Watch the Daily Dragon for updates, or ask at the Paranormal Track (Sheraton Hotel).

Title: If it’s not a Ghost or Demon what is it?
Time: Fri 11:30 am Location: Piedmont. – Sheraton (Length: 1)
Description: A panel discussion on other possible explanations.
(I’m bringing a handout listing some of the more likely alternatives.)

Addition: Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Atrium level of the Marriott – Join author Elizabeth Donald, Angelia Sparrow and Kerlak Publishing editor/author Allan Gilbreath and me for an author kaffeeklatsch at Dragoncon! Tentatively we will also be joined by John Everson and Van Allen Plexico, pending scheduling changes.

Title: Dragon*Con Artist Trading Card Workshop
Time: Sat 04:00 pm Location: Hanover G – Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: What is an Artist Trading Card? Join us for an
informative panel and demo. 1st 20 people to sign up will get 4 blank
cards. Sign up 30 minutes before

Title: Paranormal-Then and Now
Time: Sun 02:30 pm Location: Augusta – Sheraton (Length: 1)
Description: Open forum Discussion of evolution of the Paranormal.
(I’m bringing a timeline handout for this panel, and info about my work with paranormal patterns, too.)

Title: Dragon*Con Artist Trading Card Swap
Time: Sun 04:00 pm Location: Hanover G – Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: Made some GREAT cards at the workshop? Or you brought
some original cards to Con? Join us for an hour of swapping cards & sharing ideas

Possible addition: A few of us may get together for an informal, somewhat off-track “real ghost stories” hour (or so), late-ish on Sunday night.  Ask me for details when you see me.

Title: Zines, Zines, Zines
Time: Mon 01:00 pm Location: Hanover G – Hyatt (Length: 1)
Description: Whether you are just curious or a long-time fan of the
zine underground join us to disucss how & why zines are made – free zines available.

ALSO

Look for me at Dragon*Con, and ask for free handouts and information sheets.

In addition to my own panels, I’m hoping to catch a few related to Warehouse 13, Torchwood, Steampunk, Podcasting, and — of course — British Media.

I’ll have a very limited number of handouts about the work that I do, and how it relates — in real life — to shows such as Warehouse 13, Torchwood, Primeval, and even Rubicon. Ask me for free copies!

(Last year, similar handouts were so popular, I’d run out of them halfway through Dragon*Con.)

At my panels, I’ll have informational flyers summarizing what I want to say about each topic:  Ghost Hunting Then & Now; and If It’s Not a Ghost or a Demon… What Is It?

Fiona Broome’s Sampler

However, you’ll never see it at Amazon.com or any bookstore.

This personally autographed, 100-page sampler is a “sneak peak” of books that will be published through 2011, plus highlights of my most recent books.

It’s available only through September 15th. No orders will be accepted after that date.

The price is $15, including Priority Mail shipping to any U.S. address. (Outside the U.S., please contact me for shipping options.)

Each of my recent and upcoming books is represented by highlights or a full chapter.  These pages showcase many of my unique research methods, and they’ll give you a headstart over those who wait for the complete books.

In this book…

• From Paranormal Patterns: Predicting Anomalies and Hauntings – I’ll share my most important tips about using any map (including free tourist maps and Google Maps) to find unknown haunts wherever you are. Using a map of Georgia, I’ll show you exactly how this research works, and the best non-ghost indicators that can point to haunted places.

• From Paragenealogy: Identifying Your Ghosts – You’ll receive the full Introduction to this book, including an overview of the entire research process. You’ll see scans of some of the unusual (but free) records I use to identify ghosts and the reasons why they haunt.

• From Ghost Photography 101 – The cover of the book — included in this “sneak preview” — hints at some of the unusual pictures and photo techniques I’m ready to share. Among these sampler pages, you’ll see whether or not smoke, dust and pollen are real problems in ghost photos. (Be prepared to be surprised. I was.)

• From Introduction to Ghost Hunting – See the revised first lesson from the book version of my free, online course. This new edition will include more than twice as much information and far more current tips for new and experienced ghost hunters. (Note: The original, basic course will remain free, online for everyone. )

• From Ghost Hunting in Haunted Cemeteries – Highlights of two chapters, sharing tips for finding and exploring great haunted graveyards.

• From Is My House Haunted? – Five sections from this Amazon best-seller that can dramatically change how you investigate buildings that might be haunted.

• Also read my one-page summaries of two books due late in 2011:

– The Mandela Effect isn’t about ghosts, but it’s definitely eerie. If you’re interested in extreme paranormal research, this evidence opens startling new doors.

– The summary of The Ghosts of Salem, Massachusetts may help you find a few haunts that only the locals know about… including one of the stranger daytime hauntings in modern, downtown Salem. (Women can witness it; men may be arrested if they do.)

Each section of this “sampler” is introduced with my personal notes about the subject.

Copies ordered by September 1st will be shipped around September 20th.  Copies ordered by the 15th will be shipped around September 30th.

Every copy will be personally autographed. (Be sure to tell me the name of the person who’ll receive it, and exactly how to spell his or her name or nickname.)

All U.S. orders will be shipped by Priority Mail. (Sorry, no discounts for bulk orders.)

Payments are accepted through PayPal. (Contact me if you can’t use PayPal or a credit card.)

All sales are final, since each book will be autographed.

The price is $15 per book. That includes Priority shipping anywhere in the U.S., your book will be personally autographed, and you’ll receive the “early bird” bonus if you order by September 1st.

For orders outside the US, email me: fiona – at – hollowhill.com  I’ll reply as soon as I return from Dragon*Con, around September 10th.

NOTE: Your receipt (or thank-you page) may say “Ghosts of Austin.”  Don’t worry, that’s just a glitch in PayPal’s system. What I’m receiving says that you’re ordering the Sampler.

Click here to order:

Autograph to (name)

Details:

Paperback, 108 pages, 6″ x 9″
Color cover – Interior: 39 black & white illustrations
ISBN 1453789251 / EAN-139781453789254

Lately, it’s been too easy to get caught up in the drama of the entertainment and income sides of ghost hunting.  Obviously, I’ve been concerned about that as the pursuit of fame and fortune has tarnished the research side of the ghost hunting field.

However, yesterday was a refreshing step back into why I became a ghost hunter in the first place. It also reminded me of what I’ve accomplished.

First, at the office where I pick up my mail, a box had arrived.  As I opened it and took out my personal copies of Weird Encounters — a book which includes four of my stories, including one about Gilson Road Cemetery — the woman behind the counter said she’d heard about Gilson Road Cemetery.

I blinked.  See, I was the first one to write about Gilson Road Cemetery as a haunted location, over ten years ago.  When someone has heard about Gilson or visits it to find ghosts, I regard it as an accomplishment, whether they heard about Gilson from this website or someone else’s.

It’s something good that I contributed to the knowledge base of this field.  That’s one of my main goals.  To hear that I’m doing anything to help ghost hunting… that’s tremendously satisfying.  I don’t want fame in this field; I want to contribute something useful.

After that, we went to Gilson Road Cemetery to meet Sean Paradis, who began as a student of mine many years ago, and is now a respected professional who is exploring fascinating, new, low-tech approaches to ghost hunting.

Seeing the results in his photographs at Gilson last night… that was also very satisfying.  (His pictures were truly eerie, including an orange-ish orb that we haven’t seen at Gilson before. )

During the evening, I met two wonderful women who were exploring Gilson Road Cemetery as part of casual ghost hunting.  Talking with them, and sharing “ghost stories” from the area, was delightful fun.

After that, another group of people arrived, looking for anything ghostly at Gilson Road Cemetery.  They were in the “just curious” category, but I could see that one of them was especially interested in the possibility of paranormal phenomena.

(Unfortunately it was one of Gilson’s less active evenings.  However, I was able to share a few stories and pointers anyway.)

All of this was a tremendous counterpoint to what’s been going on in the entertainment side of ghost hunting.  Since I most often spend time with who began as researchers and have become stars of TV shows, it’s easy to forget why I got into this work in the first place.

However, seeing the spark of interest in people new to ghost research… the curiosity that may lead to new, important discoveries that explain what’s really going on at “haunted” places… that renewed my enthusiasm for this work.

Also, seeing how professional Sean is and how he balances enthusiasm, curiosity and hard-nosed debunking skills… that’s also a reminder of the importance of sharing what we’re learning.

So, to the woman at my mail office, the two ladies of Nashua, the group that was at Gilson — mostly for fun, I think — and also to Sean:  Thank you!

If you’re dealing with ghosts from a time or culture in which Christianity predominated, think about this:

It appears that some ghosts linger here because they’re afraid their sins were so great, they don’t deserve Heaven.

They’d rather remain here than face Hell.

If you died and you were waiting for someone to show up to guide you to your just desserts… would you willingly interact with someone dressed all in black?

As it says on some EVPs, your response might be, “Leave.  Get out. Go away.  Leave me alone.”

If all-black is your default wardrobe, you may want to reconsider that for ghost investigations.

Click here to listen to this two-minute mini-podcast, online

Photo credit: Kat Jackson, London (UK)

I know absolutely no one, personally, who’s getting rich as a paranormal investigator.

However, most of us would prefer to work full-time in the paranormal field, rather than ask people if they’d like fries with that order.

So, here’s a summary of the main ways to earn a living as a paranormal expert.

They’re not the only ways, just the usual ones.

TV- and movie-related work

Fame: Fame is possible, and perhaps likely.  Infamy is a risk as well.  It’s all in how you’re edited by the producers and the network.  Then there’s the makeup and lighting, what your co-stars say about you, whether or not you’re ridiculed on The Soup, and many other variables.

Fortune: Don’t expect to get rich from documentary-style movies or reality TV.

Warning: Absolutely anyone can film a pilot for a TV show.  Getting the show picked up by a network is only slightly more likely than being struck by lightning, unless you have talent, a great angle, and truly great connections.  So, if someone wants to include you in their TV pilot, don’t quit your day job.

Typical work opportunities in TV and movies:

• Be a regular star on a TV show.  (Guests on reality shows aren’t usually paid, and sometimes don’t even get travel expenses.)
• Be a consultant for a TV show or series, or a movie.
• Write for TV or movie productions.
• Develop a fan site about the TV show or movie, and find ways to monetize it.

Writing books and articles

Fame: How famous you become depends on how good your writing is, and how well you promote yourself.  Even if you’re published by a major publishing house, do not expect them to organize book signings or do much of any PR for you.

However, if you write well and you’re willing to work hard, you can achieve moderate fame with your writing.

Fortune: If you’re working for a traditional publisher, it’s possible you’ll have a best-seller and earn lots of money.  It’s about as likely as winning the lottery.  Books that sell for $9 – $15 usually earn their authors about 25 cents per copy sold. (That’s what I’ve earned and what Jack Canfield mentions in the video, The Secret.)

You can usually do much better with an independent publisher, but you may have to do more work on the book and on your own PR and distribution.  Generally, I don’t recommend using a publishing house that wants you to pay them a fee to publish your book.

If you’re writing stories for book anthologies or for magazines, your writing skills and reputation make the difference between earning at least minimum wage… and earning nothing.  My favorite book for freelance writers:  The Renegade Writer by Linda Formichelli.

Writing articles for online use usually pays $2 – $15/article, or more if you’re really good at writing and/or a celebrity.

The biggest demand for writers is for Halloween-related books and articles.

Tip: If you want to write books, you may not see your work in print — or earn a cent from it — for six months to two years.

If you want to write for magazines, allow them at least three months’ lead time to publish your work.  In other words, pitch Halloween articles no later than April or May.

Typical opportunities for writers:

• Writing books, including nonfiction, “ghost stories,” and novels.
• Articles.
• Screenplays.

Photography

Fame: Like writing and art, your fame potential depends on your skill and how well you promote yourself.  Luck and novelty can also be factors.  However, keep in mind: If you walk up to a stranger on the street and say, “Quick, name one ghost photographer,” they’ll probably stare at you before mumbling some TV star’s name.

Fortune: You can earn a good living as a freelance photographer if you’re willing to work hard.  Halloween-related photos (ghost pictures, cemetery photos, haunted house pictures) sell well year ’round to book and magazine publishers.  You’ll want a copy of the latest edition of Photographer’s Markets to learn who’s buying what, and how much they’re paying.

Typical opportunities for photographers:

• Illustrate books and magazines.
• Illustrate promotional material for paranormal events and speakers.
• Sell your photos via stock photo services, online.  iStockPhoto.com is just one of many.

Videos have a narrower audience, but you might get involved in filming a TV pilot (get paid up-front, not after the show sells) or create your own videos of haunted encounters.

Appearing at paranormal events and conferences

Fame: The bigger the event, the more famous you’ll seem.  It’s key to balance enough appearances with the risks of over-saturating the market.  Try to get your name and photo on the promotional materials.

Fortune: Unless you’re already a star, or selling your own books at the event, paranormal events pay little or nothing.  If you’re reimbursed for travel expenses and/or your hotel room, that’s very good… but don’t count on it.

Warning: Find out who’s on the schedule with you before committing to any event.  If he or she has a poor reputation, it can reflect badly on you.

Also, don’t make firm travel plans until you’re sure the event will happen.  About 50% of the events that book me, postpone or cancel the event altogether.

Big events, and those hosted by major celebrities in this field, rarely cancel, even if they’re taking a big loss on expenses.  Conferences organized by local groups have a higher cancellation likelihood.

Putting on a paranormal event or conference

Fame: Until your event has been successful for two or three years in a row, putting on events won’t make you famous… unless you’re already a celebrity in this field.

One bad event, or someone griping about how your ran the event (or a refund that they asked for too late and you couldn’t return the money) can be very damaging.

Fortune: Unless you’re very lucky, you’re likely to lose money putting on your first event (or two). After that, it’ll depend on the economy, when and where the event is, the quality of your speakers and activities, and how much competition you have (saturated field).

Warning: Hotels often ask for non-refundable deposits, and their meeting room prices may shock you.  Never rely on filling up hotel rooms (sleeping rooms) to offset some or all of your meeting room expenses.

It’s better to be pleasantly surprised with a profit than devastated by four-figure  (or higher) losses.

Set a firm “no refunds” date — usually the date that you have to give the hotel the deposit — and stick to it. People will call you with the most amazing, convincing tall tales excuses, usually involving themselves or a family member being diagnosed with cancer.

Also have a “Plan B” ready if your biggest celebrity cancels at the last minute, because he or she has to film a TV show.

Investigations

Some people charge money for private investigations.  Most people — including me — don’t.  In fact, most of the bigger celebrities don’t charge a cent, and some don’t even ask for travel expenses.

Fame: If you produce extraordinary results, you might build a reputation as a great paranormal investigator.  In 80% or more of your cases, the home owners will be reluctant to admit that they even consulted you.

Fortune: In most cases, there’s no money in investigating.  I’ve talked about this in other articles.  Some clients just need help and they’ve already lost their jobs due to the stress of the hauntings; other people won’t take you seriously unless you charge a fee.  The latter group is diminishing rapidly, because they see ghost hunters on TV conducting free investigations.

If you consult for a business — such as a realtor who needs to know if a home or business is haunted — you’re more likely to be paid.  Home owners rarely pay for investigations.

Tip: If you expect to charge money, even just travel expenses, you must have professional-level experience in this field — probably more than 100 real, formal investigations — and a list of references for potential clients to check.

It’s also prudent to have liability insurance for your team.   If a Ming vase is broken during your investigation, the client won’t care that it was poltergeist phenomena, and not your fault.

There are no get-rich-quick paths in this business.  Though some people have catapulted themselves to fame and/or fortune, few remain there for very long.

Success in any field — including this one — requires hard work, constant study, and immense integrity.

If ghosts and hauntings fascinate you, it’s probably best to keep your day job and pursue this field as a hobby, at least for the first few years.

In the meantime, keep all of your photos.  Maintain a detailed journal of your investigations.  Experiment with new ideas, theories, investigation tools and techniques.  All of them may be extremely valuable once you are ready to enter this field as a full-time professional.

Focus on one niche rather than trying to be an all-around ghost hunter.  Sure, you’ll need to know a little about every facet of ghosts and hauntings.  However, career success comes from identifying your strengths and greatest interests, and developing a niche that’s uniquely yours.

Photo credit: Michael Faes, Switzerland

Weird Encounters

In this book, you’ll read Fiona’s stories about:

– Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans’ haunted French Quarter.  Though Brennan’s is a popular restaurant with tourists and locals (as well as visiting celebrities), the restaurant is also home to several interesting ghosts.

In this book, Fiona shares additional information about Brennan’s “Red Room” where a haunted painting and a “cold spot” in front of the fireplace are just a few reminders of a chilling legend and a lasting ghost story.

Nearby, the ghost of an elderly woman can be friendly… or so scary that she drove an entire group of construction workers out of the building.

At the front door and throughout the restaurant, watch for the benevolent ghost of Brennan’s former lead chef.  In Weird Encounters, you’ll discover the reasons why he haunts the restaurant, and the quirky requests he made at death.

– Houmas House is a magnificent mansion with a history that includes several ghosts…  perhaps thousands of Civil War soldiers that gather nearby.

From the moment you pass through Houmas House’s sparkling white gates, you may see the ghost of a 19th-century servant in broad daylight.

The playful spirit of a little girl lingers on one stairway, and may peek at you from mirrors, particularly in the bedroom where Bette Davis stayed while filming Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte.

– Wentworth by the Sea is a grand hotel just outside Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  During many happy chilhood summers as a hotel guest, Fiona encountered interesting and everday ghosts throughout the building.

In this book, Fiona shares her early experiences at a haunted wing of the hotel, and tales of other spirits.

– Gilson Road Cemetery in Nashua, New Hampshire has been a local legend for many years.  However, Fiona was the first to document its ghosts and describe them online.

In Weird Encounters, Fiona shares some of the odd and interesting ghosts of this southern NH cemetery.

Weird Encounters is sort of a sequel to Weird Hauntings, which included some of Fiona’s ghost stories as well.

You’ll find this book at Amazon.com and other bookstores.  (Most Barnes & Noble bookstores have it in stock right now.)

Also, if you’re at the Portsmouth (NH) Barnes & Noble, you may find autographed copies of this book.

Weird Encounters is a hardcover book with over 75 stories on 320 pages with full-color illustrations.

Click here to buy this book at Amazon.com

Friday the 13th may not be inherently more haunted.

However, wary of “bad luck,” people may be more aware of their environment… and more aware of paranormal phenomena.

You and your team may be slightly “on edge” and more sensitive to your environment, including nearby spirits.

Might this lead the ghosts to respond with greater activity?  It’s possible.

However, Friday the 13th is one of many days when ghost hunting might be better than average.  Certain calendar days are worth noting, and scheduling ghost investigations.

This mini-podcast is about 3 minutes long, and presents only the highlights of this idea.

Click here to listen to this mini-podcast

Photo credit: Joakim Buchwald, Denmark

Note: The illustration is a reference to the historical and religious (Knights Templar) significance of Friday the 13th.

I’ll make a note, and plan to include whatever-it-is in a future podcast.

Sometimes I remember to talk about it, and sometimes I can’t fit whatever-it-is into my podcast.

I’d like to improve on that.

As I’m revising my schedule and my priorities, I’m adding “mini-podcasts” to my routine.  In other words, when I have a good idea that I’d like to share with you, I’ll record a mini-podcast to explain the high points.

I may record a more  in-depth podcast about the topic, later.  However, this will enable me to share important information and fresh ideas, quickly.

These mini-podcasts will appear on whim.  I may record several a week, and then record none for a month.  I don’t know; this is just an experiment to see if it’ll be a better use of my time.

Fiona plans to sit this dance out.  She’ll be speaking at Dragon*Con 2010, but otherwise expects to keep a low profile — and keep writing books — through the end of 2010 and perhaps early 2011.

Also in this podcast, Fiona warns about the folly and liabilities of focusing more on ghost hunting tools than on the haunted environment around you.  She offers several tips, including ways to use your real-time communication devices (EVP, Puck, Ovilus, Frank’s Box, Shack Hack, pendulum,etc.) to plan ahead for a ghost investigation.

Finally, Fiona recommends reading the beginning of Embraced by the Light, by Betty Eadie.  As one of the most detailed descriptions of a reported near-death experience, we can learn from what she describes.  If some ghosts go through the same steps, this may help us understand where they are and what they’re dealing with, before they “cross over.”

Click here to listen to this podcast online

Podcast music: Zombie, written & orchestrated by Devin Anderson

I have no idea what it was designed for, but it’s now a permanent part of my ghost hunting kit

Here’s the problem many of us encounter:

When I’m working with a team in a big, really dark location, and I want someone to double-check an anomaly, I have to shout for them.

Then, I have to keep saying, “Follow my voice,” so they find exactly where I am.  (That can interfere with EVP, and distract everyone from their work.)

Or, I have to wave my flashlight until they find me.  If half the team are using flashlights, it can be difficult to tell one flashlight beam from another.

Life Gear’s Glow Light is the answer.

It’s a flashlight.  That’s useful.

The handle includes a really loud whistle.  It could be good in an emergency, or to summon everyone quickly if the area is huge.

This flashlight also works as a glow stick; it comes in red, green and blue.

However, my favorite feature is how it blinks. Click through the four options on the control, and the glow stick starts blinking.

As soon as I saw this, I said, “This is great! I can finally indicate where I am, in dark places.”

If each team member has one of these tools and wears it on a lanyard (comes with the flashlight), we can find each other. ( The team leader’s color could be different from the rest of the team, for easy identification.)

Shout just once to get the person’s attention, and the blinking light does the rest for you.

• This flashlight is inexpensive.  Its batteries should last 200 hours.  (The manufacturer offers free replacement batteries, too.)

• It’s discreet enough not to distract other researchers, but still very visible when necessary.  No one will mistake it for an anomaly.

In my opinion, this is a must-own item for every team member who investigates dark locations.

Whether it’s a cemetery (“Oh, she’s over there where the light is blinking”) or a big house (“Nope, no light blinking in this room… I’ll keep looking”), it’ll make ghost hunting far simpler.

Click here to see this flashlight at Amazon