Yep, I'm still here. Sorry I've been away so long but this crazy weather is killing my head. All this rain is triggering migraines on a daily basis. Not sure about the rest of you but i am beginning to think i ticked of mother nature and the woman is out to get me!
But i wanted to touch base and let you know that even though i have not been able to spend much time at the computer, I have completed several chapters of the new book - The Supernaturals - at least in my head... hope you are all doing great, or that you at least like rain! While we wait out the weather and if you are near Indiana you may want to check out these paranormal hot pots. (just click the link and it will take you to the website.) After all what goes better with a rainy night than a good haunted house? Haunted Indiana |
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The frozen grape Niki had just popped in to her mouth instantly stared to thaw as she rolled it around on her tongue; the sweetness instantly curbing her craving for anything and everything in the form of candy. It was a trick taught to her by her sister to help keep the curse of their family’s thunder thighs at bay. It seemed like a never ending fight but a war she would fight the rest of her life; that however was not her immediate problem. The grainy footage on her computer screen was what had her scratching her head. The image was of a room in an old Victorian home on the good side of town. It had been sent to her by the friend of a friend that knew she was into the whole paranormal investigating craze.
For the last few years her specialty was debunking videos and still shots before they were brought to the attention of the rest of the team; and she was really good at her chosen craft. She made sure to keep herself on top of all the latest software and the little tricks of the editing game. Niki could spot a hoax with one eye closed but this one had her stumped. The video had been taken with a cheap point and shoot camera at night which left the video dark and fuzzy. She had worked on the video for a few hours after receiving it and had corrected the file as much as she could but it still left a lot to be desired. As the video came to an end she once again hit the play button and settled in for another viewing. There had to be a rational explanation for what she was seeing, people just didn’t disappear into thin air. There had to be something she was missing and she was determined to find deception. If she didn’t that meant that ghost really did exist and that was not an explanation she was willing to except. Three hours later and she was out of options, she had to call the team. The only way they were going to be able to debunk this recording was to get inside that house. Niki held the flashlight so tight that the pattern on the handle was being transferred to onto her hand. She had never liked the dark and being alone in the house was making her twitchy. She should have left when the others had given up and called it a night. The team had found what they had come for, evidence of the paranormal. They had captured several static filled EVP’s and a few still shots of “orbs”. This was enough for the armature ghost hunters. After all they were just a group of friends doing this as a hobby but for Niki it was much, much more. They had packed there Amazon bought equipment and headed for home. But not Niki, she had been on a crusade to shine a light on all the fakes out there in cyber space that were taking advantage of the grieving just to boost their numbers on YouTube. She shook her head to bring herself back to the present. There was no use in reliving the heartbreak she had felt when it had happened to her just four short years ago. She shined her light on the wall that the “ghost” had seemed to walk through. There had to be something; a hidden door maybe? No that would have been obvious on the recording. Her skeptical mind would not except that the home was actually haunted. How could it be? Ghost didn’t exist. She pulled out one of the chairs that surrounded the dining room table and sat down. Staring at the wall she replayed the video in her mind, she had to be missing something. As she sat there a slight breeze caressed her cheek and played with the hair at the nape of her neck. She absently brushed the hair back as she continued her preoccupied examination of the wall. Once again her hair lifted on the breeze. But wait, the air wasn’t moving. There was no breeze; Niki’s spine stiffened at the realization. Her eyes shifted from left to right as if she could identify the case of the occurrence if she sat perfectly still. Someone was playing games and she was going to find out who. She forced her heart to slow its pounding in her chest, forced her lungs to pull in air. She had to keep a level head if she was going to catch the person responsible for of the fraud. She had to appear to be buying what they were selling. Slowly she turned her head to the left and then the right then shook her head as if to clear the cobwebs of confusion. Back to her musing of the wall “that a girl Niki” that little voice in her head cheered her on “play it cool, let them show their hand and then you’ve got them.” She did her best to listen to the little woman in her head. The problem was that her uneasiness wasn’t all an act. She was all too aware that she was alone; there was no one to back her up. “Damn” her inner voice swore. She should have taken Todd up on his offer to stay with her but no she had to pull the whole I am woman hear me roar attitude. Okay there was no going back she had to handle this on her own. Hopefully this was just one geek out to prove he was better than she was when it came to Photoshop. Okay that took her anxiety level down a few notches. One geek she could handle. Her relief was short lived. It was just a dull thud in the other room, barely audible but her experienced ears had caught it. Her hand automatically went to her neck as her hair once again tickled her skin. Okay when she finally caught this guy she had to find out how he was doing that, it was creepy. A shadow on the far wall of the dining room caught her attention and she quickly turned in her chair; nothing. So what had thrown the shadow? Was it just her imagination or had the temperature in the room just dropped by a good ten degrees? She shook her head again but this time it wasn’t an act. “it’s a good thing were not the hysterical girly girl type” that little voice whispered “or we would be running out the front door screaming for help about now”. The image of her pulling such a damsel in distress move made her smile to herself but she had had enough it was time to pull the plug “it’s going to take more than a few shadow puppets and a fan to scare me off” She said in a raised voice so that whoever was listening could here. “So why don’t you just show yourself so we can all go home and get some sleep?” She turned off her flashlight and sat in the darkness listening for the sound of footfalls as the hoax-ters came out of hiding…Nope. She knew it wasn’t going to work but she had to try. “Okay we’ll do it the hard way.” She shouted once again. She twisted in her chair until she was facing away from the wall she had previously been examining. Now she had full view of the entire room. “Okay show me what you’ve got” she taunted the unseen future special effects artist want-a- be. Niki look at her watch, forty five minutes had passed since she had issued her challenge. Her eyes were getting heavy and her butt was numb; time to call it quits for the night. She reached for the right and the thing seemed to roll away from her hand. Okay time to go home and rest she thought as she extended her arm to make a grab for the thing. This time it rolled to the end of the table, spun in her direction and turned itself on. “okay I’ll admit that was good” Niki stated out loud. Her hair once again brushed against her neck as the air around her seemed to roll over her shoulder. The sensation caused her skin to turn to goose flesh. Her throat constricted as she realized that the air in the room was perfectly still. There was no breeze. Niki pushed herself out of the chair and up against the wall as the flashlight extinguished itself leaving her once again in complete darkness. She made her feet shuffle in the direction of the flashlight feeling along the wall as she went. Slowly she inched her way forcing herself to stay calm as she went. She ran her hand along the chair railing first then her feet would follow. She felt like a complete idiot and prayed that no one was hiding in the shadows catching her reactions on video. Man she would be out of business. Who would want to hire a ghost debunker, a self-proclaimed no believer that was caught on tape shaking in her boots. “Damn, Okay time to pull up the big girl panties and get out of here.” She pushed away from the wall her arms reaching into the darkness searching for the back of a chair or the table she knew was just a few feet in front of her. Nothing, another step then another; this wasn’t right her rational side told her the table should have been right in front of her. The illogical side said forget the light run for the door! She made herself stand perfectly still and take a deep breath. She had simply gotten disoriented in the dark. It happened to people all the time. She just had to collect herself and get her bearings. “Damn it” she muttered out loud as the non-existent breeze seemed to be stroking her shoulder. She swallowed hard as she realized that she could not feel the air moving around her; the sensation was only on her shoulder. Niki closed her eyes as the sensation careened over her shoulder and traveled down her arm. “I must be losing my mind” she breathed as the breezy sensation warped into a soft caress. She had the eerie feely that if the lights were to come on at this exact moment she would find a man standing behind her as he slowly ran his finger up her arm, across her shoulder as he headed for the soft skin of her neck. “Please?” Niki stopped breathing. Had she just heard what she thought she heard? “Let Me?” Dear God in heaven, it was a man’s voice. He had whispered the words into her ear, a breathy request; but for what, and by who? Her head started to swim as if it was drowning in a sea of confusion and trying to find its way to the surface. Niki tried to clear her head but it refused to comprehend what was happening. After all ghost did not exist. “Please… let me?” The words were urgent now but seemed to calm her. She was no longer afraid. She was perfectly willing to let this scenario playout here in the dark as she stood in the middle of a stranger’s dining room. The soft touch of the invisible hand was now tracing little circles against her neck. “Please?” Niki felt herself nod. She didn’t want this strange hypnotic sensation to end. “Say it” the disembodied voice whispered in her ear. “Give me permission” the voice nearly begging her to say the words “it’s been so long…Please let me” “Do it” she whispered into the night. She would have said anything to keep this sensation from ending. What could it hurt to agree with the pleading voice inside her head; after all… GHOSTS DO NOT EXIST! A low growl brushed against her skin as she felt lips on the tender flesh just below her ear. Niki woke up to the insistent buzzing of her phone. “Damn it” she mumbled as she came fully awake. Why didn’t she ever get to finish the good dreams? She looked through haze filled eyes and realized that she must have fallen asleep while reviewing video from the disappointing investigation of the old Victorian home the night before. She closed her laptop and turned on the television to catch the morning news before she headed for the coffee maker. As the little white machine started to produce little droplets of life giving caffeine Niki headed for the bathroom to shower and dress before heading off to another day of mind numbing work. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror she pulled her hair up onto the top of her head. “What the hell?” she exclaimed as she leaned in for a closer look. The mark on her next was somewhere in between a hickey and a bruise with two little marks in the middle. They seemed to be puncture marks that had started to heal. But how could that be possible? The blood seemed to drain from her face as the words he had spoken formed in her mind. “There is more lurking in the shadows of the night than you can dream my dear Niki… ghosts, angels, and yes even Vampires”. A short story by Josephine Ritchie I just checking in, sorry to say not a lot of writing getting done. All this rain is triggering my migraines and i can't seem to stay upright long enough to get any thing done. Hope all of you are having a much better time of it. Hope to be back on track soon.
Josephine. I lay there telling myself that if I just keep my eyes closed the demons won’t know I am awake. I concentrate on my breathing, keep it slow and steady show no signs of consciousness. Keep them guessing. Don’t move, not even a twitch. Please don’t let them know I’m awake yet. Just one morning that’s all I’m asking for; please just one. I’m still so tired. I don’t have it in me to fight them again. All day, every day, I hear them coming for me. I know it’s just a matter of time before I can’t out run them any longer. They are going to catch up with me, they always do. Somedays I can make it to lunch some days I can’t make it out of bed before they are on me. It’s too much. They only peace I can find is in sleep, and even then I’m not always safe. They are starting to invade my dreams again; just like before. They know just what to say, what my weaknesses are. They will bring me down again, just like they have done in the past. They’re here, tearing at my mind like ravenous dogs. Ripping out my thoughts and replacing them with their own. My heart is racing and it hurts too breathe. There is nothing I can do but I have to fight them, there are people depending on me. I have no choice. I throw back the covers and put my feet on the floor. The voices are screaming at me now. No matter what they say just keep moving forward. Baby steps; get dressed, brush teeth, coffee. I look in the mirror. Don’t let anyone see your pain. They would never understand anyway. Just remember to breath, no matter how much it hurts. Do not let the demons win. Paste on that fake smile; the won that says “I’m fine”. Don’t forget to laugh at the jokes and to give a hug to those that are having a bad day. No matter what the demons whisper in your ear remember: the walls are not closing in on you, no one is staring at you, and the floor is not about to open up and swallow you whole. You can win this fight. But how are you going to do that when the demons, all those voices… are yours.
I have always heard that the spirits of our loved ones come to us in our time of death. What do you think? Do you think it is possible that a family member could come back to guide to the other side? It’s a comforting thought and makes the prospect of death a little easier but does it really happen?
Once again we are left with more questions than answers. I personally believe that this one is true. I have known two people that talked to deceased relatives while on their death bed. There was nothing terrifying about it; they were simply having a normal everyday conversation. One of these people was my grandfather. He was talking to my aunt. Their conversation seemed to calm him and help him to sleep; but it really rattled those of us that witnessed the exchange. You see my aunt had died in a house fire less than 48 hours before she came to visit him in the hospital. We did not tell my grandfather of her passing for fear that it would be too much for him to handle. He died peacefully in his sleep that night. So yes, you can add this to the other 7 million other paranormal/supernatural topics that I believe in. I have witnessed it first hand and I can think of several I hope to see coming for me when it’s my time.
Something was wrong; she could feel it in the air. After living in the same house for more than twenty years Elizabeth knew every squeaky board and every rattle of the pipes. This was her sanctuary; her place to hide from the world. The house was always there waiting for her whenever she returned from whatever monotonous task her employer had her performing. It welcomed her, comforted her and sheltered her from the world. Maybe it was wrong to feel so strongly about a building. After all it was only boards held together by nails and wrapped in aluminum siding. But it was hers and Elizabeth always felt like the house loved her too.
Elizabeth placed her hand palm down on the wall as she stood in the dark peering through the crack in the curtains. She scanned the yard with the gaze of a hawk; searched every shadow for any sign of something, anything out of place. Her home was on a dead in street with only two other houses. Both neighbors far enough away that Elizabeth could not see them from her front porch. The rest of the neighborhood for as far as the eye could see, was nothing but corn fields. Her friends told her she was crazy for living so far away from civilization that a woman on her own should not be so far away from help; should the need arise. But Elizabeth loved the isolation. She had never been a social butterfly, preferring to read a good book to the club scene; even n her teens. These remote three acres were her personal paradise. She had honestly never been scared one single day in the many years she had lived out her on her own. She would often walk alone down the deserted street under the full moon listening to the coyotes howl; the only thing startling her being the owls fluttering over head as they hunted for their dinner. But tonight was different. Something had woken her from a dead sleep, something that didn’t belong on the grounds. This was something she had never felt before, it was unnerving. That was three hours ago, just shortly after midnight. Elizabeth had only been asleep for an hour when she sat straight up in her bed pulling the sheets to her chin. She laughed at herself when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror across the room. She looked like one of those silly girls in slasher films. She gave her reflection one last grin and flopped back on her pillows. She lay there for a full half hour struggling to get comfortable, but it was no use. The eerie feeling creeping slowly up her spine was not going away. She rolled out of bed and tied her big fluffy robe around her waist. She knew it was ridiculous but she suddenly felt the need to go from room to room checking every window and door. She made her way through the dark; not wanting to throw off a shadow and alert whatever it was that had frightened her. Everything was just as it had been when she went up to bed. A nervous giggle escaped her lips and she pressed her fingers to them to stop the irritating noise. “Stop it Elizabeth” she scolded herself “you are not some little helpless Barbie doll.” She squared her shoulders and headed for the kitchen. A nice cup of hot coco would put everything right. She reached for the light switch but pulled her hand away before she flipped the lights on “The moonlight is filling the room. No need to waste electricity” she told herself out loud as she set about filling the tea kettle with water and set it on the stove. “There now, everything is as it should be” she continued to talk to herself. That once eerie feeling that followed her through the house was now becoming right down ominous. She pulled the ties of her robe tighter around her waist as she walked to the back door and pulled the curtains aside; nothing. A sudden thump in the living room caused her to jump and turn in the direction of the noise. Elizabeth pulled a large butcher knife from the drawer and went to find out who or what had invaded her home. She forced herself to put one foot in front of the other as she slinked along keeping her back against the wall so that nothing could sneak up behind her. The moon was giving off enough light to illuminate the space. The only thing that she could find out of place was a small designer plate that hung on the wall. It had somehow fallen to the ground but had not broken. The question was how did it fall? The nail was still in the wall; it wasn’t bent. The picture wire on the back of the plate was intact too. So how did the plate end up on the floor? Elizabeth didn’t have time to ponder the question. The back door suddenly banged against the kitchen wall and she went running this time. Someone had broken into her home and she was going to make sure they understood just how big a mistake they had made. Elizabeth rushed head long into the room ready to battle anyone she found. In truth she was pretty sure that it was just the neighbor’s teen aged boys that had been arrested just two weeks ago for breaking into the mayor’s house while he was at work. They were skipping school and playing video games in his basement. If she thought for even a second that it was anyone else she would never have been so brave. She rushed through the doorway knife at the ready just in case. She stopped dead in her tracks “well Hell” she muttered under her breath when she found absolutely nothing. The back door was swinging in the light night breeze. She must not have hooked it properly when she came home from work; then simply forgotten to check it when she went to bed. She chuckled at herself self and thanked whoever was listening that her brother had not been there to witness her “girly” moment; he would never let her hear the end of it. “Ok Liz, get it together, you have to work tomorrow”. She told herself as she secured the door then took another look around the back yard through the window. For all her brave talk she could not shake the feeling that there was something out there watching her. The kettle nearly made her go running out the door and it began to whistle. Another nervous laugh as she peeled her hand from around the door knob. “This is keeping ridiculous!” she stated angrily. “Oh shut up I’m coming!” she shouted at the tea kettles insistent whistle as she headed back to the kitchen and picked her cup up off the counter. The stopped to examine it as she stood in the middle of the room; she had not taken the cup out of the cupboard. She was sure of it, she hadn’t had time. The plate had fallen off the wall before she had a chance. The phone rang and caused her to jump losing her grip on the cup and it crashed on the floor. She grabbed the receiver and hit talk. “Ms. Johnson, I’m Captain Randolf of the Indianan start police. Are you alright?” “Yes, why?” Liz asked confused “I will answer all your questions in just a little while. Right now I need you to come out you front door as quickly as you can. Don’t worry about anything just come out the door now”. Liz took the phone from her ear and looked down at it in her hand. Nope not a dream it was really there in her hand. She put it back up to her ear. “Is this some kind of joke?” she was getting irritated again “If this is the Paulson boys, I’m going to tell you father” “Ms. Johnson please listen to me. It is very important for you to come to your front door right now!” Captain Randolf insisted angrily. “Fine but I Don’t understand…” A loud crash at the back of the house caused her to take off running for the front door and she didn’t stop until she was standing bare foot in the driveway with Captain Randolf’s arms wrapped protectively around her shoulders. The next thing she knew there were two other officers dragging a man in handcuffs out of her house. He was kicking and screaming obscenities at the top of his voices and he was dressed in a prison orange jumpsuit. “I don’t understand” Liz said looking up at the Captain who was wrapping a blanket around her shoulders. “Two days ago there was an escape from the prison in Henryville. Two were caught within minutes. This guy has been leading us on a merry chase through every abandon building in the area. We finally got a tip tonight from the boys down the street from you. They were on their way to a friend’s house and had seen this guy looking through your window. We would have been here sooner but with their reputation … well, to be honest we just didn’t believe them.” Captain Randolf explained as he walked her back into the house. “They finally told their father that if we didn’t come check it out they would do it themselves”. The police were going from room to room in her home looking for evidence; they didn’t have to look far. Elizabeth nearly fainted when she saw the muddy foot prints on the carpet. The intruder must have been following her from room to room in the dark. “What was he in prison for?” Elizabeth heard herself ask, but she wasn’t sure she wanted him to answer. “Serial rape” he told her quietly “His M.O. was to subdue his victims while they slept then hold them for days while he tortured them”. “I would have been his next victim. I would have been sound asleep but something woke me up and I could go back to sleep. Then these strange things started happening. A plate fell off the wall, the back door blew open, the tea kettle, it was seemed like one thing after another kept me moving from room to room”. Liz explained as if in a daze. “lucky for you it did” the Captain told her earnestly. “But you have nothing to worry about now. We have him and he isn’t coming anywhere near here again”. “Thank you” Liz shot him a shaky smile of gratitude. Elizabeth listened to everything the cops had to say. Then she answered all their questions as they filled out there reports and gathered everything they needed as far as evidence. Then she wrote herself a note as the police walked to their cars. She did not want to forget to call the Paulson boys and thank them. As she watched the last police car drive off she looked around her home and smiled. There was only one explanation to what had happened here tonight, but if she told anyone what she believed they would think she was in shock. There was only one thing that explained all the weird noises and happenings that kept her roaming around from room to room and out of harm’s way. “It was you” she said to the house once she was alone and her doors all locked. “You did it all didn’t you?” she smiled to herself as she started up the steps. “Thank you” She said out loud as she reached the top of the stairs. “I love you too, old friend”. She let her fingers linger on the railing for just a moment before heading to bed. She would sleep without concern knowing that she would always have an old friend watching over her. a short story by Josephine Ritchie Every city, town and burg across the country has them. Some are so impossible that they inspire humor. Others so creepy they keep you from visiting certain areas of the state. What are they? --- Urban Legends! Most of these wild tales start innocently enough, true stories stretched and misquoted until it’s unrecognizable; even to those that live thru the actual event. I personally love them. I mean come on what summer camping trip would be complete without the story of the HOOK-MAN? ________________________________________________________ Attack of the Hook-Man: A TEENAGE boy drove his date to a dark and deserted Lovers' Lane for a make-out session. After turning on the radio for mood music, he leaned over and began kissing the girl. A short while later, the music suddenly stopped and an announcer's voice came on, warning in an urgent tone that a convicted murderer had just escaped from the state insane asylum — which happened to be located not far from Lovers' Lane — and that anyone who noticed a strange man lurking about with a hook in place of his right hand should immediately report his whereabouts to the police. The girl became frightened and asked to be taken home. The boy, feeling bold, locked all the doors instead and, assuring his date they would be safe, attempted to kiss her again. She became frantic and pushed him away, insisting that they leave. Relenting, the boy peevishly jerked the car into gear and spun its wheels as he pulled out of the parking space. When they arrived at the girl's house she got out of the car, and, reaching to close the door, began to scream uncontrollably. The boy ran to her side to see what was wrong and there, dangling from the door handle, was a bloody hook! ________________________________________________________ Okay so that's probably one of the less believable tales but there are some, those one or two out of a hundred that have just enough believably that it leaves you scratching your head and wondering what if that really happened? Fact or Fake, I believe that the world is a much better place with urban legends in it, they entertain, amuse and some just scare the beejeezus out of us, but what they do best is help us make unforgettable summer memories; even if it’s just sitting in the darkness of our own backyard. Need some inspiration for your next camp out or summer bonfires?
Try these on for size... I came across this while surfing the net. I have always been a big Houdini fan so I found it interesting. I thought you might like to give it the once over yourself. It's all about how Rose Mackenberg helped him ferret out the fakes.
As any loyal daughter of Indiana who loves all things mystical I am always looking for stories form my home state. Here is another little tide bit I found on the internet, this time from Evansville, In. Just click the button below to be taken to the article. This one is what my mother would call a two-fer. You get the mystic with the historic. It looks like a very interesting place.
As you all know I lost my brother and sister due to a senseless murder over a year ago. Today would have been his birthday. So happy birthday big brother. You are missed!
Well I guess that depends on who you ask. This is one of those hot topics where you can ask ten people and get eleven different answers. In my opinion it all boils down to what you believe. Because it’s our beliefs that will define what magic is to us.
For example, if this means you believe that chanting, spell casting, or even praying will bring about positive changes, than that’s the form of “magic” that will work you. But, if you believe that our fates are set in stone and there is nothing you can do about your lot in life; then you probably view the existence of magic as an absurdity. To you magic may be lighting candles and chanting, but to your neighbor down the road it may be casting a spell under a full moon. I personally believe that magic is around us every day; we just have to be open to its existence. But no matter what your personal definition of magic is; I would rather live in a world with even the slightest possibility of its existence, than in a world with the certainty that it doesn’t.
I am sitting here at the computer doing my best to turn my thoughts into words and get them on paper; it's not going well! It's just to pretty outside. I keep catching myself staring out the window and daydreaming about working with my flowers. And after what seems likes months of rain I just can't get myself to concentrate on anything but the birds and sunshine. So after hours of arguing with myself I am surrendering to the need to soak up some Vitamin D and going outside.
Hope you all get a chance to at least stand in the sun for at least a little while today. The rain is coming back Wednesday, so do it while you can! Have a great one! Josephine
I am putting this out there again for all who seem to have missed it!
I would once again like to point out that I am not a trained writer. I have never claimed to be and will never claim to be. I am simply a woman going through a hard time and trying to keep her head above water by doing anything she can. You are going to find grammar mistakes in my books. Especially book two that i stupidly tried to finish just a month after my brother and sister's death. But it does not mean that I have not put many days and nights of hard work into them. If you do not look to closely at my grammar skills, I can promise you that you will find the reading of these stories enjoyable. The books are getting decent reviews from the readers and the mistakes do not take away from the story line or the characters. Thank You That being said here are some of the review from Amazon. In order of the books 3,2,1. By Bobo on May 3, 2016 Verified Purchase Love this book , I have all the books and can't wait for book 4 . You will laugh , cry , and get mad . This book is so good I could not put it down, had to read it all in one sitting , just love it cant' wait for book 4 . By my kindle on October 10, 2015 Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase I couldn't put the book down! Ms. Ritchie had me laughing and hanging on to my seat waiting to see what happens. I Can't wait for the next book If you like paranormal books she a great writer. Keep the books coming!! By M. Robinson on December 14, 2015 Format: Kindle Edition Love this series! Yes there are some grammatical errors but I was still hooked on the story nonetheless. I am starting book 2 now and very much look forward to book 3!!! Thanks again guys for sticking with me. Josephine Ritchie Hey guys it's me again, I would like to ask you a favor. I am trying to boost my numbers in the search rankings and I would love to show my fans off to the world. So this is what I came up with, but I'll need your help.
If you are up to it I would like for you to take a picture of yourself with one or all of my books; or a picture of the cover on your device. You can just send the picture or you can say something about it, yourself or the books. Then post them to my Facebook page or message them to me and I will take care of the rest. This will do two things: help boost my ranking and more importantly I will finally get to here from all of you. So please have fun, cheese it up, be serious or funny. It's all up to you. I look forward to seeing and hearing from you. And please try to have a good one... but be careful it will be MONDAY all day! Josephine This may be the hardest thing I have ever put on paper. But I can’t get a handle on things until I learn to admit to them. As most of you know I started writing because of my son’s health issues. But what you don’t know is that I have always had issues of my own; both mental and physical.
I was diagnosed with migraines at the age of 15. They weren’t so bad then but as with all thing age has only made them worse. I also have arthritis and several other problems that I just refuse to list here. I fight these problems every day. Sometimes it’s all I can do to get myself out of bed. Just the thought of putting my feet on the floor is painful. But, even as bad as my physical issues are, it’s the mental issues that are getting the best of me. I have always been an introvert. I am the happiest when I am in a quiet calm place listening to the birds sing. I was even this way when I was young. I didn’t know it then but some of that need to be alone stemmed from anxiety and depression. Two conditions I did not have a name for until recently. To make life even more interesting I also suffer from PTSD. A condition made unbearable by the recent murders of two family members. There are days when I just sit and cry because I can’t leave the bedroom. There are days when answering the phone takes all of my courage, and sometimes I can’t do it. There are days when the panic attacks feel like they are never going to end. There are days when I feel so damned useless to myself that I can’t make myself get dressed. There are days when I have hidden curled up in a corner shaking uncontrollably because someone I didn’t know knocked on the door. THERE ARE DAYS THAT I WISH I HAD TOLD SOMEONE SOONER. I am not telling you this to earn your sympathy or to make sales. I am simply hoping that this will be seen by someone that needs to hear that they are not alone. Please if you are suffering from anxiety, depression, PTSD or any other debilitating condition call someone; even if it's an anonymous hotline. Please do not suffer through this alone.
Okay that may have sounded better in my head...
Anyway, as a thank you to my blog followers; and as a teaser to anyone that has yet to read my books. I have taken two chapters from each book and made them into digital flip books. They are 100% free to read and can be found at the top of each page here on this website. Look for the free peek inside my books tab! Just click on the one you would like to read and double click to go full screen when your done simply hit the escape button on your keyboard. That's it, hope you all enjoy them.Hope you have a great day despite the rain. After all we can't do anything about it so we might as well go play in the puddles! Josephine
I would once again like to point out that I am not a trained writer. I have never claimed to be and will never claim to be; and for me high school was over thirty years ago!
As I have said before I started writing as a way to stay awake while watching over my 8 year old son while he slept. He was going through a very bad period with his epilepsy and was having seizures in his sleep; he would stop breathing and needed me to be there. I am sure that this is something that every parent out there understands. I quickly found that I loved telling stories and as it turns out I am good at developing characters. So I self-published my first book. It was mainly for my family to read but to my surprise others started buying it and the second, and now the third! Unfortunately however, as with all good things there is always a flip side; in this case it’s the editing. To put it bluntly, I suck at it. So you are going to find grammar mistakes in my books. I want you to know that I have read your post and reviews. And I appreciate all of them; even the critics. But I beg you to keep in mind that I am simply trying to keep my head above water. I do the best I can with spell and grammar check but that is all I can do. I simply can’t afford to pay for editing. However it does not mean that I have not put many days and nights of hard work into my books. If you do not look too closely at my grammar skills, I can promise you that you will find the reading of these stories enjoyable. The books are getting decent reviews from the readers and those that have read them tell me that the mistakes do not take away from the story line or the characters. Thank You Josephine
I have said it before and i will continue to say it...
I have the greatest fans in the world! Thank you so very much for all your fantastic support. Here are the first reviews for the latest of the Kelly Jo Froggit series: ~ the Paranormal ~ Josephine
By Bobo on May 3, 2016
Verified Purchase Love this book , I have all the books and can't wait for book 4 . You will laugh , cry , and get mad . This book is so good I could not put it down, had to read it all in one sitting , just love it cant' wait for book 4 . By my kindle on May 4, 2016 Verified Purchase I really love these series. She got some imagination Many of you have asked what sparked my interest in the paranormal. That is one of the easiest questions to answer. I grew up in a haunted house. Of course it wasn't always haunted. The haunting started almost immediately after the death of my father; he died of cancer when I was 13. And now I live on the property that was owned by my grand-parents. I guess this is why I have never thought of paranormal activity as a scary or evil event. For my family it was always more of a comforting feeling. I know that for some the experiences have been the complete opposite. But for me the feeling that family is still looking out for me is reassuring. Although some of the activity has taken on a more playful aspect since my brothers murder. I guess he wants us all to know he is always looking out for us and that he is still our bratty but loving brother. But it would be nice if he would stop moving the TV remote! If anyone else has a story of your haunting experiences I invite you to share it here or on my FB page. I would love to here all your stories. Have a good one. Josephine To order just go to the home page and click on the cover. Thank you for all your patients and understanding during the last year while you waited for me to pull it together.
You may be glad to here that I am already working on book 4 - The supernaturals.
The editor approved it and it is being processed.
Book three is officially finished. You should be able to order your copy in about three days. I will let you know when it hits the book shelves! Book 4~ Supernaturals~ is already in the works ~YIPEEE!!! |
Take a look inside the curious mind of Josephine Ritchie. Follow her on Pinterest now.
AuthorJosephine, a fifty year old woman with an uncertain future. Who just happens to love all things mystical & spooky. |