Hautned House by Janice Seagraves

Hi, my name is Janice Seagraves. I write romance of various genres.

I used to live in a haunted house.

Really. 

 

Since my husband and I first moved into that house, I’ve heard a little girl crying when I washed my hands in the bathroom. Which isn’t anything unusual, however we live two miles out of town in the middle of what had been a grape vineyard but is now an almond orchard, and we have no close neighbors. I’ve lived here for twenty years and heard the same child sobbing. Reason would dictate that if this was a child, it would be grown up by now.

Once when my daughter was still a newborn baby, she started to cry. I was sitting next to my husband, watching TV. I sighed and started to get up, when I heard a woman’s voice saying very clearly, “Hush, baby.” I ran into the bedroom, and my husband ran outside. When I turned on the light, the baby was asleep, and no one was there. My husband came back inside and told me no one was outside.

While my daughter was a baby, she would sleep with us, I would feel the bed dip like someone was sitting down. I’d open my eyes to see if my husband were putting on his shoes, but the baby and I were alone.

Over the years I, my husband and my daughter have seen a little girl ghost at different times and places in the house. One time while my daughter was sleeping with me, she screamed in the middle of the night. I jerked awake and turned over, that’s when I saw the little girl ghost sitting on my bed on the far side of my daughter, staring at me. Then she faded away.

When my daughter was little about three or four, she had an invisible friend named Jenifer or Jenny, which I later realized was our ghost girl.

Once or twice I’ve heard a scary voice saying my name and a chill would wash down my back. Thank goodness I haven’t had that in a while.

*shiver*

I’ve been woken up by the sound of my bedroom door being opened and when I got up, it was closed. That just happened the other night. I got up again to look and no door was open.

We’ve seen orbs. Mostly green ones and blue ones. I saw one in the bathroom and followed it into my daughter’s room, where it landed on the foot of her bed and disappeared. 

I have taken a few orb photos with our black kitty we used to have, and I have an earlier photo with a white something that went through my husband’s mouth. These photos were taken with two different cameras, one digital and one a 35 mm.

When my husband worked nights, sometimes I would see something under the fitted sheet moving back and forth. I thought maybe a mouse got into the mattress. My husband and I flipped the mattress over, and I couldn’t find any mouse holes, so I have no idea what that was.

One morning, I was woken up by a child singing the song called the Lilac Tree. Both my husband and daughter were in the living room watching Saturday morning cartoons. And nothing they watched had a child singing.

I’ve been woken up by the smell of brownies and thought my daughter was baking. I got up to go into the kitchen and no one was cooking. Boy was I disappointed.

One time when I overslept, I heard someone walking around my bed and a voice saying, “Come on, honey, it’s time to get up.” When I got up, no one was there.

My daughter told me one of her friends that spend the night had heard the bathroom door creak open and the sound of whispering. The friend asked my daughter if her parents were up. My daughter said no, and then they both went and checked the bathroom. No was there.

My husband and I both heard the whispering voices before, right when we got home from shopping. We quickly open the front door to the house, flinging it open but the noses stopped and no one was there.

A few months ago when I just lay down to go to sleep, I felt someone tuck in the tag on my pajamas top. My bedroom door was closed, and hubby was working the graveyard shift and my daughter was staying the night at a friend’s house.

I was alone.

Or was I?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Janice’s website: http://janiceseagraves.org/

 

Morgan isn’t expecting romance when she accompanies her friend for a week of skiing, but when she meets Jared all bets are off.
Haunted by the loss of his parents, werecat Jared Catterick earns his keep working for the Catclaw Clan. Jared has secrets that he doesn’t mind sharing with a special lady, and he hopes Morgan is that special someone. When his past and present collide it’s worse than he imagined, and he’s forced to fight for his life.

https://www.amazon.com/Year-Cat-Janice-Seagraves-ebook/dp/B0748CP9JH

#Confession Time by Janice Seagraves

I have a confession...I haven't been writing anything new in two years.

However, I have been revising some old manuscripts. One is science fiction romance from my Chronicles of Arcon series and the other is something very old. My first book-length manuscript. I'm taking them both through critique groups and revising them.

How are you doing with your own writing? Are you writing anything new or revising something old?

Still free on Kindle Select:

Year of the Cat

Blurb:
Morgan isn’t expecting romance when she accompanies her friend for a week of skiing, but when she meets Jared all bets are off.
Haunted by the loss of his parents, werecat Jared Catterick earns his keep working for the Catclaw Clan. Jared has secrets that he doesn’t mind sharing with a special lady, and he hopes Morgan is that special someone. When his past and present collide it’s worse than he imagined, and he’s forced to fight for his life.


Excerpt:
Auntie walked into the middle of the hollow. “We the Catcall Clan are gathered here together to witness a challenge. Called by Munch son of Tiger, who challenges Jared Catterick son of nobody.”
“I am the son of somebody,” Jared yelled. The sudden flow of anger had his heart pounding hard against his ribs.
“Who? What are their names?” Auntie crossed her arm and leaned on one hip and tapped a toe.
“I donna remember. I was too young when they killed them and took me away,” Jared muttered. “And she knows that.”
“Is Catterick your real last name?” Killer asked him in the canine speech.
“Aye. I donna remember much about me old life, but I never forgot me name.”
“Just tell her Mr. and Mrs. Catterick,” Killer said.
“Me parents were Mr. and Mrs. Catterick,” Jared said in a loud clear voice.
A few people around the hollow snickered.
Auntie gave a quick nod. “Jared son of Mr. and Mrs. Catterick. Munch challenges you for the death of his da, Tiger.”
Munch marched to Auntie’s side. He was every bit as big as his father. Well-muscled and not just tall but wide. Where Tiger’s hair was gray and white, Munch was blond and black. Another man accompanied him, his second, a tall, lanky male named Boyd. Jared knew him well, even though he was younger.
“Och. Here we go,” Jared told Killer and walked out into the middle of the hollow.
“He’s big,” Killer said in the canine speech.
“And ugly. I wouldna want to ride him into battle.”
Killer stayed at his side. “Psst.”
“Eh?”
“You can fight, right?” Killer asked.
“Aye.”
“Good to know.”
Auntie looked at both males. “Jared, as the challenged, you may decide on weapons and forms.”
“Human and no weapons,” Jared said.
“Very well,” Auntie said. “You may use your feet, hands, elbows and knees. Even your head if you feel the need.”
“What aboot sticks and stones?” Munch asked, his voice youthful.
“Will break my bones,” Jared said under his breath.
Killer snickered.
“No weapons,” Auntie shook a finger at Munch. “That includes sticks and stones.”
“Well,” Munch crossed his arms, “since I canna change into cat form, I think I should be able to use whatever I find in the hollow.”
“This isn’t a free-for-all, Munch. There is discipline to a challenge. You must remain in your human form and fight like a human. With this match, we’ll have a square go.”
“Not very cat-like.” Munch sniffed.
Auntie fisted her hands and leaned toward Munch. “You’re not a cat. You are a shifter. You shift between three forms. Now stay with one for the duration of the fight.”
“Doesn’t he understand?” Killer asked.
“A bit daft that one,” Jared muttered back. Munch doesn’t seem have a lot of self-control. Unlike Tiger who would have done exactly what Auntie said to the letter.
“Seconds, to the side.” Auntie pointed. “You may view the fight only. Do not interfere unless your partner is hurt or someone breaks the rules.”
Both Boyd and Killer trotted to edge of the clearing.
Jared stood facing Munch. Several feet separated them. Jared shook out his arms, moved his head from side to side, and loosened his muscles.
Auntie raised her hand and did a karate chop between them. “Now fight.”
“I swear on me da’s grave, I will end you!” Munch roared and the skin on his face boiled. His hands burst out of his gloves and feet from his boots. The shift made Munch bigger, tearing his clothes. He stopped in the in-between state, like movie werewolves of old, but in this case half-cat and half-human. The only thing that remained of his clothes was his black overall snow pants and even that stretched taunt across him. Extending his claws, he snarled and reached for Jared. “I want to see you bleedin’.”


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0748CP9JH/

Year of the Cat free on #kindleunlimited by Janice Seagraves

I seem to write cats into my stories a lot here lately.

This is one of my favorites.

Jared is one of my favorite characters. He was fun to write, and I enjoyed the interaction between him and Morgan.

Jared's story started off in three segments and remained that way for years. I had Jared and Morgan very firmly in my mind. I just had to connect the pieces and I did.

The original story was only five thousand words or so long and published as Werecat Love. I enjoyed writing the story so much that I added a bigger section to their story and changed the title to Year of the Cat.

  

I just had to write a longer story about their love.

Photo by Janice Seagraves

Egyptian godess Bast or Bastet as she was later called.

In Year of the Cat, I tell a story about a werecat, Jarred. When things get rough, and they do, he prays to Bast. 

 Blurb: Morgan isn’t expecting romance when she accompanies her friend for a week of skiing, but when she meets Jared all bets are off.
Haunted by the loss of his parents, werecat Jared Catterick earns his keep working for the Catclaw Clan. Jared has secrets that he doesn’t mind sharing with a special lady, and he hopes Morgan is that special someone. When his past and present collide it’s worse than he imagined, and he’s forced to fight for his life.

Excerpt: 

A hard-feline shape landed on his back with claws digging in.

Jared rolled and got it off. Facing Tiger, he knew he confronted a hardened warrior with a big round face full of scars from former battles. “Ouch, you bastard.”

With his lip curled in scorn, Tiger snarled. “Time to die, kitty, and join your extinct clan.”

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell ya.”

Tiger paused. “Go on, then. Say your last words.”

“Everyone has a right to be ugly, but you’re abusing the privilege.” Jared rushed him. If he got him mad enough the brute would get sloppy. His only thought was living to see Morgan again.

Meeting in the middle, they slashed with their claws. They broke apart and circled each other, tails twitching, clashing again and again.

“I never liked you,” Tiger spat. “Even as a wee lad you had a smart mouth. I only withheld my claws ‘cos of Auntie.” He howled and dashed toward him.

“Come ahead, ye auld bastard!” Jared fell on his back and shoved him with his feet, an un-catlike maneuver, but he wanted this to end.

A thunk indicated the unorthodox tactic had landed Tiger on something hard under the snow. Tiger didn’t move.

Eerily glowing eyes in the forest surrounded him. He wasn’t alone. The rest of the glaring had arrived unnoticed during the fight. Thankfully they didn’t charge him, but with their champion lying at his feet, it might have given them pause.

He arched his back. “Come and have a go if you think you’re tough enough.”

Nothing. No sound or movement.

He didn’t want to turn his back on the glaring, but he had to leave. He had to be out of the territory by sunrise or they’d chase him down and kill him no matter where he went. There was less snow under the thick tree branches. It made sprinting easier for him, but also for those who gave chase. He hooked his claws into the roots of the trees adding more speed to his flight. Great Goddess, Bast, give me strength to live another day.

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 https://www.amazon.com/Year-Cat-Janice-Seagraves-ebook/dp/B0748CP9JH/

Still free on #kindleunlimited