities, but this seemed a bit more than usual. Rachel noticed it, but didn’t ask her why she had added the “forever.”
And then, Tanya vanished.
There were no phone calls, emails, lunch dates. No contact at all. Rachel had been hurt as she tried again and again to reach out to her. Finally, she gave up. Whatever was going on must be bad. It wasn’t like Tanya. It was hard, but Tanya had gone radio silent, apparently for good.
When Thanksgiving rolled around, Rachel sent her an email wishing her a good holiday. The response was from someone else who said he was using the address now and wished her a Happy Thanksgiving. Well, that was it. Nothing more she could do. Yet she refused to remove Tanya’s email address from her computer; the icon of her riding on the bay in dressage competition.
After three long years of questions, she received a telephone call. It was Tanya.
“Are you okay?” Rachel asked not knowing if she felt relieved or exasperated with her friend.
“Yes and no,” was the reply.
“I’m sorry I’ve been out of touch, but I’ve decided to call my friends and tell them what’s going on.”
“What is going on Tanya?” Rachel asked. There was more to this call than catching up.
“I have a form of early-onset dementia,” she said. Rachel caught her breath, her stomach knotted and she went cold all over. While she tried to comprehend the enormity and meaning of the news, Tanya continued. “It’s called frontaltemporal dementia. It’s fairly rare, but somehow it got me.”
Rachel stumbled around trying to find something helpful to say, but was so stunned that she barely got out, “I’m so sorry. Now I understand why you disappeared. You needed time to cope. Is there treatment?” She asked hopefully.
The next few minutes were a blur, but Rachel began to realize what her friend was up against. And that eventually, she would lose Tanya forever.
Rachel stood and looked out the window at her courtyard. In Santa Fe houses were adobe and came in many shades of brown. The wall around her backyard was also brown and enclosed her terrace and herb bed. Here she had met monsters from the paranormal realm and spirit helpers who both protected her and helped in other ways. Now her friend faced a monster of another kind and Rachel couldn’t help her.
Her thoughts raced back to their years of equestrian competition. The two girls met over saddle leather, literally introduced themselves while cleaning tack. They spent hours every day in the practice ring sharpening their riding skills. Tanya was queen of the dressage arena. She and her beautiful bay were hard to beat. Rachel succeeded only once, but she thrived in the cross-country jumping. The no-holds-barred eventing was her domain. Few could outrun her while astride her grey gelding.
“I may retain my memory with this type of dementia,” Tanya continued. “But I’ll likely become someone you and I don’t know, and probably won’t like.” There was sadness in her words, but she was making an effort to stay optimistic as she always did. “It affects the frontal lobe where impulse control is regulated. As it progresses, I may say inappropriate things.”
Tanya was the person Rachel would most like to emulate. She was kind to a fault, careful of other’s feelings and always supportive. And she accepted people the way they came. You were okay just as you were. Rachel envied her family who seemed to exhibit boundless love for each other and everyone. When there was a crisis, they circled the wagons and rode it out.
Rachel’s family wasn’t like that. Her mother died years ago; her father died recently—murdered. Brother Chris had been mayor of Santa Fe until he got involved with a bad crowd and participated in a swindle that almost ended his life. It had landed him in prison.
Her father, also a journalist, left big shoes she sought to fill. They had been close, but there wasn’t much extended family so holidays were not the big affair that Tanya’s family knew.
Two years after her last conversation with Tanya, her husband Gary called with the news. He cried as he told her that Tanya had become difficult, sometimes hateful. It was the disease; her filter was gone. And slowly, Tanya faded away. She and Gary met in high school and were rarely separated. They were forever sweethearts; now separated by death, but no less in love. He tried to be upbeat saying they would be reunited in eternity. Rachel wasn’t religious, but she silently hoped he was right.
After they said a tearful goodbye, Rachel crumbled to the floor and cried. Her tortoiseshell cat Chile Pod rubbed her leg and lifted her face to look at her guardian. Rachel absently stroked her colorful fur and was once again thankful for her company.
She remembered her friend Chloe told her about a transition blessing for the departed. Chloe, a real estate mogul in Santa Fe, lived nearby.
Rachel picked up the phone and called her.
“Tanya died,” she bypassed a greeting.
“Rachel, I’m so sorry. What can I do?”
“Remember when you told me about the transition blessing?”
“Of course. Do you want to do one for Tanya?”
“Yes. Can you come over?”
“I’ll get the crystals and be right over.”
A few minutes later Chloe arrived and enveloped Rachel. “I’m so sorry sweetie.”
“How do we do this?” Rachel asked, afraid she would cry again.
Chloe carefully poured the stones onto her kitchen table from a beautiful crocheted medicine bag. “A gift from our mutual friend Mari-lynn. We have scolecite, lilac kunzite, lapis lazuli and pink tourmaline.
Mari-lynn, Chloe’s contact for legal pot in Colorado, told her about the use of crystals. They were profoundly helpful in solving paranormal disturbances, facilitating time travel and returning spirits to their rightful place. Surely they would work to help her friend’s transition.
Chloe asked for candles and a photo of Tanya. Rachel collected them.
“Let’s go outside,” Chloe said.
The two women sat cross-legged on Rachel’s terrace. It was a lovely evening with another gorgeous New Mexico sunset in progress.
“Okay, you hold the crystals; in both hands.”
Rachel obliged. “Now what?”
“Mari-lynn told me we should concentrate on your friend. I brought a Hopi prayer that we can say.”
Rachel thought back to that evening in her living room when she tried a Hopi ceremony to return the dead. It went badly and a dangerous spirit returned. She hoped this would not end like that. Attempting the ritual marked the beginning of paranormal encounters and the development of her sixth sense. Being an intuitive was something she didn’t want, but it seemed to want her. That same night she met her spirit wolf on a lonely strip of interstate; the dazzling white wolf who alerted her when danger was near. What’s more, she had a wonderful relationship with a Hopi shaman, even after he died. Joseph was there when she needed spiritual guidance.
“Are you sure we should try that? You know what happened the last time.”
“It will be okay. It’s a prayer,” Chloe reassured her.
“Let me have the photo so I can meditate on her.” Chloe held the small framed photo of Tanya with her beloved horse, hair cascading from beneath her riding helmet. “She’s lovely. What beautiful long blonde hair.” She glanced at Rachel who was struggling to hold back tears.
“Let’s read this,” Chloe said.
“I’m not sure I can,” Rachel said. “Too much emotion. Can you read it for me?”
“Of course.” Chloe read the words. They were familiar. She’d heard a similar version before.
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am the thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint in the snow.
I am the sunlight on the ripened grain.
I am the autumn’s gentle rain.
When you awaken in the morning hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush.
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there,
I did not die.
When she was finished, they both wiped at their eyes.
“Would you like to ask her for a sign she has reached her destination?”
“We can do that?” Rachel asked.
“Yes, go ahead, but it’s important to do so within 48 hours of a person’s death while they are still suspended between life and death. So now is the time.”
“Tanya, if you can, please send me a sign you have arrived and are safe?” Rachel croaked on the last word.
“Let’s blow out the candles,” Chloe said. “We have finished the blessing. Mari-lynn told me to warn you, if you receive a sign it will not be a common occurrence, but something quite unusual.”
“Okay,” Rachel said with some trepidation.
After Chloe left, giving her a big hug like Tanya had always done, Rachel cried her private tears and hoped Tanya had found the afterlife she had imagined.
* * *
The following day, she called Chloe from her office at High Desert Country magazine where she was a reporter and editor. While working on an assignment, she happened to think of the bizarre occurrence in her bathroom.
“Chloe, I may have already heard from Tanya and didn’t realize it.”
She went on to tell her about the odd incident she had experienced yesterday.
“At first I thought it was just strange. What do you think?”
“Rachel,” Chloe said. “I believe you’re right. That was your sign. Tanya has already contacted you. Your connection is so strong she reached out to you before you asked.”
“But how could it be?”
“I know your reporter’s intellect is trying to take you in another direction,” Chloe said. “But keep an open mind. This may be what you asked for. Mari-Lynn did say if a sign occurred, it would be strange, out of the ordinary. This certainly qualifies.”
The clock experience kept rising to the top of her thoughts. When she got home, the fact-checker in her got out a measuring tape. The clock, which was still secure on the shelf, had flown eight feet across her bathroom. “That’s not possible unless someone threw it, and no one did. Why would it fly parallel to the ceiling rather than fall directly to the floor beneath it?”
After a while, she ate dinner and went to bed, curling up with Chile Pod.
The following morning, she was about to brush her teeth and glanced suspiciously at the clock. As an extra precaution she confirmed it was stable and unable to take another unscheduled flight. “Good,” she said satisfied.
Before she could raise the toothbrush, the clock rattled on the shelf.
In genuine alarm she stared at the clock waiting for it propel itself across the room again.
“What’s going on?” If she had already received her sign, then what was this? She had relatively new perception skills. Usually when a spirit wanted to talk, there were sounds and conduits of colorful fog. This was very different.
The sense of unease persisted. In fact, she was somewhat frightened. Would it take wing again? Become lethal? Had she and Chloe unleashed something evil? She felt she should say something.
“Okay,” she smiled bravely—although she did not feel fearless. “I get it,” even though she wasn’t certain.
* * *
That night, she and Chloe met at The Shed for drinks and dinner. The Shed was their favorite place in Santa Fe for solving supernatural mysteries and just plain girl talk. They sat at the bar sipping margaritas waiting on their entrees smothered in green chile. Chloe was her usual elegant self. With her raven hair hoisted atop her head into a knot and colorful flowing garb, she was elegant as ever. Rachel pushed at her shoulder length brown hair. Had she even brushed it?
“I may have to stop going in my bathroom,” Rachel began.
“What? You had another event?” Chloe said excitedly.
Rachel didn’t always share Chloe’s enthusiasm for the mystical, but she related the latest episode with the clock.
“I’m telling you Rachel,” Chloe said gently, setting down her drink. “This is a follow-up from Tanya. Stop trying to explain it. You can’t. But you can try to decipher the message.”
“But it’s a damn clock,” Rachel said exasperated. “What’s a clock got to do with a message from Tanya?”
“Well, I’ve been thinking,” Chloe said. “There are all kinds of sayings about time.”
“You know Tanya and I were in journalism school together,” Rachel said. “We read one another’s assignments, we brainstormed together. She had a terrific mind.” Rachel let the words trail off as she struggled to stay in the moment and not think about what happened to Tanya’s mind. “It would be just like her to use a play on words.”
Rachel thought about it a moment; looking to Chloe for answers.
“Think Rachel. What would Tanya say?”
In utter astonishment, Rachel heard the words come from her lips. “Time flies when you’re having fun.”
“You translated the message literally?” Chloe asked.
“First thing that popped in my head.”
Rachel considered what it might mean. “Tanya has reached her destination and is having so much fun that times flies?”
“It would appear so, if you translated accurately.”
When Rachel returned home, she showered and wrapped up in a towel. As she stepped onto the bath mat the cold hit her. She grabbed her robe and pulled it tightly around her. That’s when she noticed her breath escaping in a fog.
It was not the way most spirits presented themselves to her, but a figure stood faintly outlined near the window. Rachel wanted to open the door and flee, but what if it was Tanya?
“Is that you Tanya?” she whispered.
There was no voice in return, just an unrecognizable filmy spirit who seemed to waver in and out. In a hyper second, it evaporated as though carried away by a zephyr. The cold went with it. As the warm air returned she heard a familiar sound; that of a horse trotting away. She raced to the window, but there was nothing outside, only the dark broken by one streetlight. Yet, the pounding hooves slowly receded.
Rachel stood amazed, remembering all the times they had ridden together. But in that moment she knew it was her friend. She must have met up with one of her horses from childhood. Maybe the Rainbow Bridge existed. As a new spirit, possibly Tanya couldn’t quite manifest herself, but she sent a clear message to Rachel; with reverberation.
Rachel kissed her palm like she’d seen Tanya do so many times and blew it in the direction her soul was now taking.
“Goodbye Tanya.”
Ghost Stories in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Ghosts Haunting Santa Fe
Ghost at La Residencia
La Residencia, located at Palace Avenue and Paseo de Peralta, has been a convent, hospital and nursing home. It was the location of the first St. Vincent’s Hospital prior to the “new” hospital being built south of downtown during the late 1970s. Now the Drury Plaza Hotel.
During its life as a hospital, a boy and his father were brought in for emergency treatment after a car accident. Sadly, both died. It is said the child died from his injuries in room 311. Reported phenomena include the sound of a crying child in this room. It was heard so often the hospital tried not to use the room.
When museum exhibits were stored in the building’s basement, unexplained sounds occurred there. Nurses described a strange phenomenon, which appeared to be blood oozing from a basement wall.
But it is the cries of a frightened young boy who haunt his third-floor room we find most disturbing.
Ghost of Julia at La Posada
La Posada de Santa Fe Resort and Spa has probably the most famous of the Santa Fe ghost stories. Julia Staab who
La Posada de Santa Fe
Wikimedia Commons
died in her prime at 52 reportedly haunts the hotel. It has been the subject of television shows such as Unsolved Mysteries and Celebrity Ghost Stories, and in print at The Dallas Morning News.
Abraham Staab had the three-story Staab House built in French-inspired styling which included a mansard roof and a ballroom on the top floor. It would become the hub of society in 19-century Santa Fe. But it would not last. The couple’s eighth child was ill and finally succumbed. Julia was never the same and took to her room, which became room 256 when the house was converted to a hotel.
During a construction project, a befuddled crew came to work one morning and found their building materials in disarray. An enlightened worker began leaving roses for Julia. The mischief ceased.
Other encounters have been more personal including sightings of a transparent woman in a long dress and hood. One man reported a woman’s image in the mirror of the men’s room. And in the basement, which retains its earthen floor and stone walls, an employee of the hotel has noticed a fragrance cloud of orange and rose blossoms.
Visitors to the six-acre resort still ask for room 256, but there was the case of one man who checked in, and returned to the front desk in minutes demanding another room.
Ghost Story at New Mexico State Penitentiary
Santa Fe Abandoned Pententiary
Wikimedia Commons
Many people don’t realize the New Mexico State Penitentiary is near Santa Fe. It’s usually the last thing on anyone’s mind as they drive into Santa Fe enjoying the clear skies, high desert air and anticipating a few days of nonstop green chile and margaritas. But in February 1980 one of the worst prison riots in the US happened here. At least 33 people killed, but the total couldn’t be certain. Two hundred treated for their injuries. The convicts in Cell Block 4 were targeted because that was where the snitches were isolated from the general population.
Eighteen years later, former Gov. Johnson closed the prison due to “uncontrollable disturbances.” The inmates moved into new facilities. After that, the old prison became a filming location for movies as well as a training center for police. One movie extra decided to explore, walked into a cell, the door closed behind him. Once a guard let him out, he left the set and did not return. Other reports of cell doors opening or closing, apparently on their own, lights coming on or going off without reason, unexplained sounds and even shadowy figures that suddenly disappear. Most disturbing are the burn marks on the floors where inmates died that cannot be cleaned or painted away. The marks always return.
Other deserted prisons are considered haunted. Maybe life sentences extend into the afterlife.
Ghost Story at 122 Grant Avenue
This week we have another Santa Fe ghost story. In 1898 a rancher built a house at what is now 122 Grant Avenue, a few blocks from the Plaza. Seven years later a young family moved in. Their son was sickly and required a wheelchair to move about. Unhappy, he was known to beat the walls of his upstairs bedroom to get his mother’s attention. Despite her constant ministrations, the lad died and his parents moved on. When the house was vacant, the neighbors reported seeing lights in the boy’s former bedroom.
In l981 the property was bought and renovated. It became the Grant Corner Inn, a bed and breakfast which hosted such notables as Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan (in better days), and illustrator Garth Williams. It had a knockout breakfast which was open to the public. But the problems did not abate. In Antonio Garcez’s book Adobe Angels: Ghosts of Santa Fe and Taos,he related the experiences of the former caretaker. He told of hearing loud noises, sudden dips in the air temperature that could kill indoor plants and the stench of rancid meat.
Several years ago, the Andrew Smith Gallery bought the property and moved into the house. No further reports of disturbances have been disclosed. Perhaps the boy is now at peace.
Answer at end.
Ghost Story of the Weeping Woman
There are many ghost stories in Santa Fe. A few blocks from the St. Francis Cathedral, along the Santa Fe River, is a story that endures. I’m told there are more than 40 variations on this ghastly tale and it is a favorite throughout the southwest.
Many years ago, the poor would park their wagons along the Santa Fe River (more of a trickle most of the time). According to the story, a woman from one of those wagons met and fell in love with a Conquistador. After having two children with him, she found he had been unfaithful (isn’t that just always the way?). In her sorrow, she took her children, and drowned them in the river. There are two versions of the ending: either she rejoiced that they were gone, then fell and suffered a fatal injury, or she hung herself in regret.
There are reports from people walking in the river park that they heard a woman calling for her babies, but saw no one. She has been seen at the nearby PERA Building. Workers have reported she is a dark shape and messes with the lights in the building. This ghost is known as the Weeping Woman.
Answer at end.
Ghost Story of La Fonda
While La Fonda has stood the test of time, it has also racked up a good number of ghosts. There are so many that we’ll cover just a few this time.
During the 1800s a gambling hall was part of the hotel. As we all know, for every person who wins, there are many more who do not. In one particular incident, a man was hung in the courtyard (sometimes referred to as the backyard). Maybe it he was cheating, but whatever the reason, he was lynched. It has been reported that some guests to La Plazuela have seen the shadow of a man hanging.
The Hon. John P. Slough, who was a chief justice of the Territorial Supreme Court, was shot in the lobby and later died of his wounds. He insulted Capt. Rynerson, also with Territorial government, calling him dishonest. Rynerson took offense and shot the judge. Guests say they’ve seen a man walking the hotel dressed in a long black coat (robes perhaps?).
And yet another man lost his life in what is now the restaurant (La Plazuela). Originally it
La Fonda Courtyard with Well, Public Domain
was the courtyard and in the center was a well. Apparently a businessman lost his company’s money in a round of cards. He was so distressed, he jumped into the well to his demise. Although the well was filled in long ago, you can still see where it was. Look at the fountain in the center of the restaurant. It even closely resembles the look of the well in the postcard shown. Hotel staff and guests have seen a ghostly figure cross the room to the site of the old well and watched as he disappeared into the floor.
The Southwest Ghost Hunters Association conducted an investigation into La Fonda in 1998 and found the strongest suggestion of paranormal activity in the parking garage. During its construction, human remains were found there. This happens from time to time in Santa Fe and environs. All work ceases until the remains can be recovered.
Answers to Questions:
A. What was stored in La Residencia’s basement that resulted in the bizarre noises? Indian Artifacts.
B. The man who demanded another room stayed in Julia Staab’s room 256 for how many minutes? 7 minutes. He was referred to as the “7-minute man.”
C. What movie was filmed at the abandoned state pen? The Longest Yard.
D. What kind of tree was cut down in front of the house at 122 Grant Avenue? Weeping Willow.
E. The name of the Weeping Woman was? La Llorona,
F. La Fonda has had several names over the years. Which of the following was one of them? The Exchange Hotel.
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Reluctant Medium is the first in the Rachel Blackstone Paranormal Mystery Series.
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It all began innocently enough, Rachel only wished to speak with her dead father. A journalist, he had died under mysterious circumstances. She employed a Hopi ritual she hoped would accomplished this.
FROM THE BOOK: “Rachel learned the ancient ceremony while researching an article about the Hopi Nation. Some Native Americans and followers of eastern philosophies believe one can call back the dead. In her interviews, Joseph, a Hopi holy man, had recounted instances. It was unusual for tribe members to discuss such things with outsiders, but she had written a sensitive portrayal of life within the reservation and Joseph warmed to her. He liked Rachel’s sincerity and the deep respect she had for their traditions.”
As the ceremony progressed, Rachel began to feel anxious as things she didn’t understand developed in her living room.
FROM THE BOOK: Her body trembled as she watched the vapor seep first from
the seam where hardwood floor met plaster and then from the intricate crown molding. It poured from beneath the couch like mist on a lake and slid along the wallpapered ceiling, coming ever closer while she watched, fascinated, but with growing anxiety. The hissing began softly, rising to the clamor of a den of disturbed rattlesnakes. Midpoint in the room, the two streams rose and dipped to join in a common countenance. The darkest colors of the miasma collected in an eerie spiral holding pattern, while the particles which reflected light crept away like fog throughout the room, closing off escape.
Once a figure materialized before her, Rachel knew something wasn’t right. She was certain it wasn’t her father.
FROM THE BOOK: “You’re sputtering, Rachel.” He knew her! “How is brother dearest? Still looking over his shoulder?” The comment carried a threat.
Before she could think of anything to say, the arrogant spirit hastened to the front door and vanished, through it, beyond it, into the night.
Rachel stared at the door, willing it to reveal the truth of what just happened. She’d made a terrible mistake. “Oh, my god,” she whispered. “What have I done?”
Now it’s up to Rachel to send back the undead with the help of her best friend, spirit animal
and her psychic cat. Along the way she meets an actor filming his series in Santa Fe. She is drawn to him, but he’s married. In the meantime, her divorce from her husband, a documentary producer, is going forward. Will her boss be receptive to taking her back at High Desert Country magazine? And she’s developed a new talent; she sees dead people, no really. Change is everywhere.
Meow Wolf in Santa Fe Immersive Experience
Meow Wolf Has Bite! Me-ow!
Meow Wolf is part art installation; all fun house!
by G G Collins (Copyright 2018)
You know you’re in the right place when you see the giant spider!
After standing in line for more than an hour–you know March is spring break, right?–I entered this magical place in Santa Fe that wasn’t the least bit southwestern. The exterior sports a mammoth spider and people actually eat beneath it. Not me!
Built in a former bowling alley, the outside isn’t impressive; but that all stops the moment you enter this wildly colorful place.
After buying tickets at a bit of a staggering price (but nowhere near Disney World prices), you grab your 3-D glasses and off you go into the wild, blue, purple, pink, orange (oh, I give up) yonder.
No yellow brick road. Copyright G G Collins
Asian Street Scene? Up to you. Copyright G G Collins
The hallway that leads down to the entrance is a bit 1984-ish, but what waits inside is, well, you decide for yourself. Past the door is the House of Eternal Return where you can duck through the fireplace, closet, clothes dryer or even the fridge and you’ll find yourself in another dimension.
Watch where you step because the surface underfoot is constantly changing, even at times into mounds of carpet as if you are walking beneath trees on a moss-covered forest floor.
As you climb that tree via circular staircase, the canopy you are expecting never materializes. Instead it could be a camper. Hmm. Just where am I?
That seems to be the whole point. Each inviting portal leads to another strange and wonderful place. Everyone–and remember I went during spring break–was having a great time. Age is not a factor here. There is literally something for everyone. The kids loved to play the dinosaur bones and frankly, so did I.
Tap the bones & notes play.
For those who are afraid they will be claustrophobic, while it can be quite tight quarters, there are numerous doors leading to the lobby. The people standing around in white lab coats are Meow Wolf staff and they are there to answer questions or give you the fastest route to the restroom. There was one small girl, who wasn’t too sure about a white friendly looking creature. She held on tight to her grandmother’s hand, but even at that, she was wide-eyed in appreciation
There are corridors leading to more portals. Some stairs are wide open while others are circular with tiny steps. Tall people can have trouble negotiating the later. Don’t get stuck!
Meow Wolf is a sensory experience. You can see, touch and hear, but never quite assimilate what you’re experiencing. That’s okay. It’s mysterious and leaves you wanting more. I know I’ll be returning to the House of Eternal Return.
My favorite room. Look up!
For more information go to: https://meowwolf.com/
Coming soon to Denver and Las Vegas; your very own Meow Wolf.
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“Flying Change” Free This Weekend
Free This Weekend Only (April 20-22, 2018)
Click on the book to try it free.
Molly dreams of becoming an Olympic equestrian. When she lands a job at a local stable against her father’s wishes, she is excited and hopes dad will acquiesce. The owner of Reintree Stables exchanges her work for riding lessons and she believes she is on her way. But life has a habit of throwing challenges in front of us. Molly is no exception. Two frightening incidents occur and Molly comes to believe she is a coward. If she can’t overcome this notion, her riding career is “”over.What she doesn’t know; someone’s life hangs in the balance.
You can find “Flying Change” here to download free.
“Without Notice” #AmazonGiveaway
Amazon Giveaway Continues (Through April 25, 2018)
Click on the Book Cover to Enter for a Chance to Win!
Blended families are okay until it affects Courtney’s family. It’s bad enough her father moves the family to a new city after her mother is killed, but then they meet his girlfriend Silky. Courtney resists in the only way a thirteen-year-old can; being unkind even when she doesn’t want to be. But a new friendship with a troubled but adventurous girl allows Courtney to try new experiences, until one of these lands them in trouble. Courtney will have to depend on Silky for help.
Enter for a chance to win a free copy of “Without Notice.”
https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/9e58e33fe9e4f450
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#AmazonGiveaway #TeenLit “Without Notice” from G G Collins
Enter to Win a copy of “Without Notice”
From the author of “Flying Change.”
Click on the Book Cover to Enter
Blended families are okay until it affects Courtney’s family. It’s bad enough her father moves the family to a new city after her mother’s death, but then they meet his girlfriend Silky. Courtney resists in the only way a thirteen-year-old can; being unkind even when she doesn’t want to be. But a new friendship with a troubled but adventurous girl allows Courtney to try new experiences, until one of these lands them in trouble. Courtney will have to depend on Silky for help.
Enter for a chance to win!
https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/9e58e33fe9e4f450
Good Luck!
Teen & YA New Book “Without Notice”
New Teen Book “Without Notice” by G G Collins
From the author of “Flying Change,” an equestrian novel for teens and up.
Click on Book Cover to Buy at Amazon. A #KindleUnlimited e-book.
Courtney’s life turned upside down when her mother was killed by a drunk driver. Now, they are moving from Minneapolis to her father’s hometown in New Mexico, where he will run an art gallery. Older sister Francine is heartbroken because she has to leave her boyfriend behind. Younger sister Toby just misses Mom.
One thing is particularly disturbing: her dad’s friend Silky. He says they know one another through the gallery, but is that really all? It seems she is always interjecting herself into their lives. Courtney, who is a good cook, took over cooking meals for the family, but lately Silky’s even intruding there. Silky is a terrible cook, but her father eats everything she prepares and compliments it. Being a teen is hard enough, but she doesn’t want a blended family. Courtney’s conflicted emotions cause her to say hurtful things to Silky, and then regret them. She tries to cope with feelings of loss and the need to move on.
Courtney and Francine hatch a plan to sabotage Silky; but soon Francine has found a new boyfriend leaving Courtney alone in the effort. All the while, Silky is trying to make friends with the family. She invites Courtney to tweak her cooking skills with the promise of teaching her how to make pottery. Drawn to Silky’s tales of Native American artists and their search for the best clay, Courtney grudgingly listens even as her interest grows. Silky’s stories are full of intrigue and clandestine journeys to collect clay under cover of darkness. During one of her pottery lessons, Silky shares a painful story with Courtney. Loss does not play favorites.
She meets Audrey, the girl next door, and immediately strikes up a friendship. Audrey is an outspoken know-it-all with a sense of adventure that is infectious. She takes Courtney on new experiences including the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. She and Audrey attend a mass launch which is unlike anything she has ever seen. Courtney is spellbound watching the hot air balloons. Unfortunately, Audrey has a dark side. She makes a mistake that challenges their newfound friendship and threatens Courtney’s delicate relationship with Silky.
Despite her resentment about moving, thirteen-year-old Courtney discovers this strange new city with its brown houses, Pueblo architecture and ancient stories to be as mysterious as it is beautiful. Even as she resists, Santa Fe casts its spell.
G G Collins