A glimpse into book 4…

Good morning!

For all you curious peeps, here’s a quick glimpse into book 4…

As Park (remember him?) is on a mission to find Black’s board and destroy it, a small, tow-haired boy moves into the house next door to Amanda. A very knowledgeable little boy. And knowledge isn’t always a good thing.

In the meantime, Black has pulled R. Wayne McCready (does that name ring any bells, you die- hard fans?) from his grave… well, I’ll let you wonder why. Just know you should never make any deals with a demon. They always collect.

…and there you have it. Or at least a small piece of it. I hope you’re intrigued because I am having a blast with it. And, yes, I do have a vision of how this one will end. I know who will make it and who,… well,… you know the drill. Enjoy!

Invitation to Darkness… RELEASED

Good afternoon, All!

Just had to jump in to let you know that Invitation to Darkness launched today! You can find the paperback and eBook versions on Amazon….(the two should be linked in the next 24 hours or so). In the meantime, I’m attaching their links to make things a little easier.

Invitation to Darkness, paperback edition

Invitation to Darkness, ebook edition

Enjoy!!

Let me know what you think and please, feel free to leave a review on Amazon. It doesn’t have to be lengthy or deep. Even an “I liked it” or “I didn’t care for it” is fine. The reviews really do help authors and I would truly appreciate all your comments.

Thanks and stay spooky,

Barb

 

“Invitation to Darkness” update, ghost hunting on the horizon and a little Ghostly Memoir…

Evening, All!

Well, I’ve done the final (yes, you read that correctly!) proofread of Invitation to Darkness and my next post will be letting everyone know when it’s up on Amazon! I’m really excited to share it with you. We delve deeper into the history of the dark entity, and the person who set the ball rolling, bringing him into this realm. To give you a little taste of what’s to come, here is the blurb from the back of the book:

   Joe Paine, deceased caretaker of Forest View Apartments, is lost. Alone. Screaming to be heard. Desperate to escape the fate imposed by the demon called Black. He finds himself beside the gravestone of James ‘J.P.’ Borden, a man who knew the entity all too well.

       Amanda Harper is seeking a fresh start, away from the reminders of the brutal murder of her brother on their last paranormal investigation. She moves into an old Victorian house with a small family cemetery behind it. The Borden family, with one stone separate from the rest.

       When the Ouija board Joe used, Black’s board, lands in her possession, Amanda knows she must find a way to send the demon back to his realm. Revoke the invitation that was extended so long ago. Can she survive confronting the entity on its own territory? Or is she be doomed?

I can’t wait to hear what you think of this ongoing saga. One thing you can help me with, though, is a title for the series itself. Any thoughts? I’d love to hear your suggestions. Oh, and is there a fourth book, you’re wondering? Well,…I already know how it ends. I just have to write the rest of it, lol.

As for Sullivan Paranormal, we are scheduling investigations. Covid-19 did put them off a bit, as it has everything else, but we’re getting there. In the next two to three weeks, we’ll be re-investigating a very active building. I’ll let you know where and what we find after the investigation is complete. We have a few other sights lining up that you’ll find very interesting, as well. Information to come soon.

The team is still waiting to show our evidence from a private investigation in January to the owners of the property. Although I can’t divulge where we were, the EVP’s we collected were astounding. It was our second investigation of the site and it seems the spirits are getting used to us being around as one of the clearest EVP’s says, “Merry Christmas from each of us.”  I was surprised, too. Clear and quite a sentence to catch. Intelligent. I think one of the things that is especially helpful is that our team goes into every investigation with respect. We never taunt or provoke. I’m hopeful that we may be able to post some of the EVP’s on Sullivan Paranormal’s Facebook page. We’ll see. Along with that EVP, I left a voice recorder running at base camp. We were chatting and relaxing between sessions and there is a spirit, clearly heard, commenting on our equipment. Very cool. And yes, I’m sure we’ll be headed back there for a third investigation.

I know I said I’d update my “Ghostly Memoir,” and I have so many stories for you, but I’m exhausted. That will be my next post, along with the date you can get your copy of Invitation to Darkness. I may even post the sketch of my next painting. It’s a little different from what I’ve done in the past. You’ll have to let me know what you think!

Stay safe, stay well. Stay spooky!

Barb

Welcome Back, Paranormal Fans!!

Hey, All,

Geez, it’s been a long time since I’ve written. We headed into the holidays with some great ghost investigations with the team. After presenting our evidence from the private location to the owners, we set the date for a second, more in depth, investigation. It didn’t disappoint. The voice of the child was again recorded in a room where two of our team members could sense something present. While in another part of the building, where we had set up our base camp and a spot to have some coffee to keep us going through the night, there were EVP’s picked up as we looked through our equipment cases. It seems one spirit was very curious about the technology we had with us!

That said, we are still waiting to present our evidence to the owners as COVID-19 hit and delayed, well, everything. Here, we rolled into mid-March with schools and businesses closed, and I was editing Invitation to Darkness with all my kids at home. I’ve also been putting together a book of poetry and compiling my paranormal journal with some of our investigation highlights with the thought of publishing some “true ghost” stories that I’ve experienced. The unrest in the world has slowed my progress but not my passion. Now that things seem to be opening up a bit, hopefully we’ll all be back on track soon.

At the moment I’m waiting for my proof copy of Invitation to Darkness to arrive. For those of you who aren’t familiar, the first book in the series, A Step Into Darkness, follows Jack, a paranormal investigator, into an abandoned asylum. Something follows him home and he is in a battle for not only his life but his soul. Shifting to Black, book two, finds the caretaker of newly renovated apartments on the site of the old asylum battling inner demons and questioning his sanity as the dark entity takes hold. The third book in the series, the upcoming Invitation to Darkness, takes us into the history of J.P. Borden, the man who believed he was cursed and spent his life trying to “uncurse” himself. He befriends what he thinks is a helpful spirit through a Ouija board he finds at a yard sale. Well, you know who his “friend” actually is. As this unfolds in the past, Amanda and Mabel are confronting the demon in the present. Who will survive? Well, as soon as I approve the proof, you’ll be able to find out!

The team and I are starting to schedule investigations into the fall and beyond, with our eyes on some very interesting and active sites. If there are any that you’ve heard of and think we should look into, feel free to drop me a note with your suggestion. My goal is to update this blog once a week with what is going on in the ghostly, and writing, world. As I said, that’s my goal. lol  Maybe I should shoot for once a month, but I’m going to try to hit Fridays as the “update day.” As always, if you have any questions regarding ghostly activity or investigating, ask!

Well, as usual, work calls. Stay well and stay spooky.

Barb

P.S. Book Four has begun….

Things that go bump in the night… and a few disembodied voices to boot…

Hello, again!

I’ve been insanely busy lately and loving it. Sullivan Paranormal has been working double time between investigating and evidence review. Aside from a cemetery with an amazing history (going back to the Revolutionary War era) and EVP’s that stunned us, we were brought in to investigate a building steeped in local history. Although I can’t reveal the location, it was a private investigation, I can share that while there we recorded the sing-song voice of a child at play and a man’s voice commenting multiple times as investigators walked one of the staircases. We already have plans to return this winter to focus on the areas that were most active. We would love to discover who the children are and why they and the man are still residing in the building after so many years.

While still in evidence review of the above investigation, we were able to set a date to investigate the Rivoli Theatre in South Fallsburg, NY. Over the years, many people had mentioned to me that they felt the building was haunted. Reports of activity in various parts of the theater, people hearing their names called and even a tug on someone’s hair, were listed in experiences at the theater. Well, on November 9th, Sullivan Paranormal conducted a short, but fruitful, investigation. At one point, we had numerous battery drains (fresh batteries died and were replaced with new batteries, only to die again within twenty minutes), equipment malfunctions (which were working again after we were out of the area), and comments by unseen entities about the energy drains. We’ve gone through all the audio recordings at this point and are finishing up reviewing the video. It does take a while as we were running five cameras throughout the building and each recording gets scrutinized. Once we have everything set, and have gone over it with the Rivoli staff, we’ll be posting our findings on Sullivan Paranormal’s Facebook page. I’ll post some highlights here, too. I will say that this was one of my favorite investigations. The activity is amazing.

Last, but never least, I am much closer to finishing Invitation to Darkness. It is mostly set, with a few parts still handwritten on sheets of paper across my desk. The major climax is waiting…and I know exactly what’s happening there. Stay tuned… it’s all in the works… and this one ties EVERYTHING together. I love it…and I hope you will, too. I’ll keep you updated as it gets finished, beta read and a publication date is established.

Stay spooky,

Barb

Hey, all!

Well, happy fall! I know,…it’s been a while since I wrote last and I promised I’d be here more often, but (!!) I have been diligently working on Invitation to Darkness (book 3 in the series). Although it’s not going to hit the release date goal of Halloween, it should be out shortly thereafter. I’ll definitely keep you updated on the progress.

The bigger news, however, is that I’m investigating again! It’s been a long time since we pulled together and got out into the field for some serious investigations and I missed it terribly. This week the team has already been out twice, spending time at two local locations – I’ll be disclosing more information once we’ve gone through the evidence review. I can tell you that we already have two Class A EVP’s from the first location. I was really surprised when I began listening to our audio recording and 19 seconds in was our first, incredibly distinct, EVP. It was a man’s voice and every word he said is CLEAR. I’m hoping to put it up on Sullivan Paranormal’s Facebook page once we have everything examined.

So, bear with me. I do plan (I swear!) on having a more regular presence here. At the moment, it’s late nights of investigating and early mornings of evidence review and working on the book. Oh, and real life sneaks in at times. 🙂

Stay spooky,

Barb

Invitation to Darkness…

Good morning! As you can see above, and may have already heard, I’ve settled on a title for Book 3. Invitation to Darkness. It is truly fitting as I go into the backstory of how things began. Before Amanda. Before Jack. Before the asylum. Where we meet Black for the first time. On the edge of your seat yet? I am, even as I type. I’m working toward a late summer release date, but – no worries –  it’ll be in your hands long before Halloween.

I’m still tossing around the idea of publishing my paranormal journal. 30 years of ghostly experiences, aside from my investigations, makes for some spooky reading. It’s pretty personal, though, so it might wait a while. Plus…Invitation to Darkness may not be the last book in the series… hmm. I definitely need an all encompassing name for the series. Thoughts? I would love some suggestions from my readers. Any ideas?

Yet another project I’ve decided on is a book of my poetry. This is a bit of a tangent from the other things of mine you’ve read. There is a paranormal element to quite a few, but I’ve also written on love, death and, as always, darkness.

And…how are the investigations going, you ask? If you’re local, you probably have your answer. The rain has been unrelenting and it squelched our May 5th date. We are in the process of rescheduling…keeping our eyes on the weather reports. As soon as it dries out and the sun shines for more than a brief minute, we’ll jump. Stay tuned as we’re lining up some very interesting sites.

This was just a quick update…back to putting pen to paper or, more accurately, fingers to keyboard.

Stay Spooky,

Barb

 

 

 

Brainstorm

Morning, All! I’m trying to type this with a cat across one arm. He seems to think his desires (pets, cuddles, more pets) are more important than what I have to say. Hmm.

A quick update of what’s been going on writing-wise. 🙂  Book 3 is moving along pretty well now. I’ve got the first 70 pages written, with an insane amount of notes that take the story through to the end. Very exciting. I love this stage almost as much as when it’s finished and sitting in front of me. Almost.

While I paused to consider the actions of a couple of the characters (a lot of them are stepping forward, wanting their personal stories told), I painted. This one took a while, but I’m really liking the effect. I initially thought I would darken up the tombstone, but then the bird wouldn’t “pop” as much.

And then, I was struck by an idea for what I thought would make an interesting short story. This has progressed…although it still should remain a short story…but it has woven itself into Amanda’s backstory. For those of you who haven’t gotten to Shifting to Black yet, Amanda is a ghost hunter with rather interesting sensitivities. She returns in the third book in the series and you’ll get glimpses of this backstory. When the entire short story is finished, I’m considering posting it as an “extra” to those who follow this blog. Of course I’ll keep you updated as I go.

Mabel also returns in Book 3. How could she not? 🙂 Driving this morning, a wonderfully dark idea hit me and I’m in the midst of writing a dream sequence for her that will delight, possibly terrify, and keep you on the edge of your seat as you move toward the final scenes. What is she searching for and why is Black the obstacle in her path???

Who dies? It seems someone always does. Or more than a few someones. Or…they already are dead. But that’s enough for now. I’d hate to post spoilers.

As for my paranormal investigations…they are on the horizon, but much closer now. Weather permitting, we’ll be out on May 5th and I’ll let you know what we find. I can’t wait!

Stay spooky,

Barb

Did you tune in?

Good morning, All! The snow is mostly gone and all things ghostly are coming together.

Over the weekend, David Cook (of The Ghostly Hour with David Cook) asked if I could be the guest speaker on his radio show. He had a spot open Sunday and I happily agreed to spend the hour chatting about my second book, Shifting to Black, and all things paranormal. I’ve been interviewed by David in the past, talking about investigations with my team and my first book. David is an investigator in his own right and it’s an enjoyable and informative time. If you missed it, no worries! You can pop over to KCOR Digital Radio Network and check their archives for March 24th. I’ll also post the link to the show shortly on Facebook. David’s show is on Sunday evenings, live, from 5 p.m. to 6 pm. EST, and he always has fascinating guests on all aspects of the paranormal. Tune in, if you can. You won’t be disappointed!

Since I last posted, things have been flying along with Book 3. I usually write in the quiet mornings when the house is empty, but over the weekend things just “clicked” and I typed late into Saturday night. It was wonderful! (I did have to grab a nap Sunday afternoon, lol). I also just had an “Aha!” moment having to do with a squirrel. Remember that…I’m sure we’ll be chatting about it again once the book is out.

I have a meeting Tuesday night to firm up our investigations. There’s so much going on… it’s a wonder anything gets done in my “real” life.

Stay spooky!

Barb

 

More Ghostly Happenings…

Hey, all!

Oh, it’s been a while, but I’m back and can’t wait to let you know about more ghostly goings-on. If you’ve kept up with my prior posts, my presentation at the I-84 Diner in Fishkill went really well. I had decided to speak about my experiences with the paranormal that led me to becoming an investigator and how these experiences  have influenced my writing. As many of you know, I keep a journal of all the unusual and unexplained things that take place in my life. I’ve done this for the last 30-plus years and I was able to share many of my favorite encounters with those attending the paranormal meetup. It was hosted by Ghost Magnets with a Twist (you can find their group, and information about the monthly meetups, on their Facebook page). Here’s a clip of one of their posts about the evening:

It was absolutely an enjoyable time and I even sold a few of my books. 🙂  Always a plus.

In the meantime, I’ve been working tirelessly on Book 3, (still need a title, guys…aargh!), going deeply into the background and life story of James (a.k.a. J.P.) Borden, the original caretaker of the asylum. He lost his mother while he was a small child and his father forever blamed him for her death. This set the stage for his superstitious and fearful life, and his endless desire to become “un-cursed” (“If he had more luck, Momma wouldn’t have died.”) His father is a bitter anchor around his neck and his only true ray of sunshine is his daughter. But is she truly his? Finally driven to rid himself of his father, J.P.  follows the advice given to him by…someone…through the Ouija board he found at a yard sale. This can’t, and won’t, end well to say the least.

Sneak peek/possible spoilers: If you’ve read the first two books in the series, you’ll be happy (I hope) to see Jack make an appearance. Joe (the poor, tortured and tormented soul that he is) also isn’t far, and isn’t dealing very well with his death. Caesar is doing well and the ever-present ring’s history falls into place. And Mabel? Well… she’s still around. You’ll find out a bit more about her, “back in the day,” too.

As I ponder plot threads, I find myself picking up my paints more and more often. It seems to quiet and clear my mind. These are my latest.

Ah, but the snow is melting now and there are paranormal investigations on the horizon. I am hoping to get Book 3 out by mid-summer. Real life stepped in and slowed my progress some, as it can sometimes. I will, however, endeavor to get more regular blog posts up…with updates on Book 3, our investigations and the activity that’s been kicking up again in my house. Oh? Didn’t I mention that? Well. That’s for my next blog.

Stay spooky!

Barb