One of my favorite clients of all time is a relatively new one — mystery author Richard Wren, who besides having reinvented himself as a mystery novelist in his 80s, has written a short booklet filled with some of the best advice for writers I’ve ever seen. That booklet, K.I.S.S.: THE KEEP IT SIMPLE AND SUCCESSFUL WAY TO EASILY, INEXPENSIVELY AND FINALLY — WRITE YOUR NOVEL is one of the most practical, succinct and motivating pieces I’ve ever seen covering everything from getting started, overcoming writer’s block and even publishing.  Info on the booklet, which is available as a quick ebook download, is on his website at http://www.rlwren.com/k-i-s-s-new-authors-guide/, along with a short audio interview I conducted with Richard about the booklet.

Read all about Richard, how he reinvented himself, and his first novel, CASEY’S SLIP, in Angela Hill’s newspaper column (San Jose Mercury News/Oakland Tribune) at http://www.mercurynews.com/angela-hill/ci_20504807/give-em-hill-never-too-old-start-living

It’s a terrific piece by one of my favorite journalists.

Visit his website at www.rlwren.com for more on Richard Wren, more on CASEY’S SLIP (and an audio interview with him about the novel), and info about his forthcoming novel JOSHUA’S REVENGE.

Featuring famed psychic/author Echo Bodine, author Rosemary Ellen Guiley, and myself (Loyd Auerbach), the conference also boasts presentations by Peter Woodbury and parapsychologist Nan Zingrone.

There’s also a pre-conference ghost tour of Virginia Beach!

Still time to register and spend a great weekend at the Oceanfront! Here’s the link:http://www.edgarcayce.org/are/conferencesVaBeach.aspx?id=1371

If you’re in or anywhere near the area, and especially if you’re serious about investigating the paranormal, this is the event for you.

I hope to see you there!

I’ve been a fan of Old Time Radio shows since a local radio station in NY re-ran old episodes of The Shadow when I was a kid.  A few years ago, in looking for sources for some of those old shows, I found that there were folks producing new full-cast shows, some similar to the old detective, adventure and sci-fi shows, some fan-productions of favorite properties like STAR TREK, Doctor Who, and some of the DC Comics characters.  And all are free to download from their sites (and can also be found on iTunes).

My favorite has to be The Red Panda. Part Green Hornet, part Shadow and part something new all together, the Red Panda is Canada’s greatest superhero during the 30s and 40s, aided by the able and beautiful Flying Squirrel, he fights villains of weird power and stature (and names that would be equally at home in the comic book or animated adventures of The Tick). The Red Panda is a production of Decoder Ring Theatre.  Check out the show — and companion show Black Jack Justice and others at www.decoderringtheatre.com

Another great site is Pendant Productions. Home of the smart and sassy (and humorous) The Dixie Stenberg and Brassy Battalion Adventure Theater, Pendant also produces monthly shows featuring Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Supergirl and Catwoman, as well as a Star Trek Defiant monthly, a Star Wars adventure, and some additional original series.  Visit them at www.pendantaudio.com

Darker Projects also has Star Trek and Doctor Who and even Quantum Leap related series, as well as several original productions. My favorite is The Byron Chronicles, a fantasy horror series.  www.darkerprojects.com

BrokenSea Audio Productions is another great site for dramatized audio productions, including another Doctor Who series and others based on all sorts of properties (including Planet of the Apes and Escape from New York), along with original series such as Jake Sampson Monster Hunter.  www.brokensea.com

Need more Star Trek?  The monthly series Star Trek Outpost can be found at Giant Gnome Productions, www.giantgnome.com  And they have Doctor Who as well.

A couple of originals are a must-listen…

Possibly one of the best things out there on the ‘net is The Leviathan Chronicles, science fiction suspense adventure series involving a city of immortals, black ops, advanced tech, aliens (sort of), and much much more. Just give the first episode a listen and I promise you’ll be hooked.  I can’t wait for Season Two, which is supposedly coming soon.  www.leviathanchronicles.com

Finally, for all you horror/detective fans out there, the serialized mystery Wormwood is a great bet. The complete story is available at www.wormwoodshow.com

There are more, and sometime soon I’ll post some of the others. But if you want to explore more on your own, a great starting point is The Audio Drama Directory

– Loyd Auerbach

IS THE SPIRIT WORLD REAL?

A Scientific Investigative Presentation (with audience interraction)

 Sixth Annual Conference, November 10-11, 2012

Hilton Phoenix Airport Hotel, 2435 South 47th Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85034

Did you know that there is an abundance of evidence from well-credentialed scientists suggesting a Spirit World?

Don’t miss this year’s presentation, demonstrations, and opportunities to learn about this data first hand in our Unique Annual Conference Designed for the General Public

Is The Spirit World Real?, a scientific presentation that is geared for general audiences, addresses the five basic questions that everyone asks about an Afterlife.

FIVE QUESTIONS…FIVE ESTEEMED EXPERTS…TWO FULL DAYS

In a new and unusual format, attendees will witness our esteemed panel of five consciousness researchers engage in a lively discussion during each of the five topic segments. The expert in that field will present the current research and evidence on that topic, after which the audience is invited into the discussion as we come together to explore the unseen world.

Poolside lunch is included and at the close of each day, attendees will experience spirit communication conducted by two Certified Mediums.

Scientists and researchers will be joined by certified mediums who will give demonstrations of Spirit Communication and share their insights gleaned from another dimension. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage the presenters as we all join together in the search for the truth.

ADD THIS SPECIAL FRIDAY NIGHT EVENT TO YOUR WEEKEND:

“Long Island Medium” Theresa Caputo

Meet & Greet with conference presenters (even if you are not attending the weekend conference) and enjoy an elegant dinner featuring TLC’s “Long Island Medium” Theresa Caputo as the keynote speaker demonstrating Spirit Communication. (6:30 PM – 10:00 PM – Friday, November 9, 2012)

For more information, pricing and schedule, visit http://www.foreverfamilyfoundation.org/PAC2012.htm

Appearing at the conference are:

• Claude Swanson, PhD
• Julie Beischel, PhD
• Eben Alexander III, MD
• Stafford Betty, MD
• Loyd Auerbach, MS

and Mediums Dave Campbell and Debra Martin

Join the Forever Family Foundation and become a member for free and get a great discount on this and other events, as well as other free member benefits.  Visit http://www.foreverfamilyfoundation.org/index2.html and click Membership (on the left navigation bar) to join.

He’ll talk about his work with psychics and mediums in investigations of the paranormal and focus on his work with the late Annette Martin and their book THE GHOST DETECTIVES’ GUIDE TO HAUNTED SAN FRANCISCO.

He’ll also discuss how the paranormal community grew mainly due to television coverage of the paranormal, how the models shown on TV are incomplete maps to doing investigations often fraught with inaccurate, incomplete and even misleading information about the phenomena, investigative techniques, technology and science, and how to work with the people having the experiences.

And more!

Visit www.coasttocoastam.com for schedule and listening options.

Coming soon….a special lunch seminar at the landmark Moss Beach Distillery.

Still tickets left for the USS Hornet Lunch, Lecture & Tour with me (Loyd Auerbach) on March 31st. Visit www.usshornet.eventbrite.com for tickets.

The event is Saturday, March 31st, 2012, from 12:30-3:30.  Advance Ticket Purchasers receive a boxed lunch.

I will present a 90 minute lecture through lunch and beyond covering the earliest investigations aboard the USS Hornet which took place from 1999-2001, involved interviewing many dozens of witnesses and numerous visits to investigate. This also led to the ship’s media profile. I’ll be presenting previously unseen clips of early witness interviews.

I’ll also discuss more recent events aboard the ship, which definitely seems to be as active as ever, as well as what we think is actually happening, where the most active spots on the ship have been, and what various psychics and mediums have picked up over the last 13+ years.

Following the lecture, there will be guided tours of the ship, hosted by me (Loyd Auerbach).

Your ticket to this event includes regular admission to the ship, so you may explore before and after the event (the USS Hornet opens at 10 AM and closes at 5 PM).

Admission, lunch, lecture and tour, all for $49.00.  Visit www.usshornet.eventbrite.com for tickets.  NOTE:  In order for us to guarantee a lunch, tickets must be purchased in advance. Door price is the same, but no guarantee of lunch. (there is a food concession aboard otherwise).

SPECIAL EVENT:  Ticket purchasers will be invited to a special after event at a unique haunted location in Concord, CA that same evening that I’ll be hosting. Cost for this separate invitational event is $7, paid at the location. Details will be emailed to purchasers in advance and available at the USS Hornet during my event.

The USS Hornet Aircraft Carrier Museum is located in Alameda, CA.

Visit www.uss-hornet.org for directions.

Click here to view the embedded video.

While the presence of the ghost isn’t that new (but also not that old — only for a few years),  awareness of the shop as a haunted place is new.

By great coincidence, Food Network Magazine’s current (February, 2012) issue also mentions Spun Sugar as the place to buy chocolate supplies.  It’s where I’ve been going to get mine — even before I learned it had an extra presence.

Well, now you can do it at my brand new Cafe Press shop.  Visit it at www.cafepress.com/OfficeofParanormalInvestigations

Some folks know that since late 2010, I’ve been producing and selling my own gourmet chocolates, having gone through Ecole Chocolat’s Professional Chocolatier course in 2009.  The main chocolates I produce are solid pieces of dark and dark milk chocolates plus dark chocolates with additional spices and flavors — most have little ghosts on them, hence the name “Ghost Drops.”  The website is www.hauntedbychocolate.com and the sales page is listed in the menu as “Chocolate to Buy.”  Very soon I’ll be adding a unique product made with the same great quality chocolate : the Cocoa Oracle Fortune Chocolate System.

In the meantime, I also have a Cafe Press shop for the Haunted By Chocolate logo-merchandise.  It’s at www.cafepress.com/HauntedByChocolate