Coffin Hop ~ Episode 6

There are several of us in the Coffin Hop Tour. Visit all of us for spooks, chills and candy galore! Okay, maybe you won’t get any candy, but it’s Halloween and this Coffin Hop is guaranteed to put you in the spirit for a ghoulish 31st!  

To go back to the list of participating 

Coffin Hoppers, click HERE.

After the 5 days of Haunted Gracen, is it any wonder that I write in the paranormal genre? I’ve mentioned before that I named the heroine in the Road to Hell series, Madison, after a young girl I knew who had breast cancer. I’d nicknamed her Madz and at 18, she taught me so much about life. Sick Madz was full of more life than many non-sick individuals I know. She loved every moment of life.

I met her through the Supernatural forum boards. She and I both had a love for Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles), so we clicked quickly. I was the “General” of the group because I’d created this particular “group” on the board.

A member in the group even gotten word to Jensen Ackles about her being sick. He’d signed a photo of himself made out to her, then took a picture of himself holding the photo. She and I spent the final evening of her life online chatting about Jensen Ackles and watching him on Chelsea Lately. Thinking of her from that evening, how much fun she and I had…all she’d wanted to do was stay up to see him. Watch the one man that made her smile and it was midnight before the show ended. She was exhausted by then and immediately said goodbye. Knowing how sick she was, I was still hopeful there’d be some miracle cure that’d save her. That was to be her final act and the last time I’d ever talk to her. At 6 a.m. the next morning she passed away. Thinking of her now brings me to tears.

But, I’d never met her, just developed a strong Internet connect with her, so I’d never actually seen what she looked like. Anyone who thinks it’s silly to call internet friendships not as “real” as real-life ones, they’re wrong.

One evening about 6 months after Madz had passed away, my dog, Bama, jumped up off the sofa and ran to the beginning of the hallway, which leads to our front door. Her tail was wagging and she was looking up and whining like she does when she’s happy to see someone. My husband was out of town with our children at the hunting camp, so I was alone in the house. I went to investigate and no one was there. But I kept getting the sense that a young girl was peeking around the corner at me. Used to spirits walking in and out of my house, I brushed the event aside and went back to watching TV.

Bama and I sat back down on the sofa and before the hour passed, she was jumping off the sofa again, this time stopping at the entrance to the kitchen. As before, she’s wagging her tail and whining, looking up like someone is there.

Aloud I asked, “Who’s there?”

I got the image of a girl with shoulder length brown hair, young, maybe 18 or 19. Taller than me. No shocker, since I’m short. I asked what she wanted and in my head I heard, “I wanted to meet you.”

The spirit left after that and has never returned since. A couple of months later I received an email with a photo of Madz attached. The girl in the photo was the spirit girl. I sat and cried for the next half hour. Every time I tried to pull my emotions back together, I’d think of the spirit and that photo and I’d cry all over again.

That’s been a good two years now and to this day, I still get torn up when I think of Madz and when I think of this momentous event. Yes, even right now I’m sniffling through this post. I like to think maybe I impacted her final days as much as she did mine and that's why she came to visit me. 

I wish all of you could have met Madz! When things aren’t going so well, I’ll think of Madz and how during her final days she was still upbeat and full of life. The least I could do was immortalize her name as a character.

The dedication in Book One of the Road to Hell series, Pandora’s Box, reads….

In memory of the real "Madison", an angel that died much too young. May you rest in peace knowing you are loved and your memory will never die.

Huggles,

Gracen

Return here each day of the Coffin Hop for a new episode of "Haunted Gracen" and for extra chances to win!! Note: Links will be posted at the top of the blog for each Episode for ease of locating the post.

To be taken back to the main hop link, click here ---> COFFIN HOP

CLICK PHOTO TO BE TAKEN BACK TO COFFIN HOP

Where you can stalk me—not really!—but I would love to meet and interact with you:

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/gracen.miller

Road to Hell series FB Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Road-to-Hell-series/112564408814796?ref=ts

Website: www.gracen-miller.com

No hop is the same without a contest!

NOTE: Rafflecopter has been kind of screwy the last couple of days. So, if you're having difficulties with the Rafflecopter, please tell me in the comment section and I'll physically add you to the rafflecopter. However, by clicking on "a Rafflecopter giveaway" below, it should take you directly to the Rafflecopter link so you can participate. A rule that is still valid is that you must leave a comment on each day's blog post or your entries will be eliminated.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To go back to the list of participating 

Coffin Hoppers, click HERE.

Book 1 Road to Hell series

BLURB (horromance - a mix of horror and romance):

Where does the road to Hell begin?

What happens when your son turns homicidal overnight and your husband disappears on his way to work? Do you cower in fear or fight for your life? Madison Wescott fights against the odds. Distrustful of a God she doesn't believe in, she finds herself face-to-face with a world she didn't know existed and discovers her own soul is darkened with demonic connections.

With good intentions? Or by demonic design?

Phoenix Birmingham bursts into Madison’s life in a whirlwind of sarcasm and sexual appeal. A hero for the masses—and for her jaded heart—but few will ever know the sacrifices he has made or the sacrifices to come. Discovering her entire life has been influenced by multifaceted paranormal beings, Madison is determined to defeat the apocalyptic blueprint fate has decreed, but only one man dares to challenge the supernatural forces manipulating them. Even with Phoenix's aid, can destiny be denied? Or will demonic design prevail while they pay the crucial price with their souls?

In a small, sleepy Alabama town the battle for mankind's liberty has begun...

Pandora’s Box Buy Links:

Decadent Publishing: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=326&osCsid=197c7ca45f989e3b22059c5b92c9475d

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005HRSZRG/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_g351_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0V85TMYT088EG6C8W16V&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pandoras-box-gracen-miller/1105010763?ean=2940011467097&itm=3&usri=gracen%2bmiller

ARe:  http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-pandora039sbox-594252-140.html

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/82329

Book 2 Road to Hell series

Blurb:

Hell’s become more than just a playground for the wicked…

Going to Hell was supposed to save Madison, but knowing she’s dead because of his failure leaves Nix with only one thing to live for. Revenge. With Micah’s help he learns to use his Messianic power. Anything for Mads has become his mantra, even if it means killing innocents to gather the power he needs to succeed. A tsunami he unleashes on a Gulf Coast city is stopped with magical interference, and Nix is more than surprised to feel Madison in the opposing magic. Can he and Micah set a trap to lure her out?

Pandora’s Box…once you open it, there’s no turning back!

Madison has done the unthinkable, opened Pandora’s Box to save Nix from Hell. And failed. She’s willing to risk her own life to rescue Nix, but she worries about the welfare of her accomplice in the mission and leaving her son behind. Following up on a lead, she’s ambushed by Nix and Micah. Shocked and hurt to discover Nix has become a willing participant of Hell, she’s more certain than ever she won’t escape the demonic fate her husband outlined for her. While in Hell, she discovers denying the emergence of her succubus is futile, which means getting Nix out of Hell after embracing her inner demon just became a very real dilemma…

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