The Spirit of St. Augustine by Doug Dillon

My Guest ~ Doug Dillon

The Spirit of St. Augustine

Have you ever been to St. Augustine, Florida, America’s oldest city? To me, it’s a magical place, just bubbling with the spirits of bygone days. This is especially true at Christmas when the historical district is ablaze with tiny white lights. The Nights of Lights, they call the time from December through January.

It isn’t just the beautiful old buildings, some from the time of the Spanish, that has captured my soul. No, it’s also the ghostly presences arising out of that past that seem to tap you on shoulder, a few even of Native American origins from thousands of years ago.

Oh, yes! Ghost stories abound in this ancient location, as do the ghost tours. By day and by night, guides will walk with you, transport you by tram or hearse, and even take you aboard a sailing ship while telling their tales.

As a former history teacher and writer well experienced in the paranormal, you can see how St. Augustine might hold some appeal for me. But it’s much more than that if you want to know the truth. Seems at times as if that old city is using me to channel its innermost essence. Can I explain what I mean by that exactly? No, not really. Words are often a poor substitute for a felt sense.

What I can tell you is this. I’ve spent weeks on end in St. Augustine, haunting its ancient streets and buildings, doing endless research in the city’s historical society and talking with people—even homeless folks. And the more I do this, the more I know I made the right choice in selecting St. Augustine as the central location for my young adult, paranormal/historical series that I’ve titled, The St. Augustine Trilogy.

In the process, what I also know is that there are no coincidences. My connection to this old city and writing about it in the trilogy was definitely meant to be. What was also meant to be is the linkage now being established between St. Augustine and readers of my series. This includes the wonderful relationship I have established with Julia Hendrix, my friend and assistant who hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I live just north of Orlando.

You see, as I continue to study the paranormal in general, I increasingly perceive reality as endless layers within layers. And when I’m in St. Augustine, it’s as if the city hold a lens up to me so I can look deeper into the nature of existence and the connectivity my work holds for readers. That’s why on the cover of Book I of the trilogy, Sliding Beneath the Surface, I show a picture of an exquisite Chinese puzzle ball with all those multiple layers carved beneath its surface.

What an incredible journey I’m having. Thank you so much for being part of it.

I enjoy every minute of being a part of this incredible journey!  It's such an amazing place you speak of Doug, I will have to figure out a way to visit in the future!  I just love all the photo's you sent to share on my blog today!  So beautiful they all are!  Thank you so much for sharing with us such a wonderful message and post!  I am sure I'll have you back again soon!  Like say Tomorrow!  I'm pleased to announce, with the Kick Off Tour Post for Sliding Beneath the Surface!  Oh yes that was a well surprise, sorry to have let the cat out of the bag!  Onward and upward as you always say!

Promotional Giveaway for Sliding Beneath the Surface

(The St. Augustine Trilogy) 

 Promotional Giveaway Details

As many of my followers now know, I am your Assistant and yes I do have something more to share with all of you today!  Who likes Giveaways?  I know I do!  Well this is a very special one, for a very special author I have had the pleasure of working with now for almost two months!

You see, this is a "Promotional" Giveaway, one where purchasing a copy of Sliding Beneath the Surface is just one mandatory task to be eligible for the prizes available.  Whether it be eBook or Paperback, either one will work!  Do read the drop down info on the Rafflecopter below so that you know what buying the eBook will do to make you eligible verses buying the Paperback!

The other thing to do for this giveaway is publish your review of Sliding Beneath the Surface on Amazon US or Book Depository.  You will need to copy and paste the direct link to your review in the box of the second drop down on the Rafflecopter below.  This is also a mandatory task seeing as though the end result of this giveaway is the Review Count!

Oh yes, we are striving for 150 reviews with this Promotional Giveaway!  You heard me correctly, I said 150 Reviews!!!  Now we are hoping to have all 150 reviews posted by February 6th, though the end of this promotional giveaway could and will be extended if it takes longer.

  

So who's ready to enter!?!  Check it out!

a Rafflecopter giveaway