Who Tells Ghost Stories?

 

We believe that our first house was haunted. 

Not in the drag you down the stairs terror like the Paranormal Activity movies that terrify me, but more like a Casper the friendly ghost version. Thankfully, because that's all I could ever handle. I might like to write and read about paranormal and the supernatural but I'm a big wimp when it comes to facing it in real life. 

We tell stories.

 Of how the stove burners would turn on themselves and the television channel would change and other things that maybe, just maybe, had a logical explanation. Although the number of times these unusual things happened made it difficult to always rationalize. We thought it might've been the previous owner showing her displeasure that we couldn't maintain her once beautiful flower gardens since they'd been long overgrown by the time we arrived, and I have what I call a black thumb. Which basically means that I unintentionally kill any plant that I try to nurture. 

Eventually the occurrences stopped. 

I assume that she felt she'd made her point, or realized it was fruitless to try to convince me to revive her gardens. I couldn't do that any more effectively than I could revive her.  

Now my story, Evil Speaks Softly, 

is about some not-so-friendly ghosts who want more than a gardener. Since this is the perfect time of month for ghost stories, it's on sale for a very limited time for $0.99. Grab your copy if you—like me—prefer your ghosts to remain between the pages of a story.

Get Your Copy Here

A little about Evil Speaks Softly...

They were never supposed to meet. 

Fame came easy for Liv by following in the footsteps of the female writers in her family. The cycle repeated for decades...until Liv changed the story. Her villain doesn't like the revision—and he isn't a fictional character. In his story, the bad guy always wins. 

They were never supposed to find love. 

Liv never questions her demanding nocturnal muse, or the strange incidents in her old, family home until she met Gage. His job was to watch her from afar, not reveal the truth about the curse and the stories of the dead.

They've broken all the rules. 

Together they unravel secrets as they strive to stop the cycle. Liv's ability to find love, and protect her loved ones, hands on the fickle whims of the dead—and they've got nothing to lose.

Do You Tell Ghost Stories?

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her website, Facebook & Twitter

 

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When Ordinary Isn't An Option Every Day Is Halloween

By Maureen L. Bonatch

The jack-o-lanterns have started to rot and we’ve all gained a few extra pounds of candy weight. Admit it—you know you’ve been sneaking some of the kid’s candy or perhaps all of the trick-or-treaters treats didn’t make it to the bowl. Most ordinary people’s thoughts stray toward Thanksgiving,

Christmas and other holidays. 

Most people, unless you love paranormal and fantasy 365 days a year. Then your thoughts of things that go bump in the night never leaves. Because it ain’t over till it’s over—wait, it is kind of is over, but not for me!

Halloween Is Just a Sneak Peek

The Halloween season just gives those ordinary people a peek into where our minds linger everyday. Those t-shirts decorated with spooky stuff? I’m wearing them all year round and much of those witch decorations have moved back in place in my office where they provide fuel for my muse all year long.

Why Not Join the Fun?

What confound me are the people who say that they “Don’t like to read paranormal or fantasy unless it’s close to Halloween.” Or that they, “Only watch scary movies in October.” Does that mean they can only eat candy in October, too? Often these are the same people who let loose at the costume party with the best costumes, and live it up like they’ve just risen from the grave, or flown in on their broom. Why would you deny yourself this fun all year long?

Granted, maybe you’re not decking yourself out head to toe in a costume but a paranormal/fantasy book has the ability to escape into another world, dream of being able to do magic or visit another planet. Why save the extraordinary for a few months out of the year when you can enjoy it everyday?

Because There Are No Rules in Paranormal

I might be immersed in National Novel Writing Month(NaNoWri) right now, but you can be sure it’s filled with elements of paranormal and fantasy. So I’m not hanging up my broom because I like to enjoy the fun and festivities of the Halloween season all year long. You just might see me rocking my witchy t-shirts year round—because why not?

Who’s ready to fly their freak flag with me?

Check Out Evil Speaks Softly Right Here 

They were never supposed to meet. Fame came easy for Liv by following in the footsteps of the female writers in her family. The cycle repeated for decades…until Liv changed the story. Her villain doesn’t like the revision—and he isn’t a fictional character. In his story, the bad guy always wins.

They were never supposed to find love. Liv never questioned her demanding nocturnal muse, or the strange incidents in her old, family home until she met Gage. His job was to watch her from afar, not reveal the truth about the curse and the stories of the dead. They’ve broken all the rules. Together they unravel secrets as they strive to stop the cycle. Liv’s ability to find love, and protect her loved ones, hangs on the fickle whims of the dead—and they’ve got nothing to lose.

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her website, Facebook & Twitter

The Pro's and Con's of an Overactive Imagination

by Maureen L. Bonatch 

Once in awhile I have someone new to my books comment that I must have quite the imagination. Although the interpretation of this comment comes from the manner in which they make this remark. Sure, sometimes it’s to discuss the storyline or the uniqueness of a character, but other times it’s said slowly, with a pointed look, as if uncertain of the stability of the mind of someone who could imagine such a story.

Those who have an overactive imagination understand—or at least they pretend they do. If they find those like-minded a discussion can be held about whatever unusual thought just passed though their mind with a nod of understanding or excitement at exploring the extraordinary possibilities.

Those who don’t have much of an imagination just might become a little, well, uneasy.

How Much Is Too much Imagination?

• Pro- You can write outrageous, imaginative stories
• Con- Some of the people who read these stories become a little uncomfortable after this peek into the dark crevices of your cranium 
• Pro- Midnight hours of your neighbors’ indicate potential stories of werewolves, vampires or serial killers
• Con- You sometimes lose sleep thinking about these possibilities
• Pro- You can entertain yourself for hours without really doing anything
• Con-Working your imagination doesn’t burn as many calories as you think it should and you can develop the dreaded “book butt”.
• Pro- Nothing you view is completely ordinary if you look long enough
• Con- Glazed staring into space isn’t good social practice—and neither is drooling
• Pro-You can’t stop dreaming about “what if”…
• Con-You can’t stop dreaming about “what if”…

Who's With Me? The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me

 

Explore the dark side of the imagination and preorder 

Evil Speaks Softly today right here.

They were never supposed to meet. Fame came easy for Liv by following in the footsteps of the

female writers in her family. The cycle repeated for decades…until Liv changed the story. 

Her villain doesn’t like the revision—and he isn’t a fictional character. In his story, the bad guy always wins.

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her website, Facebook & Twitter

What Losing Control Taught Me About Life and Writing

By Maureen L. Bonatch

Happy Labor Day! Enjoy your celebration of the American worker and the unofficial end of summer with a hot dog or two. Or perhaps rebelliously declare your intention of wearing white long past the season. Sixteen years ago, this holiday took on a different meaning for me and changed my mindset despite my resistance. 

I gained two babies, and lost all my control.

In 2001 I was pregnant with twins. (The first hint of my loss of control was when my pregnancy turned out to be a BOGO.) In my obsessive Virgo control-freak mind, I decided the girls would be born on Labor Day. It made perfect sense with the play on the word “labor”. Also I would be 36-weeks pregnant that day and the girls lungs should be adequately developed.

Imagine my surprise when my water broke a week prior to Labor Day.

This Wasn’t the Plan

I’ve always liked to be in control when it comes to planning my life. My writing? Not so much, I’m what you call one of those who write by the seat of my pants. (Panster)

In order to survive twin babies I became more organized than ever. (Have you ever used a feeding and poop chart? Believe me, if you don’t, and you’re only getting a few hours of sleep then one of those munchkins isn’t going to eat while the other one eats twice!) Having the twins was only the beginning of my loss of control.

I wished for a parenting book with all the answers laid out so I knew if I was doing the right thing. That outlined how to regain the upper hand when you were outnumbered by two little munchkins who had more sleep in one day than you had in the last month.

I stressed myself out as I struggled to dress them in cute little outfits (that they immediately vomited on) and to take them out to show them off (with a entire van full of supplies for a one-hour outing) or to fit back in my pre-pregnancy clothes (Twin pregnancy=yeah right). I often felt like I was failing, until I stopped resisting.

Go With the Flow

I stopped trying to regain control and went with the flow. I stopped trying to be the perfect mom because perfection isn’t real. Despite writing fantasy and paranormal I’ve always strived to create honest, real, ordinary characters in an extraordinary world. Because when I tried to write a story without paranormal or fantasy, it felt unnatural. Once I embraced my true writing self and stopped trying to write like everyone else, my stories got better. I did the same with my girls.

I started being honest with myself about being a Mom, and with everyone else. Other moms bragged about how their kids slept all night or that they were already potty-trained. I told them the brutal truth about my struggles—and saw the change in their expression. Many were only saying what they thought people wanted to hear. They wanted to assure everyone that they were in control—when they were not. Being a good Mom takes practice, patience and admitting mistakes. I apply a similar formula when I'm writing a story.

Enjoying the Ride

My girls are 16 now and I’m proud to say that they follow the beat of their own drum and don’t try to follow the crowd. I let them have control over their life and follow their heart just like I do my characters.

Raising twin babies was hard, really hard. And writing novels is hard. Neither come with instructions, and both only become magnificent on their own when you relinquish control.

Have You Ever Had to Give Up Control? Or Do You Always Go With the Flow?

Feast your eyes on my newest 'baby', Evil Speaks Softly now available for Pre-order. 

Everyone has a story to tell. Even the dead.

They were never supposed to meet. Fame came easy for Liv by following in the footsteps of the female writers in her family. The cycle repeated for decades…until Liv changed the story. Her villain

doesn’t like the revision—and he isn’t a fictional character. In his story, the bad guy always wins.

They were never supposed to find love. Liv never questioned her demanding nocturnal muse, or the strange incidents in her old, family home until she met Gage. His job was to watch her from afar, not reveal the truth about the curse and the stories of the dead.

They’ve broken all the rules. Together they unravel secrets as they strive to stop the cycle. Liv’s ability to find love, and protect her loved ones, hangs on the fickle whims of the dead—and they’ve got nothing to lose.

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four

seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her website, Facebook & Twitter