Wicked Intentions by JoAnne Myers

Hello Bobbi, thank you for inviting me. I will be awarding two lucky people who comment a paperback of their choice. The choices are; Murder Most Foul, Wicked Intentions, Loves, Myths, and Monsters, Flagitious, The Crime of the Century, Twisted Love, and Poems About Life, Love, and Everything in Between.

WRITING PARANORMAL by JoAnne Myers

When it comes to fiction writing, almost anything goes. That is why I love writing paranormal stories. The author can go completely over the edge and make something unbelievable seem believable. When it comes to ghost stories, I get a lot of my inspiration from real life experiences. Not necessarily my own either. I watch television programs that partake of the supernatural and paranormal flare. Programs from ordinary people who claim they experienced either an afterlife experience, or a haunting.

Some of the stories from my paranormal anthology, “Wicked Intentions” are based on actual hauntings. In The Legend of Lake Manor, I placed my young psychic, Cassandra Lopez, in a haunted mansion I fashioned on my knowledge of a three-story mansion in my hometown and information from television about a restaurant/bar in Ohio, supposedly ruled by demons so violent that the local police are constantly closing it down.

A television documentary about a young mother plagued by ghost sightings since childhood, inspired The Haunting of Barb Marie and her gift/curse.

And The Apartment, in which my newlyweds, Bill and Gayle, are plagued by sightings of evil ghosts that threaten their marriage and theirs lives, originated from a real apartment haunted by the ghosts of two homosexual lovers who died violently. The legend says no tenant is able to stay there until the spirits are chased off by a paranormal investigation team.

On the Discovery Channel, I got the idea for Summer Wind. I learned of the colonial explorer Jonathon Carver who lived during the 1700s and whose ghost is believed to be haunting the Summerwind estate, built in the early 20th century. Carver’s ghost is, supposedly, searching the house’s foundations for deeds to a vast tract of land (10,000 square miles) given to him by Sioux Indian chiefs as a reward for the peace treaty he created between two warring tribes. In my Summer Wind, 29 year-old Ginger is mysteriously drawn to the old mansion, and like the many owners of the real mansion, the haunting had a negative and profound effect on Ginger and her family.

Another investigative program concerned one sister’s psychic premonitions about her twin’s murder. This led to my story, Blood Ties, and my heroine, Audra Roper’s dark, disturbing visions of her sister’s disappearance and the roller coaster of risks, heartbreak, and intrigue that followed.

Dark Visions came from reading a newspaper story while sitting in a diner. A young woman began having visions of her father’s disappearance that was actually his murder from years earlier. So, my Carrie Reynolds starts having nightmares on her twenty-sixth birthday and believes these ‘dark visions’ can solve the twenty year disappearance of her father.

I set my murder mystery, The Truth Behind the Lies, on Norfolk Island after following a three year long murder investigation on that island from 2003. In my story, Federal Police Inspector Ian Christian faces attacks, more murders and ghostly occurrences, and the killer is closer than anyone realizes.

So, the next time you get Writer’s Block, or need a new idea, try switching on the television, open a newspaper, delve into history or simply look and listen. You will find something to stimulate your muse.
Excerpt from SUMMER WIND

The summer of 1971 was a new beginning for Ginger Duncan, a mother of
two girls. Eight year old Betsy liked to paint and dreamed of becoming a
professional artist. Ten year old Daisy loved animals and wanted to be a
veterinarian. The girls had a pet raccoon that they kept in a cage. The animal
was a gift from their maternal grandfather, Ralph Weisman.

Ginger had recently wed businessman Mike Duncan. It was her second
marriage and his first. The couple wanted a new start and decided to move to
the small town of Destiny, located in northern Wisconsin, and buy a home.

“We’re almost there, dear,” said the realtor, Lucille Keefer. “It’s just the
right size for a small family unless you and your new husband are thinking of
having more children.”
“Oh no,” laughed Ginger, cutting off the nosey woman. “Mike is content
with being a step-father.”
“Another two miles, and we’ll be there,” said the realtor just as a large
ominous looking house overlooking the bay caught Ginger’s eye.
“Who lives there?” she asked, pointing out the car window.
The realtor stopped in the middle of the road and looked. “Oh, that white
elephant,” she said with laugh. “I own it, too, but you said a small home for
now.”
“I’ve changed my mind,” said Ginger flippantly. “I want to look inside. Do
you have the key?”
“Yes…but…” said the realtor.
“Let’s check it out,” said Ginger, interrupting without bothering to look at
the realtor.
“Okay, if you insist,” said Lucille, steering her Cadillac in the direction of
the two-story white mansion.
As the car pulled into the horseshoe driveway, Ginger marveled at the
structure, as if hypnotized by an uncontrollable and unknown force. “This place
has great potential. I can feel it.”
“It has something alright,” mumbled the realtor.
“What did you say?” asked Ginger, exiting the vehicle.
“Oh, nothing, dear. Here’s the key,” said the realtor, handing the item out
the window.
“Aren’t you going in?” asked Ginger, accepting the key.
“I never go inside that home. I always wait outside.”
“Suit yourself,” said Ginger, ascending the steps onto the front porch. The
boards beneath her squeaked with each step. As she inserted the key in the lock,
the heavy wooden door mysteriously opened. “That’s odd,” she whispered
before entering.

  Author Bio:

I have been a long-time resident of southeastern Ohio, and worked in the blue-collar industry most of my life. Besides having several novels under my belt, I canvas paint.
When not busy with hobbies or working outside the home, I spend time with relatives, my dog Jasmine, and volunteer my time within the community. I am a member of the International Women’s Writing Guild, Savvy Authors, Coffee Time Romance, Paranormal Romance Guild, True Romance Studios, National Writers Association, the Hocking Hill’s Arts and Craftsmen Association, The Hocking County Historical Society and Museum, and the Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center. I believe in family values and following your dreams. My books and original canvas paintings, can be found at: booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com

Other books by Jo Anne:

“TWISTED LOVE,” a true-crime anthology
“MURDER MOST FOUL” a detective/mystery anthology
“LOVES’, MYTHS’ AND MONSTERS’,” a fantasy anthology
“THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY,” a biography true-crime
“POEMS ABOUT LIFE, LOVE, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN”
“FLAGITIOUS,” a crime/mystery anthology

Buy Links:

http://www.melange-books.com/authors/joannemyers/WickedIntentions.html

Paperback:
http://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?keyWords=wicked+intentions&categoryId=100501

Amazon:

Contact JoAnne: authorjoannemyers@yahoo.com

Website: http://www.booksandpaintingsbyjoanne.com
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