My Victorian. My True Ghost Stories. SEGMENT #3. Last Chance to Win!

Welcome to A Writer’s Mind! A very Happy Halloween to you. This is by far one of the most intense days of the year. Why? Well, to my mind it is the one day of the year that many in the world take the time to think about ghosts. (Spirits) For that alone, I’m grateful for this holiday. And yes, it's always a blast to dress up and have fun with friends!

That aside, on this day I give credence to one thing. Those who practice ‘spiritualism.’ By definition… “The spirit world, according to Spiritualism, is the world inhabited by spirits. Though a concept of a spirit world is in the constitution of most religions, it is not "itself the religion". Whereas religion regards an inner life, the spirit world is regarded as an external environment for spirits. Though independent from the natural world, both the spirit world and the natural world are in constant interaction. Through mediumship, these worlds can consciously communicate with each other. The spirit world of Spiritualism can be described by mediums in trance.”

To all you Mediums, Shamans and of course, Spirits… Salute!

As many of you know, this is day three of me talking about the many paranormal events that have taken place in my house. And, as aformentioned, these are events that took place after we began home construction. (To read up on the origins of my Victorian and the numerous events that have already happened here, click Day#1 and Day #2)

Don’t forget to comment for a chance to win three Ebooks from my backlist.

I suppose I should start at the beginning. The day we tore a hole in our kitchen wall to put in French doors. All went well during the day. Yes, it was odd seeing a tarp flapping in the wind, dusting my hardwood floors with sawdust and leaves. But it became even odder that evening. Downright supernatural.

(This event was experienced by my husband (skeptic) and mother-in-law, at two separate times during the early morning hours between midnight and four AM)

The first event happened to my husband who was up late working. He started to hear a rumbling coming from downstairs. Thinking something was wrong he went down only to find the pocket doors shaking in their brackets. Nothing else was shaking so we can nix the Earthquake theory. Shortly thereafter, all the pots and pans in the kitchen rattled for about ten seconds, then stopped. (Try timing out 10 seconds. It's longer than you might think) He said he got the shivers but shrugged it off. Hours later, my mother-in-law was sitting on the couch when the pocket doors right behind her started rumbling intensely. That lasted about five seconds. But it was more than enough time for her to turn and watch them, stunned.

One week later, I had my first ‘full body apparition’ experience. While I always believed in the paranormal and had many experiences this event sealed the deal.

I woke up in the middle of the night with a man standing over my bed. He was whitish blue and dressed in some sort of uniform. I also remember that he wore a hat that looked to be either a 20’s, maybe 30’s sort of style. I recall thinking… I'm dreaming. Close your eyes, count to five, then open them, he’ll be gone. So I did. He wasn’t! Damned if he wasn’t still standing there. There’s fear… then there’s fear. I ducked my head and ran from my bed so fast it was ridiculous.

Not sure why I continually respond to the paranormal like this when it’s all around me. Human instinct? Self preservation? Don’t know. None-the-less, I got as far as the hallway before I said to myself, “Where are you going to go? Spirits are everywhere you idiot. Face it.” So I did. I walked right back into my bedroom. He was gone. I don’t think he meant to scare me to begin with. I think he was probably surprised I could see him.

Moving on to the tenant’s experience (Lives in a renovated addition to the house that used to be the barn. This is the most violent any spirit has ever become). But I think spirits tend to feed off the high emotional state and energy level of teenagers. In this case it was the tenant’s son and his friend walking through the basement. An object literally flew off the shelf at them. The household also reports disembodied voices and having seen a full bodied apparition walk up their stairs.

I have seen and experienced so much over the years and have many more stories to share but figure I’ll dish them out every Halloween. Make it sort of a tradition. With any luck, I’ll have some pics and EVP’s for you next year.

If you have any, I would LOVE to hear some of your haunted stories. Perhaps I'll hold a blog event next year where authors, even readers, share their paranormal experiences. Kind of a gathering where we 'get it all off our chests'. If you think I should host an event of 'true stories' for a Halloween blog event next year, say so! What a wonderful way to spend Halloween. Chatting ghosts!

It's been a pleasure opening up to you this season and I wish you a truly spooktacular Samain’s Eve.

Be good. Or bad. You choose. *winks*

Don't forget to comment for a chance to win three tales from my backlist.

Sky

My Victorian. My True Ghost Stories. SEGMENT #2. Chance to Win.

Two days and counting. All Hallows' Eve is nearly upon us and I’ve more ghost stories to share. But first, I’m reminded of one of my favorite historical truths, that being the carving of pumpkins. No matter what anyone tells you, the tradition began with the ancient Celts. Here it is…

The early Pagan Celtic peoples used hollowed out turnips, gourds, or rutabagas to hold an ember from the sacred bonfire, so they could light their home fires from the sacred bonfire.

Why did they every start doing such a thing? Well… "Stingy Jack", who was a swindler and a drunk, asked the devil to have drink with him. Jack convinced the devil to change himself into a coin so he could pay for the drink, but Jack put the coin in his pocket next to a silver cross, which trapped the devil, preventing him from changing himself back. Jack agreed to free the devil on the condition that the devil would not bother Jack for a year.

Next year, Jack tricks the devil into climbing a tree to fetch a piece of fruit. While the devil is up the tree, Jack carves a cross into the trunk, preventing him from climbing back down the tree. In order to get out of the tree, the devil promised Jack not to seek his soul any more. When Jack died, he was not allowed into heaven, because of his drunken and swindling ways, but he was not allowed into hell either, because the devil kept his word. Taking pity on Jack, the devil gave him an ember to light his way in the dark, putting it into a hollowed out turnip for Jack to carry on his lonely, everlasting roamings around the Earth.

People from Ireland and Scotland would make "Jack o'lanterns" during this season to scare away Stingy Jack and other evil spirits wandering about. When many immigrated to the States, they found the pumpkin a much larger and sturdier vegi to carve. (That bit o’ history was in the original version of my Fate’s Monolith *winks*)

If you’re arriving at this blog for the first time, let me fill you in. I’m spending three days sharing with the public things I’ve never divulged. Stories about the paranormal activity I’ve experienced in the Victorian house I’ve lived in for a decade. Why am I sharing now you ask? Well… why not? Either you think I’m crazy or you believe the things I tell you. No matter, these things did happen and I’m ready to share. To check out the first ghost story I told and learn more about my Victorian click HERE.

Alright, the next remarkable event I’d like to share happened in 2006. I like this event because it can be validated. Two people witnessed it. Me and my husband (A skeptic by nature). Again, this happened near the end of the year. My son was two and still in a crib. My husband and I had put him to bed about twenty minutes prior and were downstairs fixing dinner.

We were standing in front of the oven talking when we heard footsteps above. (The kitchen was right beneath his bedroom). At first we thought it must be the cat. Nope. Within a few seconds we clearly heard small feet scampering across the floor above. We looked at the ceiling and frowned. The feet (clearly two small human feet) ran back the other way, as though a child were running around. It happened one more time before my husband and I hightailed it upstairs.

We entered the room to find our son sound asleep.

A few weeks later. Christmas Eve…

I was sitting on the bottom stair to the foyer late at night admiring the Christmas tree. Pretty much lost in thought as we writers have a tendency to do. At last, I headed up to bed. Halfway up the stairs the air cooled considerably. “Someone” passed me on the staircase. That someone was a man and clearly whistling away. Yep, I ran for bed at that point! (I know, I know, he was obviously happy. Still. Creepy.)

Two months later…

Woke up in the middle of the night. My son was crying. I went into his room. He was standing up in his crib. I walked over and soothed him as best I could. He still wasn’t speaking at that point. Regardless, I asked him what was wrong. He raised his arm and pointed at the far corner of the room. I’ll never forget that moment. Every hair on my body stood on edge. I’ll bet you’re wondering if I turned around and looked. Yep. But slowly, like something out of a horror movie. Did I see anything? No. Do I believe children can see things we can’t? Yes. That particular sort of event never happened again, thank God.

Random events…

Nightly occurrence in this house. Always between 10:30 and 11:00. Someone walks across the 3rd floor. Furnished attic. The footsteps are heavy, like a tall or heavyset man. We just tore up the carpets. Original hardwood floors. Louder now!

I was up fairly late one night writing. My husband was up as well working. I finally called it quits and headed for bed. I was about two feet from my bed (Our bedroom is now my sons old bedroom. Remember story of child running around) when I literally bumped into something that was about 3 feet tall. It felt human. Solid. Very much there. I wish I could correctly explain what it feels like bumping into something solid when there is clearly nothing between you and your bed. Yep, in this case I screamed like a girl and went running back to my husband!

Another late night writing tale. It was probably around midnight one night in 2010 when this event happened. My office is on the third floor and at the time, carpeted but creaky stairs regardless. I was typing away when I heard a large dog lumber up the stairs. (Two things of note. Decorative curtains separate the three rooms. We have a 100 lb. German Shepard.) The Shepard wouldn’t be on the third floor unless he was desperate to go out. (bad hip). I instantly went to go to him. Opened the curtain. Nothing. He wasn’t there. I shrugged and went back to my computer. Must have been my imagination.

Started typing away again. Heard my husband trudging up the stairs. All twenty of them. Sounded a bit heavy footed but I figured he’s tired. Must’ve come up looking for something. So I yelled, “Hey hun, everything ok?” No answer. Okay. I heard him walk across the room next to mine. “Hun?” I yelled again, kinda irked he wasn’t responding. Heard him trudge back across the room. Enough, I thought to myself and headed over. Moved the curtain aside. No one was there. Okay, I’m going insane. Headed downstairs. He’s sound asleep in bed. Headed down to the first floor. The dog’s sound asleep too.

Aye, just another night in my Victorian!

I think I’ve rattled on enough for one day. Just wait until tomorrow, Halloween. We started construction on this house a few years ago. Anyone who’s interested in the Paranormal knows exactly what that means. The best stories are yet to come.

Hope you’ll join me as I share what’s been going on in my Victorian lately.

See you then.

Sky

My Victorian. My True Ghost Stories. SEGMENT #1. Chance to Win.

The countdown is on. It's officially three days until All Hallows’ Eve. As many know Halloween is a holiday with ancient roots. A little over 2,000 years ago, the Celts celebrated the end of the year on October 31st. The first day of their new year, November 1st, was called Samhain. Hence Halloween also being known as Samhain’s Eve.

Long story short, the end of the year signaled the end of summer which in turn, meant the end of harvest and the start of a long, rough winter that typically meant death for animals and people alike. Because of this, this time of year signified death to the Pagan Celtics. They believed that the night before the New Year the veil between the living and dead opened allowing spirits, good and bad, to roam amongst the living.

My opinion? While a huge fan of Halloween and the concept of spirits roaming freely, I don’t think it happens merely once a year. I think it happens every day and night of the year. In fact, I know it does. How so? Well, I live in a very haunted house.

Today is the first of three in which I’ll share my own personal ghost stories. Each and every one has taken place in the house I’ve lived in for the past ten years. A house I remember driving by when a small child. Let me tell you about this house…

Construction began in 1901. In 1903 my husband’s great grandfather walked his wife into her brand new Victorian home for the first time (For the sake of the family's privacy, I will not be providing names). Yes, this house has been in my husband’s family since its birth over a century ago.

I still try to envision what it must have been like for her to walk into this house for the first time. How she must have been in awe by its grandeur and charm. By its oval handmade windows and sliding pocket doorways. The charm she must’ve felt as she strolled through the house, her long dress swooshing over the gleaming hardwood floors, finding all the wonderful little nooks and crannies her husband had built into the rooms.

I’ll never forget the first time I walked into this house 100 years later. The way I felt when I first entered the foyer and looked at the arched doorways and elegant balustrade lining the stairs. I was instantly, irrevocably in love. The feeling was almost…surreal. Even as a writer, I can’t convey how powerful that first moment was. Perhaps I was always meant to walk through the front door. Perhaps I was always meant to live here. Its ten years later and I love this house as much as I did that very first moment.

As well as all its ghosts.

Oh yes, this is one very, very haunted house. In fact, my husband went to the store the other day. The cashier saw his home address and her eyes widened. She promptly asked, “Do you live here?” He said yes. (This house was rented out for many years in between) She responded, “I used to live there when I was a kid. Wow, that house is so haunted! I tell all my friends when we drive by about how haunted it is!”

How right she is.

Over the next several days I’ve decided to share (for the first time publicly) some of the paranormal experiences me, my family and tenants have experienced over the years. I had hoped to provide some EVP’s (Electronic Voice Phenomena) for you but regrettably I haven’t had a chance to buy the equipment yet. I can tell you without doubt that this house is haunted by several spirits. One is a child (Around four I’d say) and a man. (Fairly certain it’s the man who had this house built)

My sister recently asked me if I based the house in my upcoming release, The Victorian Lure on this house. The answer is no. The activity in this house has never been sinister (save one tiny thing), unlike that of my novel.

Ready for a short ghost story? As I’ve already rattled on some, I’ll keep today’s fairly brief.

By far, one of my favorite events took place a week before Christmas of 2003. For some reason, this house becomes super active during late November straight through December. My thought on that? My husband’s great-grandfather liked the holidays and he makes a point of visiting his house.

Anyways, this particular afternoon I had my sister and Dad visiting. The three of us were sitting in the living room chatting when the radio turned on. I ignored it thinking it must’ve been set on a timer or something. We all kept talking. A few minutes later it turned up. Loud enough that we all stopped conversing and looked at the radio. The Christmas song, “Do You Hear What I Hear,” was playing. So I got up, walked over and turned it down. (Turn nob volume control folks. Pretty big turn dial on this radio.) I had just sat down when the volume turned up again.

By this point, the radio had everyone’s undivided attention. I got up and turned it down again and sat. We all watched the radio for several seconds. Sure as heck it turned up again. The spooky part? We watched the nob turn on its own this time! I was getting up to turn off the radio when my Dad shook his head, grinned and said, “Don’t. Obviously somebody likes this song.”

So we listened to the rest of the song. After that I was able to successfully turn it back down. The cool part? As I later discovered, ‘Do You Hear What I Hear’ was my husband’s grandfather’s favorite Christmas song. He’d lived in this house until he was old enough to move out. I ended up writing my free read around that song because of this very event.

As a debunker first and foremost, I thought… maybe it was the Earth’s magnetic field doing funky things. Could have been. But how very coincidental, eh?

Expect several more stories over the next few days. It’s so nice to finally share them!

Leave a comment for a chance to win three Ebooks from my backlist, including my upcoming ghost hunter novel, The Victorian Lure. Also, stay tuned for an actual picture of my haunted house by Halloween!

Wishing you a very spooky weekend.

Sky

Dr. Mattias Saunders' Turn. Hot Hero Interview. Chance to Win!

Welcome! You’ve arrived just in time. Why? It’s day two of my Character Blowout. For those of you unfamiliar with this blog event, it’s sort of like The Newlywed Game. I grill the heroine from some of your favorite romance novels on Thursday. Friday, the hero swings over and answers similar questions. It’s too much fun to see how well they know one another.

This week it’s my pleasure to have the hero and heroine from AJ Nuest’s, Jezebel’s Wish here to join me. Yesterday, I interviewed Jezebel (AKA-Jezzy). Today, her man, Dr. Mattias Saunders. I’ll put snippets of Jezebel’s answers alongside Mattias’s today but I strongly urge you to check out Izabel’s Interview to really ‘hear’ her voice.

Naw, forget it. I mean still check out Izzy’s interview if you want but I pretty much put her full answers in this post. These characters really are just SO fantastic. You need to read what they had to say right alongside each other. AJ Nuest is very good at what she does!

CONTEST! Leave a comment today for a chance to win an Ecopy of Jezebel’s Wish!

Are you ready for the interview? I know I am! Here goes…

SKY: Tell us a little bit about yourself, Mattias.

MATTIAS: I’m a horse vet by profession. And I guess most would describe me as the outdoorsy type. I’ve been told I’m fairly intuitive, but I credit that to working with animals. A person has to read signs fairly well when dealing with creatures that can’t communicate.

(Jezzy’s response… I grew up in Northern Wisconsin, and after graduating high school I left for a more metropolitan life in Chicago. *Jezzy smiles, shrugging* I guess I never really considered myself a country bumpkin, even though now I know better. Anyway, after the accident, returning home seemed like the obvious choice. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until I got here I realized I’d just made another mistake…in a long list of horrible mistakes.)

SKY: Remembering the moment you first laid eyes on Jezzy, what thoughts come to mind?

MATTIAS: *Matty quirks up one side of his mouth, a deep dimple denting his cheek* I thought, well, what have we here? This pretty, little hellcat looks like she’s in a world of hurt. Jezzy was like a caged animal when we first met, all fierce growls and snapping teeth. And I knew right away she didn’t belong in that cage. My first instincts told me I better find the key and let her out before she tried chewing through the bars.

(Jezzy’s response… *Jezzy chuckles softly and rolls her eyes* First impressions can be so deceiving, can’t they? Most of what I saw in Matty that first time came from my own, distorted perspective. Terror was my best friend back in those days. *Jezzy shakes her head at the ground* My first thought was RUN, as fast as you can, because you never know what this mountain of a man is carrying in that duffle bag. This thought was quickly followed by, what a pompous ass.)

SKY: Ooooh, I can see the sparks flying already! *grins* She has one trait you adored from the start. What is it? Hands down, she appreciates one of your traits…what do you think that is?

MATTIAS: *Matty grins and crosses his arms, easing back in the chair* Now Ms. Purington, Jezzy told me herself she couldn’t stand being near me in the beginning, which was fine. I didn’t exactly make things easy for her. Besides, she couldn’t stand anyone at the time, including herself. As for me? I liked Jezzy’s spunk, and the fact that she didn’t take any guff. This told me I wasn’t too late, and she was stronger than she realized.

(Jezzy’s response… *Jezzy sit up tall and smiles brightly* He does? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. That’s so totally Matty. I can’t imagine what he saw in me. I was such a mess. *Jezzy squints at the ceiling* Hmmm… Quite honestly? I didn’t adore anything about Matty in the beginning. He annoyed the heck out of me. But…if I had to pick one thing, I guess I would choose that he annoyed the heck out of me. If it wasn’t for that, he probably never would have gotten close enough to break through my defenses. *Jezzy clears her throat* Well, that plus those dimples of his. A woman would have to be insane not to notice those.)

SKY: She has one trait you’d change if you could. What is it? You figure there’s probably a trait she might want to change about you… care to share?

MATTIAS: I spent months convincing Jezzy she’s perfect the way she is. Why would I ever go back and try to change her? That sounds like something Jeffrey would do. And I can’t imagine Jezzy ever asking me to change, but if she did, I would. Because keeping her happy is my top priority.

(Jezzy’s response… *Jezzy stares blankly at Sky, and then blinks* I can’t for the life of me think of one thing I would change about Matty. Honestly. Not one thing. As for changing me? Matty would probably say I’m too hard on myself.)

SKY: So sweet! What is the single most romantic thing you’ve done for her?

MATTIAS: I introduced her to The Reverend. Not sure if that’s what you’re going for here, but overall her relationship with that horse is what started the healing process, and that was the best gift I could give her.

(Izzy’s response… Easy. Matty believed in me from the beginning. He never gave up on me, no matter what kind of grief I threw in his face.)

SKY: She has a feature that draws your eye every time. Care to share? She can’t stare at you enough… but where is she staring? Now’s the time to gloat about your thick head of hair. *Sky sniggers* Truth! Do you think it’s your eyes? Chest? Etc.

MATTIAS: *Matty shakes his head, a devilish gleam in his eye* Everything about Jezzy draws my attention, but I would have to say that feisty attitude of hers definitely keeps things interesting. And I like her lips, preferably pressed to mine so she can’t argue with me. As for Jezzy…can’t say I rightly know. Although…she does comb her fingers through my hair a lot, so maybe you’re right. I’ll go with hair. But then again, we pretty much have our hands all over each other, so it’s kinda hard to say.

(Jezzy’s response… *Jezzy smiles wickedly* His arms. Matty is so strong, both physically and emotionally. He literally sweeps me off my feet. I love that…or wait, maybe it’s his eyes. They’re so incredibly blue, you know? And I love his hair, and the stubble on his cheeks. And the way he… *Jezzy abruptly stops* Whoa, sorry. Got caught up in the visuals there for a second. As for Matty? Hmmm… He’s confessed that my lips hold a certain fascination for him. *Jezzy twitches an eyebrow* I’m betting he’ll admit the way I use my mouth has his full attention.)

SKY: Sighs. Swoons. These two…. *Sky stares off dreamily*….. I’m back! Sort of. Okay, how do you think Jezzy would answer the following… Our favorite thing to do together is…?

MATTIAS: *A deep chuckle rumbles in Matty’s chest* Shower?

(Jezzy’s response… *Jezzy sputters and her cheeks pink* Um….ride?)

SKY: Wow! *steamy* You see why I had to put these answers alongside one another? You and Jezzy don’t see eye to eye on what issue?

MATTIAS: Now we agree on pretty much everything. But in the beginning, I’d have to say Jezzy’s past was a big issue. I didn’t see any sense in her torturing herself over something that was never her fault in the first place. It gnaws at my gut how Jeffrey had her all mixed up. She’s worth way more than that jerk ever gave her credit for. In my opinion, he wasn’t a man in the true sense of the word.

(Jezzy’s response… My past. Matty has always believed I’m not to blame for anything that happened. Bless his heart, he sees the best in me, regardless of the mistakes I’ve made.)

SKY: She said one thing to you that you’ll never forget. What was it?

MATTIAS: *Matty grins* Her exact words were, “I swear to God, you will stop at nothing to annoy the shit out of me.” Hearing those words from her solidified everything between us.

(Jezzy’s response… “Are you lost?” That was the first thing Matty ever said to me, and at the time, he had no idea how incredibly perceptive that question really was.)

Absolutely wonderful interview! I loved every minute of it. What fantastic characters and an equally fantastic book. Don’t forget to take a minute to comment for a chance to win a free Ecopy of this fantastic novel!

A little treat! Let’s check out a trailer…



Can’t wait to see if you win? Have to have Jezebel’s Wish now? Purchase through The Wild Rose Press and Amazon.

Visit AJ Nuest at her Blog ~  Twitter ~ Facebook. Contact her at ajnuest@yahoo.com

Thanks so much for joining us. Be sure to pop back in to A Writer’s Mind over the next three days as I throw a little Halloween bash ending in a grand prize of three Ebooks from my backlist. Includes a chance to win my upcoming ‘ghost hunter’ romance novel. The topic? True stories about the paranormal activity that has happened in my Victorian home over the past ten years.

Hope to see you!

Best Always,

Sky

CHARACTER BLOWOUT. A Revealing Interview with Jezebel's Wish's Heroine. Chance to Win!

Welcome! You’ve arrived just in time to enjoy one heck of an End of Week Character Blowout here at A Writer’s Mind. Why you ask? Well, have you heard about Jezebel’s Wish? It’s absolutely amazing. I mean hands-down incredible. Reviews continue to roll in. 5 Star after 5 Star rating. It’s that good!

Lucky for me, I get to steal its hero and heroine for the next two days. Yep, all mine! Sort of a pre-Halloween treat done Sky style. And did I mention what a fabulous person the author of this story is? ‘Hats off’ to you, AJ Nuest! I ‘met’ AJ earlier this year when I hosted her here at, A Writer’s Mind and knew instantly that she’d be a friend for life. Such a truly positive person. Definitely a keeper.

Okay, back to business. For those of you unfamiliar with this event, it’s done sort of like The Newlywed Game. On Thursday, I interview the heroine. On Friday, the hero. The best part is that they’re asked similar questions. It’s always a blast to see how well the characters know one another. *Grins*

CONTEST! One lucky commenter who comments on either today or tomorrow's post is entered for a chance to win a free copy of Jezebel's Wish in Ebook format.

Before we begin, here’s a bit about JEZEBEL'S WISH…

Haunted by nightmares, tormented by guilt, Jezebel came to Redemption Ranch to escape the past—except now she's stuck in the middle of nowhere with no redemption in sight. When her mother pushes her into riding lessons with local veterinarian Matthias Saunders, Jezebel balks. Sure, the doctor is gorgeous, but he’s completely obnoxious and knows how to push every one of her buttons.

Only her deep connection with The Reverend, a gentle stallion who guards her darkest secrets, has her agreeing to spend any more time with Dr. Saunders. Caring for the stallion is the first bright spot in her life in months, and if being around the horse means she has to deal with Matthias Saunders, then so be it. Surely a city girl like her can handle one country vet—even one with disturbing blue eyes. Can't she?

Alright, let’s get down to the interview. I can’t wait to chat with Jezebel. (AKA- Jezzy)

SKY: Tell us a little bit about you.

JEZEBEL: Well, I grew up in Northern Wisconsin, and after graduating high school I left for a more metropolitan life in Chicago. *Jezzy smiles, shrugging* I guess I never really considered myself a country bumpkin, even though now I know better. Anyway, after the accident, returning home seemed like the obvious choice. Unfortunately, it wasn’t until I got here I realized I’d just made another mistake…in a long list of horrible mistakes.

SKY: Hmmm. Doesn’t sound too good. Hope all’s well. I’m sure you’ll fill us in. Remembering the moment you first laid eyes on Matthias, what thoughts come to mind?

JEZEBEL: *Jezzy chuckles softly and rolls her eyes* First impressions can be so deceiving, can’t they? Most of what I saw in Matty that first time came from my own, distorted perspective. Terror was my best friend back in those days. *Jezzy shakes her head at the ground* My first thought was RUN, as fast as you can, because you never know what this mountain of a man is carrying in that duffle bag. This thought was quickly followed by, what a pompous ass.

SKY: LOL. You’re too funny. Of course now I’m curious what he’s carrying. He has one trait you adored from the start. What is it? You know without doubt he appreciates one of your traits. Share what you think that is.

JEZEBEL: *Jezzy sits up tall and smiles brightly* He does? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. That’s so totally Matty. I can’t imagine what he saw in me. I was such a mess. *Jezzy squints at the ceiling* Hmmm… Quite honestly? I didn’t adore anything about Matty in the beginning. He annoyed the heck out of me. But…if I had to pick one thing, I guess I would choose that he annoyed the heck out of me. If it wasn’t for that, he probably never would have gotten close enough to break through my defenses. *Jezzy clears her throat* Well, that plus those dimples of his. A woman would have to be insane not to notice those.

SKY: Lord, I love dimples. Totally get it. He has one trait you’d change if you could. What is it? Oh yeah, there’s a trait you know he’d change about you…fess up!

JEZEBEL: *Jezzy stares blankly at Sky, and then blinks* I can’t for the life of me think of one thing I would change about Matty. Honestly. Not one thing. As for changing me? Matty would probably say I’m too hard on myself.

SKY: Ah, love is in the air. What is the single most romantic thing he’s done for you?

JEZEBEL: Easy. Matty believed in me from the beginning. He never gave up on me, no matter what kind of grief I threw in his face.

SKY: Good man! He has a feature that draws your eye every time. Care to share? His eye constantly roams to a particular part of your person. Tell, tell!

JEZEBEL: *Jezzy smiles wickedly* His arms. Matty is so strong, both physically and emotionally. He literally sweeps me off my feet. I love that…or wait, maybe it’s his eyes. They’re so incredibly blue, you know? And I love his hair, and the stubble on his cheeks. And the way he… *Jezzy abruptly stops* Whoa, sorry. Got caught up in the visuals there for a second. As for Matty? Hmmm… He’s confessed that my lips hold a certain fascination for him. *Jezzy twitches an eyebrow* I’m betting he’ll admit the way I use my mouth has his full attention.

SKY: Girl, I think you’re infatuated with your man. Can’t say I blame you! How do you think Matthias would answer the following… Our favorite thing to do together is…?

JEZEBEL: *Jezzy sputters and her cheeks pink* Um….ride?

SKY: OMG! *Sky can’t stop chuckling* Ignore me. I have a terribly dirty mind. You mean horses of course! Back to the interview, you and Matthias just don’t see eye to eye on what issue?

JEZEBEL: My past. Matty has always believed I’m not to blame for anything that happened. Bless his heart, he sees the best in me, regardless of the mistakes I’ve made.

SKY: He said one thing to you that you’ll never forget. What was it?

JEZEBEL: “Are you lost?” That was the first thing Matty ever said to me, and at the time, he had no idea how incredibly perceptive that question really was.

Sky here. Super interview, Jezebel! Sounds like you and Matthias are quite the pair. I can’t wait to interview him tomorrow. Seriously, it’s going to be SO much fun!!! *Wicked grin*

AJ Nuest lives in northwest Indiana with her loving husband and two beautiful children. She is the Senior Editor for Still Moments Publishing, and the author of two contemporary romance novels.

Visit her on the web at AJ Books Blogspot ~ Twitter ~ Facebook (Tattered Pages)

Email: ajnuest@yahoo.com

Purchase Jezebel’s Wish through The Wild Rose Press and Amazon.

Be sure to swing in tomorrow to hear what Matthias has to say!

~Sky

Chance to win lots of Halloween Goodies! Come Join the Fun!

At long last, it's the week leading up to Halloween! I'll be at Alisha Paige's blog this week chatting about the re-launch of my series. Be sure to pop in and say 'hi' to be entered to win all sorts of goodies at the end of the week.

Also, stay tuned as I welcome romance author AJ Nuest to A Writer's Mind for an End of Week Character Blowout on Thursday and Friday.

Wishing everyone a spookalicious week!

Sky

Need a little Pre-Halloween Pick Me Up? Are you all-things-paranormal? I Got It!

Totally hyped up for Halloween and getting my 'spooks' all lined up in a tidy little row.

Got busy tonight whipping up a book trailer for my upcoming paranormal romance trilogy. It's all about Calum's curse. I won't dive into details but he's a character from my MacLomain Series. This go around he's not only a mortal man but a ghost... depending on what story you're reading. But, as it should be, the trilogy focuses on the main characters and their romantic predicaments. *Wicked grin*

Up's and down's. In's and out's. This trilogy takes you on a mind-bending, hold-on-tight ride through some supernatural situations you never could've imagined existed!

All the hype aside, tons of great stuff coming up soon at this blog. Stay tuned!

Halloween Up & Comings. Kindle Giveaway PLUS Lots of Ebooks!

Hey all! I'll soon be flying the friendly skies and praying for no turbulence. I’m really looking forward to some quality family time in Aruba. I’ll be back mid-October and gearing up for Halloween. Lots on the agenda blogging-wise to celebrate such an ‘eerie’ time of year.

Be sure to pop into A Writer’s Mind to find out where I’ll be on the net and all the spookalicious giveaways I’ll be part of. In fact, I’ll be visiting a few sites this year. The weekend before Halloween, Oct. 29th and 30th, I’ll be amongst many authors featured at the Paranormal Romantics Blog-a-Thon. I’ll be giving away a cyber-gift set of my vamp tales and a box of yummy chocolates. AND Paranormal Romantics will be giving away a grand prize of either a Kindle or Kindle Touch!

I’ll ALSO be visiting paranormal romance author, Alisha Paige’s Blog to chat about my Highlander Series, which as it so happens, launches its first time-travel on the night when the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest, All Hallows Eve! The grand prize this visit will include ALL FOUR of my MacLomain Stories AND a box of melt-in-your-mouth chocolates.

I’ll yap more about all of this End-of-October fun when I return. Until then, I leave you with my latest book trailer for Destiny’s Denial (The MacLomain Series- Book 2) Hope you enjoy!

Wishing My Little 'Bro' Love And Happiness Always!

This weekend is solely dedicated to my little ‘bro’ who is getting married to a fabulous woman, Jill Forzese.

Donnie, I still remember you at five. Lord, you never stopped talking! You have done so well over the years. You've grown up in to one heck of a man. I'm incredibly proud of you.

Wishing you and Jill many, many wonderful years together. Can’t wait to join you today when you become husband and wife.

Salute!!!

~Sky