THE NEST by Amy O'Connor, STRANGE SEQUENCE by Jane Toombs, VEILED REVELATIONS by Adrianna Dane, THE VISIT by Carole Bellacera, EMBRACING MY INSTINCTS by Inga Mahn, DESTINY DISRUPTED by Billie Jo Case, HIGH PLANES DRIFTER by Rob Riser A GIFT OF LIGHT by Margaret West, CALL ME ANGEL by Mimi Riser, THE SILVER HAIRED LADY by Melissa Alvarez, RECOGNITION OF SPIRIT by Melissa Alvarez, A CHILD REMEMBERS by Melissa Alvarez, AND THE SUN WITH THE MOON SHALL SHINE by Melissa Alvarez  Paranormal. The word brings up images of ghosts, spirits, Bigfoot, UFOs, out-of-body and near-death experiences, hauntings, psychics, parallel universes, astral projection, and other phenomena that are beyond our normal experience. Most of us are intrigued by the possibilities of the unknown part of our world, what happens to us after death, and if we've lived before. And a lot of us are also very skeptical of anything that we can't see, feel, explain or prove. Within these pages you will be introduced to events that will touch your heart, make you smile and even shed tears.  The authors tell us of spirits who helped them when they were sick, protected them from danger and sure death, and came back from the other side to offer the reassurance and closure when it was needed the most and how a psychic's prediction protected one author from harm. You will also learn from one author's first hand experience how lessons learned in a past life can assist you in this life. All of the events included in Paranormal Experiences Volume One are told just as they happened to the authors, in the hopes that their experience opens your eyes to what is behind the veil. As the world grows more chaotic with unrest, we all are seeking to understand otherworldly events in order to find peace within the confusion. By opening ourselves to possibilities that may have seemed impossible before, we are finding our true selves, our true beings, and we are walking the path toward spiritual enlightenment. Buy your copy! Amazon Amazon.co.uk Froogle Barnes & Noble.com Melissa Alvarez Website ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Paranormal. The word brings up images of ghosts, spirits, Bigfoot, UFOs, out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences, hauntings, psychics, parallel universes, astral projection, and other phenomena that are beyond our normal experience. Most of us are intrigued by the possibilities of the unknown part of our world, what happens to us after death, and if we’ve lived before. And a lot of us are also very skeptical of anything that we can’t see, feel, explain or prove—myself included. I discovered my psychic abilities when I was fourteen-years-old, and since that time I’ve always jotted down things that have happened to me. Being skeptical, I needed to document these events so I wouldn’t forget. Well, at least that was my reason at the time, but over the years I’ve found that you don’t forget when the extraordinary happens to you. In 2001, when New Age Dimensions was born, the concept for a book of my paranormal experiences emerged as something on my “to do” list. Then, in 2004, I expanded my company into an independent publishing house and my plan changed. Now, I wanted to include the experiences of others as well as my own. There are many reasons why this book is important, but I think the one reason that tops them all is this: when someone reads about a paranormal event experienced by someone else, it may validate their own experience. I know that I wish I’d had experiences to read about when I was growing up, or a mentor who could enlighten me. But in my family it was never spoken of and I was deemed to have a “wild imagination.” It is my hope that this book will serve as a mentor of sorts to those who may wonder about the paranormal and those who are striving to understand their own paranormal events. Knowledge is power. In recent years it has become more acceptable to admit that you have had a paranormal event in your life or that you have psychic abilities. As the curious delve deeper into the unknown, and those who live it share their experiences, doorways to greater understanding are opened. Gaining knowledge of the paranormal and the types of events that others have experienced can be very empowering and enlightening. The negative stigma that has always followed psychics or anyone who says they saw or felt a ghost is gradually fading away. We’re no longer outcasts, even though we may still be ridiculed. The success of television shows that deal with real psychics has had a hand in this changing mindset. It is also one of the reasons that psychic fiction has emerged into its own genre within the publishing industry. It is our goal to enlighten and empower the readers of Paranormal Experiences Volume I. We are all spiritual beings who have the ability to develop our psychic awareness and attune ourselves with the other side. Some of us choose not to do so because it can be very frightening to face the unknown; while others, like myself, find that these events are part of our everyday life and, regardless of how much we fight it, ignore it and hope it goes away, it doesn’t. Once we embrace all aspects of ourselves, life is easier, fuller, and more peaceful. Within these pages you will be introduced to events that will touch your heart, make you smile and even shed tears. The authors tell of spirits who helped them when they were sick, protected them from danger and sure death, and come back from the other side to offer the reassurance and closure when it was needed the most and how a psychic’s prediction protected one author from harm. You will also learn from one author’s first hand experience how lessons learned in a past life can assist you in this life. All of the stories included in Paranormal Experiences Volume I are told just as they happened to the authors, in the hopes that their experience opens your eyes to what is behind the veil. As the world grows more chaotic with unrest, we are all seeking to understand otherworldly events in order to find peace within the confusion. By opening ourselves to possibilities that may have seemed impossible before, we are finding our true selves, our true beings, and we are walking the path toward spiritual enlightenment. I hope you enjoy this first volume of Paranormal Experiences as much as I enjoyed publishing it. Melissa Alvarez   Excerpt RECOGNITION OF SPIRITM/b> By Melissa Alvarez How do you know when a spirit is around? Have you ever sat in a chair and felt as if someone was staring at you from behind? Do the top corners of rooms seem to watch you? Have you ever felt a blast of cold air whisk by you in the middle of a building and know for a fact that it wasn’t a draft? Do your light bulbs blow out frequently? Or maybe you’ve heard someone walking when you were the only person around. These are just a few ways that you can experience spirit. You do not have to be a believer in the paranormal to experience spirits first hand. My husband has never been a believer in things that he can’t explain. I’d like to tell you a story that happened to us, a story that may or may not make a believer out of you, but will definitely give you something to consider. * * * The air was crisp with the chill of fall, the trees were a brilliant array of color, and children jumped joyfully into piles of leaves their parents had raked throughout their yards. It was late September and we were house hunting in the outskirts of Cary, North Carolina. The previous day we had found an interesting house and agreed to meet the realtor there at one o’clock in the afternoon on Sunday. We arrived before the realtor, so we took a leisurely stroll around the property. Several times I felt as if we were being watched, but when I turned to look at the house everything appeared normal. I thought little of it as I was caught up in the possibilities of owning this house. We’d been living in an apartment with our two children and this particular property was huge. The three story white house sat on an acre of land and had beautiful columns in the front across a porch that was as long as the home. It was a total of sixty-five hundred square feet—plenty of room for a growing family. When Mr. Realtor arrived he told us the specs of the house before we went inside. I found it strange that the house had been sold quite a few times and had sat empty for the past year. Because of this they were offering a price reduction to entice buyers. When Mr. Realtor went inside, my husband followed carrying my middle son. I walked up to the door holding my oldest son’s hand, and I balked. I felt a presence, not a negative energy, just a presence. My son, who has been able to see spirit since he was two years old, turned to me and said, “Mommy, a boy lives here.” Okay. I feel it . . . my son says it . . . we go inside. The living room is huge, with beautiful hard wood floors and a floor to ceiling rock fireplace. But there is an odd smell in the air that reminds me of blood. I ask my husband if it smells funny to him, but he thinks it’s just because the house has been closed up for so long. It bothers me though, so I open the doors creating a draft through the living room to see if that helps. The entrance to the kitchen is off of the living room and we go in. We’re commenting on the ways it could be updated and the costs involved when both doors in the living room slam shut. I look at my son, who is staring into the living room, apparently watching something, and then at my husband, who is still intent on the kitchen renovation, and then at Mr. Realtor, who suddenly appears very nervous. “Must have been the wind,” he said with a sheepish smile before walking over to open both doors again. “Probably,” I replied even though I knew something else was going on in that house. We toured the remainder of the first level and then headed up to the second level. The temperature dropped and I felt goose bumps rise on my arms and the back of my neck. There was a long, somewhat narrow hallway with three large bedrooms on each side. The bedrooms to the front of the house had a view of the large oak trees in the front yard and, several feet down, you could see the tin roof of the porch that was painted a dark green. One bedroom in particular kept drawing me towards it. I somehow knew that answers lay in that room, but Mr. Realtor headed us upstairs to the third floor before we could look inside it. My husband had been carrying around the house fact sheets this entire time. But now he ushered Mr. Realtor in front of him and handed them to me. “Here, hold these will you?” “Okay.” I have to admit he looked a little disturbed and distracted. “Are you all right?” “Yeah. Does this house seem a little weird to you?” “Uh-huh. Why do you say that?” “I’ll tell you later.” We followed Mr. Realtor to the third floor through a very narrow spiral flight of stairs. At the top it opened into a game room the size of half the house. We had just started across the floor when my son, who was still holding my hand, fell ahead of me as if he’d been pushed from behind. He hadn’t tripped but his body had arched, moved forward, and then he stumbled and I scooped him up and looked behind us. Nothing. I looked at my son and he looked mad. “He don’t play nice, Mommy.” “Who doesn’t play nice, honey?” “That boy.” I turned to the realtor who was on the other side of the room with my husband. “Did children ever live in this house?” “Um, yes, I believe so.” I didn’t pursue it because I wanted to be sure before I opened my mouth. So we finished on the third floor and went back downstairs. On the second level I insisted that we look at the bedrooms again. Mr. Realtor tried to get us to continue downstairs but I wanted to see why that room was pulling me toward it so much. We all go inside and I immediately felt drawn to the window. As I looked out at the porch roof, the impressions started coming hard and fast. A little boy with dark hair had fallen out of the window, hit the roof of the porch, and fallen to his death on the ground below. He couldn’t have been any older than my son, who was five at the time. “Mommy, I don’t like this room.” “I know, honey.” I picked him up and sat him on my hip and turned to face Mr. Realtor. “Can you tell me who died in this house?” Mr. Realtor looked at me in disbelief. “What makes you think someone died in here?” “I just sense it. Was it a little boy?” Mr. Realtor sighed. “I might as well tell you. There was a family who lived in this house many years ago. This was their youngest son’s room. Unfortunately, he fell out of the window and landed on the porch roof but slid off and fell to the ground. He died on the way to the hospital.” He paused to look at us. “I’ve had a hard time getting people interested once they come inside, but you’re the first one to specifically ask about the boy.” “Thank you for being honest,” I said. “Now, we can finish up the tour.” I looked at my husband who had been unusually quiet. We thanked Mr. Realtor and made our way back to our car. After getting the kids secured into their car seats we got into our seats and just sat for a minute and watched Mr. Realtor drive away. “So, what do you think?” I asked. “There’s something in that house.” “Yes, the spirit of that little boy.” “Well, I don’t know about that, but I do know that something kept trying to pull those papers out of my hand. That’s why I gave them to you. And something kept grabbing at my leg.” I laughed. “I think he just wanted to play. He’s probably lonely.” My husband looked at me like I was crazy. “So, are we going to make an offer?” “No way. I’m not living in that house.” And I have to admit that I didn’t really want to live there, either. It’s one thing to have spirit come and go in your life, and it’s another to choose to live in a place when you know a spirit inhabits it. This story just goes to show you that when spirit is around they can make themselves known to both believers and nonbelievers alike in different ways. Personally, spirit doesn’t bother me, but I have to say that having the ability to pick up on them does help when you’re house hunting.

5 Flames - Collector's Treasure
reprinted in its entirety with permission

RATING: 5 Flames - Collector's Treasure
Review Site: http://wordmuseum.com
RATING: 5 Flames - Collector's Treasure
Reviewer: Sally Painter
Reviewer URL: www.sallypainter.com

With a heart warming prologue by Kathryn Falk, who gives an in-depth glimpse of the way we can be led to claim our psi abilities, this book starts off with a powerful vignette of paranormal experiences, followed by an insightful introduction of the paranormal by Melissa Alvarez. The true stories that follow are a wide range of experiences and personal revelations about the unknown.

The Nest by Amy O’Connor tells about living with ghosts, especially those in the bowels of Australian caves where evil co-exists with good just as it does above ground, only within the darkness and quietness only the underground can give. It’s here that Ms. O’Connor and others are able to sense and see these entities with greater clarity. And, this opening tale reminded me of my experiences with both extreme types of spirits. Unnerving and a great Halloween true life story.

Strange Sequence by Jane Toombs shares the author’s journey begun by a Tarot reading that predicts a death and the birth of a relationship. This one left me with a feeling of peace and comfort, knowing the love we carry in this life continues to the next in a far greater capacity than our earthly bound loves. Touching and hopeful.

Veiled Revelations by Adrianna Dane. What if you had prophetic dreams? Would you tell those involved or would you keep the forewarnings to yourself? It is a very responsible position to be placed in and Ms. Dane discusses her thoughts about dreams, symbolism of dreams and how she learned to cope with her prophetic dreams. She offers an alternative way of dealing with special gifts by closely examining their meanings and deciding when to act on them and when to not act. Thought-provoking and fresh.

The Visit by Carole Bellacera is yet another powerful story of how precognitive dreams can foretell of events we are helpless to prevent, but serve to empower us to declare our love for one another before it is too late. Ms. Bellacera reveals to us how this opportunity brings with it the eternal blessing of getting to say those things we should always say before it is too late. Consoling and mindful.

Embracing My Instinct By Igna Mahn This amazing account of how a woman discovers not only her occupation in several past lives, but how this past knowledge comes to her aid in birthing her children and ultimately setting her life on a different career path. This story also shows the first steps an initiate often takes unknowingly by learning to trust self, through inner guidance and being assured that the higher self will never let us down. Moving and inspiring.

Destiny Disrupted by Billie Jo Case tells the eerie true story of how the warning of a psychic saved her life and brought a career to an end. Ms. Case clearly shows us how susceptible we are to explaining life through the logical mind when it is the intuitive mind, we must struggle to listen first. The intuitive mind will serve us best in life and in all of life’s decisions. Stirring and gives pause.

High Planes Drifters by Rob Riser. Several short vignettes of ghostly encounters and an excellent depiction of what it is really like to live with ghosts on a day-to-day basis. This sole male point of view of the other side within this collection contrasts with those of the female intuitives by contemplating quantum physics and other scientific probabilities and theories as possible explanations of the paranormal. I was glad to see this male point of view included in the collection. These are intriguing theories and remind us that the scientific community is still attempting to understand the paranormal. Even without such explanations, Mr. Riser is quite comfortable with his encounters of the paranormal and accepts them as real. My favorite story was when he was a teenager and bravely faced a ghostly showdown with the resident spirits. Insightful and contemplative.

A Gift of Light By Margaret West. This moving story is about a young soldier fighting in Iraq, Ms. West’s son. Worrying over her son’s deployment to Iraq brings the appearance of those sent to protect him. This heart tugging story demonstrates how those we love continue to exist beyond this life. In fact, they return to help us and protect us, very much like they did when living in this world. Humbling and hopeful.

Call Me Angel by Mimi Riser, is a potent story about how an angelic being, not only saved her from unjust treatment, but helped guide a decision that altered her and her husband’s lives by taking a new path towards a positive change. This true story reminded me very much of the former TV series, Touch By An Angel. I had confirmation chills while reading this one. Divine and inspiring.

And The Sun with the Moon Shall Shine by Melissa Alvarez gives us a glimpse of a clairvoyant coming into her abilities and a very interesting phone call to a psychic hotline. Humorous yet profound.

The Silver Haired Lady by Melissa Alvarez was heart-warming and very powerful in the retelling of a visitor from the other side who wanted only one thing, that the truth be told. This story’s lesson is one of learning to honor your gifts and by doing so gaining the validation that what you are experiencing is real. Self-doubt and questioning if something we hear or are told is real or just our imagination plagues those with intuitive abilities. This story validates those whispers, dreams and nudges our spirit guides and visitors from the other side give us. Touching and heart-warming.

Recognition of Spirit by Melissa Alvarez. Ever felt a presence in a house while house hunting for your new dream home? If you are like Ms. Alvarez, you will not shrug off the foreboding feeling or ignore the slamming doors. A true haunted house experience. Eerie yet instructive on listening to what you know is real.

A Child Remembers by Melissa Alvarez serves as another heartstring tugging confirmation that we have many lives and the messenger of this truth is a child. This story demonstrates how open and accepting children are to paranormal truths. It’s not until they are taught to disbelieve their own insights and truths that they grow up to no longer believe or recall those memories. How often have we seen that honesty in a child who looks at us with frustration and believes we are silly not to understand he has lived before? Uplifting and comforting.

As I read these accounts of such very personal and moving experiences, I was humbled by each author’s willingness to share her or his truth. I cried, laughed and was deeply moved by each account of a connection, a brush or a visit with the paranormal. I could relate to their stories, comparing to my own encounters. The authenticity of each story rings clear and left me with a feeling of hope and the possibility of a better future.

The final story by Melissa Alvarez sums up why it is some people can see these other dimensions and why some people can’t and to help those who might not be familiar with some of the metaphysical terms, she has thoughtfully included a glossary of terms. To say this is a great read almost feels disrespectful to these authors who laid out their innermost secrets of encounters with the paranormal. I know from personal experience to declare such events and happenings publicly is not something one does lightly or without a great deal of soul searching. And these are truly stories from these authors’ souls.

Whether you are a novice and just beginning to discover your own intuitive abilities or someone who has walked the path and discovered your own truths, there is something in the pages of this amazing collection of true paranormal tales for every one. And, I mean everyone regardless your age, gender or level of development. It is this kind of book that opens new doorways of understanding and empowers others to step out of their hiding and put away the fear of being ridiculed because these authors have paved that path for all to follow. Each author needs to be thanked for being such brave souls and sharing their spiritual truths. This is a book everyone needs to read. It is a book destined to be known, recommended and loved by all who read it now and for many years to come. ~ Sally Painter, Word Museum



5 Ribbons!
5 RIBBONS - I admit that I very rarely read non-fiction, so when I do, it has to be about a subject that really catches my notice. When PARANORMAL EXPERIENCES VOLUME ONE, published by New Age Dimensions Publishing, came up for grabs to be read and reviewed, I jumped at the chance. I’ve always been interested in all things paranormal—the presence of ghosts and spirits, the ability to see the future, the use of tarot cards and runes to predict the future. After reading the book, which I did in one sitting, I can honestly say that all lovers of the paranormal should read these true-life experiences!

The book is broken up into several short "experiences" told from the author’s perspective. Titles of these stories include THE NEST, STRANGE SEQUENCE, VEILED REVELATIONS, THE VISIT, EMBRACING MY INSTINCTS, DESTINY DISRUPTED, HIGH PLANES DRIFTER, A GIFT OF LIGHT, CALL ME ANGEL, AND THE SUN WITH THE MOON SHALL SHINE, THE SILVER HAIRED LADY, RECOGNITION OF SPIRIT, and A CHILD REMEMBERS. We’re also treated to a wonderful foreword by the Grand Dame of romance herself, Kathryn Falk, an introduction by New Age Dimensions Publishing founder Melissa Alvarez, individual author biographies, and a glossary of terms used throughout the book.

We read about ghostly hauntings, visits from recently departed dead loved ones, warnings to avoid perilous situations, and spirits having hissy-fits. The stories are alternately spine-tingling, spooky, sad, and downright funny. I have to mention here that HIGH PLANES DRIFTER, by Rob Riser, had me laughing out loud several times. THE SILVER HAIRED LADY had me crying for a dead woman seeking justice from the grave, and DESTINY DISRUPTED gave me chills with its forecast of a deadly situation.

The glossary alone is worth the time to read this book. Covering terms from acupressure to Zodiac and everything in between, this is a comprehensive list of terms that one might find when dealing with the paranormal. The author bios are fun and informative, and you just might find a few new books you want to read! And the foreword by Ms. Falk is interesting and entertaining, dealing with humans needs to know and understand the "spirits" that live among us.

All in all, PARANORMAL EXPERIENCES VOLUME ONE is one non-fiction book that I’m glad I picked up—and I’m sure you’ll be glad, too! Jennifer Wardrip, RomanceJunkies.com

By Tami Brady, TCM Reviews
Paranormal Experiences is an anthology of true stories real people who are touched by paranormal experiences that change their lives and guide these individuals to their true purpose. The accounts range from experiences with ghosts and angels through psychic readings that foretold changes in the lives of various individuals to descriptions of the discovery of special gifts and life purposes.

I found each of the accounts in this book to be interesting covering a wide range of paranormal and psychic phenomena. These stories are not dramatic, filled with gypsy like psychics, or ghosts trying to harm the living. Instead, these tales include real people who for the most part never asked for the gift. Most of these individuals are skeptical in the beginning but eventually see these experiences as a profoundly life altering opportunity. I really appreciated this aspect as most people who believe in the paranormal or have the gift are not dramatic, flamboyant, or naďve. Tami Brady, TCM Reviews