The index of articles from this blog are now posted as a page. Find the listing here:
ASTROLOGY SERVICES:
To find my books, click on the link below.
Tag Archives: writing
BLOG INDEX SAMPLING
For the last few weeks, I’ve been working on a directory of posts from the blog. Although not all encompassing, hopefully it’ll help anyone looking to read about specific topics. Below is a sampling of categories and articles. Eventually, I’ll make an index page. Also note that WordPress didn’t seem to retain anything prior to 2014, although I started this blog in 2012. If anyone knows why, please share below.
DIRECTORY OF BLOG POSTS
ASTROLOGY:
Chiron & the Healing Journey- M. Reinhart
Reincarnation Astrology
Alan Leo- Father of Modern Astrology
Yesterday’s Sky- S. Forrest
Evolutionary Astrology/reincarnation
An Astrological Look at the Pandemic
Gazing Skyward: History of Astrology
The Fated Sky- B. Bobrick
Interview with Mama Maga: Astrologer
Astrology & the Rising of Kundalini– BH Clow
——————————————————————————————————————–SPIRITUAL
Poem: A Morning Offering– O’Donohue
Who are you?
Samhaim- What is it? (pagan holiday)
James Randi- (never a true skeptic)
Painted Rocks (community project)
Life in a Time of Covid
Ellis shares her Covid journal
Gratitude Reminders– gratitude practice
The 1st Time Reindeer Flew
history, culture, shamanic, mushrooms
Meditation Fundamentals Spiritual Schools Get Wrong–
shared link from Khefer Haru
A Resonate Thanksgiving
Covid Thanksgiving & past suffering
Where to now, St. Peter?
“Lockdown”
Poem by Fr. Richard Hendrick, OFM
Buddhism & Quantum Physics (video)
Christmas Blog- A Reflection
Spiritual Awakening: Kundalini
Extraordinary Conduits
channeled text material
Of Chicks & Robots
consciousness, mind, intention
Winter Solstice at Stonehenge
What’s a Beguine?
Physics of the Soul- A. Goswami
living, dying, reincarnation
——————————————————————————————————————–
GHOSTS & HAUNTINGS:
The Fashionable Ghost
ghost sightings, portrayal of ghosts in lit.
A Chill in Amsterdam
History, ghostly tales
The Dark Rises
hauntings in NY State
The Ghost Story in Literature
Ghost Town (St. Elmo)
visiting a CO. ghost town
A Parisian Cemetery/Pere Lachaise
Things That Go Bump in the Night
beware conjuring your own ghost
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ASTROLOGY SERVICES:
To find my books, click on the link below.
Filed under blog
GHOST TOWN!
I’m finishing a novel set in Colorado at the turn of the nineteenth century. Part of the tale includes my protagonist traveling to a high-altitude mining town. Research for the book allowed for an excursion into the Colorado mountains. Ghost towns are boom and bust towns related to the mining industry that flourish for a short time but then are abandoned. They are not particularly known for ghosts, but I’m sure a few linger…
The photos show some of what remains of St. Elmo today.
The town was founded in 1880 and originally named Forrest City. It was changed when several other towns also used that name causing confusion. One of the founding fathers happened to be reading a book titled St. Elmo and was inspired by the romantic tale. Gold and silver mining drew people to settle there.
At its height, St. Elmo had about 2000 residents (mostly male, typical of all mining endeavors). The town center included several hotels and saloons, a general store, a telegraph office, a newspaper office, a town hall, and a schoolhouse. No mention of a church nor the prostitution cribs (in some places like Cripple Creek, we know where the “Red Light District” was).
There were 150 mine claims in the area, but the majority of men worked at only four of the biggest mines. The largest and most productive was the gold mine called the Mary Murphy which operated until 1922 recovering $60 M through the years. A railroad ran through St. Elmo allowing the town access to supplies.
Although the Mary Murphy continued to be profitable many of the other claims failed. By the 1920s, the town had been in steady decline for years. By 1958, the place was a virtual ghost town although a few people still reside in the houses photographed.
Nowadays, most of St. Elmo is considered private property. You are allowed to photograph from a proscribed distance, but the buildings are not necessarily deserted like they are in some more remote ghost towns of the west. In fact, St. Elmo is considered to be one of the most accessible Colorado ghost towns (despite the long drive on unpaved road) because you can actually drive up to it. Many require hiking through remote parts of the state.
So if you read about Tallulah visiting Teller City searching for her long-lost Ma, you’ll know I’m waving from St. Elmo!
Filed under travel
LYDIA INTERVIEWS ELLIS-
Hey, gang! I’m Lydia. In Ellis’ book, Timeless Tulips, Dark Diamonds- A Ghost Story, I was the fourteen-year-old moving to Upstate New York dealing with the ghost of a Dutch girl from the 17th century. At the time, I thought ghosts weren’t real, but first-hand experience has a way of shattering your reality. Today I have the chance to grill the writer— I mean ask a few behind the scenes questions. Some I have an inkling about, others I’m just as clueless as the reader is.
I’m like totally over this, but how was it that Annika became your favorite?
Yeah, about that. You were always intended to be the main character but by the end of the story, it was obvious Annika had taken over. Partly, it was the history of the period that was so captivating and interesting. 17th century Holland and what Annika’s family goes through during the boom and bust of the tulip market grips us. That’s not to say what you experience is to be trivialized. Lydia- your world changes alongside Annika’s. You both make moves and go through things neither of you expect.
That’s for sure! And now that I know Annika’s whole story, I get why she acted the way she did. It was just so scary and aggravating at the time. But, like I said- I’m over Annika being more of the focus of the book.
Speaking of our connection, how am I like you? What makes us different?
You deal with the same mother/daughter issues but with a maturity I didn’t have. We both are “book” people and have a love for animals. Both of us struggle to find our place in the world. Don’t we all?
What was the toughest scene in the book to write?
You know this one.
Yeah, but I gotta ask.
Tell them.
The incident when Mom had to call the ambulance.
Why?
Because it really happened that way.
Right. That scene was written from experience. It was just before Christmas and I was starring at the Christmas tree. The lights started to behave strangely. I witnessed a bizarre and beautiful phenomenon, I later learned was called “aura”. Events intensified where I lost my ability to speak and access language. My brain shut down. Some people call this a stroke in slow motion. Very scary. In fact, it was and is the scariest thing to ever happen to me. And these incidents continued for twelve years. Imagine, experiencing unpredictable, stroke-like symptoms for a dozen years… That’s why this scene was so hard to write and re-read.
Would you say this is your most personal book?
Absolutely. We’ve already talked about the migraine connection but there are other elements as well. In the dedication, I mention being a toddler and talking about a ghost I would see at night. This book also explores mother/daughter issues I myself experienced. Lydia is far more perceptive and processes these topics with insight I didn’t possess at her age. In many ways, the book was cathartic in allowing me to explore themes of illness, emerging spirituality, healing, and personal power.
Can I have a sequel?
No way! Sorry, my dear, your story has been told.
Is Annika getting a sequel?
This is starting to sound like whining. I’ve already given you credit for being mature. Now, what impression are readers going to be left with?
Oops. I just want you to know that I’m available should another plotline jump into that writer head of yours.
Got it.
Anyway, thanks for hanging out today! Timeless Tulips, Dark Diamonds is out in print and e-book. Follow the links below.
Print: https://amzn.to/2WnlqZX
E- book: https://amzn.to/2l7LhHP
Filed under Books
NOW IN PRINT! Elephants Never Forgotten
Just in time for the holidays.
Order through Amazon: goo.gl/EKcVDB
What’s it about? Jurassic Park meets Micro
A hundred years in the future, twelve-year-old Nigella receives a shipment from her deceased grandfather. Her inheritance is a herd of micro-elephants. While a lot of her friends have micro-pets, Nigella is at a loss on how to care for them. Why are her micro-pets so different from everyone else’s? What was her grandfather up to? With the help of her best friend, Kepler, the girls set off on an adventure to discover the truth.
Also available as an ebook.
Filed under Uncategorized
Exciting News: Moving to Brussels
photo by Myrabella
It’s time to announce a big change. Over the next few months, I will be relocating to Brussels, Belgium. Living abroad will bring many new challenges and hopefully, lots of new experiences. I speak no French or Dutch so that in itself will be tough, but we’ve been assured that many Belgians speak English and there are lots of expats already in the city. My most pressing issue is to figure out how to get a big dog and two cats into the country. So if anyone has sage advice on airlines, routes, or anything else- please share.
We are planning to travel just after Christmas and so much has to be done between now and then. Because of that, I probably won’t be as available on social media as I have been. Be patient, I’ll be back. 2017 will bring the publication of a new book called Tender Tulips, Dark Diamonds:A Ghost Story. Part of the story takes place in the Netherlands and this move will allow me the opportunity to explore some of the places mentioned in that book. Oddly enough, I’ll be writing a new novel set in Colorado at the turn of the last century while I’m in one of the low countries. So on to new adventures!
Filed under Brussels, Uncategorized
Interview on Muse & Ink
Filed under Books, Uncategorized
DARK MATTER by Philip Kerr
I know Philip Kerr from his children’s novels and didn’t realize he wrote stories for adults. While searching for another book, I came upon his Dark Matter, a novel written in 2002 and it immediately caught my attention. It’s 1696 and Christopher Ellis has just taken on a job assisting Sir Isaac Newton at the Royal Mint. As Warden, it’s Newton’s job to hunt down counterfeiters. A challenging enough job but when mysterious murders start happening, Ellis plays Watson to Newton as an earlier version of Sherlock Holmes. Clues and body counts rise as Ellis and Newton face personal danger in the politically volatile back streets of London. Throw in a mix of alchemy and codes and we’re off on a most puzzling case. Turns out that more than the economy of the realm is threatened. A century’s old massacre pits Huguenots against Catholics in a revenge plot only the brain of Newton can piece together. This is a thoroughly fun historical thriller. Kerr excels with this one!
https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Matter-Private-Isaac-Newton-ebook/dp/B003FCVEY6/
Filed under Books, Uncategorized
More Than a Ghost Story
Author Maighread MacKay talks about her novel, Stone Cottage.
I just finished Maighread MacKay’s fabulous novel, Stone Cottage. I believe it falls in the category of Visionary Fiction. It is a classic ghost story, but so much more. Tragedy rocks Rebecca Wainwright’s world. Searching for a private sanctuary she finds a stone cottage that draws her back to another time. The novel explores how we construct our reality, wounding and potential healing, and how our life connections transcend time and place. I’m happy Maighread agreed to discuss her work.
I’m interested in your writing process for Stone Cottage. Did you construct the modern story with Rebecca first or did you first create Annie’s (the ghost) story?
I am a “pantser” more than a “plotter”, so I had the main characters in my mind and worked on them simultaneously. The first draft of the story was done in three sections: Rebecca’s Story, Annie’s Story and Together. When I showed it to my editor, she felt that the story really started in the third section and advised that I restructure the novel starting with where Rebecca finds Stone Cottage and meets Annie and then integrating the back story. Whew. Major rewrite, but it did work better.
What sort of research did you do for the novel? I suspect your own spirituality and/or experience came into play for the parts of the book that examine life after death. Can you share some background on this?
The research was quite extensive. Since Annie’s story is set in Whitby (Canada) and the surrounding area in the mid 1800’s, I visited our local Pioneer Village which is set in the time period. I was able to see the housing setup, clothing and utensils used at the time. The Director was kind enough to let me spend time viewing their records and correspondence from the time period. I also visited the Archives of the main library and reviewed letters, newspaper articles, family records and other important documents of the area. I also searched online for important information such as when the railroad was extended from Toronto to Whitby, and what road was used to transport goods from Port Perry to the harbor. It was fascinating. For the spiritual side, yes, a lot of the experiences of my life’s search came into play, such as the clearing of the land or house for negative energy. I also spoke with a Medium, who sees and smells ghosts and I had a past life regression session specifically for the book so that I would get the tone for that scene correctly.
Do you feel there’s a growing demand for books (like yours) that bring up questions about the nature of reality and move it more into the mainstream?
Yes. All life is energy and while at this time on our planet there is a great deal of negative energy, there is also an abundance of positive energy and new discoveries. Research in the areas of quantum physics, parallel universes, the changes in water when spoken to in a harsh or loving manner, how we are literally all connected – these and more are opening people’s eyes to the wondrous lives we live and new and exciting ways to view our existence on this planet. Even schools recognizing the benefits of meditation and incorporating it into the curriculum is moving spirituality into the mainstream. This would never have happened in my childhood. It’s very exciting. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Photo: US Fish & Wildlife Service SE region
What would you like readers to take away from experiencing Stone Cottage?
Whether or not they agree or disagree with the principles in the story, I hope they like it. I do hope, though, that it will make the readers think, “Huh, never thought of life like that.” What I have written is not a definitive look at what life is all about, but rather, a concept that might or could happen. I hope it will help readers to reassess their paradigm of life and death, and look at other possibilities that could be at play. In my own experience, a lot of what I was taught was handed down from generation to generation and I just accepted it as truth. Perhaps it is truth for another, and that’s perfectly fine, but I needed to explore my life’s purpose from different angles to find out what my own truth was and what sat right with me. The whole concept of God, existence, birth, life, death and beyond is so much bigger and more than we’ve been taught and exploring new ideas about them is fascinating to me.
What are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on a mystery with the working title of “Murder at Mother’s”. It is from the point of view of the deceased’s ghost (you can tell I like ghost stories.). Again, I am at the research stage and have several chapters done, but there is still quite away to go. It will have a spiritual component, but again I want the readers to enjoy the story and have that satisfying feeling you get at the end of a good read. I am an avid reader as well as a writer and enjoy nothing more than a good book.
Thanks, Maighread for visiting with us today! For more information about her work, please visit her website and social media platforms.
Website: http://mhefferman.ca/author/my-blog/
FB: facebook.com/maighreadmackay
Twitter: @maighreadmackay
Amazon: myBook.to/stonecottage
Filed under Books, Uncategorized
And the winners are:
August 11, 2PM: I’ve drawn 4 winners for the print copies of Into the Land of Snows. Thanks to everyone who entered. The winners are: Sue S., Finally Florida, Alessandro, and Paronson. Congratulations!! I hope you’ll like the book. I will be contacting all of you to get your shipping addresses. If you see this, you can shoot me an email at: himalayaspencerellis@yahoo.com.
https://www.amazon.com/Into-Land-Snows-Ellis-Nelson/dp/1534879765
Filed under Books, Uncategorized
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