Tag Archive | Island of the Forbidden

Jessica Backman Returns! SINISTER ENTITY and ISLAND OF THE FORBIDDEN Back in Print!

Wow, is this long overdue. When Samhain Publishing went the way of Beanie Babies, I had decided to keep the three Jessica Backman books for myself because, well, she’s my favorite character and I don’t want to share. In 2017, I re-released Forest of Shadows with a cool, new cover and promised the next two would be close behind. Boy, was I wrong…and late! But fear no more, the lost Jessica Backman books are lost no more! Guess it’s high time I wrote book 4.

How can you escape the ghost of yourself?

The Leigh family is terrified. They’ve been haunted by the ghostly image of their young daughter, Selena. But how can that be, when Selena is alive and well, and as frightened as her parents? With no where else to turn, the Leighs place their hopes in Jessica Backman, who has dedicated her life to investigating paranormal activity. Accompanied by a new partner who claims to able to speak to the dead, Jessica will soon encounter an entity that scares even her. And a terror far worse than she imagined.

Sometimes, the dead are best left in peace.

Jessica Backman has been called to help a strange family living on a haunted island in Charleston Harbor. Ormsby Island was the site of a brutal massacre two decades ago, and now the mysterious Harper family needs someone to exorcise the ghosts that still call it home. The phantoms of over one hundred children cannot rest.
But something far more insidious is living on the island. When the living and the dead guard their true intentions, how can Jessica discover just what sort of evil lurks on Ormsby Island? And why is Jessica the only one who can plumb its dark depths?

GRAB BOTH BOOKS FOR THE HOLIDAYS. SEE, SOMETHING GOOD DID HAPPEN IN 2020.

Psychic Abilities 101

I’ve long been fascinated by the possibility of psychic powers. My grandmother was said to have the gift, and I did witness a couple of grandma’s intriguing premonitions when I was growing up. It’s why I loved writing about Eddie Home in SINISTER ENTITY and ISLAND OF THE FORBIDDEN. If we only use 10% of our brains, what the hell is the other 90% capable of doing? Some day, what we see as the paranormal will be the common and everyday.

To enlighten us a little more on the psychic world, I’ve invited guest blogger Emmery Rose to share her expert insights. Read on, Hellions, and ask yourself, “Do I have the power?”


The most common psychic abilities

 

Our brain often plays tricks on us. We all have dreams, projections and thoughts. Humans are able to create different mental constructions which help them cope with tragedy or to understand things which are otherwise unexplainable. Sometimes, it is hard to separate real from imaginary. However, there are cases when we are almost certain that there is something out of the ordinary with our psyche.

Simply put, there are people who are more sensitive than others. They are able to perceive things which are otherwise hidden. According to some of the experts, this may be due to high spirituality. No matter the case, they are able to perform various incredible feats such as see the future, observe distant places, project thoughts into other people’s mind, sense other individual’s energy etc.

Over time, we managed to classify various psychic abilities. In some cases, there are very small differences between two powers. One thing is for sure; if a person has one power, there is a high chance that he will develop another, similar ability. It needs to be noted that psychic abilities are often genetically passed from parent to child.

Here is our list explaining the most common psychic abilities which can manifest in a gifted person.

  1. Seeing other people’s aura

First of all, we have to explain what aura is. This is an energy field surrounding a person, which comes in different colors. Each one of these colors represents a certain type of character. Gifted individual is able to perceive these colors instantly deciphering what kind of a person he is dealing with. Furthermore, even if person is unable to distinguish the meaning behind the colors, he will have instinctive feeling whether an individual is friendly or hostile and what kind of a behavior he can expect.

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  1. Mental or astral projection (as well as remote viewing)

Astral projection is the ability to detach your spirit from corporeal body and let it roam freely. It is something that is often practiced by Buddhist monks. Easiest way to do it is during meditation. Usually, this ability manifests itself during sleep. This is how most psychics notice that they have such a potential. Later on, it is possible to do it while being conscious, through focus and meditation. We also wanted to mention remote viewing. Although this is a different ability, it is very similar to projection. Here, individual is able to detach his spirit and see faraway places. The main difference between the two is that astral projection happens on a spiritual plane while during remote viewing spirit is attached to Earth plane.

  1. Death warning

This power is something that is overused in popular movies and media. How many times have you heard stories where a person misses his flight due to a hunch and later on, it turns out that airplane crashed? Like most other psychic abilities, you have to be very cautious not to mistake a normal concern or fear for a special power. Death warning is something that is really specific in its form. It is type of hunch that is almost debilitating. In fact, it is something that can happen only once or twice in your life in comparison to people who are fearful by nature and have the same feeling over and over.

  1. Precognition and retrocognition

Precognition and retrocognition are abilities to see the future and the past. Precognition is the ability to see future events. In some cases, the signs are not that clear and psychic may have issues finding meaning behind them. By the way, death warning is a type of precognition. Retrocognition requires a bit more explanation. As we mentioned, this is an ability to see the past. You might wonder, you already know your past so what is so special about it? That is the thing: when having a vision, person actually sees events which happened to someone else.

  1. Empathy

Empathy is often regarded as a psychic ability. Now, we are all human beings and we can relate to those who have problems. But, in case of an empath these feelings are much more intense. In fact, gifted person puts himself in the shoes of another. Another big misconception is that empathy only relates to absorption of feelings. This is incorrect. Empath is able to absorb other individual’s feelings, thoughts and to look things from his perspective.

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  1. Scrying and divination

Here are another two abilities which have much more similarities than differences. In fact, the main thing which sets them apart is the way they are performed and not the results provided. Both scrying and divination are ways to tell the future or to see distant things by looking into various objects. They help us discover meaning which is otherwise concealed. While divination can be regarded as the older practice, it also has a ritualistic value. It is something that was practiced for the benefit of a village, by a gifted individual. On the other hand, scrying is something that can be done on a daily basis and it doesn’t have a social character.

  1. Channeling

With this ability, individual is able to communicate with spirits of the dead. Channeling or mediumship is a procedure which is performed under special conditions. It is best if there are more people in the room to help out medium. Also, it is something that can be really dangerous if performed by a wrong person. During the process, psychic is able to get in touch with a dead individual. In some cases, he will be possessed by the spirit while sometimes he will only transfer the message.

  1. Telepathy

Another ability that has many similarities with other abilities, telepathy is the power to read minds and instill thoughts into another person. If we had to compare it, it has a lot in common with empathy. However, the telepathy is specific because it allows psychic to establish a mental two-way connection with an individual. Also, unlike empathy which is a one way street, this power allows psychic to instill thoughts into another individual.

Have in mind that these are just some of the abilities which gifted individual may experience. The list goes on and on. Nevertheless, always remember that these powers usually do not stand alone. Sometimes, you might experience more than one power. They are usually intertwined and it might be hard for you to establish what kind of ability you actually have. For some, initial exposure can be quite devastating. However, you have to realize that psychic abilities are something that can be trained and improved. By improving your focus and training your mind, you are able to develop them up to a point where you can effectively use them to help yourself and the others.


Bio: Emmerey Rose is a blogger from the Philippines. She loves blogging about beauty, fashion and mostly about psychic abilities and powers. She works as an assistant to the psychic medium at Backpackerverse.com. Backpackerverse offers great, in-depth articles on psychic readings and reviews.


Signed Copies Of The Entire Hunter Shea Library

Hey there Hellions! Are you all having fun roasting this summer? I know I am. This is what they mean by hell on earth.

I have a little something new for you this time around. I’m offering signed copies of my books that I will mail out to anyone interested in the United States (international shipping gets a tad too steep). Each book will only be $10, which includes shipping. I have a limited supply, but you can get your hands on personalized copies of THE MONTAUK MONSTER, TORTURES OF THE DAMNED, THEY RISE, THE DOVER DEMON, ISLAND OF THE FORBIDDEN, SINISTER ENTITY, FOREST OF SHADOWS, HELL HOLE and EVIL ETERNAL.

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I realize that even with going to a convention and book signing here and there, I’ll never get a chance to see everyone. I also know that most horror fans prefer printed books over ebooks (as do I). So if you’d like a book or two or more, send an email to huntershea1@gmail.com and we’ll take it from there. The books can be made out to you or friends and family as gifts (if you don’t particularly like your friends or family). All payments will go through PayPal to keep things nice and simple. Books will be sent on a first come, first served basis until the shelves are bare.

Dover Demon Large Cover  island-of-the-forbidden1

And if you already have a book that you’d like signed, you can send the book to me and I can mail it back for just $4. Email me first at the address above and send your book to :

Hunter Shea, PO Box 232, Yonkers, NY 10710

SinisterEntity  ForestOfShadows Cover

Best way to beat the heat is to settle down with a good book by the air conditioner. Or, you could read one of mine by a fan.

The Best Holiday Present Ever – Free Books!

All righty, I’m not exactly ho-ho-hoing just yet, but I am painfully aware of how few paychecks there are between now and the holiday season, no matter what day you celebrate. Sure, Festivus counts.

I’m going to make your shopping a wee bit easier. All subscribers to my Dark Hunter Newsletter are eligible to win several pretty cool gifts next month. First up, a 3 pack of signed Jessica Backman ghost novels. That’s right, FOREST OF SHADOWS, SINISTER ENTITY and ISLAND OF THE FORBIDDEN, all wrapped up and ready to go under the tree.

ho ho hoNext up is the 6 CD set of the audiobook of THE MONTAUK MONSTER, expertly done by the incredible cast at GraphicAudio. You’ve never heard an audiobook like it.

Last but not least, I’ll also be giving away one signed copy of TORTURES OF THE DAMNED.

And all you have to do is sign up for my newsletter. 

I also have some big publishing news to announce. Being a subscriber means you’ll be the first to know.

So, what are you waiting for? Help me play Santa!

Book Reviews To Get You All Caught Up

On the fence about picking up one of my 3 book releases this year? Take a gander at Erik Smith’s Low Budget Review show. He’s one of the few people out there doing video reviews of some of the best horror novels around. I think it’s pretty awesome that he takes the time to do this, with over 100 episodes loaded up on YouTube. I figured this is a great way for you all to get a preview of ISLAND OF THE FORBIDDEN, TORTURES OF THE DAMNED and THE DOVER DEMON.

Best part is that I never had to pay Erik off for a positive review. 🙂 Subscribe to his channel to get reviews on all of the latest horror has to offer. Erik, take it away, my good man…

TORTURES OF THE DAMNED

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“A terrifying read that left me wanting more. I absolutely devoured this book.” – Cemetery Dance

“One of the best novel’s I’ve read this year!” – The Horror Bookshelf

THE DOVER DEMON

Dover Demon Large Cover

“A fantastic monster story! Hunter Shea gets horror, and knows how to make it work.” – 2 Book Lovers Reviews

“This is my favorite monster novel of the year and I can think of few others in recent years that can rival it.” – Examiner.com

ISLAND OF THE FORBIDDEN

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“One of the top 10 books of 2015.” – iHorror

“A deep and great read.” – The Scary Reviews

Why You Shouldn’t Write Horror

Yes, that little piece of advice did come out of my mouth when I was on Jason Brant’s DRINKING WITH JASON. Jason’s a kick ass author as well who drives in the horror lane. He has a great concept for his show. He asked me what my favorite drink is at the moment, which for some reason has been Rolling Rock beer. We then sat down with a sixer and shot the shit for over an hour. During the show, we talk about our writing, movies, why The Shining is great as a book and a movie, true ghost stories and why Mama’s, don’t let your babies grow up to be horror writers. You don’t need Rolling Rock to enjoy the episode, but it can never hurt!

Jason also interviewed my Monster Men co-host, Jack Campisi. Check this out for sheer hilarity.

Find Your Next Great Read!

Night Owl Reviews has a pretty cool event going on March 1st through the 25th called FIND YOUR NEXT GREAT READ. I’m pretty darn excited to be part of the fun. Island of the Forbidden will be one of those featured reads. Here are the details :

Find great authors and books during this giveaway event! Read book blurbs and get entered to win awesome prizes!

For this scavenger hunt you will be reading book blurbs and filling in a missing word(s) from a sentence in the blurb.

You will be entered to win Amazon Gift Cards and eBooks.

Twitter #FindYourNextGreatReadHunt

Winner Announcement Chat: March 30th at 6pm PT / 9pm ET in our chat room

Night OwlThere’s also a scavenger hunt and Rafflecopter giveaway. Just click on the following link after March 1st to enter :

http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Blog/Articles/Find-Your-Next-Great-Read-Scavenger-Hunt-March-2015

For all you hardcore readers out there, this is custom made to feed your addiction! Come join the fun.

The Honeys of Hammer Horror In Your Hands

OK, I realize that was a bit of a cheeky title, but it’s true! The Monster Men take a deep dive into a wonderful book about the vixens of Hammer. It’s the ultimate coffee table book for horror fans. We also give some reading recommendations to warm up your cold winter nights.

Crack open a beer, turn down the lights and step into the Monster’s Lair!

A Video Preview of Island of the Forbidden

You know I can’t have a book release without the Monster Men discussing it over beers and peanuts (both off camera, of course). Get the inside scoop on Island of the Forbidden and how it relates to Sinister Entity and Forest of Shadows. When I wrote this one, I added a bunch of horror movie references. Jack and I discuss a few of the horror clues peppered throughout the book.

You’ll find that the little island I’ve created is no safe place for the likes of Gilligan and the Skipper. If you like a good ghost story with teeth, this is it.

Note on the set my favorite Christmas present – actual drive-in movie speakers! I have a dream of building a working mini drive-in in my yard some day. All will be welcome to watch classic flicks under the stars.

It’s a cold and windy day here in the northeast. With the wind, it’s been below zero for a few days. A perfect day to just sit and write and look at the ice and snow outside my window. I’m working on a new cryptid novel right now. The manuscript and I are in the honeymoon phase where everything is peaches and cream. That should end in a week or so, then it’s on to the real work in this relationship. I love my muse, but we don’t always see eye to eye.

What have you all been doing to stay warm? And for those of you who live in warm weather, when can we come visit?

Deep Discount on ISLAND OF THE FORBIDDEN and all Samhain Books

I just saw this on the back cover of Horrorhound Magazine’s issue #51 and their website. Both contain coupon codes where you’ll get 30% off any Samhain horror ebook. That means you can get a copy of my latest, ISLAND OF THE FORBIDDEN, for less than $4. That’s cheaper than a Big Mac in these parts, and I can assure you my book is better for your heart and cholesterol. You can use that same discount on last year’s #1 horror novel of the year, HELL HOLE, my true ghost novella, THE WAITING or the prequel to ISLAND, SINISTER ENTITY.

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This goes for other great titles that just came out by authors like Russell James (DREAMWALKER), Jonathan Janz (THE NIGHTMARE GIRL) and Glenn Rolfe (ABRAM’S BRIDGE) as well as upcoming books by Kristopher Rufty (THE LURKING SEASON), Catherine Cavendish (THE PENDLE CURSE ) and Sean Munger (DOPPELGANGER).

So, here are the codes you can use : HHP1501 or FMW1501. Take those codes to samhainhorror.com and pick up all your winter reading. Nothing beats a spooky book on a cold, blustery night.

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