Whorl Books - Selected titles

Untitled Project

Author Marilyn A. Hudson - OKC Book Signing

Hudson attended the INDIE INK event at Full Circle Bookstore in Oklahoma City to sign copies of the novel co-written by Marilyn A. Hudson and Cullan Hudson.

CATCH AUTHOR MARILYN A. HUDSON, DEC. 17 AT OKC FULL CIRCLE BOOKSTORE

Marilyn A. Hudson, co-author of the suspense novel, THE MOUND will be signing copies of the book at FULL CIRCLE BOOK STORE,50 Penn Place, Oklahoma City on Sat. Dec. 17, 2011, 3-5 p.m.

AVAILABLE SOON

Noel Brooks: A Life Shining and Burning, 1914-2006 

A CreateSpace publication of a Whorl Books title.

The Reverend Noel Brooks (1914-2006) was an English clergy, educator, and author who ministered in the Wesleyan Methodist, the Elim Pentecostal Church, The Bible Pattern Fellowship (and wrote a biography of the leader and well known revivalist, George Jeffreys) and in the Pentecostal Holiness Church in both Great Britain and North America. 

Using letters, personal papers, unpublished manuscripts, interviews, examinations of numerous resources and analysis of the published writings of Brooks, the author presents an introduction to his life, work and the influences, which shaped his theology. This simple work seeks to examine some of the influences and explores, in their historical and social contexts, some of the major activities in the life of this man. 

A scholar whose life of spirituality, sacrifice, and insight left a lasting impression on all who had the privilege to know the man or read his work.

Author Marilyn A. Hudson.

List Price: $15.00

5.06" x 7.81" (12.852 x 19.837 cm) 

Black & White on White paper

230 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1468025095 (CreateSpace-Assigned)

ISBN-10: 1468025090

BISAC: Biography & Autobiography / Religious

Thank You For Shopping With A Small Publisher!

On this Shop Small Saturday, thank  you for choosing to purchase works from our small concern. It is deeply appreciated. We have one desire and that is to provide good stories, done well, and for a fair price.  Most titles have been reduced to celebrate the day.   Happy reading!

Reader Comments

Received the other day in the mail: "...just finished the book, The Bones of Summer, and had to write. Some of the stories were deeply creepy- lots of those chills as promised - but some were moving. Weird, I know, but they were so real and the emotion .... like the one about the old woman who haunts her long burned down house and the one about the son everyone had thought had just run off... "The Bones of Summer" is a great story and I remember those kind of summers....oh, and I loved the "Fungus" and laughed all the way through it!....Judy"

Read it for yourself and discover what other readers are learning... "Marilyn uses a darkly poetic writing style to create atmospheric character-driven stories. The result: chills and a need to read the next." Keith Pyeatt, award winning author of Struck and Dark Knowledge. 

"[She] has a way of captivating your senses and making you feel the emotions of her characters. The Bones of Summer demands your attention and leave you wanting more." Terri French White, author of Tulsa's Haunted Memories.

The Bones of Summer is 20 stories of thrills and chills...no matter what the season.

BOOK SIGNING SET

Author Marilyn A. Hudson, co-author of the paranormal suspense novel, THE MOUND, will be part of an author signing event.   She is also author of THE BONES OF SUMMER and WHEN DEATH RODE THE RAILS.

The event is  set for  3 pm on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011. Sponsored by Oklahoma City's largest independent bookstore, the event will be held in the  Full Circle Book Store  located in 50 Penn Place, 1900 NW Expressway, Oklahoma City.

Marilyn A. Hudson will be there with copies of THE MOUND  for purchase.  She will also be available for autographs and photos.

All books currently available on Amazon.

Thanks Overholser!

BOOK SIGNING

Join author Marilyn A. Hudson, co-author of the new novel THE MOUND, at a book signing event.  Books, free book drawings, dramatic readings, photo opps, and autographs are all available Friday, October 7th, 2011 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.   The setting is the lovely and historic Carriage House at the Overholser Mansion.

Later in the month she will return as "The Ghost Teller" for a benefit fundraising program at the mansion for the "Scary Stories and Twilight Tours" on Oct. 27,28 (Thurs. and Friday). She will do two story sessions per night and a mansion docent will take the guests on tours.  Contact the mansion for details on reservations and tickets for this two evening event.

ENID, OK LIBRARY VISIT CANCELED

The book signing and program scheduled for Saturday October 8th, by authors Cullan Hudson and Marilyn A. Hudson, has been canceled by the library.

Catch author Marilyn A. Hudson as she presents a story program for children in Shawnee on Oct. 15, spooky tales at the Overholser Mansion in OKC on the 27,28 and on Nov, 15 at the Choctaw Library.

Author Barbara Jones Announces New Book

Oklahoma author, educator and storyteller, Barbara Jones announces her foray into historical romance with a soon to be published novel. Look for it this fall!

REVISED EDITION RELEASED

The revised edition of Those Pesky Verses of Paul is now available.  Author Marilyn A. Hudson tackles a topic that has long afflicted many women in the Christian church. For one of the few times, the apparent limitations of women in the life of the church are examined by a woman. The words of the Apostle are balanced by examing the actions of Jesus Christ. Centuries of assumptions and "copycat" commentary are peeled away to reveal a world of new possibilities. The result may surprise some, anger many, and challenge all to reconsider "Those Peskey Verses of Paul."

Endorsements for “Those Pesky Verses of Paul”:
“In an era where Bible interpreters, commentators, and theologians emphasize the anthropological aspects of the vital contributions of women to Christianity and the New Testament, Mrs. Hudson places the emphasis of exegetical enterprise where it belongs…in the arena of proper and correct Christology.” Ken L. Young, Associate Professor of Bible and Theology

“Marilyn Hudson provides more than an eye-catching title; in this work she delivers corrective to misnomers concerning the biblical portrait of women. Her conclusion that Jesus inaugurated an elevation of women to their proper distinction, and that Paul echoed that practice in the Church, desperately needs to be resounded in our day. With her stroke of a pen and sharp grasp of scripture, history and gender differences, this writer compels both men and women to re-examine ancient texts and contemporary interpretations in a quest to arrive at the truth.” Dr. Terry Tramel, Dean

“Marilyn provides much needed balance in her examination of those “pesky” verses. Finally, a woman looks at the scriptures, sees the truth, and communicates it!” – Anna Storm, Renaissance Fire Alliance

“Mrs. Hudson's work explores a subject that has plagued the Christian world for centuries. What role, if any, should women play in the ever-unfolding drama of the church? Rarely has there been unity of thought in this "arena." Her work is informative, innovative and intriguing. It states clearly and succinctly the examples from the scriptures that have been argued many times. She writes to declare truth rather than to "prove a point" or "make a case." Bound by neither time nor culture, she makes her presentation in perspective of both in order that the reader understands more clearly, what the doctrinal precedent is. Christ brought liberty to the captive--even the captive of culture.” – C. Iaquinta, Certified Counselor and Educator

“Marilyn is…a skilled writer and storyteller…It’s so refreshing to have a balanced view of the role of women in the Bible – especially one that is written by a woman!" – Megan Miles

AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON.

NEW SERIES ON ITS WAY

Marilyn A. Hudson, author of The Bones of Summer, When Death Rode the Rails, and co-author of the novel, The Mound, branches out to create a story featuring an intriguing character.

The books featuring 'Madame Delaine' should be in print by mid 2012.   "Madame Delaine and the Gutsy Girl Detective" should be first followed by "Madame Delaine, The Case of Diamonds and Dirigibles."

"She is a little like a female Sherlock Holmes, " Hudson noted, " only with some steam punk perspectives and values."

The works will target the young adult audience but will be enjoyable for any age group. "The focus will be on crafting a good story first and all else will fall into place."

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction and offers alternative universe aspects along with dashing clothes, mechanical gadgets, and steam inspired technologies.  "Think of the movie, 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen', or any of the works of Jules Verne and you can see the blending of the Victorian-Edwardian eras with inventions and strange problems."

Why steampunk?  "Steam punk is one of the fastest growing sub-genres out there and the freedom of the imagination encouraged through it is astounding."  Smiling she said, "A perfect genre for someone who never lost their love of playing 'dress up'."

As not only an author but a storyteller and performer, she is also at work crafting oral stories for some "Steam Punk Storytelling."    When she is not strolling the by-ways with her parasol, penning another tale, or sharing an exciting story, she is at home in Norman, Oklahoma.

STRANGE STATE CONTINUES TO ENTHRALL

Since its first appearance, Strange State: Mysteries and Legends of Oklahoma, has received high praise for its scope and style. It has been periodically reprinted and is now available in a 3rd edition.   Alien visitors to Bigfoot through Zombies in the Sooner state are covered with keen insight, balanced perspective, and occasional humor.

Available on Amazon

THE BONES OF SUMMER BRING CHILLS

This collection of chilling tales is delighting readers with is mix of tales about aliens, ghosts and vampires.  

Targeting the young adult and adult reader, the stories are sure to please anyone who likes a shiver now and then.

Available on Amazon

What Readers Are Saying...

Just released a few weeks ago and already reader response is very positive!

"The book started out fast and the pace never let up."
"One awesome book..."
"I love the characters...."
"I was not expecting this....truly a pleasant surprise."
"Thrill! Ride!"

Available on Amazon.

THE OTHER SIDE OF EARLY DAY OKLAHOMA CITY

Early day law officer Sam Bartell, notorious local Madame's such as Annie Wynn, and notorious murder cases.   Along the way are also mysterious people and bizarre events.


Sample:

WHO WAS THE GIRL IN RED?

In 1906, a headline cried "Girl in Red Takes Plunge of 42 Feet on Horse's Back" in Oklahoma City's Colcord Park before an audience of some 2,000. The 2:30 event was part of the grand entertainment of fancy shooting, diving horses, and daring riders, like the girl in red "the bravest girl in the west", riding the diving horses.(Okahoman, Dec. 4. 1906, pg. 5)

 "Doc Carver" or "Dr. Carver" had begun the wild west show phenomena in the 1870's, one of his first performers was Bill Cody. His show, in an appreviated format, continued well into the 1930's.

He was well known in Texas as well as nearly everwhere else in the country, (http://www.texasescapes.com/MikeCoxTexasTales/192-Jumper-and-Diving-Horse.htm). The girl changed from time to time - which may be why she was whisked away before reporters could interview her in OKC - but all that was needed was the red outfit and a girl with enough bravado, or desperation, to make the jump.

The girl jumping into the tank of water continued with the Dr. Carver show for many years. One young woman in the 1920's missed the water and hit her head, blinding her for life. Yet, she went on to make more jumps and her story is immortalized in the Disney film, "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken."

Sources:
Thorp, Raymond W. "Wild West" Doc Carver : spirit gun of the West; plainsman, trapper, buffalo hunter, medicine chief of the Santee Sioux, world's championmarksman, and originator of the American Wild West Show".
Buffalo Bill Historical Center at http://www.bbhc.org/edu/readyReference_02.cfm 

Also included are such episodes as the 1907 James Meadows murder trial.   Were the lovers - Lila Meadows (wife of the victim) and young Rudolph Tegler - "set up"?  Who really killed Meadows in his Capital Hill house and why?  Who were the mysterious 'medium' and the so helpful neighbor of Lila's who simply disappear?  It was a case with everything including barely ethical lawyers, courtroom theatrics, sudden illness, people who may have been paid off, and too many suspects.

Available on Amazon.

WHEN DEATH RODE THE RAILS

WHEN DEATH RODE THE RAILS examines some true accounts of questionable deaths along railways from 1900 to 1920 across Oklahoma.   Along the way explore the history and culture of those rough and rowdy days and then decide for yourself....

Sample.....

"On a warm day in Oklahoma, workers found an unidentified and nearly nude male body within feet of a rail line. On closer examination, the nature of the bruises showing on the man’s remains meant the initial theory of just a hapless soul hit by a train no longer fit.

Across the state, to hide their crimes, criminal elements dumped bodies along the tracks with throats slit “ear to ear” and skulls “crushed.”  Passing trains have helped disguise their deeds in the past. This time, however, they were not lucky and the body gets spotted before a train comes through.

Local dogs find human bones and drag them, snarling and fighting over ownership, through the hot and dusty streets of a southwest Oklahoma town.  Authorities, eager to close a messy case, look at the bones and quickly determine death by “natural causes.” 

A local farmer found dead in his yard with his throat cut. So aggressively and deeply made is the incision that it nearly severs his head from his shoulders.  Local police surprisingly label it a clear “suicide.”  The man’s farm is within easy walking distance of a busy rail spur.

Across the state, all within easy reach of a rail line, other bodies appear."

Available on Amazon.

WHORL BOOKS DISPLAY

Great books for any season...
Authors Cullan Hudson and Marilyn A. Hudson

AUTHORS TO VISIT ENID, OKLAHOMA

Authors,  Cullan Hudson and Marilyn A. Hudson, will present a program at the Enid and Garfield County Public Library on Saturday, October 8, 2011 at 10 a.m.

Hear about the research and writing process, dramatic readings of selected portions of their new work,  The Mound: A Novel, hear a spine tingling tale from Oklahoma history from Marilyn, who is also a professional storyteller who specializes in shivery offerings as "The Ghost Teller."

Cullan Hudson is a freelance graphic artist and author of the popular work, Strange State: Mysteries and Legends of Oklahoma.  This almost encyclopedic look at the strange side of Oklahoma history has been called "the book on the subject."   Marilyn A. Hudson is author of a collection of chilling tales The Bones of Summer and a historic monograph, When Death Rode the Rails: Strange Deaths Along Oklahoma Rails, 1900-1920.

There will also be opportunity to get autographs and photos with the authors.   All books are available on Amazon.

POPULAR TITLE NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

The popular work, cited as "the work" on the strange and usual for the state of Oklahoma is now available in a revised third edition.  Covering everything from bigfoot sightings to zombie tales and many other interesting tidbits of history, the work received notable reviews when originally issued at the inaugural Red Dirt Book Festival in 2005.  This revision includes additional tales and added details.

Author Cullan Hudson has begin continuing to research and write of the unusual in his popular blog, Strange State and has traveled the globe collecting stories of the mysterious and legendary.

Get your copy: Amazon

Author Discusses New Novel

Cullan Hudson, author of Strange State: Mysteries and Legends of Oklahoma, and co-author of the new paranormal suspense novel, The Mound, was interviewed by noted blogger, Autumn Forest.  Read the interview here, where he discusses inspirations and future plans.

The Mound : A Novel - Now Available on Amazon!

What readers are already saying:

"...an awesome book."  Chris

"...pulled me in right away." Jeremy

"My new favorite horror book..." Autumn

" Unique female characters, strong and interesting..."  Ann

ARE YOU A CHILD ARTIST? CONTEST ENDS DEC. 1

If you are a child under the age of 16 and like to draw - enter this contest.  No money - but lots of bragging rights as your art work will be loaded on a couple of web sites - and  some may be used in an upcoming children's book (scheduled for 2012).  Artist's selected will receive a free copy of the book when published.

Illustrations are needed for the following stories:

- "The Big, Bald Werewolf"

The big mean werewolf is rescued by children who use their old sweaters to knit replacement fur for the balding werewolf.

- "The Space Monkey"

An adventurous little Macaw monkey escapes from the zoo...again and again,  so he is trained to be an astronaut and then goes to space...

- "A Lion is Loose"

A lion rides, with several teens, in an open car all around the town....where would he go and what would he see?

- "Annie Oklahoma"

She's tall, thin, and was born the day Oklahoma became a state. Her mother was a Native American and her father a red-haired cowboy.  She had an encounter with a load of pitchforks, an oil well, and  fought off a tornado with a beehive....and is always ready for the next adventure.

-"Library Mouse"
What kind of adventures would a mouse have in a library?

Work should be original, quality, and reflect one or more the actions mentioned above.

Email your pictures - with your parent's permission - to whorlbooks@gmail.com or write: M. Hudson, 5658 NW Pioneer Circle, Norman, Ok 73072.

Author Tackles a Subject of Our Times

Author Molly Lemmons, whose fun stories and heartwarming tales have often delighted audiences of all ages, shares a meaningful and touching time in her new work for caregivers. We Are Invisible, shares experiences and insights for those coping with caring for a loved one or aged parent.     "I learned a lot of what to do and not to do as our loved ones age." Molly explains about her own situation. "I thought maybe other caregivers could learn from what I experienced and maybe save themselves a lot of sorrow." 

Available from Amazon.

Molly Lemmons is author of Kind of Heart, Pure as the Driven Snow, andSeize the Flashbacks!

CHISHOLM TRAIL BOOK FESTIVAL

Author Marilyn A. Hudson will be attending the Chisholm Trail Book Festival, Sept. 17, 2011 in Duncan, Oklahoma to promote her recent true history books, Tales of Hell's Half Acre and When Death Rode the Rails.  In addition, she will have copies of her chilling short fiction, The Bones of Summer and the novel she has co-written with Cullan Hudson, The Mound.   

Be sure to stop by and say hello, buy a book, and enjoy the event in the lovely convention center in Duncan, Oklahoma.

3rd Edition of Popular Work Being Published

The long-awaited third edition of Strange State: Mysteries and Legends of Oklahoma will be available online in a matter of days. 

This is the most comprehensive book on paranormal phenomena in the Sooner State. In addition to Ghosts, UFOs, Sasquatch and all else that goes bump in the night, this volume examines legends of buried gold, forgotten ghost towns, and mysterious places suffused with unexplained forces. 

The third edition will be available on Amazon, making it easier to find and easier to purchase by individuals, libraries, and bookstores.

The author and graphic artist, Cullan Hudson, is also seeing his first novel bring released August 1, 2011.  The Mound: A Novel is a paranormal fiction work set in a mythical town in southeast Oklahoma.   


He is also busy working on a sequel to his popular collection and Stranger State: MORE Legends and Mysteries of Oklahoma should be out late 2012 as well as a collection of short stories called Dark West.

It will be available via Amazon.

THE MOUND: A Novel

Whorl Books proudly announces the imminent publication of the novel, THE MOUND, from authors Cullan Hudson (Strange State: Mysteries and Legends of Oklahoma) and Marilyn A. Hudson (The Bones of Summer: A Collection of Chilling Tales and When Death Rode the Rails).

Cullan Hudson is a freelance graphic designer, writer, and the author of Strange State: Mysteries and Legends of Oklahoma, a nonfiction collection of strange-but-true tales from the Sooner State. His short story, "The Iron Door: Curse of the Sierra Jumanos" was included in the 2005 Red Dirt Anthology and his op-ed pieces have been read on several websites. Hudson has traveled the globe searching out strange places and there mysteries and he runs the popular blog, Strange State and will release Stranger State: More Mysteries and Legends of Oklahoma in 2011. He is also hard at work on a collection of short horror entitled Dark West.

PRAISE FOR THE AUTHORS:

FOR CULLAN HUDSON AND Strange State

"Hudson has shown himself to be good at digging into old cryptozoology cases in the Sooner State, especially as it relates to bigfoot." - Author  Loren Coleman, writing on cryptomundo.com

"Hudson takes you on an exciting journey..." - Oklahoma Today

“Hudson does an amazing job . . . you won’t be disappointed.” - Ravanne Alexander, Territory Tellers/Raven Guard Press

“. . . an entertaining read. Mr. Hudson has left few stones unturned in his research as he attempts to shake the truth free.” - Joel-Anthony Gray, Society for Paranormal Investigation

“[Hudson] did a fantastic job!” - Terri French, Paranormal Investigation Team of Tulsa (PITT)

“[The] book is great!!! I loved reading it... The writing style is very fun to read. I love the mixture of suspense and humor.” - Darline Massie, Norman Public Schools

FOR MARILYN A. HUDSON

"Marilyn uses a darkly poetic writing style to create atmospheric character-driven stories. The result: chills and a need to read the next." Keith Pyeatt, award winning author of Struck and Dark Knowledge.

"[She] has a way of captivating your senses and making you feel the emotions of her characters. The Bones of Summer demands your attention and leave you wanting more." Terri French White, author of Tulsa's Haunted Memories.

CHISHOLM TRAIL BOOK FESTIVAL

Be sure and stop by the booth on Sept. 17, 2011 in Duncan, Oklahoma and say hello!   Author Marilyn A. Hudson will be on hand, will do a reading from one of her books, and enjoy meeting new people!

AUTHOR SUPPORTS LITERACY

Oklahoma author and storyteller, Marilyn A. Hudson (left) presented a copy of her book to the director of the Kansas, Oklahoma Public Library, Ruth Hodges.

"I have been traveling this summer doing storytelling programs for community libraries." Hudson explained. " I put the library names in a hat and pulled out some winners to donate copies of my book, The Bones of Summer: A Chilling Collection of Tales."

Hudson, who has been a public as well as academic library professional, knows the value of the summer reading program in a community. "The summer reading program, and the motivational events planned, help encourage children to read and reinforce the value of the library to a healthy and positive community."

RAILROADS, VIOLENCE, AND GRUESOME DEATH

It was another world, huge rail companies vied for the right to lay tracks and sometimes they were not too careful about how they acquired those rights.  Might was right and money everything at this sunset of the 'Gilded Age' in America.

Huge, belching, roaring machines weighing many tons connected distant small communities with the wider world.  They were the metal veins providing the lifeblood.

Did a serial killer stalk early Oklahoma's rail lines?  Explore that idea and others in WHEN DEATH RODE THE RAILS: STRANGE DEATHS ALONG OKLAHOMA RAIL LINES, 1900-1920 by author Marilyn A. Hudson.

Follow bodies found in almost chronological order as the trains moved across the state.  In a still wild region, in a time when life was cheap, did a killer or killers work the lines?

WHEN DEATH RODE THE RAILS - UPDATED

Author Marilyn A. Hudson  expanded  her intriguing monograph, "Did Death Ride the Rails of Early Oklahoma?" Her work, which has excited interest among law enforcement and amateur sleuths alike, questions if a serial killer may have worked the rail systems of early day Oklahoma. Her ongoing research has uncovered some very interesting additional finds and some possible out of state links to similar deaths. The manuscript, tentatively titled WHEN DEATH RODE THE RAILS, explores early railroad history and chronicles intriguing deaths reported from 1900-1920 along Oklahoma rails.   180 page; softbound.


Part of the "Haunted By History" series and available  on Amazon.

'TALES OF HELL'S HALF ACRE' - Now Available

A modern 21st century city is growing up in the Oklahoma capital city, but it was once very different.  Although many of the locations discussed in this book have been long destroyed by Urban Renewal or other forms of progress, their stories lurk below the surface.  Explore the other side of Oklahoma City history.  A collection of true tales of murder, mayhem, and mysteries of early day OKC.   Read about lawmen, madams, local heroes, missions,  plots, and unsolved mysteries.

Read about Big Annie Wynn, U.S. Marshall and OKC Constable Sam Bartell, the Katie James Murder, and the Meadows Murder of 1907.  

From the land run of 1889 till about 1915, the area of the current Cox Convention Center and nearby Myriad Gardens was the heart of "Hell's Half Acre."   Saloons, gambling halls, brothels and a myriad of 'businesses' who walked on the wild side.  Visitors would step off the train and be drawn to the music, the drinks, the games, and the girls. A basic, simple walking guide allows the reader to walk the areas and see where the action was, even if hidden by modern construction.  Starting at the corner of the historic Santa Fe Depot it allows the reader to see below the surface or maybe through time, to what once was.

"Marilyn A. Hudson's writing is a delight as she tempts the mind and stirs the imagination." Ann Brown, Review This!

Part of Whorl Books, "Haunted By History" series.  Look for on Amazon.

Reader Remarks

After the recent 'Ghostalhoma' event in El Reno, some satisfied readers sent some comments:

'I really enjoyed the story collection. I can hardly wait for the novel.'

'My grandson really liked the 'Bones of Summer' book...he likes that kind of book.'

'I bought  your book and started to read it on the way home....I loved it!'

Readers also had the opportunity to put their names in the hat to be winners of a free copy of the upcoming novel, The Mound, due out in a few weeks. 

EVER FEEL PSYCHIC?

Whorl Books  has collaborated with a mysterious woman who wishes to remain anonymous. The result is to the soon to be available 'Thumbprint" edition of "Secrets of a Sometimes Psychic." In this fascinating little book are stories of the frustrations, fear, wonder, and pain of a person who has secretly felt they were - just maybe - a little psychic.    Pick up your copy at the El Reno 'Ghostlahoma' event.

CATCH MARILYN A. HUDSON AT 'GHOSTLAHOMA' IN EL RENO

Author Marilyn A. Hudson will be on hand at 'Ghostlahoma', April 23, 2011 with copies of her story collection "THE BONES OF SUMMER: A CHILLING COLLECTION OF TALES", information about her blogs, "Mystorical", "Paranormal Librarian" and "Paranormal Directory." 

Stop by the WHORL BOOKS table and put your name in a drawing for a free copy of the soon-to-be published novel, THE MOUND.

Author Visits

Cullan Hudson at a Book Festival

Author and graphic artist, Cullan Hudson (Strange State: Mysteries and Legends of Oklahoma) will be traveling this spring doing research. Hudson's co-author of  novel The Mound which will be out later this spring and the sequel to Strange State (due out this summer).


"In May," Cullan Hudson reports on his popular blog, Strange State, " I will venture to Europe to explore its history and hauntings. Among the more interesting sites I will visit and report on are:

• The mysterious French island of Mont St. Michel and its haunted abbey
• Paris and its paranormal places
• The ghosts of Leeds Castle, Canterbury Cathedral and Haunted Kent in England
• Haunted tales from Amsterdam
• London's long history of paranormal happenings

I'm sure that my research will uncover more places to seek out between now and then. If you have any ideas on these fascinating places, I'd love to hear about it. I will also be in Lisboa (Lisbon), but haven't found out any stories there yet."

New Biography Will Be Out This Fall

This new biography will cover the life and contributions of a British minister and scholar, Noel Brooks.  It will be of note to libraries and collections on British religious history, Pentecostalism, the Elim Pentecostal Fellowship, the Bible-Pattern Fellowship, and the Pentecostal Holiness Church (North American and Britain).  He was a pastor, educator, college president, and author.  Date of publication is scheduled for early Fall 2011.

The author is educator and historian, Marilyn A. Hudson.

The Mound: A Novel - Out this Spring from authors Cullan Hudson and Marilyn A. Hudson

A Further Sampling from "THE BONES OF SUMMER"

 The chilling collection has twenty short stories....

RUNESTONE

"1962, Forn Lars and Bjørn Oddvar of the University of Oslo’s archaeology department discovered what they believed was a lost Norse saga.  The text seemed to recount an expedition that traveled inland from the Gulf of St. Lawrence, to the Great Lakes and down the Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers into present day Oklahoma before tragedy struck and a sole survivor returned home.  Critics quickly jumped on the two men, claiming the find was apocryphal and their research flawed. The manuscript was soon forgotten, and disappeared into the University’s vast archives. In 1987, Olaf Leifsson a researcher from Iceland learned of the lost tale and obtained it for a paltry sum.  The original can be viewed at the Museum of Nordic Studies in Reykjavík. The following story is derived from his translation…

The warm, still morning belied the death and carnage to come. 

Throughout the long voyage across the great inland seas and down the fat, muddy river, the men encountered just a handful of natives and fewer villages. Glome was bored. A large man with a constant scowl, he hungered for action and looked upon these long explorations as a waste of a good warrior.  Young Erik, by contrast, was excited by every new hill they passed, eagerly searching the horizons to see what was ahead.  Swein was simply ready to find a place to settle. Exploring was fine but he was no longer a young warrior.  He now longed to marry, farm, and grow old beside his own fire, his children gathered near.

            “There is a good place!” Glome pointed to an open stretch of river. Green meadows unfurled into dense, forested hills. It reminded Swein of home and the brief season without the chill of death.  It was why they had set off in search of a more prosperous land.  Some had stayed by the ocean, some had gone north at the vast lakes, and some, like these three had ridden the river south. 

A terrible storm diverted the men into a smaller tributary, which led them here.  They were grateful for the accident, which they saw as providence.  It seemed Odin had delivered them into a fecund, promising land.

 The men pulled the small boat onto the riverbank and secured it to a large tree.  Everyone was in good spirits, even Glome who bragged to Erik of the great farm he would create here.  As the other men unloaded the longboat, Swein scanned the trees.  He sensed eyes watching them but could not tell from where.  He let the other two men take a noisy lead as he followed soft-footed and alert, one hand on his knife.

Over the next few days, Swein felt the eyes several more times. At first, he believed curious, but shy, natives shadowed them. However, after trading with several tribes, Swein realized the tribesmen were neither shy nor frightened. Still the feeling endured, surfacing periodically as the men marched for the next week.

 The trees had just begun to turn gold when Erik broke his leg. The men were forced to retreat to the shelter of a cave. In Erik’s state, they would need medicine and magic so Swein left the next morning to retrieve their supplies. Glome was left to care for the fevered Erik. Swein turned to see his comrades wave from the mouth of the rocky crevice. He had the strangest feeling he would never see them again. 

A bitter, cold wind lashed the countryside a week later as Swein pulled the supplies toward the cave. He cupped his mouth and called but no one came.  There would be snow before the week was out; the sky seemed ready to birth a storm. He could not understand what had driven them from the cave. 

 Struggling up the hillside, he saw the opening was black and cold. He halted. No smoke lingered in the air, no fire flickered within. Setting his load down, he pulled his broadsword free. Swein circled the area, halting at the sight of prints in the damp earth.  Dropping to one knee, he traced the outline, and felt his heart stop in his chest.  Something huge and heavy had been to the cave.  It walked on two legs, leaving prints different and larger than anything they had yet encountered.

 In the bushes nearby, Swein found Erik’s blanket. It was ragged and bloody. “Glome!” he called.  “Erik!” The chilling wind was the only response. "

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EXCERPT FROM 'THE BONES OF SUMMER'

"NIGHT LIGHTS"



"Day One

The person who probably first saw the lights was a backcountry hunter in northern Alaska. Bill Sims was a transplanted New Yorker who had moved to the Inland Passage because that was as far north as his wife would go. It was fine, because he spent most of his time on hunting trips and she spent most of her time in California.

On the night the lights first spilled across the skies, he was settling his camp down for the night. He loved the fact he could go to the hill top and scream his lungs out and nobody would ever hear him except some bear or a wolf. That was the way he liked it. He was so tired of the crowds, the long highways crammed with people and their fuming machines.

As much as he enjoyed the getaways, the unseasonable weather had made this trip worthless. Tramping through mushy tundra, he had spent days with nothing to show for all his skills except sunburn on his cheeks and tired feet. Pausing in the strangely warm night air, he was still in shirtsleeves this winter night, when he saw the noctilucent lights. He’d seen the rare glowing clouds before but these were somehow different.

Captivated he stood by the flap of his tent and watched as they pulsed across the night sky in vivid colors. The glowing glob like clouds seemed to be dancing as they joined, separated, and then joined once more. Was that music he heard? Impossible, he was a hundred miles from the nearest house. He glanced up and stood memorized watching the display. They were so filled with abandon and sheer joy, he laughed sharing their spontaneous happiness. It looked as if there was something alive in the lights.

They reminded him of a film clip he’d seen once of blood coursing through arteries. That was what these look like, huge, glowing blood veins erupting across the inky sky. Then he noticed they were closer, much closer, and they were indeed throbbing as a strange sound, like some faint exotic music followed. As the glowing clouds curved in toward him, his last image was of broad shimmering wings of light opening wide to embrace him.

His screams raced across the northern landscape and just as he had forecast none but a foraging grizzly heard the sounds.

All across the northlands that night the strange clouds passed and in their wake settled an eerie silence. Radio stations were mere static, power grids went black in the blink of an orbiting satellite’s camera eye, and phone calls went unanswered.

Chaos reigned in the cold north all that long first night.

Day Two

In the dawn’s early light an armada authorities flew in. Worried friends, relatives, and people cut off from their favorite television show or radio call-in program had raised the alarm all through night. So by jeep, helicopter and boat, crews set off at first light to repair what they assumed were simple power outages. Soon, however, they radioed back bizarre tales and within an hour, there was a media blackout.

Entering yet another small community via National Guard helicopter, Sheriff Jeff Blanding had never seen anything like it. It was barely eight and this was the fourth settlement and they had found no living being in any house, outhouse, or storage bin larger than a shoebox. Everywhere there was  a total absence of people. "

A taste of one of the 20 stories in THE BONES OF SUMMER: A COLLECTION OF CHILLING TALES by Norman, Oklahoma author Marilyn A. Hudson.  Now available on Amazon