M.L. Guida's Blog, page 14
August 23, 2013
Scrivener
On August 24th, I'm going to be attending a workshop on Scrivener, taught by none other than Gwen Hernandez herself. I've been using this program for the past several weeks, but I need to learn how to format books into e-pub. So far, I love how I can organize chapters easier than MS Word and create profiles on characters without having to hop around or putting them in a notebook.
I have Scrivener for Dummies and plan on having her sign it. It's a wonderful program and I can hardly wait to learn more about it.
I have Scrivener for Dummies and plan on having her sign it. It's a wonderful program and I can hardly wait to learn more about it.
August 19, 2013
M.L. Guida's Haunts: The Amityville Horror
Out of all the scary stories floating around about haunted houses, the Amityville Horror has to be the most notorious – accused of being both a fraud to being a genuine phenomenon.
When I was a teenager, I read Jay Hanson’s book – Amityville Horror: A True Story – which is based on Kathy and George Lutz. Kathy and George moved into the house, located on 112 Ocean Drive and fled 28 days later. The book scared me, because the demon was named Jody – by the way, my mother’s name is Jodi - and appeared as a pig towards the end of the story. In the 1979 movie with Margot Kidder as Kathy Lutz, she walks into the little girl’s room where a rocking chair is moving by itself. Her daughter tells her that she scared Jody and Jody jumped out the window.
Kathy strolls over to the window and out in the darkness, two glowing yellow eyes stare at her.
Several paranormal investigators have researched the Amityville House, including Ed and Lorraine Warren, who have conducted paranormal investigations for over fifty-four years. Ed was a demonologist and Lorraine is a medium. Lorraine continues to do investigations or consult with investigators, but Ed Warren died in 2006. Like the house, they are plagued with accusations of being fakes, but I have followed their investigations on A Haunting, Paranormal State and Scariest Places on Earth episodes and believe they are genuine.
Lorraine insists to be a paranormal investigator that you must have a strong faith to help combat the evil that could plague you. On an episode on A Haunting, she said, “Every time you encounter a demon, a piece of your soul is scarred.”
But out of all the investigations they have investigated, the Amityville house was the most evil. In fact, Lorraine claims the evil followed her and Ed home. After they left the house, Lorraine was upstairs in bed, studying a file on the house, and Ed was downstairs in his study. In her bedroom, her two dogs were acting strange as if they were disoriented. The room dropped in temperature and a loud scratch echoed in her room, as if nails were dragged across metal. She could not move her hands and sat immobilized. On her nightstand, there was a security button she could push to notify Ed there was a problem, but her hands refused to move. She calls this diabolical confusion. The wind howled, but it was inside the house. Papers flew in her bedroom. In the door way, a tall black figure arose. Lorraine’s heart pounded and terror seized her, but she drew on her faith. In a loud voice, she commanded, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I demand you to leave and go back to where you came.”
The dark figure faded. A few minutes later, Ed came to bed and spoke to her, but his voice sounded far away like it was down a tunnel. He told her that a dark figure appeared to him in his study and he threw holy water on to it. Ed and Lorraine left their house and later, sold it.
Lorraine reports that only their solid faith saved them from the dark entity. She maintains that the personification of evil resided in the Amityville house.
On the other side of the story, other families have lived in the house and have not experienced any supernatural occurrences. So, why is that? I’m not sure, but what if the entity shifted to new victims? Or was it hoax? You decide.
When I was a teenager, I read Jay Hanson’s book – Amityville Horror: A True Story – which is based on Kathy and George Lutz. Kathy and George moved into the house, located on 112 Ocean Drive and fled 28 days later. The book scared me, because the demon was named Jody – by the way, my mother’s name is Jodi - and appeared as a pig towards the end of the story. In the 1979 movie with Margot Kidder as Kathy Lutz, she walks into the little girl’s room where a rocking chair is moving by itself. Her daughter tells her that she scared Jody and Jody jumped out the window.
Kathy strolls over to the window and out in the darkness, two glowing yellow eyes stare at her.
Several paranormal investigators have researched the Amityville House, including Ed and Lorraine Warren, who have conducted paranormal investigations for over fifty-four years. Ed was a demonologist and Lorraine is a medium. Lorraine continues to do investigations or consult with investigators, but Ed Warren died in 2006. Like the house, they are plagued with accusations of being fakes, but I have followed their investigations on A Haunting, Paranormal State and Scariest Places on Earth episodes and believe they are genuine.
Lorraine insists to be a paranormal investigator that you must have a strong faith to help combat the evil that could plague you. On an episode on A Haunting, she said, “Every time you encounter a demon, a piece of your soul is scarred.”
But out of all the investigations they have investigated, the Amityville house was the most evil. In fact, Lorraine claims the evil followed her and Ed home. After they left the house, Lorraine was upstairs in bed, studying a file on the house, and Ed was downstairs in his study. In her bedroom, her two dogs were acting strange as if they were disoriented. The room dropped in temperature and a loud scratch echoed in her room, as if nails were dragged across metal. She could not move her hands and sat immobilized. On her nightstand, there was a security button she could push to notify Ed there was a problem, but her hands refused to move. She calls this diabolical confusion. The wind howled, but it was inside the house. Papers flew in her bedroom. In the door way, a tall black figure arose. Lorraine’s heart pounded and terror seized her, but she drew on her faith. In a loud voice, she commanded, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I demand you to leave and go back to where you came.”
The dark figure faded. A few minutes later, Ed came to bed and spoke to her, but his voice sounded far away like it was down a tunnel. He told her that a dark figure appeared to him in his study and he threw holy water on to it. Ed and Lorraine left their house and later, sold it.
Lorraine reports that only their solid faith saved them from the dark entity. She maintains that the personification of evil resided in the Amityville house.
On the other side of the story, other families have lived in the house and have not experienced any supernatural occurrences. So, why is that? I’m not sure, but what if the entity shifted to new victims? Or was it hoax? You decide.
August 17, 2013
On Sale: A Pirate's Curse
The free days for A Pirate's Curse is over, but for the next three days, A Pirate's Curse, will be on sale at Amazon for .99. It will go up on price on Tuesday, August 20th.
August 12, 2013
A Pirate's Curse
For the next five days, August 12th - August 16th, A Pirate's Curse will be free on Amazon's kindle select program. It's only free on Amazon. If you decide to get a copy, I would love to hear from you. A paranormal historical romance, A Pirate's Curse is the first book in a five part series. The second one, A Pirate's Revenge, will be released in early 2014.
August 1, 2013
M.L. Guida's Haunts: Leap Castle
One of the places I have always wanted to visit is Leap Castle, located in County Offaly, Ireland, north of Roscrea, which is billed as the most haunted castle in the world. The warring O’Carroll clan built the castle in the early 1500’s. The castle is proposed to have seven ghosts and one Elemental, which is a mythical being. Ghost Adventures, Ghost Hunters and Haunted History have featured these hauntings. I have always been fascinated and terrified of the Elemental.
Mildred Darby is credited with conjuring up the Elemental. In the early 1900’s, she dabbles in the occult by conducting séances or automatic writing, which the writer claims to be written by a spiritual or unknown force without the writer being conscious of the content. At the same time in the Oubliette, three cartloads of bones, approximately 150 bodies are discovered. Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.
In the Occult Review, a British magazine published from 1905 to 1951, Mildred Darby writes about her encounter with the Elemental in an article called Kilman Castle, the House of Horror (1915).
The thing was about the size of a sheep, thin, gaunt, and shadowy in parts. It’s face was human, or more accurate, inhuman, in it’s vileness, with large holes of blackness for eyes, loose slobbery lips, and thick salvia-dripping jaw, slopping back suddenly into its neck! Nose, it had none, only spreading, cancerous cavities, the whole face being a uniform tint of grey. This too, was the colour of the dark hair covering its head, neck and body. It’s forearms were thickly coated with the same hair, so were it’s paws, large, loose and hand-shaped; and it sat on it’s hind legs, one hand or paw was raised, and a claw-like finger was extended ready to scratch the paint. It’s lustreless eyes, which seemed half-decomposed and looked incredibily foul, stared into mine, and the horrible smell which had before offended my nostrils, only a hundred times intensified came up to my face, filling me with a deadly nausea.
After reading Darby’s account, my guess is that she smelled sulfur which is supposed to accompany demonic forces. What terrifies me about the this account is that this thing is as big as a sheep. But the most interesting factor is that the Ryan family resides at Leap Castle since 1991 and has never encountered the Elemental. Supposedly, the Elemental appears when people either challenge or provoke it. Obviously, the Ryan family is wise enough to do neither.
However, in June 2007, the Ghost Hunters team or TAPS is invited to investigate Leap Castle. The team provokes or challenges entities to make an appearance. One of the members is attacked proposedly by the Elemental. The Elemental knocks the man to the ground, and the group complains about a sickening smell, but the entity never materializes. Since I have watched Ghost Hunters, I have never seen a team member thrown to the ground except for this episode. The thing might only be the size of the sheep, but powerful.
If you visited Leap Castle, my question is would you provoke or challenge the Elemental. I know my answer. Although my friends consider me to be brave, I have no desire to see a sheep-like foul smelling creature. What if it followed me home? Not happening. But what about you?
However this doesn’t mean I do not want to see the castle. Seven ghosts? Count me in! Read more about Leap Castle at http://www.leapcastle.net
Mildred Darby is credited with conjuring up the Elemental. In the early 1900’s, she dabbles in the occult by conducting séances or automatic writing, which the writer claims to be written by a spiritual or unknown force without the writer being conscious of the content. At the same time in the Oubliette, three cartloads of bones, approximately 150 bodies are discovered. Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.
In the Occult Review, a British magazine published from 1905 to 1951, Mildred Darby writes about her encounter with the Elemental in an article called Kilman Castle, the House of Horror (1915).
The thing was about the size of a sheep, thin, gaunt, and shadowy in parts. It’s face was human, or more accurate, inhuman, in it’s vileness, with large holes of blackness for eyes, loose slobbery lips, and thick salvia-dripping jaw, slopping back suddenly into its neck! Nose, it had none, only spreading, cancerous cavities, the whole face being a uniform tint of grey. This too, was the colour of the dark hair covering its head, neck and body. It’s forearms were thickly coated with the same hair, so were it’s paws, large, loose and hand-shaped; and it sat on it’s hind legs, one hand or paw was raised, and a claw-like finger was extended ready to scratch the paint. It’s lustreless eyes, which seemed half-decomposed and looked incredibily foul, stared into mine, and the horrible smell which had before offended my nostrils, only a hundred times intensified came up to my face, filling me with a deadly nausea.
After reading Darby’s account, my guess is that she smelled sulfur which is supposed to accompany demonic forces. What terrifies me about the this account is that this thing is as big as a sheep. But the most interesting factor is that the Ryan family resides at Leap Castle since 1991 and has never encountered the Elemental. Supposedly, the Elemental appears when people either challenge or provoke it. Obviously, the Ryan family is wise enough to do neither.
However, in June 2007, the Ghost Hunters team or TAPS is invited to investigate Leap Castle. The team provokes or challenges entities to make an appearance. One of the members is attacked proposedly by the Elemental. The Elemental knocks the man to the ground, and the group complains about a sickening smell, but the entity never materializes. Since I have watched Ghost Hunters, I have never seen a team member thrown to the ground except for this episode. The thing might only be the size of the sheep, but powerful.
If you visited Leap Castle, my question is would you provoke or challenge the Elemental. I know my answer. Although my friends consider me to be brave, I have no desire to see a sheep-like foul smelling creature. What if it followed me home? Not happening. But what about you?
However this doesn’t mean I do not want to see the castle. Seven ghosts? Count me in! Read more about Leap Castle at http://www.leapcastle.net
November 15, 2012
Good Books
Recently, Johanna Lindsey put some of her backlist at a lower price on Amazon. I couldn't resist and bought two of my favorites - Man of My Dreams and Once A Princess.
Lindsey was one of my first historical romance writers I got hooked on and couldn't wait for her books to come out, but these two - Man of My Dreams and Once A Princess - are my best.
I am reading Man of My Dreams and start my vacation and will probably finish it by Saturday. She's an amazing author.
What are you favorites?
Lindsey was one of my first historical romance writers I got hooked on and couldn't wait for her books to come out, but these two - Man of My Dreams and Once A Princess - are my best.
I am reading Man of My Dreams and start my vacation and will probably finish it by Saturday. She's an amazing author.
What are you favorites?
November 3, 2012
NaNoWriMo
Can you smell it in the air? Yes, its National Novel Writing Month. NaNoWriMo urges writers to write 50,000 words in the month of November. No editing aloud! I have accomplished this twice and hope to do it again. I am writing the sequel to Betrayal, Angels of Death. The next installment is Punishment, Angels of Death and this is Blade's story. He's got a long ways to redeem himself but with Raphael's help and his true angel mate, Abigial Malcolm, he just might repent and regain his angelic powers. If not, he will remain human forever.
September 16, 2012
Online Book Tours and Giveaways
I'm going to be doing an online book tour and plan on giving away an e-book of my new release, Betrayal and will also be giving away jewelry and other items. Betrayal is currently listed as a giveaway on Goodreads.
Here is a list of my tour dates. They are also listed on events.
9/17/2012 Monday, Feed My Need for A Good Read
http://teacherwritebookaholicohmy.blo...
9/18/2012, Tuesday, Book Lovin’ Mamas
http://www.booklovinmamas.blogspot.com/
9/19/2012, Wednesday, The Bunny’s Review
http://bunnysreview.com/
9/19/2012, Wednesday, Morality Bites
http://www.mortalitybitesreviews.blog...
9/21/2012, Friday, The Book Maven
http://bookmaven623.wordpress.com/
9/21/2012, Friday, Night Owl Reviews
http://www.nightowlreads.org/
9/21/2012, Friday, Concise Book Reviews
http://concisebookreviewsbymichelle.b...
9/24/2012, Monday, I Just Want to Sit Here and Read
http://www.sithereandread.com/
9/25/2012, Tuesday, Snifferwalk
http://www.snifferwalk.org/
9/26/2012, Wednesday, My Cozie Corner
http://coziecorner.blogspot.com/
9/27/2012, Just Another Rapid Reader
http://justanotherrabidreader.info/
9/28/2012, Wolf Majick Reviews
http://www.wolfmajick.blogspot.com/
9/28/2012, Once Upon A Book
http://www.angelicdefiance.com/
9/28/2012, TBR
http://tbr-io.blogspot.com/
Stop by and leave a comment. I would love to hear from you. ML Guida
Here is a list of my tour dates. They are also listed on events.
9/17/2012 Monday, Feed My Need for A Good Read
http://teacherwritebookaholicohmy.blo...
9/18/2012, Tuesday, Book Lovin’ Mamas
http://www.booklovinmamas.blogspot.com/
9/19/2012, Wednesday, The Bunny’s Review
http://bunnysreview.com/
9/19/2012, Wednesday, Morality Bites
http://www.mortalitybitesreviews.blog...
9/21/2012, Friday, The Book Maven
http://bookmaven623.wordpress.com/
9/21/2012, Friday, Night Owl Reviews
http://www.nightowlreads.org/
9/21/2012, Friday, Concise Book Reviews
http://concisebookreviewsbymichelle.b...
9/24/2012, Monday, I Just Want to Sit Here and Read
http://www.sithereandread.com/
9/25/2012, Tuesday, Snifferwalk
http://www.snifferwalk.org/
9/26/2012, Wednesday, My Cozie Corner
http://coziecorner.blogspot.com/
9/27/2012, Just Another Rapid Reader
http://justanotherrabidreader.info/
9/28/2012, Wolf Majick Reviews
http://www.wolfmajick.blogspot.com/
9/28/2012, Once Upon A Book
http://www.angelicdefiance.com/
9/28/2012, TBR
http://tbr-io.blogspot.com/
Stop by and leave a comment. I would love to hear from you. ML Guida
July 23, 2012
Colorado Heroes
I live in the beautiful state of Colorado and wanted to mention the true heroism of that faithful night:
Heroes are:
- Josh Nowlan who shielded his friends with his body and took the bullets.
- Stephanie Davies, who after her friend was shot in the theater, holds her fingers on her friend’s neck to stop her from her bleeding to death.
- Matt McQuinn and Jansen Young who threw their girlfriends on the floor and used their bodies to shield them from flying bullets.
- Eighteen year old Devon Suits who grabs a screaming unknown woman and drags her out of theater, saving her life.
- All the Colorado firemen who fought roaring forest fires, risking their lives to save people’s homes and rescuing terrified horses left behind.
- Aurora police officers who rush into a theater, not knowing where a masked shooter is to save the innocent.
- Aurora police officers, bomb technicians and fire fighters who enter a booby trapped apartment to disarm bombs.
- Emergency personnel – doctors, surgeons, nurses, paramedics - who stay all up night, working to save the wounded and comforting the grieving family members.
- Pastors, social workers, psychologists and counselors who volunteer to comfort those families who lost their loved ones in a needless shooting.
- Fort Carson soldiers who fight for our right to be free.
These are the true everyday heroes that reside in Colorado. We do not need Batman, Spiderman or the Avengers. The unsung heroes are people, just people, who when they see people in trouble, forget about their own safety, and do what needs to be done.
I remember Columbine and the acts of heroism. The principal, Frank DeAngelis, shoved two terrified girls into a closet and told them to the lock the door, saving their lives. Although this was only one example, other heroes emerged from the shootings - students and teachers helping each other escape.
The cowards are:
- Armed men who fire on innocent people at movie theaters, universities, high schools, restaurants and businesses.
- People who set forest fires.
- Looters who are ransacked homes that are in endangered of being burned.
- Men who hijack planes and fly them into buildings.
Unfortunately, we do not need comic book villains – the Joker, Lex Luther or Loki - since they too, are, everyday people who engage in preposterous deeds. But why do they get the fame while the true heroes are forgotten?
I, for one, do not want to forget the heroes who stood up to evil and risked their lives. I refuse to write the villains name in my blog, on my Face Book page or my Twitter. I encourage you to do the same. Remember the true heroes – Devon Suits, Matt McQuinn, Jansen Young, Josh Nowlan and Stephanie Davies.
Heroes are:
- Josh Nowlan who shielded his friends with his body and took the bullets.
- Stephanie Davies, who after her friend was shot in the theater, holds her fingers on her friend’s neck to stop her from her bleeding to death.
- Matt McQuinn and Jansen Young who threw their girlfriends on the floor and used their bodies to shield them from flying bullets.
- Eighteen year old Devon Suits who grabs a screaming unknown woman and drags her out of theater, saving her life.
- All the Colorado firemen who fought roaring forest fires, risking their lives to save people’s homes and rescuing terrified horses left behind.
- Aurora police officers who rush into a theater, not knowing where a masked shooter is to save the innocent.
- Aurora police officers, bomb technicians and fire fighters who enter a booby trapped apartment to disarm bombs.
- Emergency personnel – doctors, surgeons, nurses, paramedics - who stay all up night, working to save the wounded and comforting the grieving family members.
- Pastors, social workers, psychologists and counselors who volunteer to comfort those families who lost their loved ones in a needless shooting.
- Fort Carson soldiers who fight for our right to be free.
These are the true everyday heroes that reside in Colorado. We do not need Batman, Spiderman or the Avengers. The unsung heroes are people, just people, who when they see people in trouble, forget about their own safety, and do what needs to be done.
I remember Columbine and the acts of heroism. The principal, Frank DeAngelis, shoved two terrified girls into a closet and told them to the lock the door, saving their lives. Although this was only one example, other heroes emerged from the shootings - students and teachers helping each other escape.
The cowards are:
- Armed men who fire on innocent people at movie theaters, universities, high schools, restaurants and businesses.
- People who set forest fires.
- Looters who are ransacked homes that are in endangered of being burned.
- Men who hijack planes and fly them into buildings.
Unfortunately, we do not need comic book villains – the Joker, Lex Luther or Loki - since they too, are, everyday people who engage in preposterous deeds. But why do they get the fame while the true heroes are forgotten?
I, for one, do not want to forget the heroes who stood up to evil and risked their lives. I refuse to write the villains name in my blog, on my Face Book page or my Twitter. I encourage you to do the same. Remember the true heroes – Devon Suits, Matt McQuinn, Jansen Young, Josh Nowlan and Stephanie Davies.
July 2, 2012
Happy July 4th
I am going up to beautiful Frisco Colorado. Frisco is the setting for the Underworld Series. I love the mountains, the small town, Dillon Reservoir and factory outlet stores. Of course, I plan to do some more writing.
Due to the dryness and fires in Colorado, the city of Frisco cancelled fireworks, but who could blame them? With all the beetle kill, a fire would be horrible. Anyways, I hope you all have a safe and Happy Fourth!
My new book, Ravaged Soul, will be released this summer. This is Toby's story. He vows never to return to the Underworld, but his resolve is challenged when sexy siren Maya Drake appears and demands he return to the Underworld and save his dying grandmother, the Queen of the Dragon Demons. No siren’s song has ever worked on Toby, but when Maya sings, he is drawn to her. He discovers she is Gryffin the Torturer’s daughter, his most hated enemy and feels betrayed. To make matters worse, the Wraith warns Gryffin is trying to return from the dead by draining his grandmother’s soul. Toby must mate with Maya and forgive his grandmother to stop him. Only by releasing his hate and accepting love, can he defeat evil.
If you would like to learn more about the story, check out my website at www.mlguida.com.
Due to the dryness and fires in Colorado, the city of Frisco cancelled fireworks, but who could blame them? With all the beetle kill, a fire would be horrible. Anyways, I hope you all have a safe and Happy Fourth!
My new book, Ravaged Soul, will be released this summer. This is Toby's story. He vows never to return to the Underworld, but his resolve is challenged when sexy siren Maya Drake appears and demands he return to the Underworld and save his dying grandmother, the Queen of the Dragon Demons. No siren’s song has ever worked on Toby, but when Maya sings, he is drawn to her. He discovers she is Gryffin the Torturer’s daughter, his most hated enemy and feels betrayed. To make matters worse, the Wraith warns Gryffin is trying to return from the dead by draining his grandmother’s soul. Toby must mate with Maya and forgive his grandmother to stop him. Only by releasing his hate and accepting love, can he defeat evil.
If you would like to learn more about the story, check out my website at www.mlguida.com.
