11 October 2010

Haunted Halloween: Kelly Keaton + A Giveaway!



I haven’t thought about this night for a long time, but now that I’m writing it down, sharing my experience with you, it remains as vivid as it was on the night it happened. Well, minus, the fear-factor of course! After a decade, the memory is still crystal clear and still as haunting as ever.

Ten years ago, my husband and I were renting a house on a few acres with a small barn. My hub was bartending at the time, so he was gone most nights. The house was at the end of a long wooded drive. Isolated. And, I have to admit, scary at night when I was alone.

On such a night—Hub was working and I was in bed—something extraordinary happened that to this day I can’t explain. But, first let me say that I’d never had an experience like this previously. No visions. No sightings. No weird waking dreams. Nothing. I was asleep. I’m a light sleeper and I toss and turn a lot. I remember waking up, becoming aware, but I hadn’t opened my eyes. This is very typical. And usually, I just turn over to my other side and try to fall back to sleep. So, this is what I did. I turned over onto my left side.

The left side of the bed was almost against the wall. No room for a night table, but room enough for a person to walk. Once I turned over, I got the most intense feeling of being watched, of not being alone in the room. Immediately, my heart started pounding. I kept my head on the pillow, didn’t move a muscle, except to open my eyes. And right in front of my face, standing in the small space between the bed and the wall, and leaning over to peer at me closely was a person. Inches from my face.

I swear, I was up out of that bed in a flash, somehow making it out from under the covers, off the bed, and across the room. I remember my back hitting the wall hard, and my hand flailing for the light switch. It came on. There was no one in the room.

I was terrified. I can’t even explain how much. I have no idea how long I stood there, staring at that spot and trying to catch my breath. I was shaking so bad. And I called my husband at the bar and begged him to come home. By then I was crying.

But let me tell you about the face because it’s emblazoned upon my memory for the rest of my days. In that brief moment of contact, I can tell you several things. It was a girl. Around eleven or twelve maybe. Two long braids hung down as she leaned over to study me. She was grayed-out (that’s the only way I can explain it), her skin, her clothing, her hair… She wore a dress and the style was older, like from the 50’s or earlier. Her hands were braced just above her knees as she leaned down. She was checking me out, getting a good (very close) look at me.

Now here’s where it gets really bizarre. A week later, I found out I was pregnant. Several weeks after that I learned I was having a girl. And a good friend of mine who knew about this night looked dumbfounded when I told her it was a girl, and she said: “You don’t think that girl you saw . . .” Immediately, I was like: No way. No. Way.

I’m a writer, a storyteller, so it’s ingrained in me to see all avenues, all possibilities. And one of those could be that she was, indeed, there to check me out for a specific reason. If you believe in reincarnation, the reason is clear. Was this little girl making a decision, a choice to have me as her mother? Who knows?

Could it have been a dream, a waking dream? Sure. But it would be a singular event/dream in my life that never happened before and has not happened since. For me, all I can say is that I was awake in my mind and doing my usual routine of changing positions to try and get back to sleep. To me, this experience occurred when I was conscious and awake. The little girl was there. In my room. Bending down and staring at me. And I have no idea how to explain it.

All I know is that ten years ago, I saw a little girl by my bedside. And my daughter just turned ten this summer….

Spooky, huh?



Title: Darkness Becomes Her

Synopsis: It was once known as New Orleans. Now it's called New 2. Where the Novem rules the city from the French Quarter. Where Mid Town is in ruins. Where the Garden District has been left to rot and is now home to squatters, misfits, and Other things. Where one girl finds her place among the shadows.

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very…different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

Available February 21, 2011, from Simon Pulse!


Preorder Online:


Find Kelly Online:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads






This is a HUGE giveaway. Kelly has donated her ONE and ONLY ARC of Darkness Becomes Her. It's been used/read by her and has some corrections in it making it even more of a one of a kind ARC.


Here are the rules and how to enter:

You MUST complete the form to enter. No entries in comments please they won't count. Comments are welcome, so share your love with Kelly!
You must be at least 13 years old to enter.
This contest is open to INTERNATIONAL!!!
Contest ends: Oct. 25th, 2010

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!
CLICK HERE TO ENTER


Good luck to everyone who enters. If you have any questions, please see my policy page or feel free to email me with any questions.

I have to say a HUGE MEGA Thank You to Kelly for everything. Her time, the post and such an amazing donation that made this giveaway possible.


REMINDER: *If you are interested in the COMMENT CONTEST, remember to include your email address with your comment for an extra entry!
Please ready full entry rules HERE.

*I am not compensated at all for any of the links within this page.

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50 comments:

  1. OMG. That is freaking scary! I think I would likely fall out of bed somehow if I woke up to something like that.

    I've never had a ghostly encounter. Sometimes I think I would like to encounter one, but then other times my mind asks "Are you crazy? What if the ghost never leaves after that and you're haunted forever?" Basically running myself through 100 possible scenarios, none of them real positive. So I really don't know how much I would like to encounter a ghost, but like I said, some days I wouldn't mind an encounter of some sort.

    I've had a few weird moments, none of them are coming clear to my mind now, but you know where you're looking for something and you leave a room to return and find that it's there.

    Then there were times I swear I heard something in the house, even though I'm alone, like it was one of our dogs we used to have or something. Sometimes I think my little niece sees them, because she'll be staring and laughing at empty space!

    jessbess2505[at]yahoo[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Creepy. Pretty sure I would have turned all the lights on in the house and not gone back to sleep.

    Thanks for sharing.

    DforDarla(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great story...really creepy! I have been wanting to read this one...really bad!

    stephanie_xoxo27@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow, that was a spooky story! I can totally imagine it. The books sounds amazing :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great story! What a wonderful book- I can't wait to read it.

    bchild5@aol.com

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  6. Freaky!! Kinda cool to think your daughter chose you, too. Besides the pee-your-pants ghost moment I mean.

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  7. great story and great contest! :)

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  8. Your story is amazing - and would totally freak me out. LOL.

    Kelly's book sounds O-M-G fantastic! I definitely have to read it. Off to pre-order now! :-)

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  9. Love the story and really wanna read the book :)

    Stephanie
    2love.stephanie@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Okay. That's more than just a little freaky!!

    And thanks Kelly for the chance to win your only ARC!! Very awesome!

    cem_214[at]hotmail[dot]co[dot]uk

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  11. I think all the hair on my body stood up after listening to that story. I think I would have peed my pants. :)

    romancebookjunkiesdanielle at yahoo dot com

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  12. Oh great story! My mom had a similar experience though she had a dream of me playing with a little girl. I'm not sure how long after but she found out pregnant with my little sister. And just because we're on the topic of spookiness, there's also a story with me as well. My mom and dad missed a Christening for a little girl. They had bought a dress and since they didn't make it to the church, my mom decided to keep it and put it in her closet even though they didn't have a girl. A couple of weeks later, I believe, she found out she was pregnant with me. :)

    nalynboni AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Now I'm all spooked out! Great story.

    And, this book sounds great. I hope I get to read it!

    mrsderaps @ hotmail . com

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  14. Blargh that is so freaky! I would be so scared haha. Thanks for this contest :D So nice of her to give away the only arc!

    aprilxu2222@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Even with the creepiness experienced with that situation, I wouldn't wish it away for a lot of things if I'd experienced it. ;) Strikes me as sort of special - even with the weirdness of it. ;D

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a freaking story! There are just some moments in your life were things that can't be explained.
    This is huge giveaway!
    Thanks.
    Pokadots1121@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thanks great contest. Very generous of the author - it is more than a book it is a collectible item!

    Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust
    email: steph@fangswandsandfairydust.com
    Twitter: @fangswandsfairy

    ReplyDelete
  18. Great story, I had a similar experience while pregnant with my son. I woke up to see a man standing at the foot of my bed, when I turned the lights on he was gone. I slept with the lights on the rest of that night! Thanks for the contest!
    kpg813@live.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Eeep! I don't know what I would do in that kind of situation. I can handle almost anything scary if I'm in a group...but home alone? I probably would have jumped in the car and drove to a friend's house!

    mindfulmusings(at)live(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  20. Awh this is an awesome contest! Super generous of Kelly to give away her only ARC :)

    email: beautiful_ molly at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  21. Whoa scary! Thanks for the giveaway!

    ashleysbookshelf@gmail.com

    Ashley's Bookshelf

    ReplyDelete
  22. Freaky story! I've never had anything even that remotely creepy happen. Weird...

    avacyphera@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. This cover is spooky!

    deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com

    Vivien

    ReplyDelete
  24. awesome giveaway! i've been looking forward to this book. :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. That is definitely one creepy story. I probably would have slept through something like that. I know because I slept through a minor earthquake once that everyone else ended up talking about the next day.
    Thanks for the great contest . ^_^

    hauntingorchid (at) aol (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  26. Wow, now that story had my full attention! How scary, but completely intriguing.
    The book sounds awesome too!

    candace_redinger at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Definitely spooky. More than just spooky, this story is creepy, freaky, and gave me goosebumps.

    Thanks for sharing and offering up your only (I have no idea how you can part with it) ARC of Darkness Becomes Her.

    wickedawesomebooks(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  28. Thanks so much for a brilliant giveaway!!

    ReplyDelete
  29. I seriously got the chills reading that. I most likely would have pooed my pants!

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  30. thanks so much for this giveaway :) I really hope I'll be lucky this time!

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  31. That was a great story and creepy, especially the part about your daughter.
    Its really cool that you are giving away your edited ARC.

    jlynettes @ hotmail . com

    ReplyDelete
  32. Oh my that was creepy and great! :P
    I can't say that I have had anything creepy happen to me.. I'd love something paranormal to happen. ..but maybe it would freak me out too! lol

    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  33. OK, I've been commenting on the short stories up until now, but this time I have got to say that I am dying to read this book, not just because it sounds so compelling, but because the main character shares her name with my oldest purr-baby, Ari! I sure hope I win this one!

    Crazy Cat Lady
    ccllibrary(at)aol(dot)com
    http://crzycatladyslibrary.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  34. Wow that was one freaky story!! I don't know what I would have done if I woke up to see a girl staring at me! Even if it was real person, it would've been scar. But adding that it was a ghost...wow I would have like died of shock haha!

    ReplyDelete
  35. how awesome is the cover of that book? so going to my to-read-list.

    MargoTheWriter@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  36. Great story! Thanks for the giveaway :)

    sophiayunjin @ gmail . com

    ReplyDelete
  37. This book sounds so good great giveaway thank you so much!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Thanks for this contest! What a one of a kind ARC :)

    booksobsession(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  39. Thank you so much for posting and for making this great giveaway international! :D

    ReplyDelete
  40. Freaky story. Thanks for sharing.

    bacchus76 at myself dot com

    ReplyDelete
  41. How spooky! Gave me chills!! What a great contest! :)

    denlsn(at)msn(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  42. Spooky story. Thanks for having this contest. Happy Halloween!

    BookShock@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  43. intersting story idea, looking fwd to reading
    i voted
    pheonixandsirens@aim.com

    ReplyDelete
  44. That.was.scary...enough said!

    twilightforever.edward at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  45. That.was.scary...enough said!

    twilightforever.edward at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  46. Wow, that's not just spooky... That's INSANELY spooky!

    angelmistress[at]hotmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  47. OOh I want so badly this book!! =)

    ReplyDelete
  48. Ohhh weird story.,.....

    Unique topic.

    truthbetold004 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  49. That is so freaky! I can't imagine how scared I'd be if I woke up and found someone staring down at me, inches from my face. I get the chills just thinking about it! Really great story!

    germaine.dulac@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete

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Hi, I’m Lisa and I'm a proud bibliophile.

I enjoy reading and reviewing a variety of different books within the Young Adult, "New Adult" & Adult genres/categories. If you have any questions or if you are an author or publisher and would be interested in promoting a book, please feel free email. You can find my email under the "mail" button or under the contact link at the top of the page.

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