Michelle M. Pillow's Blog, page 43

Michelle’s Dating Advice

by Michelle M. Pillow, Romance Author

So yesterday I asked if any FAQs were missing from my website. Thanks to the readers who went and checked for me. I’ll be adding suggestions as I can—keep the emails coming, it’s never too late. Some might have to go into the TMI pile LOL.

Though someone asked me to write dating advice since I was a romance author (I guess that means I must have the answers), which I thought was funny because, um, my advice column would go something like this:

1. How do you snag a man?

A: I tell the driver to slow down and then I pick one coming out of the culinary institute that looks like he might be bogged down with cooking homework and can’t run fast… what do you mean that’s creepy? Girl’s got to eat. And the chains are totally voluntary.

2. How do you know when it’s love?

A: “I can’t tell you but it lasts forever…It’s just something you feel together” What do you mean that’s Van Halen lyrics?

3. A man—

A: ’s place is in the kitchen! This is fun. Do another one.

4. I was going to say, a man asks you on a date but doesn’t say where, what do you wear?

A: You have four basic options: Princess Leia (kick ass fighter with optional lightsaber or blaster pistol, but not bikini Jabba Leia—you dont want him to think you’re into bondage on date one), cat woman (so he knows you’re a super heroine), a Renn Faire princess (so he’ll know how you expect to be treated and properly addressed as m’lady), or if you can pull off super daring: Resident Evil’s Alice.

One, you’ll be awesome. Two, if he doesn’t get it well I just saved you hours that you can now put into role playing and doing something cool like reading a book. Three, if he shows up as Han Solo well, see question 2.

(thanks for the readers questions!)

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Worst Prank Ever. Ever, ever.

 

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Rash of Robberies in my Neighborhood

Stranger walking by my house: Hey, I just wanted to warn you. There has been a rash of robberies in the neighborhood.

Me: Ugh. Guess it’s a good thing I have a security system. I’ll be sure to keep it on. Thank you.

Him: Well, they got in with a key. *like my system might not work against the sophisticated criminals he’s talking about*

Me: My security system prevents against that.

Him: Yeah, a guy who lives there *points to distance* broke into his neighbors house while he was in the hospital. Stole the meat from his fridge. He got in with a key.

Me: Um… Well, that sucks. I’m sorry that happened.

Him: *stares at me expectantly for panic*

Me: I’m sorry, my exterior cameras don’t see that far. (a diagonal block away) They didn’t catch anything.

Him: You have cameras? *looks over my house wide-eyed*

Me: *nods*

Him: *nervous laugh* Well, you’ll see me on there a lot coming past.

:/ … I have not seen him since that happened. LOL And as far as I know, the “rash of robberies” crime spree of one meat theft with a key has not continued.

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Wonderful post to wake up to today…

Author Leah Braemel surprised me this AM with a post on her blog. It’s always nice to know something I’ve said or done has helped other authors. Thanks, Leah!

http://leahbraemel.com/2015/03/27/pay-it-forward-friday-michelle-pillow/

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Micah Hanks, Author Interview

The UFO Singularity Micah Hanks

Michelle M. Pillow, www.MichellePillow.com

A self-proclaimed (but not self-righteous) skeptic, Micah works as a writer, researcher, and lecturer, as a well as a radio personality whose work addresses a variety of unexplained phenomena. Over the last decade, his research has taken him into studies of the more esoteric realms of the strange and unusual, as well as cultural phenomena, human history, and the prospects of our technological future as a species as influenced by science. He is author of several books, including Magic, Mysticism and the Molecule, Reynolds Mansion: An Invitation to the Past, and his 2012 New Page Books release, The UFO Singularity.

In your book, The UFO Singularity, you delve into the world of extra-terrestrials. What inspired you to write about this?

Micah: Well, to be honest, The UFO Singularity is actually a book that attempts to step away from the world of extraterrestrials in a sense. At present, there is no proof that UFO phenomenon must be inextricably linked with extraterrestrial visitation to planet Earth; there is only some pretty good evidence. Proof and evidence are birds of the same feather, but remain very different. And hence, with The UFO Singularity, I chose not to look solely at extraterrestrial phenomenon, but instead what other potentials might exist in terms of explaining what UFOs could be. Some of the avenues I explore with the book include secret government technologies, interdimensional phenomenon, and what we might call “time travel,” for lack of a better term… though I think that if we were to conclude that human perception of “time” is an illusion, we would also quickly learn that there would be no need for literal “time travel” in order for an advanced intelligence to create technology that would interact with our temporal present… even if they did so 30, or even 300 years or more from now.

Are you a believer, or a skeptic?

Micah: I am a skeptic… but not a disbeliever! A skeptical thinker by today’s standards is generally a person inclined to question or doubt accepted opinions. One of the largest preconceptions or “accepted opinions” regarding UFOs is that they must represent alien visitors from space. This is certainly a belief that I challenge, and while aliens may be one part of the equation, I doubt it explains everything in terms of understanding the UFO phenomenon. The classical Skeptic philosophers, on the other hand, doubted the possibility of attaining knowledge, or even rational belief, and adopted this as their world view, choosing instead to abstain from belief on the grounds that withholding judgment might help them to better understand the nature of reality. In large part, I try to do the same, and hence I maintain that I am open-minded, but inherently skeptical.

What is ‘the UFO Singularity’?

Micah: The UFO Singularity is a term I use to refer to a point after which humankind will likely understand the majority of existent UFO phenomenon, as a result of vast improvements in accessible human technology and information. And yes, this plays somewhat into the discussion of transhumanism and what futurists call “Technological Singularity,” which deals with the creation of intelligence (possible artificial) that exceeds natural levels of human intelligence. In many cases, various kinds of UFO phenomenon may already represent such technology, though whether the intelligence behind them exceeds known attainable levels humans today could access remains in question.

Taking this information into consideration how does this affect you view of UFOs?

Micah: It makes me look at the phenomenon very differently than how I once did, because UFOs at one time, for me, seemed to represent alien beings. Now, I’m not so sure that such a potential is the central important concept in our study of UFOs. It causes me to shift my interest over to the fields of cognition, consciousness, and other areas where human technology, and even evolution are concerned.

Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the unexplained?

Micah: Well, anything that poses an interesting question arouses the curiosity of the human mind. Humans are designed to become curious, and to be inquisitive. In a sense, we were “designed” to ask questions, so that we might eventually come to a fuller understanding of who and what we are, and what role we play in the universe.

You focus a lot on future technology. Does that mean you think UFOs are time travelers from earth’s future?

Micah: As mentioned before, once we eliminate the necessity for viewing the universe in a chronological way, and accept that time does not really exist (instead merely being an “artifact” of human perception, which I think is both a fair and accurate statement), then we eliminate the need for a physical machine that can “travel” through time. I prefer the term “temporal-evasion” over “time travel,” but the latter is a simpler, more popular term that illustrates, in its basic form, the general idea.

What are your thoughts on the 1947 Roswell, New Mexico incident and Area 51?

Micah: Roswell, in my opinion, was the result of some variety of earthly operation. It may not have been the U.S. military, or even an enemy nation behind it. But my gut tells me there was more to Roswell having to do with right here. And that’s not to discount the loads of information available out there about the Roswell subject. It’s just to admit that, thanks to misinformation and propaganda, there is a lot of information out there, and very little to substantiate or cater greatly to an informed conclusion. Roswell, whatever really happened there in 1947, has only been effective in keeping our attention perfectly fixed on an incident which may or may not help us learn anything  about UFOs any longer, especially if we remain woefully fixed on that single incident. And as for Area 51, it’s a large military installation, portions of which likely exist underground, located at Groom Lake, Nevada. We know secret military craft are tested out there… and I’m not as intrigued by that subject as the potentials for alien cosmology, interdimensional phenomenon, and technologies that evade temporality, as my book details more in depth. In fact, I’m not sure I even mention the words “Area 51″ anywhere in The UFO Signularity! Shows where my mind is, I guess!

Do you have any paranormal pet projects?

Micah: Well, I’m the type that I start a “pet project,” and before long I start growing an enterprise. I’ve been doing The Gralien Report website for half a decade now, and the podcast of the same name for the last two years. It all began as an endeavor to expand my web presence… and now it’s become a much larger, privatized kind of “Internet hub” for my various ufological and anomalous interests. The podcast, unlike a lot of shows, is also broadcast live every Tuesday night at 8 PM ET, and rather than trying to take the show around to other stations, etc, for the time being I’ve just elected to keep the operation close to home, and stream the live show right from the website itself. It’s quite beautifully self-contained, really, in a pretty stripped down and streamlined way. And I don’t mean that to be self-complimentary; egotism is my pet peeve… but I guess that like a lot of web entrepreneurs, I take pride in creating one focused enterprise, and having a variety of facets contained within it that people can access and enjoy.

Have you ever been abducted by aliens?

Micah: I’ve never been abducted by aliens, and I’m fairly certain I won’t ever be! But that’s not because I don’t believe… it’s simply because I think that there is a certain cosmic interrelationship between the mindsets of the “abductee” and the actual abductors… for whatever reason, I think I’ve divorced myself from that aspect of my own conscious existence, setting myself aside as an archetype of the “researcher” or “seeker.” Hence, strange phenomenon seems to steer far clear of me, and leaves me just to ponder the potentials from a distance!

If given the chance, would you step on to an alien craft no questions asked?

Micah: It depends. Given the amounts of non-ionizing radiation most UFO craft are known to emit, based on the literature, I don’t know that I would willingly get all that close to one, and take the health risks involved. Then again, you said alien craft in your question… and for the most part, I have found no way of determining conclusively, from a distance, which UFO craft are “ours,” and which are “theirs”.

To learn more about Micah Hanks and his books, visit www.gralienreport.com

 

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Tracey H. Kitts, Author Interview

 

Tracey H. Kitts, Interview

By Michelle Pillow, www.michellepillow.com

Paranormal author Tracey Kitts has always been drawn to the macabre, saying, “I’ve never written about the paranormal because it’s popular. I do it because that’s what I’m interested in. If the vampire fad ever passes, I’ll still be sitting here in my Dracula cape, getting my fang on.”

Her latest book Dracula: In the Flesh (September 2013) is an erotic retelling of the horror classic Dracula. You can find it in ebook and print.

She also writes erotic horror under the name T.K. Hardin

Q: In your book, Dracula: In the Flesh, what inspired you to retell the classic Dracula?

Tracey: Dracula has always been close to my heart. I first read the original story when I was twelve and have been in love with it ever since. It has been my fondest dream to one day write my own version of this classic tale.

Q: When world building, did you base your story off of known myths throughout history?

Tracey: Yes. I love to include what I call “a bit of reality.” I believe there is some truth in legends, especially when similar stories show up in different cultures. I included a few commonly known myths about the vampire and a few not so commonly known.

Q: What myths or legends inspired you?

Tracey: Honestly, the more frightening the legend, the more I am drawn to it. I love ghost stories, vampires, werewolves, anything along those lines. I am drawn to the idea of vampires in particular. There are just so many possibilities (in my mind) for this type of creature. Not only is it interesting for stories, I can see easily see how the vampire has such wide appeal.

Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?

Tracey: I can only speak for myself, and I would love to believe that there is more out there than what we see every day. It makes me smile to imagine that one day vampires or werewolves might be discovered for real. That may sound crazy to a lot of people, but I think it would be amazing.

Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?

Tracey: Right now, I’m in love with Grimm. I’m waiting for season 2 on DVD. I love Supernatural too, just finished watching season 7.

Q: Do you believe in the supernatural?

Tracey: I’m a total believer. I’m not saying I’m gullible or anything. Ha. Ha. Ha. I’m just saying that I am open to many possibilities.

Q: What kind of paranormal creatures do you wish you could meet?

Tracey: Provided they wouldn’t be insane and try to tear me apart, I would love to meet a vampire or a werewolf. Oh, and a unicorn. Unicorns are awesome.

Q: If given the chance, would you become a vampire?

Tracey: Absolutely. I would never grow old. I wouldn’t have to worry about sickness and disease. Not to mention, I would have all the time in the world to write all the stories in my head.

Q: How would you react if you came face to face with a vampire?

Tracey: Hopefully, I would be able to hold my own and not run screaming and/or end up as dinner.

Q: What does the future hold for your writing?

Tracey: I am currently working on an erotic horror version of Frankenstein called Frankenstein: Unleashed. (writing as T.K. Hardin) I am loving every minute of it. A story hasn’t come together so easily for me in a while. It is awesome. Maybe it should scare me how easy it is to get into the head of Victor Frankenstein.

Q: Have you ever been abducted by aliens?

Tracey: No, thankfully. But the subject fascinates me. All probe jokes aside (yes, I went there) I do believe that something is happening to these people that hasn’t been explained.

Thanks for joining us, Tracey!

You can learn more about Tracey and her books at her website, www.traceyhkitts.com.

Sampling of Tracey’s other paranormal titles –

Bitten – B0097VVJ2Q – vampires, witches, and dark magic

Frank and The Werewolf Tamer –  B006PU2JBW, vampires, wizards, werewolves, and magic

 

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William J. Hall, Author Interview

 

William J. Hall, Author Spotlight

By Michelle Pillow, www.michellepillow.com

True haunting author William J. Hall was born and raised in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where the events of this book took place: The World’s Most Haunted House: The True Story of the Bridgeport Poltergeist on Lindley Street. He watched the news coverage of the Lindley Street haunting on TV when he was 10 years old. Hall is professionally equipped to recognize trickery. After more than 25 years as a performing magician, he knows how to create and recognize illusions. He is experienced in researching the unexplained, from folklore and urban legend to fortune telling, the pyramids, and other mysterious tales. His syndicated 1990’s column “Magic and the Unknown” ran for six years in multiple local papers in his home state.

His book is in ebook and print and can be found at Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, and other independent bookseller.

Q: With so many hauntings, is there a reason you chose to tell the story of the Bridgeport Poltergeist on Lindley Street in your book The World’s Most Haunted House?

Hall: This case has a virtually unprecedented documentation of the events and the witnesses by so many credible people, including police officers, firefighters, priests, neighbors, reporters, and onlookers. I was lucky enough to be given the rights to 30 hours of interviews from 1974. So this documentation of the investigation into Lindley Street coupled with the sheer volume of recorded witnesses made this a critical story to tell.

Q: What does haunt Lindley Street? Is it just the one house, or the whole street?

Hall: The story focuses on the one house that drew crowds and media from around the world. Similar to a lot of phenomena, we find that there usually are multiple homes impacted in some way. There were 3 houses that I discovered that also had paranormal disturbances, yet none as severe as this particular Lindley Street home.

Q: What is a poltergeist?

Hall: The best explanation I’ve heard, and I’ll be stealing this from Paul Eno (a great friend of mine), is that they each get something out of the relationship. The entity, whatever people believe they are—and I don’t really see them as a demon kind of thing, I think that’s our own kind of very primitive way of labeling them, and I could be wrong—but they each get something out of the relationship. So Marcia’s frustrated, she’s isolated, overbearing parents, picked on and beat up at school, stuck at home with the overbearing parents . . . .

So she has all these things that she can’t express. The entity, or parasite, whatever you call it, feed on this fear and negativity and anger, and basically forms a bond with the prepubescent girl or boy—but girls 2 to 1 over boys—and they each get something out of it. Almost like an unhealthy relationship of sorts, you know? And when peace comes, or whatever causes that . . . for some, it’s religion or others it could be a joke book, or however it  happens . . . but once usually the situation is resolved, and it can’t feed any more, it goes away.

The theory is that these things come from parallel universes – known as the multiverse. The multiverse is well embraced in physics but what it means has varying theories that include parallel universes and some theories do not. So, bottom line is we are learning a lot but still don’t know much, lol.

That, to me, seems to be the best explanation I’ve heard, but I know that Ed believed it was demonic. Father Charbonneau, who was one of the priests involved, and Father Doyle, thought it was an evil spirit. And the Goodins had all sorts of theories. The family said that they did not believe in the supernatural. But as you see throughout the book, they waver and try just about anything, not knowing what to do.

Q: What happened November 1974?

Hall: In a little tiny bungalow in downtown Bridgeport, Connecticut, a family started experiencing all kinds of phenomena in the house, starting with intense banging on the exterior and interior walls for the past few years every November. When it became a media issue, furniture was moving and being overthrown, dishes flying, voices were heard coming from a cat, the refrigerator floated, and they even came face to face with the entities themselves.

After a few days, thousands of people were outside the house and traffic was blocked for miles. The Superintendent announced that the little 10 year old girl did it all as a hoax and people went home for the most part. Then, after it was deemed a hoax, the police mandated that the officers cooperate with the paranormal investigators to help the family!

Q: What are the most disturbing incidents reported?

Hall: Really, the incident with Paul, the young seminarian who was only 21-years-old at the time. Paul went to go around him and, bumping into him, he felt bone structure. That was something that he didn’t talk about for many years since then. He probably didn’t start talking about it until five years ago or so, and had talked about it with me. He said the realization that this was a physical being really shook his beliefs in the old school demonic labels he put on them. This thing had bone structure—it felt like a bird, it had thin bones. So that was quite fascinating.

There was so many things that happened that were that disturbing and stood out, but even what some would think were more benign ones must have been just as scary. You know, tables flipping, things like that. But finding their Madonna with the thumbs cut off I think was a top chilling moment for the family.

Q: The police were mandated to participate in a scientific investigation after it was publically proclaimed a hoax. How did that come about?

Hall: Jerry Solfvin, who was part of the investigation from Duke University, called Inspector Clark and he thought he would be brushed off. Instead Clark was relieved he called. Jerry had an appointment to see Clark the very next morning. After over two hours in the Inspector’s office, it was agreed that a conference room would be set up for interviews with any police officer Jerry wanted to interview. It was mandated to help the family. The agreement was to keep it quiet and not get the media and public involved again.

Q: The superintendent of police at the time said it was faked by a 10 year old girl named Macia. Do you agree?

Hall: He knew it was real. By the way, he never set foot in the house. Most of the police officers knew. A few thought it was a hoax or were unsure and who could blame them. They were not there to witness the height of the activity in the home. And they have never had the ability to examine all the evidence for the case. The Superintendent knew but the crowd was out of control and he needed to get his city back… This was verified through multiple sources and explained and integrated into the evidence presented. He did hold the hoax explanation even during newspapers revisiting the story 20 years later.

Q: Why investigate Lindley Street now? How did you become convinced this was a real case?

Hall: I happened upon the story while doing what any other intellectual does in the morning: having coffee and messing around on Facebook. I saw a post asking if anyone remembered the house on Lindley Street. I started doing internet searches and all the credible witnesses prompted me to research this one much further.

I became convinced without any doubt at about hour 20 of listening to the 30 hours of recorded testimony taken in 1974 and 1975, in addition to over 10 hours of interviews that I added to the case.

Q: Were you able to capture any evidence?

Hall: Yes! The father, Jerry Goodin, recorded the banging sounds with his neighbor who was a good friend and a police officer. Jerry gave the cassette to Ed Warren who passed it along to Boyce Batey who headed up the investigation. Then it was given to me. The book gives you access to hear the ‘poltergeist’ banging sounds first hand from 1974.  As far as hard evidence, the over 70 witnesses, most of which are revealed with their real names in the book is really what makes this case solid.

Q: Does the home still stand and is it still haunted?

Hall: The home does still stand. There has only been one owner after the home was sold in the year 2000 by Jerry’s brother. I discovered one friend that I have known for years mention she met the person that lived there years ago and she vacated the home due to her own experiences with the home being haunted. The home appears to have been unoccupied for the last few years at least. It is not up for rent, but all the bills for the utilities are current, along with the taxes. The fence gate outside the home is chained shut with a rusted chain that looks like it has not been touched in years!

I have tried to contact the owner of record and I visited the home as well as the owner’s place of residence but I cannot get any answer. Letter and phone calls also remain unanswered. I even sent two Lindley Street postcards about the book to the current owner at the very home and also at where they live now! No response so far but I would think they would be interested in reading the book, lol!

Q: How as this experience changed you?

Hall: I view the world differently now. I know the paranormal is real beyond any doubt. I was open to it before, but being a magician and a healthy skeptic, I have to have something to go by. Lindley Street gave me more evidence than I have for most of the things I believe in!

The struggle you go through as a magician is difficult. I did keep my mind open, as Houdini did. I would like to share a quote from Houdini which illustrates this difficulty:

“It must be seen that I am not a skeptic. However, it has been my life work to invent and publicly present problems, the secrets of which not even the members of the magical profession have been able to discover, and the effects of which have proved as inexplicable to the scientists as any marvel of the mediums, and I claim that in so far as the revelation of trickery is concerned my years of investigation have been more productive than the same period of similar work by any scientist; that my record as a “mystifier of mystifiers” qualifies me to look below the surface of any mystery problem presented to me and that with my eyes trained by thirty years’ experience in the realms of mystery and occultism it is not strange that I view these so-called phenomena from a different angle than the ordinary layman or even the expert investigator. It is perfectly rational to suppose that I may be deceived once or twice by a new illusion, but if my mind, which has been so keenly trained for years to invent mysterious effects, can be deceived, how much more susceptible must the ordinary observer be.” – Harry Houdini

Q: Other than Lindley Street, have you had other paranormal experiences?

Hall: One time, a magician friend and I were in a cemetery and we decided to conduct an experiment. We picked a stone that had a photo of the lady on it and got her name. We then set the radio to all static and the static played on and one as we chatted until we were ready to give our experiment a try. We kept saying her name over and over and finally we both forcefully said it and told her to reveal herself and the radio then went in tune and a whole bunch of words were heard from the station and then it quickly went back to static. So for about 15 minutes it was static before and static after and only broke into clarity at that one defining moment when the command was given. I always wondered about that one. I still cannot say if it was a coincidence or not, but it certainly was bizarre enough timing to perhaps be something more. I also had my fortune told by someone who does not do that for money and it only proved to be accurate after 3 years had passed. I am a magician and know how to cold read (read a person cold to do readings) but this was very specific and not cold reading. I was curious about this experience too. Other than those two, no haunted houses or anything…yet!

Q: What lessons does the Lindley Street case teach us?

Hall: The amount of witnesses that see phenomena still doesn’t matter unless you have an open mind. Otherwise, the paranormal will not be proven to you – until it happens to you. We learned that with Roswell and Lindley Street is very similar in the explosion into the mainstream and then the following hoax story announcement to make everyone go home. Other proof also is difficult: We no longer trust photos (thanks Star Wars and all the phenomenal special effects people!), recordings, or video. So the only proof can be experienced first-hand unless you are willing to accept thorough investigation and many well documented witnesses. If so, this case has it all.

Thank you for joining us!

You can learn more about William J. Hall and The World’s Most Haunted House at http://www.worldsmost hauntedhouse.com

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Authors Supporting Our Troops

Yay! My donation arrived safe and sound! Thank you to Armand for hosting the event and giving authors the opportunity to support the troops with the Authors Supporting Our Troops event! Authors wanting to donate, find out more here.

To the men and women who serve: Thank you for your service and sacrifices.

 

 

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Contest: Sir Aidan has an interview today at seelkfireice!

Sir Aidan has an interview today at seelkfireice!

Check it out for your chance to win his audio book, Keeping Paige by Michelle M. Pillow and Narrated by Rebecca Cook https://seelkfireice.wordpress.com/2015/03/05/my-chat-with-sir-aidan/

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Ciar Cullen, Author Interview

Ciar Cullen, Interview

By Michelle Pillow, www.michellepillow.com

Ciar (pronounced KEER) Cullen hails from Baltimore, Charm City. She’s lived a charmed life as an archaeologist, an editor, and a writer. She lives in New Jersey, but if you call her a Jersey girl, she’s likely to come after you with a sword.

Her newest paranormal/historical title, Lillian Holmes and the Leaping Man released July 2013 through Boroughs Publishing in ebook.

Q: In your book, Lillian Holmes and the Leaping Man, you delve into the topics of vampires, psychics, and morphine addiction. What inspired you to write about this?

Cullen: Sounds strange to say such a story could be autobiographical, but I based this story very much on the legends passed down in my family, and some pastiches of family members. I set the story in 1899 Baltimore. My heroine is a sheltered heiress with a bit of an opiate addiction. She fantasizes she is the niece of Sherlock Holmes. Her taste for adventure gets her into a bit of trouble when she finds her first “nemesis” is actually a vampire. In the forthcoming sequel, Lillian solicits the help of her hero, Arthur Conan Doyle, in all matters of spiritualism. I’m a longtime Holmes fan, and always wanted to write about a female character with “male” aspirations, trapped in a stifling era.

Q: When world building, did you base your story off of known myths throughout history?

Cullen: There are…let’s see…a bazillion vampire books out there, from sparkly modern angsty types to European folklore tales. I think I’ve hit the middle ground, and tried to keep the angst to a minimum! I was much more interested in how Lillian and her beau cross their undead divide, and in the mysterious investigations she undertakes. And of course, breathing some fiction into the real life of Conan Doyle was a lot of fun! I mean, he gave up on Holmes to study the paranormal!

Q: What myths or legends inspired you?

Cullen: I’m fascinated by mythology (well, by religions, which by another culture’s name is mythology). I was an archaeologist for many years, in which I had to have a basic handle on Greco-Roman mythology, but am particularly fascinated by Mayan cosmology. I wove that into my Mayan series, and brought those ancient Mayan Kings to life again!

Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?

Cullen: I don’t think it’s much of a mystery. My guess is half human psychology (I mean, really, do you want this to be all there is, or believe that those who have passed before you are nothing but dust?) and half a deep knowing that something else is out there.

Q: Do you believe in the supernatural? Or are you a skeptic?

Cullen: I’m a believing skeptic! I think half or more of what we see on TV, etc. is bogus. But…. My mother was truly psychic, and I have a dose of it, although not nearly as much. My mom’s first experience was as a child, seeing the ghost of a grandfather she never knew working at a drawing board in the bedroom. She learned many years later that her bedroom was her grandfather’s architectural drafting room when he was alive. Later in life, she announced to me in the middle of the night that our next door neighbor was dead. I was incredulous and thought she’d lost it. He was no older than 40, apparently in great health. We heard the next morning he’d died of a heart attack in the wee hours. One truly bizarre incident was a dream she had one night that a bunch of “hippies” were wandering in the yard, camping out in tents and talking about their favorite band, complaining they had no place to go. We saw that next day that Gerry Garcia died. That sort of thing. Not too long before she passed, it hit me to ask her if besides her grandfather, if she’d ever seen a ghost. Her answer: “all the time.” I don’t know if I wish I had her gift. Mine is paltry. I get “weird vibes” sometimes when first visiting a place and find out after about incidents in that location.

Q: Have you ever had a paranormal experience?

Cullen: It’s an odd one, so maybe you can help me understand it! I was visiting York, England with my boyfriend when I was about 20. It was dark, and we were under one of the Roman gates. Nearby was a toy store. I stared at that store, not knowing why it called to me. The next thing I knew, I was in the store, no longer female, but a fat baker, in my bakery. I was looking out onto the street, and saw troops in red uniforms marching by. This worried me terribly. The next second, I was standing in the street with my boyfriend, with absolutely no idea what had happened. I don’t care if I’m believed or not. It happened. For years I chalked it up to some psychological or neurological abnormality! Then this thing call the Internet came along! Recently I looked for stories of ghosts in York and was stunned at the number of sightings of Roman soldiers. My husband thinks I fell into a vortex. I think I stumbled down a street where I once lived. Either way, it was a very freaky experience.

Q: What kind of paranormal creatures do you wish you could meet?

Cullen: I would only like to see my family again, although I would like to know that they have passed into the light and are at peace. I figure I can wait til I get there! I think maybe I couldn’t handle a were-anything, honestly. Vampire? Nope. Mermaid/man? No. I’m a bit too chicken.

Q: How would you react if you came face to face with a ghost?

Cullen: I’ve thought a lot about this, as my mom took it in stride. I don’t think I’d be that matter of fact. I would like the experience, just to see! My husband fled a house once in record time after hearing a ghostly wail. So we’re not destined to become ghost hunters, for sure!

Q: Have you ever been to a psychic and/or a past life regression? What did they predict for you?

Cullen: I did go to a psychic, only once. Of all places, on the boardwalk in Wildwood New Jersey. Doesn’t sound promising, right? My boyfriend and I had broken up, and I was pretty devastated. I sat down, and she asked right away “who is Ken?” Yup, that was him. I hadn’t spoken a word to this person, was alone, etc. She also asked if I had inherited any of my mother’s abilities!

You can learn more about Ciar and her books at her website, www.ciarcullen.com.

Sampling of Cullen’s other paranormal titles –

Love’s Alchemy, Samhain Publishing, B002VFPS7M In which the heroine is the reincarnation of Isaac Newton. Sidra Patmos has the ability to see the real underbelly of lower Manhattan—a horrifying world where wraiths, demons and a few quirky mortals battle for supremacy. Desperate, she seeks out a paranormal researcher to tell her why her life is a waking nightmare.

Mayan Nights and Mayan Secrets, B001892DLG, Samhain Publishing, Passion and danger on a collision course with the Mayan Underworld…

The Shopgirl and the Vampire B009AWRWEQ, Boroughs Publishing, At the cusp of the 19th century, a penniless lass learns her dashing guardian angel is actually a blood-sucking devil.

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