Month: February 2015

Thank You For Your Support!

Thank You For Your Support!

Or, You’ve Helped Elixir (Red Plague #1) Reach The Top Of The Charts

Thanks to everyone who downloaded a copy of Elixir and helped it reach the top spot in both free YA dystopian and free YA horror!

If you haven’t read my zombie romance yet, why not try it today while it’s free? Click here to download from Amazon.com.

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Back Cover Blurb:

The red plague has devastated the human race, turning billions of people into zombies with red eyes and an insatiable hunger for human flesh.

The 212R virus sweeps through the population so quickly a possible cure is left to rot. Seventeen-year-old Maya Solomon may be the only survivor who knows where it is. But to reach the lab in Raleigh, North Carolina she will have to outrun the infected boy tracking her every step and cross into a city swarming with monsters.

 

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Enjoy this Free Red Plague Sneak Peek PDF full of excerpts and extras!

<3 Anna

 

Elixir (Red Plague #1) Is Free!

Elixir (Red Plague #1) Is Free!

Or, Download Your Copy Of The YA Zombie Adventure Today

Elixir1800x2700

 

Elixir is free on Amazon from Feb. 25 – Mar. 1!

Back Cover Blurb:

The red plague has devastated the human race, turning billions of people into zombies with red eyes and an insatiable hunger for human flesh.

The 212R virus sweeps through the population so quickly a possible cure is left to rot. Seventeen-year-old Maya Solomon may be the only survivor who knows where it is. But to reach the lab in Raleigh, North Carolina she will have to outrun the infected boy tracking her every step and cross into a city swarming with monsters.

 

Ghosts, Hauntings, & Cheap Books: Sign Up For My Monthly Newsletter Today.
Enjoy this Free Red Plague Sneak Peek PDF full of excerpts and extras!

<3 Anna

Haunted Australian Asylum

Haunted Australian Asylum

Or, There Is No Doubt This Asylum Is Haunted

Click here for the original post or continue reading for the full story.

Abandoned Kenmore Insane Asylum ‘Undoubtedly Haunted’

Written by Maria Lewis in Dec. 2014

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An abandoned insane asylum plagued by mysterious deaths, murders and rumors of malpractice.

It’s like something out of a horror movie.

Instead, it’s the murky history of one of Australia’s most haunted places: Kenmore Insane Asylum.

Opened in 1895, the once grand hospital now lays abandoned on a 75-hecatre block of land situated in the New South Wales town of Goulburn.

One of the first facilities of its kind in Australia, it was considered the jewel of the medical community as it began with a small intake of only a few dozens patients.

That quickly expanded, with people being committed for anything ranging from promiscuity to postnatal depression.

As the hospital’s patient size grew, so too did its notoriety.

Shock therapy was a common tool used to treat homosexuality at the facility, along with other offenses such as frequent masturbation.

There were eight separate rooms used for ‘noisy and violent patients’, which soon became nicknamed ‘the wet rooms’.

Why? Because the rooms and their occupants were hosed down daily.

Wandering the empty halls, fingernail scratches can still be found on the backs of doors within these rooms.

Then there are the mysterious deaths.

In January of 1902, 41-year-old patient Henry George Baily committed suicide at the facility by ripping apart the restraints used to tie him to the bed and turning them into a makeshift noose.

He hung himself from a window shutter and was discovered by an attendant.

Almost two decades later, 21 more patients died in a pneumonic influenza pandemic at the asylum.

By the end of August 1919, two female patients and 19 male patients had passed away due to the illness that swept the facility.

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Just three years down the road, tragedy struck again in perhaps the most famous case to haunt the hospital’s history.

Richard Sindell was a 24-year-old soldier who had been committed to the institution after suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder following his service in World War I.

During his time there he became convinced that the hospital staff were out to get him, with the conspiracy centering on Doctor Charles Moffitt.

During his leave, he returned to the hospital in December 1922 with a loaded gun.

After finding Dr Moffitt on a verandah, he shot him once before the doctor fled through the grounds with Sindell in hot pursuit.

During the chase he ran into a group of nurses and fired indiscriminately.

Nurse Naughton was shot twice in the chest, dying at the scene, while another narrowly escaped death after he shot the bonnet off the top of her head.

The hospital manager leapt into action, taking a gun from the hospital safe and shooting Sindell himself.

A wing of the hospital was named after Nurse Naughton, and a memorial statue placed at St John’s orphanage for boys just down the road.

According to locals, it’s said to be just as haunted as Kenmore.

The grisly murder wasn’t the last of it.

In October, 1929 another patient – Monicha Scott, 32 – slit her own throat by using the glass shards of a broken window.

The orderly who discovered the young woman was said to have been traumatized by the event.

Yet the hospital seemed to re-find its footing, with some 1400 patients housed during its peak in the 1960s.

Services didn’t wind down until the early 2000s, with the massive collection of buildings now left empty and abandoned.

Even a historic museum nearby, which homed artifacts from the asylum, has wound down operations with exhibits being loaned out to the National Museum Of Australia and the Powerhouse Museum.

Now, the only visitors to the empty grounds are those brave enough to go on a guided ghost tour.

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“Oh, it’s haunted,” says 52-year-old Anthony Lakoff.

“There’s no doubt in my mind or anyone else’s once you have visited that place. It’s kind of like Australia’s Bermuda Triangle of haunted places.”

The Sydney accountant’s grandmother was once a nurse at Kenmore, which first sparked his interest in the asylum’s colourful history.

He has visited the Goulburn landmark over a dozen times – twice in 2014 so far – on ghost tours and a private tour by a former orderly.

The ‘Bermuda Triangle of haunted places’ he’s referring to includes the nearby orphanage St John’s, and a girls orphanage, St Joseph’s, which is also abandoned and unmistakably creepy.

Although there have been countless plans to redevelop all three sites, for the meantime they remain empty.

Windows have been smashed, graffiti emblazoned along the walls and the hallways scattered with debris.

What other secrets Kenmore Insane Asylum may hold are a matter of a state record, with other files about the activities in the facility said to be released in the coming years.

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Enjoy this Free Red Plague Sneak Peek PDF full of excerpts and extras!

<3 Anna

My YouTube Q&A Series Ep #2

My YouTube Q&A Series Ep #2

Or, I’m Answering Your Questions

I’m so excited to show you my new YouTube series! It was a lot of fun preparing, recording, and editing the videos with the help of some friends. We made a day of it, and we had a blast. I hope you enjoy the finished product!

Watch episode #2:

Don’t forget to leave a comment and subscribe to my YouTube channel here.

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Enjoy this Free Red Plague Sneak Peek PDF full of excerpts and extras!

<3 Anna

Haunted Sword For Sale

Haunted Sword For Sale

Or, You’ve Got To Hear This Woman’s Story!

Click here for original post or continue reading for full story.

76-Year-Old Woman Posts Ad For Haunted Sword

Written by Carolyn Cox in Dec. 2014

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Oh, God bless the Internet. Just check out the following Craigslist ad and its accompanying picture, please. (Bolding my own and out of love.)

This sword is from the 1700s. I got it at an antique store in my memaw’s home town back in 1984. The person who sold it to me told me to be careful because there is a 90+% chance that it is cursed. Since it’s been in my house my life has descended into pure chaos. My knitting group came over and they all said they could feel a strange energy in my sword room (I have a collection of over 100 swords. This is my only haunted sword). Since i got this sword, about 3 times a week a crucifix will fall off of my wall for no reason. I am 76 years old. I cannot have this cursed item in my house anymore. Please take it off my hands!!

Listen, everyone, don’t get the wrong idea about collecting ancient weaponry. Heck, this gal’s collected over 100 swords, and this is the first one possessed by the undead! I bet if she didn’t have a crucifix she’d never even have known the difference!

Incidentally, this is almost exactly how Joe Hill’s Heart Shaped Box begins. Any potential buyers looking to take that massive sword off that tiny woman’s hands better have a plan for how to deal with their new roommates. (Ghosts just can not stick to chore wheels.)

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Enjoy this Free Red Plague Sneak Peek PDF full of excerpts and extras!

<3 Anna

Winners Announced

Winners Announced

Or, 5 Readers Will–I Hope–Be Very Happy

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Boxes of autographed copies of the Dark Caster series are on their way to my GoodReads giveaway winners. So, Amy, Deborah, Christina, C., and Mariah, your goodies are on their way! Thanks to everyone who participated.

<3 Anna

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Haunted Denfield House in Sydney

Haunted Denfield House in Sydney

Or, Ever Wanted To Buy A Haunted House?

Click here for the original post or continue below for the full story.

Haunted Sydney House on Sale for 1.2 Million

Written by Sarah Dean in July 2014

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One of Sydney’s most historic homes is up for sale for $1.2million with its current owner promising any prospective buyers they needn’t worry – it’s no longer haunted.

Denfield House in St Helen’s Park, in south-west Sydney, is on the market for $1.2 million.

Built in 1837 the house was originally owned by John Farley – the man who first saw Fred Fisher’s ghost in 1826.

Then a resident female ghost reportedly haunted Denfield’s kitchen, she was allegedly a former owner who would never go to bed until her husband was ready to join her.

However, current owner Steve Laws told the Daily Telegraph they had not experienced any supernatural incidents while living there.

Fred Fisher was an English-born Australian farmer from Campbelltown who suddenly disappeared in 1826.

Four months after he vanished, Farley ran into the local hotel in a very agitated state claiming he had seen Fisher’s ghost sitting on the rail of a nearby bridge.

The legend of the ghost is now celebrated in an annual festival in Campbelltown in November and the creek – now a storm water drain – beside which the body was discovered. It is known as Fisher’s Ghost Creek.

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Farley was an emancipist, one of many of the convicts sentenced and transported under the convict system to Australia who had been given conditional or absolute pardons, and arrived in Australia in 1812.

He became a farmer and settled down with his wife Margaret in their new home, located on the 325 acre farm on the Appin Road.

Farley died in 1841, a year after he sold the sandstone brick house to magistrate John Bray.

The house remained in the Bray family for many years and in 1866 Joshua Bray wrote and described a curious incident in the night.

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‘They are very much excited about here, the Mail was robbed ten days ago….The night before last they stopped it about a quarter of a mile from this house- the coachman and passengers came about 4 o’clock in the morning to tell us. These robberies take place in the night…they were hiding all their jewellery. Papa has loaded his pistol,’ he said.

The typical colonial house, surrounded by a stone flagged verandah, has been ‘meticulously restored over time to present a wonderful family home’, Ray White real estate agent’s website explains.

In about 1917 the Hickey’s bought the house and leased it to the Carroll family. It then became derelict until it was restored in 1964.

The listing on the Ray White website adds: ‘Comprising of four bedrooms plus a study this home comes complete with a variety of different living areas. Feel the warmth of the fireplace in the formal living or enjoy sun filled family areas.’

The house now boasts modern pleasures such as swimming pool and gardeners can enjoy the fruit trees, veggie patch and there’s even ‘enough room for a pony’.

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<3 Anna

My Review of Pamfiloff’s King’s

My Review of Pamfiloff’s King’s

Or, What I Thought Of The 1st Book In The King Trilogy

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I wasn’t sure what to think of King’s. By the 50% mark I was completely turned off by the hero, King. He said things like, “Shut the f**k up,” and “Look at me when I speak to you” to the heroine, Mia Turner. When Mia disobeys him by trying to escape he punishes her. And not the kinky, sexy, fun kind of punish. No, he just hurts her. At that point, I didn’t know how I would ever have sympathy for this sadist.

Second, I thought I was reading a novel about a vampire hero, so when Mia asks King if he’s a vampire and he responds with something like, “Are you a silly child? Vampires don’t exist,” I was disappointed. Call me immature, but I enjoy reading about vampires.

The fact that the novel ends on a cliffhanger only frustrated me further.

Bottom line: The book is well written, I just think the hero could have shown a smidgeon more human emotions before the final chapter. I hope the story improves in book two, but I probably won’t be reading it.

Ghosts, Hauntings, & Cheap Books: Sign Up For My Monthly Newsletter Today.
Enjoy this Free Red Plague Sneak Peek PDF full of excerpts and extras!

<3 Anna

Is Your House Haunted?

Is Your House Haunted?

Or, Tips For Ridding Your Home Of ‘Ghosts’

Click here to see the original post or continue below for full story.

Strange Noises, Unexplained Cold Patches? Is Your House Haunted?

Written in July 2014

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It’s not easy living in a haunted house — all those strange noises, all those unexplained cold patches.

Fortunately, ridding your home of apparent paranormal activity can be a relatively straightforward exercise.

With a sense of adventure and the right tools, you shouldn’t even need to engage the services of a psychic.

Here, for your ghostbusting information, are the most common signs of a haunted house — and how to get rid of them.

Unexplained noises

That scraping sound at night could be the sound of a long-dead former occupant of your house trying to do your head in. Or it could be the noise of branches rubbing against the roof.

Wait until daylight to check for overhanging branches and remove any before they cause damage.

Creaking could be mischief from beyond the grave, or it could be a symptom of changes in temperature and humidity. Old houses are especially prone to expanding and contracting with changes in atmospheric conditions, as nails and pipes rub against wood.

If the noise is more of a skittering sound, investigate the possibility of rodents — either tottering over your roof or living inside your attic. Droppings, bite marks and remnants of nests are sure sign it’s time to call in the pest exterminator.

Doors opening and closing

It can be unsettling, waking up to find doors open you could have sworn you’d closed before you went to bed. Unsettling, but completely explainable. Misaligned doors do that: they open when you’ve shut them and swing about with a mind of their own.

If you fancy yourself as a home handyman — or woman — loosen the hinges, move the door so it’s sitting square, then tighten the hinges again. In severe cases, you might need to remove the door and plane the edge to prevent scraping. Sound too complicated? Phone your friendly neighbourhood handyman.

Lights turning on and off

Nothing says ooger-booger quite like electrical disturbances. But before you invest in a Ouija board, it might be worth checking the wiring in your home. The internet is awash with DIY electrical websites but common sense dictates that electrical charges and amateur handypeople don’t mix. This is one for the professionals.

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Cold patches

If walking past a certain spot in the house sends chills down your spine, it’s time to check if something is causing a draught. One technique is to hold a lit candle near windows on a windy day. Air getting in where it shouldn’t will cause the candle to flicker. Remedy the situation by installing weather stripping, erecting curtains or replacing the window.

For cold patches on walls, consider better insulation.

Feeling like you’re being watched

As Joseph Heller wrote in Catch-22, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you. If you feel like you’re being watched, sweep the house for hidden security cameras.

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Enjoy this Free Red Plague Sneak Peek PDF full of excerpts and extras!

<3 Anna

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