A PEEK THROUGH A VEIL: Larisa Walk

They say only a thin veil separates us from the paranormal realm. I didn't really believe that until Loughcrew.

We were traveling in Ireland in 2009, visiting prehistoric sites.  Some were easy to find: a tour bus full of retirees could take you to the site's doorstep.  To get to others you had to walk through a grassy field with sheep manure landmines, because they are on a farmer's land.  Still others, like Loughcrew in County Meath, required some endurance and dedication to reach them, since they are located on steep hills with rain-slicked paths, brittle heather ground cover and boggy peat.

We chose the Cairn T of the Loughcrew passage tombs to visit.  We weren't exactly in shape for mountain climbs, but we decided on mind-over-flabby-muscles and after much near-asthmatic wheezing and huffing we made it to the top of the hill.  Only to find out that the passage tomb of Cairn T had its entrance blocked with a metal bar gate, secured by a lock.

We could still see inside the passage tomb with its massive upright boulders and the inner chamber shrouded in cool shadows and decorated with mysterious prehistoric carvings that remind of a celestial or astral map.  That in itself inspired awe, though we wished we knew beforehand that a key was available if you asked the nice ladies in a coffee shop down the hill.

While my husband walked around the site, I continued to gaze inside the tomb.  An urge to put my hands on the stones that formed the entrance and to close my eyes came upon me from nowhere.  A vision formed in my mind, bright and immediate: A funeral of someone important.  Warriors in animal skin tunics and leggings standing in two rows, facing each other as they formed a corridor that led to the entrance of this very tomb.  Each warrior holds a half-disk made of copper in his hands.  Four more warriors carry a wooden stretcher lined with fresh spruce bows.  On the stretcher lies a dead bearded man dressed in finely decorated clothes.  The sun glints sharply from the copper half-disks, illuminating the bearded man's final passage.

In my heart I knew this to be a true vision, especially since I had never read any literature about Celtic burials before, so it couldn't have been inspired by a book.  I thanked the spirits that found me worthy of such a gift, a peek through the veil of mystery and time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Larisa Walk writes paranormal and historical fiction and lives with her husband and two cats in California. Her books can be found on amazon.com: A Handful of Earth, historical fantasy: http://tinyurl.com/8yghfs9 ;  A Witch Without Magic, paranormal adventure: http://tinyurl.com/9mdcbc6

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OCTOBER 23rd GIVEAWAY:

UPDATE: GIVEAWAY OFFICIALLY CLOSED! CONGRATS TO THE FIVE WINNERS! 

Today's giveaway is FIVE ECOPIES of Larisa Walk's A WITCH WITHOUT MAGIC. It's a little bit of mystery, spells, cranky neighbors and a whole lot of charm! 

To win, simply click on the link to HALLOWEENPALOOZA'S OFFICIAL FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE. Find the October 23rd post announcing today's blog and giveaway and comment "I WANT TO WIN". If you're one of the first five to do so, you win! 

So stop munching the Halloween candy and get to clicking! The prize awaits and these go fast! 

Good luck! 

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A WITCH WITHOUT MAGIC

When her neighbors accuse Belladonna of Satanism and making them age years to days, she must find who is behind it or face a modern day witch hunt. Her mysterious enemy knows where to strike to cause the most damage: Belladonna's only friend is losing his life-force; the garden that feeds her is dying; and her house ghost goes poltergeist. To save her neighbors and friends and prove her innocence, she must travel to the Otherworld where butterflies have razor wings and where her worst fears will come to life.