American History, books, Bordentown, Ghost Walk, hauntings, living with ghosts, Memoir, New book release, New Jersey history, paranormal, psychic phenomena

more on A Nosegay of Violets, a writer’s memoir of psychic awakening

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Waiting so long to write about the strange things that happened to me was a natural decision.  I first spoke about seeing a ghost while I was working in my bookshop in Bordentown, New Jersey. This came freely because I was conducting an annual ghost walk as a fund raiser for my business group. There were other houses on the tour that also had true stories of hauntings. There is a comfort and freedom when you are among your own kind. And people who lived with ghosts in their houses were my kind.

Once word got out that I lived with a little girl ghost in my house, others came to me with their stories. They, too, had not spoken of their experiences for the same reasons. One, who would believe them? Two, how many people would ridicule and make fun of them? Three, would the value of their homes drop? And more reasons followed.

Once houses were placed on the tour, they became, if any change at all, higher in value. People sought haunted houses to live in because they wanted that experience. It became cool.

Remember, Bordentown was settled in 1682, adding much Revolutionary War history to its stories. The earlier residents were practically still living to the present-day residents. We kept their personalities alive and familiar through the Historical Society and through fund raisers. One of which was a Friday evening garden party at the DeSantis house. Several of us dressed in our chosen Bordentown “hero/shero.” We had many to choose from.

The first year I wore all white as was the custom of Quaker Patience Lovell Wright. She was America’s first woman sculptor (mostly in wax) who spied in the court of King George in England, sending all the information she discovered to Benjamin Franklin. He was living in France at the time.

Once we entered the garden in costume, we became that person, staying in character, answering questions as that person would have done. It was great fun and imbedded history into our bones. I’m not quite sure about Ms. Wright drinking wine, tho she could have. No wonder ghosts came out of the woodwork!

books, hauntings, Memoir, paranormal, poetic narrative, psychic phenomena, women's stories, wormen writing

A Nosegay of Violets, a writers memoir of psychic awakening

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Well, it’s finally here and it is a great relief! Writing this book, A Nosegay of Violets,  has been therapeutic, sending all those hidden secrets out into the Universe with a refusal of thinking “what if someone laughs at me?” or “what if no one believes me?” or “what will they think of me, knowing of the marriage I was in? “

Those questions no longer hold fear for me. I have survived the marriage and became stronger because of it. I have forgiven myself for decisions I made, (the hardest thing to do) believing they were the right ones to make at the time. And I have forgiven others who did me harm. They were just being who they were. And I had help along the way, from people-sometimes strangers-from friends, from family, and an Angel here and there when no one else was around to show up.  WOW!

You’d think those would be easy moments to talk about, but they were not. Fear of rejection held me back. When I overcame that fear last year, I pulled all the scraps of paper with notes jotted on them and poured over my journals to be sure I would get everything right. It meant re-living the entire experience over again and again and again as I wrote and re-wrote and re-wrote. Excuse me, while I allow myself to have this feeling of being wonderful!

books, Memoir, New book release, women's stories

THE BIRD AND THE FISH, MEMOIR OF A TEMPORARY MARRIAGE by Miriam Valmont- Book Review

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There are so many married partners out there that suddenly wake up one morning, without warning, to find they are widows or widowers. It’s shocking to become numb for a year, or two, or three. Your head is in the clouds and your heart is just hanging out of your chest, for everyone to see. It’s painful.
Yet Miriam Valmont agreed, signed up, to do just that. She would marry a man that she grew to deeply love, knowing against all hope, that the marriage would be dead in six months.
Bravely, and with avid interest, she learned another culture, alien to her own. This all-American woman loved an Iranian student 25 years her junior. Her story takes you on an adventure, sparing no details of the emotional roller coaster ride, even learning his language.
They created a bridge between East and West. She immersed herself to see life and Iranian customs through his eyes, willing herself to understand, hoping to influence him with American ways. Reading her story you will witness an extraordinary marriage and wonder if you could ever possibly do the same.
This is an exceptional book, full of honesty and the longing for love that we all desire. It’s a story that will linger in your heart for a long, long, time.

book review, cookbooks, dreams, Memoir, New book release, paranormal, reflection, women, women's stories

SNAPSHOTS: Memories and Recipes by Sandra Martin -book review

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These SNAPSHOTS are indeed as varied as the photos that lay in your own drawer at home. Martin’s snaps are words from the life she lived growing up on a Bracey, Virginia farm to Virginia Beach to Manhattan, New York to time spent across country, around the world, and back to holding events in the Dairy Barn on the farm. Her adventures in the big cities as a literary agent and executive producer for television are balanced between recipes from her passion of cooking for friends.
As her spirituality grows, so does her intensity of life. Dreams play a major role as she executive produces the series of The Power of Dreams for the Discovery Channel, interviewing names that every household recognizes.
Martin is a woman who has lived a fascinating life by making things happen, by following her intuition, listening to her dreams, and doesn’t mind talking about it. This is a fabulous read that will inspire others to go ahead, step out, and take a chance on life. I LOVE THIS BOOK!

American History, books, booksigning, historical taverns, Memoir

Book reading/signing at the Vance Co. Genealogy Society, Henderson NC

Author Arlene Bice in Colonial garb.
Author Arlene Bice in Colonial garb.

Come out to hear the unprinted, inside story of The Afternoon Crowd at the American House Tavern program, written by Arlene S. Bice dressed in colonial garb. The program is hosted by the Vance County Genealogy Society during their monthly meeting on Monday, October 12, 2015 at 6:30 P.M. in the Farm Bureau room of the Perry Memorial Library in Henderson, NC.

This is a fun book as well as recording the history of the 70s, set in the middle of horse country. Bring in your book to be signed or purchase one there for $10. Please plan to attend this informative meeting. All VCGS meetings are open to the public.

American History, historical taverns, Memoir, New Jersey history, Poetry

READY FOR YOU TO READ!

am house 70slynn, bernadette, me, kathyparty timeroger-dodger, bill

Shown in these pics are Lynn, Bernadette, Me, Kathy.  Mike Walsh & others. roger-dodger & Bill. Stories from my younger days about the people I met tending bar. Meet Alabama Bob, Rodger-dodger, Johnnie Reb, the French-Canadians, the Horsey Set and more. These are stories of one person’s visions from the other side of the bar. The Afternoon Crowd is based at the American House Tavern in the rural, historical, New Egypt, New Jersey.

American History, booksigning, Memoir, poetic narrative, Poetry

The Afternoon Crowd at the American House Tavern *new book out

The_Afternoon_Crowd_Cover_for_Kindlejpg    A bolt of lightning came out of the sky and struck me in the spring of this year. This book is the result of that moment. I have no idea which of my deceased ancestors dredged up these old memories and sent them to me or why it came, but it lifted me out of a gloomy week, filling me with so much laughter while I wrote it and again, when I re-wrote it.

This easy-to-read poetic narrative is of my few years tending bar at the American House Tavern, in the middle of the horse country of New Egypt, New Jersey, in the 70s. I share my take on the people who came into my life at that time, in that place. This is my interpretation of those sitting across the bar from me while I scooted around, pouring beers, mixing cocktails, and playing amateur psychologist, sometimes matchmaker.

The books are being printed up now and available on Amazon in hardcopy and e-mode. If you would like a signed copy, or one inscribed to your best friend, lover, relative, etc. please send $12 (includes shipping) using Paypal or a check in snail mail.

If you enjoy it, please write a review.