An interview with psychic medium, *Mickey McCoy, the force behind a series of paranormal novels by Roberta L. Smith.

Just when did you discover you were a psychic medium?

Not until I was in my 60s, which I know, is pretty old.  I was an angry guy with issues.  Maybe that sort of energy clouds things.  I’d had intuitive messages all my life.  And when I did or didn’t listen to them and experienced the aftermath, mostly I was confused.  It wasn’t until I went to Virginia City, until the spirit of Lucianne wanted my help, well, that’s when I knew, and when I got my head on straight.

What happened exactly?

Let me just say Lucianne Dove died a Virginia City outcast back in that mining town’s heyday. But her spirit didn’t rest. When I met her one-hundred and thirty-five years later, I felt a connection I can’t really describe. I knew I was supposed to help her. I discovered she was looking for redemption which is what I was looking for. The Secret of Lucianne Dove is the story of how we found it.

I’ve read the book. I loved it. You met your wife in the story.  Tell me about her.

Marjorie is the most perfect person on the planet. I’m not really sure why she fell for an old codger like me.  But she did and we’re happy and I know that will never change. Take it from a psychic.

Are you still in contact with Lucianne?

It’s been a while.  She checks in from time to time.  Sort of like dropping a line to say hi.  But she’s happy now and has been able to move on to whatever the next thing is for her in this spiritual universe of ours.

Tell me about your second adventure.  What happened there?

Chapel Playhouse? Marjorie’s daughter brought her roommate, Casia, home from college for our wedding and I started having horrible premonitions. If I didn’t do something, she was in for a gruesome end.

What did you do?

I went to the college and started snooping around. It was tricky too, because Casia didn’t really know me and I had to do my sleuthing on the sly.  Eventually I unraveled a lot of secrets surrounding Casia and this vacant little theater at the school. I put to bed a lot of rumors and exposed some things. It was a close call, but, well. Let’s just say I hope I never run into Casia’s dead mother again and leave it at that.

What about the third story, The Accordo?

Oh, wow. I almost don’t want to talk about that.  I was really in over my head and ready to hang up the psychic spurs, so to speak.

You can do that?

No. But I wanted to.  For a while, anyway. But as I look back now, I did a good thing for Agostino, the people in danger of running into Lavinia, and the world in general.  I’m not so naïve anymore either.  I just wish Marjorie hadn’t gone through what she did.

Tell us what happened?

I’ll say this.  Renaissance artist Lavinia Rossi Zanetti isn’t anyone you’d want to meet. She tried to spend eternity with the man she loved and went too far.  I ended up being the only thing that stood in her way.

You were a newspaper reporter, but you don’t write your stories yourself. Why’s that?

I found another author, Roberta L. Smith, who can tell my stories better.  She gets me.

What about the future?  What do you see in store for yourself?

Wish I could answer that.  I swore off helping anyone with ghost problems, but something in me is starting to stir.  I’m not sure what it is yet, but when the time is right, I’ll know.  I think it has something to do with Leadville, Colorado. I think there is a woman I’m supposed to meet. 


*Note: Mickey McCoy is a fictional character.  But who knows where he really came from.

I thought this book was amazing. I must admit that I know the author, but I wouldn't call this book amazing if I didn't think it was.

Special is the true story of the up-and-down relationship of author Michael Raff and his first true love, a young woman named Jill Adams. It's the story of how they came to fall in love, how they coped with their differences in age and lifestyle, and ultimately how Jill's belief that she would die young played out. It is a simple yet multifaceted story of boy meets girl, girl is too young for them to be together, girl grows up and then love blooms. There are many obstacles to their love which they must overcome, and they do. The complexity of the story is in the details and in Michael's honest exposure of his strengths and weaknesses as he grows into manhood.

It is never a secret that Jill dies as she predicted, but it is a secret exactly when and how it happens. By then we've come to know Jill. Losing her may not hurt us the same way it hurts Michael. After all, we've been primed for it while he lived through it, hoping and praying her prediction wouldn't come to pass. But her death does affect us. It makes us think about how we can't always stop something from happening even though we are warned. Why is that? It makes us think about how life goes on and good things are still in store even in the aftermath of tragedy. Thank goodness.

But on second thought, I don't know what it will make you think or feel exactly. We're all different. But I bet it will haunt you at least some, give you pause, and make you wonder about life.

I know I'm going to think about Jill from time to time. Such a brief life. Such a shining star. Such an emotional relationship between her and Michael that happened so many years ago. It is touching that Michael would write this book. I'm glad he did and I'm glad I read it.

#5 - The Silver Queen  
Virginia City, NV

This photo is a view of C Street  from the third floor room my husband and I stayed in.  A loud zephyr screamed through the hotel the night we were there and I heard a transom slam shut.  
 
The second time we stayed at the Silver Queen was in 2008.  I was doing a book signing of The Secret of Lucianne Dove at the Mark Twain bookstore the next day.   I can't say anything ghostly happened to me, but a friend who came on this trip said she heard voices in the middle of the night.

 #4 - The Farnsworth House Bed and Breakfast - Gettysburg, PA

My husband and I stayed in one of the most haunted rooms, but nothing paranormal happened.  I choose this hotel because I saw a show where a couple went running from the hotel without spending a full night, they were that frightened. I found the place charming and I'd stay here again. They offer a lot more paranormal attractions than when I was there. Their website boasts nightly Ghost Hunts, Haunted Walk Through Tours, Story Telling in the Basement, Seances, and more. 

#3 The Copper Queen  
Bisbee, AZ

This photo is from the Copper Queen's website.  My photos were all interior shots. This is a beautiful hotel and was featured in Ghost Hunters. They have a book where guests can record their paranormal experiences. Alas, I did not have one.   They now offer Ghost Hunts on Thursday nights.

#2 The Stanley Hotel  
Estes Park, CO

I will definitely stay at The Stanley again. I went on the ghost hunt they offer and captured an EVP. (See earlier blog post.)  I also had a visit from my deceased mother, but won't go into that.  No one has actually died at the Stanley.  But people who worked there or stayed there who have died elsewhere are so attracted to this hotel that some of them come back in the afterlife (or so the ghost hunt guide explained).

The hotel was made infamous because Stephen King stayed in room 217 and was inspired to write The Shining, one of the scariest books I've ever read. 

Now, here's a tidbit for you.  While running around the hotel snapping photos, I came across a flight of stairs that led from the 3rd floor to the roof or attic. I don't know where it led. There was a velvet rope and a sign that said the stairs were off limits.  It was completely dark at the top of the stairs and I took a photo.  Imagine my surprise when the flash revealed that someone had written Redrum up there. See photo to the side.

#1 The Delaware Hotel
Leadville, CO

I want to go back to Leadville, the two-mile-high city in the United States.  Yes, this  city has an elevation of 10,152 feet. 

I stayed at the Delaware Hotel and loved it.  They do not claim ghosts although there were a couple of ghost hunters staying in the room next to mine.   My sister and her family claimed to "feel" an other worldly presence, but I didn't.  I just soaked up the atmosphere and thought of all the people over the years (since 1886) who had stayed in the room I was in.

If I ever write another Mickey McCoy Paranormal tale, I'm going to have it set in Leadville.  Maybe I'll take up residence until the entire first draft is written.  Maybe.

Virginia City has been on my mind lately. Maybe because I just sent some of my books (The Secret of Lucianne Dove) off to the the Mark Twain bookstore located there.

Virginia City is one of my favorite old west mining towns. I've stayed in the Silver Queen Hotel twice. Once on the top floor where I worked on my novel that is set in Virginia City, and once in the room that the Ghost Adverture guys stayed in.  I think I stayed there before they did.  Ha!

The town is very haunted. Just ask the friendly people who live there.  I see on their list of events for 2012, the city has listed something special for October.

I was interviewed for the Redlands Daily Facts on the 8th and this story came out on the 9th. It appeared in the Daily Facts and The Sun. http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/sports/ci_21274363/u-r-grad-writes-paranormal-mystery

It has a lot of inaccuracies. I didn't attend Redlands High, I attended the University of Redlands. The White Lady wasn't killed during a performance. She supposedly died after a performance. The little theatre wasn't demolished, it was renovated.

Still. A fun experience.

So here is a "cute" little story for you.

Yesterday my husband and I drove to Redlands so I could be interviewed for the Redlands Daily Facts newspaper about my book Chapel Playhouse. The book was inspired by a haunted theater at the University of Redlands, my alma mater.

The photographer took a lot of pictures of me. While I was gazing into the flash of the camera, the photographer said, "Blinded by the light."  To which I responded, "Great song."

Now the photographer was born the year the song came out and wasn't familiar with it.  The reporter was older and did know the song. A short discussion ensued about who made the record.

On the drive home, my husband and I decided to stop for lunch. My husband is the coupon king of the world (except for those Extreme Couponers on TV) and had recently gotten a coupon for H. Salt Fish & Chips.  That sounded good to us and we stopped in Highland.

Now here are some facts you need to know.  Neither of us have eaten at H. Salt F&C in years.  Probably 40 years.  And, my husband did NOT have the discount coupons with him which is big. He always wants to use coupons. Always.  Also, the restaurant is about 35-40 miles from home and we didn't even have the address. We went looking for it.

We found it without a problem, stopped and ate at the restaurant.  A radio was playing and as we ate, guess what 36 year-old song came on.  That's right. Blinded by the Light.