Category Archives: Movies

Auld Lang Syne

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“Should auld (old) acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld (old) acquaintance be forgot, and auld (old) lang syne?” Ahhh…. the long familiar song associated with this time of year.

Auld Lang Syne: “For (the sake of) old times.”

‘Tis the end of another year, my friends. 2022 is coming to a close as 2023 approaches. Did you all have a wonderful Christmas? I sure did. I was extremely grateful to spend a relaxing holiday at home with my family. We carried on the annual Christmas Eve tradition of driving around looking at the local Christmas decorations. Then, once we arrived home we watched the classic film, A Christmas Story starring Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker, along with Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon who played his parents and Ian Petrella who played his pesky little brother, Randy. My family and I have seen the movie countless times, but every time we watch it, it still cracks us up.

And then on Christmas day, we stayed home opening our gifts as we sat by the fireplace. It was definitely a wonderful time!

Tomorrow is the first day of the new year and I’m certainly ready for it. Are you? I’m really looking forward to this next year! What does 2023 have in store for you? I’d love to hear about it! What are some of your holiday traditions and what exciting plans have you got for the upcoming year?

As we celebrate this festive holiday season, always be safe and enjoy. Life is for remembering, not regretting!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!!

~ Love & Light, Sheila 💋

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A Ghostly Perspective

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This next post was inspired by a film that I’ve recently watched titled, The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia. The film is based on a true story and here is its description: “A historic Southern home’s new residents come face to face with a malevolent force.”

While watching, that was when it dawned on me that I was already familiar with the people portrayed in the film. I had seen them on other paranormal shows talking about their story and discussing the daughter’s ability of clairvoyance and communicating with the dead.

After I finished watching the film, it got me to thinking about ghosts and why some of them seem to be so malevolent. Perhaps their spirit isn’t actually malevolent at all. Maybe they just seem that way because they are trying to convey a message to the living. And after countless failed attempts of communication with the living, the ghosts become enraged because they have something to say but have no way of reaching the other side.

I know it may sound crazy, even far-fetched, but it made me think. So, by the time these ghosts finally find someone with whom they are able to communicate, they’re ready to unleash all their built-up emotions. And with the rush of feeling (and the fact that they’re dead) it’s easy to understand why the living can get so terrified by a paranormal encounter.

It makes total sense to me. Put yourself in their position. One day you’re walking down the street and all is well, then unfortunately something tragically out of the blue happens and you’re no longer part of the living. You’re now on the other side. You’re terrified, freaking out and you have no one to turn to. You try so hard to communicate with the living, but nothing – nadda. You try and try until one day your persistence finally becomes successful when you’re able to communicate with someone. But by this time, when you’re able to speak to a clairvoyant or whomever, you’ve got all this rush of excitement and that’s what scares the living because it becomes too overwhelming for them to handle.

Now this isn’t me in any way, shape or form, discarding all malevolent entities as non-malevolent. Extreme caution should always be utilized when investigating the paranormal because there are evil creatures/beings on the other side. So, be careful!

But the film did make me think and I wanted to share……

ghosts

Suicide Forest

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Sounds like such a frightening place doesn’t it? Suicide Forest, full of despair and darkness. It’s located at the northwest base of Mount Fuji in Japan and is also known as Aokigahara. This fourteen square mile forest is so thick with trees and other natural formations that it makes it difficult to hear anything that doesn’t belong there.

If anyone wants to visit the Sea of Trees, be forewarned for it harbors an egregious reputation. It’s reported to have an association with demons and more than fifty suicides took place among the woods in 2010. Sadly, this forest is one of the top three most popular locations worldwide for suicide. Up until around 1988, nearly thirty reported suicides occurred yearly. These lost lives have not gone unnoticed. Because of their tragedies, a warning sign has been erected at the beginning of the trail pleading that anyone contemplating suicide to please consider their loved ones and to contact a suicide prevention hotline.

Why the dark history? It’s believed that an old Japanese custom referred to as ubasute was practiced there until the 1800s and that the victims of this tragic era are to blame for the hauntings. Ubasute refers to an act where an elderly relative would be taken to an isolated location and left there to perish, be it by starvation, exposure to the elements, dehydration, etc….. all for the sake of euthanasia.

A feature film titled, The Forest starring Natalie Dormer and Taylor Kinney was released a few years ago regarding the topic. Here’s the cinematic trailer…

Suicide is nothing to take lightly and should be treated as an extremely serious matter. The following is contact information for suicide prevention.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (website)

Phone Number: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

the forest

Below is a photo of the warning sign pleading that anyone contemplating suicide to please consider their loved ones and to contact a suicide prevention hotline.

suicide forest sign

A Ghostly Perspective

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This next post was inspired by a film that I’ve recently watched titled, The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia. The film is based on a true story and here is its description: “A historic Southern home’s new residents come face to face with a malevolent force.”

While watching, that was when it dawned on me that I was already familiar with the people portrayed in the film. I had seen them on other paranormal shows talking about their story and discussing the daughter’s ability of clairvoyance and communicating with the dead.

After I finished watching the film, it got me to thinking about ghosts and why some of them seem to be so malevolent. Perhaps their spirit isn’t actually malevolent at all. Maybe they just seem that way because they are trying to convey a message to the living. And after countless failed attempts of communication with the living, the ghosts become enraged because they have something to say but have no way of reaching the other side.

I know it may sound crazy, even far-fetched, but it made me think. So, by the time these ghosts finally find someone with whom they are able to communicate, they’re ready to unleash all their built-up emotions. And with the rush of feeling (and the fact that they’re dead) it’s easy to understand why the living can get so terrified by a paranormal encounter.

It makes total sense to me. Put yourself in their position. One day you’re walking down the street and all is well, then unfortunately something tragically out of the blue happens and you’re no longer part of the living. You’re now on the other side. You’re terrified, freaking out and you have no one to turn to. You try so hard to communicate with the living, but nothing – nadda. You try and try until one day your persistence finally becomes successful when you’re able to communicate with someone. But by this time, when you’re able to speak to a clairvoyant or whomever, you’ve got all this rush of excitement and that’s what scares the living because it becomes too overwhelming for them to handle.

Now this isn’t me in any way, shape or form, discarding all malevolent entities as non-malevolent. Extreme caution should always be utilized when investigating the paranormal because there are evil creatures/beings on the other side. So, be careful!

But the film did make me think and I wanted to share……

 

Get a copy of my novel, The Spirit Within on Amazon!

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Twitter: @sheilarparker.

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Facebook: Sheila Renee Parker – Author

 

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Bring it on, 2018… We’ve got this!!!

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Wow, can you believe it?! 2018 is almost here!! I mean seriously, where did the time go? So much has happened in 2017! In September, I had the opportunity to attend the 2017 Gulf Coast ParaCon that was hosted by SPARS Paranormal in Biloxi, Mississippi, located at the beautiful Beauvoir. In November, I attended The Paranormal Diaries Film: EVENT in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, at the historical Palmer House Hotel. At both events I met lots of great people that I now consider very dear friends, and even took part in conducting paranormal investigations at both places. Plus, by being at both places, I learned so much more paranormally, historically and also many things on a personal level as far as exploring my very own gifts of being an empath and being able to communicate with the angelic realm. I’ve continued to grow from my experiences and feel even more enlightened on my life’s daily journey.

In the upcoming year of 2018 lots of exciting plans are in the works! I’ve been invited to join some more paranormal investigations that I’m really looking forward to! And I’ve also been invited back as a guest on a radio show in the very near future. Will happily keep you all posted! Not to mention, more exciting interviews with some pretty awesome guests that I can’t wait to publish for everyone to read! Also, many people have been asking about my next book, the sequel to The Spirit Within (The Spirit Within is available on Amazon!). This next book has been an exciting work in progress! I’m extremely thrilled with how the story line is being created…. lots more paranormal twists and steamy romance!

And, my art has really been taking off with buyers purchasing prints of my work (available at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/sheilarenee-parker.html ). So, definitely phenomenal things are happening!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas holiday with plans of a fabulous New Year ahead! I would love to hear from you and what you have planned for 2018!

From my heart to yours, a big “THANK YOU!” to each and every one of you for your support! I love you all dearly!!

 

Much Love & Light ~ Sheila 🙂

 

 

Get a copy of my novel, The Spirit Within on Amazon!

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Twitter: @sheilarparker.

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Facebook: Sheila Renee Parker – Author

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Instagram: @sheilareneeparker

~ Art by Sheila Renee Parker available at: https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/sheilarenee-parker.html

 

 

“Krampus: The Christmas Devil”

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As Christmas vastly approaches, many of us celebrate with family traditions and regaled storytelling. However, some tales aren’t so lavish and magical. In fact, some are the makings of horrible nightmares. The story of Krampus is certainly one not to be ignored.

Krampus, a humanoid creature bearing a pair of wicked looking horns atop his head, resembling that of a sinister being set out to wreak punishment on all misbehaving youngsters during the Christmas holiday season. Unlike his jolly counterpart, good ol’ Saint Nick, Krampus doesn’t have a fantastical list of names that “he’s checking it twice and gonna find out who’s naughty or nice”. Nope, according to tradition that began centuries ago in Germany, Krampus begins appearing throughout the towns on the eve of December 6th known as Krampusnacht. His mission? To seek out the ungrateful children, snatch them up and take them back to his lair where he commits unspeakable acts of torture. This Christmas Devil is quite nefarious and isn’t exactly my cup of hot cocoa when it comes to memories of a warm holiday season, but still rather interesting. Interesting enough that a feature film has been released throughout the cinematic world titled, Krampus.

 

Folklore claims that this evil beast is the son of Hel. In Norse Mythology, Hel is a female who rules over the realm also known as Hel where many dead are said to go. According to Norse Mythology, Hel is the daughter of the shape shifter referred to as Loki and the phrase “Go to Hel” simply means to die. Not exactly an idyllic family tree compiled of warm holiday sentiment.

So, my question is this….. Since Krampus is a dark being of irrefutable fear that weeds out the bad children from the good, is he in cahoots with our beloved Santa Claus in order to help restore the light in humanity? Hmmm…. Question to ponder….

 

 

Get a copy of my novel, The Spirit Within on Amazon!

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Twitter: @sheilarparker.

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Facebook: Sheila Renee Parker – Author

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Instagram: @sheilareneeparker

~ Art by Sheila Renee Parker available at: https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/sheilarenee-parker.html

 

 

 

The Paranormal Diaries Film: EVENT!

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DON’T MISS OUT ON THE PARANORMAL DIARIES FILM: EVENT! TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE!!!

The Paranormal Diaries Film: EVENT is an exciting event that will take place over the entire weekend starting Friday, November 10th at 6 p.m. – Sunday, November 12th at 12 p.m. at the beautiful and haunted location of The Palmer House Hotel in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. This is a special event hosted by filmmaker, Blaine Duncan and his brother, Austin in honor of their phenomenal movie, The Paranormal Diaries: A Documentary Film.

This onscreen production is full of haunted locations (including The Palmer House Hotel) that the brothers visited while on their travels throughout the back roads of America, capturing their real-life paranormal experiences.

“There’s sort of this parallel between us traveling down the road and traveling in our own personal journey to document proof of the paranormal.” ~ Blaine Duncan

At The Paranormal Diaries Film: EVENT there will be sneak peek clips from The Paranormal Diaries: A Documentary Film, along with awesome guest speakers including Angela and Brady from Twin Cities Paranormal Society, Psychic Tiffany Johnson and Suzanne Worthley! The fun-filled weekend will be full of non-stop activities. And just before everything is finished, there will be a ghost hunt throughout the entire haunted building of The Palmer House Hotel on Saturday night!

Great times indeed! And for those who would like to book their stay at The Palmer House Hotel during this exciting event for Friday and Saturday nights, will have the opportunity to stay Thursday night for free, graciously offered by the hotel’s owner.

All event proceeds are donated to The Palmer House Hotel for restoration projects to help maintain the elegance and history of this fantastic site!

I’m pretty excited about going! Already have my ticket and room booked. Along with being an active participant in all the amazing activities, I will also be a vendor there selling signed copies of my novel, The Spirit Within! Looking so forward to it, CAN’T WAIT!!!

Hope to see you all there!!!

 

 

For ticket information, please visit:  The Paranormal Diaries: A Documentary Film

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/theparanormaldiariesfilm/community/

And hotel booking at The Palmer House Hotel:  The Palmer House

 

 

 

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Interview with Filmmaker, Blaine Duncan

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Today I’m welcoming back filmmaker, Blaine Duncan as he discusses his upcoming film, The Paranormal Diaries: A Documentary Film and his exciting event, The Paranormal Diaries Film: EVENT. Thank you, Blaine for stopping by!

 

 

 

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a pretty simple guy with a love and passion for paranormal investigating. I grew up in a haunted house and the idea behind figuring out what it is that goes bump in the night has always been intriguing to me. I was always that kid who laid under my bed covers at night reading scary ghost stories, trying to pretend to be brave and then freaking myself out. As I got older I started experimenting with the paranormal and ghost hunting a little bit more. I began sneaking out and going to graveyards or local spots that were reported to be haunted. I did this kind of thing by myself for a really long time, which obviously isn’t something that should be done for many reasons, but I always felt like working in a small, intimate group of only a few people, or by myself, was the best way to really confirm what you were seeing or hearing wasn’t being caused by human interference.

 

 

 

Your upcoming film is titled, The Paranormal Diaries: A Documentary Film. Tell us about that and what was the inspiration behind its creation?

The film was actually an idea that I had back in 2009 or 2010. Life circumstances at that time, or maybe just where I was at in my life, didn’t allow for me to go out and really pursue shooting a documentary like I hoped. Fast forward to January of 2016 and I finally said, enough is enough, I need to make this film. I have to do it, because it really is something that I need to get out of my system. I needed to check that box so-to-speak. So in May, along with my brother Austin, we packed up our camera equipment and ghost hunting gear for what turned out to be a two month road trip, traveling around the country, driving the back roads of America in hopes of finding some unknown haunted hotspots. And that’s exactly what we did. We really wanted to do something different that no one else has done and incorporate the road trip idea or theme into what the film truly is. There’s sort of this parallel between us traveling down the road and traveling in our own personal journey to document proof of the paranormal.

 

 

 

In honor of your film, you have a special event scheduled in November. Share with everyone all the exciting details about The Paranormal Diaries Film: EVENT.

Yes! I’m really excited about this. It’s been a lot of work in the making to do this event, but I wanted to go back to many of the places that we filmed at and present part of the film. I always had this idea of how cool would it be to show a documentary film about a haunted location while actually watching it in a haunted location? Though we won’t be showing the entire film and only clips from our time on the road, it’s still my hope some day to do that. The event is going to be great though. We’re having some guest speakers including Angela and Brady from Twin Cities Paranormal Society who I have so much respect for and the work that they’ve done. Psychic Tiffany Johnson will be there to do her psychic gallery in the basement of The Palmer House, which is going to be super cool. And then we have Suzanne Worthley who I can’t say enough great things about! She’s just awesome. It’s going to be a great event with non-stop activities going on throughout the weekend. We’re going to finish the weekend off by having a ghost hunt throughout the entire building on Saturday night. What people don’t realize is that most of the hotel is going to be ours to wander and investigate, which is something that isn’t easy to come by. Many times there are only certain areas that you can get into or certain areas that are off limits, but for the most part, almost the entire hotel will be available to investigate. It’s going to be fun!

 

 

 

Why did you choose The Palmer House Hotel in Sauk Centre, Minnesota as the event’s location? And what’s the history behind this haunted hotel?

I chose The Palmer House because it was actually the first location that we investigated in 2016 when we hit the road. It was a place that I had been to before filming there and a place that I just really love. It’s incredibly haunted and I’ve had some really fun, crazy, experiences there. Many people actually believe that The Palmer House sits on some sort of portal and spirits come and go from the building constantly. There’s everything from full-body apparitions seen there, including ghost dogs and cats, cold spots, sounds of children playing throughout the building, items that move about on their own, really you name it. It’s just an amazing place and the owner, Kelley, has just been amazing to us. The event proceeds are actually 100% going back to the hotel, we’re not making a dime from doing this. As a way to thank Kelley for allowing us to film there and a way for her to know how much we appreciate her and her beautiful building, we decided we wanted to give the money back to her for restoration projects. Hopefully we can do more in the future and maybe even screen the whole film there one day!

 

 

 

Have you experienced anything paranormal at this beautiful, historic site?

I have! I always tell people that if you want to dip your toes into the world of the paranormal, The Palmer House is the place to do it. I’ve never picked up on anything negative or dark there, so I don’t think of it as a “scary” haunted place. It’s for sure haunted though! As a matter of fact, it’s been voted the most haunted place in Minnesota and one of the top ten most haunted hotels in the country. What will be fun is for those people who are staying the full weekend, I believe they will be most likely to have an experience. It seems like the building and it’s spirits get used to you and they seem to want to interact more the longer you stay. I can’t wait to get back and I hope to have my own experiences when I’m up there again!

 

 

 

Where can people go to purchase tickets for The Paranormal Diaries Film: EVENT?

To purchase tickets for the event, go to our Facebook page by searching The Paranormal Diaries: A Documentary Film on Facebook, and we have a link on our page to the event. If you follow the event link you will see how to purchase tickets through PayPal. And then once you have your ticket for the event, give The Palmer House a call and book your room for the whole weekend. The owner has been kind enough to include Thursday night free for anyone who stays Friday and Saturday.

 

 

 

What’s next for Blaine Duncan?

I always have all kinds of ideas running through my head! I have a couple ideas for my next film project that I would like to do and I may stray slightly from the paranormal field with the second film. It would still be focused on something quite dark and scary, more in the sense of monsters, myths and lore throughout America. I’ve also been interested in doing some writing as well, so who knows, maybe I’ll put pen to paper and start jotting some stories down some time.

 

 

 

Any positive words of advice?

Don’t get caught up in some of the negativity that runs wild through the paranormal community. It’s sad that everyone can’t get along, but for the betterment of the paranormal field, I think people need to present a united front so that the scientific community will start to take this subject more seriously. I hope one day we can get there.

 

 

 

 

Interview with actor, Robert John Burke

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Today I’m welcoming actor, Robert John Burke. Thank you, Bobby for stopping by!

 

 

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I am frighteningly ordinary.

 

 

How did you get into the career of acting?

I got into acting through an experimental acting class in my high school. It also offered an internship with the professional equity acting company. Then it was onto college, where I attended the acting conservatory at SUNY purchase.

 

 

In one of your earlier films, you played the role of the well-known character of Alex Murphy in RoboCop 3. What was it like playing the part of a cyborg?

It was very daunting playing RoboCop three. I thought Peter Weller did such an amazing job that it should have been left alone. No Peter no sequel. I was resistant for about eight months and then I finally acquiesced. The physical demands of the role were great. It involved movement training with a man named Moni Yakin, who had also worked with Peter. He is a teacher at the Juilliard school and he’s amazing. I think if I did anything at all right in that role, I owe it to him.

 

 

In the horror film titled, Thinner, (that was based on Stephen King’s novel) you portrayed the main character of Billy Halleck. Tell us about that and did you encounter any challenges in playing such a diverse role?

Thinner was the ultimate role for me to play. Getting to hide under five hours of make up should excite any actor. But the schedule was pretty grueling. I would get in the make up chair at 2 o’clock in the morning to be ready to start shooting at 7 AM. Then shoot to about 10 PM in the evening.

I was a little disappointed with the way the film turned out. There were lots of different directions that people were pulling it in. Although I must say, quite a few people really enjoyed that film. Meeting Stephen King was a complete thrill.

 

 

Your other on-screen accomplishments include Limitless, 2 Guns, Safe and Dust Devil, just to name a few. Aside from your films, you’re also on the t.v. series: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Allegiance, Banshee, Nurse Jackie, Army Wives, and Rescue Me… (the impressive list goes on)… How do you maintain such a balanced schedule?

On paper it can look like I’m doing a lot of different projects. The reality is that I lead a very balanced life. There were times when I was doing two and three television shows at a time. But somehow it was always manageable. And to tell you the truth, it keeps things interesting that are a hell of a lot of fun.

 

 

Is there any one role that you find in particular to be your absolute favorite?

People ask you what’s the most fun or is there any one role that you find to be your favorite. I think there are several for different reasons. I’ve met a lot of really amazing people on all the productions I’ve been on. Got to travel to exotic and beautiful places. The work I’m most proud of is probably the work that the least amount of people have seen. Films like First Love Last Rites, The Unbelievable Truth, and No Such Thing, are among my favorites.

 

 

Aside from being an actor, you’re also a NY State Certified Firefighter. You helped with the rescue efforts during 9/11, mind telling everyone about that? 

My best friend was in FDNY, captain named Patrick J. Brown. He fell on 9/11/01. Because all of Long Island New York is voluntary fire service, I decided to join my local department and dedicate my service to his memory. It’s been 16 years. I think I missed my True calling.

 

 

What’s next for Robert John Burke?

I’ve taken some time off recently but I’m also developing several projects and working hard on them.

 

 

Where can fans follow you and your work?

I don’t really have a website or anything like that. Sometimes I’ll post pictures of a particular project I’m working on on social media. Certain shows I’ve been on, particularly SVU have legions of very loyal enthusiastic fans. So I treat them with great respect and try and post stuff that keeps them in the loop.

 

 

Any positive words of advice you’d like to share?

I rarely give advice. But I do make suggestions. I suggest people remember to be kind to each other. And I say remember because people forget. I have a coffee mug that says “be kind” on it. It reminds me because I don’t ever want to forget to extend even the smallest gesture to another person that could mean a great deal to that person at that moment. If we take care of the little stuff, the big stuff takes care of itself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Auld Lang Syne

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“Should auld (old) acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld (old) acquaintance be forgot, and auld (old) lang syne?” Ahhh…. the long familiar song associated with this time of year.

Auld Lang Syne: “For (the sake of) old times.”

‘Tis the end of another year, my friends. 2016 is coming to a close as 2017 approaches. Did you all have a wonderful Christmas? I sure did. I was extremely grateful to spend a relaxing holiday at home with my family. We carried on the annual Christmas Eve tradition of driving around looking at the local Christmas decorations and lights as we sipped on our milkshakes. Then, once we arrived home we watched the classic film, A Christmas Story starring Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker, along with Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon who played his parents and Ian Petrella who played his pesky little brother, Randy. My family and I have seen the movie countless times, but every time we watch it, it still cracks us up.

And then on Christmas day, we stayed home opening our gifts as we sat by the fireplace. It was definitely a wonderful time!

Tomorrow is the first day of the new year and I’m certainly ready for it. Are you? I’ve got some exciting projects that I’ll be working on and I promise to keep you all posted with the updates as time progresses. I’m really looking forward to this next year! What does 2017 have in store for you? I’d love to hear about it! What are some of your holiday traditions and what exciting plans have you got for the upcoming year?

As we celebrate this festive holiday season, always be safe and enjoy. Life is for remembering, not regretting!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!!

~ Love & Light, Sheila

 

 

Get a copy of my novel, The Spirit Within on Amazon!

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Twitter: @sheilarparker.

~ Sheila Renee Parker on Facebook: Sheila Renee Parker – Author

 

 

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