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SPOTLIGHT ON ...

The Paranormal

Ghosts and ghost hunters, spirit mediums, psychics, and the completely unexplainable!  This month's Spotlight Page brings you murder mysteries that appear to fit the norm -- until the detective raises the dead to solve the case!  How about a science-fiction tale about life on another planet -- where renegade inhabitants are exploring the paranormal potentials of the mind?  Check out the memoir of a young woman brought up in a household where ghosts, witches, and seances were part of a typical week.  And don't forget a certain historical fiction novel about a pair of 19th century frauds who just might have had more supernatural talent than they realized.

Too Near the Edge by Lynn Osterkamp

When park rangers find Adam's crumpled body 300 feet below the rim of the Grand Canyon, they think he was one more careless tourist. But back home in Boulder, Colorado, his grief-stricken wife Sharon is sure he was murdered. She won't rest until she knows why he was so troubled in the month before he died. Over the objections of her prominent father, she turns to grief therapist Cleo Sims, who runs a project that re-unites people with dead loved ones. Despite threats and warnings, Cleo takes on the challenge to help Sharon contact Adam and solve the mystery of his death. She gets extra encouragement from Tyler, a surfer-dude spirit who visits her from beyond, offers cryptic advice, and pushes her to "ride the wave" with Sharon. In this hip mountain community where high tech meets new age, their investigation involves suspects whose activities range from traditional to cutting-edge to over-the-rainbow. Tension mounts as Cleo's digging uncovers a sinister underbelly of scams, fraud and deceit. Her professional reputation and her life are on the line as she struggles to sort reality from illusion, good from evil, and truth from deception. Too Near the Edge is a character-driven mystery with a paranormal twist, a humorous tone, and a whimsical heroine who grapples with tough questions about love, reality, ethics and trust.

Lynn Osterkamp was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where some of the intellectual ambiance must have seeped into her soul. She has worked as a university research associate and grant writer in gerontology and served on boards and committees evaluating programs and policies on aging. She has also worked for various social service agencies including Headstart, Hospice, non-profit hospitals, and most recently, Boulder County Aging Services.
 

Review:

"Gets hold of you from the first page and you can't seem to put it down. Recommended to anyone who loves mysteries. ~ BookPleasures.com

Awards:

Winner of 2007 IPPY Silver Medal, Best Regional Fiction, West-Mountain Fiction

Learn more about Lynn Osterkamp and her books at the author's website.

Growing Up Haunted by Alexandra Holzer

Ghost hunting, the world of art, film, literature, and dysfunction comes life cycling from the past to the present for the daughter of a famous ghost hunter and a Russian countess. Take a deadly roller coaster ride with two domineering and spiritually protected families, as Alexandra Holzer relates her life Growing Up Haunted with her father, Dr. Hans Holzer and her mother, Countess Catherine Buxhoeveden. You will learn how they were transformed from the early 1200s through today by an emotional and frightening, yet reflective, story. It follows a pre-destined timeline propelled by those in-charge of unearthly worlds.

Alexandra Holzer is a member of organizations such as the SCBWI, Firstwriters.com, IMDBpro.com and Absolute Writers.com. Her father is the original ghost hunter, published Author Professor Hans Holzer, Ph.D of 146 titles in the genres of parapsychology, the supernatural, religion and healing, and some fiction.
 

Reviews:

"If you really do want to know what it is like to have second sight and be brought up in the home of a master of other worldliness, this is a 'must read' book for you." ~ Philip Solomon, Psychic Medium to the Stars

"Alexandra Holzer was born into a world filled with aristocrats, scientists, witches, warlocks and "things that go bump in the night." She takes the reader on an exciting, eccentric and unique journey from childhood to present time, which reads like something out of a Harry Potter novel. Hang on to your broomstick..." ~ Merryn Jose - Writer, Editor and Publisher of Merlian News.com

Learn more about Alexandra Holzer,  her ghostly memoir Growing Up Haunted, and other works at the author's website.

High Spirits by Dianne K. Salerni

In mid-nineteenth century America, mysterious knocking noises haunt Maggie and Kate Fox, two teenage girls who become famous for their apparent ability to communicate with the dead.  Do the sisters have a supernatural gift -- or is it a hoax? High Spirits is based on the true story of the infamous Fox sisters of upstate New York who founded the Spiritualist Movement when they invented the seance in 1848. 

Reviews:

"The story's lively pace and dialogue are rife with wit, and the Fox sisters are captivating.  Insightful and a great deal of fun." ~ Kirkus Discoveries

"Gone With the Wind meets The Titanic ..." ~ Rick Barber, 850 KOA in Colorado

"A delightful discovery, mixing the right combination of gothic mystery and conspiracy." ~ Brian Trent, author of Remembering Hypatia

Awards:

First Place Teen Fiction, Reader Views 2007 Literary Awards

For more information about Dianne Salerni, High Spirits, and the beginnings of nineteenth century Spiritualism, see the author's website.

Stewards of the Flame by Sylvia Engdahl

When starship captain Jesse Sanders is seized by a dictatorial medical regime and detained on the colony planet Undine, he has no idea that he is about to be plunged into a bewildering new life that will involve ordeals and joys beyond anything he has ever imagined, as well as enduring love. Still less does he suspect that he must soon take responsibility for the lives of people he has come to care about and preservation of their hopes for the future of humankind. Part science fiction, part what's sometimes called 'visionary fiction,' Stewards of the Flame deals with the so-called 'paranormal' powers of the human mind and will appeal to a wide range of readers who question the dominant medical philosophy of today's society.

Sylvia Louise Engdahl is the author of several YA novels of which Enchantress from the Stars was the first. It was awarded a Newbery Honor in 1971 and the Phoenix Award in 1990. Ms. Engdahl currently resides in Eugene, Oregon, and her newest book Stewards of the Flame is intended for Adult audiences.

Reviews:

“A taut, well-paced science fiction work . . . that transcends the genre's traditional subdivisions and leads us into a world as relevant as today but as enthralling as tomorrow.” ~ Paul H. Smith, author of Reading the Enemy’s Mind: Inside Star Gate—America’s Psychic Espionage Program

“Extremely entertaining. . . . A cautionary tale that Big Brother is coming through the government medical complex.” ~ Harriet Klausner, Midwest Book Reviews

Visit the author's website for more information on Stewards of the Flame and other works by Sylvia Engdahl.

I Remember Tomorrow by William Butler

Jeanette just wants to be normal. She wants to have a good job, meet someone she can love, and someday get married and have a family. She just wants to be happy. But fate whispers to her, tells her its secrets, and shows her the things it knows. And so, when she relocates, trying to start a new life after a failed marriage, she quickly learns her past is the least of her worries, because the future is the thing that scares her most. Now, rather than finding happiness, she’s trying hold onto her sanity—because tomorrow is here and she remembers tomorrow.

Born in Washington D.C., William Butler lived in Los Angeles until joining the Army Military Police in 1975. He served two stateside tours and two tours in Germany. The final duty in Germany found him in Berlin where, among other duties, he worked at the Allied Checkpoint Charlie prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Leaving the military in the latter part of 1982, he settled with his family, in the Piney Woods area of Northeast Texas, almost equidistant between Dallas, Texas and Shreveport, Louisiana. He continued in civilian law enforcement until 1990 when he began work with the Texas Attorney General's office. In 1999 he pursued another career change and entered the Information Technology field where and now works with the local school district.

Review:

"William Butler presents a clear and compelling tale of precognition and it's effects in a realistic setting. The characters that he has created come to life for the reader through their thoughts and natural, unstilted conversations." ~ Tree Good, author of The Language of Poetry Forms

Read more about I Remember Tomorrow and learn about William Butler's upcoming new series at the author's website.

 
Janeology by Karen Harrington

Jane, a loving mother of two, has drowned her toddler son and is charged with his murder in this powerful examination of love, loss, and family legacy. When a prosecutor decides Jane's husband Tom is partially to blame for the death and charges him with "failure to protect," Tom's attorney proposes a radical defense. He plans to create reasonable doubt about his client's alleged guilt by showing that Jane's genealogy is the cause of her violence, and that she inherited her latent violence in the same way she might inherit a talent for music or a predisposition to disease. With the help of a woman gifted with the power of retrocognition—the ability to see past events through objects once owned by the deceased—the defense theory of dark biology takes form. 

Karen Harrington is the author of There's a Dog in the Doorway, and the recipient of honors from the Hemingway Short Story Festival, the Texas Film Institute Screenplay Contest, and the Writer's Digest National Script Contest. She lives in Plano, Texas.

Reviews:

"Harrington begins with a fascinating premise and develops it fully.  This debut novel is as much character study as legal thriller." ~ Booklist

"Beautifully written, compellingly crafted, Janeology lures the reader into a world that few of us understand, but all of us need to know.  This affecting story, with its brilliant array of genial, selfish, troubled, and plucky characters, accomplishes a wonderful feat by revealing specific and universal truths within all families."  ~ Donald T. Phillips, author, Lincoln on Leadership

Read more about Janeology and Karen Harrington's journey toward writing this novel at the author's website. 
 

56 Water Street by Melissa Strangway

Melissa Strangway divides her time between raising her children, writing, and designing an exclusive line of one-of-a-kind clothing for girls. Raised in Saskatchewan, she now lives in southwestern Ontario. 56 Water Street is the debut novel in Strangway’s Derek and Ravine Series.

Reviews:

"I couldn't put the book down and it kept me wanting more. In some parts of the book, it was scary, but Halloween scary, which means it was fun at the same time. This book was not scary enough to give me a nightmare which is a good thing. 56 Water Street is a fun book to read about ghosts who haunt old houses." ~ Reader Views, reviewed by a YA reader

"This isn't just a ghost story; it's the story of friendship, of things lost and found, of sadness and happiness. It is extremely well-suited to juvenile readers. For a first novel, Strangway has created excellent characters and ... dialogue that sounds real and consistent with the characters. Her ability to tell her story and to drag her reader along from scene to scene is superb." ~ Paul Harris, Carlisle ON CANADA
 

Awards:

Second Place Teen Fiction, Reader Views 2007 Literary Awards

Visit the author's website for more information on Melissa Strangway and her mystery series.

Calling the Dead by Marilyn Meredith

Tempe Crabtree is the resident deputy of Bear Creek, a small mountain community in the southern Sierra. Her continuing interest in the spiritual side of her heritage often causes unrest in her marriage to her minister husband. In Calling the Dead, Deputy Tempe Crabtree investigates a murder that looks like death from natural causes, and a suicide that looks like murder. Putting her job on the line, she investigates the murder on her own time and without permission from her superiors. Jeopardizing her marriage, she uses Native American ways to call back the dead to learn the truth about the suicide.

Marilyn Meredith is the author of the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, as well as the Rocky Bluff P.D. series.  One of the first authors to embrace e-publishing, she has several books that are available both in e-format and trade paperback.

Review:

"I found myself fascinated by Tempe's search, both in the real world as a deputy, and in the spiritual world of her heritage. I was also fascinated by how her husband, a minister, came to both understand and appreciate how the spiritual aspects of her heritage mirrored his own beliefs." ~ Book Reviews @ MySpace.com

Award:

AuthorIsland.com Readers' Choice Award

Learn more about Marilyn Meredith's mystery and Christian horror books at the author's website.

Jen-Zen and the One Shoe Diaries by Julie Ann Shapiro

Jen-Zen and the One Shoe Diaries is the story of Brad Lynberry, a successful photographer who is haunted by the memory of Jen-Zen. When he finds himself first fascinated then obsessed with lost shoes, Brad's sister wonders if he's driven by artistic inspiration or if he's going off the deep end.  The answer comes through encounters with his Grandma who loves birds; a shaman named Red Hawk who tells him to look in the shadows; and Jonathan the art collector, who leads him to Swansea where lost shoes keep popping up in a display of whimsy. Time is running out. Brad must unravel Jen-Zen's poetic riddles or go mad trying.
 

Julie Ann Shapiro is a freelance writer, short story author and novelist. She lives in the coastal community of Encinitas, California. Her stories and essays have appeared in the San Diego Union Tribune, North County Times, Los Angeles Journal, Pindeldyboz, Sacred Waters/Fire: (Adams Media 2005), Story South, Word Riot, Opium Magazine, Insolent Rudder, Cezzane's Carrots, Mad Hatters Review, Ghoti Magazine, Spoiled Ink, Void, Elimae, Footsteps to Oxford, Salome, and many others. Julie was a 2008 Pushcart Nominee for one of her short stories.

Reviews:

"Jen Zen and the One Shoe Diaries is a far-reaching story full of lyrical beauty—a true Between the Cracks novel. It’s part mystery, part poetry. It has elements of magic realism and surrealism. Author Julie Ann Shapiro has a knack for capturing the essence of relationships and all their uncertainties." ~ Kim McDougall of Between the Cracks Digest

"Although they say that if you leave a million monkeys in a room full of typewriters long enough they will eventually write the entire works of Shakespeare, I can’t imagine that they would come up with Jen-Zen and the One Shoe Diaries. This is a singular book, original in voice, thoughtful in tone." ~ NewMyth.com

Learn more about Julie Ann Shapiro, her novel, and her short stories, at the author's website.

The Stone Beach by Kim Chatel

When Caroline begins her last year of middle school, she barely recognizes her best friend. Brenda dresses differently. She blows off classes, homework and friends. But has Brenda really changed, or is Caroline just seeing her with new eyes? Caroline has worries that Brenda doesn’t even understand. Her fifteen-year-old cat, Casey, is sick and the vet has been hinting that it’s time to put him to sleep. How can Caroline lose her two best friends at once? In the next few months, Caroline learns that some friendships are not worth keeping, others are worth fighting for, and still others will endure into the afterlife.

Kim Chatel is a Canadian born novelist and picture book author. She now lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, daughter and assortment of animals, which, until recently, included an alarmingly orange tabby cat named Casey.

Reviews:

"Part coming-of-age tale, part ghost story, all enthralling reading, this is one of those special novels not easy to forget. Long after you’ve finished reading it, you’ll find it stays with you. You’ll remember the way it moved you. You’ll look around for your own Stone Beach. " ~ ReviewCentre.com

Find out more about Kim Chatel and her writing at the author's website.

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