I just received the Liebster blog award!

I just received the Liebster blog award! Thank you, Gina Marie Long! http://www.ginamarielong.com/ 

These are the "original rules":

1. Thank the giver who gave the award to you and link back to their blog
2. Reveal your top five picks for bloggers and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog with your posting similar to this.

If you are short on time but like the concept, just follow the original rules above and do not worry about the extra steps below!! If you want to get more elaborate, then choose the following:

These are the "alternate rules" (longer option):

2. Reveal your top 11 picks for blogs/bloggers (this version--no limits on how many followers they have).

3. Copy and paste the award image on your blog with your own posting similar to this, making your own changes as necessary.

4. Share 11 facts about yourself.

5. Answer the 11 questions sent to you.

6. Come up with your own 11 questions for the next round of people who you give the award to…and they can choose to answer if they wish.

7. Then pass on the award to those 11 bloggers you've picked by leaving a comment on their blog about the award you're giving them. Include your link back to your blog…so they can see what this is all about.

Okay, I’m swamped catching up with work I missed during our recent move, so I’m going to do a little mix and match from the above choices. Here are 6 bloggers I think deserve this award (the final three write for the same site but do independent work):

1)     Sandra Cox - http://sandracox.blogspot.com/

2)     Amber Polo - http://amberpolo.blogspot.com/

3)     Lizzy Stevens - http://www.lizzystevens.blogspot.com/

4, 5, 6) Carrie Hinkel-Gill, Gracen Miller & Margay Leah Justice - http://moonlightlacemayhem.blogspot.com/

Gina’s questions for me:

1) Coke or Pepsi? – I don’t drink sodas very often, but I do love a Diet Pepsi as a treat once in a while.

2) Pizza or Chinese Food? – This is a tough one. I love both!

3) Vampires or Werewolves? – Hmm, I’m more of a witch and medium fan. But if I have to choose between the two, I’d probably go with weres.

4) Have you ever gone to Comic-Con or something similar? A big fat yep to that one! I worked a few Sci-fi cons back in the day.

5) Favorite TV shows? I could go on and on here so I’ll just give a few highlights. Bewitched is my all-time favorite vintage show. I also love Buffy, Xena, various Star Treks, Fringe, Big Bang Theory, Gilmore Girls and the current Bunheads.

6) Do you prefer paper books or ebooks? eBooks! But I have a lot of paperbacks, too.

7) Name one pet peeve. Rude people. Just don’t get it.

8) Do you like to cook? More than I used to but hubby’s the main chef around here.

9) Do you live in a big city, medium sized city or small town? Love my beach town, dudes!

10) Do you normally go to the theater to watch movies or wait till they come out on DVD? We mostly download but go to the theater if there’s something we just can’t wait to see.

11) What's your favorite type of music to listen to? I love 80s, 90s, some current pop hits, as well as Indies and alternative.

My questions to the bloggers I’ve chosen:

1)     Beach, desert, or mountain?

2)     Sunshine or rain?

3)     Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?

4)     Favorite book character?

5)     Favorite TV character?

6)     Pool or ocean?

7)     Dog or cat?

8)     Are you allergic to exercise, an avid workout person or somewhere in between?

9)     What’s the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you? (Keep it PG, please!)

10)  Vintage or new?

11)  Are you also a crafter? If so, what medium do you prefer?

Rock and roll - We’re back in Rumbletown!

We've been back home in SoCal for less than three weeks but have already gotten that familiar welcome mat called a trembler. Yesterday and today Yorba Linda had 2 moderate shakers. Rock and roll, dudes, we're home!

The first earthquake I remember feeling was back in the 80s. I was sitting on the carpet in my bedroom late at night when it felt like the house started rolling down the street. I looked out the window and realized we weren't going anyplace. My first thought was that I was overly-tired and really needed to go to bed. Then I realized it was an earthquake. They don't always shake like TV shows and movies portray. Sometimes, when you're far enough away from the epicenter and depending on the direction of the waves, they roll into town. It's an odd feeling and one I'll never forget.

The next trembler I remember feeling was a much bigger deal. It was 1987 and I was on location for an early morning TV shoot when everything started shaking. One of our assistant directors screamed, "Run!" She took off to the open area, since we were outside, and the rest of us followed, locals moving a lot slower than our spooked AD. One of the crew members was in a bathroom trailer at the time and got mad because he thought someone was playing a joke on him. I still laugh about that. On and off the rest of the day, we experienced aftershocks that caused shooting delays. That was the Whittier-Narrows, a 5.9 on the Richter. Aftershocks hit for several days after and I remember being jolted awake a couple of times then things settled down.

There were several smaller quakes over the years but it was pretty quiet in my little beach town. Until 1992 when the Landers quake hit. This one was strong - a 7.3 - but short, lasting just a couple of seconds. It made the place jump then rumble and woke me up. I'm sure we had aftershocks but I really don't remember them. The quake I remember best hit us in 1994. Epicenter located in Northridge, it literally threw us out of bed at 4:31 in the morning. I'll never forget that time. I narrowly missed smacking into the wall. We stumbled around, trying to get our balance and get downstairs to where our birds were freaking out. We hadn't installed the handrail yet so we didn't dare try to maneuver the stairs until the shaking stopped. We had just got our birds calmed down when the first aftershock hit and it was a shaker. Several videos were tossed onto the floor from our bookshelf, pictures hung askew, and there was a crack in one of the corners, but we were lucky.

After things settled a bit and we got the electricity on to watch the TV news, I turned to hubby and said, "So what do you think? Six point oh?"
He nodded. "At least."
That's a bit of an inside joke for Cali residents, as we always try to relieve tension by guessing the magnitude. I think it helps us cope with the adrenaline rush and makes us feel more a part of what's happening rather than being just victims.

Unfortunately, like most big quakes, Northridge caused a few deaths. We had building and freeway collapses around SoCal, but since it hit so early in the morning, it could've been worse. Hard to believe, I know. But if that one had hit during rush hour, we would have seen a lot more injuries and deaths.

I was also doing a theatre production in Burbank at that time and the cast and crew who lived near the epicenter didn't fare as well hubby and I did. I think there was a minor injury among them but no one got seriously hurt, thankfully. One of the aftershocks hit when I was one of just two people at the theatre the next evening. I was walking through the costume area when everything started to shake. I called out to the other person to make sure they were following, then got outside and away from the building immediately. In that part of town there are a lot of old brick structures and those are usually the first to go down in a quake. The last place you want to be when the earth starts shaking. That was the last aftershock I remember experiencing, but I woke up every morning at 4:31 for about six months after that quake.

In 1998, hubby and I moved to AZ, where we never felt anything shake unless it was from thunder. Fourteen years later, we're living in SoCal again. The first night we were here, I woke up and looked at the clock. It read 4:31. All was quiet. I shook my head, knowing exactly the reason, and went back to sleep. Yesterday, a 4.4 hit Yorba Linda. And again this morning they got another shaker. Yep, we're back home in Rumbletown.

Moving Madness!

Been living in a crazy whirlwind the last couple of months. We put our Phoenix home up for sale and got multiple offers in just three days. We then had to travel to LA to find a temporary rental. Fast! Luckily for us, we found one the first day in town and secured it. After that came inspections, repairs, and waiting for buyer finance approval before we could sign the closing papers. It's bittersweet, since we built that house and really love the hiking trails and open desert that surround it, but after fourteen years, it was time to return home to beautiful SoCal. We'll miss our AZ friends but will stay in touch via email, posts, and Skype.

We made the big move back to LA five days ago and are still waiting on our moving van to arrive with our stuff as of this post. They're scheduled to deliver our things tomorrow. Finally! Hard to write with just a beach chair and boxes as my desk. Once we get our stuff in place, we will start looking for a home to buy. I can't wait to house hunt. Buying is definitely more fun than selling.

In the middle of all this madness, my latest novel was released. No stress here, right? Desert Magick: Phoenix Lights (Bk 4) is now available for the Kindle and Nook and will be available in other formats very soon. As soon as I get our rental organized, I will be doing another virtual tour with free eBooks, so please stay tuned.

http://www.danadaviswriting.com/Desert_Magick.htm

Monsoon Season is Officially Here!

Monsoon 2012 officially starts today in the Valley of the Sun! Woohoo! The downside is that we'll be creeping up to 112 degrees this coming week with no rain in the forecast. But it's a dry heat, right? My snarky answer to that is, "So's my oven."

We might be waiting a while for rain, but we have no end of deadly heat . Yes, it's beautiful, and yes we do go hiking and biking in the summer. But there are rules. And you thought graduation meant no more rules. Silly you. But seriously, if you venture out in the heat, please remember a few things that just might save your life. Natives and long-term residents might know this stuff, but newbies may not. And a refresher never hurt anyone.

1. Try to keep outdoor activities to the early morning or evening hours when the sun isn't so intense. This goes for dogs, too. Imagine wearing a fur coat out in this heat. I personally prefer a nice cool swim or a trip to the local ice-skating rink.
2. Stay hydrated. Take lots of water. And drink it. Yeah, that sounds like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how many people forget.
3. Use sufficient sunblock and reapply it every 2 hours. If you're fair-skinned like I am, you'll need at least 30 or 50 SPF. If you're dark-skinned, you might be able to skip this step, depending on how much melanin you have.
4. Wear a hat. It might not make you look cool, but it may help keep you alive.
5. Don't hike trails that are too difficult for you, especially in the heat.
6. Take a cell phone. No, not for yapping with your peeps. It's for emergencies, silly.
7. Be aware of your surroundings. Nothing ruins a beautiful hike like a rattlesnake bite, a scorpion sting, or a broken bone.
8. If you're driving during a monsoon, don't cross barriers or washes. Besides getting stranded and ruining your car, you'll get a nice bill from authorities who have to rescue your butt. It's called the "Stupid Motorist Law". Yep, it's a real law and it's enforced.
9. Don't go outside to take photos of that awesome lightning. You might just find yourself on the other end of several thousand volts. It'll be really hard to work that camera when you're dead.
10. Stay off the golf courses during a monsoon. It's just as hard to swing a club when you're dead as it is to use a camera. See #9 for further details.

I really don't want to see my peeps or readers on the 6 o'clock news, so stay safe out there this summer. Better yet, stay inside and read a book.

You Know You're a Desert Dweller When...

Summer solstice is a week away and I’m feeling a little goofy from the heat, so I thought I’d share a little Arizona desert fun with you.

You know you’re a desert dweller when…

1. You keep a pair of oven mitts in your car for summer driving.
2. A summer cold front means the temperature will drop below 110 degrees and it’s time to fire up the barby!
3. When house hunting, you ask, “How big a pool does it have?”
4. You pause during your walk to let a scorpion cross the sidewalk in front of you.
5. A run to the corner store in summer means taking a water bottle for the ½ mile drive and the a/c finally cools off the car just as you park.
6. A ten foot scrawny tree equals – shade, baby!
7. You drive around a parking lot for fifteen minutes in summer just to get a spot under a ten foot scrawny tree. Score!
8. Dressing up in summer means choosing what color shorts to wear with which pair of sandals.
9. You own more sandals than any other type of shoes.
10. The first crash of monsoon thunder sends you scrambling to the window with excitement and high-fiving your office buds.
11. Summer betting involves how far away the lightening is and which golf course it just struck.
12. You pass three golf courses on your five mile drive from home to work.
13. Driving the freeway safely involves physics equations and a heck of lot of luck.
14. The phrase “Snowbirds are back in town” sends you into a panic because you’ll have to allow an extra fifteen minutes to get anywhere until summer arrives again.
15. You see a cloud in the sky and wonder if it’s monsoon season.
16. You have at least three bottles of sun screen near the door year round.
17. Winter means you get to use the 30 spf sunscreen instead of the 50.
18. You see someone without sunglasses and know they’re from out of town.
19. You hear someone pronounce saguaro with the g sound and know they’re from out of town.
20. The temperature drops below 75 degrees and you get excited because it’s jacket weather.

Vikings and Tulips and Ancestors, Oh My!

Once every year or two hubby and I take a vacation out of the country. In 2010 we chose Egypt as a celebration of our 20 years of marriage and a place we had both longed to see since childhood. This year, we decided to go to Denmark and Holland. Why? Because we hadn’t been there. And because we both have ancestors from those areas.

Being west coasters, hubby and I don’t have a lot of cold tolerance, so we bundled up in three layers of clothing to brave the 30-50 degree temperatures and off we went. Copenhagen is a proud, green city with an efficient public transportation system, electric cars, renewable power, and lots and lots of bicycles. The city is planning to be carbon-neutral by 2025 and is well on the way to meeting that goal. I love that about the Danish people.

We visited Hamlet’s castle, the location Shakespeare chose for the setting of his famous play, complete with a moat and temperamental swans. The Danish have a saying that goes something like, “The castle made Shakespeare famous in his day and today Shakespeare keeps the castle famous.” We also stopped at Rembrandt’s house to see where the famous painter once lived and worked. We walked around the city, enjoying the old buildings and green areas, and even found ourselves at the water’s edge where The Little Mermaid statue rests. There weren’t a lot of tourists here so we got to experience daily Danish life without having to press through crowds of people.

As someone with Scandinavian ancestors and a high probability of Viking roots, I had to visit the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde. Fifty years ago, archaeologists recovered five Skuldulev boats that were deliberately sunk with stones to create a border that kept enemy ships out of the harbor. The preserved remains of these ships are on display in the museum, and it’s amazing to see the expertise it took to build such ships long before the modern age. This July, the recreated Sea Stallion ship, will sail from Denmark to Ireland in commemoration of Vikings who sailed that route so long ago.

Next, we flew to Amsterdam, Holland. This place is special because hubby and I both have ancestors from this great city. No trip to Amsterdam would be complete without a visit to VanGogh’s museum, which just happened to be a short walk from our hotel, thanks to hubby’s great travel-planning skills. The painting of Van Gogh’s bedroom and his famous self-portrait is here, but they didn’t have Sunflowers or Starry Night, my favorites, so I was a bit disappointed.

We ventured into Utrecht, where one of my prominent ancestors once lived but had no luck finding records here. And you can forget finding your ancestors in the cemeteries if they died more than 50 years ago. The Dutch rent out graves for a period of several years then the bodies are dug up and cremated, making room for another family to bury their loved ones in the same spaces. Land is scarce here, so this makes sense, but it can make genealogy cemetery research a headache sometimes. Still, it was a treat to see the city where my ancestors lived and worked nearly four centuries ago.

Back in Amsterdam, we had better luck, at least on my side of the family tree. I got a printout of a marriage record, thanks to the wonderful people at the Amsterdam archives. They even took the time to translate the Old Dutch language for me. Afterward, we got to visit the Oude Kerk (Old Church) where my ancestors listed on that printout married back in 1638, just before they left for New Amsterdam (New York City) and a better life. Oude Kerk was built in the 14^th century so it’s seen a lot of history. When I showed the marriage record to the church personnel, we were escorted into the restricted area where my ancestors signed their marriage announcement, just four years before Rembrandt signed his. I walked and stood exactly where my ancestors and the famous Rembrandt had been 375 years earlier. I can’t tell you how amazing that felt. I was saddened we didn’t locate any of hubby’s ancestors on this trip, but I’ll keep digging in the online records. And who knows, maybe one of the photos we took will connect with his side of the family tree.

While the excitement of finding ancestors is on the top of our list, tulips come in at a close second. The whole reason we decided to visit Holland in April was so we could go to the Keukenhof. The cold snap didn’t deter the flowers from blooming and we saw thousands of vibrant colors. Needless to say, I went a bit photo crazy here. And we certainly wouldn’t go to Holland without visiting the famous windmills. I think these iconic structures typify Holland as much as wooden shoes and tulips. Seeing them from the inside is a treat, as well. Especially when you realize they run solely on wind power and were built long before electricity was discovered.

 

Our vacation to Denmark and Holland is just a memory and a giant photo file now, but these countries will always have a special place in my heart because our ancestors once lived and worked there before coming to the New World. Without them, hubby and I wouldn’t be here now.

Dana’s 2012 birthday special ends Monday! Buy a paperback book for your tween or young teen and support autistic kids. 50% of all royalties Dana receives for The Mask of Tamirella trade paperback sales from February 1, 2012 until Dana’s birthday April 9, 2012 will go to the Autism Society. In addition, Dana will match those royalty donations up to $50. Note: This offer is for the paperback version only and does not apply to the eBook.http://www.danadaviswriting.com/The_Mask_of_Tamirella.htm 

Happy 100th, Arizona!

Arizona is celebrating our Centennial today. Rather than blog about it, I've decided to show you some of my favorite things and places. I made my Arizona album on Facebook public so you can enjoy photos I've take around this state where I've lived for nearly 14 years now. Just follow the link below and enjoy!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.422346468862.198005.591073862&type=1 

My Monkish Ways and Writing

Okay, I admit it. I can be a bit OCD about some things. Like wanting the house clean or the dishes done after a meal or a shower after a workout. If you’ve ever watched the TV show Monk, you know what I’m talking about when I mention my Monkish ways. Now, I’m in no way as bad as that character. If I were, I’d never get anything productive done. But hubby has told me he learned new things about me by watching that show. Not sure how I feel about that. Okay, so I don’t like when things are dirty. And I really don’t like bugs in the house. Really, really, don’t like it. 

If you’re squeamish, like I am, you might want to stop reading here.  Because this next part is making me shiver just thinking about it. 

We have one of those glass patio sliding doors leading out to our backyard. They don’t seal all that well, and we occasionally get bugs coming in through the gaps, usually spiders. Not to mention a few scorpions – Okay, I know they’re not bugs but they’re still yucky. But I’ve never in my life, and I mean never, had a pregger fly get inside and start laying her young. On the tile right by the patio door.  I told you this was gross.

When I saw the little miscreant, I did a Monk dance and made about a hundred disgusting faces before I got rid of them and disinfected the floor. Twice. Then I washed my hands three times, maybe four. I lost count. I’m still wigged out about the whole thing. Yes, I know, bugs are living creatures and beneficial to the environment. But flies are dirty, nasty creatures and not at all beneficial to the inside of my home. You and I both know where they like to hang out. And we both know what fly babies are, don’t we? Shiver.

So, like the dutiful writer I try to be, I worked very hard to stop doing my “This is absolutely disgusting dance” around the house, and think where I could use this incident in my writing. I don’t write CSI stuff. I write fantasy and sci-fi with a touch of mystery and, oh yeah, sometimes horror. That’s it! Horror! I just might be able to use it in a horror scene. Well, The Fly has been done. But that was a guy, right? Not a pregger female. Oh, and Buffy had a giant praying mantis teacher lady lay eggs in a basement and try to eat Xander. And of course, they’re both TV shows, not books. Hmm, guess I’ll have to think on this a bit more.

So don’t be surprised if you read a scene in one of my future novels that harkens back on the “fly incident” as it’s now known as in my house. Okay, I’m off to wash my hands. Again.

Happy reading!

Irrational Phobias in Writing

I recently posted on Facebook about irrational phobias and got a whole lot of responses, so I decided to write a little more about them and how they’ve been a useful tool in writing for a long time. 

I’m a rational person, really I am. As a paranormal investigator, I even hunt ghosts, things that tend to scare a lot of folks. There are things that frightened me as a kid and still give me the wiggins even as an adult. I use those memories in my writing, and sometimes attribute phobias and irrational fears to characters in my books. It makes them seem more human, with faults, and also can spice up scenes with a little bit of tension. It’s also cathartic in a face-your-fears sort of way for me.

Horror writers and film makers have cashed in on phobias, so I know I’m not alone in these irrational fears. I was a kid who, from the time I can remember, watched horror shows and read ghost stories, so I enjoyed being scared. At least, when it was a safe scare. Of course, the mind doesn’t always make rational decisions about what’s scary and what’s not. Take a simple thing like a doll. Millions of kids play with them every day. So why should anybody fear them?

Well, when I was a kid, I received an antique doll as a gift from my great-grandmother. She spent a lot of time making the beautiful dress, hat and shoes for the doll. Despite all her hard work, I couldn’t get past the glass eyes and the rows of teeth. Yes, it had teeth! The Twilight Zone’s Talky Tina rerun came to mind immediately whenever I looked at this doll. I hadn’t been too fond of dolls in the first place, except maybe the Barbie versions, so this one went straight into my closet with several others. I think it got passed on to a cousin some years later. I never really asked.

Here’s a particularly scary doll with teeth that I found listed on ebay. Be warned, she might just fuel some nightmares. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Composition-Baby-Girl-Doll-w-Teeth-13-Tall-LOOK-/370112449635#ht_500wt_1127

Going back to The Twilight Zone’s Talky Tina – She’s so memorable, you can now purchase a replica on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Zone-Talky-Tina-Replica/dp/B004MCO78S Yeah, let me just get my credit card out for that.

Chucky is probably the most well-known of the nightmare dolls. At least for my generation. And they made movie sequels, giving him a homicidal wife. Stores even sold Talking Chucky dolls, complete with replica murder weapons he used in his movies. Great to have in the family, don’t you think?

Clowns are another thing I’m not too fond of (real or doll versions) and they’ve been used numerous times in books, films, and TV shows. Stephen King’s IT is probably the most famous book with the Pennywise clown. If you were a teen or adult sci-fi buff in the 90s, you probably remember Xander’s nightmare scene from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. http://www.hulu.com/watch/1015/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-killer-clown

And who can forget what is probably one of the most famous clown dolls, from the Poltergeist movie? A two-fer scare for those of us who aren’t fond of dolls or clowns. My brother had a clown doll like the one in Poltergeist and we joked about it after we saw the movie. But I do believe it went into his closet that same day. Or maybe he donated it. Hmm, maybe I should ask him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc7oJhvNr4w

Clown and doll phobias are so popular, USPS even made a commercial that uses one to sell services. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwXdSH2Co78 Thanks to a Facebook friend for reminding me of this one. I hadn’t seen it in a while.

So, next time you have to face your own irrational fears, think about using them to write a scene. While it won’t make the fear go away, it will make for interesting writing. And you might get a little cathartic therapy out of it.

Happy writing and Happy New Year!

Dana

Twas the Night Before Deadline

A little ditty I wrote last year and thought I'd share again this year. Enjoy!

Twas the Night Before Deadline
Adaptation by Dana Davis (my apologies to Clement Clarke Moore)

Twas the night before deadline, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even my mouse.
The sticky notes hung by the computer in rows,
In hopes that my muse soon would make a show.

My characters were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of plotlines danced in my head.
And computer all booted, and hand on my mouse,
I’d just settled my brain for a long writer’s joust.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the desk to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the glass.

The moon on the pool and the landscape lights
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects in sight.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature woman in flowing apparel.

The little odd woman, so lively and loose,
I knew in a moment it must be my muse.
More rapid than eagles her course she came,
And she whistled, and shouted, and called out my game!

"Now Dashes! now, Spaces! now, Paragraphs and Verbs!
On, Comas! On, Clauses! on Headers and Blurbs!
To the top of the page! To the margin and title!
Now type away! Type away! Type away, writer!"

As dry leaves that before the wild monsoon fly,
When she meets with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So into the house the course she flew,
With a bag full of ideas, my lovely muse true.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard in my brain
The prancing and pawing of each little refrain.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Into the office my muse came with a bound.

She was dressed all in letters, from her head to her foot,
And her clothes were all garnished with phrases and words.
A bundle of ideas she had flung on her back,
And she looked like a fairy, as she opened her pack.

Her eyes-how they twinkled! her dimples how merry!
Her cheeks were like roses, her nose like a cherry!
Her droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the skin of her chin was as white as snow.

The stump of a pen she held tight in her teeth,
And the nouns they encircled her head like a wreath.
She had a round face and a little loose bun,
That bobbed when she laughed, like a hummingbird tongue!

She was chubby and plump with ideas for my shelf,
And I laughed when I saw her, in spite of myself!
A wink of her eye and a twist of her head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

She spoke not a word, but went straight to her work,
And filled all my sticky notes, then turned with a jerk.
And laying her finger aside of her nose,
And giving a nod, out the window she rose!

She danced and she laughed, and gave out a whistle,
And away she then flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard her exclaim, ‘ere she flew out of sight,
"Happy writing to all, and to all a good-night!"

Monti’s Ghost Hunt

As promised, a peek into my latest investigation. This time I went to Monti’s Restaurant in Tempe, AZ, one of the oldest establishments in the city, and a purportedly haunted establishment. This was separate from my private investigative team and not in any way affiliated with them. We had some famous guests with us, including Heathyr Hoffman from Ghost Hunters Academy and one of the original Amityville house residents. It was quite a night.

First off, the hosts told a little about themselves and their experiences in the get-acquainted hour, while the restaurant staff was clearing out customers and cleaning up. We were going to have the place to ourselves, at night, in the dark. I couldn’t wait. I brought handheld gear with me because I knew we would be moving around a lot. I had my digital camera, my digital recorder, a flashlight, an EMF (electromagnetic field) detector, a grid light, and the most important tool of all, myself.

There was one table with a small group of people who’d been drinking heavily before we ever got started. I didn’t want to be anywhere near them because I just knew they would be trouble. Or at the very least, loud and obnoxious, which is not conducive when investigating. That behavior would never be tolerated in my private investigative team but since I wasn’t with them tonight, I had no say in the matter. All I could do was stay far away from the drunks. They were loud so it was easy to avoid them.

After the introductions, I walked around the restaurant, getting to know the place a bit, and did a sweep. This means I used my EMF detector to see where the electric spikes were located. There were a couple of huge spikes in two areas of the restaurant, the hallway and the enclosed banquet room. Nothing paranormal. Just a lot of old wiring and pipes, but the amount of EMFs in those areas were enough to create a fear cage. People sensitive to electromagnetic fields can experience hallucinations, feelings of paranoia, nausea and lightheadedness, which can be mistaken for paranormal stuff. This is referred to as a fear cage. Lucky for me, I’m not very sensitive to it. Another theory is that spirits use electrical energy to manifest so sometimes ghosts will be attracted to those areas. I was open to experiences and at the same time skeptical that anything paranormal would actually happen. I’ve heard from other investigators that this is a healthy attitude to take.

As I was doing my sweep, I also took photos. The original part of the restaurant has uneven floors, another thing that can contribute to a feeling of paranormal activity, as well as a lot of mirrors. Reflections bounced around everywhere. I had to keep this in mind when looking at the photos later because mirrors can toss all kinds of light and shadows around and look like ghosts. A neat thing about the place were the original doorways that date back to the 1800s. They’re short. Even I can touch the tops of them. Creating short doors was a trick of the old western movies to make actors look bigger and I got a kick out of feeling tall. Of course, these doors weren’t created for a movie set. They were the real deal. The tin ceiling is beautiful, too, but yet another reflective surface I would need to keep in mind.

Once I finished my sweep, the real fun began. I joined Heathyr Hoffman’s group and she led us into a room with a beehive fireplace, where we sat down at a long table and set up our equipment. Two others had flashlights that twist on and off, so they set them up and we began to ask questions, hoping to get responses with the flashlights. Twist on for yes and off for no. Simple, right? I didn’t think anything would happen but we began to get responses almost right away. This excited our group and we became quite animated in-between our questions. Heathyr, who is also a sensitive, said she felt a presence in the room with us, which added to the excitement. We continued this until the activity waned.

After a while, we moved into the banquet room and started a session with those in the other groups. Again, we got responses with flashlights. Everyone seemed on their best behavior and the room was very quiet for such a large group. I don’t remember seeing the drunken people there so maybe that was the reason. Like in the other room, the activity began to fade after a while.

Next, we regrouped and switched leaders. We welcomed our new leader then headed into the Senator’s Room. Again, we set up the flashlights, and again we got direct responses to questions. Excitement swelled again and we began getting creative with our questions. Our leader seemed impressed with the results.

Once the responses stopped, we moved into yet another room, this one at the front of the restaurant. It was fairly quiet, but as we sat down, traffic picked up outside, including sirens. That’s when we realized it was 2:10 AM and the bars had just closed. We got no flashlight responses here and there was too much contamination from outside, so we headed back to the banquet room, this time with just our small group of about five people. Unfortunately, we didn’t get much this time around and we were all growing tired. At around 2:30 AM, we regrouped and called it a night.

I thanked the hosts and headed home, eager to go over my audio and photos to see if I got anything. That would have to wait, though. I needed to sleep. The next day, I went through my photos. The pictures showed nothing unusual. Oh, I got several dust “orbs” but those are just dust particles reflecting off my camera flash. That same day, I learned that one of our hosts had been in a serious car accident on his way home. He survived, thankfully, but not without serous injuries and a totaled car. Needless to say, that put quite a damper on my excitement. He’s recovering now, much to everyone’s relief.

A few days later, when I had time to listen to the audio recordings, I heard what I thought was an EVP (electronic voice phenomenon). This is some that’s not heard at the time of the investigation, but is picked up on the recorder. I sent a clip to my team director and she confirmed that it sounded like a legitimate EVP. She wasn’t present at this investigation, since it wasn’t with our team, but it’s always nice to get her input because she’s been doing this for many years. As you can imagine, I got excited. This was my second EVP, the first one being from the San Carlos (see previous blog post), and makes me want to get back over to Monti’s for another ghost hunt.

Despite the tragic accident that happened that night, I’m looking forward to future investigations. As a writer, these experiences enrich my imagination, and I have no doubt I’ll be using some of them in my future books. Dramatized, of course. After all, I am a fiction writer.

Have a wonderful holiday season and Happy New Year!

Hotel San Carlos Ghost Tour with Photos

Hotel San Carlos Ghost Tour October 29, 2011

Front of the hotel on left.

Fire escape on right that once led to the roof.

The evil beer spirits in the basement.

First of all, let me stress that I was investigating on my own this time and not with my paranormal team. We do that sometimes, attend other tours and investigations in hopes of finding something. A friend met me at the Hotel San Carlos for one of their famous ghost tours on Halloween weekend one month ago. While this wasn’t a traditional investigation and we had a lot of contamination from other guests, we had a entertaining time and I learned some Phoenix history I hadn’t known about.

The land where the San Carlos sits has quite a past. About 400 years ago, Hohokam Indians lived on the land and used the underground spring that still exists today, so you can imagine there might have been burials from that time period. In 1874, Phoenix’s first schoolhouse was built on the property and later expanded. Children’s deaths are associated with that schoolhouse, which is no longer there. Finally, in 1928, the San Carlos Hotel opened on the grounds. The owners tapped into the ancient spring, which still supplies water to the hotel today. While the tragic deaths at San Carlos make for interesting ghost stories and highlight the ghost tours, the hotel is well-known for its Hollywood ties. Stars such as Mae West, Clark Gable, and Marilyn Monroe stayed at the San Carlos during Hollywood’s heyday.

I’ll be mixing in some of the history, along with my experiences during the ghost tour. After our guide gave us the history of Leone, the woman you’ll read about next, I got what I believe is an EVP (electronic voice phenomena) but I’m having other ears take a listen. As soon as I get anything verified, I’ll post clips on my website and let my blog readers know when they’re up.

In May of 1928, a brokenhearted woman named Leone Jensen snuck through the penthouse and jumped to her death from the roof – 8 stories up – and died. Others say her cheating boyfriend may have pushed her. Authorities originally thought she was only 22 years old when she died, but recent research puts her at 32 years of age. Our guide told us that psychics have revealed Leone was pregnant at the time of her death. Her body was shipped back to LA for burial, so unless she’s ever exhumed, we’ll never know if the pregnancy is true or not. Leone was wearing a white dress when she died and supposedly haunts the halls of the San Carlos in the form of cold air, a white mist, or ribbon of light. I would have loved to see her, but I had no encounters with mist or light ribbons that night. And the only cold air I felt was when we were outside.

On October 29, 1934, exactly 77 years ago to the day that we were on our tour, a man with financial problems committed suicide by turning his hotel bathroom into a gas chamber. He died from carbon monoxide poisoning. Another December – unfortunately I didn’t catch the year and the audio has too much ambient noise for me to make it out but it sounds like 1933 – a 41 year old single woman hit on hard times and killed herself by taking cyanide capsules.

The most recent death happened in December 2004 when a man named Bruce climbed the fire escape from the pool area up to the roof and jumped to his death onto Monroe Street. This man had hit hard times, like others before him, was going through a divorce, and had lost his job. After that, the hotel hack-sawed the roof access from the pool area. The pool area was very noisy with traffic, bar patrons from next door, and hotel guests, so if I caught any EVPs here, I’ll never know it. After this man’s death, prankster things began happening in the manager’s apartment, joining what our guest said is also a dark entity in that area. The investigator in me was thrilled that we were headed to the manager’s apartment next.

The manager’s apartment was originally used as servants’ quarters and now houses workout equipment. Unfortunately for those of us with cameras, there are also several mirrors on the walls, which play havoc when trying to capture anything paranormal. I hung back, staying near the far wall and as distant from the other guests as I could get. I caught a whisper and what sounds like a breath on my audio recorder, but I’m having those verified by others to make sure they’re actual EVPs before I post them. Someone mentioned that a lot of people were getting touched in the closet area, but I didn’t experience anything physical at all, and I even asked for something. I thought about staying behind after the others left but the staff were very good about finding stragglers. Besides, I didn’t want to miss our next stop – the basement. I was excited that we would be going there, especially since the hotel had talked about making it off limits to the ghost tour.

Our guide warned us of the evil spirits in the basement. Evil beer spirits, that is, in the form of kegs. I watched the faces of the other guests and some seemed worried at her first statement, then relieved when she mentioned beer. Novices. I, on the other hand, was disappointed to hear the evil basement spirits came in a keg. On the way down, I noticed the floors were uneven in several areas, typical for a building this old, but that can also make people feel dizzy or off balance, normal sensations that can be mistaken for paranormal. The tight stairwell had high EMFs (electromagnetic fields) too, which is said to affect those sensitive to magnetic fields. It’s called a Fear Cage for that very reason. Some also believe EMFs attract entities because ghosts feed on the energy in order to manifest.

Finally, we made it into the basement, which put out high EMFs like crazy. This didn’t surprise me, given the amount of pipes and hanging wires above my head. My EMF detector went off so consistently down here that I turned off the sound. On my audio, I can even hear the buzzing of electricity sometimes, it’s that strong. Again, I hung back from the crowd. Unfortunately, people were so excited they kept talking, laughing, and making all sorts of shuffling noises, while the guide was talking, which seemed to echo around the basement. We also could hear chairs scraping on the floor from the bar and pipe noises and clangs. This was a ghost tour, not an official investigation, and most people were here for some spooky Halloween fun, so I just had to go with the flow.

Later, when I listened to the audio, I was right about there being too much noise and talking in this area to discern anything paranormal. I would love to go down there with one or two of my team members late at night when the bars are closed and see if we could get anything. I’ll have to look into that and see if it’s possible to get a team in there for a private investigation. Wouldn’t that be fun?

Thanks for popping by. I’ll get any EVPs posted once I get them verified.

Coming soon - The Monti’s investigation blog.

Ghost Hunting - Thrills for Some, Frights for Others

Halloween is fast approaching. Spook houses, ghost hunts, haunted corn mazes, and other paranormal activities abound here in the Valley of the Sun this time of year. I spent a good amount of time in my child/teen years creating haunted houses to scare others on Halloween, and I have many paranormal stories that were handed down in my family. Not only do I use my experiences in my books, but ghost hunting is a lot of fun this close to Halloween and I always love the thrill of the chase. But not everyone is excited with possible ghostly activity, especially in their own home, which is why some will call paranormal investigators like me in to help.

While the team I'm with looks forward to each hunt, we have to remember that some people are truly frightened by the activity they're experiencing. Some hope it's real, others don't. I suspect fear is also a reason why some homeowners cancel after requesting an investigation, answering a slew of questions, and finally being accepted, even if it means losing out on a chance to understand what's causing the activity that's scaring them. Sadly, the latest homeowners did just this and backed out of an investigation my paranormal group were supposed to do. It happens more than we like and is disappointing, especially when we've done all the preparations and get a call at the last minute, but we accept it and don't push them into doing something they're not comfortable with.

This makes 3 investigations in a row that were cancelled once I signed on. I'm beginning to wonder if someone in the afterlife is avoiding me. Do I have a reputation as a kick-butt investigator that can send the ghosts packing? While that sounds like a hoot, and maybe even a plot-line for a TV show, I hope not. Ghosts running from me would be bad news, since I'm trying to catch evidence of them. And it would greatly decrease fodder for my books.

This latest cancellation isn't the end-all of ghost hunts for this year, not by far. In fact, now that it's closer to Halloween, things are heating up around here. Local businesses often allow people in to investigate their properties. Sometimes it's just for fun, but sometimes the places have a lot of activity. You just never know what you might find, and I'm not one to skip opportunities.

I'm attending two ghost talks this week, and Halloween weekend I'm participating in a hunt at a local hotel that's purported to be haunted. Then in November I have a much bigger investigation with a member of the Ghost Hunters Academy team, one of the actual Amityville house survivors, and several others who are influential in the paranormal field. That will be a fantastic night. Of course, I'll blog all about these investigations once we're finished, and post photos and any EVPs (electronic voice phenomena) I'm lucky enough to pick up. I'm excited and really hope we get some good stuff.

If you've even been curious about what a ghost hunt is like, I urge you to check out postings in your local area. While most might be for fun and games, you can ask questions and gain experience taking photos and EMF readings. And who knows, you just might get a ghostly surprise when you go over those photos later.

Happy hunting and have a safe and frightfully fun Halloween!

Gearing Up for a Paranormal Investigation

This weekend my ghost hunting team has a residential investigation. While residential details such as names and locations are kept confidential, I will be allowed to share general information, such as how many and what type, if any, of EVP (electronic voice phenomena), strange photos, sounds, and/or other phenomena we experience, as long as it doesn't compromise the identities and privacy of our clients. Meanwhile, I thought I'd share some of the things we do to prepare.

First of all, and I stress this because it's very important, our team never charges a fee for investigations. They are done on our own time and at our own expense. Many of us hold down full-time jobs, which is why we do our investigations mainly on weekends. While the majority of us are in this because we love it or because we've had past experiences we couldn't explain and we're trying to find evidence, we also enjoy helping people. Especially when someone doesn't feel safe in their own home. It's satisfying to leave a residence, knowing you've helped a family feel at ease in their surroundings.

So, after a potential client notifies us that he/she is having problems with unusual activity, whether it's a private home or public property, we generally follow the same rules. One of our team members contacts this potential client by phone and conducts an interview, asking a number of questions about the location, persons involved, and the activity. If after that, there seems to be legitimate activity and the client still wants an investigation, we send out information to the rest of the team. Usually, we meet the client in person several days or weeks for another interview before we conduct an investigation, but this isn't always the case.

With a public area renowned for activity, we sometimes initiate contact with the caretakers and ask permission to do a nighttime investigation on the property. Sometimes they agree and other times not. According to our team director, cemetery caretakers are notorious for turning down investigators due to fear of vandalism or other mishaps, so we assure them that we are an all-adult team with proper insurance coverage. This doesn't guarantee we will get in, but it does help. Hotels are sometimes a great place to start and are a lot of fun, especially when you're still training. If they advertise strange activity as part of their charm, they sometimes hold public tours and/or investigations and are more open to teams coming in.

Whatever the location, next comes the preparation. One of our team members is chosen to do an investigation of the property. For this upcoming residential investigation and a previous one, I was in charge of doing this. A property investigation includes using the internet, library, and news resources to look into property details - how old it is, who or what companies inhabited it over the years, any tragedies that occurred there, public reports of past activity, etc... I use the information from the homeowner and go from there. I have used all of these resources, as well as census records (if the property is old enough) to get information on a place. Census records are only available up to 1930 so those records wouldn't be relevant to any property built after that time period. The home we're investigating now is newer than that date, so I didn't bother with census records this time.

A few days before the investigation, we have to make sure our equipment is ready. Our director keeps the team's more expensive equipment like digital video and infrared cameras, but we each have smaller personal items we use. This includes handheld cameras, EMF (electromagnetic field) detectors, laser grid light pens, music, toys, and whatever else we might need or think will help us out. We test our equipment to make sure it's working, charge up all batteries, or purchase new ones if they're not re-chargeable, put everything into bags/carts for easy carrying. We also bring along water, munchies, toilet paper (for public areas with port-a-potties), and first aid items. You just never know what you'll need.

When going into an unfamiliar area at night, especially outside, it's a good idea to be cautious and have protection. Humans aren't the only animals who can cause trouble. Here in Arizona, we have coyotes, bobcats, wolves, rattlesnakes, and other dangerous wildlife. While an uncommon occurrence when you have a large group loaded up with cameras and other recording equipment, problems can occur and precautions are necessary. A current or former police officer on the team is a wonderful bonus. These people are well-trained and certified to carry a weapon and are trained for dangerous situations. If someone on the team carries a weapon, we must make sure the place we are going to investigate allows them on the premises. Some public places have their own security teams that parole at night, so it's a good idea to meet with them and let them know about the investigation.

Once we arrive at our destination, usually while the sun is still up, we do a sweep. This means we take cameras and EMF detectors and shoot two photos of each area we are planning to investigate. The two photos are done for comparison in case something appears in one but not the other. We also use EMF meters in the sweep to locate outlets, appliances, computers, etc...that put out electrical fields. This way we can discount those areas when we do the actual investigation. And we make notes of any anomalies, where we get electrical activity on the meters but can't locate a source of that activity. Someone on the team also makes notes and draws a rough sketch of each room we will be investigating and where the activity has been reported. This helps us decide where to focus our investigation and the best areas to put the equipment.

After that, we set up and begin the great quest for ghosts.

Stay tuned for the analysis and general results our next investigation night.

Happy reading and happy hunting!
Dana
http://www.danadaviswriting.com
https://www.facebook.com/danadaviswriting

Talk to the Dead – A General Session with Medium James Van Praagh

When you get up each morning between 5:30 and 6:00, it’s difficult to stay awake much past 10 p.m. but hubby and I did just that last night when we went to see famous medium James Van Praagh. The place was sold out. And I mean every single one of the eight-hundred-fifty or so seats was taken. Mr. Van Praagh mentioned that if we thought there were a lot of people in the audience, we should see how many were with him on stage.

He is a very entertaining person who seems to enjoy humor, and that came through in his appearance last night. The audience seemed very enthusiastic and most hung on his every word. Though there were a couple of men who seemed to be there only because their wives had threatened them with something, or perhaps a lack of something, if they didn’t come along. Of course, my hubby came because he loves to go and see mediums. No really. I’m serious. Fine, don’t believe me.

The first thing Mr. Van Praagh did after his introduction was to ask for general questions from the audience. He specified that at this point in the evening, he didn’t want any personal questions about loved ones, just general ones about his profession to get the audience in the right state of mind. The first woman who stood up was handed a microphone and started asking about her dead loved-one. Mr. Van Praagh reiterated that he was only taking general questions and regrettably moved on to the next person.

A couple of times during the evening he had to remind audience members to “listen to my words”, because no sooner would he ask for people to refrain from a certain question than someone would ask just that. He did this with humor, of course, but I couldn’t help wondering whether he got frustrated by people not listening to his repeated instructions. I know I would. Which is probably why I didn’t choose a life as a therapist. Saying, “Well, don’t do that anymore,” or “Just quit it,” probably wouldn’t win me a lot of patients.

The next thing on the schedule was a meditation for the audience, to clear out expectations and prepare for any spirits that were eager to make contact with those of us who had paid our hard-earned money to be there. But really, his sessions are very reasonably priced, and he even mentioned that he doesn’t like it when those claiming to be mediums charge outrageous sums for their work. He told us to be wary of high-priced mediums and psychics. I’m no stranger to meditation so this part of the evening was very easy for me. In fact, it was quite relaxing after a long work day. So much so, that hubby almost fell asleep. He loves mediums. Really.

Next, we got to the part everyone was actually there for – the readings. Since I went for book research, I wasn’t expecting Mr. Van Praagh to call on me. And he didn’t. Almost had you, didn’t I? With no expectations, this gave me the chance to observe others as messages were given to them. There seemed to be quite a number of desperate people wanting loved-ones to come to them. In fact, more than a few times, people would stand after Mr. Van Praagh mentioned the first couple of details, like a name, place, date or reason the person died. Then we would find out that those people standing didn’t have any deceased loved-ones that matched his details about the spirit who had come to him. I felt for them, but when you have about 850 people present and only an hour or two for readings, a lot will be left out.

The majority of the readings were fairly detailed, with Mr. Van Praagh asking for yes or no answers from the subject. He said that he just wanted them to verify what he was saying. When they couldn’t, he asked them to check with other family members. There were a couple of spirits who had died late in life, three suicide victims who had come together as a spiritual “support group” – Mr. Van Praagh’s words – and even a murder victim. Of course, the murder victim, sad though it was, interested the writer in me the most, so I was happy when he had a lot of details for the family about the unsolved murder. I hope what he told them can help the police in their search. But no matter who came through, he told us that they were all okay now.

Last night gave me more insight into how a medium works, which I will use in my paranormal books. Of course, I’ll Hollywood them up, as usual. After all, I write fantasy, and if I stuck to exactly how mediums claim things work for them, the books wouldn’t be as exciting for me or my readers.

From what I’ve read, this is also what happened with the TV show The Ghost Whisperer, which Mr. Van Praagh co-produced and advised. He didn’t talk about the show during last night’s appearance but I had read an interview with him about it. He would argue with the writers that ghosts didn’t do this or that, and they would counter with something to the effect that “this is Hollywood and we need more excitement in the show”. They would lose viewers if they didn’t create conflict and drama. This is true with just about any media. Humans sometimes hate to admit it, but news that nothing particularly interesting happened and everyone is happy or content doesn’t keep audiences entertained for long, if at all.

We were allowed to take photos during the session so I took a few. Of course, the paranormal investigator in me was hoping to capture some evidence. Like spirits hovering around Mr. Van Praagh. But other than a couple of blurred photos when the lights were low, I got nothing out of the ordinary. Though it would have been really cool if I had captured something. There was a book signing afterwards but hubby and I were tired and came straight home.

One medium down, several more to go. I like to get varied opinions about how mediums work. It also gives me some insight into the life of my great-great-aunt who worked as a medium in the early 1900s. Of course, it would have been awesome if she had come through to answer some of my questions in person—er, well, in spirit. I’ve got a few genealogy questions for other dead ancestors, as well. Hmm, maybe I need to set up a private session sometime.

Monsoon, Dust Storms, and Lightning, Oh My!

The monsoon got a late start here in the desert but we certainly haven't been disappointed this year. One of our recent dust storms made news all over the country. I managed to snag a photo from our backyard just before it struck. We had relatives sent us texts and emails, worried we'd been buried alive or blown away by it.

No need to panic. While driving in a dust storm is dangerous and one should get off any road as quickly as possible, they don't usually do too much damage other than get dirt on everything. If it's outdoors, it will get covered in a layer of dirt. And don't even get me started on the pool. It's never fun cleaning filters after a dust storm. We were lucky we had both cars in the garage when this big one hit us. Two more rolled into the Valley of the Sun a few days apart but they missed our house, luckily.

Yesterday, we hit around 112 degrees with no rain in the forecast for days. Then evening came and a few clouds covered the sky here and there. The radar showed rain! It wasn't anywhere near us, so after dinner, hubby and I decided to take a swim. Our usual evening workout during the sweltering summer months. Well, I got in one lap when a bolt of lightning charged through the sky above us. I swam as fast as I could for the steps and we climbed out of the pool. Hubby was laughing at me as we went inside the house, but I have no desire to become a fried human.

Several minutes later, the thunder started. Quiet at first. The sky began to put on quite a lightning show and we checked the radar again. A big cell was moving in from the west. Not long after that, a huge boom of thunder rattled the air and the rain came down. Sometimes the temperature will drop into the 70s or low 80s during a monsoon and we can open doors and windows, but no such luck last night. Yes, our 112 degrees we had during the day was gone, but we didn't get below 90 during the monsoon. Nevertheless, we enjoyed seeing the wet stuff.

The rest of the week and this weekend we're in for more scorching temps. Again, there's no rain in the forecast. Yeah, I've heard that before.

I Haven't Forgotten About You!

I know, I know, I haven't blogged in a while. I do have a good excuse but I'll take my lumps if that makes you feel better. =) I've been absolutely swamped with work.

I've got two paranormal investigations coming up in the next few months so we've been coordinating that. Believe me, I'll blog about anything from those investigations that is allowed. One is residential and those tend to stay confidential, but we can sometimes share a few details. The other one got moved from July to November and is in a public location, so I'll post all about it once it's over. I also have two books I'm writing now, plus, for some insane reason, I'm doing editing and reviewing projects for other authors.

Yeah, I'm crazy. I like to keep busy but the dust on my furniture is getting thicker so I'll have to take a break from it all to clean one of these days.

In the meantime, if you'd like to keep up with my daily updates and ramblings, please friend me at Facebook https://www.facebook.com/danadaviswriting

I must sign off for now but I'll try very hard to blog more often. (She says as three window tabs flash for her attention.)

Independence Celebration eBook Contest!

July 4th eBook contest giveaway - now through July 8th

Contest rules: Leave a comment after this blog post to enter the drawing and a chance to win a PDF copy of my newest eBook, Desert Magick: Day of the Dead (Bk 3). Or you can leave a comment on Facebook here http://www.facebook.com/note.php?saved&&note_id=198658123518724

The winner will be chosen using a random number generator and must have a valid email address that accepts attachments in order to receive the prize.

Contest ends July 8, 2011 at noon PST and the winner will be notified within one week after that date. Only one entry per person. My relatives are not eligible – sorry about that.

For more info on the Desert Magick series, please visit http://www.danadaviswriting.com/Desert_Magick.htm

Happy 4th, stay safe, and good luck!

Dana

It’s baaaack! That scorching desert summer.

It’s baaaack! That scorching desert summer. This week we’re peaking at 113 degrees here in the Valley of the Sun. These are the miserable days just before the monsoon storms begin rolling in. We look forward to the monsoon rain, when we gather at the window and watch the lightning, rain and hail, as though it were a fabulous television show. Okay, so maybe the heat fries our brains a little bit.

You have hot summers, too, you say? Temperatures in the 90s, you say? Nineties shmineties. But the desert is a dry heat, you say? So’s my oven, is my snappy retort to that one. And we get plenty of humidity with the monsoon, which comes during our hottest months. Okay, okay, I’m not unsympathetic. Your heat is miserable for you. I get it. Really, I do. I’m not fond of too much humidity. Who is?

But you’re still curious, right, about how do we survive our desert summers? What do we do when stepping outside makes us feel like a pig on a spit, slowly roasting over an open fire? I mean, really, you can feel the sun burning your skin when it gets above 110 degrees. So, pull up a chair, folks, and I’ll spin a jaunty summer tale for you. Well, not really. This is just a blog, after all. But if you’re new here or live in another part of the country or world, you might learn something. Or not. Either way, here are things we do during a typical desert summer.

We break out the 50+ SPF sunblock and reapply it every two hours or so. This is most important. As are sunglasses. I currently have six pair of sunglasses, one each in my and hubby’s cars, one in my purse, one for outdoor walking and sports, and two in a drawer in case I break a pair. We put our hat collection by the front door, and move our coveted collection of shorts, tees, tank tops, and sandals to the front of the closet for easy access, since that’s all we’ll be wearing until October. Whoever made the idiotic don’t wear white after Labor Day rule didn’t live in a desert. That rule means nothing here. And we keep seat covers or towels in our cars, so we don’t get third degree burns the backs of our legs while wearing those coveted shorts in a car with leather or vinyl seats. Have you ever sat on vinyl in 120 degree heat while wearing shorts? I don’t recommend it.

Okay, you say, that doesn’t sound like a whole lot of fun. What do you do for entertainment when it’s so darn hot? Ah, here’s where we have to get creative. Kind of like spending winters in the northeast, I would imagine. I don’t really know, since I’ve never lived where it snowed regularly, if at all. We don’t have basements or attics as a rule, but we have something much better. Pools!

Desert rats spend a heck of a lot of time in the pool, also known as an Arizona shower. Here, you can find a pool just about anywhere. If you don’t have one in your backyard, chances are several of your neighbors do. So, making friends with your neighbors is a good idea. Pools are also popular at condo and apartment complexes here. If you still don’t have access, there’s always the public pool at the local recreation center or water park. We have several manmade lakes, too, which are great for beating the heat and feeling like we have some semblance of a normal summer life.

That’s great, you say? But what if you don’t feel like swimming? What? Not feel like swimming? Are you daft, you non-desert person, you? Okay, now that’s just a little sarcasm, so don’t start posting about how mean I am, please. Yes, gasp, there are times when we don’t feel like swimming. Or maybe it’s too early or late in the day and we don’t want to disturb the neighbors. Or the pool happens to be closed for cleaning or some such nonsense. What else can we do when we’d prefer to stay in the air-conditioning, rather than roast outside? Plenty.

At my house, we have a home gym set up in one room, because we don’t want to get up at 4 a.m. to hike or bike or play tennis, which are our preferred low-cost workouts. Indoor ping-pong and Wii gaming are also popular summer pastimes for us. You’d be surprised how much you can sweat when playing sports and dancing games. Even the bowling game gets us off our butts and moving around. And it’s extra fun when I beat hubby, because he was on a bowling team when he was younger. But what do you do when you don’t feel like a workout out, you say? Ooh, napping is good. Okay, seriously, movies and shopping are big, especially in the summer months.

Movies are the ultimate, low-cost, air-conditioned entertainment, where you don’t have to sweat to accomplish it. Aren’t most shopping malls the outdoor type, you say? Isn’t that hot, you say? Well, yes. We do have a couple of old indoor malls, and some people get up early to mall-walk before the shops open. But what kind of fun is that? If I’m going to a mall, I at least want to window shop and have lunch, or maybe a frozen yogurt. But what about those outdoor strip malls? Well, most have misters attached to the eaves to cool off passersby. And, yes, they really work. We even sit on the outdoor patios and eat when there are misters going. In fact, we had misters on our home patio for several years, but they broke and we haven’t replaced them, yet. We really need to get a new set.

Isn’t central air-conditioning expensive, you say? Yes, it can be if you keep your house too cold. We keep ours at 80 degrees in the summer. But we also have ceiling fans in every room. You’d be surprised how much warmth you can tolerate when the air is moving about and cooling your skin. I can’t imagine not having fans here. We used them regularly in California, when a hot day was about 85 degrees, because we didn’t have air conditioning. After twelve plus years in the desert, I can’t believe that we ever thought 85 was hot. We don’t even close the windows here until the temperature reaches above 90 degrees outside. I guess we’ve acclimated a bit.

So, there you have it. A jaunty summer tale. Hope you enjoyed it. And if you come for a visit here in the summer, be sure to stock up on sunblock and drink lots and lots of water. I don’t want one of you passing out because you decided to hike one of our mountains. Our mountains look small compared to other places, but they can be deadly, especially in the summer. And if you have to be rescued, it’ll be all over the news, and locals will shake their heads at the poor visitor who didn’t know better. You don’t want that, do you? Stay cool!

The Freaked Psychic - pt8 of personal paranormal stories

The Freaked Psychic

By Dana Davis

While working in Hollywood in 1980s, a crew member and I were chatting. Somehow we got on the subject of the paranormal. She told me about her gift as a psychic and I told her about my great grandmother’s sister, who was a medium back in the early part of the twentieth century. I was curious about her and conversation when something like this:

“So, how does it work for you?” I asked.

“I get impressions when I hold a personal item. Would you like me to do a reading for you?

“Sure. I'd love it.” I fished my car keys out of my pocked and handed them to her.

She held them for a moment and closed her eyes. “I’m getting a name that begins with A.”

I stayed quiet but I was thinking, Yeah, right. Like that’s a stretch. But she wasn’t through with me, yet.

“I see the two of you in the same house or apartment. A close friend or sister maybe.” Then she proceeds to give me a description and says the actual name.

Now, I had never mentioned my friend and former roommate to anyone on set and this woman was spot-on with the description and the name. I thanked her, then told her about my friend, her name, her description, and that we were once roommates. She looked freaked and handed me back my keys as though they had suddenly caught fire.

“What’s wrong?” I thought I had done something to offend her.

“I’ve never been that accurate before. Not ever. It has something to do with you.”

She had my full attention. “Really? Why?”

“I don’t know.”

She acted odd around me, distant, the rest of our working time together and didn’t seem to want to talk to me about the paranormal again. I didn’t push. I never learned why she was so freaked out, especially since she claimed to be a psychic and had approached me about doing a reading. Just another occurrence to add to my list of paranormal oddities.