The Paranormal Paradigm

Rocky Mountain Whirlwind

2011-12-29T13:12:00.000-05:00

Happy holidays! I hope you've all been as merrily busy as I have. The month of December has been a wild ride, that's for sure.

Just a few days before Christmas, I visited Denver, Colorado, to officially launch a Top Secret New Book Project. It was great to see snow again (it's such an unusual sight here in central Virginia) and the good friends who welcomed me were even more a delight. After some long days of interviews and research, I'm sure I wore out my welcome, but the trip was a huge success regardless.

Why the tease? No details? Because this is probably the most extreme, in-depth, and controversial project I've ever been involved with. It is a turning point for me, both personally and professionally. I can tell you this much: the book is about a form of instrumental transcommunication (ITC) that garners verifiable results like nothing else I've ever seen or heard. If you want to learn more, you'll have to keep an eye out over the next couple of months for updates as the manuscript progresses!

Mutually Beneficial Paranormal Research

2011-11-07T14:06:00.000-05:00

I know I've been a stranger around the blogosphere for the past eight weeks or so, but that is how it goes this time of year. Now that I'm back behind the desk for a while, book projects are getting polished up, reviews are being written, and events are being scheduled for winter and spring.

One upcoming project that I'm particularly excited about is an excursion to Shirley Plantation. I'm back in the field investigating a few select sites, and this is one of my favorites. To help the Shirley Plantation Foundation, I've been offered the opportunity to invite a small team of paranormal explorers to accompany me on an investigation of the farm's outbuildings and grounds later this month.

Why is this one of my favorite haunted locations? First, the reports of paranormal activity on the property predate the Civil War. Second, their most famous spirit, Aunt Pratt, was the center of a well-documented paranormal disturbance that was witnessed by tens of thousands of people. Finally, this is one site that never disappoints me when it comes to remarkable research findings.

Like many of the other historic sites that are trying to keep their doors open during a time when budgets are being trimmed to near nothing, Shirley Plantation is working to find creative ways to attract visitors. Locations with spry spirits are finally seeing the opportunities available in inviting serious paranormal researchers to use their property as a "laboratory" of sorts for a nominal fee. This is an incredibly important shift in attitudes that I hope every investigator is grateful for and will embrace. When I first started studying phenomena in the field, home and business owners, tour guides, and others would rather risk being rude and unwelcoming than even talk of paranormal activity at their sites. I can only wonder how much went unlearned during those decades and how much preservation was hindered because of tight finances.

Finally, progress is possible because of this cooperation.

Upcoming Events, Lectures, and Books!

2011-09-04T11:26:00.002-04:00

Wow. August was definitely a month I have no desire to repeat. I'm not one for giving credit to Mercury in retrograde, but there was no question that tragedy seemed to come out of the woodwork. Now that some of those fires are dying down, I'm ready to get back on track - starting with catching you all up on recent developments!

A quick update on what's new:

If you haven't checked out the free mini-issue of Haunted Times, you need to get moving! (No need to download anything - you can read this beauty on the web.) Our first FULL ISSUE will be released in just a few weeks. It's already stuffed with Halloween goodness, fall conference and event information, real life paranormal encounters, investigation tips, exclusive interviews, and more. Check back soon for subscription information and other news.

And then there's what's coming:

My first published work of fiction is set for release on October 1, 2011 in a book titled Richmond Macabre: Nightmares From the River City. Something else cool about this - 100% of the publisher's profits are being returned to the community as charitable donations to area non-profits who support historic preservation and the arts.

The book is currently available for pre-order at a super price, but if you're a local and can wait a couple of weeks, join me at the Edgar Allan Poe Museum on Sunday, October 2, 2011 (2-4 PM) for the most rockin' book launch party EVER! Catch readings from contributing authors, live interactive music, museum exhibits, and refreshments. Pick up a signed, limited edition printing of Richmond Macabre or a handmade art print of the book's cover (designed by Skull-a-Day creator Noah Scalin) for only $20. Look for me all around Richmond during the month of October promoting this new title! Events details can be found at www.RichmondMacabre.com

You won't want to miss these lectures:

Because of the October 1st book release, I'm sticking close to home for a while. Come out and enjoy one of these free lectures and chat with me in person!

Poe Museum, Richmond, VA - Remembrance of Poe's Death - October 6 @ 6:00 PM "Richmond Macabre"
Henrico Library, Henrico, VA - Fairfield Branch - October 20 @ 7:00 PM "Haunted Henrico"
Henrico Library, Henrico, VA - Glen Allen Branch - October 22 @ 1:00 PM "Haunted Henrico"
Appomattox Regional Library, Dinwiddie, VA - Dinwiddie Branch - October 28 @ 5:00 PM "Civil War Haunts"
Shirley Plantation, Charles City, VA - October 29 @ 1:00 PM "Ghosts of Shirley Plantation"

And then:

Holy cow! Beth Brown in Wisconsin??

Yep, I'll be joining the folks at BY/OG (Bring Your Own Ghost) again this year for a fun and educational weekend of lectures, gallery readings, and awesome investigations from November 4th through 6th. Check out all of the event details here.

Book Review: Walking Through Walls by Philip Smith

2011-08-01T10:39:00.003-04:00

Let me start by sharing that I am not normally a fan of memoirs, but Philip Smith's Walking Through Walls is definitely an exception.

Philip tells the real-life tale of growing up in 1960s Miami with a stereotypically-Jewish mother and a father who is a world-renowned interior designer. Things take a turn for the strange when his father, Lew Smith, delves into the realm of conscious-expanding lifestyle changes and then learns to harness the power of his mind with the help of a mysterious retreat with an enlightened yogi. Sometimes moving, but often comical, the upheaval of the family's everyday life is shown through the eyes of an adolescent son struggling to deal with his "weird" new dad.

The Smith family eventually moves from Miami's society pages to the spirituality news. Lew hones his abilities as a medium and receives very specific instructions from the spirit world about "psychic healing", a technique which is explained to him to be based on the simple grounds of vibrational energy. After much practice in this unusual new direction, Lew develops a huge word-of-mouth following as a "miracle man" able to cure any disease and heal any affliction. Interior design clients have to wade through lines of hopelessly ill visitors who line up each day outside of Smith's studio. Never once does he charge a penny for his services.

If you have not heard of Lew Smith and his psychic clinic before now, I encourage you to learn more about this peculiar dot on the timeline of American history. If you are already familiar with Smith, I encourage you to read his son's account of his spiritual development, healing techniques, and his legacy. The story is an emotional roller-coaster, but the paths of both Lew and Philip that are shared in Walking Through Walls are certainly examples from which everyone on the road to personal enlightenment can learn.

Walking Through Walls by Philip Smith is currently available from Washington Square Press. Here are a few words about the book from the author:

Paranormal Challenge: Waverly Hills Sanitorium

2011-07-20T11:46:00.001-04:00

I just got word that another episode of Paranormal Challenge featuring yours truly will be airing THIS Friday, July 22nd, at 9 PM EDT on Travel Channel! This time, two teams face off at Waverly Hills Sanitorium in Louisville, Kentucky. Tune in and find out what happens when investigators venture alone with a point-of-view camera down the site's notorious Death Chute...

Remember me telling you about my trip to Waverly? Well, now you know why I was there!

Investigating the Paranormal with Eric Roberts

2011-07-07T16:57:00.004-04:00

Be sure to tune in to the Biography Channel this Saturday night at 11 PM Eastern for Celebrity Ghost Hunt and find out what happens when I give Eric Roberts (Dark Knight, The Expendables, Sharktopus) and his adorable wife Eliza Simons (Animal House, Dr. Who) a crash-course in paranormal investigation. With lots of help from psychic medium Chip Coffey and the folks from North Orange Paranormal Society (NOPS), we'll converge on the Roberts' cozy California cottage to try and capture any anomalies that support the claims of several witnesses, Eric included, who report having seen a ghostly woman on the property.

The couple was fantastic to work with, and both were amazed at the discoveries made during the investigation.

It's ALIVE! The Electrifying Resurrection of "Haunted Times" Magazine

2011-06-27T13:04:00.002-04:00

Let's face it, niche magazines just don't get the recognition they deserve. These publications are almost always put together by a group of hobbyists or fans, and are funded by what's leftover after paying rent and tipping the pizza delivery driver. What is never lacking, however, is pure, distilled enthusiasm for the subject matter.

What if you could take that enthusiasm and add some consistent structure, talented columnists, head-turning artwork, an experienced editorial staff, and featured content that would BLOW YOUR MIND? You'd have one hellova magazine, that's what!

If the photo at the right hasn't already clued you in, Haunted Times magazine has recently put together that very same magical combination. I was honored to be offered the position of Senior Editor, and I jumped at the chance without hesitation. More than anything, I look forward to finding lots of fantastic new talent to share with readers every month!

Along with the change in staff at Haunted Times comes something else just as shocking - a change in format. Forget the days of having to hunt down the most recent issue in the racks at Barnes & Noble! Haunted Times magazine is about to rock the world of digital reading by launching fully interactive issues for your mobile devices or online enjoyment.

Look for the rebirth of Haunted Times in August, 2011. I'll keep you updated about what's to come, including subscription information and where you can go to find lots of freebies to get a feel for the new style and structure!

Book Review: The Survival of the Soul by Lisa Williams

2011-06-13T12:09:00.002-04:00

The Survival of the Soul by Lisa Williams describes the journey of our souls from the energy plane to Earth (and back again) using the information channeled from the author's many Spirit Guides.

As someone who is very skeptical of any claims of communication with the spirit world, I was unsure how much of The Survival of the Soul I would be able to digest before it pushed the boundary between believable and bull. I was pleasantly surprised when the author's grounded explanation of this epic spiritual journey wove together many of the ideas embraced by religions around the world, her personal near-death encounter, and concepts and events familiar to the "well attuned" who have lost loved ones and kept me eagerly reading until the end.

Williams outlines the process by which souls cross over after death, including being welcomed by waiting friends and family and undergoing the often grueling "Life Review" to determine the growth of a soul while in a physical body. Though many aspects of a soul's duties and progress are, according to Williams and her Spirit Guides, intentionally kept secret from the living, the rules and expectations for souls wishing to visit those still on the Earth plane clearly explained in the book.

Have you ever met someone for the first time but felt sure you knew them already? Lisa Williams says the reason for that may be because that person is a member of your "soul family" - a group of like souls who work together in differing roles in both the spirit realm and the physical. Particularly fascinating to me was the section about souls preparing to re-enter a physical body and their selection of parents who would best help to teach (or conversely, to learn) the lessons to better that soul's evolution.

The Survival of the Soul is a spectacular guide for expanding your ideas about how lucid dreams, out of body experiences, spirit communication, and other phenomena are connected to the human personality beyond death. Though you may not agree with every detail, reading this book with an open mind may just bring to light many of the facets of the spirit world your intuition has already nudged you toward. Perhaps that in itself is a lesson for your soul.

The Survival of the Soul by Lisa Williams is currently available from Hay House Books.

Have You Seen Shadow People? Help With a Research Project!

2011-05-30T11:04:00.000-04:00

Ever since my first Shadow Person sighting in 2002, I've been very interested in learning more about the phenomena. These bizarre encounters span the globe and have so many similarities that, as far as paranormal experiences go, I feel they fall into a category all their own.

Because of my personal connection to the phenomena, I have decided to combine my nine-years of study with the responses of others who have had these close encounters in the form of a research paper for the Rhine Institute. This is where I hope you can help.

If you have had a run-in with Shadow People, I'd love it if you could take a few minutes to answer a brief questionnaire. Know a friend who has had an experience? Pass along the link to them! My goal is to have responses from at least 500 people by August 1, 2011. Let's make it happen!

Click here to complete the Shadow People Questionnaire.

Book Review: Baltimore Volume 1: The Plague Ships by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, and Ben Stenbeck

2011-05-19T11:10:00.001-04:00

No, I do not read solely for the sake of research - I also read for the pleasure of reading, to appease my longing for a carefully crafted and eloquently told story. That desire was certainly met when I read Mignola and Golden's illustrated novel, Baltimore: Or, The Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Vampire in 2007, and once again by the most recent installment of the story, The Plague Ships.

The novel introduced Lord Henry Baltimore, a member of the British aristocracy who had left his family behind to serve his country in the battlefields of France during World War I. While in the trenches, he discovered something far more terrifying than the Hessian savagery he had expected. Injured and nearly delirious, Baltimore witnessed an ancient evil feeding on the dead and dying, and then he fought back against it. His out-lash and determination to survive ignited another war, one much worse than the battle between nations - a war between humanity and a vampire horde.

The Plague caused by the vampires infested Europe in waves, bringing WWI to an end. Years have passed, and people in every town and village live in fear of strangers, the dark, and the dead who do not always stay dead. It is at this point where we step into Baltimore Volume 1: The Plague Ships, a graphic novel that introduces the next turn in the title character's fate.

Baltimore, on a quest to destroy the leader of the vampires, finds himself with an unlikely companion during one leg of his journey, and the two fight together against the undead and find an astonishing clue about the origins and perpetuation of the vampire plague. The images during these scenes pull no punches, and have most certainly pushed (maybe even distorted) the boundaries of horror comics. There is no gore simply for gore's sake, mind you, every frame adds another tiny glimpse of Baltimore's inner struggle.

Mignola and Golden truly shine in their storytelling, while Ben Stenbeck (of Living With the Dead) does a stunning job of adapting Mignola's artwork for this action-filled graphic novel. This is the first up-close look the reader really has of Lord Baltimore, and he is every bit the scarred and stoic action hero one hopes him to be.

While the horror comics of decades past were heavily plot-driven, Baltimore Volume 1: The Plague Ships draws the reader in and propels him forward with the instant allure of the book's title character. This dark and moody story is reminiscent of Mignola's earlier Hellboy volumes, but seems to delve much deeper into the shadows without the safety of Hellboy's wisecracks and comic relief.

I fell in love with the beautiful balance of action and emotion in this graphic novel. Because of that, I give it two thumbs up. If you're a fan of the horror genre but have never crossed the borders into the realm of comics or graphic novels, I urge to you dive in with Lord Baltimore!

Baltimore Volume 1: The Plague Ships is scheduled for release from Dark Horse Comics on June 28, 2011.

Book Review: A History of Ghosts by Peter Aykroyd

2011-05-15T10:44:00.002-04:00

It's seldom I will shell out the cash for a hardcover edition of any book, but I grabbed up A History of Ghosts: The True Story of Seances, Mediums, Ghosts, and Ghostbusters by Peter H. Aykroyd and Angela Narth as soon as it was released. Why? Because I'm a hopeless fan of the Ghostbusters movies and couldn't wait to read about the actual events in the Aykroyd family history that inspired the films. Sadly, it was not at all what I had hoped it would be.

I felt a little mislead by the title of this book, for one thing. It is not a historical look at paranormal activity at all - it is instead a summary of the Spiritualist religion in the United States and Canada. If you've ever been curious about the formation of the church and the most famous mediums from its first 100 years, this book provides a decent overview for the casual reader. Peter Aykroyd provides a glimpse at the researchers, like Charles Richet and Sir Oliver Joseph Lodge, who were out to expose the frauds in the field, but the author makes only a short reference to one of the staunchest skeptics out to expose the Spiritualist church - Harry Houdini. As so many of the mediums highlighted in A History of Ghosts were exposed as having resorted to tricks and deception, I feel the book could use a little more attention paid to those investigators, like Houdini, who revealed the most convincing trickery.

The most colorful and entertaining parts of the this book were the tales of the Aykroyd circles (seances held in the dining room of the author's grandparents) and the communications between the family's medium, Walter, and his spirit guides. I wish that there had been more of these first-person accounts and less encyclopedic profiles of Spiritualist "celebrities", but alas, what is done is done.

For those new to the ideas of mediumship and channeling, Peter Aykroyd does a wonderful job of explaining the practices of automatic writing, table tipping, early spirit photography, slate writing, materialization, and direct-voice mediumship. While he touches on the study of electronic voice phenomena (EVP), he is quick to discount the findings as natural artifacts of the recordings, while he openly accepts the spirit communications through a human medium as absolute truth. His lack of objectivity on the subject was incredibly frustrating for me as a reader (likely because our opinions differ drastically) but I'm sure such is not the case for all.

I'm not really sure which events from the Aykroyd circles were those that inspired the author's son to write Ghostbusters as they were never clearly identified as such. Maybe the constant talk of spirit contact and the open mind the family has about the afterlife were more influential than any specific encounter? I guess only the Aykroyd men know for sure.

I know it may sound like I've been harsh on A History of Ghosts, but I really felt like there was a bit of "bait and switch" going on with the packaging and marketing of the book. The content itself is a great overview of the activities surrounding the Spiritualist boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and is ideal for those seeking a quick and easy read to introduce them to the subject, but a "history of ghosts" it is not.

Overall, I give this book only one thumb up because of its weak cohesion. I encourage you to form your own opinion by picking up a copy and putting it to the test yourself. Peter Aykoyd is 90 years old and currently suffering from rapidly degenerating eyesight. To learn more about him, check out his interview with George Noory on Coast to Coast AM.

Adventures in Kentucky

2011-05-09T13:28:00.002-04:00

I've just returned from another exciting adventure, this time at Waverly Hills Sanitorium in Louisville, Kentucky. I feel I should confess - Waverly Hills was at the top of my "Do Not Want" list for many years. I turned down several invitations to investigate there, but a recent dream completely changed my thinking.

In the dream, I was walking down long green and white linoleum halls and could smell the sickening combination of sweat, blood, and iodine. It was icy cold, but none of the people I saw were complaining - they all smiled and laughed. Some played cards and others chatted with nurses and other patients. Bright sunbeams flooded the corridor and made the place seem more like a cheery community center than a building where the terminally ill went to die.

Seeing Waverly like this in a dream really made me stop and examine my reasons for having avoided it in the past. I had been so focused on the negative aspects of the site that I completely lost touch with the positive. This realization opened me up to a great opportunity, one that I am extremely appreciative of and very happy to have accepted.

During my visit to Waverly Hills, I had some free time and spent it roaming the third and fourth floors for more than an hour. While I certainly did not feel alone, I never felt anything malicious either. In fact, that time "alone" in the halls was the highlight of my trip.

Rising to the "Paranormal Challenge"

2011-04-16T13:26:00.000-04:00

Okay, the secret is out... I have the honor of appearing as a judge on the premiere episode of Travel Channel's latest adventure - Paranormal Challenge!

Filming took serious strength and stamina!

The show is hosted by Zak Bagans of Ghost Adventures, but it certainly should not be considered merely a spinoff of that hit series. Paranormal Challenge puts two investigative teams to the test by sending them out into reportedly haunted locations and then rating their use of historical knowledge, technology, and teamwork during the investigation. The concept is not a race to find ghosts, but a competition of investigative know-how. Talk about a refreshing twist put on paranormal reality programming!

A typical view in Pennhust State School today.

I traveled to the notorious Pennhurst State School near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania to work with an amazing crew and a cast that also included Dave Schrader from Darkness Radio and Jeff Belanger of Ghostvillage.com. While my companions were a ton of fun, the location is probably one of the darkest and most sinister that I've ever explored. A few minutes of reading through the site's history will tell you right away what kind of energy this place still holds.

It was an amazing experience at an even more amazing place! I hope you will all tune in and get a glimpse of what happened inside of those cold and damp walls on Friday, June 17th at 9:00 PM ET/PT, 8:00 PM CT on Travel Channel.

Be sure to check back soon for a few more surprises! I have lots more exciting news to share as soon as I get the green light.

Book Review: The Dead Travel Fast by Eric Nuzum

2011-04-11T07:13:00.005-04:00

It came to me the other day in a flash of clarity - I read at least two, sometimes more, paranormal-themed books in a week, and I should really be sharing some information about them. As a way of keeping in touch with you delightful readers, I've decided to make book reviews a regular addition to the Paranormal Paradigm. Suggestions for titles you'd like to learn more about or have yourself enjoyed are always welcome and I will do my best to accommodate them!

"The Dead Travel Fast: Stalking Vampires From Nosferatu to Count Chocula" by Eric Nuzum

While I don't really consider myself a fan of the vampire genre, I do feel I am pretty well-versed when it comes to the myths and legends surrounding this iconic "monster." At least I did before Eric Nuzum schooled me. After reading his quirky adventure into analyzing vampire lore and its effects on pop culture, I realized that what I knew before had barely scratched the surface of the mysterious bundle of facts and misunderstandings that surround these creatures who we love to hate.

Nuzum is by no means an armchair investigator. His research led him from seedy New York clubs brimming with "lifestylers", people who choose to live the vampire life - including drinking human blood, to a desolate island monastery in Transylvania where the remains of Vlad Dracul are said to rest. Nuzum even decides to take a giant step towards better understanding the motivations of the vampire by drinking a bit of his own blood, an experiment that goes gruesomely awry. While this may sound very serious at first, Nuzum's first-person journalistic writing style coats everything with a healthy layer of humor and more than a hint of sarcasm.

The author's trek through vampire lore leads readers on a fact-filled historical journey through Bram Stoker's classic tale and all of the post-publication drama that accompanied it, the evolution of the vampire in the 20th Century from mysterious Count to B-Movie icon, and even an analysis of the cult favorite "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" series. Nuzum certainly leaves no stone unturned in his quest to discover why the vampire has humanity so caught up in his spell.

I admit, I laughed out loud (often at inappropriate times) throughout the book. My only complaint about "The Dead Travel Fast" is one that the author could not help, one that was purely a result of fate - the book was published before the "Twilight" craze turned vampire genre into some sort of Hindenburg spectacle. I can only imagine what sort of hilarity could have emerged!

Overall, I give this book two thumbs up. I give it a thrifty point bonus, too, because you can now pick up a copy at deep discount (only $5.58 each) from Amazon. You can learn more about Eric and his upcoming projects at his personal website.

Lectures, Workshops, and Discussions, oh my!

2011-04-08T11:06:00.002-04:00

Poltergeists - Not Just Hollywood Hype

It's that time of year again. No, not tax time - Summer and Fall event planning time! While I am still sticking to my "less is more" philosophy that I discussed earlier in the year, I will be visiting a select few libraries, museums, schools, and conventions later in 2011. Because these appearances are decidedly few and far between, I've beefed up all of my talks to deliver quality over quantity. Each is a fun, informative, multi-media presentation that gets people talking, but more importantly - gets them thinking.

I have a handful of openings left in the late summer and a couple of dates still available in October. If you know of an organization or event looking for an awesome presentation, send them my way!

Talks for 2011 include:

PARANORMAL

Civil War Ghosts - Learn about battlefield haunts of the Southeast, including many lesser-known but intense paranormal hotspots. Find out how to investigate these locations safely and legally while capturing great results. (1 hour)

Poltergeists - This lecture provides a comprehensive look back at the history and study of poltergeist activity. A special focus on the Enfield Poltergeist and the tragic case of Tina Resch offer attendees examples of ongoing scientific research of kinetic haunts. (1 hour)

Capturing and Analyzing EVP - Discover the methods used to elicit messages from the spirit world and how to capture those messages with various audio recording devices. Identify false positives, learn the varying classifications of electronic voice phenomena, and hear real examples of EVP from paranormal field investigations. The workshop demonstrates use of the software program Audacity and its value to the researcher in analyzing recorded audio data. (1 hour)

Haunted Henrico - (see HISTORY below)

SPIRITUALITY

Rootwork in America - This lecture illustrates the history and practice of Hoodoo, a folk religion unique to the United States. Learn how Hoodoo differs from Voodoo and why the two are often confused. A spotlight on rootwork in pop culture offers attendees a glimpse of how this mysterious tradition has influenced and infiltrated American life. (45 minutes)

HISTORY

Elizabeth Van Lew : The Witch of Church Hill - A discussion of the life of Elizabeth Van Lew, the Richmond woman whose clever espionage helped to end the American Civil War. Learn how Van Lew was socially ahead of her time and why her prominent family was forever ostracized by Virginia society. (45 minutes)

Unruly Women of Virginia - Virginia women have been going against the grain and making history for four centuries. This lecture highlights the historic contributions of Lady Anne Skipwith, the Randolph women, the Carter women, Elizabeth Van Lew, Maggie L. Walker, and more. (1 hour)

Haunted Henrico - To celebrate Henrico's 400th Anniversary, this lecture presents the history and haunts of several of the county's most notable locations including battlefields, taverns, homes, and more. (1 hour)

Virginia ParaQuest - Voted "Best Drama-Free Paranormal Conference" by Attendees

2011-04-06T09:31:00.003-04:00

Image via WikipediaThis past weekend, I was honored with an opportunity to speak at the Virginia ParaQuest conference in Lynchburg. Let's be honest - I'm not exactly honored to participate in every event that comes along. In fact, the majority of paranormal conferences fall somewhere between the categories of awkward and embarrassing. For a refreshing change, this event was quite the opposite.

Two local paranormal teams, Bedford Paranormal and Seven Hills Paranormal, partnered to plan and execute the events of the weekend. It's not everyday that you see teams in the same geographic area cooperating on anything, and that's a true shame. Territorial squabbles saturate the field of paranormal investigation, but I saw no sign of that during the two days of lectures, forums, and fun!

These teams performed as true professionals and put together an amazing array of speakers that included representatives from MUFON, Rhine Research Center, The Monroe Institute, and Sasquatch Watch of Virginia, as well as independent authors, teachers, and technical experts. The lecture and workshop schedule contained a feast of information for both the new and experienced paranormal enthusiast. Best of all, everyone there was completely open to sharing information and ideas and to discussing those ideas in a mature manner. I did not hear a single voice complaining about ANYTHING - everyone was raving about how much they were learning and how much fun they were having. I challenge you to find that at any other paranormal convention this year!

I do hope that the planners of Virginia ParaQuest know of the positive impact that their first conference had on both its attendees and participants. I'm sure that they've learned many things about the behind-the-scenes steps of constructing and event such as this, and that can only make planning for a future conference easier.

If you're tired of lackluster paranormal events that charge big bucks for a weekend of dull presentations, you should show your support for the ParaQuest teams and urge them to put together an encore event for next year! Drop them a line at the email links found at www.vaparaquest.com

Everyday Haunts

2011-03-22T07:33:00.002-04:00

Living in a city that was pummeled by war means that many of the places you pass by every day have a past that's not so pretty. One such building has been on my radar since about 1993 when the true revitalization of the Tobacco District was in full swing, and that is the Pohlig Box Building.

This industrial spot held the record until very recently as being the longest continuously operational commercial building in the US. Built in 1853, the box company kept up operations even when more than half of the structure was commandeered by the Confederate Army to house wounded or extremely sick troops from Alabama. Instead of crates and packaging being produced under its roof, the Pohlig building saw surgeries, amputation, and death.

As with any place having a shadow on its past such as this one, stories of unearthly happenings emerged very soon after the end of the war. These stories, however, really exploded when the Pohlig Box Company moved to a larger and more modern facility and the historic building at the corner of 25th and Franklin Streets was converted into apartments.

I had some very interesting interviews last week about what goes on inside of these walls, particularly in one unit that is difficult to rent. I'm working more on that this week and hope to wrap up the chapter with some stories that are going to surprise everyone!

Want to Know What Goes Into a Book?

2011-03-02T10:37:00.002-05:00

Image via Wikipedia
I get questions all the time at events about what it's like to research and write books about the paranormal. If you've ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes, be sure to become a follower of my Twitter feed! I've decided to dedicate that venue to tweeting about travel, both historical and field research, interviews with witnesses, and more as the last (and most grueling) stage of More Haunted Battlefields comes together.

I hope you'll be there reading!

A Different Sort of Journey

2011-02-25T08:14:00.002-05:00

Traveling for book research has settled down temporarily while my studies pick up pace. I've been working on a new certificate since January, and have had to shift focus for a bit to make sure my academics don't suffer! Fear not, I am catching up on some of the writing that had been falling behind during that whirlwind travel period - and that has been the real journey.

How is this writing any different from that in my past? That's an interesting story. I had a very peculiar thing happen about a month ago that I only shared in a passing mention on my Facebook wall. I found a book in my house and have no idea where it came from. It was in a prominent spot (the place I keep library books so they won't become lost in the overflowing family collection) and seemed to just show up one day. The book is clearly used, dated a 1991 printing, and is not a former library book. It has no signs at all of where it may have come from. A true mystery.

The book is "Life's Companion: Journal Writing as a Spiritual Quest" by Christina Baldwin. It's not the typical sort of book I would buy for myself at all, and yet it appeared at a time when I was receptive to its message and could truly benefit from it. Since most of my writing is done in a journalistic first-person style, almost all of it is introspective and relates to the insight offered by Baldwin, and the impact of her book has been truly surprising. I might even call it serendipitous.

The largest change I've noticed is my growing acceptance of the paranormal. Before "the incident" in October, I would investigate, attempt to find natural explanations for the events witnessed, and still remain skeptical and maybe even a bit in disbelief about those findings even if they could not be logically explained. Now that I've started opening up more to the possibility of true paranormal encounters instead of trying to rationalize them to death, the encounters have grown in frequency, strength, and variety. I have witnessed much more in the past four months than I ever thought possible before, and this all became apparent to me when I wrote about it.

Thanks to this mystery book, I have learned how to dig deeper and look for the meaning behind the events, the purpose of the trek. I'm not one to usually recommend books of this genre, but I feel that because of its message, my spiritual road finally has a map.

Let the Traveling Begin!

2011-02-04T10:44:00.002-05:00

Yep, back on the road again! The second volume of Haunted Battlefields has been in the works now for nearly two years, but it is definitely drawing closer to completion. I have a feeling that I will be so busy come summer that I really need to get the finishing touches on this book before then. There's no time like the present, right?

Between now and April 1st, I will be visiting, photographing, and conducting paranormal experiments at more than a dozen Civil War sites in Virginia. Some of the highlights include:

Glendale
Seven Pines
Fair Oaks
Hanover Courthouse
Five Forks
Dinwiddie Courthouse
Deep Bottom
Saylor's Creek
Lynchburg
The Alabama Hospital (Richmond)

If you are in any of these areas and have a story to share or would like to participate in on-site experiments, please send me a message!

Got Spring Fever? Here Are Some Events to Warm Up With!

2011-01-30T15:42:00.002-05:00

Image via WikipediaWhile I've been in a spiritual cocoon for the past few months, the world has still been turning. I'll be back out and about in just a few weeks and hope to see some of you at one of these upcoming events:

March 12, 2011 - Women in History (lecture), Ashland Coffee and Tea (Ashland, Virginia) from 1 - 3 PM
April 1-2, 2011 - Virginia ParaQuest (Conference), Holiday Inn Downtown (Lynchburg, Virginia) All Day

Keep an eye out, more events are being finalized now and will be posted soon!

Truth or Old Wives' Tale? Your Opinions, Please!

2011-01-03T21:39:00.001-05:00

Image by Pixteca MX
There is an old hoodoo (or Voodoo, if you prefer) saying that claims after you see a spirit once, you will see them all the time. Part of me wonders if this philosophy grew from the voodoo queens and witch doctors "polishing up" the prize for their students in order to keep them from giving up on charms and rootwork that could take days or weeks to perform. Another part of me wonders if there is any truth to those words.

I think I'm pretty close to coming to my own conclusion about this belief, but I'm wondering what you readers feel about this? Please, comment and share!

A Minimalist State of Mind for 2011

2011-01-01T20:54:00.000-05:00

Image by Joe Lanman via Flickr
With so many new endeavors in my life lately, it's been very easy to get overwhelmed. This year, I've decided to pare down on all the things that have been eating up my time, my space, and my peace of mind. I came across this quote the other day and I think it sums up my state of mind for the coming months perfectly:

“The happiness of too many days is often destroyed by trying to accomplish too much in one day. We would do well to follow a common rule for our daily lives – do less, but do it better.” - Dale E. Turner

Physical and Mental Housekeeping

2010-12-29T15:56:00.003-05:00

My spiritual journey is still quite new. In fact, it really only got moving in the past few months. Since that kick-start, I have been compelled to do some pretty unusual things. What's been most interesting to me is to learn after the fact that the "odd" things I had been driven to do are exactly what I should have been doing to ready myself for this sort of spiritual development. So far, the results have been amazing! For those hoping to make room for your own psychic or spiritual growth, here is what I've been up to:

De-Cluttering

This has been both a physical and a mental sort of housekeeping. I wrangled the help of my husband and the two of us began mercilessly combing through our belongings and getting rid of things that were no longer (if they were ever) useful to us. In less than a week, we donated over 100 pounds of clothing, eight paper grocery bags of books, four boxes of household items, and at least two extra-large garbage bags of toys to a local charity. It truly felt as though a weight was lifted or like a dark cloud had moved from over our home.

Something strange happened after we moved out the excess - my mental clarity seemed to sharpen tremendously. I then had the overpowering need to tie up loose ends, to finish anything I had left dangling. I just sort of went with it and tidied up whatever came to mind. Those things varied from the mundane (an art project I started and then abandoned for months) to the extremely important (expressing my gratitude to people who had been tremendously influential to me.)

By the end of a month, I felt like a completely new person. New opportunities and fantastic little sychronistic things started coming into my life like I had simply opened a door and invited them. Perhaps in a way that is what I did.

Purging Physical Impurities

Having been a vegetarian for twenty-two years, I thought I had a pretty good handle on my diet. When I decided to curb my caffeine intake and cut out sugar and junk in early November, I was not prepared for what a drastic change I would feel - for the better!

I am making sure to drink more than enough water each day, keep my vitamins in check, get plenty of sleep, and eat the freshest fruits and vegetables possible. I would almost swear that my cognitive ability has improved as a result.

Grounding and Meditation

Oh, this is a big one. I've paid so much more attention to breathing, releasing tension, and focusing on the positive than I ever have before. Making conscious movements, staying mentally in the moment, and just really being present has made all of life's little stress factors seem insignificant. This has allowed me to notice things that I would normally have let slip by - things that I can only with certainty call "unusual" at this point, but which may have some paranormal significance.

I feel like I have reached some sort of plateau for now, but I am following my instincts and looking for the next turn in the road. Even without a map, I'm sure I will recognize it when I get there.

A Strange Journey of Spiritual Discovery

2010-12-26T21:18:00.004-05:00

I don't know about you, but this year has certainly been a memorable one for me! Aside from being incredibly busy with writing and painting (one new book and two complete series of paintings to show for it, too) I have had more than a handful of life-changing moments in 2010 that have left me winded.

What started as a year of routine research and exploration turned into the beginning of a spiritual journey that a I never expected to stumble upon. I had an up-close and personal paranormal encounter that shook my belief system to its core. For weeks, my nerves were raw and my psyche strained to its limits. When I finally processed what I'd been through, I realized that it was just the wake-up call I needed. I was reminded, in a not so subtle way, of what it was that I had been searching for regarding "the other side."

It wasn't the excitement of the paranormal investigations themselves that led me to the field more than twenty years ago. It wasn't the "evidence" or the "proof" I hoped to catch. It was needing to know what happened to all the people I knew and loved after they took their last breath. Ghost-hunting at various historic locations, private homes, and the like was fascinating, but this recent encounter showed me that those avenues of exploring the paranormal were not helping me achieve the closure I needed.

So, what did I do? I gave up all the field investigations to study a new form of spirit communication, the only one so far that has proven to me that there is something truly piercing the veil. Essentially, I have started over. I've wiped my mind clean of everything I thought I knew about the spirit world and I'm looking at it all again for the first time. My focus has sharpened and my priorities are realigned.

What does this mean for you as a friend or a fan? You may see and hear less of me for a while (for a start, I will no longer be appearing on internet radio) but this is only temporary. Precious time is being spent now concentrating on all of the new things I'm learning so that I can share them with you in the near future. Yes, there is a new book in the works, as well as a major new project chronicling this strange journey of spiritual discovery. Because of this, I am traveling more than I ever have before (five new states this past year!) and will continue that pattern during 2011.

I will be appearing at several conferences next year, but that number will be significantly lower than in years past because of new projects. Rest assured that I am still reachable! If you would like to contact me, you are always welcome to comment here at the Paranormal Paradigm.

I hope to have updates for you as they develop!

No Rest for the Wicked

2010-11-01T11:08:00.004-04:00

The past few weeks have been hectic to say the least! A marathon of events and appearances is finally slowing down for the season and I am really looking forward to a little R&R.

Halloween weekend went off with a bang thanks to the 200+ people who turned out to Shirley Plantation for their annual cemetery walk and book-signing. A costumed interpreter portrayed Virginia's most unusual ghost, Aunt Pratt, and led visitors through time at the 400-year old historic site. Pratt, whose portrait is said to cause quite a disturbance when moved, will definitely be back for another year of haunting!

Again, I am incredibly grateful for all of the open-minded and receptive people I've had a chance to meet and work with this year, especially those at Shirley Plantation. If you have a chance to pay them a visit soon, please tell them I sent you!

My gratitude overfloweth.

2010-10-29T07:51:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to take a moment and tell you all how LUCKY I feel to have the opportunity to work with a library system as fantastic as the Appomattox Regional Library! Last night marked the third talk they've hosted for me and I'm not sure I can express how hospitable the library staff is or how amazing energetic and interactive the audiences have been. WOW. Yep, that pretty much sums it up.

Thanks again to all of my friends in the Hopewell area! I hope to see you again soon - and maybe even have a new book to share *wink,wink*

A video in which I break the #1 Rule of Television...

2010-10-26T11:51:00.002-04:00

Wearing stripes on camera. Hey, call me a rebel, call me what you like. Here is the FIRST official interview about Wicked Richmond thanks to Cheryl Miller of CBS-6:

I confess...

2010-10-24T11:30:00.003-04:00

I am a terrible blogger! Sometimes I feel like I have a finite number of words in my head that can escape in a day, and more often than not, those words are focused on writing articles, books, or simply replying to email. Today, I have reserved some of them for use here.

First off, I want to say how grateful and SURPRISED I am that Haunted Plantations of Virginia won the 2010 People's Choice Award from the Library of Virginia. I am still amazed that the book (1) prompted a reader to nominate it, (2) was embraced by the judges and moved to the rank of finalist, and (3) was voted by the people of Virginia as their favorite non-fiction book of the year. The whole thing is incredibly humbling. Again, thank you.

Second, amazing things have been happening for me lately in regard to paranormal investigation. I had THE most remarkable paranormal encounter of my entire life just a few weeks ago while visiting Utah. In a nutshell, I had my whole belief system shocked to the core. All of my time spent searching for "proof" of the existence of human spirit beyond death ended in a moment - truly less than 60 seconds - when an exploration of real-time spirit communication allowed me to hear the voice of a dead relative, one that answered questions (my fail-safe) to which only myself and one other person (not present) knew the answers to. The strangest part of it all was that I recognized the voice.

My journey on this paranormal path is far from over, however. Now it has just taken a different turn.

Something Wicked This Way Comes...

2010-10-08T11:56:00.003-04:00

That's right, it's finally here! Wicked Richmond is hot-off-the-presses and makes its local debut this weekend, October 9th & 10th, at the Richmond Folk Festival. Come by Tredegar Ironworks (at the heart of the festival) between 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM on either Saturday or Sunday and say hello and pick up an autographed copy for yourself or a friend!

If you're not in the Richmond area but would still like to check out the salacious stories and scandals of the city's past, you can grab a copy now at Amazon or add it to your holiday Wish-List.

Bumps in the Night (and Morning and Afternoon...)

2010-09-06T20:14:00.004-04:00

The family and I have just passed our 8th anniversary here at our current home, and the date did not pass without a few strange happenings.

Before I explain the things that took place over the past week, I should first note that the last year was entirely mundane - no paranormal events were witnessed at all. The last few days have certainly made up for lost time.

On Wednesday, my husband and I were in opposite sides of the house (not terribly far apart) and heard a strange tinkling of bells come from the dining room in between. Immediately noticing an out-of-place sound, we both went in to the dining room to investigate. We found nothing that could have produced the bell-like noise and were unable to replicate the sound by shaking furniture, stomping around, jumping, etc. After discussing it for a while, we wrote off the event as "weird", but were not quick to label it the work of "Bob".

The following afternoon, I came in from running errands and found two items in the dining room (a decorative cake pan and a small painting on a stretched canvas) had fallen off the walls and were sitting on the floor. After examining the nails, which were still firmly set in the plaster, I stretched my mind as far as I could for an alternate explanation but came up empty.

On Thursday evening, and again on Friday and Saturday morning, the entire family detected the uncanny odor of fresh tobacco - NOT SMOKE, but tobacco - in one bedroom of the house. The scent seemed to travel from one area to the next, but no one item in the room had the same smell as what we noticed in the air. After getting a bit annoyed at trying to find the source of the odor for days, my husband (the skeptic, remember?) reminded me that the original owner of the house was a lifelong employee of a local tobacco company.

Coincidence? Possibly. We are not discounting the idea that there is a perfectly normal reason for all of these experiences, we've simply not found one yet.

The Mysterious Haunting of Ancient Greece

2010-08-02T11:07:00.007-04:00

Lately I have been studying historical hauntings, specifically poltergeist disturbances, which have better-than-average documentation. Because of differing views of the Church over the centuries, many of these cases were simply swept under the rug (which often happened when clergy were unable to help those afflicted) or hidden away in Church records as instances of "demonic visitation." One particular case, however, stood out above all the others because it was documented in 858 B.C., long before the influence of the Christian views on spirituality.

The haunting was recorded by Pliny the Younger, and focused on a house in Athens where no one had resided for over a decade because of the bizarre events occurring there. The philosopher Athenodorus decided to rent the house because of its large size and reasonable price, presumably unaware or merely unconcerned about any kind of paranormal activity.

Not long after moving in, Athenodorus was hard at work writing when the sounds of rattling chains disturbed his concentration. These sounds repeated nightly for a number of weeks, until eventually the philosopher noticed the noise was accompanied by an apparition of a man. The man made beckoning motions with his hand, but Athenodorus continued to ignore the disturbance for several nights.

Eventually, lack of concentration prompted the philosopher to try and help the spectral man find rest. When the apparition came to him the next night, he followed it out to the garden where it led him to a hedgerow near the back of the property. The spirit pointed to the shrubs and vanished.

Curious as to what mystery may reside with the spirit, Athenodorus hired men the following morning to dig out the hedges where the apparition had led him. There they made the grisly discovery of skeletal remains with its hands still in shackles. The body was exhumed and given a proper burial shortly after, and Athenodorus enjoyed his peace and quiet from that point onward.

This story is fascinating in that it begins as a classic poltergeist case (only noises) and evolves into an intelligent haunt in which the spirit and the living communicate or interact. It is also notable that the entity appeared to have some sort of unfinished business tying him to the earthly plane - business that the living were able to assist in completing, therefore releasing the spirit to move to its next destination.

Tick, Tock!

2010-07-29T08:26:00.004-04:00

Great news - Wicked Richmond is currently going through the editorial steps and is rapidly approaching publication! I feel like a kid at Christmas, too excited to sleep and waiting for the news of the book's official release date.

To keep you in as much suspense as I am, here are a few of the juicy bits of history included in the final cut:

William Byrd III and his Lottery
The fall of the Randolph Family
Pirates at the Penitentiary
The Espionage of Elizabeth Van Lew
Richmond's Boy Gangs
The Murder of Lillian Madison
Henry Beattie and Beulah Binford
The Tri-State Gang Takes Richmond
MORE!

You can be certain that I'll keep you posted on any and all release information as I receive it. The publisher is already hard at work putting together the marketing schedule for Wicked Richmond and tour dates for signings and author appearances. If you'd like me to present a talk about the city's scandalous history somewhere near you, please request a visit at BookTour.com so that I may try and accommodate it!

Keeping in Touch

2010-07-06T12:18:00.003-04:00

Long time, no see! I have been busy with lots of white-glove research for Wicked Richmond, which seems to be the project that never ends. Each time I delve into a juicy story or scandal from the city's past, another seems to crop up. Now I'm left with the difficult job of sorting which are the cream of the crop and are worthy of making it into the final cut of the manuscript. I'm certainly not complaining!

I never thought when I took on this book that so many things would slow me down, most certainly not the death of someone close to me. I feel that in wrapping up this eighteen months of work, maybe a bit more, that I'm closing a sad chapter of my life. My hope is that the eventual publication of the words I've amassed during that time will rise up and thrive, like some sort of literary Phoenix from the ashes.

Rest assured, I am NOT becoming a recluse or a hermit with only my research as company! I'm back in action and ready to tackle the next project. First on my list? Twenty-two more (that's right - in addition to the dozens already conducted) paranormal field investigations for the current ghost books in the works. This is going to be my BIGGEST and BEST book on Virginia haunts yet - stay tuned for developments!

Take care,
Beth

Exciting News About "Haunted Plantations of Virginia"!

2010-05-18T13:35:00.002-04:00

Thanks in part to your support over the past year, Haunted Plantations of Virginia has earned a place as a non-fiction finalist in the Annual Library of Virginia Literary Awards. This is especially exciting news for me, because not only is this my first time nominated, it is the first time ANY ghost book has ever made it to the final five!

I hope that you will continue to keep local ghosts and legends in the spotlight by casting your vote for Haunted Plantations of Virginia at the link below.

YOU MAY VOTE AT:
http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/litawards/vote.asp

Many thanks <3

The Gray Lady of Sherwood Forest Plantation

2010-05-04T12:59:00.002-04:00

I just found out that the investigation I did with Virginia Currents at President John Tyler's home is now available to view on the web. Enjoy!

“Virginia Currents” #1923 from Community Idea Stations on Vimeo.

Healing and Getting Rid of Ghosts

2010-04-14T18:05:00.002-04:00

My heart is still heavy. My father-in-law passed away on March 23rd after a brief, but overwhelmingly painful fight with cancer. He promised to "haunt the hell out of me." From anyone else, this might sound like a threat, but I know he meant it as a gift. Somehow, he even found the strength to laugh when he told me.

Someone shared this great video with me today that I know would have made his day had I shown it to him and promised him this is what he'd get if he tried. Humor is a strange thing - because I know he would have found this amusing, it makes me a little sad.

I hope you can watch this and have a good laugh:

How To Get Rid Of Ghosts

Howcast.com | MySpace Video

I havent' forgotten you

2010-03-09T17:51:00.002-05:00

Things have really been busy and out of my control for the past few weeks and I apologize for the lull. My father-in-law was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer and given only a very short window of time for survival. We're down to days now, and I'm away lending support where I can.

When I'm not trying desperately to catch up on sleep, I'm still reading and researching for both book projects. My editors have been very sympathetic and have allowed me to push back my deadlines a tad. I am grateful to them both and thankful for all of the well wishes and words of kindness from all of my friends during this difficult time.

Balancing Act

2010-02-18T09:33:00.002-05:00

I'm really starting to get into having two books to work on at the same time. If I hit a lull with one, I can still feel like I'm accomplishing something by working on the other. In fact, I'll be doing that very thing today.

The photos I'd hoped to bring home yesterday didn't happen, but there's a pretty funny story attached to why. I plotted my route, starting with the farthest location from my 4:30 appointment and working towards it. All of my photo gear was packed in the car, but I realized before I left that I needed a bundle of new batteries to get through all of the stops. No worries, I thought, there's a store about a half-mile from my first location - I'll just pop in and get some there.

I drove 40 minutes, stopped at the store and grabbed batteries and a drink. When I got to the register to pay, I realized I'd forgotten my wallet. By the time I drove all the way home and collected my necessities, I had about 20 minutes to go buy batteries to use TODAY and then get to my 4:30.

See what happens when I try and "schedule" this stuff? I'm much better at going with the flow than making rigid plans!

Pirates!

2010-02-17T08:25:00.004-05:00

Ahoy!

Yesterday was fantastically productive when it came to research. I'm going to keep that momentum going today by turning over more stones involving the case of three pirates that were tried and ultimately executed here in Richmond. That's right - pirates.

No, Richmond isn't really near the coast (2-hours drive in moderate traffic) but we are the seat of the Federal Court for this district. The band of pirates in question sailed from Havana to New York and left a slew of bodies and carnage in their wake. How they ended up here is a story just begging to be told - but not here! Come on now, I can't reveal everything before the book's release.

So, that's today. I might even make it out later to photograph a couple of sites that have refused paranormal investigations, but whose stories are far too good to omit, for the upcoming ghost book. If I do, I'll be sure to share!

Murder Most Foul

2010-02-16T10:10:00.002-05:00

19 blows to the head. Ouch.

I'm spending today reviewing the trial documentation of a particularly grisly murder case that dates back to 1852. The defendants were swiftly tried and executed for the hatchet killings of a couple and their 9-month old child, their motives still unknown.

This sort of work really wears me down emotionally (hmm, can't imagine why?) and makes the writing stage very difficult. Don't get me wrong, the research is like watching a historical episode of "Law and Order", but the gravity of it hits when you stop and digest the fact that none of the grisly details are fiction.

Maybe next time I'll propose a book on carnivals or amazing stories of survival instead!

Around the World in Ten Hours

2010-02-15T09:27:00.002-05:00

The deadline for "Wicked Richmond" is looming and I'm backed up on research thanks to the most intense winter we've had here in Virginia for nearly 15 years. No worries, I'm set to explore the bowels of the State archives two days this week (thanks to a babysitter!) and will have this project back on course. Have I mentioned how much I love the State Library's archives? Maybe I'm more of a history nerd than I like to believe.

In a change of pace, I'm giving the history side of things a bit of a rest tonight in exchange for some talk about ghosts and discussion of paranormal investigating with Rusty O'Nhiall on his hit Australian radio program, Mysterious and Unexplained. If you're a beginner interested in getting out in the field to investigate on your own, if you wonder how I got my "accidental" start in this area, or if you'd just like to hear about some of my own encounters with things unseen or the encounters relayed to me about spirits here in Virginia, be sure to tune in tonight at 7 PM EST to the Para-X Radio Network!

Time Keeps on Slippin'

2010-02-12T22:19:00.002-05:00

Today was magically siphoned away by errands, conference calls, and more errands. Oh, did I mention the weather folks are calling for MORE snow tomorrow? That means the likelihood of the State Library archives being open for research are slim. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

PS - This remarkably boring update is brought to you by the promise I made to keep better blog records. I swear I am not trying to lull you to sleep...

Out of the House!

2010-02-11T10:20:00.002-05:00

Tuckahoe Plantation - Wikipedia

Thursdays are always busy for me because that's the day I play chauffeur. I'll be shuttling my daughter to her theater class near Goochland County and hope to take along the camera for a little photographic exploration while she's busy. There will be a whole hour to kill and I will be just a stone's throw from Tuckahoe Plantation and Whichello on River Road. My goal is to bring home a few shots of them with snow and maybe even visit the Old Stone Jail. It's an awful lot to try and squeeze in, but I'm optimistic!

I Guess I Should Cherish This Time, Right?

2010-02-10T10:54:00.002-05:00

John Marshall - via Wikipedia

It looks as though I may be stuck at home again today because of snow. I have a few books on hand that I need to read for research and a couple of paintings in mind that I'd like to get to work on. Yes, I'm an avid artist and painter, too.

I've been digging up dirt from Richmond's past for the last six months or so (for the upcoming "Wicked Richmond" from History Press - sorry, no ghosts) and have discovered some really shocking things. One that I'm eager to get down to the State Library and comb through more involves the Randolph family and a soap-opera-like scandal from the 1700's that occurred at their plantation appropriately named Bizarre. These folks are the relatives of John Marshall, former US Chief Justice, and the crazy stuff that went on behind closed doors is truly stranger than fiction. The book about this scandal should definitely be a quick read.

It's tough for me to study the history of a site and NOT be able to jump up and go immediately after. I get really fueled up by all of the details and the itch to explore is insatiable. I'm going to limit my reading on local landmarks for a few days for this very reason! Weather permitting, I'll be at Fort Jackson on Sunday (braving the cold for certain) to try and capture EVP while the place is quiet.

Deep Freeze Blues

2010-02-09T09:37:00.003-05:00

White House of the Confederacy - Wikipedia

I have a ton of field work that keeps getting pushed back because of snow and ice and I'm getting really restless to get out there. My current list of "to-do" locations for paranormal investigations is 23, and those are spread across all of Virginia. Over the next few weeks, regardless of weather, I plan to hit those that are close to home like the White House of the Confederacy and Fort Jackson.

Lots of things have changed since I last blogged about "More Haunted Battlefields". First of all, the title has changed to who-knows-what (the publisher ultimately decides that) to allow the book to include all kinds of Civil War sites, not just battlefields. Honestly, this is the best thing they could have done for both me and the readers! Another big change is the pushing back of the deadline to Summer '10 to allow for research and writing time of all these new locations. (Did you hear that sigh of relief?)

Oh, did I mention that there's talk now that the book may be full-color?? WoOt!

Since I'm stuck indoors today, I'll be working on a new feature submission for GhostVillage.com about a very ugly and controversial topic in paranormal research. Sorry, no spoilers here! If Jeff decides to accept the article for his site, I will keep you posted.

Confessions of a Blog-Neglector

2010-02-08T10:50:00.005-05:00

I'm embarrassed to admit that it has been nearly four months since my last post. This is the way things roll when I'm working on a new book, or in this case, TWO. My thoughts and composition energy get so wrapped up in crafting a first or second draft that it feels like I've been tapped dry when I sit down to blog.

Don't worry - I have a plan. (Whenever someone says they have a plan, you SHOULD worry!)

For the past few years, I've been writing "Morning Pages" thanks to my friend Anne and author Julia Cameron. These are three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness style writing thought to help creative types achieve better focus. My plan is to scale back my morning pages to two per day instead of three, saving some of that writing juice to share a bit of this and that here at my blog.

I can't promise that I'll be providing something of value to all, but I do promise to keep you updated on current investigations, teasers of sites visited for inclusion in the current book project, and odds and ends that I hope will help amateur historians and paranormal explorers alike.

Also, the blog will get a new, improved look and organization. My goal is to make the "useful" posts easier to find and maybe even attract a few new readers!

Thanks for sticking around despite my neglect <3

A Great Day to be in Fredericksburg!

2009-10-04T11:48:00.006-04:00

I don't even know where to begin with all of the fun I had visiting the Griffin Bookshop in Old Town Fredericksburg, Virginia. I was a bit shocked to find out when I arrived that Oktoberfest had taken over Caroline Street - but the festival really added to the excitement of the day. The sidewalks were filled with jubilant travelers, some from as far as England and Holland, and everyone wore a smile!

The folks who turned out for my reading were fantastic and had lots of really great questions. I found out afterward that one participant, Emma, even had the nearby museum she works for (Weems-Botts) close early just so she could attend. Talk about a compliment!

The book store was one of the coziest I've ever visited and had the BEST coffee! They must have gotten word of my love for Halloween because they had me set up for the signing in front of this gorgeous display:

For the last hour of the event, we took the fun outdoors and wrapped up the signing on the sidewalk to enjoy the best kind of Fall weather Virginia has to offer. Festival goers were stopping and chatting and sharing fantastic ghost stories from the Fredericksburg area. How often do I get the chance to sign books for folks in lederhosen? Not often enough!

Many thanks to the Griffin Bookshop for their warm hospitality. This was the perfect way to kick off an October FULL of ghostly events in my home state.

New Stuff in the Works...

2009-09-18T16:07:00.003-04:00

I'm still plugging away at the second volume of Haunted Battlefields, but have just signed on for a new book with The History Press! This one takes a step away from the paranormal and looks at the seedy and salacious past of Virginia's capitol city - Richmond.

Keep an eye out for updates about this exciting project as research is already underway...

Ghostbusters 1954

2009-08-03T19:54:00.002-04:00

Ghostbusters Fan Ivan Guerrero has put together this hilarious spoof of what it would be like if Ghostbusters had been made in 1954 instead of 1984. The video splices together a ton of old clips from Ghost Breakers and Flubber (amongst others) to recreate scenes and themes from Ghostbusters.

Get a FREE Copy of "Haunted Plantations of Virginia"

2009-06-13T15:20:00.003-04:00

That's right - I'm going to give away my very own advance copy of Haunted Plantations of Virginia, personalized and autographed, to one lucky winner on July 1st, 2009. That's a FULL MONTH before you can buy them online and nearly SIX WEEKS before they hit bookstore shelves!

What do you need to do to be part of the contest? Simply write a short, sweet, and positive review of Haunted Battlefields: Virginia's Civil War Ghosts at Amazon.com. One reviewer will be selected at random (okay, their name will be pointed to by my three-year old...) and notified of their status through Amazon. Make sure your email on file there is current! The winner will have seven days to reply before defaulting and another winner is selected.

So far the list of reviewers is short - that means your chances are GREAT!

Review Haunted Battlefields now for a chance to win a FREE BOOK.

TONS of News!

2009-06-11T13:26:00.002-04:00

Sorry to be out of touch, but to say things have been busy around here lately would be an understatement! Don't worry, there's lots of exciting stuff to catch up on:

Aside from working on More Haunted Battlefields and starting the marketing ball rolling for the July release of Haunted Plantations of Virginia, I have joined the fantastic lineup of programming at CBS Psychic Radio with "The Paranormal View". The show will be moving to Saturdays from 8-10 PM EST starting June 20th. This transition to CBS has also provided me the opportunity to participate in the paranormal event at Ft. Mifflin (with the TAPS team and John Zaffis) on June 26th and 27th and to broadcast on-site. Be sure to tune in - it will be a fun show!

In other news, I am thrilled to have recently signed with Para Rock Productions, the amazing talent agency that represents paranormal entertainment favorites Shannon Sylvia, Keith Age, and Patrick Burns! This new relationship means that I'll be traveling to and presenting at events across the country instead of only the East Coast. Spread the word (especially if your friends are organizing paranormal conferences for 2010 - wink,wink) and keep your eyes and ears open for more updates to come.

I somehow lost a few weeks...

2009-05-14T17:02:00.002-04:00

Cavalry reenactments are the best!

Life has been a whirlwind lately! Renovations are still going on. Yes, you read that correctly. That's the downside to doing it yourself - pressing deadlines come up, spouses companies merge with other companies, kids get crazy in the Spring, you know the stuff. You can bet though that in two weeks I'll be working in a new studio!

The renovations have been the least of my concerns, really, what with the second battlefields book moving right along. A good friend called me up last week and invited me to come to a major reenactment and encampment at a haunted location I'll be including in the book to SPEND THE NIGHT. How could I say no to that? I'll be attending the event as a guest author on Saturday and Sunday, meeting J.E.B. Stuart IV, and conducting a paranormal investigation Saturday night. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.

If you're in central Virginia and you're looking for something fun to do this weekend, come out to Fort Pocahontas and see me. The Fort is open from 10 AM to 4 PM with the reenactment beginning at 1 PM each day. This is an extremely rare cavalry event that will prove entertaining for the whole family.

For event details and directions to the site, visit www.fortpocahontas.org.

House Guts, Ghosts, and Headless Baby Dolls

2009-04-15T13:25:00.010-04:00

The renovation to the second floor of our little Cape Cod has finally begun. I should say the demolition rather, since that's as far as we've come so far.

I'm overwhelmed and restless about the whole thing. We've been working like dogs for three days and have only now reached the halfway point. Bob (the house ghost and home's original owner) has at least been taking it easy on us and has avoided any tomfoolery that would slow us down. He's not been totally quiet, mind you. More on that later.

Here's a look at what gutting part of a 1940 house looks like:

I can't believe how invasive all that loose insulation can be. I truly think it has permeated EVERY inch of the house now that we've freed it from its little prison between the walls. My lungs will be glad when this is all finished.

The work has come with a few rewards, though. Take these cool finds as an example: a neat 1940s tin dollhouse (with furniture - in the box at the top left of the photo) and a CREEPY headless doll complete with a bassinet. I hope that these discoveries don't open any paranormal worm cans that we aren't prepared for...

Someone really should have thought this through...

2009-03-30T09:44:00.004-04:00

I saw a van today on my way downtown that was from GHOST Medical Transport. I don't know about you, but a name like that doesn't seem like it would be a good choice in healthcare transportation...

An Interesting Paranormal Video Experiment

2009-03-25T19:18:00.003-04:00

I've been studying the work of some "early" paranormal research pioneers of the past few months. One that struck me as particularly odd was Klaus Schreiber. Klaus began his studies focused on EVP and the research of Konstantin Raudive. He eventually changed direction in 1982 after he received messages during his recordings that gave specific instructions on how to capture moving paranormal images on his television.

Klaus did as the messages directed, but thought at first he had failed. Another EVP simply said "frame by frame". Klaus reviewed his video recordings again, this time in slow motion, and was startled to see an image of his own daughter and another of Konstantin Raudive.

Schreiber's research continued until his death in 1988. His simple method of paranormal video recording is still used around the world today and reportedly offers surprising results. Want to try it for yourself? View or print the materials list and instructions (PDF) at GhostLaboratory.com.

- Beth

Going, going, almost gone...

2009-03-20T07:53:00.002-04:00

If you are a paranormal investigator or know someone who is, go and pick up a copy of Conducting a Paranormal Investigation - a Training Guide for only $6.95. I originally wrote this book for members of the Virginia Society of Paranormal Education and Research (VASPER) but received such praise for it that I then released it internationally.

Well, the time has come for this title to be retired. Let your friends, teammates, and investigative buddies know that time is running out! Get one (or one for each of your team's new recruits) before March 31st and I'll send you a FREE bumper sticker of your choice. Pick from "WHY BE NORMAL WHEN YOU CAN BE PARANORMAL" or "I DO WHAT THE EVPs TELL ME TO DO". Just email the name of the place you made your purchase, your receipt number, and your address to beth (at) beth-brown.com with the subject line "STICKER".

- Beth

A Whirlwind Week

2009-03-16T09:30:00.005-04:00

Galley copies of Haunted Plantations have been exchanged! That means my adjustments and the editor's have been made - now we're just waiting for the book designers to lay it all out. This is my favorite step of the whole process. When I first see the print-ready layouts, it makes all the hard work worthwhile.

The editing process is very refreshing. I had not set eyes on the completed manuscript for nearly three months. I love that "cooling off" period. Why? When the time came to proofread the galleys, the material read like it was brand new to me. I'd almost forgotten just how strange some of the ghostly encounters included really were!

Last, but not least, I'm excited to announce that this Friday on The Paranormal View, we'll be discussing one of my favorite topics - SHADOW PEOPLE. If you're at all curious about this subject or have had your own run-in with one of these mysterious entities, you won't want to miss this episode. We'll be broadcasting live on Friday, March 20th from 10 PM to Midnight EST. You can listen and join the interactive chat at www.para-x.com/live.html

- Beth

Book Updates and a SALE!

2009-03-07T07:44:00.002-05:00

Well, Haunted Plantations is now at the editing table. What does that mean? It's one giant step closer to hitting bookstore shelves and I'm one giant step closer to going nuts! Editing time is more demanding than all of the months of researching and writing a book. If you don't hear from me in a while, I'll be working hard to get this book to the press.

Next, the News: It's official. I've started working on MORE Haunted Battlefields. This volume will cover sites in eastern Virginia (like the Hampton Roads and Yorktown areas), southern central Virginia (Drewery's Bluff, Chester Station, etc), and the Shenandoah. If you liked the first installment - you'll LOVE the second.

Speaking of the first installment, if you don't already own a copy, be sure to stop by Amazon and pick up one at an amazing 32% off. ($10.19 instead of the original $14.99) Prices fluctuate, so get it while you can!

The Season is About to Begin - Again

2009-02-24T13:20:00.003-05:00

What season is that? Battlefield Investigating season! The arrival of March begins eight months of interviewing witnesses, visiting historic sites, and (of course) trying to capture some sort of indicator of paranormal activity.

The first wave will take me to Southwestern Virginia:

Cloyd's Mountain
Cove Mountain
Marion
Saltville

The beautiful view from Cove Mountain, Virginia.

The next wave will take me to Northwestern Virginia:

Cool Spring
Berryville
Opequon
Rutherfords Farm
Kernstown
a return to Cedar Creek
Fishers Hill
Toms Brook
New Market
Trevilian Station
Winchester
Port Republic
Cedar Mountain
McDowell

The second leg of investigations will likely take weeks, but I'm looking forward to it more than when I was researching Haunted Battlefields: Virginia's Civil War Ghosts. All of the sites I included in that book are fairly well-traveled by tourists - these new sites are truly off the beaten path. To me, that means fertile ground for paranormal energy!

For this collection of investigations, only the BEST 13 will make the final cut. What that final cut will be for, I've not yet decided. I'm toying with the idea of creating a DVD or two that documents the history and my findings instead of another book on the topic.

I'd love to hear feedback from readers on this idea! Please leave a comment with your opinion - DVD or book?

Thanks,
Beth

The Distinctive "Richmond Accent"

2009-02-12T16:58:00.001-05:00

Those of you from Virginia know exactly what I'm talking about - people from Richmond have a very distinct, unique accent that's found nowhere else in the American South. Most of my generation and those younger have a diluted version of the original that pales in comparison (I blame the monotalk of TV for the change) but know at least a handful of old-timers with The Real Deal.

I found out from a friend from Pennsylvania that the Richmond Accent is fairly well-known. She announced to some pals that she would be visiting here and they responded with, "Ooooh! Maybe you'll meet someone who says 'rivah'!" That really blows my mind for some reason - probably because I hear "rivah" more times in a day than I care to count....

Back to the point. This hilarious little parody about Richmond's ever-changing mashup of architecture is narrated with the BEST (albeit fake) Richmond Accent I've ever heard. Think of this as your own little trip to a city stuck in time.

Watch, listen, enjoy.

My grandparents sounded like this, and all of my aunts and uncles still do!

Mark Your Calendars!

2009-02-04T10:03:00.003-05:00

I'm thrilled to announce the premiere of my new radio show, GHOST LAB, on the Para-X Network. Tune in to Para-X on Sunday, Feb. 15th at 5:00 PM to listen live, or visit www.GhostLaboratory.com after the premiere date to download an encore podcast.

Hard science that’s easy to understand! Join host Beth Brown and Nick, her robotic assistant, as they deliver a dose of radical thinking and explore the scientific theories believed to explain paranormal phenomena. Ghost Lab will help you conduct your own experiments, build and customize equipment, and push the limits of your paranormal research every week.

Each Episode Features:

Simple Science – easy to understand explanations of scientific theories, processes, and mechanics that relate to the study of paranormal phenomena.

Investigator’s Workshop – step by step instructions for building and customizing equipment that are easy enough for beginners. Includes web links to source lists and written/illustrated directions.

Field Test – scientifically designed experiments (combining the Investigator’s Workshop creation and Simple Science discussed that hour) for listeners to conduct while researching paranormal phenomena.

What About Bob? The Next Installment...

2009-01-21T17:21:00.002-05:00

Several years ago, I kept an online journal called "What About Bob?". It was my chronicle of the unexplained events that happened in my house between 2001 and 2005. I think it's time to start again...

My family is only the second to live in our house since 1940. The builder and original owner, Bob, lived here for over forty years and eventually died here in 1985. Bob's wife passed away seven years later. His daughter, who had lived here her ENTIRE life, sold us the house in 2001 when she moved to a retirement home.

We knew the week we moved in that something or someone was here. The smell of lilac would drift in and out of a room, doors would open or close when no one was there, and you could feel a definite presence. Things ramped up after about six months. We'd wake up to find all of the kitchen cupboards open or lights turned on that had been off at bedtime the night before. That's when I started making very careful notes of what was happening, trying desperately to determine some kind of pattern.

Eventually, dinner guests and friends starting mentioning things that they noticed. Bob would sometimes even put on quite a show when people were visiting. Once, my family and three friends were in the living room when we all heard what sounded like someone falling down the hardwood stairs. No one was there, of course, but we had even felt the floor shake and knew we weren't imagining things.

After about two years of observation, I could tell that Bob was really stirred up by improvements and repairs made to the house. His antics usually started the first or second day of a project and would sometimes last as much as a month beyond its completion. Things settled down around 2005, but we still braced for whatever Bob might have in store when we replaced the hot water heater, roof, and heating system this fall. All was calm.

Here it is January, 2009, and it seems Bob is ready for a little more attention. The family was experienced so many unexplainable things in the past few weeks that we're wondering if maybe he's trying to tell us something.

Christmas Week: My husband and I heard a huge crash in the studio upstairs. When I went to investigate, I found a board with some pottery I had been working on across the room from where I had left it, and all of the clay broken on the floor.

Dec. 29 - Jan. 10: The living room lamp began blinking at random times. Sometimes it would blink so much that it would annoy us a great deal and we would just turn it off. The bulb and lamp were both inspected and found in good working order. The blinking eventually stopped on its own.

Jan. 14: I came home with my son and was locking the door behind us when the coat closet on the opposite side of the living room flung open with so much force that it struck the wall beside it.

Jan. 16: While upstairs on a phone call, I thought I heard someone shuffling papers on my desk nearby. I was home alone at the time and saw nothing moving. The person on the other end of the call could hear the shuffling, too.

Jan. 16: I was broadcasting The Paranormal View from the office upstairs late that night. Lots of weird interference was coming through on my end of the connection, and when I mentioned it to my co-host when we went off the air, he said he thought he kept hearing a strange growling sound.

Jan. 19: My daughter was in the living room and I was about to walk upstairs to fetch something when we both witnessed the coat closet open. It was less violent this time, and only opened about 18-inches. I checked the handle and latch - it closes quite securely and the handle must be turned at least 1/3 to deactivate the latch.

I'm sure there's more to come, and you can bet I'm going to be logging it all!

You Know Him, You Love Him...

2009-01-16T17:08:00.002-05:00

MOTHMAN!

Beth and Henry welcome Jeff Wamsley, author and director of the Mothman Museum, TONIGHT on The Paranormal View. Tune in from 10 PM to Midnight EST for a spooky good time!

Para-X Radio is powered by CBS - All Paranormal All The Time

The Haunted White House

2009-01-11T08:51:00.002-05:00

I thought you all might enjoy the latest podcast episode of The Paranormal View.

Jeff Belanger, author and founder of Ghostvillage.com, joined us for a fun and informative discussion about the ghosts in the White House. Find out who will be sharing a home with the new First Family!

The Paranormal View

- Beth

A project approaches fruition.

2009-01-06T10:06:00.004-05:00

And no one is excited as me! The latest book was truly a labor of love and I'm a little sad that it's done. It is in the hands of the publisher (and has been since December 19) and awaiting its turn at bat. The word is that you good folks may even see it on store shelves as early as June, 2009, though it's title may be different.

From The Back Cover:

Take a look into Virginia’s paranormal past through the haunted homes of its most famous residents. Journey to some of the earliest settlements of the New World at the Adam Thoroughgood House and Bacon’s Castle and discover why the spirits of their founders refuse to leave. Explore the homes of founding fathers at Berkeley and Red Hill to learn about one mysterious trait they both share - the ghosts of children. Find out why the tales of murder, suicide, hidden fortune, and heartbreak at sixteen other historic houses in the Old Dominion are cause for spirits to linger.

* Features famous (and not so famous) Virginia landmarks in Brookneal, Charles City, Chesterfield, Fredericksburg, Gloucester, Hanover, Hopewell, Mecklenburg, Middletown, Newport News, Richmond, Surry, and Virginia Beach.

* Includes more than 20 previously unpublished ghostly encounters and over 80 photographs!

* Spotlights destinations such as Red Hill (home of Patrick Henry) and Endview Plantation, which have never before been included in a collection of paranormal tales.

Attention Writers: Spooky Stories Wanted for RADIO PLAY!

2008-12-23T20:48:00.004-05:00

Scarytale Theatre is a one-hour radio show created by paranormal author Beth Brown that will spotlight both established and emerging writers and their stories of the supernatural. Currently in production, these dramatic readings of short stories and novellas will air weekly on Para-X Paranormal Radio (Powered by CBS). Scarytale Theatre will offer writers the opportunity to display samples of their work to an audience who has already expressed a special interest in ghostly phenomena.

If you would like to submit your work for consideration, please email it as a Word Doc or RTF attachment along with your contact information to:

ScarytaleTheatre@gmail.com

Submissions must meet the following criteria:

Story fits the “classic” image of a supernatural or ghostly tale
Story can be read aloud in less than one hour
Story is free of explicit language
Story is free of erotic or overly suggestive themes (the show is for ages 12 and up)

Authors retain all rights to stories featured on Scarytale Theatre and also have the option to have their website and/or titles of other works mentioned on air. While there is no monetary compensation paid, stories selected for broadcast will be promoted via radio commercials, banners, and other internet channels – this means lots of FREE marketing for you!

Last Week's Show - An Encore Performance

2008-12-22T21:32:00.001-05:00

Add this book to your Christmas list RIGHT NOW!

2008-12-15T13:45:00.004-05:00

First, in all honesty, I did not buy my copy of Michael Teitelbaum's The Scary States of America - I won it in a radio contest. I'm sure I've more than made up for it because, after reading it, I ordered a dozen copies to give to friends this holiday season.

Teitelbaum is such a fantastic storyteller that it's easy to forget that you're reading "weird and terrifying stories based on true events." Each encounter is ripe with action, suspense, and that certain "something" that gives a spooky tale its lasting ring. He's also kept the topics lively by mixing tried and true ghost stories with UFO sightings, tales of voodoo, a run-in with Bigfoot, and even a zombie for good measure.

My daughter, only 8-years old, couldn't put it down and read it from cover to cover in three days! All of her friends have been begging to borrow the book or, at least, get her to retell one of Teitelbaum's chillers with the author's same flair. Looking for a great gift for a finicky tween or teen? This is it.

The Scary States of America not only leaves you checking your closet for ghosts before bedtime, it also leaves some cash in your wallet. Teitelbaum has packed his thrifty collection with 50 stories, one from each state, so it's a bargain at only $7.99!

-Beth

Please Pass This on to Your Skeptic Pals...

2008-12-09T18:05:00.000-05:00

Do you have to see it to believe it? Maybe you're thinking the awesome evidence the ghost chasers on TV caught last week was just a little too good to be true? The Paranormal View is looking for skeptics of all sorts - die hard, lukewarm, somewhere in between - to take on listener questions THIS FRIDAY at 10:00 PM EST. ALL points of view on the paranormal are welcome. As always, everyone is encouraged to listen and participate in the chat room at www.Para-X.com/live.html .

If you're a skeptic and would like to participate on the panel for this episode, email the hosts at:
theparanormalview@gmail.com

Please pass the word and repost!

Big News!

2008-11-15T10:58:00.002-05:00

I have so many updates for you that I feel like I've been away for months. First is the BIG news - I've accepted an invitation from Para-X Radio to co-host "The Paranormal View" with Henry Foister. TPV will air every Friday night from 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM EST, immediately following former Ghost Hunter Brian Harnois' new show, at www.para-x.com. I'm so excited to be joining the Para-X family while it is making such a big transition.

The Paranormal View will bring listeners something fun and different every week, including discussions with REAL paranormal investigators (you know, folks like you and me who are out there trying to make advances in research without big TV network funding...) from around the globe about their techniques, findings, and advice for others in the field. We'll keep you informed of the latest paranormal news, bring you reviews of new and can't-live-without equipment, discuss the best and worst books for beginning and experienced investigators alike, and share with you some of the spookiest real-life paranormal encounters submitted by listeners. Tune in - you won't be disappointed!

In other news, I may have set an investigation record - last week, I scoured EIGHT sites for evidence of paranormal activity in only SEVEN days. Yes, I think I may be nuts, but it is worth the tight schedule and grueling hours of data review to bring you all Haunted Plantations of Virginia by Spring!

Make Your Vote Count!

2008-11-04T15:03:00.002-05:00

I stood in the cold and rain this morning for two and a half hours to cast my ballot, and you know what? I had a lot of time to think about the folks who fought and struggled so that I may have that privilege. Standing in the rain seemed like the least I could do to show my appreciation.

Virginia, you have four more hours - get out there and VOTE!

So much to see, so much to do!

2008-10-18T07:22:00.003-04:00

Wow, where has the first half of October gone? I'm excited that Halloween is just around the corner, but panicking because I'm nowhere near ready for it. I still have a little time, though, and am sure that if the whole family works together that we can pull off this haunt that seems to grow exponentially every year.

Travel is taking up the majority of my schedule now, and maybe you'll even see me in your neighborhood before the end of November. My destinations (as of today - more are being squeezed in all the time now!) are:

Oct. 18, 1 - 3:00 PM - Givens Books, Lynchburg VA
Come out and catch my brand new presentation just for the Valley!

Oct. 22, 6 - 9:00 PM - Sons of Confederate Veterans (James City Cavalry), Williamsburg, VA
This group was kind enough to think of me when it came time to find a
speaker for October. Thanks, JCC!

Oct. 25, 5 - 7:00 PM - Magnolia Grange, Chesterfield, VA
I'll be presenting "When Folklore Meets Science" with some members of
the VASPER Team for Magnolia Grange's first ever spirit tour.

Check back for November's latest additions - when I have time add them here!!

Beth

Cold Harbor Video Now On YouTube

2008-09-24T09:58:00.004-04:00

In case you missed my little Cold Harbor documentary that aired last month on Ghost Show, I've recently made it available for the masses!

Check it out at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiD_IfrSFXU

Anyone listening?

2008-09-24T09:37:00.002-04:00

I'll be joining the folks at Shadow Talk Paranormal Radio tonight at 7:00 PM EST for an interview and a discussion of Haunted Battlefields. In case you don't know Shadow Talk, they're the most entertaining paranormal talk radio show out there. Hosts Brian Leffler, Scottie Stamper, and Joel Sturgis are experienced investigators that really know their stuff!

Tune in at www.ShadowTalkParanormalRadio.com
or click here for listening options.

Nearing the home stretch.

2008-09-16T13:24:00.004-04:00

It's not often that one can complain of too much help - but WOW. Word has gotten around about my current project and things seem to have snowballed. Folks are coming to me with tales of fantastic encounters, sites normally closed to the public have invited me in to share their ghostly activity with the masses, and requests for investigations are coming in from all over Virginia.

I'm on the final stretch of the Plantations project and hope to have all of my data collected and analyzed before Halloween. Not much writing goes on around here during Halloween week - I'm a dedicated yard haunter with half of the kids in Richmond eagerly watching and waiting for the "big reveal" on Halloween night. After terrifying the neighborhood come 2nd draft revisions... and the polishing... and the editorial sweep. I have enough coffee to hold out until the very last "T" is crossed and promise to deliver a fun and exciting volume of my latest adventures that will hopefully hit shelves by late Summer of 2009 (fingers crossed!)

I'll be finishing up my sections on Charles City and Hopewell this week and will be traveling to Surry County and Newport News next week. Any personal encounters to share from Southeast Virginia? I'm listening!

Let's Break a Record!

2008-08-26T07:38:00.001-04:00

Help me break the attendance record at Hauntings Radio this Wednesday, August 27th at 10:00 PM EST! I'll be joining Radio Rod LIVE to discuss all things paranormal and will broadcast from my haunted attic.

Rod will share some of my EVPs and photos from "Haunted Battlefields" and will give you the FIRST LOOK at the new video of my nighttime investigation at Cold Harbor Battlefield. You can watch the interview, join the chat, ask questions, look for ghosts in my house on the infrared cam, whatever you like.

It's going to be lots of fun - don't miss it!
10:00 PM EST
www.GhostShow.us

Picking up the Pace.

2008-08-18T10:52:00.003-04:00

The first time I typed the title for this post, I accidentally entered "Picking up the Page." It's quite fitting, really, as I'll be doing a lot of that in the coming weeks. My children are about to go off to school - for the first time.

My daughter is turning eight at the end of the month and has decided that homeschooling and club activities alone are not filling her needs for socializing. She wants to give public school a try. As a public school outcast, I was completely miserable for my 12 years in attendance. I poured myself into art classes, foreign languages, and daydreaming I was somewhere else. She and I are very different, though, and I'm hoping this change will be a positive one for her.

My son is three and is showing a fair amount of jealously towards his sister's coming adventure. This prompted my husband and I to look into preschools for him. Luckily, Richmond has lots of GREAT choices, and we decided on one in the heart of downtown. He's enrolled now and will start the same day as my daughter.

Where does that leave me? With five hours of the day free to work! I'm sad that the kids are spreading their wings and venturing out without me, but this newly created productivity bubble will allow me to complete the Plantations project MUCH sooner than I anticipated. That's a relief. I have a couple of other projects lined up that I'm really excited about, too. I'll fill you in on details as soon as I can, but for now I'll just give you a hint: one is for kids!

I'm on the go!

2008-08-06T15:11:00.004-04:00

August 16, 2008 - Come see me at HorrorFind 10 (The Spookiest Show on Earth!) in Adelphi, Maryland. I'll be there SATURDAY ONLY, from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

September 28, 2008 - I'll be shaking up Books In the Park at Town Point Park in Norfolk, VA. Come by and get a photo with me and pick up some cool stuff!

October 4, 2008 - I'm haunting MonsterFest in Chesapeake, VA. I can't even describe how excited I am about this event. How about you find me there and give me a high-five?

October 9, 2008 - Para-X Radio's sweetheart, Marla Brooks, will be hosting little old me LIVE on Stirring the Cauldron. There will surely be some deep thoughts, wild theories, and uncontrolled silliness - don't miss it!

October 11-12, 2008 - I'm giddy about this event! The American Civil War Center will be the hub of this year's Richmond Folk Festival and they're having me BOTH DAYS from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. If you want to meet me, pick up a signed copy of "Haunted Battlefields", and see dozens of fabulous music performances on 7 stages, then this is the place.

October 18, 2008 - Come out and show your support for one of the largest independent booksellers on the East Coast: Givens Books in Lynchburg, VA. They'll be hosting my talk on haunted historical sites followed by a book signing. The talk starts at 1:00 PM - bring your questions!

The things that go bump in the night... or the morning.

2008-07-27T21:07:00.005-04:00

I've noticed that over the past few weeks, peculiar things happen when I sit down to write. No, not writers' block or anything like that, but unusual things in a supernatural sense. My house is no stranger to paranormal activity, but it has never before shown any "predictable" pattern or connection.

I've been compiling data for the Plantations Project for months now and the topic has been on my mind nearly every waking moment. When I made the transition from data collecting and organizing to writing, things took a turn for the strange. I heard tinkling sounds from the glasses in my dining room china cabinet late Tuesday evening while I was writing in the kitchen. The cats, who normally love to hang out in the dining room, were visibly upset and hurried out. I went to inspect the situation and found nothing out of sorts.

I was plugging along early yesterday morning (again in the kitchen) when one of the cabinets behind me made a sound. I turned just in time to see the door pop open about an inch. This wasn't the first time the cabinets had been opened by unseen hands, just the first time I'd been in the room when it happened.

Just moments ago, while I was writing away, an eerie chill crept up my neck seconds before the power blinked out. I know - they're probably just things I've noticed while my mind is focused on something else - but it's still unsettling!

Virginia Residents, This One's For You!

2008-07-25T09:28:00.003-04:00

Don't miss the 3rd Annual Hanover Book Festival on Saturday, August 2nd! The festival spotlights Virginia authors and does a fantastic job celebrating books of all genres.

This year, the event is being held at the Mechanicsville VFW Post (7168 Flag Lane, Mechanicsville, VA 23111) from 10:00 AM until 2:30 PM. Why is that good news for you? It's only a 5-minute drive from haunted Cold Harbor and Gaines' Mill Battlefields and less than a mile from haunted Beaver Dam Creek.

Make a day of it - bring your camera, meet some Virginia authors, pick up a few books, and enjoy the afternoon at some of the spookiest sites in the Richmond area! For more information about the festival, visit their website at www.hanoverbookfestival.com

This year's attending authors include:

Robert Bailey
Thomas Banks
Barbara Baranowski
Tammy Belcher
Teresa Bettino
Beth Brown (I bet you'd already guessed that, right?)
Ellen S. Cartwright
John Conlee
Richard Corwin
Sandra Dean
Sherry Ferrell
Pete Freas
Joseph Guion
Lisa Hagan
Alicia Jones
Ellen Judy
Jean Keating
June Keene
Pamela Kinney
Ken Krakaur
Naana Kyereboah
Tom Lacy
Joanne Liggan
Kathryn Lively
Sharon Miner
Greg Mitchell
Kathleen Mix
Sarah Norkus
Cindy Parker
Elizabeth Nicholas (Pezold)
Robert Pruett
Dave Smitherman
J.M. Snyder
Karen Syed
Sheila Talley
Harvey Tate
Miriam Walker
Greta Ward
Emerson Williams
Saxon Wrenn

On Writing...

2008-07-24T16:19:00.002-04:00

"Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go."
- E.L. Doctorow

So many haunts, so little time.

2008-07-21T08:54:00.002-04:00

My latest adventures have had me back in Gloucester, Virginia, for more investigative work and interviews. Surprisingly, there are so many haunted historic places in the rural waterfront county that I could spend a week there and not cover them all. The area easily rivals Williamsburg and Charles City in its number of paranormal reports and their intensity.

Some of my recent discoveries hit really close to home - quite literally. My grandparents built a gorgeous summer cottage in Gloucester on the bank of the York River in the 1950's. I spent many summers there and have great memories of the close community ties in the area. Imagine my surprise when three of the haunts I traveled to investigate were within two miles of the old family house!

Recently reported ghostly encounters now have my focus on Virginia's Eastern Shore. It looks like I'll be heading to the beach this week!

Want your paranormal encounter published??

2008-07-09T15:40:00.004-04:00

Haunted Battlefields includes 20 previously unpublished encounters with the paranormal and I'm hoping that the upcoming Haunted Plantations can TRIPLE that. How can that happen? With YOUR help!

If you've experienced something you can't explain while visiting or driving near a Virginia plantation, I'd love to talk with you about your encounter. You can help me give readers what they want - NEW ghost stories instead of the same legends we've all heard again and again! You can be credited by full name, first name only, or a mysterious descriptor like "a frequent visitor to ___ Plantation" or "a nearby resident" - the choice is yours. Be sure to include WHERE you were, WHEN your experience took place, and a brief description of WHAT happened. If your story is selected, I'll contact you to chat about more details.

Submit your encounters before it's too late!

If you know someone who may have a story to tell, I'd be grateful if you'd pass along this message!

What? Another Article Already!

2008-07-07T22:03:00.001-04:00

That's right, another one fresh out of the box! This time, check out my recommendations for the best digital cameras for paranormal investigators.

On the Road Again

2008-07-07T09:09:00.006-04:00

I'll be out and about this week conducting preliminary investigations at four sites for the upcoming Haunted Plantations of Virginia project. This trip will take me to Gloucester County, Yorktown, and Newport News. Don't worry, you won't have to wait a year to hear about it - I promise a few side articles will be born from this excursion!

Can You Really Smell a Ghost?

2008-07-06T08:48:00.003-04:00

I think so. Find out more about olfactory phenomena in this article I put together after a particularly stinky investigation!

Check it out - new featured article!

2008-07-03T14:23:00.006-04:00

I adore Jeff Belanger! Every one of his books is entertaining and informative. That's right, I'm a crazy fan.

My article about Richmond's Byrd Park Pump House was just added to his Ghostvillage.com as this week's feature!

Breaking in at Blogger

2008-07-03T12:08:00.003-04:00

Today I officially said goodbye to my old blog at LiveJournal. I feel a bit sad about it, only because I've been there for years, but am optimistic about a new dumping ground for my thoughts.

Life is moving at runaway-train-speed for me now and I hope to capture some of the best parts here. Expect to see silliness, frustration, inspiration, mood swings, and lots of absurd ideas that I find entertaining!

xoxo,
Beth