Dark Short Fiction,
Dark Romantic Fiction,
Horror short & flash fiction stories,
And the occasional bottle of wine...
 WELCOME TO CURIOSITIES A monthly feature that spotlights an author and their tale of a true, unexplained, experience. Please welcome fellow Black Opal Author Ronnie Allen. Ronnie wears many different hats, Master Tarot Card instructor, Holistic Health Practioner, crystal therapist as well as author of GEMINI: THE CRIME BEHIND THE SIGN - Book I. I haven't known Ronnie long, but we both find the same subjects interesting and I'm very happy that's she's here. Ronnie is sharing a fascinating experience. Unlike anything I've had on CURIOSITIES before. Enjoy! Thank you so much for hosting me today, Debbie. We have so many common interests in the metaphysical, psychic, and paranormal realms as well as healing modalities. I'd like to talk to you today about a couple of them that are common to my experiences as well as Dr. John Trenton's, the protagonist in Gemini. Yes, I incorporated a lot of myself into this novel. Maybe more than most people would do. As an alternative healing practitioner, I practice what I preach. What I teach my clients re Tarot, crystals, contacting their spirit guide, spiritual cleansing, goddess profiling, and astral travel, I've experienced. There are more commonalities, but this will be a very long blog, as is. Yes, astral travel. I'd like to focus on that first today. I've had a few experiences with this but I'll tell you about one. I astral traveled, under sedation, in 2000 when I was in a coma for five days. So did Dr. Trenton when he was hooked up to an IV in ICU. I have astral traveled and received confirmations from one of my clients, through deep meditation, but with sedation—and I don't recommend drugging yourself by any means—a person could travel deeper. The following story that you'll read was written in 2001 after my recovery. "My Journey Back," was originally printed in the International Journal for Counselors and Therapists. All of the healing modalities I practice, I used to bring myself back to life after—unbeknownst to me at the time—the docs told my husband and son that I had less than a 2% chance of survival. Well, surprise, surprise, I'm still here. After my story, you'll read an excerpt from Gemini where Dr. Trenton astral travels. I cut the article considerably for the sake of the length of this blog. _____________________________________________________________________ My Journey Back Holistic Therapies Saved My Life! by Ronnie Allen, Ph.D. Copyright 2001, Ronnie Allen, All Rights Reserved On November 14, 2000, the universe threw me a curve that I am sure is going to change my life forever. At 7 P.M. I took my son David and, Lisa, his girlfriend to a brand new buffet style restaurant. The food was inedible, spoiled and cold and everything was sent back. We then came home where I saw clients and prepared to go to work the next day. Nothing unusual. At 1:30 a.m. I awoke from a deep sleep as my airways constricted. I anxiously told my husband, Bob, to call 911. I immediately fell unconscious. What follows is my journey to recovery integrating all of the healing modalities in alternative therapies in my life’s work for the past eight years that I had to embrace with passion every moment of every day in my one month of hospitalization. It confirms my mind/body/spirit/soul explorations in that this is what helped me return from near death. Western Medicine could not have brought me back, alone. It was poisoning from the food that I had consumed. When EMS arrived seven minutes later, I was already turning blue. Four paramedics worked on intubating me and in the process broke a part of my trachea. Because there was an air tube inserted, air was rushing into me. I blew up to what appeared to be 600 pounds of air. David pinned a pouch of some of my crystals onto my gown as EMS was putting me into the ambulance. He packed the rest that was on my night table to take to the hospital. I was about twenty seconds from being pronounced dead, as my heart had stopped. The ER staff was about to use the defibrillators, when my heart kicked in moments before they were placed on my chest. A tracheotomy was ordered which I had on November 15th. I was placed on ventilators, feeding tubes, catheters, IV’s and suctioning devices. I was unconscious for almost five days but the doctors had help unbeknownst to them. The Pleiadian Emissaries of Light, my spirit guides and Archangel Raphael were present. I was seeing them in flashes and montages. Colored lights encompassed me with red, pink, and green overlapping as I traveled in a Pleiadian spaceship into the universe. I remember being very calm because I knew I was being healed. Red tubes were surrounded by a row of gold dots right in front of me. Red is for the physical healing and life preserving vitality. The gold dots were attempting to seal it in. The tubes were flowing freely like octopus tentacles in the ocean. Those were probably the ventilator, and NG tubes. After five days, I became somewhat aware of my surroundings. When I became conscious, returned to the earth plane that is, I found my arms strapped down, and I couldn’t open my eyes, nor could I move from side to side or turn my head. I realized I must be in a hospital. I knew I had to find a way I to communicate. I realized I could kick my legs, and that’s how I got the attention of the nurses. For the rest of this article, please go to http://www.thecrystaltarot.com/about/my-journey-back  EXCERPT FROM GEMINI The sedative relaxed him enough to enable him to slip into a deep meditative state. He could usually go there himself, but the sedative took him deeper. First, he saw in black and white, kaleidoscopic round swirls in front of his eyes as if they originated in his eyes. They rotated slowly from directly on top of him, and then moved slowly farther and farther away in front of his third eye, until his mind was a blank slate, and he could participate in the vision. It seemed like it took a long time. The sounds of the ICU lessened and then were replaced by others. He couldn’t discern them at first. As he traveled farther, he knew. He was able to make contact with Barbara and see her in real time, where she was, and what she was doing. He felt himself travel to Barbara. He astral traveled. He heard the sounds in the club, the voices, house and techno music, as he perched on top of the bar invisible to everyone. ***** A Tool of Empowerment I’d like to talk about is Tarot. I’m finding more and more writers use Tarot to let them know if they’re on the right track. That’s awesome to hear. I've been teaching Tarot and doing readings since the mid- nineties. I hold a certificate as a Tarot Master Instructor. Both, my killer, Barbara Montgomery, and Dr. Trenton use Tarot. I'll include a snippet of a scene to whet your readers' appetites.  EXCERPT FROM GEMINI He leaned toward her. “Ask them a question for me.” She humored him. “Okay, what is it?” “What does Barbara need to know about cooperating with Dr. Trenton? And you can change Barbara to ‘I’ as you say it.” She did a double take and she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. “What?” “Say it out loud. Now. Shuffle the deck.” She did. “Now pick a number from one to ten.” “You know tarot?” She was flabbergasted, to put it mildly. “I would have to say yes. Now say it.” Intimidation prevailed and she was cognizant it was justified. Her voice trembled. “What do I need to know about cooperating with Dr. Trenton?” “Good. Continue.” “Okay, five.” She pulled The Emperor, King of Wands, King of Swords, The Moon, and The Devil. She closed her eyes and put her hand on her stomach. Three of the five cards were ones she picked previously. And she shuffled four times! He smiled. “Now what does it all mean?” Damn! I can’t let him see his effect on me! “In a nutshell—you’re an SOB on steroids!” “No. Not on steroids.” He laughed. “I’m a self-made man. Let’s break it down.” To her, he sounded as if he was reprimanding a group of interns. “The Emperor, the law. You don’t cooperate, you’re in contempt of a police order, and that can mean jail time. So think about that. It also means that I’m the one in authority here, and what I say goes.”  I hope your readers enjoyed the two scenes. Please feel free to ask questions and leave comments. I’d love to have a conversation with you. About Ronnie: Ronnie Allen is a New York City native, born and bred in Brooklyn, New York, where she was a teacher in the New York City Department of Education for 33 years including the obtaining of a New York State license as School Psychologist. Her various roles included classroom teacher, staff developer, crisis intervention specialist, and mentor for teachers who were struggling. Always an advocate for the child, Allen carries this through as a theme in her novel Gemini, with the reader seeing the horrors of child abuse through the eyes of three characters. In the early 1990s she began a journey into holistic healing and alternative therapies and completed her PhD in Parapsychic Sciences in 2001. BUY LINKS
Link to my book trailer Amazon KOBO Black Opal Books B&N CONTACT THROUGH MY WEBSITE http://www.ronnieallennovel.com TWITTER @ronnieanovelist FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/ronnie.allen.507 INSTAGRAM ronnieanovelist PINTEREST @ronnieallen507
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 I'm thrilled to have friend and fellow Black Opal author, Jami Gray stop by today. I've known Jami since 2011 when we both first signed to Black Opal. She writes gritty, edgy and action packed urban fantasy and paranormal romance. The first book in The Kryn Kronicles, SHADOW'S EDGE, is FREE!!! on Amazon for a limited time. Grab this one for the beach, or anywhere you enjoy your summer reading. It's a great read and an exciting start to her series. See my review here. Jami is here to talk about SHADOW'S EDGE and reveal some fun facts about herself. ME: Tell us about Shadow’s Edge. JAMI: SHADOW’S EDGE is the first in my Kyn Kronicles, and the first full-length novel I completed and published. In it you get to meet Raine She comes across as a hardened warrior who’s courted death intimately. Yet her thick veneer of lethality hides the scars of a survivor. She’s part of the Kyn, the combined races of all those creatures humans scare each other with over campfires—witches, wizards, Fey, shifters, and demons. Yet, even as one of them, she stands apart—always. While she’d do whatever it takes to protect her people, she doesn’t really believe anyone would do the same for her. Due to traumas she suffered as a young teen, she has a difficult time accepting herself. Which in turn, makes her feel unworthy of anyone’s acceptance. At her core, Raine is no different than any of us—we want to be loved and accepted, even as we love and accept those around us. Hard to do when you’re struggling to love yourself. ME: Do you have an unusual or quirky phobia or fear? For example, I’m terrified of lighting gas grills. JAMI: Umm, anything with more than four legs must be exterminated. In college, one of those monstrous cockroaches found it’s way into my apartment. It was met by Extra Hold Aqua Net and spray Corn Starch, covered with a paper cup and watched unblinkingly by moi until my roommate got home. At which point, I simply pointed and whispered, “GET IT OUT!”. I don’t do well with spiders, either. ME: If you weren’t an author, what profession would you like to try? JAMI: Race car driver. Of course, my Knight in Slightly Muddy Armor thinks I’m moonlighting as one already, but it’s all just practice. ME: What’s your favorite ride at the amusement park and why? JAMI: Haunted House. I’m not into roller coasters (I know, doesn’t make sense with the whole racecar thing), but I like a good scare. ME: What’s your favorite holiday and why? It can be a random holiday, not a traditional one. JAMI: St. Pat’s Day—should be self-explanatory. ME: Pantser or Plotter? JAMI: I started out as a Pantser, and sometime still fly by my rather ragged seat, but I’ve found I need a few more signposts as I’m writing. Not sure if it’s an age thing or not, but if I can see the sign looming ahead stating “CRAP SHALL BEFALL YOUR HEROINE HERE!” I can figure out a way through it without losing my mind. ME: Night owl or early bird? JAMI: Definitely early bird. Probably because I’ve spent most of my life getting up before the sun, and it hasn’t changed yet. ME: White wine, red wine or cocktail? JAMI: Sorry all, I’m a total cocktail chic. ME: Coffee or tea? JAMI: Nowadays, it’s all about the coffee. ME: What’s your favorite swear word? JAMI: Fuckwit  SHADOW’S EDGE, Kyn Kronicles #1 Everyone fears what hunts in the shadows—especially the monsters… When the supernatural lurks in the shadows of the mundane, hunting monsters requires unique skills, like those of Raine McCord. A series of deaths threatens to reveal the Kyn community and forces her to partner with the sexy Gavin Durand. As the trail leads to the foundation haunting Raine’s childhood, she and Gavin must unravel lies and betrayals to discover not only each other, but the emerging threat to them and the entire magical community. BUY LINKS: You can find all the buy links for both The Kyn Kronicles and PSY-IV Teams, in all formats at: http://jamigray.com/kynkronicles/ http://jamigray.com/psyivteams/
 The winner of
I WANT TO RULE MY DESTINY giveaway with Nana Prah is.. SHARON STRUTH Congratulations, Sharon. **Disclaimer: All names were entered into random.org - Please welcome my dear friend and awesome author Nana Prah and her new release in the Destiny series, Destiny Mine. I loved this story. It revolves around my favorite character from the series, Esi Darfour. See my review here. Nana loves a giveaway and is very gracious to help me celebrate my new blog and website with a $5.00 Amazon gift card up for grabs. I told you she was a dear friend. Thanks, Nana! She'll tell you what to do when at the end of at the post. Here's Nana…. Debbie Christiana is the queen of research. So coming onto her blog I knew I had to do at least a little so here is what I came up with. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (2007) destiny is defined as: The power believed to control future events; fate Basically if a person believes in destiny they tend to think things are going to happen whether they want it to or not. It’s a big philosophical debate. Do we as humans have control over our lives or is it left to a power greater than us. I’d really like to believe that destiny exists, but I’m more in the camp that our decisions shape our lives. It’s our choices that shape our future, creating life as we go along. That’s what the song “Rule My Destiny” is all about. Taking control of life and making things happen instead of sitting on a raft letting life float you through existence. Would I throw the concept of destiny out the window of a moving train? Not at all. Especially when it comes to love. That’s where I want to believe destiny actually exists. That there are people (note that the plural was intentional) we are meant to be with. Isn’t that what a romance novel is all about? I’m pretty sure most of you have never heard this song so here’s something fresh and wonderful for your ears. If you like reggae beats then you’ll like this tune from Butu Banton. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ-iWU8cDik Now for the giveaway part. To enter to win a $5 Amazon gift card from me, just sign up via e-mail to receive awesome new posts from Debbie’s fantabulous blog. In the comments leave the name you signed up under and you’ll be entered. If you want you can also leave a comment about if you believe in destiny or not – but this will be for fun.  Blurb Extraordinary midwife, Esi Darfour, is looking to get married. She’s a master matchmaker but has no luck when it comes to her love life and has yet to find a man worthy of her. Until she has to deal with gorgeous Dr. Adam Quarshie outside of work. Adam is a player who refuses to get married—ever. His interest lies more in getting her into bed than in having any kind of committed relationship. Esi’s matchmaker instincts warn her to run in the other direction as quickly as possible, but her heart insists she stay…get closer…and see if what they feel for each other can change his mind. Destiny Mine Destiny Series Buy Links Amazon | Decadent |ARe | Barnes & Noble| Smashwords | iTunes | Kobo | Googleplay| About the Author: Nana Prah is a multi-published author of contemporary, multicultural romance. Her books are sweet with a touch of spice. When she’s not writing she’s reading, indulging in chocolate, and enjoying life with friends and family. Contact Details: Blog : www.nanaprah.blogspot.com Twitter: @NanaPrah Facebook: Nana Prah, Author Goodreads: Nana Prah Google + : Nana Prah |
Debbie Christiana
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