Six Sentence Sunday

I've been busy writing the next Kellie Conley book, Lethal Waters, but I haven't shared many bits of the story. I'll share with you a peek at a few sentences from two more chapters. Each week I'll add a bit from two chapters until the book publishes. Look for the book near the end of next month.


Chapter Three

Hope spoke, “Mom, you should take a nap today. You know there’s nothing to worry about. Miss Annabelle told Faith and I that we’re safe and so is Aaron.” She smiled at Kellie her blue eyes sparkling with innocence and finished her glass of milk.

Max’s eyes cut to Kellie and then back to Hope. “What about Miss Annabelle? Did you have a dream?”

Chapter Four 

Mike swore as he stormed into the kitchen grabbing a travel mug for his coffee.

“You don’t want breakfast,” Rita asked and turned to look at Mike. “Oh, Lord, not another one.”

Mike nodded and Rita melted into his arms trying to hold back tears.

 “What’s happening, Mike?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” 

Full Moon and the Paranormal

What are the effects of a full moon on everyday life and does it affect the paranormal events people experience?

I have a friend who is a nurse and she told me that she finally has enough seniority that she can request any day of the month off. She always takes off the night of the full moon. Working on a medical floor, she treats a variety of illness and some surgical patients. The night of the full moon brings strange occurrences that are not always explained. When she worked in the emergency room, she said they would admit more people who have tried to commit suicide or had some sort of breakdown than any other night. Many people feel more anxious on the night of the full moon. Does this strange phenomenon cross over into the paranormal world?

Many people know believe werewolves are active the night of the full moon. The belief in werewolves has been around for centuries. Is there any truth in this myth? Many believe in werewolves and other things affected by the phases of the moon. Farmers plant some crops according to the phase of the moon.  

Paranormal events are said to occur more often during the full moon phase. Three days before the moon is full, the night of the full moon, and the three days after it is full. This is also the same time span most people who are sensitive to the full moon feel most anxious. Is there a correlation? Do spirits feel the pull of the moon emotionally or are humans more in tune with the spirit world during the moon cycle?

Ghost hunters are more successful during this same seven day period. Since they use electronic equipment to find and monitor ghosts and do not rely completely on visual or sensory experiences, it might be possible to draw the conclusion that spirits are more active during the full moon cycle.

The full moon is also responsible for romantic settings which are not in any way associated with the paranormal. However, it is possible that the same pull of the moon which causes humans and spirits to act out in negative ways may cause lovers to feel a stronger than usual emotional reaction.

Until a ghost hunter or psychic is able to ask a spirit what effect the moon may have on them, we must rely on what little we know. The full moon will always add romance or inject more fear into a story.

Happy reading. 

Image obtained from  freedigitalphotos.net

Six Sentence Sunday

I've been busy writing the next Kellie Conley book, Lethal Waters, but I haven't shared many bits of the story. I'll share with you a peek at a few sentences from the first two chapters. Each week I'll add a bit from two chapters until the book publishes. Look for the book near the end of next month.

Chapter One:

Kellie sat cross-legged on her sofa watching the news report. She felt a tingle run down her spine at the thought of the poor young woman murdered along the jogging trail but didn’t understand why. She didn’t feel any spirit activity near her. It must be the horror of the violent crime that brought on her case of nerves. Kellie jumped when her phone rang beside her.

“Hello, Claudia, how are you?”

Chapter Two:

Before Kellie had a chance to slip into the powder room to splash her face with some cold water, her phone chirped with a text from Claudia.

Chatter is active today. There’s been another death.

Something evil is brewing.

Kellie texted back:

I was afraid of that. Let me know if you learn anything.

I'll add a peek at two chapters each week until publication. If you don't want to miss one, scroll down to near the end of the page and click the blue Follow button. Thanks and I can't tell you how much I appreciate all the kind words and inquiries about when the next Kellie book will be released. God bless. 

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Graveyards

Graveyards or the more conventional term cemeteries strike fear in many people’s hearts. Perhaps it is from the pain and grief we associate with them. Anyone who has attended the funeral of a loved one will understand how difficult it is.

Ghosts or spirits are said to haunt the places they have a strong connection to or the place of their deaths. If that is true, why do people fear graveyards? Very few, if any, people have died in the actual graveyard and wouldn’t be haunting it. Why then do people claim to see spirits hovering over graves and moving through the graveyards?

It is possible that those brave or foolish enough to enter a graveyard after dark are young people looking for fun. These young people also have strong imaginations. A flash of light from a passing car, a group of others in a far section of the graveyard holding a flashlight, or someone lighting a candle trying to attract a spirit could cause others to believe what they are seeing is an actual spirit. One person sees something strange, screams, and the rest see something, too. What they see most likely is completely different, but they are all sure what they saw was a spirit. The story spreads, more people investigate, become frightened, and the town has a haunted graveyard on their hands.

If you believe in spirits, there might be a reason that a spirit walks the graveyard at night. Some believe that a body separated from its head will never come back to life. To control the evil they believe existed in the person, the head is buried elsewhere. Could a spirit walk the grounds looking for its head? I’m not sure. I have never seen one, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

There are stories of people murdered and buried by whoever caused their deaths. If two people were involved, one might kill the second and drop the body in the grave to be hidden forever. Would this spirit return looking for revenge? It might explain the spirit roaming the graveyard at night.

I love graveyards, especially old ones. I love reading the dates of when the person was born and died. Older tombstones sometimes contain how they died or a piece of poetry. Others have a comic remark engraved. The best way to see these is on a bright sunny day. I may enjoy walking through a graveyard, but I am not going at night.

Not only do I want to avoid any spirits that might roam around, it isn’t a safe place to walk. Imagine falling and breaking an ankle. Then you’d spend the night in the graveyard and with my luck, my cell wouldn’t work and I’d be alone speaking to headless spirits in search of their heads.

Happy reading and writing.

New Kellie Mystery?

Kellie # 9

Cooper’s Restaurant was quiet at one o’clock that Friday afternoon. Kellie and Taylor were enjoying a cup of coffee and a slice of pie while Kellie’s son, Aaron, did his best to mash cookies into his hair.

Taylor smiled at Aaron and commented, “I remember when Kayla ate like that. Thank goodness she’s outgrown it for the most part.”

Shaking her head, “Kellie answered, “He’s much different than the girls. They were little ladies from the day they were born, and now they’re nearly nine. Where has the time flown, Taylor?”

She took a sip of coffee and looked at Aaron. “I don’t know. It’s hard to believe Aaron’s two, Kayla’s four, and Ethan and your girls have birthdays in a few weeks. At least it’s been quiet since Miss Annabelle’s spirit left and you found the last rose.”

“Thank goodness. I think that last single red rose meant our lives would quiet down and the spirits would leave me alone. Max certainly is happy that I stopped battling evil,” she said and slid the last bite of pie into her mouth.

Six hours later, a jogger found a body dressed in jeans and a pink sweatshirt edged with embroidered red roses. 

Six Sentence Sunday

The following six sentences are from Chapter Ten of the third Annie Ryan cozy mystery, Bones, Booze & Bouquets, due out spring 2017.

Have you lost your mind?

That’s all Georgie’s text said. I waited, and she didn’t text again. I think she thinks I’m joking. I’ll give her some time to adjust to the idea of searching Old Lady Hagenbak’s haunted house.