Sylvia Shults's Blog, page 84

Good News, Everyone!

Well, I tried an experiment. I signed up to do a fundraising campaign on Publishizer, and … well, it didn’t work. I think it was because people aren’t as familiar with the site as they are with, say, Kickstarter or Indiegogo.

But! We have another chance to raise the money needed to promote 44 Years in Darkness, and we can do it before the end of the month — I know we can. I’ve set up another campaign, this time at Indiegogo. Here’s the link : https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/44-years-in-darkness/x/545695#/

So why did I make the decision to bug you all for another two weeks? Because I feel that with the Indiegogo campaign, we have a much better chance of raising the funds that will allow me to print out advance copies of 44 Years in Darkness, to send to the media and to people influential in the field of mental health.

There’s more: Indiegogo is more flexible in its perks setup than Publishizer is. So I am able to offer more perks to you, including Super Secret Perks — how cool is that? Keep an eye out for those during the next two weeks.

Guys, the book is nearly done. I’m in the final stages of polishing it. It’s gonna be great. Please help me bring it to the attention of the media by helping me get the means to print out some copies. Thank you SO much for your support.

Only Two Days Left!

That’s right — there are only two days left to participate in the grand crowdfunding experiment that is the 44 Years in Darkness campaign. (The link is right here: https://publishizer.com/44-years-in-darkness/ ) And the good news is, we only need 240 preorders to put us over the top! That’s — why, that’s just 120 per day!

Clicking on the link will take you right to the Publishizer website, where you can easily and safely make an author’s financial hopes and dreams come true. And by doing this, you can also pick up some fabulous perks, just for being a patron of the arts! You’ll definitely get a brand-spanking new book out of the deal, which is an enticing prospect all on its own. Hey, you can be the first on your block to hold a copy of 44 Years in Darkness in your hot little hands!

Whaddya say, folks? Let’s push this thing all the way to 100% funded by Wednesday, and we can all breathe a sigh of relief! Just visit https://publishizer.com/44-years-in-darkness/ , and reserve your own copy of the book. No first-born child needed!

Book Review: Confessions of an Imaginary Friend

I took a break yesterday from editing my own work to devour someone else’s. I read Confessions of an Imaginary Friend, by Michelle Cuevas.

I read children’s books as sort of a palate-cleanser between adult books. It’s a refreshing change. But this particular children’s book was just as compelling and thought-provoking as any adult book I’ve read — not to mention gorgeously written and stuffed to bursting with imagination. (The little girl says her imaginary friend wants pancakes for breakfast — “a pancake shaped like Mozart’s Symphony No. 40! In G minor!” How can you fail to adore that? And this bit — “I guess you can’t always know what (is special) about yourself. Maybe because you’re too close to see it, like a flower that looks down and thinks it is just a stem.”)

If I had read this book when I was in grade school, it would have become a lifelong favorite, like Tuck Everlasting. I am so grateful that it came into my life, even if it was well after grade school that I finally got to read it.

When You Buy A Book…

http://publishizer.com/44-years-in-darkness/

But Don’t Take MY Word For It …

There are only four more days left of the Publishizer campaign to crowdfund promotion of 44 Years in Darkness. You can find the link here: https://publishizer.com/44-years-in-darkness/

Hey, I know this is weird, asking complete strangers to give you money. Heck, it’s weird asking friends to give you money. But here’s the thing: it’s a matter of trust. I have to trust that people will want to preorder the book that I’m working on. And in return, you guys have to trust me to provide you with an interesting, compelling, moving read.

And that’s what I do. I like to read interesting books, so I write interesting books. I like reading about the paranormal, so that’s what I write.

I’d like to share some comments with you, things from emails I’ve gotten over the years, things that I keep in a folder to pull out and look at whenever I start feeling like a big ol’ loser (which happens to all of us from time to time).

Someone wrote this about 44 Years in Darkness: I can’t wait to read it. I love your books. You are an amazing author!

Tamara Thorne, a paranormal writer herself, says: “Sylvia Shults is the best nonfiction paranormal writer I’ve ever read. Her wealth of history and paranormal knowledge combines with a literate and very approachable writing style to seduce even the skeptical.”

She was also kind enough to say: “Seriously, Sylvia Shults is the best teller of of paranormal tales I’ve ever read. She brings the stories to full life with her impeccable historical research. She is perfection!”

Jay Bonansinga, author of the Walking Dead novels, says: “Sylvia Shults’s FRACTURED SPIRITS is a fascinating, touching, creepy, riveting read. Shults is a natural story-teller, and she gets at something deeper and more poignant here than mere phantoms…”

And here are some snippets from the Fractured Spirits fan page: “I have heard you on a couple of radio shows and the latest Darkness Radio..Your stories are so fascinating!” … “Sylvia, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your book, and did so in one night.” … “I will look up your books and can hardly wait for another book about the Peoria State Hospital.” … “Keep up on your work. The world needs to know the true stories of those who have passed.”

I treasure all of these words of encouragement. I was at a convention a few weeks ago, and I told Rhoda’s story to a fellow vendor over supper that night. I won’t forget his response: “Thank you for making her soul live forever.”

That’s what I’m trying to do here, guys. Thank you for helping to make that happen. Please visit https://publishizer.com/44-years-in-d... to preorder the book. I appreciate your support.

Lights Out #26 — Alexandra Holzer

Welcome to another episode of Lights Out, your virtual campfire! Listen in on my conversation with Alexandra Holzer, daughter of famed paranormal investigator Hans Holzer. We’ll tell you what it was like to grow up haunted, and how to enjoy conversations with loved ones who are no longer with you. https://youtu.be/h7Gma0gFEpo

I’m happy to say that there is a new book out from Crossroad Press, called Exploration of the Unknown: The Best of Hans Holzer. This book collects the wildest, strangest tales of the renowned researcher, and puts them all in one place for your enjoyment. The ebook is now available at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

Crawl Faster!

Just wanted to let people know that hey, 44 Years in Darkness is done, and has been sent to the editors so they can start helping me sculpt a more perfect book for you guys.

Also just wanted to let people know that hey, there’s just nine days left to preorder your very own copy of the book. You can do that easily at https://publishizer.com/44-years-in-darkness .

Nine days. Nine days. That’s not a whole lot of time, but we CAN get up to 250 preorders in that time. I have faith in you guys, I really do. There’s still time to get to 50%, and there’s still time to get to 100%. We can do this.

Of course, right now, we’re at … well, we’re at three percent of the goal. Yeah. You read that right. We’re up to nine preorders, out of 250.

Here’s the thing: if you go to the website, it says, “If this book gets 250 preorders by Wednesday July 13 at 3 pm, it will be queried to 51 publishers.” Which is all well and good, except I already have a publisher for it.

What makes me nervous is that if the book does NOT get at least 250 preorders, all of the funds raised get taken away. The money gets refunded to the donors, and I get nothing. (Which is good for the donors, but it does nothing about the fact that it takes money to promote a book.)

Ever seen the movie Stand By Me? Where they’re walking across the railroad bridge a hundred feet above the river, and the train comes into view along the bend? We need to crawl faster, guys: http://makeagif.com/AkL3Iu

The book’s done. It’s nearly ready for you. And I promise it’s a good one. Do yourself a favor and order it. (I’d hate to see the eight folks who have already ordered be disappointed.) https://publishizer.com/44-years-in-darkness/

More Demons Than You Can Shake A Quarter-stick At!

Hey guys! There’s still time to pop over and check out the Kindle Giveaway, going on right now until tomorrow, July 4th. Order your very own copy of Hunting Demons: A True Story of the Dark Side of the Supernatural, and be entered into a drawing for a Kindle Fire. The ebook is just $3.99 until tomorrow, so get it while it’s hot! https://www.thekindlebookreview.net/4...

And it’s time for some more Japanese demon fun!  In Hell Valley, Hokkaido, there’s more to see than just fireworks. There are demon shrines everywhere, housing demons of business prosperity, studying for tests, romance, and many others. Demons in Eastern culture can be fearsome, but they often serve a protective role towards humans.

I’ll leave you with this example of an Eastern-culture spirit, taken from the files of my true ghost story podcast, Lights Out. Enjoy! Lights Out #25: Demons (3). When is a demon not a demon? Listen to this terrifying tale of a Cambodian revenge spirit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScL-KfJ_MKI

Have a happy Fourth of July, with loads of picnic food, some beer if you’re into that, and plenty of pretty sparkly fireworks!

Daddy and kiddo out for a walk. Maybe they’re on their way to visit the hot springs? Credit: Dai-ichi Takimotokan website
Demons of love and romance. What a cute couple! Credit: Dai-ichi Takimotokan website
Demon of prosperity in business. I want this guy on my side. Credit: Dai-ichi Takimotokan website

I Promise to be Good and Not Make Any Corn Puns

So I was out running errands today, and stopped by Kroger’s to pick up some groceries. The Kroger’s in Pekin was having all sorts of fun stuff for the holiday — trivia questions like “What country did we get the Statue of Liberty from?” (France) and “What’s the last line of the National Anthem?” (They made the winner of that one sing it over the intercom.) They also had cupcake decorating for the kids — and a corn shucking contest.

I thought that sounded kinda fun, so I wandered over to the produce section, and hung around until they got ready to start. One other woman showed up too, so we faced off over a cart, which had ten ears of corn lined up in front of each of us. The goal was to shuck ten ears of corn the fastest, so we just raced instead of timing it.

Well, I lost by THATMUCH — she tossed her last ear down as I was pulling the last husk off of my last ear. But the cool thing was that we got to keep the ten ears of corn we’d shucked. So now we have plenty of corn on the cob for our holiday dinner.

Demons + Fireworks=Hell Valley, Japan

Every summer in Hokkaido, Japan, there are fireworks shows every Friday and Saturday nights. From early June to early August, the Demon’s Fireworks light up the Hell Valley observatory. The Yukijin, demon guardians of the valley’s hot springs, shoot fireworks out of the torches they carry.

I mention this because it ties in to the Kindle promotion that’s going on right now, even as we speak: Hunting Demons is one of the ebooks on sale until the 4th of July. Here’s a chance for you to win one of four $50 Amazon gift cards. I’ve joined a group of authors and The Kindle Book Review in the 4th of July Giveaway June 20 – July 4. Winners will be announced on Independence Day, so that’s pretty cool. It’s easy & fun. If you love reading, click the link to enter. ~> https://wp.me/P2H01p-8Ds

And if that whets your appetite for demon tales, tune in to the latest episode of Lights Out, your virtual campfire. Grab some marshmallows, because I have another shivery true story for you. Lights Out #24: Demons (2). Ever met someone who’s been possessed by a demon? Perhaps you have. What is it like to be possessed? Find out in this episode of Lights Out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upFWbVEanr4