Wacky Wednesday- A Real Ghost Story #ghosts

Wacky Wednesday with Cecilia Corona.
Ghosts are real...

Bring On The Ghosts, The Monsters, And, Don’t Forget The Clowns by Sarah J. McNeal

I thoroughly enjoy creating creepy landscapes and populating them with wicked witches, slithery creatures in a haunted lake, and man eating monsters…but clowns? I’ve never written a scary, creepy clown into a story, but I have read some terrorizing stories with a deadly clown involved including recent stories in the news.

It’s all over the news lately about creepy clowns disturbing the serenity of the public by appearing in places where the clowns just stare at people in a menacing way. I’ve even seen on the news where the presence of a clown made people run for their lives. A good friend of mine told me last night that her granddaughters are now afraid of the woods because an evil clown might be in there lurking just waiting for some little girls to come into his lair. Well, that’s a shame really because clowns are supposed to make us laugh.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY

I haven’t seen the new series on TV titled American Horror Story in which a malignant appearing clown goes after people. And, of course, there is the book IT by Stephen King in which a clown lures unsuspecting children into his lair. There are times when I regret reading that book. I’ve never felt the same about clowns since then.

IT by Stephen King

Maybe someday I may write a clown into a book. The thing is, clowns are REAL—so that ups their spine-chilling factor by a hundred per cent. I don’t know if I’m really ready to write a story with a disturbing clown in it just yet, but I’m all in when it comes to monsters, witches, ghosts and haunted places. 

I like to include someone in my stories that knows about the things that thrive in haunted, dark places and knows how they can be defeated even though it may be extremely difficult. My favorite person to fill this roll is Pennytook, the Gypsy. Not only is he smart, but he’s courageous.

MYTHS, LEGENDS, AND MIDNIGHT KISSES

Pennytook has taken a supportive roll in the three books included in the trilogy, LEGENDS OF WINATUKE. Finally, I got the chance to write Pennytook’s story with him as the hero. I wrote PENNYTOOK for the fall collection, MYTHS, LEGENDS, AND MIDNIGHT KISSES. He’s led a difficult life and suffered greatly at the hands of the witch, Mahara, but in this story, Pennytook finally finds love and reward for all his courageous acts. Of course he will have to overcome the Niamso monsters before he is rewarded, but he gladly lays his life on the line for the beautiful trick rider, Esmeralda.

So, I have at ask, have any of you written a story with an evil clown? Do you have monsters lurking in haunted and dark places in any of your stories? Have you ever dressed as a clown for Halloween?

I wish you all a fun-filled Halloween. Just keep a look-out for those clowns.

 Sarah J. McNeal is a multi-published author of several genres including time travel, paranormal, western and historical fiction. She is a retired ER and Critical Care nurse who lives in North Carolina with her four-legged children, Lily, the Golden Retriever and Liberty, the cat. Besides her devotion to writing, she also has a great love of music and plays several instruments including violin, bagpipes, guitar and harmonica. Her books and short stories may be found at Prairie Rose Publications and its imprints Painted Pony Books, and Fire Star Press. Some of her fantasy and paranormal books may also be found at Publishing by Rebecca Vickery and Victory Tales Press. She welcomes you to her website and social media:

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TIS THE SEASON @Linda Swift

No, I am not talking about the Holiday Season. (Bet you thought for a minute there I  was getting ahead of myself, didn't you?) But I could be justified in doing so since that season has been confronting us in stores and the media since the 4th of July. To clarify, the subject of this post is the fall season.

Every year, I welcome signs of spring, and enjoy summer's abundance, but I bask in the fulfillment of autumn most of all. There is something about nature's burst of glorious colors just before earth's winter sleep that is both exhilarating and sad.  And it inspires me to attempt to put that feeling into words. Autumn is the season when my thoughts are most likely to spill over into poems and I want to share a few of these with you. I write varied forms of poetry but am usually described as a lyric poet and the poems here are of that classification,  although I have included haiku for those who prefer prose. 

I invite you to take a few moments from your busy day to have a cup of apple cider and a slice of gingerbread while you read the poems below. (Please don't get crumbs on your computer) I hope the words will paint autumn scenes in your heart to remember long after the last leaf has fallen. 

SURVIVORS

Once vibrant autumn colors,

subdued but clinging still,

reflect past season's beauty

defying winter's chill.

Though fragile now and faded,

they flaunt survival's will

made rare by lack of number,

undaunted, clinging still.

~ ~ ~

HAIKU

Fingers of wind weave

A bright autumn tapestry

As leaves drift toward ground

~ ~ ~

I MISS YOU MOST IN AUTUMN

I miss you most in autumn

when maple leaves are gold

 and early twilight subtly hints

 of winter's biting cold.

I long for you in autumn

 when shadows fill the sky

 as wavering wings of wild geese

 echo their lonely cry.

I wish for you in autumn

 to walk where frost has browned

 the slender ripened stalks of grain

 now dying on the ground.

I grieve for you in autumn

 when gentle  rain-kissed wind

 plays hide-and-seek with harvest moon

 that marks the summer's end.

I miss you most in autumn,

 but then I should have known

 there would be many autumns

 and I would be alone.

~ ~ ~

HAIKU

Incandescent lamps

 Illumine autumn's twilight

 Maple trees gleam gold

~ ~ ~

CHICKAMAUGA…RIVER OF DEATH

The towering oaks stand silent by the road

 that winds below the sturdy limbs they spread

 to intertwine and shelter this abode.

 Brief golden canopies now laud these dead

 who lie beneath a century of dust,

 all splendor spent. And now the battle's sound

 is choked, muffled in cannons cloaked in rust,

 still guarding those who fought to hold this ground.

 The rows of stones that mark each place in time

seem endless even as the leaves. Gray hue

of monuments wreathed in September's rime

now consecrate this hallowed ground anew.

Brave men of North and South now peaceful lie.

And yet, a silent question haunts us.  Why?

~ ~ ~

HAIKU

Honking in transit

 Impatient heavy traffic

 On skyway express

~ ~ ~

SEPTEMBER SILENCE

No sound, only silence

 as September days fly

 on wild geese wings

 that shadow sapphire sky;

 as winsome wind flings

 the flaming leaves high;

 as gilded golden sun

 reflects a lovely lie;

 but I know summer's done

 and all things die.

  ~ ~ ~

HAIKU

Bright colors bleeding

Orange, gold, red from rain-washed limbs

September's last stand

~ ~ ~

All of these poems except the first are from A Potpourri of Poems, available from Amazon and other distributors in print and ebook. It contains almost one hundred poems and thirty-three full color pictures. Or if you prefer to hear the poems read by the lovely voice of Becky Doughty you can also purchase an audible edition.

http://www.audible.com/pd/Drama-Poetry/A-Potpourri-of-Poems-Audiobook/B01DFJJBAC

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