Do you believe in ghosts?

I have had a few paranormal experiences in my lifetime. By paranormal, I simply mean that some things have happened to me that I could not explain. That is not to say that what happened cannot be explained or that it can only be explained by supernatural means. Today, I'd like to share an experience from my past. Take it to mean what you will. As for me, I'm content to let it remain unexplained.

When I was 16 years old, we took a week-long family vacation to Cape May, New Jersey. When we arrived, we learned that the town of Cape May was an historical landmark, and as such, all of the buildings there needed to follow certain codes. It was absolutely beautiful and, other than the cars, looked as if it had sprung out of a history textbook. Cape May is directly on the Atlantic coast. People rent bikes to ride along the picturesque streets and buy kites to fly on the sandy beach in the summer. They go sun bathing and body boarding beneath crystal clear blue skies. At least, they did when I was 16.

My parents had rented the right half of an old house. Inside, there were three narrow floors. On the ground floor was a living room, a dining room, a kitchen and a small bathroom. The second and third floors had only bedrooms. My younger brother and I ran to the top floor and immediately chose bedrooms up there. The room I chose was between the other two. To get to it, I had to climb the final flight of stairs, turn around the banister, take a few steps down the hallway and then turn left. My brother's room was farther down that same hallway, directly at the end of it. My parents chose a room on the second floor. I was thrilled to be up on the top floor. Not only could I see the ocean from my bedroom window, I could hear the surf. It was perfect!

The first night, nothing strange happened to me, but when I woke, I learned that during the night my brother had moved down to the second floor into a room that connected to my parents' room. I didn't really think anything of it. Maybe I was still holding a grudge from a few years earlier when I'd wanted to pitch a tent and stay out in the backyard, only my parents would only allow it if there were at least two of us out there, and then when my brother got scared and wanted to go back inside, my mom wouldn't let me return to the tent. Okay, maybe I'm still holding that grudge.

The next night, I said 'goodnight' to my family on the second floor and headed up to the third floor by myself. With each step as I climbed higher, it became more and more difficult to breathe and my heart pounded harder and faster. I rounded the banister and the feelings intensified, but as soon as I entered my room, those physical sensations immediately vanished. Because it creeped me out, I wore my headphones to bed that night and fell asleep to music rather than to the sound of the ocean waves pounding upon the shore outside my open window. The next night was the same. In fact, every night was like that for the rest of the week. But I didn't tell anyone. I'd learned my lesson well from that tent experience. I knew if I told my parents what was going on, they'd make me move down to the second floor too, and I was not about to give up my most awesome room.

Flash forward to the next summer. My mom and I went for a walk. Prior to the walk, she'd been listening to a CD she'd purchased at Cape May because one of the songs, "Cristofori's Dream" by David Lanz, reminded her of the beach. She asked me what I'd thought of that family vacation.

I answered honestly, "I loved it. All except for that one room."

Then she asked me a strange question. "Has your brother ever told you why he switched rooms?"

I said, no, and she suggested that I ask him about it sometime.

Sometime ended up being years later. You know how conversations drift from one topic to the next, and by the time we returned home, I simply forgot to ask him about it. It just wasn't that important to me, I guess. So years later, my husband and I invited my brother and his girlfriend over for dinner. One topic led to the next and we began to reminisce.

Suddenly, I remembered and said, "Oh, Mom said I should ask you why you switched rooms at Cape May."

His answer was interesting, to say the least. He said he'd woken up that first night from a terrible nightmare. Not only that, but his room was absolutely freezing, and it was so dark he couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. That is why he high-tailed it to a room on the second floor.

So there it is. Take it for what you will.

S.L. Wallace is the author of the Reliance on Citizens trilogy and Retrospection.

Entertainment, Relaxation, Escapism

I want to take a moment to apologize for not posting on a more regular basis. I realize I've been missing. Only, I haven't really been gone you know. I've been enjoying life. I've been busy. What does that mean exactly? In short, it means I've been working, spending time with my family and doing other things I enjoy with my free time.

One of the things I most enjoy doing is writing. It is one of my favorite forms of entertainment, relaxation and escapism. Perhaps you like to run, to ride on a motorcycle, to travel, to simply sit out in the sun. Maybe you like to read. Me? I like to write. Today, I'd like to share just a bit of my latest work-in-progress. Don't be fooled. This is an unusual story, a mixture of fantasy and historical fiction spanning the years from the 1600s to the present.


"Hello."

At the sound of her voice, Jhidhai turned from the window and stared. Sunlight silhouetted his lean figure but obscured his face in shadow.

The girl blinked and pushed herself up onto her elbows; the stark white sheet slid to her waist. Her eyes sported bruises, cuts marred her pale face, and long red hair hung limply from beneath a head bandage.

"You can see me?" he asked.

The girl, Claire, shifted a bit. The gentle beep of the heart monitor and the hum of filtered air flowing through the vents high in the wall were the only noises.

"Um, yeah... Where am I?" She licked her lips and looked around, but Jhidhai quickly worked his magic. The girl saw only an empty room with none of the machines or hospital charts.

"It's so cold. What is this place?" The beeping from the heart monitor increased.

Quickly, Jhidhai sifted through her memories and projected one to calm her. He stepped away from the window. From her angle on the bed, Claire could see a bright blue summer sky with a few wispy clouds. The sunlight brightened his features, and the girl realized he was younger than she'd initially thought, a young 20-something, not much older than herself.

"I'm sorry. You look familiar, but I don't remember your name. Do we have classes together?"

He shook his head and offered his hand, palm up. "Jhidhai. You said you were cold. Would you like to go for a walk? I think it's warmer outside."

"Jhidhai?"

"My name."

Tentatively, Claire reached for his hand. She stood and stared at their fingers curled around each other. Then she smiled, tilted her head and looked into his warm brown eyes. "You don't look Asian."

"I'm not," he said, then tugged her hand and led her out of the room.

Because of the veil Jhidhai had created, Claire did not see the doctor approach the bed to check on his patient. He was pleased. Her vitals were strong, and she slept soundly, recuperating in peace.

Why Claire left with this stranger, she did not know. She knew only that she felt safe, like it was the right thing to do.

They walked down a long narrow corridor with paintings on the walls and headed toward a glowing red exit sign. Jhidhai pushed open the heavy door. Staring at the yellow and black lines on the metal bar across the door and the sign proclaiming 'emergency exit,' Claire was surprised. Instead of an alarm, she heard laughter, happy voices, gulls and waves of water washing upon the shore.

Claire knew this place well, and she smiled as she dropped Jhidhai's hand and rubbed her bare arms. Her bright green tank top brought her shining eyes to light and contrasted nicely with her long red hair, now pulled up into a high ponytail.

Jhidhai spread a pale blue beach blanket upon the sand in the middle of the crowd, and side-by-side, they sat upon it. The warm sand beneath dispelled the last of her chills.

"That's much better. Thanks," Claire said. She drew in deep breath. "What a beautiful day!"

As on most warm summer days, the fine white sand of North Avenue beach was covered by beach towels, folding chairs and golden bodies tanning in the sun. Claire giggled and pointed at a man who was tossing his little boy into an oncoming wave.

"My dad used to do that with me."

"You want to join them? We could go swimming."

"Uh, maybe later. I'm a little sore right now, don't think swimming is the best idea." Claire rubbed her shoulder.

"May I?" Jhidhai gently placed his hand upon the back of her neck.

Claire nodded and turned. "Um, weren't you wearing a business suit? You know, back there..." She glanced to her right, but there was no building. Instead, she saw only the familiar volleyball nets with games in full swing.

"Was I?"

Jhidhai gently slid his palm down to the girl's shoulder, and Claire felt a warmth seep into her sore muscles. She tilted her head from one side to the other.

"That's much better. Thank you. Well, you look good in casual too. More relaxed."

"Relaxed, huh?" Jhidhai rested his arms upon his knees and squinted as he watched the incoming waves wash upon the shore. None of this made any sense. If the girl only knew.

She laughed, "Did I stutter?"

Despite his surprised, he was looking forward to getting to know this one. The last few had been exhausting to put it mildly. Perhaps his superiors had decided he was due for a vacation of sorts. For a few minutes, they were both lost in thought.

Finally, Claire broke the silence. "Jhidhai. That sounds Japanese, but you said you aren't."

"That's right."

"So..."

He avoided eye contact. Instead, he stared at the sea of people, but he could feel her watching him. "What?"

"So how did you end up with a name like that? Are your parents into Manga or something?"

"No, I chose it myself."

"Oh, like a nickname." Claire hesitated. "So now what?"

"Um, I'm afraid you've lost me again." Jhidhai laughed nervously. He didn't usually speak with his charges or they with him.

Claire was not looking at the beach or the waves or the people or the clear blue skies. She stared intently at Jhidhai. "Come on. Give it to me straight."

Jhidhai turned then and peered into her eyes, surprised by the strength he saw within. The last time something even close to this had happened, it had not turned out well. He shook his head. His blond hair fell loosely over his eyes.

But Claire didn't stop. "None of this makes sense. Your clothes, the beach, this towel, you... I'm dead. That's what you don't want to tell me, isn't it?"

Jhidhai drew in a sharp breath but decided to answer with the truth. "No, you're not dead, but you've been hurt."

Claire waited patiently for him to continue.

"I don't know if you'll remember this conversation later or not, this doesn't usually happen, but all right. I'll answer your questions as best I can."

"Where am I then? I mean, I'm not really at the beach with you. I'm somewhere back in that cold building, right? Was it a hospital?"

"Yes, you were taken to the hospital, but you're going to be fine."

"I am? How do you know? Aren't you an angel, come to help me cross over?"

"No, I told you, you're not dead. And... You really think I look like an angel?"

Claire narrowed her eyes. "You're sure it's not my time?"

Jhidhai's warm laughter bubbled up from deep within his chest. "It's not 'your time,'" he made air quotes that brought a smile to Claire's face, "because if it were, I wouldn't be here with you right now."

"Well that doesn't tell me much. Okay then, what happened to me?"

"Now that's something I cannot tell you. You don't remember anything?"

Claire shook her head and furrowed her brow. "No."

Jhidhai thought about that for a moment. "I guess when you're ready to remember, you will. And until you wake, I'll stay here with you."

Claire took hold of his arm and leaned her cheek against his shoulder. "You're sure I won't die?"

"Not today."

"All right. If you say so."

S.L. Wallace is the author of Retrospection.

Too Creepy for Me

Two days... Is that the shortest friendship ever? No, actually it's not, not even for me.

I'm talking about FB friends, just one type of cyber-friendship. Those wary of the Internet will tell you not to give away too much personal information to people you don't really know. Those who are cyber-savvy will second that bit of advice. Over the years, most cyber-friends I've met have chimed in now and then, or simply read some of my posts without ever responding, while others have become good friends, best friends, even lovers.

That's a story unto itself that begins before there was an Internet, back in the days of BBS's. That's where I met the man who became my husband. We were young and both members of the same BBS. The first time we chatted, I annoyed him. That's wife material in the making! You see, he'd been playing an online game on the boards, and I wanted to chat with someone. Due to the old fashioned dial-up modems and smaller numbers of participants on BBS's, there weren't too many people online to chat with that afternoon, but I looked up his profile, and he sounded interesting, so I badgered him into leaving his game and coming to chat with me. No, it wasn't love at first chat. It was, in fact, half a year later before we decided to go on a date and two weeks after that before we'd tell anyone else we were dating. Even then, my parents had taught me to be cautious. The first time my husband and I met in real life was at Pizza Hut where a group of members from that BBS decided to get together one afternoon for a (gasp) Face-to-Face meeting. It was fun and led to some great friendships.

Two days... On Saturday, a man I'd never met sent me a FB friend request. After an initial check of his page, I learned he is a fellow author who is "friends" with many of the same authors I know, at least online. I then double checked on Amazon and saw that his books are not my preferred genre, but that's beside the point. To be clear, I accept a multitude of friend requests from other authors as well as fans. I'm willing to talk with a lot of different people about a lot of different topics. A few have creeped me out by sending some odd personal messages, while others raised red flags right from the start. This one fell somewhere in the middle.

His first message to me was a basic greeting followed by, "How's the Windy City?" One small red flag went up, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt after I saw that he had visited my blog. I thought perhaps there was a chance I had mentioned Chicago in one of my blog posts. I know I've mentioned Wisconsin because I no longer live there, and I know I've mentioned wanting to live in Canada so I clearly do not live there. But this person did not reference either Wisconsin or Canada.

So with Spidey-senses tingling, I wrote back and asked him to explain himself. He told me he has an app on his blog that lets him know where his visitors come from. A much bigger red flag flew into the air, and this is why. His first message, the one about the Windy City, appeared before I visited his blog in response to seeing that he had visited mine. So, in just two days, I made a new "friend" and then "unfriended" him.

For the record, this S.L. Wallace does not live in Wisconsin, Canada or Chicago.

School of the Ages

What do a hired assassin, a corrupt politician and a bothersome clock have in common?

Could a real dystopia be in our near future? Visit novelist, Sarah L. Wallace, at School of the Ages.

Unexpected Pushes

Sometimes we all need a little push to move out of our comfort zone. Have you done anything to push yourself lately? Has anyone given you an unexpected push?

First, a brief history. As a child, I auditioned for theatrical plays. Usually, I didn't get a part. In 8th grade, I did, but it was the part of a mime. That's right, a non-speaking role, dressed in black with a white painted-on face, while children much younger than me received multiple lines and singing parts. And in 10th grade, I was terribly embarrassed to have forgotten one line during a performance (just one, mind you) only to have the actress playing opposite me practically yell my forgotten line to me in front of everyone rather than just moving on. Suffice it to say, I no longer like to act.

Flash ahead to this past Monday. After school, we had a small group staff meeting. I teach in a Montessori school, and this week was Montessori week, culminating in a whole school assembly on Friday morning. So on Monday after school, in front of other staff, I felt my stomach drop when the principal jokingly said, "When I told the secretary she would have to play Maria Montessori on Friday, she responded by taking a week-long vacation." Then, in all seriousness, he looked across the table at me and said, "So, Sarah, on Friday you get to be Maria. Have fun with it."

In just seconds, my comfort zone was effectively annihilated. I couldn't say no, plus I realized I already had a costume. (At a past job, I had regularly dressed up along with all of my students for a day in a one-room schoolhouse.)

And you know what? It wasn't so bad. In fact, it was fun. I kept it a secret from all but a few staff (including those who had been at the staff meeting) and my young daughter who attends half day daycare and would be at the assembly on Friday. On Wednesday, I told her what to expect. I told her I would be dressed up and that the kids would probably laugh and that it was okay if they did. She responded by saying, "Okay, Mama. I'll laugh at you too."

On Friday morning, I greeted my class as they began their day and then changed and hid until it was time to go onstage. Some of the youngest children at our school, really believe that Maria Montessori flew all the way from Italy to visit their school. Meanwhile, one of my students called out, "Hey, Maria Montessori died and was reincarnated as Sarah!"

All in all, it was a fun morning for all. The youngest students sang about their school. The lower elementary students shared qualities that begin with the same letters as M-o-n-t-e-s-s-o-r-i, the upper elementary students shared a slide show and skits of Dr. Montessori's life, and the middle school students did some impromptu acting based on Montessori quotes. And through it all, Maria Montessori was the guest of honor.

Being Read Across America on the same day also had its perks. As I sat for a photo shoot after the assembly, the lower elementary students returned with the Cat in the Hat (one of their teachers had dressed up as the Cat and read to them). I smiled at her and said, "Hey, you're famous too!"

I wonder if Maria Montessori ever guessed she'd have her picture taken with a literary cat?

S.L. Wallace is the author of the Reliance on Citizens trilogy and Retrospection.

The State of Public Education in the U.S.

Recently, my principal felt compelled to share an article with his staff. It originally appeared in the January-February 2013 edition of the AAUP, American Association of University Professors and was written as a letter from a retired high school teacher to college professors everywhere: Warnings from the Trenches by Kenneth Bernstein.

You should take a moment to read Mr. Bernstein's letter because although I agree with every point he makes, I'm not going to summarize it here. Instead, I'd like to share what can be done to strengthen education in the U.S. I have spent the past 14 years teaching in both public and private schools at the upper elementary and middle school levels, so I think I'm qualified to share an observation, or two, or more.

Given a choice, many wealthy parents choose private schools for their children because they believe their children will get a better education. I'll come right out and say it. I think they're right. Furthermore, I want government officials to take a long hard look at what is being done in the private sector. If they really want to begin to repair our faulty educational system, there are a few things they must be willing to do. 

First, spend time in a variety of classrooms. Get out there and see what's working and what isn't. Next, talk to the people on the front lines: the teachers, aides and principals who work with students on a daily basis. Ask the right questions, get them talking, and most importantly, take their advice. Finally, do away with so many standardized tests, and most certainly do not "grade" teachers based on their students' results. Instead, use standardized tests as just one of many measures to check how students are doing in the classrooms. Let schools and parents use results from those tests to guide their instruction. There should be no other purpose for standardized tests. Period. 

What do private schools offer that public schools do not? They have lower student-teacher ratios, smaller class sizes, less standardized tests and offer an abundance of "specials" classes including: physical education, music, art and foreign language to name a few. Not only are these classes offered, but they are offered more frequently than I ever saw in the public schools. The private school where I now teach offers daily Spanish classes to students in preschool through middle school. The elementary and middle school students have both recess and physical education daily. They have music three times per week and receive art instruction twice per week. A multitude of after school and summer school enrichment opportunities are offered. Some examples are pottery, Lego robotics and individualized musical instrument instruction.

How do I know that smaller class sizes and instruction in a variety of subjects help students to succeed? I know because I'm in the classroom every day, watching my students grow and learn. I know because overall, they excel on the few standardized tests we give. And don't even begin to suggest that it's because we are selective regarding the students our school accepts. In both my public and private school teaching experience, the kids aren't all that different. There is a range of talents and abilities in every classroom. We modify our teaching as needed to challenge those who might be considered gifted and talented in traditional settings and provide extra time and support to those who have special needs ranging from ADHD to ASD to dyslexia.

Do we want the next generation of U.S. citizens to be prepared to enter a diversified and technologically advanced workforce? Of course, we do. So here are a few simple changes that will help to make that possible:

1. Get rid of No Child Left Behind.
2. Choose one standardized test that aligns with the new National Standards, and test students only once per year.
3. Get the results back to schools in a timely manner so that the results are helpful for everyone involved.
4. Do not promote or dismiss teachers nor fund or close schools based on those results.
5. Require that all students in all grades in Everyschool, USA, have recess daily, physical education at least four times per week, and music and art instruction at least twice per week.
6. Make sure that science and history classes are given the same importance as reading/writing and math instruction.
7. Provide extra funding for technology to schools that do not have computers in every classroom and a computer lab in every school.

Our children and future generations are worth it, and they deserve our support.

S.L. Wallace is the author of the Reliance on Citizens trilogy and Retrospection.

Dream Big!

Welcome to the Dream Project Blog Hop!

Writing is largely solitary, and sometimes a lonely endeavor. Sure, writers talk to friends, experts for research, discuss what works and what doesn't with their editor, and bounce ideas off of fellow writers. But in the end it's one person pounding the keyboard or twirling the pencil. But what if it didn't have to be completely alone?

1. You have the opportunity to hire anybody as your cover artist. Who would you hire?

I've enjoyed having both Carl Graves from Extended Imagery and Yezall Stronghold from Covers by Yezall do my cover art. I think I'll continue to stick with them.

2. Who would you co-write your next novel with? What genre? Why?

I prefer to work with people I know and trust, so I would love to work with my husband, author Jay Merin, on my current project, but he prefers to write solo. My current work-in-progress is a dark urban fantasy, and I've actually asked my friend, Troy McCombs if he would like to work with me, because I like his style and I believe it would fit my next novel. Unfortunately, he's in the middle of another project right now. This would have been my first joint venture in writing, but I guess that will have to wait.

3. Your publisher wants to do an audiobook version of your novel and they're not sparing any expense. Who do you think can narrate your masterpiece?

Hm... I'd like Gina Torres to narrate my Reliance on Citizens trilogy.

4. They're really going all out! Your novel is getting a full soundtrack. Who should compose it? If your novel uses a lot of songs, list your compilation here.

Greg Edmonson for sure. He adapted music to fit the story line and characters in the TV show, Firefly. I'm sure he would do the same for my books and characters.

One of my main characters has a passion for music that was popular in the 1930's. I bet Mr. Edmonson would have a great time updating some traditional songs such as "Little Brown Jug," "Big Rock Candy Mountain" and "Sunny Side of the Street."

5. Congratulations! Your novel is being turned into a major motion picture. As the creator of the original work, you get to pick the director.

Yay, I choose Joss Whedon!

6. The director has some ideas on who to cast, but you get to cast one character. What role/character is it and who portrays them?

I think Jared Padalecki would make a wonderful Scott Maddock. In Price of a Bounty, Scott is a military man with a big secret. At the end of the book, he flees his home realm, with good reason, so we don't see much of him in Canvas Skies. However, with peace restored, he returns in Heart of Humanity bringing his family along with him.

7. You've been hired to write a novel based on a preexisting character or franchise from another medium. Which character or franchise is it?

I'd love to write a Firefly novel. I would be honored to write a story about any one of the characters or about the entire group. One thing I absolutely love about Firefly is the unique voice of each of the characters.

8. It's the anniversary of your favorite literary character's debut. You've been hired (yay, work!) to write an anniversary novel. Who is the literary character?

I have a collection of Cinderella stories from around the world. I think I'd like to try my hand at an ethnic Cinderella story. I usually write with an adult audience in mind, but at some point, I think I'd like to write a story for my daughter to enjoy.

Scheduled Stops:

February 1 - Thank you to Cody L. Martin for starting this Blog Hop.

February 3 - Please stop by and visit JenColafranceschi.

Febryary 5 - Donna R. Wood at Butterfly Phoenix has a terrific blog.
February 6 -  Check out Wendy Siefken's blog!
February 7 - Kai Wilson's blog is live!
February 10 - Stop in and say, "Hi!" to Author Merita King.
February 11 - Dan Peyton has the spotlight!
February 13 - Please visit Lisa Cody's blog.
February 14 - S.L. Wallace, oh that's me!
February 15 - Next up is Allison Cosgrove. Tag, you're it!
February 16 - Here's Brian Bigelow!
February 17 - Please stop in and say hi to Ed Griffin!
February 18 - DeEtte Beckstead Anderton would love a visit.
February 19 - Won't you stop by and see Laurie Boris?
February 21 - Way to go, Colleen Rose!
February 23 - Martin Crosbie welcomes you.

February 25 - Today is the day to visit Kevin Brown and Heidi Nicole Bird!
February 28 - Meet Sheila Lytle.

Thank you for visiting!