My family and I went on a “Pub Crawl” ghost tour last weekend from the Nightly Spirits company. We met at the Green Door Public House bar which is a stone’s throw from the Dallas Farmers’ Market on Harwood. A man dressed up like an old sheriff/cowboy greeted us with some haunted stories about the pub and then we worked our way through the city. We stopped by some amazing architecture such as the giant eye sculpture on Main Street, the Magnolia Hotel, ATT Discovery District, and Adolphus Tower, along with a few other bars, churches, and Freemason lodge. The sheriff/cowboy told us several haunted/creepy stories along with the history of the city. It was a beautiful night with amazing architecture. The tickets were $25.00/each and well worth it.
The tour took around 2.5-3 hours. We were in a small group of twelve people and got to know everyone towards the end of the tour. This part of the city had a ton of ambiance and charm. I highly recommend going. The company also puts out a food tour that I have my eye on. They also have tours in other major U.S. cities.
David Thompson is BACK! He was kind enough to interview about his writing and new novel, His Father’s Blood (#2 of Legends of Family Dyer) Last month, I read and reviewed this 5-star paranormal tale!
Q: In your novel, His Father’s Blood, you write about shape-shifting. Do you believe it’s possible to shape shift?
A: I know I’m splitting hairs here, but in the novel, I describe John and Sally Ann’s adventures as Skinwalkers. I believe this is possible as it is transferring consciousness to an animal, or feeling such an intense degree of empathy that it appears so. I’m sure you’ve at some point had an intense desire to change someone’s mind about something or for them to do something you didn’t think they would? Hasn’t it often come to pass just as you desired? I think this is similar. We’re not far from transference with computers, but to modern minds, the technological is easier to accept than the spiritual.
By contrast, Shape shifters actually transform their physical aspect, like the werewolves of lore. (Although I suspect those legends had their base as skin walkers also.
Q: Was there any symbolism in the animals the characters chose to shapeshift into? What would you shapeshift into if it were possible?
A. Yes. To me, bears symbolize inner strength, courage, and family. The bear is thoughtful and independent, with little need for fellowship. The bear is strong-willed and loyal.
I consider cougars to be strong, unpredictable, and merciless. What I’ve read of Native tribes’ beliefs appears split between the animal being a noble hunter or an evil omen.
A bear would be my choice if I could skinwalk. I’ve been told it’s my spirit animal.
Q: Are there Native Americans who mix witchcraft into their culture?
A: To answer this, I think I’d need to define witchcraft and I’m reluctant to do so. As you know, many independent minded folks have died for being different, for not toeing the arbitrary line society scratched in the sand. They called them witches.
Native American religious beliefs and ceremonies were certainly different from Judeo-Christian ones. It’s my personal belief that most ancient societies practiced a paganism that many would consider witchcraft today. I find the world-wide parallels between these stone age belief systems astounding.
Q: What inspired you to write a novel with Moll Dyer? Are you from Maryland? What exactly is the legend of Moll Dyer about?
A: I am from Southern Maryland, raised very near the spot where Moll met her demise at the hands of a vigilante mob. I heard her tale told around most of the campfires of my youth.
I’ve actively researched her life since I first heard her tale—sometime around 1967. This was difficult given there was little historical proof of her existence. True, there’s a road named after her, and likewise a small stream. There’s the rock purported to be where she breathed her last. Most researchers miss the colonial letter describing her “countenance” in an unfavorable manner. Still, we’re mostly left with legends—oral tradition—once the only historical record, and still a valuable resource for historians. There’s a basis to the old truism “where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” How apt is that for Moll’s tale?
I interviewed dozens of local families- families resident in the area since Moll’s time. Each had their own version of Moll’s life, with minimal variations (although some contradictory). As there is a dearth of historical records, it is to this oral history I focused my efforts. (According to the Archives of Maryland, the 1st loss of county records was in 1768 when records kept at the home of Owen Alien (Allen?) were burned. The Archive notes this only as an FYI as “every surviving court record of the period (colonial) was destroyed in the fire of March 8, 1831”). To add to the confusion and speculative nature of the search, Ancestry.com lists five pages of Dyers on passenger lists arriving in the United States during the period. Even these records are incomplete as “lists were not kept for every ship and many have been lost.” A minimum of six known Mary or Margaret Dyers were possible candidates for “our” Moll. (The endearment “Moll,” by the way, was a common nickname for Mary, as well as for any “M” feminine name including Margaret, Martha, Martina and Melinda, etc.). None meet all of the oral history criteria.
What can be derived from the legends associated with Moll Dyer? Although there are some small deviations to the legend, the majority of local families’ oral traditions agree: she was an herbal healer and hermit. Most state her origin was Ireland, although she likely arrived on a passenger ship from England. She arrived on our shores single and unaccompanied and never married. She preferred the company of the Native Americans to her European neighbors. She dressed in a manner of lost affluence (threadbare clothes originally made from the finest materials). She froze to death on the coldest night of 1697 after a citizen’s mob burned her small cabin to the ground. (FYI, with this information, “Sister Witch, The Life of Moll Dyer,” includes all variations of the story using historical events and a bit of inventiveness to explain any disparities in the oral history. I didn’t feel it would be faithful to her legend and her life to have done otherwise. (I added fictional paranormal elements for the same reason.))
I didn’t fabricate a correlation between any segment of the legend and other past lives lived. It’s unnecessary to make her story more real. Her tragedy speaks to its own truth and …perhaps that’s enough. My thought is that Moll Dyer is everyone who’s faced injustice or been mocked for being different; those scorned for their beliefs and tormented for living a life true to themselves. She is anyone condemned at the court of public opinion and castigated for their lack of popularity or political correctness. She’s the embodiment of Sarah Goode of Salem fame, Anne Frank, John the Baptist, Joan of Arc, Anne Boleyn, Rosa Parks and…the list goes on and on! Moll could be the patron saint of them all.
I believe Moll Dyer would be proud of her legacy—that she’d feel some measure of peace and exoneration from the tales told of her today. She was once used as a cautionary tale- a warning to little children to behave, but no longer. Now we remember Moll whenever we’re bullied, accused without cause or feeling friendless. Perhaps she gives us a twinge of conscience when we are the ones doing the bullying? It warms my heart to think so—that some good is our final inheritance from the tragedy of Moll Dyer.
Q: What tribe of Native Americans are from the Maryland area? Are there legends associated with them as well?
A: The Piscataway, Patuxent, Conoy, and Chaptico were local Algonquin speaking tribes. I’m sure I’ve missed some also. The Susquehannocks often travelled through the area- to raid the above tribes’ villages. The Susquehannocks were part of the Iroquois Confederacy. The local natives saw the interloping Europeans as allies against this common war-like enemy.
Q: What are you working on now? Please share your links.
A. I’ve begun a second installment in the Falconer series, a prequel to “Sister Witch, The Life of Moll Dyer,” and made small inroads into a mystery/thriller. As my mom would’ve said- I have too many irons in the fire!
Thank you for doing the interview, Dina! It’s much appreciated! My links below:
Call of the Falconer (dystopian novella) Haunted Southern Maryland ‘Possum Stew (Short Story Collection)Haunted Potomac River Valleyhttps://amzn.to/2XTSrlg
A chain of advertising agencies, a new breed of humans, and a fallen angel to worship… Andel Talistokov is a fallen angel who uses advertising as a form of propaganda for Satan. His growing power emboldens him to break Hell’s Commandments by soliciting worship from an ancient angel religion. He changes their rituals forever. Furious with his arrogance and betrayal, Satan commands Armaros to return to Hell after finding his replacement.
Eve Easterhouse, a recovering drug addict, steps out of prison shortly after her mother’s fatal accident. She and her sister, Julia, unravel their mother’s secretive past. Intrigued, they learn their bloodline is part of a celestial legacy.
Both worlds collide.
Nephilim and the Bible: Article 1
Nephilim: Part angel, part human. They are mentioned several times throughout the Bible and other sacred writings. Not only are the passages cryptic, they are also controversial to many religious scholars. The two passages that inspired me to write Peacocks, Pedestals, and Prayers begin in Genesis and end in Matthew.
Genesis 6:4
The Nephilim2 were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.
This passage has been analyzed and speculated and dissected and studied for centuries. The bottom line is this: no one really knows what it means. There are many interpretations. One interpretation suggests that Noah and his family were spared because they were favored by God. The rest of mankind became violent and wicked. Some question if Earth was infected with a new breed of being-part man, part angel or Nephilim.
Did God flood the Earth to eliminate the Nephilim? These violent beings were giants with six fingers. In other archeological findings, they were said to have red hair. With exception to Noah and his family, everything was wiped out. However, the Nephilim reappear later in the Old Testament.
Numbers 13:33
And there we saw the gNephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the gNephilim), and we seemed to ourselves hlike grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”
The Anakim and the Zamzummin were not the only descendants of the Nephilim. Other “breeds/races” show up in different parts of the Old Testament. So the magic question is this: Did the fallen angels come back and mate with human daughters, or did the Flood fail to wipe out all of the Nephilim? I guess we’ll never know, but then in the New Testament the subject is revived.
Matthew 24:37
But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Again, another mysterious passage. Jesus says more in Matthew 24 about Noah, the Flood, and the Coming of Man. Although many scholars dismiss the idea, some believe this is a prophecy about the return of the Nephilim during the End of Days. Jesus does not mention the Nephilim, but the reference of the Flood remains.
Peacocks, Pedestals, and Prayers is about a fallen angel who breeds with humans. The existence of modern-day Nephilim is one of the major themes of the novel.
Bailey Sarian is a youtuber who shares crime stories every Monday (doing her makeup of course!) In this story, a rich Brazilian teen dates the wrong guy and things go south. Did she murder her parents? Watch the video to find out!
Panic 911 is an Amazon Prime T.V show that will have you jumping out of your seat! This show is based off of real 911 calls, giving the audience an authentic chilling vibe.
Linda Randazzo is a 9/11 survivor who worked on the 35th floor. In this video, she shares her experience and how she asked God to walk beside her. Randazzo wanted to go back to find her best friend; however, she was not allowed. “The older firemen had a solemn look on there face,” she says, knowing in her heart they were going to die. Soon after 9/11, Randazzo moved to Plano Texas for a fresh start. She has been working at Medical City Plano for at least 14 years and will always remember that day.
Vampires have been around since the beginning of time. Cain was the first recorded account of vampirism. Cain’s biography began in Genesis as Adam’s first son. He and his brother Abel gave God their offerings. Abel was a shepherd, and he gave God a sheep. Cain was a farmer, and he offered God the fruits of his crop. God made it known that He favored Abel’s offering. Cain took his brother to a field, and then killed him. Some believed Cain killed him with a rock, while others claimed he killed him with a knife that was used for disemboweling animals. Regardless of the “how”, Cain lied to God when asked about Abel’s whereabouts. The famous quote “Am I my brother’s keeper?” came from this story.
Most believed Cain’s motive was jealousy. Cain did not like how God seemed to favor Abel. But in the Muslim faith, Cain and Abel were in love with the same woman, Aclima. She was also Adam’s daughter which made her at the very least their half-sister, maybe even their full sister. The offering to God was not about God, but rather using God’s favorite gift as a way to determine who would get the girl as a wife.
Furthermore, Ancient Jewish philosophers claimed that Cain was not Adam’s son, but Sammael’s son, suggesting that Eve was an adultress. Sammael was an angel who was linked with Satan, or even Satan himself. This made Abel his half-brother. This also meant that Cain was a nephilim.
But Cain’s biography continued. God sentenced Cain to a life of wandering, and he wandered for over seven hundred years. Cain fathered six children, 2 daughters and 4 sons. He was possibly killed by stones when his house collapsed on top of him (Jubilees), a neat and convenient poetic justice from those who believed he killed his brother with a stone. He could have also been killed by Lamech, his great-grandson, who mistook him for a wild beast, which adds further ammunition to the vampire theory.
Somewhere before Cain’s death and after he murdered his brother, God put a mark on Cain that cursed him indefinitely. Part of the curse involved an immunity from death. It was written that anyone who tried to kill Cain would suffer a sevenfold vengeance. The type of mark was unknown. Ancient scholar Rav stated that Cain was cursed with horns that protruded from his head. Rashi, another ancient scholar, believed the letter of God was etched into Cain’s skull.
Cain wandered away from his family and eventually met Lillith, the first wife of Adam, his father. They had an affair, and she seduced him with ancient witchcraft. She held a ceremony and cut herself open for blood which was collected into a bowl. Cain drank it. This story echoed a pre-anti-Christ Last Supper with the unholy grail.
At some point during Cain’s wanderings, three angels independently visited him and offered a chance to repent for his brother’s murder. He refused all of them. They further cursed him with a weakness to fire, aversion to sunlight, and an insatiable desire for blood (Talmud, Book of Adam and Eve, and historiolas).
Cain eventually left Lillith and wandered off to Ubar. In the Bible, Cain settled somewhere in the land of Nod which was east of Eden. Cain recieved fame and respect in his village, gaining power and control. Legend stated that Cain was fascinated by two lovers and changed them into creatures like him. They were given immortality, but chose to walk in sunlight and die after finding out their new kind of life would not grant them children.
Cain was devastated and wanted other beings to be like him. His son Enoch begged Cain to change him into Cain’s likeness, and eventually got his wish. Soon the village name of Ubar was changed to Enoch. Enoch eventually learned how to change others to be like him and his father such as heads of state, military, lands, and other high posts. This theory overlapped with other secret society theories connected with vampire dynasties.
Peacocks, Pedestals, and Prayers is a new release about a fallen angel/vampire who hijacks an ancient religion. Biblical lore, ancient cults, nephilim, vampire allusions, occult, Enoch, exorcism, and mind control are elements of the story.
Killing the Mob by Bill O’Reilly is another installment of his history page-turning work that obviously focuses on the Mafia. O’Reilly begins his book with a historical look at criminals such Bonnie and Clyde, Pretty Boy Floyd, and Dillinger. He then writes about how the old Mob got their start in bootlegging during Prohibition. The Mob also dabbled in prostitution, gambling, protection money, and narcotics. There were many details about the Mafia’s infamous witness tampering. SPOILER ALERT: The book ends with Donny Brasco (Johnny Depp movie, fugget-a-bow-tit) in the ’80s. Some interesting tidbits include the Kennedy murders of both John and Robert. The failed assassination of Fidel Castro is discussed. J. Edgar Hoover supposedly laid off the mob because they had dirt on the famous head of the FBI. Common girlfriends were shared among mobsters.
My Review: This is the fourth O’Reilly book I’ve read. He has an in-depth look at the history along with fascinating tidbits. He will include facts as well as rumors, always citing which is which. Once I finished with the book, I had a feel for these infamous mobsters. As all of O’Reilly’s books, I loved it and would highly recommend it to all history lovers and O’Reilly fans. I hope O’Reilly does a Killing of America, but I hope America doesn’t get killed. 5/5 Star
His Father’s Blood is the second book in the series, Legends of Family Dyer. Although I read the first book (5 star review), Thompson does an outstanding job in bringing the reader up to speed whether or not the reader began on book one. John Dyer bunkers down in a small cabin outside of town in Maryland. He is part Native American and dabbles with shape shifting, but is fully aware of some dangerous spirits who might show up uninvited. He befriends a disturbed women who has a bad reputation. She gets a hold of his spell book and begins to shape-shift without him. She gets involved with an evil spirit and goes on a revenge murder spree. Meanwhile, John falls in love with the preacher’s daughter. The preacher doesn’t approve of John and causes obstacles in their relationship. There are more subplots, twists, and turns, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers.
My Review: As usual, David Thompson pens an entertaining, face-paced, page-turning novel that had me hooked from page one. I particularly loved Sally Ann, the town ho! She reminded me of the Joker in a way because she snapped after receiving so much cruelty in her life. I really loved Laris, the spirit, as well. The other characters were three dimensional and original. Thompson is especially talented at dialogue. The way the characters talk seems spot on for rural 18th Century.
On a side note, Thompson is not just writing fiction. The real Moll Dyer was accused of witchcraft and driven out of her home. She died on a rock, frozen to death. Her spirit reportedly still haunts the area.
I would recommend Thompson’s His Father’s Blood to anyone who likes paranormal stories. Again, another impressive read! Look forward to the third book. 5/5 Stars
A chain of advertising agencies, a new breed of humans, and a fallen angel to worship… Andel Talistokov is a fallen angel who uses advertising as a form of propaganda for Satan. His growing power emboldens him to break Hell’s Commandments by soliciting worship from an ancient angel religion. He changes their rituals forever. Furious with his arrogance and betrayal, Satan commands Armaros to return to Hell after finding his replacement.
Eve Easterhouse, a recovering drug addict, steps out of prison shortly after her mother’s fatal accident. She and her sister, Julia, unravel their mother’s secretive past. Intrigued, they learn their bloodline is part of a celestial legacy.
Both worlds collide.
Angel Cult: An In-Depth Look at an Ancient Religion by Dina Rae
Yezidism or Yazidism officially began somewhere in the 12th Century within the Kurdish Mountains which border northern Iran, southern Turkey and parts of Syria.
Most historians report an ancient version of the religion began much earlier, possibly 7000 years ago. The name Yazidi might come from Yazd, Iran or Yazad/yazata which means “God” in Kurdish. Some believe the name comes from a caliph named Yazid ibn Mu’awiya who killed the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson and then retreated within the Kurdish Mountains. Sheikh Hasan expanded the religion throughout the 13th Century, attracting many Kurds and other Muslims. The religion began to defy Islam by drinking alcohol and not facing Mecca in prayer. The Yezidis now live in tribal communities and face persecution within the Middle East.
The Yezidis claim to incorporate parts of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism into their religion, but they are much more closely linked to Zoroastrianism. Zoroaster, the religion’s founder, preached two mentalities under one god, Ahura Mazda. The Magi or three wisemen from the Bible were believed to be Zoroastrians. This religion comes from the Ismaeli branch of Islam. In the Bible, Ishmael was the older brother of Isaac who was banished with his Egyptian mother after Sara gave birth to Abraham’s second son Isaac.
Yazidis’ roots are Zoroastrian, but they have added their own spin to the religion. Shaykh Abi Musafir, born 1070-1162, was the founder of the modern-day version of Yazidism. Yazidis have two holy books, the Black Book and Revelation. Some believe Revelation is a forgery, authored by Westerners with the intention of sugar coating the odd religion. The Black Book might also be a forgery, but there is a debate. Because of the religion’s secrecy, scholars believe this group never had an official sacred text. Yezidis are known for passing on their traditions orally through their holy men or priests.
Yazidis believe that “God” (Xwede) created the world from a white pearl. “God”/Xwede put this pearl on the back of Anfar, a bird, who carried it for 40,000 years until Earth evolved. God is made up of a “holy trinity” with Malak Tawas (a peacock angel), Sheikh Adi, and Sultan Ezi. Malak Tawas also called the peacock angel is the most important in this trinity and appears every 1000 years. Malak Tawas is “God”, like an alter-ego, and leads the seven angels that come from the pearl. Westerners, Muslims, and ISIS believe Malak Tawas is really Satan. Shaytan is Satan in the Koran.
Shaytan, another name for Malek Tawas, refused to bow down to Adam and Eve after God commanded him. Yazidis believe God and Satan made amends and reconciled. The peacock is Malak Tawas’s symbol. Satan was not created by God, but born of a white pearl. Many Muslims and Christians label the religion as devil-worshippers.
Middle Eastern Yazidis speak Kurmanji. They believe in reincarnation, pray five times a day in front of fire, fast, celebrate their own New Year’s Eve, throw a Festival of the Peacock, refuse to eat lettuce, and make a pilgrimage to Sheikh Musafir’s tomb, the religion’s founder. They believe Jesus was an angel in human form and Mohammad was a prophet. They won’t spit or wear the color blue. Some believe the color blue represents Noah. This is especially interesting because the Flood might have been about getting rid of all of the fallen angels.
Yazidis are baptized and circumcised (not a requirement). They are monogamous, but priests/chiefs can be polygamous. They believe they descended from Adam alone, and not Eve. Yezidis are forbidden to marry outside of their culture and religion. They also practice Honor Killings which victimize women who violate their laws, culture, and traditions. A few years back, a case in Germany was reported about a Yazidi girl who fell in love with a German boy. Her family killed her.
I found this religion fascinating and used parts of it for my book, Peacocks, Pedestals, and Prayers now available on Amazon. The horror/paranormal novel uses a great deal of research from ancient writings.
Conspiracy Crackpot 