Audio Book on Death, Dying, and Afterlife Coming Soon

I've had several requests for an audio version of my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. So, I've decided to create one and the project is currently in progress. I expect it to be ready in about 4 to 6 weeks.

Hear a sample now by clicking the arrow in the player below.

Purchase paperback on Amazon.com. It's also on Amazon as an e-book for those who have Kindle or Sony Readers.

Make the Voices in My Head Stop!

by Yvonne Perry

Recently, I have heard several parents and a teacher tell about children who hear voices in their heads. The adult’s responses range from being worried about the kids having a mental/emotional disturbance to accepting the child as being psychic and/or clairaudient. I’d like to share those stories as case studies to show how these voices can be eliminated or turned down.

Generally speaking, when a child hears voices or sees ghosts, it is usually an indication that he has wandered into the ghost world rather than the ghost actually seeking the child out to taunt him or her. If a child is trying to escape a situation for whatever reason, he may dissociate from present reality and wander into the realm where souls live who have not crossed over after departing from the body. Once a child has tapped into this realm, it is easy to continue to do so even without intending to. It is especially important for empathic children (and adults) to recognize their own vibrational resonance, but many are not able to discern what their own energy feels like enough to know when it has roamed into foreign territory or when their own energy field is being violated.

In one case study, a child told his teacher that the voices in his head come and go throughout the day but won’t stay away permanently. When the voices begin screaming, the boy holds his hands over his ears and cries, “The voices! The voices!” His mother told the teacher that this started happening when the boy was two years old.

The voices frighten the child but he says he can only make them go away temporarily in his “thinking” (telepathically) not his words. He has described to his mother people who have passed (that he didn’t know prior). One of these is the child’s grandpa (who is deceased) and he tells him to fight the voices. While I’m sure grandpa with his ghostly advice is well meaning, fighting is a form of resistance and will only serve to make the voices worse. By the way, I’m sensing that the grandpa has not crossed over because he feels a need to protect the grandson. The grandpa may be projecting his own fear onto the boy. And, the boy says that he was sent here to protect his mother.

Whatever we think about comes about. The universe will allow us to experience or attract more of whatever we focus our energy and attention upon. In this case study, once the voices started harassing this boy, he reacted with fear, which gives the entities the energy they need to continue their activity. Once the boy turned his attention to the voices, he expected them to continue bothering him—and they are happy to comply. Thus, he attracts more of the same. Obviously, this child is in tune with the other side and not just because he is in their territory. He is indeed psychic, and he needs to know how to turn off the voices. He has innocently been serving as a punching bag and laughing stock for ghosts and as a surrogate for his deceased grandpa’s fear, in addition to feeling responsible for his mother’s well-being. Such a huge emotional burden for a young child!

All children can be taught to stand in their personal spiritual power to protect themselves from this kind of ghostly nuisance. This is best done by inviting higher vibrating energy such as the Holy Spirit, angels, archangels, and ascended masters into their auric field. Part of the problem here is a lack of education. Unfortunately, most parents teachers, school counselors, and therapists are not trained to deal with psychic children who see ghosts or hear voices. The children of today are psychic like no other generation prior, and we have a responsibility to help them manage their intuitive gifts.

As adults, we can’t afford to stand by ignorantly and do nothing while these kids suffer. A child who is taught from a very early age to listen to their internal and higher vibrational guidance and establish a spiritual practice can avoid being bombarded by the negative chatter of the collective consciousness of Earth—that cluttered, confusing field of detrimental energy coming from the chaos of the thoughts and emotions generated by souls (in body and disembodied) on this planet.

By recognizing their own divine guidance, kids can immediately know when they are in contact with a voice of one who does not have their best interest at heart. The best thing you can teach a psychic child is that he is more powerful than any earthbound spirit and that ghosts have to adhere to any boundary we set with them. The great news is that all entities can be blocked or removed. However, if we believe that we or our clearing methods are powerless, we will attract the ghost right back to us. This is the law of attraction at work and as you can see, it applies to kids exactly the same way as it does adults. Consistently maintaining energetic boundaries and listening for the kind and loving intuitive voice within us will cause a shift in focus and bring about a pleasant change. No one deserves to have ghostly voices screaming in their heads. As with anything else, you can say no! Teach your children to do the same.

In a book that I wrote with Dr. Caron Goode, we discuss how to clear and protect your personal auric field and establish healthy boundaries with entities. While the book is written for energy-sensitive adults, the exercises can be done by any child who needs help shutting off the negative voices in his head. Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom From the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You (ISBN: 9780982572245), is a guidebook for empathic people who have been unknowingly carrying energetic burdens that belong to someone else. It will help readers learn to sense their own energy and let go of the bits and pieces of psychic clutter that does not belong to them. Learn more at http://whosestuffisthis.com/ .

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For more information, you might enjoy reading More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife.
Purchase on Amazon.com

My Aunt Kathryn's visit from the Afterlife

My Aunt Kathryn died of lung cancer November a year ago. Before she passed we talked about her visiting me from the afterlife and agreed that our sign that her spirit was near me would be a cameo or silhouette. She lived on Cameo Court when I was a teenager and I loved going to visit her there. Cameos and silhouettes are not often seen these days, which makes them ideal items for this purpose.

This past New Year's Eve I was in my office when I started smelling cigarette smoke. I thought it might be Kat so I said hello. Later that day, my husband and I were sitting in the living room when I started smelling cigarette smoke and felt someone playing with my hair. I didn't say anything. I just enjoyed knowing that my aunt was letting me know she was with me.

A few minutes later my husband asked, "Do you smell cigarette smoke?"

"Yes."

"Do you think your Aunt Kat is here?" he asked.

"Yes, I do."

At that moment, I felt a warm energy flow down the left side of my body draping me like a heated blanket, confirming that it was indeed her. So, maybe she couldn't find a cameo!

This past weekend I made a trip to Georgia to visit my parents and 94-year-old maternal grandmother, who lives with them. For days after getting back home, I've been thinking about Aunt Kat and wondering how her spirit might be enjoying the afterlife. I also kept craving a cigarette, which is odd since I'm not a smoker and never have been.

Yesterday I got an email from April Weltch Anderson on Facebook. She asked me to take a look at her new page. You simply must click this link to see what I found there! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Victorian-Diva/142904345775139

I love you Aunt Kathryn! Thank you for letting me know you are alive and well in spirit.

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For more information, you might enjoy reading my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase paperback on Amazon.com. It's also on Amazon as an e-book for those who have Kindle or Sony Readers.

We All Are Spirits of Eternal Life

I came across a wonderful Website with some very uplifting poetry about death and afterlife. Two poems of particular interest are "We All Are Spirits of Eternal Life" and "We Are Travelers Going Back and Forth Between This World and the Original World." I invite you to check out http://eng.lmr.cc/essence.html to read these beautiful thoughts.

As always, you are welcome to comment and interact with one another on this blog by leaving comments.

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For more information about death, dying, and afterlife, you might enjoy reading More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Author Writes Book from Messages Received from Son in the Afterlife

Author Gene Skaggs joins LavendarRose today on We Are One in Spirit Podcast to talk about some comforting messages he received from his son in the afterlife.

Gene has been a student of A Course in Miracles since 1979, and has written four books on the course titled: A Beginner's Glossary to a Course in Miracles, The Relationship Game Changing the Rules, 101 Questions and Answers on the Course, and Biblical Quotes from the Course Reinterpreted. Gene has been teaching the Course three times a week since 1988. He has a private counseling practice, does numerous talks and workshops throughout the county, and is a certified Psych-K facilitator.

In part one of this two-part interview, Gene discusses his latest book, Anderson Speaks. This book tells a story that began August 6, 2009, when at the age of 22, Gene’s son, Anderson, laid his body down. The next day, Anderson began giving his father numerous messages from the afterlife. The book contains those messages, plus tips on how to navigate the loss of a loved one, how to comfort those who have lost a loved one, stories of who Anderson was while he walked this planet, and messages for his generation.

Listen to part one by clicking on the small arrow in the player below.

The World is a Mirror of My Thoughts

The purpose of religion is to help us find that connection with God that we already (still) have and think we have lost but haven’t. Most religions teach that this connection was lost in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. The purpose of A Course in Miracles is to deliver us from the erroneous belief in separation that our egos have convinced us is true.

It impossible to be separated from God. But there is an illusion that the ego has created that makes us think we are. We are manifesting outwardly what we believe inwardly. Everything we see around us that we are not pleased with is part of our thought system that must be renewed by the Holy Spirit as He removes our wayward thoughts and bring truth to bear on every situation so that our external situation begin to mirror a more positive of who we truly are. When we change our internal thoughts, our world will change as well.

Click the small arrow in the player below to listen to part two in which Gene discusses A Course in Miracles and Psych-K. Psych-K gets the unwanted files out of the way so you can experience yourself as one with our Creator.

The book can be purchased as paperback or e-book through http://www.geneskaggs.com/ or on Amazon. Also available for Kindle Reader. You can read more about Gene here www.onemiracle.org or www.geneskaggs.com.

Sign up for Gene’s itinerary to learn where his next workshop will be: email onemiracle @ comcast dot net. As for the Course broadcast.
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You might enjoy reading More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife.
Purchase on Amazon.com

Can a Psychic Help You Contact Your Loved Ones?

here's nothing that puts the mind at ease better than having all the pieces to the puzzle. But, getting information--especailly from someone who has passed on--is not always easy. Harriette Knight can help.

Harriette Knight was my guest on We Are One in Spirit Podcast not too long ago. I think you will enjoy hearing her. She answered a listener question while on the show. She is a master healer, psychic-medium, author, and host of Harriette Knight's Psychic and Healing Hour radio show where she discusses metaphysical topics and answers psychic questions from callers. Her positive outlook on life and intuitive abilities have helped many people learn how to live a fuller and more purposeful life. She is a motivating speaker who through radio interviews, lectures, and workshops helps to enlighten others about their chakras and how to reclaim their personal power through balance and intuition.

Listen to Part 1 by clicking on the small arrow in the player below:

In part one, we discuss Harriette's healing ministry and How to Fire Up Your Chakras, an online course based on her book CHAKRA POWER! How to Fire Up Your Energy Centers to Live a Fuller Life. This eight-week comprehensive class on www.DailyOM.com includes written material, videos, and audio. It is very affordable--based upon what you can invest. She mentions a book titled The Reconnection ~ Heal Others, Heal Yourself, and I promised to provide a link in case you want to get a copy of it.

In Part 2, you will find out what your chakras do, and how they affect every aspect of your life. By following the tips and exercises in Harriette's book you will have the tools you need to become more intuitive, balanced, and fulfilled. This wonderful 120-page handbook is easy to read, interactive, and inspiring. The bonus section "ABALONE TO ZIRCON: The Meanings of the Stones You Wear," reveals definitions of over 50 gemstones, their healing properties, and the chakras they affect. Also included is your very own personal Journal to record your innermost feelings and thoughts.

Listen to Part 2 by clicking on the small arrow in the player below:

In Part 3 of the show we are going to give psychic readings for our listeners who submitted questions prior to today's show. Listen to Part 3 by clicking the small arrow in the player below.

Whether you are a beginner or deep into your spiritual practice, CHAKRA POWER! offers numerous tips and tools to fire up your energy centers so you can feel healthier, happier, and more alive!



Harriette is also a contributing writer for Scene in SCV where her column "Intuitive Thinking" covers such topics as meditation, psychic phenomena, healing, gemstones, and so much more. When she is not doing healing sessions and readings, Harriette designs a line of healing jewelry for her company, Charity Clarity Jewelry. All the jewelry is one-of-a-kind and infused with healing energy. A portion of the proceeds is donated to charity.

Web site: www.HarrietteKnight.com

Book Availability:
www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnoble.com
www.HarrietteKnight.com

There was one question for Julie that I forgot to ask Harriette during our call. Harriette has been kind enough to share her answer as a separate audio below.

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For more information, you might enjoy reading More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife.
Purchase on Amazon.com

I have published a new book that you might enjoy

My new book, WHOSE STUFF IS THIS? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You, launches with a virtual book tour during the month of March.

Anywhere there is a crowd of people, there is abundant energy, both positive and negative. Those who assist with victim protection, do police or detective work, have served in war zones, operate as healers, clergy members, or psychics, have careers at hospitals, clinics, or hospice centers deal with an overload of emotional energy. Many of them feel depleted, overwhelmed, nervous, depressed, or angry; they may feel as though someone is watching or following them; they may hear voices, see shadows, or have a difficult time finding mental or emotional peace. Many of these individuals know that something is not quite “normal” since not everyone is adversely affected by going into public and not everyone picks up on the thoughts, feelings, or pain of those around them to such a degree. They may not know they are carrying or attaching to someone else’s energy, but would love to stop the emotional, physical, and mental turmoil they encounter on a regular basis.
For those who experience this type of intuitive or empathic fatigue, Yvonne Perry’s book, WHOSE STUFF IS THIS?, provides spiritual exercises and information to help sensitive people distinguish their personal energy from that of another person; clear their energy field; raise their vibration; shield themselves from detrimental energy; and find relief from emotional storms and empathic fatigue.
“Being a well-developed empathic or intuitive person does not mean you have to stop showing compassion. Quite the contrary,” writes Nashville author Yvonne Perry in her new book. “But an empath must begin to care for their own needs before they can learn to use their intuitive ability as a tool for guidance without paying a personal price.”
With a foreword and a chapter contributed by psychotherapist, Dr. Caron B. Goode, ED.D., NCC, DAPA, this book provides a fresh perspective on the psychological aspect of empathy and intuition.

“Some of the characteristics that empaths display can also be diagnosed as ADD, agoraphobia, bipolar disorder, or clinical depression,” says Dr. Goode. “Most doctors and counselors are not aware that empathy fatigue exists, much less how to treat it, but this intuitive overload is a very real problem to energy-sensitive people.” Caron is the author of The Art & Science of Coaching Parents, Raising Intuitive Children, and Kids Who See Ghosts - Guide Them Through Their Fears.

Every sensitive person, regardless of how they come to interact with negative energy, could benefit from your book and learning how to detach and screen out the emotions and pain of others while remaining compassionate and effective as a healer or friend, mother, or coworker.” says Denise Demaras, an artist and holistic spiritual health counselor, who endorses the book. “So many people don't understand how or even notice the effect that others have on their moods or health. Suddenly they are mean and cranky, sad or sick, every time they are in the company of a certain person.”

From February 28 through March 28, Yvonne plans to be a guest on more than twenty blogs where she will post helpful material. From how and why she wrote and published the book, to informative articles on empathy, intuition, spiritual/psychic gifts, and exercises to help energy-sensitive people clear and protect their auric fields, all visitors will read something new each day as they follow the tour from blog to blog. Audio clips, YouTube videos, written interviews, radio interviews, book excerpts, and media releases are also planned in the lineup. Yvonne will be available at each blog for readers to ask questions. See the tour schedule at http://tinyurl.com/EmpathTour.

Yvonne is a graduate of American Institute of Holistic Theology where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Metaphysics. For forty years she was enmeshed with the dogma of religion that her family and church leaders passed down to her. Before she had a label for her empathetic ability, she called herself a prayer warrior. While praying for others she took on their suffering until it severely challenged her emotional and physical well-being. Embracing a different path and belief system, she now openly uses the gift of empathy to help others heal their lives. See her full bio at http://weare1inspirit.com.
 
PURCHASE paperback book, Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings,and Energy of Those Around You at http://tinyurl.com/EmpathAmazon. The e-book version is also available for Kindle, iPhone, iPad, and other digital reading devices.

Anna Maria Prezio Talks about Ghostbusting

Anna Maria Prezio joins LavendarRose on We Are One in Spirit Podcast to discuss why ghosts like to be around humans. Both Anna Maria and LavendarRose are empaths who interact with the spirit world in a loving and non-confrontational manner to create balance and well-being. You will enjoy hearing about some recent visitations LavendarRose had and how she set boundaries to keep one away and spent a few moments chatting with the ghost of a friend who came by to check on her grandson. Anna Maria will talk about how she clears houses of ghosts using feng shui.

Anna Maria Prezio, Ph.D., is a Certified Feng Shui Consultant, bestselling author and intuitive. She has studied with a multitude of feng shui masters and metaphysical gurus. She has devoted herself to helping others achieve optimum positive environmental energies. She has done this through hundreds of feng shui audits, readings and consultations on a local, national and international level.

Over many years of feng shui consultations, Anna Maria Prezio was able to make the connection between negative energy and the presence of ghosts in an environment. In her book she explain this radical concept in an easy–to-read practical guide on how to apply feng shui principles to ghost-busting.

Confessions of a Feng Shui Ghost-Buster is the result of a life-long journey that begins in a tiny village in Italy and has yet to truly end. To help you understand this journey – and benefit from the lessons learned along the way – the book is divided into three parts.

Part I will capture your attention with a ghostly first experience of an intuitive and vulnerable 6 year-old child. The culture and experiences of the author growing up in a rural and mystical village in Italy where ghostly occurrences and stories were part of every day life serve to set the stage for what would be a life long study of the mystical and the Divine.

Part II describes Feng Shui, like medicine, as both an art and a science. Here, the definitions and different sects of Feng Shui are discussed to provide a backdrop for the connection between environmental balance and the appearance of ghosts. You will learn how mastery of Feng Shui helps us to understand the occult, or hidden knowledge, as it applies to all aspects of our life here on earth.

With the formation of a solid foundation and understanding of this art and science, Part III delves deeper into the correlation between environment and entities with ideas, cures and stories about ghost-busting as a result the author’s direct and extraordinary experience.

This book – part memoir, part guide – promises to intrigue you from cover to cover. However, the price of admission to this world is an open mind. In return, you will not only better understand yourself, but the metaphysical world in which you live.

You can read more about Anna Maria Prezio here http://www.prezio.com/.

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For more information, you might enjoy reading More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife.
Purchase on Amazon.com

Too Much Empathy Can Hurt

Virtual Tour for Empaths

I hope we empaths don't get overstimulated in the process, but my friends and I are going on a book tour together for my new book, Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You. It's not a typical book tour that drives all over town from one bookstore to another signing copies of the book. Instead, it is an online blog tour and you are cordially invited to come along with me as I drop by more than twenty blogs.

At each stop, I will leave audio clips, video clips, written interviews, links to radio interviews, book excerpts, media releases, and content-rich articles. Visitors get to read something new each day as they follow the book tour from blog to blog.

Topics include the following:

• Authors Must Learn to Sell What They Write
• Clearing Your Energy Field
• Detaching Politely Before You Reach Your Limit
• Empathic Babies, Children, and Teens
• How I Published My Book on Empathy Fatigue
• Identifying Your Own Energy
• Setting Boundaries with People
• Stories from an Empath
• Why I Wrote a Book for Empaths
• 5 Steps for Developing Your Intuition
• Characteristics of an Untrained Empath
• Difference Between Empathy and Intuition, The
• Excerpts from the book
• Gift of Intuition Reveals a Sister’s Secret, The
• Influence Ghosts Have Upon Human Emotions, The
• Make the Voices Stop!
• Psychology of Empathy, The
• Q&A Interview with the Author
• Temper Tantrums ~ An Opportunity to Teach Your Child How to Process Emotions
• There’s a Ghost in Our House. Can We Keep Him?
• Understanding Empathy
• What Is an Empath?
• When Fear Turns into an Anxiety Problem
• Why I Chose to Self-publish My Book About Empathic Overload

Here is the tour schedule:

• Join the pre-tour warm-up on Wednesday, February 23 as Dr. Caron Goode and Yvonne Perry chat with @LynnSerafinn on Garden of the Soul Radio at 6 p.m. UK Time, 1 p.m. Eastern Time.
• Another running start for the tour is on Saturday, February 26 Joyce Shafer will share an article in her State of Appreciation Newsletter: http://stateofappreciation.webs.com// Follow @JoyceShafer.
• Monday, February 28 - The Shift Guru Barbara Joye will host an article by Yvonne titled "5 Steps for Developing your Intuition" http://shiftguru.wordpress.com/. Follow @TheShiftGuru.
• Tuesday, March 1 - Joanne Sprott (@muselady11) will host Yvonne on Beyond Words Radio Show at Believe in the Moment radio http://www.believeinthemoment.com/bitm-radio.html.
• Wednesday, March 2 - Carol Denbow (@author101) will share an article titled “Why Yvonne wrote the book” on her blog, A Book Inside http://abookinside.blogspot.com/.
• Thursday, March 3- @positivepresent Dani will post an article: "Psychology of Empathy" on her blog, Positively Present http://www.positivelypresent.com/.
• Friday, March 4 - Irene Conlan @ieconlan has an article: "Setting Boundaries with People" to share on The Self Improvement Blog.
• Saturday, March 5 - Shelagh Jones @SpiritusShelagh will be hosting an audio interview with Yvonne for her Spiritus blog.
• Sunday, March 6 - Penny Ehrenkranz @pennyehrenkranz Article: "How Yvonne Published the Book" on One Writer's Journey http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/
• Monday, March 7 - Doreen Pendgracs @wizardofwords will be sharing an article from Yvonne titled: "Why I Chose to Self-publish My Book About Empathic Overload." See http://doreenisthewizardofwords.blogspot.com/
• Tuesday, March 8 - Nickolove Lovemore @nickolove Skyline Coaching Blog http://www.skylinecoachingblog.com/ has a video clip, an excerpt from the book, an article “Clearing Your Energy Field,” and a book review.
• Wednesday, March 9 - Callie Carling @moonpoppy shares a video, book review, and article on her blog, Empowered Healer http://www.empoweredhealer.co.uk/
• Thursday, March 10 - Irene Conlan (@ieconlan) hosts Yvonne on The Self Improvement Radio Show.
• Friday, March 11 - Dr. Caron Goode @parent_coach shares an interview with Yvonne & a video on the Academy for Coaching Parents International http://academyforcoachingparents.com/blog/
• Saturday, March 12 - Dr. Caron Goode will be joining Shelagh Jones @SpiritusShelagh for an audio interview about the psychology of empathy. See Spiritus blog.
• Monday, March 14 - Soulmate Coach Crystal @soulmatecoachc shares an article about detaching politely http://www.soulmatecoachcrystal.blogspot.com/
• Tuesday, March 15 - Lisa Jackson @lisajjackson shares her question & answer interview on Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/
• Wednesday, March 16 - Pat Bertram @PatBertram has an article, “ Stories from an Empath,” on Dragon My Feet: http://dragonmyfeet.wordpress.com/
• Thursday, March 17 has two stops: Elizabeth Bennett @PeerAbuse will post an article: “Empathy in Children and Teens” on http://www.peerabuse.blogspot.com/ AND Barbara Techel @joyfulpaws shares a YouTube video on Joyful Paws http://www.joyfulpaws.typepad.com/
• Friday, March 18 - Barbara Joye (@TheShiftGuru) will share her interview with Yvonne on her Creative Cafe Radio Show: www.blogtalkradio.com/shiftguru.
• Monday, March 21 - Reno Lovison Marketing Communications Services presents an article “Authors Must Learn to Sell What They Write” on his Business Card to Business Blog: http://businesscardtobusiness.com/blog. Follow @renoweb
• Tuesday, March 22 - Anne Lyken-Garner @esther96 has a media release on http://www.abloggersbooks.com/
• Wednesday, March 23 - Dr. Caron Goode @parent_coach presents a book excerpt and press release on her blog, Kids Who See Ghosts http://kidswhoseeghosts.com/blog/.
• Thursday, March 24 - Faith Ranoli interviews Yvonne on @positiveradio Heart and Home Radio Show http://healthylife.net/RadioShow/archiveHH.htm
• Friday, March 25 - Vonnie Faroqui @inkslngrswhmz has an article on Ink Slinger's Whimsey blog http://inkslingerswhimsey.blogspot.com/
• Monday, March 28 - Dr. Caron Goode @parent_coach shares a book excerpt on Raising Intuitive Children blog http://raisingintuitivechildren.com/blog/.

Proof of the Afterlife - The Conversation Continues

Los Angeles, California, February 10, 2011 – Mercy Books announces the release of its new book, years in the making – Proof of the Afterlife - The Conversation Continues.

It’s a true story about one man's crossing over to the Other Side in September of 2005, when, after an out of control heart arrhythmia at 1:15am, he wakes up dead in the afterlife, and comes back thirty minutes later to tell about it. In the words of his family physician, "Dude, you have been somewhere very few people ever return from." Since that time, this book also chronicles his somewhat unusual daily life - one of frequent God-encounters, and visits from the other side by family and friends on a mission to facilitate love, mercy, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Contact the author directly for media interviews and speaking engagements. Get your own personal copy of the book at http://www.servantsofthefather.org/buy_proof_of_the_afterlife . Come along for your own hope-filled journey into the reality of eternal life. Do you know people who are struggling with family, relationships, terminal illness or just life in general? This book will lead you to concrete, indisputable, life-changing and reassuring facts: God is real! He is alive and well, and in control. Your family and friends who have passed on are very much alive. They love you and are waiting for you to come home.

Cautionary Note: While reading Proof of the Afterlife – The Conversation Continues, God-encounters may be possible, weeping and grieving may occur, and peace may flood your soul. Uncontrollable laughter and joy may follow!

All the proceeds of Mercy Books go to benefit the homeless in America. Contact the author today for media interviews and speaking engagements at Contact@ServantsoftheFather.org.

The book retails for $19.95 and is available for direct customer ordering by calling 1-800-BookLog (266-5564) or on the Internet at http://www.servantsofthefather.org/buy_proof_of_the_afterlife. Beginning March 1, 2011, it will also be available at all Barnes and Noble Stores, BarnesandNoble.com as well as Amazon.com.

Contact: Author, Br. Gary Joseph

Contact@ServantsoftheFather.org

http://www.servantsofthefather.org/

http://www.homelessinamerica.blogspot.com/

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For more information, you might enjoy reading More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife.

Purchase on Amazon.com

Methods to Help Highly-sensitive People Shield Themselves from Detrimental Energy

Humans are connected in many ways: the air we breathe, our basic needs and physiology, and energetically/spiritually. No one feels the power of this connection more than the energy-sensitive people, known as empaths, who unknowingly pick up on the detrimental thoughts, feelings, and even the illnesses of others and their environment. Many carry this negativity as if it were their own. In fact, some empaths are so burdened with the energy of others, they are no longer aware of what their own energy feels like. Mysterious illnesses, anxiety attacks, hearing voices, seeing shadows, feeling negative, fearful, anger, or having an impending sense of dread,— you name it, they feel it. And most empathic people have no idea where this stuff is coming from.

“Around your physical body, there is a magnetic shield of energy known as your aura. Its purpose is to provide protection and gather energy and information as you interface with your environment. In grade school, we were taught to keep our hands to ourselves. The same is true with the energy field surrounding our body,” writes Nashville author Yvonne Perry in her new book, WHOSE STUFF IS THIS? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You.“Ideally, your energy field should be kept two to three feet from your body, but many untrained empaths unknowingly allow their aura to extend and blend with the energy fields of others who have lax boundaries around their auras. When empathic people tap into the thoughts or emotional impulses of another person, the intuitive gift of empathy (much stronger than heart-felt compassion) reaches in and absorbs energy in an effort to heal or ‘fix’ whatever is out of sync. In doing so, the empath can become contaminated with unhealthy energy. Unfortunately, most of them do not know how to clear the psychic clutter in their auric field.”

Yvonne is joined by psychotherapist Dr. Caron B. Goode, ED.D., NCC, DAPA to provide a fresh perspective on the psychological aspect of empathy and intuition. “Some of the characteristics that empaths display can also be diagnosed as ADD, agoraphobia, bipolar disorder, or clinical depression,” says Caron. “Most doctors and counselors are not aware that empathy fatigue exists, much less how to treat it, but this intuitive overload is a very real problem to energy-sensitive people.” Caron is the author of  Raising Intuitive Children and Kids Who See Ghosts - Guide Them Through Their Fears.

“Yvonne Perry's book thoroughly explains the process of being an empath in today's world. She provides cognitive, emotional, physical, energetic, and spiritual explanations for the origin of deep empathy, while sharing her own amazing story and the stories of others,” says transformational coach Gini Grey. “This book offers an array of powerful techniques to help empathic people create healthy boundaries, stay balanced, and release other people's energy and emotions from their personal space. This book is a must read for anyone and everyone who is sensitive to the thoughts, moods and problems of those around them.” Gini is the author of FROM CHAOS TO CALM: How to Shift Unhealthy Stress Patterns and Create Your Own Balance in Life.


Yvonne is a graduate of American Institute of Holistic Theology where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Metaphysics. For years she was enmeshed with the dogma of religion that her family and church leaders passed down to her. Before she had a label to put on her empathetic ability, she called herself an intercessor. While praying for others she empathically took on their suffering until it severely challenged her emotional and physical health. Embracing a totally different path and belief system, she now openly uses the gift of empathy to help others heal their lives. See http://WhoseStuffIsThis.com

Do Not Stay at My Grave and Weep

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For more information, you might enjoy reading More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife.
Purchase on Amazon.com

Are You Energy Sensitive?

If you are empathic (energy sensitive) enough to know when a loved one is communicating with you from the afterlife, you are probably sensitive to a lot more environmental energy than you realize. My new book, Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings,and Energy of Those Around You, is for people who are adversely affected by detrimental energy.

With more than two dozen proven and effective ways to clear your energy field, this guidebook employs empowering, proactive techniques to manage your own energy. With a chapter on the psychology of empathy by Dr. Caron Goode, this book presents the personal story of how I learned to psychically protect myself.

• Shield yourself from unwanted energy as you develop emotional intelligence
• Offer compassion without paying a personal price
• Set boundaries and detach from environmental stimuli including the energy of people and entities
• Raise your vibration to a level that makes you invisible to lower-vibrating energy

I will be on tour during the months of February and March to let others know about this book. You are welcome to join me as I post informative articles and videos about intuition, empathy fatigue, energy overload, setting boundaries with  entities, developing your intuition, the influence ghosts have upon human emotions, how to make the voices stop, the psychology of empathy, what to do if there’s a ghost in your house, and several question and answer sessions with me.

See the tour schedule at http://whosestuffisthis.blogspot.com/

The e-book version is now available on Amazon.com for Kindle, iPhone, iPad, and other digital reading devices. $9.99

If you prefer the PDF version, it is available through PayPal. Click the Buy Now button (below) to add it to your cart.

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Please subscribe to my empathy blog to get a message when the printed version of this book is ready. Pub date is February 15.

Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and En...

My new book about being an empath is ready for Kindle Reader on Amazon. The printed copy will be available in February. Here is a video to let you know what the book is about and what others are saying about it. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think of it.

The e-book version is now available on Amazon.com for Kindle, iPhone, iPad, and other digital reading devices. $9.99

If you prefer the PDF version, it is available through PayPal. Click the Buy Now button (below) to add it to your cart.

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Please subscribe to my empathy blog to get a message when the printed version of this book is ready. Pub date is February 15.

A Second Chance to Go into the Light

by Caron Goode

We all tend to by fascinated by what the afterlife holds. Do they cross over into the light? Do they go to a place called heaven or hell? Do they stay earthbound?

No one knows for sure what happens to people after they die, but some of the best answers to these questions comes from mediums who interact with ghosts. I have had some direct experiences that have given me first-hand information, and I have tapped into the other side many times in my intuitive work with clients over the years. Some are children, who give information that sheds light on this topic.

When we first leave the body, we retain the persona of that lifetime but eventually we cross over and get into our higher soul awareness that incorporates all the persona's we've had from all lifetimes.

From what I’ve read in When Ghosts Speak by Mary Ann Winkowski, the tunnel of light is opened at the moment of death and this window of opportunity remains open for a short while in which a soul can make a choice to go into the light or stay in the earth plane. Some people cross over almost immediately upon transitioning, probably because they were more spirituality evolved and had all their loose ends tied up. Others take too much time deciding and miss their chance and thus become earth bound.

Mary Ann is the consultant for the creators of the CBS show, The Ghost Whisperer, in which Jennifer Love Hewitt stars. Mary Ann has seen and communicated with earthbound souls since she was four years old and is known for being able to create the light and give earthbound souls a second chance to cross over. In her book, she gives several reason why souls do not cross over immediately:

• They are attached to things such as jewelry, cars, houses, furniture, or places where they lived, found comfort, or died

• They fear judgment or punishment on the other side

• They are seeking revenge or pursuing justice

• They want to protect the living

• They are busybodies who don’t want to leave

We have free will while in body on Earth, and we still have free will in the afterlife. So it’s really up to us to choose whether to cross over or stay earthbound. For souls who missed their first window of opportunity, Mary Ann says they can find a second chance at a funeral home, graveside service, or morgue where lies a body that has recently died. The passage of light that is there for that soul can be shared by other souls. This is good information to have if you are one who is visited by ghosts seeking help with crossing over.

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For more information, you might enjoy reading More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife.
Purchase on Amazon.com

Mommy, Who Is That Lady Standing Over There?

Most psychics and mediums I interviewed for my book, Kids Who See Ghosts, agreed that ghosts are the spirits of persons who have passed out of a body, but have not yet moved on to higher planes of consciousness. Those who see apparitions say ghosts present themselves in human form. Nature spirits (also called fairies, gnomes, elves, and leprechauns) are energy beings that children see and interact with, especially in their preschool years. Those who see them describe them as tiny creatures with seemingly translucent wings or a blinking little light with wings.

When a child sees an apparition she may ask something like, "Mommy, who is that lady standing over there?" or “What is that man doing in our house?"

Of course when adults try to see who the child is talking about they see no one, yet the child insists someone is there. They may also report seeing ghosts in their dreams, hearing things go bump in the night, having monsters under their bed, ghosts in the closet, or someone peeking in their window. This can be scary for adults as well as children. As a counselor, I know the worries parents have over helping their children feel safe in their own environment.

Don’t ignore your child's fears. It is important to her emotional development for you as a parent to eliminate such things as ghosts, monsters, and weird noises. Criticizing her about monsters or saying "there is no such things as ghosts” does not help her overcome fear. She will simply stop telling you about her experience, which may cause her even more stress.

One thing that will help reduce your child's fear is to show how calm you are about such things. Children take their cues from adults—especially their parents—and if we are upset about ghosts and strange noises, then our children will learn to fear those things too. Try to offer a logical explanation that the child can understand.

Regardless of whether or not you believe in ghosts, you can take charge of the situation. Smudge your house with sage to banish entities, do battle with the monster under the bed, or have a good, firm talk with the invisible man who keeps tapping at your child’s bedroom window. It might also help to turn on a night light in the child’s room, let her take a flashlight to bed, or play some soft music at night so she can’t hear ghostly activity.

Since science cannot prove nor disprove the existence of spirit beings, parents can’t honestly tell a child that ghosts or other spirit beings don't exist. Perhaps we should listen to our children and simply accept what they say they see.

© 2010 by Dr. Caron Goode, the award winning author of Raising Intuitive Children and the international best-seller, Kids Who See Ghosts, guide them through their fear. Dr. Goode is the founder of the Academy for Coaching Parents (acpi.biz) that trains and certifies professional parenting coaches. Reach Dr. Goode for speaking or training at caron30 @ gmail.com.

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For more information, you might enjoy reading More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife.
Purchase on Amazon.com

Entity Contamination

As we approach the year 2012, more and more people are opening up to the spirit realm that has always been around us. This can be quite disturbing especially for one who has not been aware or able to interact with spirits prior to having some sort of spiritual awakening. Like the woman who called me this morning. She had found me on my metaphysical Web site and thought she was undergoing a walk-in experience.

While chatting with her I began to sense the presence of a malicious entity and knew that regardless of whether or not she was a walk-in, she was going to have to deal with this disembodied spirit. For the past six months she has constantly heard two cruel voices in her head; she has recently begun to lose her memory--sure signs that her auric field is being contaminated. I sensed that she was very sane, but also fearful, which is the energy hateful disembodied spirits feed off of.

Had I been in the mindset I was twelve years ago, I would have attempted to "cast out" these detrimental spirits or disconnect them from her, but now I know that resisting and fighting increases this kind of activity because it forces the victim to focus on them--thus giving them more power. Rather than telling her to fight or even listen to the voices, I encouraged her to shift her focus onto the light and love within her and to seek the help of her angels, archangels, ascended masters, and higher vibrating spirit guides. By standing in her own power, she gains the skills needed to manage the psychic abilities that are more than likely going to continue to increase. Therefore, it is important for her to learn to access the spiritual realm without paying a personal, emotional, or physical price.

Because I understand where people (like this woman) are coming from and I have arrived at a place in my life where I can offer comfort and methods for dealing with entity contamination, I have written a book titled Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom From the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those Around You (ISBN: 9780982572245). This is a guidebook for empathic people who have been unknowingly carrying energetic burdens that belong to someone else. It will help readers learn to sense their own energy and let go of the psychic clutter that causes them distress. The book will be available in February 2011. Learn more or subscribe to get a notice when the book is in print at http://tinyurl.com/WhoseStuff.

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For more information, you might enjoy reading More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase on Amazon.com

Greiving Less by Being Around People

When my grandfather passed in 1988, my grandmother had a difficult time adjusting. What helped her most was to stay busy doing things with and for our family.  We took her to the beach that following summer just to get her out of the house and into a change of scenery. She never set foot on the beach, but she loved staying in the motel, cooking meals for the rest of us. We loved having her and I think it gave her a new perspective on life without Pap.

Even though it's been twenty-two years since his death, my grandmother (Nanny is now 94 years old) still gets a little melancholy around the holidays. Rightly so. She has a lot of loved ones waiting for her in the afterlife. Two of her five children are no longer in body--one daughter passed three days before Thanksgiving last year. Nanny's last remaining sibling, a dear sister whom she daily spoke with on the phone, passed a few months ago. Her loss is still very real. Even though Nanny can't get out much (she broke her hip two years ago and is only able to walk a few steps to get from bed to wheelchair) and is very hard of hearing, she desires to be around people. She has always been a very social person. She lights up when her grandkids, great grandkids, and great-great grandkids come to visit.

If she was able to get about more easily, I'm sure she would enjoy being part of a group and do things with people. I recently discovered our local senior citizens center and was surprised at all the opportunities they offer for connecting around fun projects. Not only do they have quilting and crocheting groups (I love both of these crafts) they have a beauty shop, low-impact aerobics, work out equipment, walking trails, computer classes, a cafeteria, a chorus/choir, and a drama club—they put on shows for the community! Plus, they take field trips together all over the state. The charge is like $10 per month, so it is very affordable.

Being around people is a good way to take your mind off the constant grieving. I think this type of activity would be a huge benefit to a grieving senior person. What do you think?

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For more information, you might enjoy reading More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife.
Purchase on Amazon.com

Grieving a Miscarriage

Mary Martin is our guest blogger today as she shares a touching story about how a little girl dealt with the death of her unborn baby sister when her family did not address the issue.


The Ice House

by Mary Martin

That's an old photograph of me taken the summer I turned nine. Squinting at the camera, I look as if I'm ready to run. Behind me, you can see a boy, several years older with dark curly hair and a pinched expression. That's my brother, Paul. You can tell from the tilt of the camera, that my older brother Pete took the picture.

We stayed in a small cottage high up on the rocks. To get to the water, we had to climb down a long rickety, staircase that arched its way among the bleached white rocks to the narrow beach below. One afternoon, coming out of the water, I felt something soft and thick on the back of my leg. I tried to brush it off.

Paul started laughing. "It's a worm, Francie!"

Pete tried to knock it off with a stick, but it wouldn't come.

I ran up the staircase as fast I could. In the cottage, I tried to stop my short, panicky sobs. Horror slowly spread across Mom's face as she tried to peel the black blob from my leg. Aunt Margaret got the salt and Dad poured it on the worm. Slowly, the creature curled smaller and dropped off. For days, I couldn't help fingering the long dent under the bandage made by the blood sucker. It seemed like a big chunk of me was missing. I wasn't allowed to go swimming for a while, but I didn't really want to.

The best part about the cottage was the ice house. Beyond the road running behind the cottage was a low building set in among the pine trees, which seemed to rise up forever. A man from the lodge would come every few days in his truck to unload the large blocks of ice for the cottagers. Made of old pine boards hammered together, the ice house kept listing dangerously to one side. The damp smell of sawdust drew you in. Waves of cold from the big blocks of ice strewn across the floor froze you solid. With the door pulled shut, the darkness inside was broken by bright knotholes of sunshine streaming in. Paul and I spent many afternoons defending the ice house with our stick rifles thrust through the holes. Holding our breath, we waited for the enemy attacks.

I was always liked playing with Paul, but it didn't happen often. He thought I was too little. But he had the best games, even though some of them were really strange. Because Mom was expecting the new baby late that summer, she was pretty tired and we weren't supposed to bother her. So, I hung around Paul a lot.

One afternoon, I asked Paul, "What do you think it'll be like with the new baby?"

Paul threw down his stick rifle and stared at me. "Who cares?" His face scrunched up. "Smarten up, Francie! You think it'll be like playing with your dumb dolls." With his face all pinched and angry, he started across the floor at me. "Well, it won't. Everything will be different."

He pushed me hard and I fell back against the huge iron tongs hanging on a nail by the door. He backed away. I could tell from his smile, he was thinking something up.

"You know, they torture people in here with those tongs," he said slowly. His glance forbade challenge.

"They take ice to the cottages with them." I insisted. Then, trying to sound grown up, I said, "Everyone knows that."

"Boy, are you dumb!" Paul shook his head slowly and peered out the knothole."Everyone knows that!" he mimicked.

Then he whispered so low I could hardly hear him. "They do it out here only at night, when babies like you are asleep."
Paul pretended to concentrate on the enemy. Even though I couldn't see his face, I decided to call his bluff, which wasn't easy for me. "How do you know? Mom and Dad don't let you out here at night."

Slowly, my brother turned away from the wall. The stream of sunlight illuminated his piteous expression. He sighed deeply. "Don't you know anything? You can sneak out once dad starts snoring."

Slowly, he reached up and lifted the tongs from the nail. They were so heavy, he almost stumbled. "Listen, if you stop acting like a stupid little kid, you can come tonight at midnight." Just like Paul to throw down the challenge.

"They heat the tongs up over a fire, before they use them." he added.

"Fire?" I thought I had him now. "There aren't any fires around here at night," I said.

With a grin, Paul turned on me in the doorway. "See what I mean? That's exactly what a baby would say." Then he was off, running ahead of me toward the cottage.

That night I lay in bed waiting for midnight and thinking about what Paul had said about the baby. I was still trying to figure out how babies were made. Mom wasn't much help. Something about bees and flowers. When Aunt Margaret tried to tell me, I got even more confused.

I liked Aunt Margaret a lot. If I had any idea of myself as a grown up woman, Aunt Margaret was everything I wanted to be. She had long, dark hair which was so shiny, I always wanted to touch it. When she laughed, it was a deep, husky laugh which hinted at something I didn't understand, but wanted to imitate. Sometimes I listened to her and Mom talking. Aunt Margaret was a nurse and I heard her talking about girls getting rid of their babies, at the hospital. I didn't believe it. Babies got sick and mothers got them better.

Finally, it was midnight. With the flashlight, I picked out the path through the bushes. When I crept into the ice house, it was really cold and still.

Paul's voice was harsh and tense. "Turn that thing off!" he hissed. I did. We were in darkness until my eyes adjusted. I could barely see him behind a huge box-like shape.

"Now," he whispered, "I'm going to show you how they heat up the tongs. They'll be here pretty soon."

"Who's coming?" I asked, not moving from the doorway.

"Them. All the members of the Secret Society!"

I heard a metallic click and then smelled the sick smell of lighter fluid. Paul had taken Dad's lighter. When the candle flickered, I could see. Paul’s grinning face, like a skull. What had looked like a box, really was one, except it was cut out in a funny shape and looked like an altar. The tongs were laid across the top of the box. Carefully, he set the candle underneath the one end of the tongs.

Sitting back, with great satisfaction, he said, "Now we wait."

"Wait for what?" I asked.

Paul looked at me in disgust. "I shouldn't have let you come. You're just too little for this! I said they'd be here and I have to be ready with the tongs."

Paul scuffed his foot and knocked the box over. The candle tipped sideways. The box began to dance in flames. I thought it was part of the plan, but his gasp told me it wasn't. For an instant, we watched the growing flames in fascination.

Paul knocked the tongs to the ground. Spreading his arms, he grasped both ends of the burning cardboard. He ran fast with the flaming box held high. The fire seemed to die out as he neared the cottage, but then it burst out again. His screams pierced the silent woods.

He's crazy, I thought. He'll wake everyone. Then I saw his shirt was on fire.

Dad was chasing him down the lawn. Paul flung himself toward the water's edge. Dad caught him and threw him to the ground. The shrieks became a low keening sound.

Aunt Margaret backed the car onto the lawn. Mom stumbled trying to get Paul up. Climbing in the car beside him, she slammed the door shut. Her face was pale and white in the window. Paul's shrieks rose above the engine's roar as the car bounced down the lane for town.

Unable to move, I stood alone on the lawn. Aunt Margaret and Pete brought me into the cottage. I kept saying, "The candle fell over. The box caught on fire. Paul was trying to get it to the water."

"But why?" asked Aunt Margaret. "What was he trying to do?"

I searched her face for an answer. "I don't know!" I said at last. "Something to do with a secret society and torturing people. One of his stupid games."

I couldn't lie down on my own bed. Finally, curling up on the verandah cot. I fell asleep staring at the moon. When I awoke the next morning, I was lying in the exact same position.

The sky was tinted pink with red streaks in it. Slowly, I turned on my back. I heard my Aunt talking on the phone. Finally, she hung up and came out to the verandah and sat on the end of the cot.

"Dad called from the hospital, Francie." I nodded and waited. "Paul will be all right. The burns aren't too bad."

I rubbed my eyes and watched her. I knew there was more.

"Francie?" She edged toward me awkwardly. "Your mom lost the baby last night."

I lay very still. When I finally spoke, I didn't recognize my own voice. "You mean the baby died?"

"Yes." said Margaret quietly.

I wrenched myself away from her hand and buried my face in the pillow. It was Paul's fault. His stupid games! The lump in my throat was so hard, I thought my head would burst. I didn't ask Margaret what was wrong with the baby, or why it died. I just asked, "It was a girl, wasn't it?" Aunt Margaret looked at me strangely and nodded.

After awhile, I got off the cot and went to my room. Standing on a chair, I could just reach the top shelf of the closet. I found the only dress I'd brought to the cottage. Mom usually helped me with the zipper, so it took a long time to dress without her. I went out to the kitchen. Pete and Aunt Margaret were sitting at the table. They weren't talking.

Standing in the doorway, I asked, "Will this be okay for the funeral?"

"Funeral?" asked Margaret carefully.

"Yes, for the baby."

Margaret was leading me to the couch and trying not to cry. "Francie, they don't have funerals when this happens."

"Why not?"

Margaret looked at me helplessly. "They just don't. I don't know why." Tears were running down her cheeks as she tried to hold me close.

I pushed her away hard, then ran from the cottage, as fast as I could, across the road to the ice house. I sat inside for a long time with my back against the biggest block of ice I could find. The cold made me ache all over. It was all because of the fire, I thought. I hated Paul and his stupid games. Then I got an idea.

Aunt Margaret and Pete were out looking for me, so it was easy to sneak back into the cottage. At the back of Mom's closet, I found a shoe box. In my room, Annabel, my doll was propped up against the pillow. There were lots of doll clothes in my suitcase and I went through them carefully, until I found just the right one. I took a long time dressing Annabel in her white dress. I sang to her while I combed her hair and washed her face. Then I placed her in the shoe box. She didn't look right just lying there, so I tucked the best hand towel I could find around her.

Back at the ice house, I got a shovel. I had to find the right spot. It was quiet and shady at the back. The hole was really hard to dig. The shoe box had to be buried deep enough. At last, I could make it fit.

Opening the lid for the last time, I kissed Annabel and stared at her for ages. I felt better, but the hard lump in my throat came back when I covered the box with earth.

Right away, I knew I needed a gravestone. In the bushes, I found enough stones to build one. I sat back against the wall and tried to think of the right words. I had never been to a funeral, so I had a lot of trouble.

Much later, Pete came around the back of the ice house. He looked relieved to see me, but I could tell he thought I looked really strange sitting there in my best dress, beside a bunch of stones.

I thought he would be mad, but he just said, "What are you doing, Francie? We've been hunting all over for you." He didn't look right at me.

"Can't you see? I've been having the funeral." Then I really started crying and couldn't stop. Pete sat down beside me and put his arm around my shoulder. Sitting together like that, I was glad he just waited and didn't try to make me stop and talk. When I was only sniffling, he helped me up and held my hand all the way back from the ice house.

Mary E. Martin, a lawyer, she wrote the legal suspense novels of The Osgoode Trilogy, Conduct in Question, Final Paradox and A Trial of One. She has just published the first novel in the next trilogy, set in not in the world of law, but art—The Drawing Lesson, the first in the Trilogy of Remembrance. Presently, she is immersed in the second draft of the next novel in this trilogy, provisionally called, The Fate of Pryde. Married, she and her husband live in Toronto and have three adult children. http://www.theosgoodetrilogy.com/

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For more information, you might enjoy reading More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife.
Purchase on Amazon.com