Sylvia Shults's Blog, page 70

Apparently, I Am Not Myself Today

So about an hour ago, I started getting these weird texts through Facebook Messenger, from someone I didn’t recognize, and who I’m not connected with on Facebook. She started off with a cheery hello, then proceeded to tell me everything she’d eaten today, and that she was following everything up with a glass of water.

 

 

…..

 

 

I said, “Good for you, although I have no idea why you’re telling me this.”

Turns out that she’s on a diet, and her sponsor’s name is Sylvia, and she was just checking in. I’d gotten the Facebook Messenger equivalent of a wrong number. I said, “Well, best of luck to you!”, and we went our separate ways.

Here’s the thing: while I was processing that weirdness (which turned out to be not so weird, but it was weird at the time), the mail came. I got a shipment of Spirits of Christmas yesterday, and the box that came today was also from my publisher. However, this was most definitely NOT a book of ghost stories.

So now I’m home alone, and really kind of starting to question my identity. If I get to work tomorrow and no one recognizes me, or if it turns out that I work for the CIA instead of the library, I’ll know that the brainwashing has worn off.

[image error]Does this look even remotely spooky to you? Nah, me neither.

Lights Out #50: Resurrection Mary

Wow, fifty episodes of Lights Out, how cool is that? Gather around your virtual campfire, pass the s’mores, and settle back for one of Chicago’s most enduring ghost stories. https://youtu.be/-Z91lBKpmZc

What’s Coming Up?

So, you’d think that after October’s done, my schedule would have settled down. But no! There are still plenty of places to catch me (you know a moving target is harder to hit).

On Friday, December 1, I’ll be at Maurie’s of Pekin (522 Court Street, Pekin) for Christmas on Court. I should be there from 7 to 8 pm, but we’ll see what happens. Stop by the store before then to put down your guess as to how many candies are in the jar near the register. Closest guess wins a free copy of Spirits of Christmas!

On Saturday, December 2, I’ll be headed north, for an author fair at Sterling Library (102 W Third Street, Sterling IL). I’ll be there from 11 am to 3 pm.

Wednesday, December 6 (which is also St. Nicholas Day) will be quite busy. At 8:40, I’ll be a guest on the Greg and Dan Show on WMBD, during their morning drive time. I’m excited about this! And in the evening, I’ll get to hang out with my close personal friend Jerry Ayres, of The Calling. That show will start at 6:30 pm. (https://www.facebook.com/TheCallingRadio/)

On Friday, December 8, I’ll return to the Barnes and Noble in Peoria (5001 N. Big Hollow Road, Peoria). I’ll be hanging out there from 6 pm until at least 8 pm, or until they kick me out.

And on Saturday, December 16, I’ll head west to Galesburg, where I’ll be doing a book signing at Stone Alley Books and Collectibles (238 E Main Street, Galesburg), from 11 am to 2 pm. At 8:30 that night, I’ll be a guest on Into the Parabnormal, with Jeremy Scott. That’ll be fun! (https://www.facebook.com/ParabnormalShow/)

There may be other happenings as the month progresses, but this is what’s coming up as far as I know now. Come on out somewhere and let’s catch up!

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Cyber Monday Deals

Hey, Cyber Monday’s here! And for lots of us, this means the chance to stock up on Christmas presents online, and the chance to score some great deals. And here on the ol’ blog, we’re getting into the Christmas spirit. (Oh, who am I kidding — I’ve been in the Christmas spirit for months now!)

So check this out: Spirits of Christmas (my new book. You knew I had a new book out, right? Yeah, I have a new book out), is out and ready for popular consumption. And here’s the best part: you can get yourself (or someone else) a big whoppin’ dose of Christmas cheer and fright to fit any budget … even free!

The actual book-shaped thingy can be found at Amazon here. The book itself (you know, the kind you can stuff in a stocking or throw against a wall) is available for $16. The ebook is out too, at the same link (here, if you missed the earlier one). Electrons also fit in a stocking, I suppose, or they seem to work really well on a Kindle or other e-reader. The ebook is $4.99.

And you can get some holiday cheer right here, on this very blog, for the low low price of absolutely free! I’m going to be running a Twelve Days of Christmas special in December. This onslaught of tidings of great joy will include special episodes of Lights Out, and excerpts from the new book. Also, I’ll be running this in partnership with Darren Marlar, over at the Weird Darkness podcast. He’ll be doing snippets of stories from Spirits of Christmas too, so you guys can get a double dose of ghostie goodness if you so choose! I’ll be posting links to his podcast too.

Wander over to Amazon, check out the book (tree or e-version), and be sure to stop back here between December 12 and December 24 for the Twelve Days of Christmas! (And YES, yes, I know that the actual Twelve Days is Christmas Eve to Epiphany, but hey, it’s my blog and I do what I want, so there.

And Now For Something Completely Different …

So I was messing about on Amazon the other evening, you know, like ya do, and I found something that, in the hubbub surrounding Spirits of Christmas, I had nearly forgotten about.

This summer, I was asked by the hosts of one of the radio shows I work with to be a part of an anthology. The stories could be in any genre, but there were a few simple rules: they had to feature the hosts, Brian and Sherri, and, um, they couldn’t be killed off during the course of the story. (Sounds reasonable.)

Here are three of the stories that resulted from the challenge posed by the hosts of the Brian and Sherri Show.

Who Wants a Free Book?

Thanksgiving is here, and soon it’ll be time to start thinking about Christmas. But let’s take a moment to appreciate the subtle nuances of the season.

The mania and sugar high of Halloween has come and gone, and this year’s costume is memorialized in a hundred phone pics, selfies, and Facebook posts. Christmas shopping looms on the horizon, but we don’t have to leave the house for Black Friday just yet. The rich smell of good cooking fills the air, and soon we’ll be sitting down to a delectable feast, filling our plates with turkey, stuffing (or dressing, FINE, be that way), creamy mashed potatoes glistening with yellow pools of melted butter, slabs of pie crowned with dollops of whipped cream. (I just love that word — “dollops”. It almost sounds like the noise it makes when you push it off the spoon — dollop. Hee!)

Ahem! So now that it’s Thanksgiving, and we’re sitting on the couch enjoying the pleasant stuffedness of a food coma, let’s play a little game. (I promise, it doesn’t even involve moving from the couch.)

If someone, say, me, for example, were to offer free copies of Spirits of Christmas to a friend of yours, who would you choose to give a copy to, and why?

You read that right. Tell me, in the comments, who you would gift a copy of my newest book to as a Christmas present. I’ll make it happen for three lucky people. Let’s give it, oh, a week or so. On December 1st, I’ll choose three winners from everyone who weighed in with their wish list. I’ll message you privately, and you can tell me who gets an extra Christmas present.

And … GO!

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Lights Out #49: Haunted Objects 3

It’s time for another visit to the Traveling Museum of the Paranormal and Occult. Come with me to Greg and Dana Newkirk’s lair, and meet Simon the haunted doll, give the Fetid Face the side-eye, and keep your hands off the voodoo drum. https://youtu.be/mkLofNntDTw

They’re Here!!!

Well, would you look at what showed up  in the mail!

These beauties can be found on Amazon. If you like electrons rather than paper, it’s available in Kindle too!

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A Milestone!

I recently did something pretty stinkin’ cool … I did my one hundredth media appearance. Yep, counting radio shows and TV shows (cough cough Ghost Hunters), I now have one hundred shows under my belt.

And it was a blast! I got to chat for a (very short) hour with Becky Vickers, the lovely and effervescent host of Bridging the Paranormal. You can listen to our wonderful conversation here .

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Lights Out — Luke Naliborski

Enjoy a visit with Luke Naliborski, author of Spooky With a Chance of Ghosts, Ghosts Never Say Boo, and other collections of true ghost stories. Join him as he shares stories of his experiences as a tour guide for Haunted Alton tours. https://youtu.be/4qcmPWcY15k

[image error]Now available on iHeart Radio