S.P. Oldham's Blog, page 10

Merry Christmas and Thank You!

Here it is, Christmas Eve! Thank you to everyone who continues to support my writing and who encourage me to keep going. You know who you are! I appreciate you more than you can know. Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!

Competition Winners!

Thanks everyone for all of your imaginative entries to my recent competition. I would like to announce that the winners are

Dawn Jones

Mike Ambler

Winning parcels will be sent out asap. I would also like to announce that there is a runner up who will win a free download of any one of my books, of their choice

Lisa Day

Thanks everyone! Keep your eyes open for more news, competitions and more!

Hag’s Breath - coming soon on Audio!

‘Hag’s Breath: A Collection of Witchcraft and Wickedness’ will soon be available as an audiobook!

Narrated by the excellent Paula Hines, I will keep you updated on progress.

Kobo!

Wakeful Children - Now on Kobo!

Just a quick note to say that Wakeful Children: A Collection of Horror and Supernatural Tales, is now available on Kobo.

Thanks!

Christmas Horror Stocking Filler

This book would make a great stocking filler for the horror lover in your life!

https://www.troubador.co.uk/.../fanta...

Half price if you enter the code 'Wakeful' on checkout.



https://www.troubador.co.uk/images/bo...

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED!

Some great entries via Facebook and here. Thanks to everyone who took part. A winner will be announced soon.

I will try to get your prizes out to you before Christmas, but please bear in mind Royal Mail strikes plus the time of year, when demands on postal services are so stretched. Thank you.

Now to read through those entries…

Who or what is in the distance on this foggy beach? Where is it going? What is it doing? Use your imaginations. Make it interesting, funny, frightening: whatever. The answer that makes me laugh, think or shiver the most will be the winner. I may even pick two or three winners! Prizes may include bottles, beanies, gilets, hoodies, signed books and more. Get those brains going!

Only entries on my Facebook Page or website will count.
Ends midnight GMT Friday 16th December.
Competition in no way associated with Facebook.
Judges decision is final!

P.S Someone once described this competition format as 'weird.' Is it weird? Or just a bit different? Let me know!

COMPETITION TIME! UK ONLY!

Who or what is in the distance on this foggy beach? Where is it going? What is it doing? Use your imaginations. Make it interesting, funny, frightening: whatever. The answer that makes me laugh, think or shiver the most will be the winner. I may even pick two or three winners! Prizes may include bottles, beanies, gilets, hoodies, signed books and more. Get those brains going!

Only entries on my Facebook Page or website will count.
Ends midnight GMT Friday 16th December.
Competition in no way associated with Facebook.
Judges decision is final!

P.S Someone once described this competition format as 'weird.' Is it weird? Or just a bit different? Let me know!

The End of the Path

Just a little video to show you the inspiration for The End of the Path, written for a free Christmas read a few years ago. It is still on my website if you want to take a look.

The End of the Path

Hag’s Breath Giveaway! Work Your Magic!

If anyone feels like sending some magic my way and sending the number of reviews upwards (honest reviews of course) that would be great! Regardless, it's Halloween and I am feeling generous. Below is the link to claim a download of 'Hag's Breath: A Collection of Witchcraft and Wickedness.' Very few codes left so get it while you can and please, consider reviewing. Thank you and enjoy!

Hag's Breath on Prolific Works

Llancaiach Fawr

This past Thursday evening I went on a Ghost Tour of the beautiful sixteenth century Llancaiach Fawr Manor with my mother -in-law and daughter-in-law.

Llancaiach Fawr has been featured on television many times. It was used as a location for filming (I believe) ‘Dr. Who’ amongst other things and is well known for its beauty and intriguing history. Above all, it is famed for being ‘one of the most haunted houses in Wales.’ Taking the guided tour by torchlight, it is easy to believe that might be true.

Even the grounds leading up to the house are thought to be haunted, many people reporting seeing figures there. Various parts of the house are believed to be haunted, some areas more so than others. I am being deliberately vague just in case anyone plans to go there. I don’t want to give anything away.

Anyway, on the tour a few people reported being poked in the back, having their hair pulled and other similar things. Now, it might be that some of us are highly suggestible, especially in such an atmosphere of expectation. It might also be that these people were genuinely touched by spirits. Who am I to say one way or the other? However, there was one thing that gave us all pause, as a group. Only a very small thing, but it was odd.

We had all gathered in the final room of the tour. One of the guides was telling us about the ghosts that are said to haunt that particular area. We were having a moment of silence, listening for anything out of the ordinary, when a tiny stone rolled across the floor.

Big deal, you might think. Except I was sitting opposite the direction it came from. There was some muted torchlight on, allowing me to see the feet of the people opposite. They were leaning against a table, nothing behind it but a bare, whitewashed wall. I was looking at the ground, concentrating. I did not see the stone, but we all heard it rolling across the stone floor.

A few of us said, at the same time, “What was that?” One of the tour guides (there were two) switched on the big torch and began to search the ground. She found the tiny stone in the middle of the room. To demonstrate the noise, she threw it so that it rolled across the floor and sure enough, it was the same sound.

Nothing big. No apparitions or strange vapours. No moaning or rattling of chains. But something caused that stone to be thrown between the legs of those people standing opposite, to come to rest in the centre of the room. Strange.

I should also add that two of our group were given EMF metres to carry round. I am on the fence about whether these things work. I suspect that there might be natural electricity, so to speak, in certain areas, or electrical cables or whatever that we don’t know about that set the devices off. Regardless, one of the EMF metres flickered quite vigorously at certain points during the tour, mostly when the names of individuals who existed were spoken. Like I say, I am not entirely convinced, but it was interesting.

There were definitely parts of the house that made me uncomfortable to stand in, especially in the dark. Suggestibility, or genuine haunting? Who knows.

The house is most definitely creepy at night, as beautiful as it is. A family lived in it until fairly recently. They have reported all kinds of weird, unsettling events happening there.

All I know is, I would not sleep in it and I certainly wouldn’t stay there alone! Don’t listen to me though, go see for yourself.

They are about to run mock Witch Trials there, based on real-life trials that were held there. If I get a chance to visit when they are on, I will share the experience here.

Happy Halloween!

Put you in the mood to visit? Find out more here: Llancaiach Fawr -What's On

Have you been there? Experience anything? Feel free to share in the comments!