Here’s my advice: don’t read this book if you’re home alone!
Psychic and self-described ghost buster Natasha Rosewood of Gibsons has published her third book, Mostly True Ghostly Stories, that delivers 10 spooky tales that will leave you tingling. The stories are fictionalized, but are inspired by actual events, Rosewood told Coast Reporter.
In one story the narrator buys a centuries-old cottage in England, and she and her roommates soon discover they have an unseen visitor who causes strange sounds and smashes crockery. In another story, travellers driving through Death Valley find more than a few cacti when their car runs low on gas. Have you ever wondered what would happen if the chairlift at Whistler stopped in the middle of its run, high on the mountain at night, and you discovered that you were not alone? So does the narrator of Soul Mates, a story closely based on Rosewood’s own visit to Whistler where she gave psychic readings.
The last story in the book, Charlie Echo, is novella length and follows the journey of a young woman flight attendant uncovering a family secret after the death of her abusive mother. It’s completely engrossing to the last O. Henry-style twist at the end of the story.
Writing about ghosts is not just a giggle; Rosewood takes the subject seriously and offers her services for ghost cleansing to help us eliminate blocks in our lives.
“We all have ghosts,” she said, “and they may stop us from our joy.”
The book is truly a Coast effort. The cover is from a painting by Sechelt’s Heather Waddell, one of her best, and the pages were designed by Suzanne Doyle-Ingram. It has been professionally edited by local author Betty Keller. The book is available in print form on Amazon and e-reading on Kindle. Locally it’s sold at Talewind Books in Sechelt for $14.99.
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At first, Susanna is delighted when a young giraffe visits her garden on the west coast of Canada, even when the creature eats her prize geraniums. But soon it becomes apparent that she can’t keep a giraffe in the house except by sawing a hole in her bedroom floor so the giraffe’s long neck can pop through.
The recently released story, A Giraffe Called Geranium, is told by Ainslie Manson of Bowen Island and is charmingly illustrated by Mary Baker of Roberts Creek in a hard cover picture book intended for ages two to seven. Manson and Baker have been friends for years. This is the 13th children’s book for Manson, a first for Baker who studied illustration techniques at Langara College.
“We built this book together,” Baker said. “The story came first, but there were many changes along the way.”
It’s a lush, colourful depiction of giraffe and girl and a story that warms the heart. When Susanna decides that Geranium will have to be returned to her African home, readers can follow their voyage on a map painted by Baker in the inside cover.
Manson and Baker have formed a publishing company, Red Diamond Books, to specialize in children’s books; they recently held a successful launch in North Vancouver and expect to have a Sunshine Coast launch in the spring. The book is sold at Talewind, Giggle ‘n Bloom, Peggy Sue’s and EarthFair for $19.95.
