As a writer, I've written about restless spirits that come back from the dead and haunted houses, but I've never really been on a true ghost hunt with all the really cool equipment and everything. So, because my curiosity always gets the best of me, I had to do a little research into the tools of the ghost hunting trade.

Photography:  One of the most common methods of trying to capture paranormal activity. Photos are taken and then analyzed for anomalies such as orbs, unusual shadows, or previously unseen apparitions. 

EMF Meter:  This is used to measure the electric magnetic current in the air. A possible sign of a ghostly presence would be a spike in the reading.

Thermometer: One sign of possible paranormal activity is a sudden and unexplained drop in temperature.

Audio Recorder:  Use of audio recordings can collect EVP's or Electrical Voice Phenomena. These voices are often believed to be disembodied voices or the voices of ghosts and spirits.

Thermal Cameras: Again, a drop in temperature is often thought to accompany paranormal activity and thermal cameras can capture and record any temperature variations that can later be compared to photographs or video of the same location.

Ghost hunting has become really popular with shows like Ghost Hunters highlighting the methods of a proper paranormal investigation. It really makes me want to go out and explore some of the locations around me and from my books such as the Battle of Corydon site. I'm not sure which tools I'd use, but sometime I'm going to have to go out there and at least snap a few pictures.

What haunted location would you love to investigate or use some of this stuff at?

Wow! That's all I can say about the season finale for FX's American Horror Story: Coven! ***Warning Spoliers Ahead***

So, I've been addicted to this show so badly this season. I've loved the touch of real history sprinkled throughout and it got me hooked from the get go. With that said, there have been times when I've just shook my head and other times when I'm yelling at the television like a lunatic (yes, I am so that person).

First off, I lost my bet on who was the supreme a few weeks ago when Nan was killed off. I so wanted it to be her! My second choice though...That would have been the money maker if anyone would have taken me up on that bet.

The episode started off really well with the witches practicing their spells and Stevie Nicks walking around singing about the seven wonders to all the witches. I actually doubted my choice for a moment. I mean how perfect would it have been for Stevie nicks to be named the new supreme?

It was really sad that Misty was the first one to fail the seven wonders and get stuck in her own version of hell where she had to cut open a live frog again and again. I mean eww!

I was also a little disappointed that Zoe's version of hell was Kyle breaking up with her again and again. I mean seriously! Are you a witch or a needy little girl? That told me right away that she wasn't the supreme. That desperate need for love is a weakness that the supreme wouldn't have.

Zoe's obcession with Kyle was nearly her undoing again when the mind control test went south and Madison had Kyle choking the life out of Zoe. I sort knew how he felt. I wanted to reach through my televsision and choke her myself. Why not balls up and do something about Madison instead of kissing Kyle? Seriously!

Maybe because I was already annoyed with her, I sort of did a little cheer when Zoe bit it on the spikes of the gate during the transmutation test. Then of course, Madison refused to bring Zoe back and Queenie was unable to. My, my, the choices are narrowing. I thought for a mement that it would have been really aweson if Madison did bring Zoe back and then Zoe turned and killed Madison off in private. Then perhaps Zoe could be the supreme and Kyle could be her little sidekick like Spalding was to Fiona.

Okay, so that brings me to the new supreme Cordelia. First off, anyone that would blind herself a second time just so she could get the second sight to help the coven...Yeah, top that. So Cordelia doesn't just pass the seven wonders, she blows them away and announces her determination to bring the coven out of the shadows, but the twists and turns aren't done yet.

We can't wrap up this season without Fiona getting whats coming to her. Yes, we find out that she faked her death and now she's face to face with the daughter she hated, the new supreme, the very cause of her destruction. I expected her to kill Cordelia, to rid herself of the new supreme and therefore take her throne again. How cool would it have been for her to stabbed her daughter, killed Queenie and Zoe (possibly off camera), and then walked out of the house as it burst into flames. She could have walked past all of those crowded on the sidewalk, looking fabulous. that would have been great, but being stuck in an eternal hell of a fishing cabin with the axe man. It was too normal...Too ordinary...That would have been hell for her.

All in all, it was a great end to the season. What did you think?

I love the paranormal and all things dark and creepy. I read paranormal romances (because just straight romances don't cut it), watch paranormal television, and can't watch enough scary movies. Still, I'm not sure where I stand on the idea of a haunted vacation.

A haunted vacation is where you purposely travel to a location that is known for its paranormal activity. This would be your sole purpose of going even though there is no guarantee that you would see or experience anything.

The idea has become so popular that the travel channel even ran a special on the Top 10 Haunted Hotels in America to help people pick their next ghostly destination.

So what about you? Would you take a haunted vacation and if so, where would you go?

As many of you know, I am fascinated by the idea of reincarnation. My Spiritus Series centered around the idea of a love being so strong that it could cross the line between life and death. Well, these are a few of my favorite reincarnation stories.

James Leininger: This young boy was always intrigued by planes, especially World War II planes, but around the time he was two, he began having terrible nightmares about the planes he once loved, dreaming of a fiery plane crash and a man trapped inside.

As he grew older, his parents took him to see a counselor who explained the concept of past lives and encouraged him to speak about his memories. James and his parents took the advice to heart and he began telling them more about this other life that he remembered including the type of plane he flew, the ship from which they took off from, and the name of a man he flew with. He also began signing any drawing he made "James 3".

Through a little research, his parents confirmed that a pilot named James M. Huston Jr. was shot down in that type of plane, that took off from the exact boat that the boy named, and that he was shot down on March 3, 1945.

Virginia Tighe:  One of the most famous cases of reincarnation. In 1952, Virginia is put in a trance by an amateur hypnotist. While in her trance, she claimed to be Bridey Murphy, an Irish woman that lived in Cork. She described the accident that lead to her death and even her own funeral.

The hypnotist, Morey Bernstein, eventually released a book about the event. Reporters went to Ireland and tried to verify the facts of Virginia's "memories", some were debunked right away, but there were some that have stood the test of time like her ability to describe the coastline and her memory of a nearby church.


So, do you believe in reincarnation and past lives?
 

I'm still deep in my research for The Soul of the Witch, and now I'm getting into articles that mention the religion of Wicca. My brain sort of flipped through the things I knew about witchcraft and back to something I may have read back in high school, but I couldn't remember that much about it.  So what is Wicca exactly?

Digging a little deeper, I learned that Wicca is a religion that is centered around honoring nature and the cycle of the year. There are eight holidays in the Wiccan religion; two solstices, two equinoxes, and then four other sabbats throughout the year.

Wiccans believe that there is a common universal force that exists within everything and that this force can be manipulated through a person's will alone. This manipulation is the basis for Wiccan magic.

Wiccans believe in the threefold rule, believing that whatever they send out into the universe, go or bad, will come back to them threefold. They also believe to "harm none".

It is strange to me that such a seemingly peaceful religion is so often associated with worshiping the devil. Further reading reveals that Wiccans do not even believe in the devil or any personification of good or evil.

So now I have to question if my characters will be Wiccans or the more traditional form of witches...Oh, decisions, decisions.

So while editing Ever After (Gypsy Fairy Tale Book Three), I'm still doing research for The Soul of the Witch.  The largest aspect of the book will be about the occult, which brings to mind the question: What is witchcraft exactly?

I published a post on Ezine Articles last week, 10 Best Horror Novels of All Time, where I shared some of my favorite scary stories. For some reason though, picking just ten books was so hard! I decided to do this follow up post to add a few more.

Carrie by Stephen King - This was the novel that started it all and brought world wide attention to the master of horror! This is the book that made me terrified of that lonely girl that sat alone every day in the school cafeteria. I just knew that she was waiting for the perfect moment to kill all of us with her amazing telepathic powers.

I don't know how the knew movie holds up to the book, but I do have to say that I am very impressed by the marketing!

Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe - I love me some Poe. No list of horror novels is complete with him on it. Now I know he wrote poetry and short stories, BUT...Until Stephen King came along, Edgar Allan Poe was the end all be all of horror and to this day I still love to read his work.

I was really shocked when I referenced his poem The Raven and my daughter had no clue what I was talking about.  My first thought was, "Oh honey, your public education has failed you."

I promptly remedied that by reading her a few lines. I can't have my child going through life Poeless.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury - I couldn't leave this off of the list!  I always think about this story when I see a carousel and I have to admit, it was in the back of my mind when I wrote the parade scene for Once (Gypsy Fairy Tale Book One).

I can remember as a child, staying up late to watch it and have even voice my opinion about the need for a remake.

The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice - In my last list, I just didn't feel as though Anne Rice was represented enough. For those of you that are new to the blog, she is my favorite writer of all time so of course I have to include some of her novels.

The Vampire Lestat was so good because she took the "villain" of Interview With The Vampire and made him the hero for the rest of the story every though he was scary as hell.

Jaws by Peter Benchley - I'm adding this one to the list even though I haven't read it yet.  I mean come on, thanks to this book and the movie based on it, millions of people are now terrified to go into the water.  For that reason alone, it deserves a mention on a list of the best horror novels!

I will say that during one of our trips to Myrtle Beach, that music was playing in my head when I saw a dark fin appear in the water.  To my embarrassment, it was only a dolphin...But Still.

The Witching Hour by Anne Rice - One of my favorite novels of all time!  There is just something about the seductive spirit Lasher that moves the story along so beautifully, but at the same time he's completely terrifying!

I'm always shocked when I read reviews that people didn't like it.  What's not to like?  A vengeful spirit guides a family through generations, seeking to create the perfect witch so that he can return? 

I so hope that one day a movie is made from this book!

The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice - This novel combined some of my favorite things:  Vampires and Egypt.  I loved the character of Akasha!  She was so deliciously evil!  She made the perfect opposite for Lestat!

I have to say, I loved the movie too which despite the evidence in this list, is a pretty rare thing.

I am a huge American Horror Story: Coven fan. I love the supernatural elements mixed with the mean spirited female characters, but to me, the part that makes it even more frightening is that some of the characters are based in fact.

Every time I watch, I'm always wondering how the real life counterparts would stack up against their fictional twins. In some ways, the real people are more powerful and far more mysterious than anything Hollywood could create or dig up.

One of my favorite characters in the show is Marie Laveau. On the show, she is the immortal voodoo queen of New Orleans. She sold her soul to Papa Legba for the gift of immortality and now has a strained truce with Fiona Goode, the supreme witch.

So, how does this stack up against reality?

Well, the real Marie Laveau was born in 1794 and died in 1881. She and her daughter (same name) practiced voodoo throughout New Orleans and over 12,000 people came to Lake Pontchartrain to see her perform her legendary rites on St. John's Eve.

When she died in 1881, it is believed that she was buried the Glapion family crypt, in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans. Tourists often visit the grave and draw an X on the tomb, believing that to do so will encourage Marie Laveau to grant your wish.


I based the character, Madame Desmarais from my Spiritus Series novels, on her and the belief that she could raise the dead on St. John's Eve. Of all the research I did for those novels, learning about her was the most interesting. I really hope to go to New Orleans one day and visit The Voodoo Museum and learn even more.

Another favorite character of mine is Delphine LaLaurie. I just love the way that karma came back to bite her in the butt!

On the show, Delphine was a wealthy socialite known throughout New Orleans, but she was also a serial killer that tortured and murdered her slaves. Marie Laveau seeks revenge after the torture of her beau and curses Delphine with eternal life and trapped her in her grave.

Now that is some gruesome stuff that could never be reality...right? Wrong! The real Delphine LaLaurie was every bit as evil as her fictional character.

Madame LaLaurie did in fact keep slaves and was rumored to be quite cruel. A young slave girl fell to her death from an upstairs window while trying to escape a whip wielding LaLaurie. The death caused nnine slaves to be removed from the house. Now can you imagine how badly a person would have to treat a slave for Southern law to say that it was too much?

The slaves were bought back by relatives and returned to Madame LaLaurie and for a while, things went back to "normal" in the LaLaurie home, but it wouldn't be long before the entire world learned how crazy that "normal" was.

On April 10, 1834, according to Wikipedia, a fire broke out in the LaLaurie residence on Royal Street, starting in the kitchen. When the police and fire marshals got there, they found a seventy-year-old woman, the cook, chained to the stove by her ankle. She later confessed to them that she had set the fire as a suicide attempt for fear of her punishment, being taken to the uppermost room, because she said that anyone who had been taken there never came back. 

As reported in the New Orleans Bee of April 11, 1834, bystanders responding to the fire attempted to enter the slave quarters to ensure that everyone had been evacuated. Upon being refused the keys by the LaLauries, the bystanders broke down the doors to the slave quarters and found "seven slaves, more or less horribly mutilated ... suspended by the neck, with their limbs apparently stretched and torn from one extremity to the other", who claimed to have been imprisoned there for some months.

One of those who entered the premises was Judge Jean-Francois Canonge, who subsequently deposed to having found in the LaLaurie mansion, among others, a "negress ... wearing an iron collar" and "an old negro woman who had received a very deep wound on her head [who was] too weak to be able to walk." Canonge claimed that when he questioned Madame LaLaurie's husband about the slaves, he was told in an insolent manner that "some people had better stay at home rather than come to others' houses to dictate laws and meddle with other people's business."

When the discovery of the tortured slaves became widely known, a mob of local citizens attacked the LaLaurie residence and "demolished and destroyed everything upon which they could lay their hands". A sheriff and his officers were called upon to disperse the crowd, but by the time the mob left, the Royal Street property had sustained major damage, with "scarcely any thing [remaining] but the walls." The tortured slaves were taken to a local jail, where they were available for public viewing. The New Orleans Bee reported that by April 12 up to 4,000 people had attended to view the tortured slaves "to convince themselves of their sufferings."

The Pittsfield Sun, citing the New Orleans Advertiser and writing several weeks after the evacuation of LaLaurie's slave quarters, claimed that two of the slaves found in the LaLaurie mansion had died since their rescue, and added: "We understand ... that in digging the yard, bodies have been disinterred, and the condemned well [in the grounds of the mansion] having been uncovered, others, particularly that of a child, were found." These claims were repeated by Martineau in her 1838 book Retrospect of Western Travel, where she placed the number of unearthed bodies at two, including the child.

LaLaurie's life after the 1834 fire is not well documented. LaLaurie fled New Orleans during the mob violence that followed the fire, taking a coach to the waterfront and travelling by boat from there to Alabama and then on to Paris.

The circumstances of Delphine LaLaurie's death are also unclear. George Washington Cable recounted in 1888 a then-popular but unsubstantiated story that LaLaurie had died in France in a boar-hunting accident. Whatever the truth, in the late 1930s, Eugene Backes, who served as sexton to St. Louis Cemetery #1 until 1924, discovered an old cracked, copper plate in Alley 4 of the cemetery. The inscription on the plate read: "Madame LaLaurie, née Marie Delphine Macarty, décédée à Paris, le 7 Décembre, 1842, à l'âge de 6--."

According to the French archives of Paris, she did not die in 1842, but on December 7, 1849.

I have the habit of telling myself not to stress about things, that what is meant to be is meant to be, but do I really believe that?

Over the holiday's, I was lucky enough to get to spend some time with my best friend. This is a huge thing since she lives four states away. And when I say my best friend, I don't mean the normal "let's go shopping together" sort of friendship, no ours is that best friends since kindergarden, read each other's minds, pick up right where we left off sort of friendship.

When we got together, we were both wearing almost identical shirts, wearing our sunglasses the same way...And the same earrings. We finish each other's sentences and went almost two decades without seeing each other, but managed to pick up right where we left off. Our kids play together like they've know each other their entire lives even though this was only the second time they ever got together, almost like they could feel this amazing connection that they were supposed to have.

It's this sort friendship that was the inspiration for the book that I'm working on now, The Soul of the Witch. 

Have you ever had that sort of friendship?