Signs and Spirits

In the past, I’ve shared sad and upsetting news about my personal life here with you, friends and readers, but today I’d like to share some that’s much more hopeful and wonderful (because doesn’t the world need a little bit more of that?)

Since my brother Matt passed away, I’ve gotten signs from him—regularly and consistently. I believe everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. I believe a lot of people think signs/spirits/etc. is all bullshit and lies, because I’m related to several people who do! And that’s fine. They’re entitled to think that, and so are you. My personal belief is that there is an afterlife, and we can receive signs or messages from our loved ones after they leave if we stay open to it. (I struggle to understand why you would choose to think otherwise, especially if it’s your child/sibling/spouse/etc who has died, but I digress). Most of the rest of my family of origin do not believe this or are not open to it, so I also think that’s why I get so many signs from my brother. (For the record, I have had other experiences with spirits and ghosts, some alone and some in the company of my husband). Some signs from Matt are really blatant, like the Mother’s Day card from him I mysteriously found around last Mother’s Day, weeks after he passed when I was desperate for a piece of his handwriting. I’ve come across long-forgotten childhood mementos in the process for looking for something else entirely. When I went to fetch our Easter decorations, I found myself holding an essay I wrote about him when I was 14 titled “Boasting ‘Bout My Brother”.

Besides these “discoveries”, my husband and I have each experienced phenomena we can’t explain, like seeing someone out of the corner of our eye who isn’t there, hearing the door open and close when it’s triple-locked and no one ever came inside, or hearing footsteps come running down the stairs when the kids are sound asleep (I checked) and I’m downstairs alone watching TV. My children and I have also asked him for things, then gotten a direct physical response (help finding lost objects, or suddenly meeting an old friend I’d been thinking about but hadn’t seen since I was young).

We live in the house I grew up in. We bought it from my parents and its where Matt spent most of his life. There are a lot of memories there. My kids both sleep in bedrooms that used to be Matt’s at one point or other. It makes sense to me that he visits us there.

I’ve spoken to a popular local medium more than once, and gotten messages through her that are obviously from him, capturing his personality and circumstances of his death in ways she could never have known. I know he’s fine and watching over us. He’s promised he will always send us these “signs”. He’s told me he’s visited me in my dreams and he explained step-by-step through the medium what he was feeling & experiencing over the course of the 24-hours before he died in a freak slip-and-fall accident. I even know which of my deceased relatives waited with him in ICU as he lay dying to help him cross over (and it’s not who I expected!)

This weekend, I had two new “events” happen. Saturday evening, I was in my bedroom getting ready for bed and some artwork we have hanging up caught my eye (full disclosure—it’s an intricate illustration we bought at the Haunted Mansion in Disney). It has a quote within it and I forgot what it said, so I went to read it. It’s actually a poem about things that happen when ghosts are present and *as I’m reading it* the cabinet door on my dresser popped open. The last time I’d touched that door was at least 7 hours earlier. Directly above that cabinet is where I keep my memorial necklace with Matt’s fingerprint, which I wear every day. It was equal parts scary, exciting and hilarious (my brother definitely had/has an odd sense of humor!)

The next day, Sunday, an hour after the kids were in bed, hubby and I were watching Game of Thrones and chatting when a nerf gun bullet sitting on the ottoman directly in front of us rolled itself over for no apparent reason. We both saw it happen. Hubby poked it like it was a snake, but it didn’t move again. The first thought for both of us was how Matt loved more than anything to have nerf battles with our kids when he visited.

I love when this stuff happens, and these little messages from beyond, letting me know he’s still with me. It feels like actual magic. My brother’s life and soul has always been dedicated to family, and being there for those he loves whenever and however he can (especially if he can make them laugh in the process). He has gone way over the top with his expressions of dedication more times than I can count. Of course that wouldn’t change even if he’s here in a different form now. Take this as a reminder to be open and observant for signs from your own loved ones who have passed, because you just never know… They’re with you, whether you look for them at your side or not.

Release Day for Only the Lonely!

OnlyLonely_CvrPDFI’m so excited to be able to say that Only the Lonely (Twin Ties series) has officially been released! This is a dark, emotional story, but after going through 3 novels’ worth of Evan’s journey with him, I knew I owed it to him to capture the toughest period of his life. That’s what this novella does. The demons he faces here are a big part of who he is and why he acts the way he does. There’s a lot I personally relate to in what he struggles with, so I know how honoring the entire span of a nightmarish process is really key in appreciating the peace and happiness of a happy ending. I was never going to really know Evan unless I went with him through the trials of his fourteenth year of life, and I believe you’ll also have a greater appreciation not only for how far he comes over the course of the series by reading this, but also for what too many people like him have to live with through no fault of their own. Evan didn’t chose his circumstances, but he’s the one who has to walk that path. Recognizing the strength it takes to do so is a gift we can give him, and his kindred spirits.

Find out more at the story page, including content labels, excerpt, buy links and more…

Goodreads page…

Only the Lonely (Twin Ties series) Released Tuesday!

OnlyLonely_CvrPDFOnly the Lonely (prequel novella in the Twin Ties series) is released this Tuesday, May 17th! Please check the content labels on the story page for possible triggers before reading. This is not a romance, but does give crucial insight into Evan’s life before his brother and twins Alek and Luka were part of it.

**SALE: Only at FantasticFictionPublishing.com all ebooks are 15% OFF during the month of May AND you can get the 3 ebook set of the Twin Ties series novels at a reduced rate in ALL ebook formats!!**

Blurb: Evan Savage is a young teen desperately searching for something to hold on to and a way to be noticed. Living in rural Whippoorwill, Pennsylvania, his only family is an absentee father who leaves Evan alone for days at a time while away for work. Friendless and bullied at school, with only a nearby preacher named Jimmy to look out for him; Evan gratefully accepts attention wherever and however he gets it. Sometimes it feels like part of him is missing, and every day the void consumes more of Evan’s ability to fight back against his circumstances. While looking at himself in the mirror within a recurring dream, his reflection keeps reaching out to him with happiness he doesn’t feel, from a world different than his own, though much less tangible. Anonymous sexual encounters with strange men satisfy Evan’s need for company and reassurance that he’s someone worth wanting, as well as test his boundaries. But, faced with the growing temptation to slip away for good, it’s up to Jimmy, and Evan’s dream-world counterpart, to try to keep him there.

~* 4 STARS from The Blogger Girls *~

“Stop and grab this little insight into our young Evan’s adolescence. It is guaranteed to make you love him and Jimmy more…and want to further pound his clueless father into the ground.” —Susan, The Blogger Girls

Thanks to the Blogger Girls for the awesome review! Please follow the link to read the full write-up…

Rave Pre-Release Reviews for Only the Lonely & New Review of Arctic Absolution

OnlyLonely_CvrPDFOnly the Lonely is a prequel novella to the Twin Ties series and it’s released on May 17. This week, 2 incredible reviews came out for it from On Top Down Under Book Reviews and Hearts on Fire Reviews

~* 5 STARS for Only the Lonely from Hearts on Fire Reviews *~

“Besides being the queen of stories that push conventional boundaries, I also firmly believe that no one does prequels quite like Lynn Kelling either… Now that I’ve had the chance to devour a little bit of prequel Evan, I have an irresistible urge to re-read the original trilogy – I loved it that much! For fans of the series, this is a must read” – Wendy, Hearts on Fire Reviews

~* 4 STARS for Only the Lonely from On Top Down Under Book Reviews *~

“In a lesser author’s hands it could have been gratuitous. It wasn’t, because it’s Lynn Kelling and she’s a strong, empathetic writer who loves her characters. It touches your heart and makes you want to wrap Evan up. …Recommended for people who are as addicted to Lynn Kelling’s writing as I am, who are probably hooked on this series – or would like to be – and those who can read it and think, ‘Shit, how am I reading this?‘ but continue on because they just have to. Because it’s powerful stuff.” — Kazza, On Top Down Under Book Reviews

Only the Lonely is available for Pre-order NOW! Add it on Goodreads here…

And just posted over at Top 2 Bottom Reviews is a new review of Arctic Absolution, with thoughts on how I break MM readers’ “safe rules” in the course of the book, and why it worked for this reviewer. Check it out at the link…

ArcticAbsolution_CvrReduxMED

~* Roxy Reviews Arctic Absolution *~

“Lynn Kelling and her publisher have earned the title of Must Have’s by Roxy… Talk about well written and completely interesting set of men…these are them. Lynn did a fabulous job and I’m in love with her characters. I can’t wait to read another one…so, I’ll just go and do that now.” — Roxy, Top 2 Bottom Reviews

Huge thanks to all of the reviewers!! I’ve been making huge strides in my personal life, as far as my mental health and happiness is concerned, and I’ve been channeling that energy into writing the 3rd book in the Arctic Absolution series. Jaye and Dixon deserve peace and their happily ever after, so that’s what I’m going for.