Barbara Parks's Blog

After two and a half years of writing, re-writing, editing and tweaking, I’m delighted to announce that my first book has finally been released! September 8th marked the official release date, so for those in the US,  you should now be able to get your hands on a copy from your local bookstore…if they don’t have it, ask them to order it in! And for the rest of us in other parts of the world, we’ll have to wait a little longer to allow for shipping. Or you can just jump online and order it from Amazon.

I can’t begin to tell you how wonderful it feels to have fulfilled this  dream,  I’ve wanted to be an author for as long as I can remember. It really is my dream job; I have the most comfortable office in the world (my bed) and the best work uniform imaginable (my tracksuit!) And of course, my office is particularly enticing on rainy, wintry days which are just perfect for writing about all things ghostly…

I hope you enjoy the read and look forward to your feedback and comments. And if you’ve had ghostly experiences of your own, I’d love to hear all about them! Who knows, you may well find yourself in the pages of my next book…

 

Although I'm sure I must have written other stories beforehand, my earliest literary effort that I can remember was a grisly tale called Trial by Ordeal. By ten year-old standards, it was a gargantuan effort; easily filling five pages of my dog-eared exercise book. Inspired by a recent history lesson, it was replete with grim medieval imagery and culminated with the hero being wrongly punished for a crime he didn't commit. I'll spare you the gruesome details, but suffice to say, it involved vats of boiling oil, a fair bit of screaming and suppurative skin lesions. I imagine that these days, the same story would have earned its writer a hastily-made appointment with the school psychologist. But fortunately for me, things were a little more laid back in 1979...
My efforts were rewarded with a red-ringed A, the buzz of which instilled in me an ever-increasing desire to write. It was the first time that my abilities as a writer had been recognised; and I was delighted that my writing had pleased someone. But even more profound was the feeling that through writing, I could create people and worlds which would otherwise have never existed. I could also vent my innermost feelings, and by spilling my worries onto the page, they would somehow magically diminish.
And now thirty three years after Trial by Ordeal, I find myself on the eve of my first book release. As surreal as it seems, I can finally refer to myself as a bona fide author. It's a long-held dream coming to fruition, and some days I can scarcely believe it's true!
Roll on September 8th, you've been a long time coming!
In the Presence of Spirits

Although I’m sure I must have written other stories beforehand, my earliest literary effort that I can remember was a grisly tale called Trial by Ordeal. By ten year-old standards, it was a gargantuan effort; easily filling five pages of my dog-eared exercise book. Inspired by a recent history lesson, it was replete with grim medieval imagery and culminated with the hero being wrongly punished for a crime he didn’t commit. I’ll spare you the gruesome details, but suffice to say, it involved vats of boiling oil, a fair bit of screaming and suppurative skin lesions. I imagine that these days, the same story would have earned its writer a hastily-made appointment with the school psychologist. But fortunately for me, things were a little more laid back in 1979…

My efforts were rewarded with a red-ringed A, the buzz of which instilled in me an ever-increasing desire to write. It was the first time that my abilities as a writer had been recognised; and I was delighted that my writing had pleased someone. But even more profound was the feeling that through writing, I could create people and worlds which would otherwise have never existed. I could also vent my innermost feelings, and by spilling my worries onto the page, they would somehow magically diminish.

And now thirty three years after Trial by Ordeal, I find myself on the eve of my first book release. As surreal as it seems, I can finally refer to myself as a bona fide author. It’s a long-held dream coming to fruition, and some days I can scarcely believe it’s true!

Roll on September 8th, you’ve been a long time coming!

In The Presence of Spirits

I’ve had a few queries regarding kindle copies of In the Presence of Spirits, so here’s the lowdown! You can pre-order your copy NOW on Amazon and it’ll be delivered to your kindle this Saturday, September 1st. Best part is, it’s available for the special introductory price of $9.99 so be sure to take advantage of this great price and order it now!

Also, I would really appreciate it if you would take the time to rate and review my book once you’ve read it…the more reviews the better! Thanks ♥

I had an exciting delivery today… a stack of author copies of In the Presence of Spirits from Llewellyn! The paperback is now available on Amazon.com!

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In the Presence of Spirits is my soon-to-be released book about ghosts and the paranormal. It’s a true account of the haunting my family and I lived through in the 1980′s, including a disturbing spate of poltergeist activity which we endured for five years.

In the Presence of Spirits bears all the hallmarks of a Hollywood horror movie, except my story is very real. We experienced all the classic signs of a haunting; including inexplicable sounds and smells and household items moving of their own accord. As time went on the signs became more unmistakable; the manifestations more sinister. It also became apparent that the poltergeist’s focus was me. I was hissed at from the darkness and restrained by unseen hands. I was slapped and shoved; doors slammed in my face. Despite happening over twenty years ago, the memories are vivid and still make me shudder.

What are the repercussions of living through this kind of nightmare? Surely no one can emerge unscathed. In the Presence of Spirits takes the reader through the aftermath, to see what scars remained and the measures it took to heal them. What began as my personal horror story has evolved into a life-affirming path I am grateful to have traveled.

In the Presence of Spirits follows my journey from fear into the light, and the spirits I have met along the way. These encounters have been both frightening and inspiring, but all have enriched me and shaped the person I have now become.

I no longer consider myself unlucky to have attracted the attention of spirits, and feel privileged to be in a position whereby I have been given concrete proof that the spirit world exists. I now embrace these experiences as continual reminders that life is so much more than our material existence suggests, and relish my daily reminders that death is by no means the end.