Posts Tagged ‘Ghosts’

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X is for XOXO or better known as Kisses and Hugs

What magic does a kiss hold? Shakespeare believed a kiss is a seal of love.

A kiss can be filled with passion, tantalizing the senses with secrets. In fairy tales, fair maidens are awakened with a kiss, and wedding vows are sealed with a kiss.

Being a romance author, kissing is a part of the story. Whether the hero or heroine is human, vampire or shape shifter, it’s all about passion overriding caution. The kiss should ignite a bone-melting fire that spreads through the blood with promises of dreams of the future.

Kissing is a part of the romance to find the one.

History of using X

Using the letter X meant as a kiss dates back to the Middle Ages. Most people in the middle ages could not read or write. An X was placed on documents, and the person would place a kiss upon it, to display their sworn oath of sincerity.

Adding the O for hugs—May have originated in North America representing arm circling around a person. The phrase “hugs and kisses’ was a common phrase in the early 1900s.

Legends of a Kiss

In Italy, a woman who kisses the armor-clad statue of Gidarello Guidarelli will marry a wonderful man.

In Ireland, people travel from all over the world to kiss the Blarney Stone. It is believed to give good fortune and the gift of eloquence.

In Germany, it is believed if spouses kiss each morning, they will earn thirty percent more money and will live five times longer than those who do not kiss.

Laws against Kissing

Iowa: a man with a mustache may never kiss a woman in public. Another law states: a Kiss may not last longer than five minutes.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa: it is a crime to kiss a stranger.

Hartford, Connecticut: It is illegal for a man to kiss his wife on Sunday.

Pennsylvania: You cannot kiss a person over 18 years old if you are younger than 18 years old.

Boston, Massachusetts: You cannot kiss in front of a church.

Wisconsin: It is illegal to kiss on a train.

In Colorado, it is against the law to kiss a sleeping woman. It was good thing Snow White and Sleeping Beauty didn’t live in Colorado or their princes would have been arrested.

Scientific Studies:

A kiss speaks your mind and the scientists believe it’s all about dopamine, neurotransmitters—the release of pheromones.  While kissing, chemicals are believed to trigger the need for closeness, giving the hard-wire impression to a woman if this person is the right mate. Gives a whole new meaning to how shape shifters find their mates.

It is also theorized that there is testosterone in men’s saliva, making females relax, happier—hmm, perhaps enticing the woman to want to be with him. And you thought Vampires had power.

Looks like kissing is a potent love potion for men and women. It’s all in the kiss. So pucker up and enjoy the magic.

In my tale The Curse of Tempest Gate, it was all about the kiss...

Do you remember your first Kiss? Was it memorable or were you glad when it was over?

Here's the list to the other A to Z Challenge participants. Have fun hopping!!

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This is the 20th day of the A to Z Challenge.

T is for Time Travel

H.G. Wells lived in a time where thoughts of traveling to the moon were nothing but a fantasy, but he held fast to the belief that we would one day accomplish the feat. He also envisioned that we would accomplish a way to travel through time. Could he have been onto something?

In truth, we are all time travelers now. Time is the rate of change and we are constantly changing. We measure time in seconds, minutes, hours, and years. However, time doesn’t flow at the same rate. In our world time is relative. We live in the three spatial dimensions of length, width, and depth, while time is the fourth dimension. Time cannot exist without space. So space obviously cannot exist without time. Right? The two exist as one in the ‘space-time continuum’. Does anyone remember ‘Back to the Future’? Everything that happens to you, every life event, every moment, involves both time and space.

Einstein’s theory of relativity has proven time travel to the future is possible, but how about the past? Did you know when you glance at the night sky and see the Milky Way we’re looking at a width of 100,000 light-years wide? The distant stars’ light takes thousands upon thousands of years to reach Earth. So when we gaze upon this light, we are actually looking back in time.

If it were possible, would you want to time travel to the future or to the past?

List of My Time Travel Tales:

Creighton Manor (1870 Natchez) 

A Twist of Fate (1814 N.Carolina/New Orleans)

At the Stroke of Midnight (1970 Hollywood)

Lost in the Mist of Time (16th Century Ireland)

Heart of a Warrior (Travel the Isle of Skye in the fantasy short story)

Storm Riders (1800s Western Steam Punk Adventure) 

Books available at: Amazon and other online bookstores.

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This is the 16th day of the A to Z Challenge.

Q is for Queen Mary Maritime Museum

Do you have a favorite place you never grow tired of exploring? The Queen Mary is such a place for me, and I thought I would share the history of this magnificent ship!

The Queen Mary was bigger, faster and mightier than the Titanic.  She was constructed at the John Brown shipyard in Clyde, Scotland and made her maiden voyage on May 27, 1936. 

At one time, the Ocean liner hosted elaborate parties where royalty, world leaders and top entertainment figures enjoyed fine wine and seven course meals. 

From 1940-1946, she was transformed into a carrier ship aiding forces during World War II.  She is said to have carried over 760 thousand military personnel.  She was painted a drab-gray to keep her hidden in the misty waters, giving her the nickname “The Gray Ghost.”

The psychic Mable Fortescue-Harrison predicted that the Queen Mary would know its greatest fame when she no longer sailed.  It seems her prediction came true.  The ship is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is permanently docked in Long Beach, California. It contains the Hotel Queen Mary with 365 restored original First Class staterooms.  It has a maritime museum and has had numerous exhibits with the artifacts from the Titanic, the legendary Marilyn Monroe's personal possessions, and “Treasures of the Last Czar.” 

It hosts the Scottish Highland Games every February, Art Deco Festivals, The annual Halloween Terrorfest, and the Annual Long Beach Holiday Tree-Lighting Ceremony.

They've also hosted a “Ghostfest” a paranormal weekend. Where they held a spiritual investigation in hopes of finding poltergeists, and psychic phenomena. They focused on special after hours and late night tours. 

With so much to see and do, the Queen Mary attracts thousands of visitors every year whether it is to enjoy the exhibits or to experience first hand if she is truly haunted. 

The Queen Mary is a fascinating old ship with a rich history.  As any old structure with dim lighting, it can feel creepy and make noises that will make you jump.  So whether you are a skeptic or a firm believer in the paranormal, you’ll enjoy the different tours that are offered aboard the Queen Mary.

Here are a few of my stories that feature the Queen Mary.

Here's the list to the other A to Z Challenge participants. Have fun hopping!!

***Photos were taken by myself or my husband.

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This is the 15th day of the A to Z Challenge.

P is for Paranormal Worlds

Paranormal romance touches on themes ranging from horror, fantasy and science fiction while keeping a darker Gothic feel to the story. The characters may range from human to vampires, ghosts, werewolves, shifters, witches, demons and fallen angels. Even time travel, ghosts and aliens may fall under this genre. Paranormal romance is stepping into another world to enjoy the magic of legends—new and old.

Create a Believable Paranormal World

If you’re creating a world from scratch, you’ll need rules for your preternatural beings to follow. Research legends, folklores and mythologies, to help inspire your muse. For your paranormal world to work you’ll want to create a convincing mythology to go with it. You may take an old mythology and expand upon it or you may want to rewrite your own and only touch on some of the traditional lore. Either way is fine.

It’s a great idea to keep a journal of the world you created. This is especially helpful if you’re going to write a series. The rules in your world must be followed. You don’t have state all the rules on page one of your story. You can pace and reveal throughout the tale. The important thing is to be consistent.

Here are some examples to keep in mind for your character building:

Where did they come from?

Do they have powers?

Are they soul survivors of a species?

How have they learned to live among the humans?

What laws do they have?

Do they have an enemy that could destroy them? 

Again, consistency is crucial. Establish the rules and stick with them. Building your paranormal world is the fun part. Keep it fresh and reveal your secrets gradually. It’ll give your characters a chance to grow and it will give the readers a reason to keep reading.

A few of my paranormal tales:

Fallen Angels

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It is the seventh day of the A to Z Challenge.

G is for Ghosts

What is a ghost? Some believe it is a soul or spirit of a dead person or animal. The entity may appear as wisps of fog-like mist, a transparent figure, a partially visible spirit, or a lifelike versions of what the person once looked like.

Ghosts have been known to haunt a location or even an object. People and animals are not all that have made ghostly appearances. There have been reports of ghost trains and phantom ships.

There are many theories and documented experiences throughout history to explain ghosts, but even now they remain a mystery. Below is a list of the different types of spirits one may come across.

The Intelligent Ghost

A more traditional view of ghosts is that they are spirits of the dead who are ‘stuck’ between this plane of existence and the next. These ghosts are in limbo and may haunt the place of their death, or a location where they felt safe and happy. The intelligent ghost will interact with the living, and you may be able to communicate with them.

A 14-year-old domestic servant, Therese Selles, experienced a poltergeist. (1911)

The Residual Hauntings

These are the ghosts that seem to repeat the same action. Like a ghost ship appearing at the same location where it sunk, or when a ghost materializes in the same place, repeats the same movements, and does not interact with a ‘live’ person. It could simply be footfalls in the same hallway or stairs with no visual apparition. These sightings or ghostly sounds are similar to a recording. The residual energy plays over and over again. The traumatic moment leaves an impression, causing the event to play in a continual loop.

Poltergeist

A poltergeist is a noisy ghost. They tend to move or throw objects, hide trinkets, and make persistent rapping sounds. Generally poltergeists are harmless pranksters.

Vortexes

Queen Mary (Orb)

Queen Mary (Vortex)

Vortexes or vortices are wisps of light that appear in photos. They may look like swirling spiral light or look like an opaque shape. They are thought to be spiritual energies trying to manifest into a more human-like form. Others believe vortexes are just reflections of light from breath or cigarette smoke.

Orbs

Orbs are round particles of light appearing in photos. Some believe they are many ghosts in a ball of light. Others explain them away as dust particles.

Interesting Ghost Sightings

Rudolph Valentino’s Dog Kabar died in 1929 and is buried in Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park in California. Kabar has appeared by his grave and likes to lick every passerby.

It is said on moonlit nights Blackbeard’s headless shade can be seen swimming in Ocracoke Island cover where he died. On November 1718, after a battling the British navy, Blackbeard succumbed to five bullets and over twenty sword wounds. The British hung his head on their ship and tossed his body overboard. It is rumored his headless body swam around the boat three times before sinking beneath the ocean’s surface.

Tombigbee River

The Eliza Battle, a paddle steamer burned in 1858 on the Tombigbee River in Alabama. There are reports of this paddle steamer appearing fully aflame as a warning of impending disaster.

THE SPIRIT OF LOVE is a ghostly tale aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, California.

So my questions to you: Do you believe in Ghosts? Have you ever seen one?

I hope you enjoyed the post and will stop by tomorrow for H is for Haunted Places.

Here's the list to the other A to Z Challenge participants.

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Join me at Believing is Seeing for Fun Friday: Last Act at the Hollywood Sign

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STOP BY AMAZON FOR Wee bit of Magic for St. Patrick's Day!

Lá fhéile Pádraig sona dhuit! Happy St. Patrick’s Day to You!

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Join me for Fun Friday at Believing is Seeing for a ghostly visit of Golden Gate Bridge.

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