My Haunted House

Our Haunted House


I've got a bit about our haunted house in my bio, people are naturally curious, so I get asked a lot of questions about it.



So here it goes . . .



My house is over a hundred years old. Built, my landlord thinks, about 1889 or earlier. His mom was raised here. Originally we think the property was a pig farm. We found a sign under the house that read: "Registered Dorset hogs for sale." But when my landlords Grandfather owned the ranch he raised cows. When we moved in there was a grape vineyard here. Now it's an almond orchard.



The house has a very long wraparound porch, and wood floors. Well, the whole house is wood. I was told my kitchen use to be the sleeping porch. There's also an old propane heater my hubby has worked hard to get to hold together with wire and a screwdriver.I think its circa 1936 or earlier.



In other words this place is damn old.



The first time we slept here we heard thumps in the attic almost all night. Then in the morning one of the big pine trees fell down, narrowly missing our small truck.



We keep seeing things out of the corner of ours eyes, like part of someone's sleeve or edge of a dress.



Things disappear and reappear some where else. One of my earring from my jewelry box disappeared and I found it in the middle of the floor a few days later.



After our daughter was born, the radio I had on in the room with her would change channels, from say baseball to country.



Then late one night while watching TV with my husband, the baby started to cry, and then we heard someone say very clearly "hush baby." My husband I gave each other a startled look, and then ran--I ran into the bedroom, and hubby ran out side.



We saw no one and the baby was asleep.



Since then we've seen a little girl who would disappear before our eyes. Later our daughter had an invisible friend and we realized it was the girl ghost. Our daughter told us her name, it's Jenny or Jenifer.



We're seen blue and green orbs, and so has our daughter and her friends. And we're felt someone poking us, too.



A couple weeks ago, while we slept, my daughter and I both felt someone running their long nails over over backs. To me it tickled and it woke me up, but to my daughter it hurt.

Our cats watch things that aren't there. Or at least I can't see them, lol.



One time when I was holding one of our kittens while watching TV, I noticed the kitten was watching something very intently--as only a cat can do. Then he got so spooked that he jumped right out of my arms. Then on to my head, the other shoulder, finally onto the floor. He scampered away and hid under a chair--shivering.



I never did find out what had frightened him so.



Sometimes when I wash my hands in the bathroom I hear a child crying, which is odd because we live out in the country two miles out of town with hardly any neighbors and I've heard that same child cry for 20 years.



I've often wondered if it was the ghost girl Jenny who was crying, but I'm not sure.



Our daughter is nineteen now and has grew up in this house, but she still remembers the little ghost girl she's play with.

.

Whipped Cream

I guest blogged at Whipped Cream, about how my insomnia got me started off as a writer and how my stories are always about what happens next.

Redecorating

You might have noticed I’ve changed the look of my blog. It all started when I did a little research and found my cover couple, and then the photographer, Ben Heys. He’s from Australia just like the hero in my book Windswept Shores. I found more of my cover couple in various poses and bought them, Yay!

My new header is of my cover couple in a different pose.

Just for Halloween a new excerpt from my book

Windswept Shores by Janice Seagraves

Windswept Shores, now available  from Pink petal books.

Windswept Shores by Janice Seagraves Cover Contest Winner

erotic contemporary romance novel (approx 50K) price $4.95

Cover Art by Pink Petal Books with assistance from Winterheart Design

BLURB: The sole survivor of a plane crash, Megan is alone on a deserted island in the Bahamas until she finds a nearly-drowned man washed up on shore. Another survivor, this time from a boat wreck. With only meager survival skills between them, will they survive and can they find love?

EXCERPT:

Hearing an odd noise, they exchanged a worried glance. It sounded again.

Megan pulled down the corners of her mouth, spitting out one word, “Pigs.”

Seth’s eyes widened. “Bill.” He thrust the eggs into her hands, heading to the ladder on the side of the boat.

“Where are you going?” Megan asked.

“They’re in Bill’s ashes. After his bones.”

“You can’t charge boars barehanded. They have long, sharp tusks.” She frowned. “The last time I ran across a wild pig, I had to climb a tree.”

He slammed his fist on the boat’s railing. “I should have taken them out last night and buried them.” Opening a chest, Seth took out a spear gun. “You know how to use one of these?”

“No, I’ve only seen them on TV.” She set the eggs on the swivel chair.

“It’s just like on the box. You point and pull the trigger.” Seth demonstrated, loading it with a long spear with a wicked looking barb.

“What are you going to do?” She took the spear-gun.

Seth pushed the sharp end away from him. “I’m gonna make a bullroarer.” He brought out some heavy duty fishing line, tying a pointed weight to the end of it. “If I get charged, shoot. But try not to hit me.”

“I’ll try,” she said softly.

“Try a little harder than that, luv.” He grinned as he climbed down the ladder.

Megan scurried over to the side and aimed the spear gun at the pigs.

Seth rounded the bow of the boat. He called out with a thick accent, “Oy, get away from there, you miserable drongo.”

The boar grunted at him, sounding like “Huh?” The sow snorted, her piglets hiding behind her.

“Well come on, take a gander at the big Aussie.” He spread his arms wide as the boar snuffled, trying to scent him. Seth unwound the cord from the weight, spinning it over his head. The weapon started to hum until it turned into a very odd loud buzzing noise.

Alarmed by the noise, the pigs snorted and squealed.

“What a gas bag you are, you and your dirty grubs.” He moved closer to the hogs.

The female and the babies acted nervous, as if they didn’t want anything to do with that odd whirling noise overhead. With a last loud squeal of dismay, they ran off.

The boar didn’t budge but pawed the ground. “Seth, the boar is going to charge,” Megan warned. She kept a bead on it with the spear-gun.

“Steady now, Megz.” He edged closer to the boar. “Oy, you great big wanker, your missus left and so should you.”

The bore squealed ferociously and charged. Megan screamed. The spear-gun went off.

***

Now also available at Smashwords, Diesel, All Romance and for the kindle at Amazon.My website: http://janiceseagraves.org/

Spookapalooza

I posted a scary scene from my book, Windswept Shores. 

Janice~

New Author Marie Beau

Hi, you’re just in time. Pull up a chair we’re just about to start. Here with me today is a new author Maire Beau.

Maire : Hi Janice, thanks for having me.

Janice: Tell us about yourself?

Maire: Well, I work full time, write part time, sing part time, write songs part time, take care of my husband and teenage daughter, and try to squeeze in time for breathing. LOL.

Janice: Lol, sounds like a lot of work.
When did you start writing?

Maire: I started writing about ten years ago. I’ve been an avid reader since I was a teenager, but the only thing I used to write was poetry. I actually had one poem published on a greeting card just after my college years.

Janice: Who was the biggest influence on your writing?

Donna: Definitely my daughter. I actually started writing because I would make up bed time stories for her. She found them more entertaining than most books I got her. So when I finally got around to writing them down, I also started writing a novel – that’s patiently waiting for a major rewrite.

Janice: Oh, that is sweet.
How do you go about your writing? Do your prefer pencils to pens or is it all straight computer work?

Maire: I can type so much faster than write (plus I can read it!), not to mention my hand cramping and ink running – it’s definitely straight to the computer for me.

Janice: Hey, me too. *Grin* What influences you in your writing?

Maire: Music, movies, reading, or straight research? You know, I honestly don’t know. I just suddenly have ideas that pop into my head so I’ll jot down a page or two (yes, this is sometimes, ugh, hand written), then type it into my idea file to be expanded on when the time is right.

Janice: You sound much more organized than I am, lol.
When do you write morning or evening, or are you a late into the wee hours of the morning person?

Donna: Since I refuse to get up any earlier than 6AM, evening is the only time I have available. So I take what I can get and squeeze in as much as I can.

Janice: I don’t blame you. Who in charge you or your muse?


Donna: Definitely my muse. For the most part, the story is as much a surprise to me as it is to any other reader. I’m just the conduit.

Janice: Use only one word to describe your writing style?

Donna: Character driven all the way. If you want a story that you can love or hate the characters, dive in. Or at least what you want your readers to take away from your writing. Just an enjoyment for the time they’ve spent with my characters.

Janice: Sounds good. I love character driven stories.
What other books have you written?

Maire: I have several others, but nothing else published as yet.

Janice: What influenced your recent book, the one you are promoting here today?

Maire: I have always loved shape shifter stories. I tend to go through certain categories of stories in large blocks. After stumbling across a really good one last year, I hunted up every shifter story I could find. And when I ran out, I wrote my own.

Blurb: Lyssa Merrick has no intention of ever being involved with a wolf, but when Wolfe Reardon seeks her wildlife services she realizes choosing a mate is not always a conscious decision.

The jingle of the bells over the door announced his arrival. Lyssa sighed and dropped the tea ball into the cup of water.

I can do this.

She stepped into the front of the store and looked toward the door. Where is he? I know it was him. She frowned, turned back toward the kitchen, and screamed when a hand landed on her shoulder.

Without thinking, she gripped the hand, stepped into his side, and flipped him. Her eyes widened when she realized what she had done. I guess it’s not all about size after all. She practically giggled until she looked down at him, lying there so still. Perhaps he got the breath knocked out of him when he landed.

She shifted from foot to foot, staring at him, waiting for him to move, to open his eyes.

“Wolfe. Wolfe, I‟m sorry. You scared me.” She ran a hand through her hair setting it all askew she was sure.

“Come on Wolfe, you didn‟t land that hard,” she whispered. She knelt down to check his pulse only to have her hand snared and drawn to his chest. His eyes popped open, a grin spreading across his face.

Lyssa jerked back, trying to get free. “Okay, joke‟s over. You can let me go now.” She struggled to straighten and pull her hand out of his grasp but instead found herself sprawled on top of him when he tugged her down.

“Easy kitty, no claws…”

I will be giving away a copy of Wolf! to the lucky commenter who leaves the most comments in my blog tour before October 9th. All of my stops have been posted on my blog. Feel free to go back and post to them.

Thanks for stopping by,

Marie

Visit me at: http://www.authormariebeau.blogspot.com/

Wolf!
New release 10/1/2010 from Whispers Publishing.
http://www.whispershome.com/book_pages/wolf.html

Redecorating

I redid my website. Please take a look and see what you think.

Spookapaloosa

I've been posting on the TRS party site for October Halloween extravaganza called Spookapalossa.

This is a link to the first of a three part paranormal story called Jared the Fierce were-tabby.

Please give it a read and tell me what you think of it. If enough people tell me they like it, I will turn my three shorts into one large MS. :)

You will also have a chance to win a copy of my book, Windswept Shores.

Janice~

Book trailer for Windswept Shores

I redid my book teaser with a couple of new photos I bought of my cover couple. I did research and found the photographers name is Ben Heys and he's from Australia, like my hero in my story. *grin* And another cool thing is the guy on the cover without the filter looks more like my hero in Windswept Shores.

Car accident

My daughter was just involved in a car accident. She's okay, although bruised up pretty good. The girl driving hasn't regained consciousness and they had to air lift her to a bigger hospital. The girl's sister was also injured. Please-pray for the girls.

Janice~