The Travelers - A Not Forgotten Companion Novella has a new look!

 In anticipation of its inclusion in The Haunted Collection Book Two, The Travelers has undergone an exciting cover update.

This new cover better captures the overall feel of the story:

Dr. David Dean has spent his entire adult life seeking proof of the paranormal. When he is given the opportunity to witness and potentially debunk photographic evidence of the spirit leaving the body, we embark on an unexpected journey that leads straight to his old friend, Navajo Shaman Jimmy Redbush.

As Dean and Redbush pursue the truth, they find themselves entangled in a dangerous web of lies perpetrated by very powerful men whose primary objective is to keep this knowledge buried. As our heroes dig deeper, they discover not only that we are not alone in the Universe, but in fact, we are not alone on this planet.

In keeping with the Not Forgotten Series, The Travelers brings paranormal, spiritual, and scientific theories together in a way that proves that all things in the Universe are connected.

Appalachian Nights

 I shine my light toward the deep thicket that borders the backyard of our cabin. On a night like this with the moon hanging brightly the forest would normally erupt in a chaotic choir of frogs, insects, and night birds all seemingly competing for my attention. That isn’t the case tonight. Tonight, every natural-born creature fell silent at once as though someone just flicked a switch and shut them off.

I inch closer to the fence line and hear it again. The sound sends me stumbling backward and I nearly lose my footing on the dewy grass.

“it’s a pig. It must be a wild pig,” I whisper to no one.

The low groaning continues followed by the muted sound of footfalls.

I shake off the chill that runs up my neck and step closer again. This time shining the light straight down at the leaf-littered ground beneath the trees. At first, nothing, then a shadow. Something is tucked away behind a tree.

“Too long to be a pig,” I whisper as I measure the shadow with my eyes and try to imagine the creature that made it. “Hello? Come out so I can see you,” I shout giving away my position.

The air is stiff and silent. I don’t even know if my heart is beating and then, “Hello?”. A tiny voice calls back to me from the darkness.

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,” I wasn’t expecting that. It sounds like a child.

I don’t know what to do now. I pause, slow my breathing, and begin convincing myself that I didn’t hear what I know I heard.

“Hello?” the voice calls out again.

“Who are you? Why are you back there? You need to come out, now!” I shout trying to assert my dominance and hide the fact that my legs are shaking.

“I need help. Come and help me,” the voice responds followed by the sounds of a little girl weeping.

“Fuck,” I can’t just walk away. What if there’s really a kid hurt out there? If anything happens to her I won’t be able to live with myself.

“Can you step out into the light?” I shout.

“Please, help me,” the voice calls back.

I shine my light on the old rusty gate. I don’t know why it’s here or when it was used last. I don’t even know if it will open but I tug on the latch until it creeks and lifts off the post that secures it. The gate scrapes the ground that’s grown over its path and I open it as far as I can. With just enough room for me to slip through the opening sideways, I step into the forest.

“You have to show me where you are. I’m not coming any closer until I see you,” I demand but the tiny voice just sobs harder and louder, “Can you talk to me? What’s your name? How did you get out here?”

All of my questions go unanswered and I take another step into the darkness. The pine straw is slippery beneath my feet and I wonder if I could run on it should I need to make a hasty retreat. I begin brushing it away as I walk exposing the dirt beneath it.

Almost there. Her sobs are so loud I know that she’s right in front of me. I reach the tree where I saw the shadow and step around it. I gasp as my light reveals the tangle of thorns and shrubbery at the base of the tree. There’s no little girl in distress and no sign that anyone has been here. The sounds have stopped, too, and I’m standing alone and bewildered.

I turn to make my way back home and a rush of air stops me in my tracks.

“You’re it!” I voice whispers into my right ear and my feet take flight. I run until I trip up the cabin steps and throw my body into the back door.

Once inside my trembling hand fumbles to lock the door and I step backward through the kitchen. I can’t take my eyes off the door as I’m certain that, at any second, it will burst from its hinges and the devil will rush through.

Hours pass with me seated, motionless on the kitchen floor. Then, I summon the nerve to look outside. I open the door carefully and peer out into the night. The moon is still high and my ears are assaulted by the choir of creatures that have resumed their nightly performance.

Days pass and I begin to think this was all some crazy fever dream. Then, by chance, I meet one of my neighbors at the local market.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” the old man asks me.

“No, Sir. I’m new to the area.”

He looks deeply into my eyes and says, “Do yourself a favor and learn the rules. You don’t go into the woods after sundown and if you hear anything out there, well, no you didn’t.” He winks at me and saunters off.

Now, I close all the curtains and lock the doors each night when the sun goes down.

Available now in paperback or free with Kindle Unlimited

 In an enchanting realm where the skies are adorned with the flight of doves and the crows rule the shadows, unfolds the tale of "The Unlikely Queen" Ava, the ethereal Princess of Doves, finds her heart entwined with Lonan, the enigmatic King of Crows, in a love deemed forbidden by the ancient laws of their lands.

As their love blossoms amidst whispers of intrigue and longing glances, tensions escalate between the factions of the land and sky, igniting the flames of conflict. Their romance becomes the catalyst for a war that threatens to tear their world asunder.

Yet, despite the chaos, Ava and Lonan dare to defy the odds, forging a secret pact with factions across the treacherous Forbidden Sea, determined to unite their divided world and preserve their love against all odds. "The Unlikely Queen" is a spellbinding saga of passion, sacrifice, and the enduring power of love to transcend boundaries and reshape destinies.

Buy it here 

Exciting new releases

 The Haunted Collection Book One is now available in digital and free with Kindle Unlimited! Five original ghost stories,plus a terrifying novella packed into one ebook! 

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR COPY

The Wisodom of Coyotes has had a re-release!

This paranormal fated mate romance with a twist is your entry into another chapter of the Not Forgotten Universe. Spicy and packed with mystery, Wisdom resolves it's primary plot but ends with the discovery of a new and more powerful villain. Not so much a cliffhanger as n introduction to the antagonist of book two, The Lure of the Priestess which is coming soon.

CLICK HERE TO BE TAKEN TO THE PRODUCT PAGE

Coming Soon exclusively to Tiktok- NOT FORGOTTEN BOOKS

As the TikTok community has grown to the largest social media audience in the United States, it opens up an opportunity to reach readers in new and unprecedented ways. 

With this extended reach, I will open a TikTok Shop to sell TikTok-exclusive content.

The Not Forgotten Series will be sold as an exclusive package that includes:

Signed copies of:

Book One Lilly's Story 

Book Two At Second Sight

Book Three Zac's Guitar

An exclusive bookmark, stickers, and character cards

Coming Soon: The Haunted Collection

10-story anthology chronicling the cases of the Highgate Paranormal Research Society

If you still need to follow ghostgirlbonnie on Tiktok I welcome you! Let's engage together!

Audio Books now available!

  As the New Year approaches CPP Publishing and I want to make certain that we make our stories available to our readers in their preferred formats. To begin this journey, we've made the Not Forgotten Series, The X Collective, The Servants of the Legacy, and The Wisdom of Coyotes, all by me, Bonnie Taylor, available as audiobooks exclusively on Google Play.

You will find these selections in the Play Store. Bundle the Not Forgotten Books for a discount!

Visit Bonnie Taylor on Google Play to build your bundle at a 5% or 10% discount. The more you buy the more you save!

The Lure of the Priestess - (The Wisdom of Coyotes Book Two) Chapter Two Exerpt

   

  As Jimmy drifted to sleep, he heard the faint cry of a lone wolf in the distance. He could feel the cool night air on his naked chest and saw the shadows of the trees cascading along the path created by the round, red, moon. He took a few steps out into the darkness, then, found his feet moving faster. He crouched as he ran and soon, the change began. The wind whipped through his fur causing it to stand on end as he gained more speed. He was galloping toward the clearing; a majestic white wolf. It was an incarnation that he had never experienced outside of the dream world. He never had the desire to shift into wolf form. He was the son of coyote.

    In the clearing, spotlighted by the moon glow, was the she-wolf. Adorned in black silken fur with her haunting blue eyes. She was larger than him because, in this form, she was stronger. She sat with a regal grace befitting the High Priestess of the Forest.

    He was confounded as he gazed upon her. She was so many things to him. She was the evil creature who used forbidden magic to transform herself and ravage the old world witches. She was his mentor and friend since childhood whom he loved with all of his heart, and she was a longing. She was a primal craving rooted deeply in his walker spirit and he wanted her.

    He approached her slowly. She sniffed the air around him and stood. When they were nose to nose, she licked his face, then rubbed her thickly manned neck against his. He saw stars that burst into cosmic light as his blood rushed through him and as they embraced, they lost their animal incarnations and were kneeling together, naked, on the cool grass.

    She touched his chest sending a shiver straight to his soul and he gasped. She smiled, leaning in closer to press her lips against his. His head was swimming and though he tried to push a conscious thought to the forefront. A warning, a memory, a glimpse of the terrible life he would live if he chose her, he was entranced by her. She whispered in his ear. The words were inaudible, but the act prevented him from summoning a clear thought of his own.

    The fight was leaving him and he was hers for the taking. Seduced by the whispered incantations of the ant’ jihnii but though his body had surrendered his strength, his mind kept reaching for something, any thought that might break the spell. As he reached the bounds of desperation, a face appeared in his mind. It was Jessie. Her flowing red hair and childlike smile, but mostly, her eyes. The way they seemed to be looking inside him without a hint of judgment. The way she made him feel like he shouldn’t be ashamed of what he was. The eyes that told him that he had a future in the world of men, even though he wasn’t entirely one of them.

    He clutched Katherine by the arms and shook her. In human form, he outweighed her by close to one hundred pounds and could easily subdue her. He flashed her a look of hatred and transformed into the coyote. Coyote was fast and sly and would run without looking back.

    He was in the tree line when he heard her. She cried, “How long will you deny what you know in your heart? You belong with me and I will have you.”

    He awoke and wiped the sweat from his brow. Each night it became harder to block Katherine from his dreams. She was breaking him down with every visitation and he wasn’t sure if he could stay strong. He got up from his bed and walked to the window. Peering out, he saw the two birds resting in a nearby tree. They were taking great joy in seeing him restless and would surely report back that her tactics were working. She would never stop.

    He needed help. In the morning, he would talk to his uncle. Uncle knew that the witch was pursuing him, but he didn’t know about the dreams. He didn’t know that she was winning. Perhaps together they could come up with a plan to, at least, get her out of his head.

 

February 1st Imbolc Begins

 

What does that mean?

 

In Noelithic Ireland and Scottland Imbolc was meant to signify the midway point between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox and is celebrated from February first through the evening of February second.

The holiday is primarily celebrated by Wiccans, Pagans, and other neopagan religions. Ibolc is the Celtic Sabbat that resides between Yule(Christmas) and Ostara (Easter) on the Celtic Pagan Wheel of the Year.

The Goddess Brigid

Imbolc became a festival to celebrate the goddess of fertility, poetry, crafts and prophecy.

Brigid was one of the most powerful goddesses of Celtic religion. She was the daughter of Dagda who was the oldest god in the Tuatha du Danann. According to myth, she was born with a flame on her head and was reared on the milk of a mystical cow. She was credited with the invention of keening, the traditional wailing for the dead performed by Irish and Scottish women,

In ancient times Ibolic was celebrated by crafting a likeness of Brigid out of oats and rushes, dressing it, and placing it in a basket overnight. The following day was celebrated with bonfires in tribute to Brigid.

Christianity

In the Christian religion Brigid morphed into Saint Brigid who is one of the three patron saints of Ireland. St. Brigid is also the saint of milk and fire. She is the patron saint of Irish nuns, newborns, midwives, dairymaids, and cattle.

 

A twelfth century legend claims that the nuns of Kildare built a fire to honor St. Brigid and the fire burned for five hundred years and only women were allowed near it.

The church enacted the holiday, St. Brigid’s Day to take place on February first and replace the pagan Imbolc holiday. It is a feast day when on effigy of St. Brigid is washed in the ocean and surrounded by candles to dry. Crosses crafted out of stalks of wheat and created and called St. Brigid crosses.

Modern Celebrations

Imbolc is also known as Feast of Torches, Oimelc, Lupercalia, Feats of Pan, Snowdrop Day, Feast of the Waxing Light, and Brigid’s Day.

Modern pagan celebrations of Imbolc are often small and include bon fires or fire rituals. It is a time to celebrate femininity, new beginnings, and fire.

 

 

Mercury Retrograde

I’ve never been a big believer in astrology. Sure, I peek at my daily horoscope on occasion but I know those horoscope writers are rarely experts in the field of astrology. If I were to truly delve into astrology there would be more to it than just a sun sign. I’d be researching birth charts and educating myself on all sorts of things that I just don’t have the time or interest to invest in.

Now, moon phases and their effects on human behavior is something else. I’ve always been intrigued by full moon madness and since the moon effects the tides and we are made mostly of water, I can get behind that scientifically. This leads me to the topic at hand. If the moon really does affect us as a species do the planets in our solar system affect us as well?

Since 2019, it seems that I have been informed by the media and social media every time Mercury has gone into retrograde. I’m not sure why this information suddenly became so important. I’m fairly certain Mercury has been doing this for as long as there has been a Mercury but since we are currently experiencing our first Mercury Retrograde of 2022, I decided to look into it.

What is Mercury Retrograde

A Mercury Retrograde occurs once every four months. It was previously believed that during this time the planet changed direction and moved “backward” in its rotation around the sun. Later, astronomers determined that this is simply an optical illusion caused when Mercury briefly overtakes Earth in its orbit.

The Planet that rules communication

Verbal, written, and internal communications are said to be affected by Mercury. Not only the way we communicate with others, but, also the way we communicate with ourselves in our internal dialogue. It’s said that it’s best to slow down and reflect before communicating thoughts or ideas during this time.

Energy influence

Mercury Retrograde is said to cause some people to feel drained and lethargic while others are feeling restless and full of chaotic energy.

Intuition

They say that if you are sensitive to intuition you may become overwhelmed during Mercury Retrograde. Thoughts, premonitions, and empathy will be at an all-time high. Maintaining emotional boundaries will be difficult and will lead to energy drain.

The past comes back to haunt us

Mercury retrograde is a time of reflection and in that reflection things from the past return to us. Sadly, in some cases, this includes our exes.

Don’t make big changes

They say that you should never sign a contract, make a big life decision, invest in a major purchase or cut your hair during Mercury Retrograde.

Your place in the zodiac

It is also thought that how Mercury Retrograde will affect an individual is directly related to their astrological sign. For me, a Pisces, this current retrograde is supposed to cause past trauma to resurface. Cancers will be tempted to break their New Year’s resolutions and sink back into comforting habits.

What does it all mean?

For believers, Mercury Retrograde is a real phenomenon that causes real, though not life-changing, shifts in our daily lives and overall sense of well-being.

For skeptics, planetary retrogrades are merely an optical illusion with no capacity to impact humans, energy, or human behavior.

For me, I’ll be on the lookout for communication from my ex and swiftly delete any texts that I might receive. Talk about past trauma resurfacing!

This article was originally posted here: https://medium.com/@BonnieJTaylor/mercury-retrograde-78d9438e3540

Can Locations Have Spiritual Energy?

 

What is spiritual energy?

Spiritual energy is best described as a residual footprint left in a place during a specific point in time. Many people believe that emotionally charged or traumatic events leave bits of energy behind in locations and this energy can be felt or otherwise experienced by visitors to these locations. Battlefields, cemeteries, hospitals, and prisons have all been considered places highly susceptible to spiritual energy. While these places may be prone to energy footprints, other less public places are also said to have the capacity to hold on to energy.

Some places teem with energy

Our Homes

Imagine going through life feeling uncomfortable in your own home. For many people, this is a reality. There are numerous tales of people moving into a home and being overwhelmed with a sense of dread, paranoia, unexplainable anger, or depression. These people claim to feel better when they leave the home but upon their return, these feelings also return.

For paranormal investigators, this is a clear sign of an energy footprint. It is believed that the human psyche is susceptible to the effects of negative energy and that this energy can actually make us sick. While this theory remains unproven, many people who believe that they have suffered from this phenomenon claim to have been helped by home energy cleansing.

Historic Buildings

Courthouses, libraries, hotels, and drinking establishments also top the list of places prone to energy footprints. Visitors claim to feel a sense of dread or see shadows which can lead one to assume the location is haunted.

Paranormal theory does define this type of activity as a haunting, however, there is no interaction between the energy and the human inhabitants. This is what's known simply as a residual haunting.

The Outdoors

Even outdoor locations can hold on to energy. Like a battlefield at Gettysburg.  Cemeteries, forests, parks, and town squares can all provide us with a sense that there is something more around us than what our eyes can see. New Orleans visitors often recount ghost sightings in the city.

My home is surrounded by the historic and famous Kisatchie National Forest. There are many tales of energy in this forest. Some say the faint sound of Native American drums and chants can be heard in the forest in the dead of night as it was once a popular hunting ground for the Apalachee tribe.

My short story, Remembered, from the Haunted Collection, touches on the paranormal activity in New Orleans, Louisiana during and after Hurricane Katrina. 

This article was originally published here: https://medium.com/@BonnieJTaylor/can-locations-have-spiritual-energy-ff0a58310d20

Midnight Mass (A Netflix Limited Series) by Mike Flanagan

 I've watched this series twice now and I have to say that Mike Flanagan has done it again! This show is likely to be considered the number one horror offering of the year. Flanagan never fails to combine humanity and horror in an intricate dance with every chance he gets. He creates characters who are flawed yet likable and places them in situations where they must face not only the supernatural but their own personal demons as well. 

If you don't mind serious spoilers, check out the article that I've written about the show by clicking the image below.

Halloween 2021 is almost here! Relax and enjoy the ride.

 

How is it even possible that 2021 is already coming to an end? It seems like it was just 2019 yesterday! I, for one, am not ready to roll through the scary season, spend two days prepping for turkey day and then trimming the tree and rushing out for last-minute Christmas gifts! I mean, didn't we just do this?

The stress is real during this time but I have a few quick and easy destressing ideas to make things a bit more bearable,

First and foremost, don't deny yourself 8 hours sleep

If you are anything like me, a typical night's sleep begins around 2 am and ends around 6 am. This is a horrible habit and one that can lead to premature aging, a weakened immune system, and an inability to effectively function. Sleep is always important but in times of amplified stress, it can be a game-changer. Don't let a lack of sleep put a damper on your holiday fun! Get your rest!

Exercise

Even light to moderate daily exercise can reduce stress. Start or continue your workout routine through the holidays. Just twenty minutes of cardio, yoga, or strength training will make a huge difference in your overall mood.

Bath Salts

I prefer CALM by Herbivore. It's a pink himalyan salt infused with lavender, eucalyptus, ylamg ylamg, and chamomile but there are other options on the market. Just look for the same ingredients.

Scented Candles

Our sense of smell is magical and what we smell can easily change our state of mind. Vanilla, lavender, chammomile, ylang ylang, cedar, and rosemary top the list of calming scents.

New Title from Bonnie Taylor

The Haunted Collection is a group of short ghost stories that chronicle the cases of the Highgate Paranormal Research Society, (Characters from The Not Forgotten Series)

Each stand alone story will be available for Kindle on amazon.com

The first six titles in the series are currently available for purchase and the seventh, Lost, is coming soon!

Lost - The team is called upon to investigate strange happenings in a recently purchased home. Dr. David Lynch, having learned the history of the home, is conflicted about taking the case. The last family to reside in the house was devasted when their sixteen-year-old daughter vanished one Fall night. Her disappearance remained an unsolved mystery, but the local police department assumed that she was dead. David feared the obvious, the paranormal activity was tied to the missing girl and he was not pleased by the idea that his team would have to break the news to her family 

With funding at an all-time low, the team quickly convinces David that a high-profile case is exactly what they need to pay the bills. 

Lost reminds us that there are things in this world that can't be readily observed and that often, what we see is only a ripple on the surface of a river of truth. Sometimes, the reality is more frightening than our nightmares.

I Watched The Haunting of Bly Manor (No Spoilers)

 

The Haunting of Bly Manor is a 2020Netflix horror series created by Mike Flanigan and loosely based on the Henry James work, "The Turning of the Screw". The series follows the success of The Haunting of Hill House which was a Netflix adaptation of Shirley Jacksons' work and stars several of the same actors.

As a paranormal author, I take my horror very seriously. I am rarely scared, so it's no surprise that nothing in the series disturbed my senses but that doesn't mean that it didn't chill me a bit.

At the end of the series, one character remarks to the narrator that the story isn't really a ghost story. She tells her that it was a love story. The narrator replies, "Same thing, really." and that's the true hook of it. The look, the feel, and the storyline are very much in tune with a gothic romance.

I chuckle a bit when I see headlines stating that "viewers are having trouble sleeping after watching the series" or that the show rates high on the Scare Meter but speaking with one of my less horror desensitized friends, I was told that she didn't want to watch the show alone.

For my part, I thoroughly enjoyed the series. It was well written with poetic narration and camera work that didn't miss a beat. The cast was exceptional and the story sucked me in until the end. 

Like Hill House, there are hidden ghosts interjected in to scenes of otherwise typical human interaction. This adds another level to the viewing experience but can serve to distract the viewer. After the third episode I conditioned myself to not look for the ghosts and focused on the story realizing that I could always plan a ghost hunt on a re-watch. 

If you haven't checked it out, it's definitely worth a watch.

Bonnie J Taylor

Author of The Haunted paranormal series of short fiction

Pandemic Thoughts

 I've been quiet during this pandemic. Possibly, too quiet, considering that it's my connection to you that allows me to do what I love, but, honestly, for the first time in my life, I don't know what to say.

We are all in a state of confusion. Some more than others, but it would be delusional to think that any one of us is exactly the same as they were prior to March, 2020.  The world feels surreal. We're putting on face coverings to leave our homes. Tragedy has hit some with the loss of income or worse, the loss of someone they loved. The rest of us are uncomfortably attempting to hold on to our ways of doing things. Work, school, even something as trivial as picking up the groceries has changed.

In my area, we were dealing with a pandemic and a hurricane at the same time. People who were meant to stay home and social distance had no electricity. (For me it was nine days with no power and two with no water). We're now waiting to see if 'Delta' is going to treat us the same way!

We are inundated with panic, conspiracy theories, a very strange election season, and no foreseeable end to these crazy times. So, what do we do? We remember the things that haven't changed. We focus on our passions. We love the people who we hold dear. We turn off the news, put down our cell phones, and use our energy in ways that bring us joy. These are the times to make memories. These are the times that define us. 

Sending light and love to everyone who reads this!

Bonnie J. Taylor

My Haunted Photo

The Haunted Collection

amazon.com/author/bonnietaylor

Share Your Story

In my experience I've found that most of us who are intrigued by the paranormal have had an experience or two of our own. Want to share your creepy encounter or ghost story? Send it to me for inclusion on the True Encounters page of this site. I will reply when your post is live so you can share the link with friends and family and show off your byline!

Available on Amazon

WIPS!

Currently working on Book Two of The Wisdom of Coyotes - "The Lure of the Priestess"

And Book Seven of The Haunted Collection - A Not Forgotten novella series featuring the Highgate Paranormal Research Society