Stories From An Empath by Yvonne Perry

I am participating in a blog tour for Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You. The book, written by Yvonne Perry, tells you how to clear your energy field and offers empowering, proactive techniques to manage your own energy.  See http://whosestuffisthis.com/ for details.  

On March 15, Yvonne will visit Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews.  Today, she is my guest blogger, contributing an excerpt that includes mini stories from empaths she interviewed when researching for her book.

Stories from an Empath

By Yvonne Perry

Emotions such as fear, anger, and frustration are energies. Like a virus, you can potentially “catch” them from people without realizing it. Empathic people can be psychic sponges that absorb energy everywhere they go. In my twenties and thirties, I was so energy sensitive that if I heard an ambulance siren, I would feel instant panic. If I came upon an accident scene or a homeless person, I cried. If I saw an open wound, I would feel something like an electric shock all over my body. In traffic, I felt the anger and frustration of my fellow drivers so keenly that my throat would close up and I could not swallow. When I was in my prayer closet, I would cry, groan, shake, and travail on behalf of others. These and similar scenarios were so common for me that I thought everyone felt this way. I had no idea that I was an empath. I had never heard of such a thing.

But I quickly learned that I am not alone in my empathic abilities, which can be both a gift and a curse. In chapter 2 of my new book, Whose Stuff Is This?, I share stories from the empaths I interviewed as part of my research. There is a wide variety of situations in which folks have found themselves as a result of this intuitive gift. Some of these people have just realized they are empaths; others are veteran empaths who are using this intuitive gift as part of their healing practice.

One person I interviewed said that it has both saved his life and broken his heart. “I thought I was an agoraphobic for the longest because when I was around a lot of people I felt overwhelmed,” said Jonathan. “I thought it was anxiety, but then I began to be able to tell when someone was lying to me. It can hurt to know someone you love is lying to your face.”

One person I heard from said she if she drove past a serious car accident, she would feel all the emotions of the people involved, including the confusion of the person who had just died at the scene. If there was someone in the car with her, she felt embarrassed about crying and having to explain why she was crying.

Samantha says being an empath is generally draining. “You may feel dread or have to prepare yourself to be around people. It makes it impossible to get down to what you truly feel instead of what others are projecting to you,” says Samantha. “There are a few people who are very good at disguise. Their energy may feel positive at first, but they can’t keep up the wall very long.”

Julie Isaac says she has always known that she picked up people’s emotional energy, but she didn’t know she was picking up their aches and pains, as well.

“For years I thought I was a hypochondriac until one Thursday night when I knew with every fiber of my being that I was going to have a heart attack. Going to have! There was no pain, so there was no reason to go to the hospital to tell them that I would soon be having a heart attack. I decided to watch TV and relax until I felt something that would tell me it’s time to go to the hospital. Then, in an instant, the feeling/knowing lifted. It was so bizarre. The next day, Friday, I went to work and my boss was out sick. On Monday, they told us that she had had a heart attack on Thursday night. That’s when I realized I wasn’t a hypochondriac; I was picking up on other people’s physical energy.”

Fortunately, the gift of empathy can be developed and used to help others without causing harm to yourself. Hillary Raimo is the founder and author of the signature UNtraining™ series. As an empath she feels energy and can tune in to the emotional energy of another person, animal, or event in order to read it. She says the gift can often be dismissed by others or mistaken for psychological issues. Hillary pursued psychology in college so she could better understand herself, but when she began to explore shamanistic and psychic studies, it clicked that she had been empathic all her life. She now uses this gift in her work as an intuitive healer.

Since so many empaths are natural healers, I decided to touch briefly on this topic in Chapter 11 of my book in case some readers want to go a step farther and seek training as a natural healer or psychic practitioner. Learn more about Whose Stuff Is This? at http://WhoseStuffIsThis.com .

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Living life to the fullest in Nashville, Tennessee, Yvonne Perry (also known in spiritual circles by the name, LavendarRose) is an author and keynote speaker who enjoys helping people discover a spiritual path of love and joy that comes from the knowledge that we are all one with our Creator.

A graduate of American Institute of Holistic Theology, Yvonne holds a Bachelor of Science in Metaphysics. She has written hundreds of articles on spirituality, death, afterlife, spirit communication, and suicide. She is the host of We Are One in Spirit Podcast, a talk show that offers people a chance to share spiritual insight and join cross-cultural hands. She is a polished, speaker available to share her knowledgeable on a wide variety of spiritual topics such as walk-in/soul exchange, psychic gifts, empathy, ascension rituals, ghosts, afterlife, and near-death or other spiritually-transforming experiences.

See also: More Than Meets the Eye, True Stories About Death, Dying, and Afterlife by Yvonne Perry

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 Come along on the tour with Yvonne. March 17’s blog stop will be at Bullying is Abuse Peer Abuse.  See the entire tour schedule at http://tinyurl.com/EmpathTour.

Yvonne Perry’s Empath Blog Tour

I am going to be one of the blog tour hosts for Yvonne Perry, author of  Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You.  Feel free to join Yvonne as she drops by more than twenty blogs to talk about dealing with empathy fatigue, emotional burnout, and intuition as well as how she wrote and published the book.

Visitors get to read something new each day as they follow the book tour from blog to blog: audio clips, video clips, written interviews, links to radio interviews, book excerpts, media releases, and content-rich articles.  She will be telling “Stories From an Empath” here at Dragon My Feet on March 16th. Should be interesting!

Other Topics include the following:

• Authors Must Learn to Sell What They Write
• Clearing Your Energy Field
• Detaching Politely Before You Reach Your Limit
• Empathic Babies, Children, and Teens
• How I Published My Book on Empathy Fatigue
• Identifying Your Own Energy
• Setting Boundaries with People
• Stories from an Empath
• Why I Wrote a Book for Empaths
• 5 Steps for Developing Your Intuition
• Characteristics of an Untrained Empath
• Difference Between Empathy and Intuition, The
• Excerpts from the book
• Gift of Intuition Reveals a Sister’s Secret, The
• Influence Ghosts Have Upon Human Emotions, The
• Make the Voices Stop!
• Psychology of Empathy, The
• Q&A Interview with the Author
• Temper Tantrums ~ An Opportunity to Teach Your Child How to Process Emotions
• There’s a Ghost in Our House. Can We Keep Him?
• Understanding Empathy
• What Is an Empath?
• When Fear Turns into an Anxiety Problem
• Why I Chose to Self-publish My Book About Empathic Overload

Here is the tour schedule:

Join the pre-tour warm-up on Wednesday, February 23 as Dr. Caron Goode and Yvonne Perry chat with @LynnSerafinn on Garden of the Soul Radio at 6 p.m. UK Time, 1 p.m. Eastern Time.

Another running start for the tour is on Saturday, February 26 Joyce Shafer will share an article in her State of Appreciation Newsletter: http://stateofappreciation.webs.com// Follow @JoyceShafer.

Monday, February 28 – The Shift Guru Barbara Joye will host an article by Yvonne titled “5 Steps for Developing your Intuition” http://shiftguru.wordpress.com/. Follow @TheShiftGuru.

Tuesday, March 1 – Joanne Sprott (@muselady11) will host Yvonne on Beyond Words Radio Show at Believe in the Moment radio http://www.believeinthemoment.com/bitm-radio.html.

Wednesday, March 2 – Carol Denbow (@author101) will share an article titled “Why Yvonne wrote the book” on her blog, A Book Inside http://abookinside.blogspot.com/.

Thursday, March 3– @positivepresent Dani will post an article: “Psychology of Empathy” on her blog, Positively Present http://www.positivelypresent.com/.

Friday, March 4 – Irene Conlan @ieconlan has an article: “Setting Boundaries with People” to share on The Self Improvement Blog.

Saturday, March 5 – Shelagh Jones @SpiritusShelagh will be hosting an audio interview with Yvonne for her Spiritus blog.

Sunday, March 6 – Penny Ehrenkranz @pennyehrenkranz Article: “How Yvonne Published the Book” on One Writer’s Journey http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/

Monday, March 7 – Doreen Pendgracs @wizardofwords will be sharing an article from Yvonne titled: “Why I Chose to Self-publish My Book About Empathic Overload.” See http://doreenisthewizardofwords.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, March 8 – Nickolove Lovemore @nickolove Skyline Coaching Blog http://www.skylinecoachingblog.com/ has a video clip, an excerpt from the book, an article “Clearing Your Energy Field,” and a book review.

Wednesday, March 9 – Callie Carling @moonpoppy shares a video, book review, and article on her blog, Empowered Healer http://www.empoweredhealer.co.uk/

Thursday, March 10 – Irene Conlan (@ieconlan) hosts Yvonne on The Self Improvement Radio Show.

Friday, March 11 – Dr. Caron Goode @parent_coach shares an interview with Yvonne and a video about the gift of empathy on the Academy for Coaching Parents International http://academyforcoachingparents.com/blog/

Saturday, March 12 – Dr. Caron Goode will be joining Shelagh Jones @SpiritusShelagh for an audio interview about the psychology of empathy. See Spiritus blog.

Monday, March 14 – Soulmate Coach Crystal @soulmatecoachc shares an article about detaching politely http://www.soulmatecoachcrystal.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, March 15 – Lisa Jackson @lisajjackson shares her question & answer interview on Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, March 16 – Pat Bertram @PatBertram has an article, “ Stories from an Empath,” on Dragon My Feet: https://dragonmyfeet.wordpress.com/

Thursday, March 17 has two stops: Elizabeth Bennett @PeerAbuse will post an article: “Empathy in Children and Teens” on http://www.peerabuse.blogspot.com/ AND Barbara Techel @joyfulpaws shares a YouTube video on Joyful Paws http://www.joyfulpaws.typepad.com/

Friday, March 18 – Barbara Joye (@TheShiftGuru) will share her interview with Yvonne on her Creative Cafe Radio Show: www.blogtalkradio.com/shiftguru.

Monday, March 21 – Reno Lovison Marketing Communications Services presents an article “Authors Must Learn to Sell What They Write” on his Business Card to Business Blog: http://businesscardtobusiness.com/blog. Follow @renoweb

Tuesday, March 22 – Anne Lyken-Garner @esther96 has a media release on http://www.abloggersbooks.com/

Wednesday, March 23 – Dr. Caron Goode @parent_coach presents a book excerpt and press release on her blog, Kids Who See Ghosts http://kidswhoseeghosts.com/blog/.

Thursday, March 24 – Faith Ranoli interviews Yvonne on @positiveradio Heart and Home Radio Show http://healthylife.net/RadioShow/archiveHH.htm

Friday, March 25 – Vonnie Faroqui @inkslngrswhmz has an article on Ink Slinger’s Whimsey blog http://inkslingerswhimsey.blogspot.com/

Monday, March 28 – Dr. Caron Goode @parent_coach shares a book excerpt on Raising Intuitive Children blog http://raisingintuitivechildren.com/blog/.

Chanson de l’Ange by Paisley Swan Stewart

My guest blogger today is Paisley Swan Stewart, who talks about her life and why she retold the story of The Phantom of the Opera.

Chanson de l’Ange by Paisley Swan Stewart is a two volume epic retelling of the classic novel, the Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux. Inspired by the legend of The Opera Ghost in all its incarnations, the author weaves her own captivating tale while remaining faithful to key story elements.  Chanson de l’Ange creates bookends to the compelling saga of the Opera Ghost through an imaginative account of Christine Daae’s childhood companionship with the Angel of Music; while the final gripping chapters unveil her years beyond the opera house.

Book One: The Bleeding Rose opens with the tragic death of ten year old Christine Daae’s father; ushering in dramatic changes when she is left in the care of Madame Louise Giry, ballet mistress at the Paris Opera House.  Christine makes her new home in the opera’s conservatory, where she encounters a bohemian world of singers and dancers, and where she is visited by the unseen Angel of Music.  A bond of obsession and music is forged as Christine’s dark Angel methodically makes himself known. Through the illusory mirror of her dreams and desires, Christine will discover that not all angels have wings and not all devils are what they seem.

Scheduled for release in late 2011, Book Two~The Angel’s Song continues the Chanson de l’Ange retelling of Phantom of the Opera.

Book Two continues the Phantom’s  haunting odyssey into the very  essence of love, madness and  redemption.  As Christine takes center  stage in the Joan of Arc opera,  events swirl out of control  with dire consequences.  The Angel of Music   steps out from the shadows,  and mirrors become the portal into both  heaven and hell.  Now a young  woman, Christine is forced to make  choices that will dramatically alter the lives of those she loves.  She   must brave a future where all are thrust into an emotional and  operatic crescendo that will leave readers  breathless.

Chanson de l’Ange spans a fifty year journey fraught with music, high romance and madness.

Paisley Swan Stewart talks about her life and why she retold the story of The Phantom of the Opera:

My chosen pen name is Paisley Swan Stewart, but I am known as Swansong or ‘Swannie’ on website communities.

Now a happily married middle aged dreamer with a passion for art and beauty, music and theater, I am a woman of faith who celebrates the beauty of the world, while giving the glory to God for its creation.

Growing up as a lonely and introspective child, I found escape in the fantasy world of books and movies. I’ve always been creative; inspired by other artists and dreamers to sing, write, to draw, to perform and to believe in life’s ‘Deeper Magic.’

I have many interests and have attempted a lot of wild and crazy creative projects throughout my life. I studied classical voice in my youth and took first place in my state’s vocal competition. I was heavily involved with theater through my 20’s, where I played leads and supporting roles.

From a tender age I recognized man’s cruelty to his fellow man.  I hurt profoundly when children were ridiculed and bullied by other children because of their physical appearance.

Skinny and physically awkward, I did not fit in at school.  I was unhealthy, my eyes were too big behind thick glasses, and my complexion was too pale.  I rarely played with other children and chose to remain indoors while the neighborhood kids played kick ball and hide-n-seek, and thus I was nicknamed, “the mole.”

Shy and afraid to speak unless spoken to…a result of my step father’s constant haranguing me to “shut the hell up,” I became a quiet, lonely and introspective child.  Adults encouraged me to smile but I saw little to smile about and escaped into a world of fairy tales and fantasy.

My preteen years remain shrouded in family secrets and my step father’s escalating alcoholism.  His negative influence poisoned the entire family and I sought further escape through books, movies and music.

I gravitated to musicals and movies from the 30’s 40’s and 50’s,  often staying up late into the night watching old black and white horror films like Dracula, Frankenstein and King Kong.  I was sympathetic to these monsters, perhaps relating personally to their outcast stories.

The first time I saw the Lon Chaney silent version of Phantom of the Opera, I was about eleven.  I was frightened but equally fascinated by the masked Phantom, the movie’s man/monster, whose name was Erik.  The film’s tragic conclusion left me in tears, wishing that Christine had saved him from his fate.

Later I came across the colorful film adaptation starring Claude Rains, and I developed my first crush on a movie character.  His voice floating through the mirror enthralled me, and the melancholy melody he played on the violin was unforgettable. I thought him so handsome in the mysterious mask and was captivated by his efforts to win the trust of the young opera singer.

Finally in my mid-teens I discovered that I could sing and my love of performing was a further identification with the Phantom story.  For 10 years I studied classical voice, playing leading roles in musicals throughout high school and my early 20’s, where I finally received the attention and acceptance I craved.

In the early 90’s, my husband and I attended an LA based performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stage musical, starring Michael Crawford.  I shall never forget the first commanding chords played on the dark organ as the gold and crystal chandelier rose above the gasping audience.  When the Phantom first appeared in the mirror, I forgot everything else around me; the audience, the auditorium, they all receded into the mist when he beckoned Christine from behind the glass.

Dressed in elegant tails and black opera cloak, he gracefully prowled across the stage, with the half-mask erotic and spell binding.  As an adult woman I immediately recognized the sexual pull of this Phantom, and I sat breathless as the tragic story came to life through Webber’s soaring music.  The performance was hypnotic and deeply sensual, but for me the drama resonated beyond its Victorian romance and beautiful score.

The Phantom is a man of superior intellect and artistic intelligence who because of a hideous facial deformity, is denied acceptance and love.  He is forced to remain on the outside looking in and can never know the warmth of human touch.  His soul is twisted, his psyche damaged through his self imposed isolation in the opera house cellars; where he exists as a shadow, a ghost…a haunted creature to be feared and obeyed.

But the Phantom is no monster.  He is only a man who desires to walk unmasked in the daylight, who craves someone to share his music, his heart and his body.  Underneath the skin, Erik longs to be loved just like the rest of us.

In December of 2004, as I sat enthralled by Joel Schumacher’s film version starring Gerard Butler, I was once again awash in the flickering light of an old black and white television, where a lonely little girl wept real tears for the Phantom of the Opera.

My own story, however, will have a happy ending because despite my emotional and physical scars, I found true love and a deep abiding faith in God.  As I mature, my own need for masks and disguises diminishes and I am learning to love myself for who I am… as alas, poor Erik never could.

Paisley Swan Stewart’s website:  http://www.chansondelange.com

Adventures of a Lightworker: Dead End Date — by Caroline A Shearer

Today’s guest is Carolyn Shearer, author of Adventures of a Lightworker: Dead End Date. Dead End Date introduces readers to Faith, a young woman whose dating disasters and personal angst have separated her from the reason she’s on Earth. When she receives the shocking news that she is a lightworker and has one year to fulfill her life purpose, Faith embarks on her mission with zeal, tackling problems big and small — including the death of her blind date. Working with angels and psychic abilities and even the murder victim himself, Faith dives headfirst into a personal journey that will transform all those around her and, eventually, all those around the world.

Carolyn writes:

Studies consistently show the vast majority of people believe in angels, and one doesn’t have to look far to find examples of people who believe they have been helped in some way by an angel. Many will even say angels have saved their lives!

I was taught about the existence of angels from a very young age, and I even have a framed picture from my childhood of the famous scene of an angel guarding two small children who are crossing a bridge. I was raised to believe I had a guardian angel who was always with me, and I welcomed that idea. Perhaps because of this, I always have felt protected, in all situations.

As I became an adult and began looking into this concept of angels, there is much that I have brought into what I consider “my truth.” I still believe in guardian angels, and now I believe that most people have at least two angels with them at all times. I believe we can call on more angels any time we want, and they will respond immediately. I also have come to understand the real significance of “free will.” We are here to evolve our souls, and as such, we have to ask angels to help us, or they will simply lovingly support us from the background. The exception to this would be in the case of an emergency.

In my (funny to me) way of thinking, I interpreted this piece of knowledge as, “Hey, my angels must get bored when I forget to ask for help!” Ever since then, I have made specific efforts to ask for help, understanding my angels will act when it is for my highest and greatest good.

One way angels help me all the time is with my worries. I used to be a worrier, but I began asking my angels to hold on to my worries for me. That way, if my freaking out side pops up, I know my worries are still technically there, but in the meantime, I know I can release them and move forward with whatever is positive in my life. It works really, really well!

Right now, this very moment, you can close your eyes and talk to your angels. It is that easy! Listening can take some practice, but we can all do that, too! Angels will communicate in whatever way you are able to receive it – so that may be with a song on the radio, a sign on the side of the road, a sentence you just happen to overhear in a crowd … Be open to receiving their messages, and you will find them!

Now, what does all this have to do with me, and my guest post? Well, angels appear in my mystery novel, Adventures of a Lightworker: Dead End Date, and my main character, Faith, has a special relationship with them. It is a fun and eye-opening mystery – I hope you’ll read it!

Bio

Caroline A. Shearer is the author of the novel, Adventures of a Lightworker: Dead End Date, with a second book in the series due out in 2010. Previously, she was a journalist for publications across the U.S. and was the editor in chief of a statewide magazine. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University, from where she earned a B.A. in Journalism, with a minor in Psychology. She also began an Interdisciplinary Studies Masters’ Program in Children’s Literature and Psychology at Texas State University. Caroline has been recognized twice as a finalist in the prestigious Austin Under 40 Awards.

Beyond Diapers: How Not to Wallow in Your Own Poop by Carmen Allgood

My guest blogger today is Carmen Allgood the author of Beyond Diapers: How Not to Wallow in Your Own Poop. Based on a lifelong study of the energy of Love, this modern day exploration of our spiritual evolution delivers a timely twist of pop psychology for those who are starved for peace of mind and true happiness. The metaphorical focus and surefire solution to healing ourselves and the world is revealed in a cut-to-the-chase simplicity designed to make you  laugh your way from forgiveness to love.

Carmen writes:

You wouldn’t believe all the offers I get from companies that sell baby products – with a book title like BEYOND DIAPERS, who would guess! The other side of the coin is that these companies aren’t sure if I’m into baby diapers or have traversed to the other side and need ‘adult diapers!’ Lol.. If truth be told – I’m in a middle phase and don’t have to rely on either product – yet.

DIAPERS is really just a metaphor for an unhappy state of mind. It’s all relative and all of us have been there, done that.

There’s not a person in the world who wouldn’t love genuine peace of mind and lasting happiness, which are actually inherent in who and what we are. We don’t have to strive for peace or happiness. The underlying dilemma is that most of us struggle with feelings of unworthiness, and spend an inordinate amount of time trying to get something into our lives which is already there. Namely, love.

My little book is subtitled The Beginner’s Guide To Inner Peace. BEYOND DIAPERS reveals authentic, simple baby steps that anyone can take, or practice, to ‘deliver’ themselves from the temptation to believe love and peace are in a future state. If this was true – then peace would forever be impossible. Therefore, says reason, peace and happiness are not only possible, but they must be with you NOW.

So, take a little trip with me as we journey to the center of your mind and learn to go beyond diapers to the place where peace resides. Stay tuned! Love is the Answer.

Excerpt – CHAPTER 8 The changing face of diapers

Science and religion agree on one thing, that everything is one thing; that the truth about us is the same. And this is true simply because everything came from One Source. The big bang? Or, when God made Love? The sole difference between science/religion and Love is that science and religion are man-made, and Love is not. 

BIO

Carmen Allgood is a Loveologist and Radio Host and Producer. She has devoted her life to the study of love as energy, relationships, and what it takes to be happy and at peace. Carmen also works with various non-profit agencies as a fund-raiser and event coordinator.

Allure of the Vampire by Lisa M. Campbell

Description of Superstition’s Desire by Lisa M. Campbell: The lush landscape of the Scottish Highlands holds great beauty, but also great peril. Therefore, when Lady Arabella Wyndmere is spirited away from her English home, she is right to fear for her heart and her welfare. Held to a deathbed vow, Laird Connal MacRae is honor-bound to deliver Lady Arabella unsullied, to his deposed older brother, as a prize to soothe his ego. Nevertheless, Connal cannot deny the burning ache the spirited beauty has awakened in him. However, something far more dangerous stalks from the shadows. And in a climate of treachery and betrayal; the greatest risk of all could be surrendering to the depth of feelings of unexpected love.

Guest post by Lisa M. Campbell: Allure of the Vampire

In my other life, I am a paranormal erotica romance author with the pen name Marie March. You might ask what induced me to try my hand at erotica, much less the paranormal variety when I’m a published author in the Celtic historical genre. I’ll give you two words, vampire allure.

Ever since Dracula (the 1979 Frank Langella version) oozed uber-sexuality with a mega-dose of hunky charisma onto the big screen, I have been fascinated with the idea of upright, moralistic women succumbing to the allure of such an intrinsically evil creature…no matter her upbringing, ideals, or sexual hang-ups and inhibitions.

In my debut novella, SAVAGE CRAVINGS (May 2010 eXcessica Publishing) I explore the mystery of the vampire allure. Cavyn Sinclair is looking for his glausdane, eternal mate, and Loveday yields with little fuss despite the untenable situation she finds herself in. Falling prey to Cavyn’s appeal skews the way she views true love.

Let us dissect the allure of the vampire from a realistic viewpoint, and with a jaundiced eye. Consider this scenario; an ordinary person you met only once, perhaps dined with or taken in a movie together. You liked them, but the chemistry wasn’t there and so you refuse a second date. Now this person has begun shadowing your every move from the car, to your place of work, the gym, grocery store, and stops in between, etc. Then one night he materializes outside your bedroom window…at midnight…scratching his longish fingernails (ewww) on the glass and demanding entrance. He keeps insisting he loves you and is convinced you love him. If that concept isn’t creepy enough he soon expresses a burning desire to sex you up while drinking your blood. 

Really, what would your first reaction be? Uh-huh…no matter how gorgeous his appearance, my guess is you’d wear down the heels on your best pair of shoes sprinting to the cop-shop demanding twenty-four hour protection, a restraining order against the nut-job, and only after your purchase of a nine millimeter gun with a back-up clip and a German Shepard named Killer who responds to the attack command in five languages.

Yet, given the above facts, the vampire allure is irresistible. But why? Speaking for myself, if a sinfully sexy, cultured and wealthy master of seduction decided his only requirement was me naked and willing…I say, let the games begin! In addition, the vampire has a lot more than those four fabulous factors working in his favor (say that five times!). Mainly, he comes without the bothersome and sometimes oinkish qualities of the all-too-human male.

Face it, Dracula/Eric/Bill isn’t going to drop his dirty underwear and socks on the floor within inches of the clothes hamper, or adjust his ample package in public. And I’ve yet to read a book, or watch a movie where a vampire empties his pockets leaving coins, crumpled bills, gum, old gas receipts, movie stubs and wads of lint strewn over every available surface in the house, possibly after swigging a beer and/or burping open a door.

Nonetheless, the true vampire allure conceals a nefarious façade that drags unsuspecting women into a twisted underworld where blood-exchanges, master/slave relationships, and sexual obsession could drive a person insane. Yet, as I ponder what to make for supper fold my second basket of laundry and pick up after my husband, daughter and two dogs, I have to think how bad could insanity be?

Lisa M. Campbell Lisa M. Campbell is the author of Superstition’s Desire, published by Wild Horse Press 2009. Lisa has traveled the world, lived on two continents and in eleven cities. She met her childhood hero, twice. She wore a uniform during wartime, though she never fired a shot.Thanks to her husband, she’s flown an airplane. She’s a wife, and mother. She’s owned by two crazy cattle dogs, both of which she rescued from puppy prison. Right now she lives in the beautiful Black Hills, the Oglala Sioux call Paha Sapa. She has a Celtic Connection with a Gaelic speaking friend. She writes what she loves to read.

Visit Lisa’s website:  http://www.lisamcampbell.net

Join Lisa on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/mariemarch

Musical Marketing Muse

My guest today is Sara Taney Humphreys, author of Amoveo Heart and The Amoveo Legacy.

The Amoveo Legacy, 2009

The moment she encounters the mysterious, arrogant neighbor Malcolm Drew, her life is never the same. Through a seductive courtship, he introduces her to the magical mystical world of the Amoveo. The dream walking, telepathic, shape shifters that he claims are her true heritage.  However, Malcolm holds back a secret that could destroy them both. Will he be able to protect Samantha and convince her of the secret legacy buried deep inside of her?

Sara Taney Humphreys secured TV roles in such shows as A&E Biography, Guiding Light, Another World, As the World Turns and Rescue Me.  She then became a Drama Teacher at her alma mater, Convent of the Sacred Heart, and quickly launched her own after school theatre workshop studio for kids called Ensemble Productions. Bound by reality, Sara lives in New York with her husband, who is very considerate of her double life, four amazing boys, two dopey dogs and an extremely loud bird.  Life is always busy, but never dull. Sara talks about her Musical Marketing Muse:

Soundtracks for movies and television shows are standard. In fact, a really great movie or show is often instantly associated with kick ass music. Well thanks to my old college buddy and DJ John Campbell…I found the soundtrack for Book 2 in my shifter series.

Actually, I had been in a major writing rut. Completely blocked. Book 2,  Amoveo Heart was not coming to me as easily as the first book did. At any rate, John wanted to interview me on his weekly radio show and had gotten some musicians who were willing to let me use their music as an intro for the interview. He sent me the links and the second song I listened to stopped me dead in my tracks. I couldn’t believe it. It was as though this song was written just for the heroine in Book 2. Amazing! The combination of the lyrics and her hauntingly beautiful voice were absolute perfection. I immediately contacted the artist and asked if I could use her song for Amoveo Heart’s book trailer. Gratefully both she and her record label said yes!

Then I had an idea to take it a step further. Luckily, she is located not far from me and as a new musician is looking for new opportunities for exposure. Why not have her play at my book launch/signing? Gratefully she agreed. Amy played at a couple of my book signing events and it really brought a great bit of texture to the signings.

The song that sparked my creative juices and woke up my muse is called “Honey on the Skin”. You can find Amy Petty and her spectacular music on her website http://www.amypetty.com/

John connected me with another awesome musical muse. The Strike Nineteens. TSN are a band of adorable guys from Scotland. Ladies…think William Wallace/Braveheart accent….yummy. Their music is gritty and intense. These darlings actually wrote me two songs! One of which will be on their new album “Screams for Denver” which will be released this Spring. I look forward to checking them out LIVE when they come to the USA later this year.

You can check out their music at http://www.myspace.com/thestrikenineteens

Cross marketing with music is fun and a little outside the box…just the way I like it.

Sara Taney Humphreys

http://sarataneyhumphreys.com

The Cain Letters by Pierre Dominique Roustan

As part of my week-long book launch party, Pierre Dominique Roustan and I are exchanging blogs. (You can find me at http://writingandreading.today.com) Pierre writes:

Those who’ve followed my blog might know a bit here and there about THE CAIN LETTERS and the characters, but let me paint a picture for you real quick:

Enter: Alexandra Glade.

An auburn-haired, gray-eyed beauty of a woman, black trench coat, turtleneck and tight pants, armed to the teeth with all kinds of weaponry. Think “The Matrix”, “Underworld”, “Blade” with a little bit of sex appeal, and there’s Alexandra for you. There are days I regret a little bit creating her in my head, because I worry that she might beat the living hell out of me. Because she can. She’s essentially a trained killer.

Only she kills vampires. For a living.

With her team, an organization known as the Berith Lochem, Hebrew for ‘Divine Covenant’, she hunted rogue vampires and other abominations for the sake of God alongside her comrade Kyan Tanaka, a Japanese man bred into the world of a mercenary until he found God. With remarkable resources, the Berith Lochem served the Vatican and other clients looking for a cleansing of some kind. They were like bounty hunters.

It was easy, you know? Hunting vampires. The life was so linear. And simple. Until a strange book surfaced that seemed to be of some interest to many of the damned-most notably two master vampires of cunning strength and power, two of the strongest in the world, actually-a Russian known as Nikolas Stahl and a savage Los Angeles native named Mason Richter. The book had ancient knowledge regarding something that had been locked away, secret, since the beginning of time-

The origin of the vampire. How it all began.

No longer was Alexandra’s life so linear. Her journey suddenly came upon forks of all kinds. And obstacles.

The book, dating way back to the times of the Exodus, revealed the origin. And it was a shocking one. One that would shake the pillars of the world, of faith-

The world’s first vampire was the world’s first murderer. Fitting. And terrifying.

Cain, brother of Abel, son to Adam and Eve, had struck a deal with Satan to cleanse himself of the guilt, the shame, the despair of a dying world and the mark of banishment on him. The cleansing took away his humanity, took away his soul even-and made him into what was commonly known as…vampire.

Driven by blood, as a reminder of Abel’s blood on his hands, Cain walked the earth. Immortal.

What Alexandra realized was that Nikolas and Mason planned on finding Cain. The secret book revealed his hidden location for so many centuries. What Alexandra feared was what they intended to do once they found him-

It didn’t take her long to realize that they were planning on killing him. These two master vampires, countless ages apart from a man of the book of Genesis, were going to silence the father of the damned.

Now on any other day, Alexandra Glade, Berith Lochem vampire hunter of vengeance, she wouldn’t have a problem with the idea of the father of the damned dying. But she knew Scripture. And what she knew terrified her even more than Cain….

She couldn’t allow Nikolas and Mason to kill Cain…. For the sake of the world hung on the balance that Cain had to live. All her training, all her scars, everything, anything that made her who she was, a hunter, she had to forsake and leave, protecting the very first vampire from death. All to save mankind.

Could she make such a decision? With her duty, her need to hunt and kill vampires, her fierce vengeance…. Could she reject all of that…. And save a fierce killer like Cain?

I’ll let that simmer in you a little bit. I can’t give all of it away, people. Come on! You’ll have to read the book when it debuts.

THE CAIN LETTERS is, indeed, a beginning of what is most definitely a series for me. Having landed a contract, you’ll see a few more continuations, following the adventures of Alexandra Glade and the Berith Lochem. But until then, face the fear that is THE CAIN LETTERS. And believe. Believe in evil.

See also: Interview with Pierre Dominique Roustan
                 Blog Exchange with Pierre Dominique Roustan

Cirque de Squirrel-lay by Juliet Waldron

Juliet Waldron has recently come back to through the Time Tunnel from the 18th Century, the place where most of her books are set. She’s a writer, Grandma and Cat Mother, author of Independent Heart and Mozart’s Wife.  Juliet wrote this wonderful article, and I wanted to share it with you. Juliet writes:

Cute, squirrels-and don’t get me wrong, there’s almost nothing more adorable than a litter-or whatever they are called–of babies, practicing their acrobatics, rejoicing in spring and the abundance of seedy snacks falling from the maple trees. One spring, my best buddy and I were having a cuppa tea and watching the antics of a troop of young ‘uns as they chased, rolled, and swung from impossibly small branches like trapeze artists, when she came up with the best quip of all time: Cirque de Squirrel-lay!  which described their play-time to the letter.

Yes, and squirrels are smart, too, and creative–but just hell on my birdfeeders and on my flowerpots. It’s really a drag to come out onto your porch to see flower sets you just planted tossed or leaning at odd angles because some tree rat has decided he needs that pot for his storage. It’s easier to dig up nice soft potting soil than our hard clay yard. Frankly, I’ve never lived anywhere with such aggressive squirrels. These guys have a look in their eyes that makes me feel they are planning a mugging. Perhaps it’s that we live in a semi-urban area where annoyed gardeners can’t use them for .22 practice as they might in the country, but we do seem in need of a predator.

I’m not exaggerating about the mugging. These squirrels do mug my housecats. Of course, cats are not the nicest animals on the planet, either, if you are a chipmunk or baby rabbit. My dear soft little orange Elizabeth loves to find a new bunny nest and eat them, one by one. I’ve started to curtail her a.m. forays out-of-doors during bunny nesting period, because once she has located a hiding place, she is remorseless.

These squirrels, however, are too much for her. They jump on her back and hang on if she stalks them-and so, wisely, she doesn’t anymore. (I wouldn’t want to be chomped on by teeth which can piece walnut shells either!) As a result, my yard, garden, birdfeeders and flowerpots are under constant siege from these furry pests.