Hauntingly Beautiful

Regan Worth

Hauntingly beautiful....yes that term's been used to describe me more than once. Spooky is used even more often. But today, while photographing the lovely fall colors, one of our writers managed to capture a little more than just the leaves turning.

Can you see them? Spirits! Of course, I see spirits all the time. I have since my Mom was shot when I was a little girl. But it's not often a camera finds one. Most don't want to be caught on film.

Look at the picture closely. Do you see them? I see two. What do you see?  Tomorrow I'll post a next picture with them circled, in case you can't find them. I wish I knew their story though...unfortunately, I wasn't along on the walk to talk to them. Maybe I'll wander out later and see if I can find them. After all, October is my month...and I'd like to share a couple ghost stories.

Oh...and, so you know, this is a picture of the hill that inspired The Big Hill a story by Rachelle Reese that is entered in the America's Next Author contest.

Another good place to read about ghosts is Haunted Bedtime Stories by K.F. Kirwin. There's nothing better in October than being haunted...even if you don't believe in ghosts the rest of the year. But you know...if you don't believe in ghosts, whatever. You're just missing out.

Meet Dolce - Regan's best friend

Regan Worth

I am excited beyond belief! Yesterday one of the writers attended a pawty (that's anipals speak for PARTY)  -- I know, I should have been invited, I am the party girl, after all -- but I wasn't. The pawty was a benefit to help a friend of theirs, @MissBusyBiz 's family and it was attended by so many anipals that it was trending. @MissBusyBiz 's family can still use help.

If you want to learn more about their story, and maybe even donate to help them stay together as a family, here are some links:

 

When Life Gives You Lemons

@MissBusyBiz 's Urgent Family Situation

A Veteren Needs Our Help

Ghost of the Wind

A Rallying Cry for a Friend in Need

Anyway, after a few pinktinis, they had a contest to cast one of the anipals at the pawty in Dime Store Novel. And they cast MY DOG!


Dolce

One look at this little girl and I said -- she belongs to MOI. That's French for MINE. You know, I spent some time in Paris after high school and sometimes those French phrases just come naturally.

Anyway, this little girl is named Dolce and she looks just like MY Dolce. Can you believe, I had a Dolce once? I met her back in 1926. You'll get to meet her for real when High Rollers is released this month. For now, I'll just give you a sneak peek. Isn't she adorable? And, you know, the best thing is, she is only 4 lbs. That means I can sneak her with me EVERYWHERE.

So I missed the pawty, but I got a new best friend!

Ghosts in the Moon

Regan Worth

I absolutely love a full moon -- it's a time to get crazy, to open up a bottle of your favorite wine, and howl. Not that I'm a werewolf or anything -- I'm not. Besides, werewolves are so last year.

This year, we're dedicating October to my favorite subject -- ghosts. We're going to (at last) release a book about me. It's called High Rollers and tells the story of how I got involved with Hanover Fist. We're also going to release a FREE short story on Amazon, if the writers get busy. It's also about me and ghosts. It doesn't have a title yet, but I'll let you know when it does.
Anyway...back to the full moon.

Ghost in the Harvest Moon

Have you ever sat out and looked at the full moon when you can't really see it because there's a tree in the way? That's my favorite way to look at it because you can see the ghosts. If you're lucky, like I am, they will even speak to you. Take the woman in the picture to the right. I saw her last night...she whispered to me about a man she'd been missing. He's coming to meet her soon...she can feel it. She's been waiting for over 30 years. Can you imagine? I can't even DATE a man for 30 days, let alone wait on one for 30 years. Well, unless you consider Hanover, and he doesn't count.



Harvest moon - 2012

 And then there's the moon itself...unatainable for most of us. That makes it exciting. Even I can't travel there and I have been to a lot of places most people can't go -- the chaos realm for instance.

Which brings up another point. Caprice has absolutely no say over the moon. There is no chaos to how it spins around the earth. And sure, I like chaos most of the time. Hell, I thrive on chaos if you want to know the truth. But even I like to take a deep breath now and then, take off my chothes, and dance with moonbeams shining in my eyes. The ghosts dance too.

Hanover, will you join me?  Anyone else?

Black Cat Appreciation Day

Toledo Cats

Some people are superstitious about black cats. I, for one, have never been a bit worried about one crossing my path. If I had been, I'd be in a world of trouble. Voodoo's favorite thing to do is wind around my legs. I can't tell you how many times I've stepped on her.

I think all cats are a little magical -- black cats are a bit more so. If you've ever seen one looking at something you can't see, that's because they have better eyes than you do. They can see the dark shadows of this world. If a black cat hisses, you'd better look twice. The cat is warning you that something's up. If a black cat purrs, you can be sure the world around you is at peace.

My cat Voodoo is black and is even more special than most. You see, Voodoo has been with me since 1905 or so. The first day I met Voodoo was also the first day I crossed over into the fairy realm. Voodoo was the runt of the litter -- last one born, tiny, and bedaggled. I was five years old and I watched her struggle to breath. I saw a flutter of bright blue wings. I thought it was a butterfly at first. It hovered over the stuggling kitten and I saw a whisp of something kitten-shaped follow it into Mama's lavender plants. I followed after it. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by colors -- more colors than I'd ever seen. People fluttered around me with bright-patterned wings. They were like giant butterflies, except with heads like people. I know now they were fairies -- or possibly goblins. Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference.

John E. Miller - one of the authors with their
black kitten Smidgeon

The kitten jumped into my arms.  I held it to me.

"Give it back," the fairy with bright blue wings tossed her purple hair. "Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm Toledo Cats and I won't give it back. This kitten is mine. Mama told me I could keep any of them I wanted and I choose to keep this one."

"How'd you get here?"

"I followed you through the lavender. But you were small then." I remember scowling at the fairy, trying to puzzle out the size change. Then I shrugged it off. Just because I'd never seen a person shrink and grow doesn't mean they can't when you're five. I decided to warn the person. "You'd better stay small when you're in the lavender. Mama will be mad if you trample it. What's your name, anyway?"

"Hyacinth." She glanced nervously over her shoulder. "Listen, you'd better get back. I hear goblins coming this way. If Grumwald knows your here, no telling what he'll do."

I looked around and didn't see anything familiar. "How do I get back?"

"Follow me."

I held tight to the black kitten and followed Hyacinth through a valley of rainbows to a familiar patch of lavender, holding tight to the struggling black kitten. I made my way through the lavender carefully, breathing in its fragrance. The kitten grew calm in my arms and started to purr. As I stepped onto the walkway, I noticed the still black shape of the kitten lying apart from the mother cat and the other three kittens. I held nothing in my arms. I started to cry and ran to it. I picked it up and held it to my chest. Suddenly, I felt a soft purring. The little kitten was breathing again. I named her Voodoo because that's what some people called the magic Mama did and I was sure that only magic could have brought this kitten to life.

At last - a story about Regan Worth

Regan Worth

Well it's about time! I told a story about one of my adventures to the authors 3 years ago and yet no one has ever read it. Why? The authors had some bizarre idea about telling the earlier stories first.

I mean seriously! Age before beauty and all that melarky. Just because I'm the youngest (and prettiest) of the Dime Store Novel characters doesn't mean I should have to wait to be famous. My stories are FUN. They're filled with parties, good music, wild times and spirits. And not just the tasty drinking kind of spirits either.

Anyway, they finally came to their senses and agreed to publish High Rollers. It's a story about my first adventure with Hanover Fist. I didn't like him very much then, as you'll see in the book. But what's a girl to do when her Daddy insists she take an escort to the social event of the year? Well, if the girl is me, I turn the night into an experience Hanover will never forget. *wink*

You'll find out more about High Rollers soon. The writers plan to contact the artist this week. I hope he does me justice.

Gotta go. Time to crack open a bottle of the bubbly and celebrate my upcoming fame.

No More Dog Days of Chemo

Mickey Miller

Hi I'm Mickey Miller and today was my last day of chemo!  I know...I'm not a Dime Store Novel character...I'm a real dog. I belong to the authors. But I am just so happy, I had to shout it to the world, so I stole Mom's computer and here's what I have to say.

NO MORE CHEMO!

I will say, I had a pretty good day today.  I got a grilled turkey, bacon, and cheese sandwich from Jack in the Box and the girl at the window thought I was cute. Yipppee!!! I don't get a chance to pick up girls too often. But then on the highway, two other ladies were giving me the eye and smiling at me.  I guess I'm just a lady's man after all. Mom thinks so, anyway.

Well, then we got to the vet. Kenny carried me -- I clung to Mom, but she pried me away and gave me to Kenny. I like Kenny, but for some reason he always wants to stick me with a needle. Today was no exception. And then my oncologist, Dr. Taylor, came over and felt my lymph nodes and stuck me again. She's nice -- for a vet -- plus, she saved my life. So, since today was my last chemo day I wanted to thank her. Mom helped me write this poem for her. I think she liked it because her eyes got kind of watery.

My Bark

by Mickey Miller (typed by Rachelle Reese)
Dedicated to my vet, Dr. Taylor

I was a barking kind of dog
before I got sick
and then I wouldn't bark
and wouldn't eat.

Mom and Dad brought me here

to find out what was wrong
and you did find out...
but I was so sick, you told them only maybes.
Mom prayed to hear my bark.

After that first chemo
I felt better.
I caught a mouse my first day home!
Did they tell you that?
I chomped it down
first meal in forever they didn't have to
coax
and plead

Still, you said guarded.
I can respect that.
I felt guarded too.

You were the one who discovered
why I was anemic
and prescribed a little pill
Mom and Dad hid it carefully
in bread so I'd eat it.

And now I eat everything.
Tonight I stole the bread off the dinner table.
Yay me!
And I bark too...
in the daylight and in the middle of the night.

And the best thing is,

when Mom starts to yell at me, I remind her...
in those days when I was so sick
before your medicine and their love cured me
the only thing she wished for
was my bark

Friday the 13th - Lucky or Not?

Hanover Fist

Some people call Friday the 13th unlucky. Others call it lucky. I think it's just the roll of the dice like any other day. And for me dice are lucky -- except when they come up snake-eyes, which they never do. Well...almost never...but that's a story for another day.

Today I want to talk about skill. When you're in a bind, it's skill that'll get you out of it, not luck. For example, consider the time Toledo and I investigated a haunted mansion. We found a guy sitting at the table with his face cut off. He was holding cards -- a dead man's hand. Now some might say the guy had no luck. I say it was lack of skill that cost him his life.

It was a voodoo master that killed the guy. And I killed the voodoo master. Shot him dead with the gun O'Malley left me. Now that was skill. And a little bit of being in the right place at the right time.

Toledo Cats

Hanover, you know very well that you didn't kill that zombie master by yourself. Why if it hadn't been for Voodoo tagging along, you would have found yourself holding the dead man's hand. Rushing into danger...that's what you always do. It's a good thing luck is on your side. It helps compensate for your lack of common sense.
Like the time you went after Jumbl-iya. Fortunately I was on the other side of that gateway and the nymphs were there to help you. Otherwise, it's likely you'd have joined Acongojar in the pain realm.

It was me who saved you, Toledo. Besides, even if the nymphs did help, it was still skill and not luck that defeated Jumbl-iyah. And that's my point. Friday the 13th is what you make it. Caprice has nothing to do with it.

I wouldn't tell Caprice that if I were you. You know, she can make your dice roll snake eyes if she wants to.
 

Mama Cats

Still arguing like children...and after all these years. Why not let the readers decide for themselves who defeated Jumbl-iyah? They can get The Reunion FREE for their Kindle or Kindle reader from now through Monday, 7/16.