Paranormal Experiences- Meet the Author

If you headed this way from Traci Wooden-Carlisle's Blog, thanks for clicking the link! Did you check out her books? You can see them at Traci's Amazon Page.

Do you like to read? Wouldn't you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the MMB Open Book Blog Hop each Wednesday and they will tell all. Every week we'll answer questions and after you've enjoyed the blog on this site we'll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box.

Question:
Have any of us had paranormal experiences? Maybe a brief description of one each of us may have had?

I've had a couple. I'll tell you about one.

In high school, we were encouraged to pick intercultural topics for study and create a project based on our studies. Those projects were shared with our classmates and the rest of the school, and one night the public was invited to view our work. It wasn't a competition, but it was a major portion of our grade for the semester.

One year, I chose to study Gypsies. I walked into the project with a fairly romanticized vision of Gypsy life, and most of the material I found back then reinforced that vision to a great extent. I also delved into the traditions of tarot cards and palm reading as a part of the project.

My presentation was based on that aspect of the culture I borrowed a set of tarot cards from a friend, and had a little area where people could come to have their fortunes told.

I never thought anyone would take it seriously. Certainly, I didn't take myself seriously. 

But about two months later, I was approached by a girl I didn't recognize in the public library. She remembered me. She definitely remembered her fortune. I'd read her fortune using tarot cards. One of the cards that came up for her was the mother card. Another was the death card.

She hadn't known it the night I read her fortune, but she had been pregnant. She lost her baby shortly after I read her cards. All I could do was hug her and tell her how sorry I was. I didn't cry until later.

I gave the tarot cards back to their owner as soon as I could, and I've never told anyone's fortune since then. Not even for fun.

To find out what Stevie Turner has to say, head on over to her blog at Stevie Turner. And don't forget to check out her books at Amazon Author Page- Stevie Turner

Do you have any questions you want the authors to answer? Leave a comment and let us know.

Do Photo-Shopped Images Make You feel Bad- Meet the Author

Thanks to Stephanie Tullis for sending you my way. Have you checked out her book? You can find it at The Master's Plan.

Now on to this week's question. Do photo-shopped images make you feel bad about yourself? Do you worry about the affect it has on teens?

I grew up before photoshop. (Yes, I'm that old.) I wasn't bombarded with artificial images of pretend women. That was back in the day when the style was to be natural. Anybody remember Mama Cass Elliot? What a voice! And she wasn't afraid of her size. That's just the way she was.For many years I didn't own a scale, and I never measured myself. Of course, I never had a "girlish figure." I was athletic way back then, and I frequently bought men's shirts because they fit me better. It never bothered me.I didn't worry at all about modeling myself after anyone else's ideal image.

But do I worry about the effect it has on teenagers? Absolutely. Both male and female. Males, because they are presented with unrealistic portrayals of what a woman should look like.If they think they're going to find one of those overly processed pretend girls in real life, they are going to be disappointed.

And the girls? It starts long before they are teenagers. Take a look at the Disney princesses. You think those are realistic images to present to little girls?

And it only get worse as they get older. I remember hearing two young girls in the grocery store—they were maybe 12 or 12—worrying about being overweight. They were both at a perfectly appropriate weights for their age and height. And I stopped and told them so. I wasn't sure they believed me, but maybe they will remember it down the line somewhere. So yes, I'm sure they were being influenced by the distorted images in magazines and movies and on television.

Truth is, the whole photoshop thing is one of my pet peeves. I'm much more a proponent of the idea that it's what inside that makes a girl beautiful—what she thinks and feels, and how she treats herself and other people. Maybe that's outdated thinking, or maybe it's an idea coming back into popularity.

To find out what author Patti Fiala  has to say, head over to her blog at PJ Fiala. And don't forget to check out her books.

Winning he Lottery-Meet the Author Week 6

Thanks to P.J. Fiala for sending folks my way. Have you read any of her books yet? You should check them outI think my favorite (so far) is Second Chances. You can find it here Second Chances.

Now on to this week's question. What would I do if I won the lottery?

Funnily enough, I don't play the lottery. Not any more, anyway. I used to play, but I rarely picked more than one right number. So I gave it up. Still, it's fun to dream, isn't it?

I'm going to assume I've won over a million dollars. More like ten million. After all, why play if you're not playing for the big bucks.The first thing I'd want to buy is a log cabin up in the mountains somewhere. That shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows me. Think how much more productive I'll be without the internet to distract me from my writing.

Next would be a house on the ocean. Two, actually. One on the Oregon Coast for my hubby, one on Florida for my daughter. We'd split winters between the three places. I actually like snow!

I'll also need to set up a trust fund to pay for my grandson's college. While all that's going on, I'll be making a list of what charities I want to make a donation to. So many marvelous organizations out there doing important work. I believe the local food bank will top the list. Maybe two food banks- one near the cabin location, and one near the ocean residence.

And that's about it. I'm set. Sure, If you forced me to spend it all, I could find ways to do it. But it would feel pretty good to have the rest of it tucked away in a bank for emergencies.

To find out what author Kelly Williams would do if she won the lottery, check out her blog at
Kelly Williams. And check out her books at Amazon K. Williams

What Actor Would Play You- Meet the Author

This week's question was "In the story of your life, who would play you? Who would play your family?"

I've said this before- I rarely watch TV, and hardly ever go to the movies. I don't keep up with the latest news from Hollywood. So I decided to answer this question backwards- if I was an actress, what role would I play? And what roles would my family play?


I'll start with the easy answer- my brothers, sisters, parents and I would play the Walton's. There were 9 of us siblings- yes, nine. (We actually beat the Walton's by one!) Now, I would post one of our group portraits, but one of my brothers doesn't like to have his picture on the internet. So here's a picture of the Walton's instead.

And yes, we were more than a handful for our parents. There were trips to the ER for most of us, and I believe all of us had at least one turn standing in the corner as punishment for some infraction. But we also gave my folks opportunities to be proud with awards earned in school and through volunteer work.

But now we're all grown and most of us have families of our own. So here's the second part of the question. What roles would my husband. kids, and I play?

My husband would be an sheriff in the Old West. He very protective of women and children, has a keen sense of righteousness, and just looks like a character out of a Western. The character Matt Dillon comes to mind.

 My daughter would be a surfer chick from any beach movie, and my son would be the computer genius on a CSI show. And me? 

Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote. Not that I look anything like Angela Lansbury, or am half as talented, but the character is a great match. A mystery writer actually solving mysteries in "real" life. I enjoyed the show long before I ever found myself writing my own mysteries.

So that's my take on this week's question. To find out what author Ann Popp has to say, head over to her blog. at Ann Popp. And if you have a question you want answered, please leave it in the comments.