Spiritualist Church Service

Posted on May 28, 2014 by John Biggs

The Central Spiritualist Church of Oklahoma City

The Spiritualist Church of Central Oklahoma City is a small well-kept white frame house with a sign in the front yard. You enter through the kitchen. A hand written note posted on the door reads, “Services on the first and third Sundays of every month.” It’s a tiny congregation, far to small for an interested skeptic to attend anonymously, so I called the pastor, Juanita Oyer, and made certain that services were open to the public.

The congregation sits in on blue upholstered kitchen chairs in a gray paneled

The back door of the Centralist Spiritualist Church of Oklahoma City

room. On one wall is a large tapestry sunflower, which I believe is the symbol of the National Association of Spiritualist Churches. A portrait of Jesus is mounted on the wall behind the pulpit.

I was interested in the spiritualist hymnals that were on every chair, and I didn’t have to wait long to have my curiosity satisfied. Music plays a large role in the service. The songs sound like ordinary church music, but some lyrics deal with contacting the departed. The purpose of the songs is to “raise the vibration” in order to attract friends and relatives who are “in

Inside the Central Spiritualist Church of Oklahoma City

spirit” (deceased).

The collection plate was passed while the congregation sang “”

The first half of the service was not much different from other Christian churches I’ve attended with two major exceptions: the pastor made repeated references to spirits being present in our daily lives (including a spirit guide which we all have), and she read verses from the Aquarian Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Aquarian Bible came (theoretically) from translations of the Akashic Records. It deals with Jesus’ relationships with people around him and the “missing years” that aren’t addressed in the New Testament.

The service included to a healing prayer that focused on those present then gradually expanded to include everyone in the world and then to include life on other planets. It progressed very much like a hypnotic trance induction and by the time the pastor was finished we all felt relaxed and open.

Juanita Oyer is one of the most charming people I have ever met. Everyone in that room was on her side by the time she brought us, “to the part of the service that differentiates us from other Christian churches.” She prayed for strength and clear communication and started receiving messages.

The National Spiritualist Summit Magazine

“There’s someone over here named Susie. She’s strong in this area.” The pastor pointed to her left. “She’s saying something about strawberries.”

“Probably my aunt,” someone told her. Details were fleshed out over the next few minutes and there were more contacts. Always a spirit wanting to contact someone seated in a specific area in the room.

“Between one of these two people. I think his name is William. Could have been a father or a grandfather. He wants to talk about a family picnic.”

The spirits gave advice about health—all good as far as I could tell—and general encouragement. Some of the “hits” seemed on target, and others missed the mark.

“Well Lillian definitely has something to say, but if no one knows her, I’m going to let her go.”

I’ve seen a couple of psychic cold readings. The process was very similar.

No messages for me. The pastor told me she sensed a nearby spirit, but she wasn’t strong enough to bring her through. The lady sitting next to me thought it might be because my legs were crossed.

The pastor didn’t think so. “Some days I’m stronger than others. I don’t think crossed legs matter.”

I have days like that too.

I want to make it very clear that Juanita Oyer is a true believer. Nothing she did indicated she was out to fool or defraud anyone. Nothing I saw convinced me there were spirits in the room either, but I have to say—from the point of view of a magic realism fiction writer—the process and the people were interesting.

I’m going to give the church another try. It’s not a scary place once you walk through the kitchen door, and the congregation is friendly. If you are interested, maybe I’ll see you there Sunday, June first. The address is 36th Street Oklahoma City. Dress casually.

Karen Cooper’s Links for Writers Publishing in Oklahoma

Posted on May 24, 2014 by John Biggs

Last February I had the pleasure of speaking to Tahlequah Writers (an OWFI affiliate) about writing short fiction, finding markets, and winning contests. This was an incredibly well organized and well attended group.

Karen Cooper created this affiliate almost (if not totally) single handedly. She arranges meeting venues, finds speakers, coordinates activities with local libraries and other groups interested in regional authors, and still manages to keep writing. She has put together this collection of links for writers publishing in Oklahoma. Carolyn Leonard will be updating this list on her website. If you can help make it complete, contact Carolyn here. Meanwhile, be sure to check out the

Here is the list as of 5/24/14:

Organizations/Information Services:

Oklahoma Small Press Association, www.oklahomasmallpress.com

Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc., www.owfi.org

Oklahoma Poetry Portal: www.okpoetryportal.com

Oklahoma Center for the Book, Oklahoma Department of Libraries, 200 NE 18^th Street

Oklahoma City OK 73105-3298, Connie Armstrong.

Oklahoma Center for Poets and Writers, OSU-Tulsa, 700 N. Greenwood, Tulsa OK 74106, , Teresa Miller, [email protected].

WRITERS REMINDER -Since 1993 info on writing contests, conferences, publishing industry news, programs, speakers, letters, book reviews, website winners, story call-outs, writing opportunities, practically anything of interest to writers. WR is not subsidized or sponsored by any person or group, and is free. http://bit.ly/H6krq9

Oklahoma-Based Book Publishers:

4RV Publishing, PO Box 6482, Edmond 73083, , www.4rvpublishing.com. Handles most books except poetry. Vivian Zabel

Forty-Sixth Star Press, 5030 N May Street Suite 323, Oklahoma City OK 73112. www.fortysixthstarpress.com, Pam Bracken.

Honor Books PO Box 55388, Tulsa, OK 74155. 1-. inspirational books.

IMOCO Publishing, PO Box 471721 Tulsa, OK 74147-1721, , Paul Brodsky. Humor books and other related.

Literati Press, 820 W. Danforth #A-19, Edmond, OK 73003, . www.literatipressok.com; [email protected]. Comics and sub-culture fiction.

Mongrel Empire Press, 1108 W. Main Street Suite 103, Norman OK 73069, [email protected], www.mongrelempire.com. Jeanetta Calhoun Mish.

New Forums Press Inc., Street, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74074.

, www.newforums.com, [email protected], [email protected]. Educational materials, regional history, regional fiction.

Pen-L Publishing, Fayetteville AR. Various fiction, some non-fiction. www.pen-l.com

Rainbow Studies International, PO Box 759,  El Reno, OK 73036   or 9777. Children’s Bible stories and videos, Christian inspirational. Billy Hughey.

RoadRunner Press, PO Box 2564, Oklahoma City OK 73101, . [email protected] and www.theroadrunnerpress.com Primarily children’s books.

Tate Publishing, 127 E. Trade Center Terrace, Mustang OK 73064. . www.tatepublishing.com.

TwinOaks Publishing Company, RR. 1 Box 935, Thackerville OK 73459, . Lou Harper, [email protected], www.freewebs.com/luharper. Small books on demand for $6 each.

University of Oklahoma Press, , Norman, OK 73019-6051. Publishes books about American Indian and Western history, literature, political science, classics. www.ou.edu/oupress/.

Village Books Press, Route 2, Box 6, Cheyenne OK 73628. Dorothy Alexander, poetry, etc. , [email protected].

Magazines and Journals accepting creative works in Oklahoma:

Cimarron Review, Oklahoma State University, 205 Morrill Hall, Stillwater OK 74078. [email protected], www.cimarronreview.com.

Cooweescoowee, Rogers State University, 1701 W. Will Rogers Blvd, Claremore OK 74017. . www.rsu.edu/academics/eng-hum/coowee.asp, [email protected].

Crosstimbers, University of Science and Arts Oklahoma, Chickasha OK. http://projects.usao.edu/crosstimbers/; accepts poems, articles, and fiction.

Nimrod International Journal of Prose and Poetry, , www.utulsa.edu/nimrod/ [email protected].

Oklahoma Today Magazine, 15 N. Robinson Avenue, Oklahoma City OK 73102

; [email protected].

Sugar Mule, www.sugarmule.com, Jeanetta Calhoun Mish. Poetry journal with Buddhist leanings.

This Land Press, 1208 S. Peoria, Tulsa OK 74120. , [email protected].

Oklahoma Authors (2 or more books):

Biggs, John. Owl Dreams and Southwest Gothic Tales. www.johnbiggsoklahomawriter.com

Cooper, Karen Coody. Non-fiction Cherokee Wampum and Spirited Encounters: American Indians Protest Museum Policies and Practices, plus Fault Line poetry. www.karencoodycooper.com

Gensler, Sonia. Historical fiction: The Revenant and The Dark Between. www.soniagensler.blogspot.com Historical fiction.

Laughter, Jim. Tulsa author writing suspense, Escape to Destiny, Polar City Red, The Apostle Murders, and more. www.jimlaughter.com  [email protected]

Mullins, Jonita. Muskogee author of history, Journey to an Untamed Land (novel) and Haskell: A Centennial Celebration. www.okieheritage.com

Rains, Eyvonna. Children’s book Sleep my Child, and poetry, Wanderer. www.EyvonnaRains.com

Wetterman, Bill. Mystery thrillers Room 1515, The Fifth Step, and more. www.billwetterman.com

Blogs on Writing:

My Blog: Writing is easy. My Blog is mostly about the life of freelance writing. Here is what is going on in my life at the moment — and by writing it down, then I can better understand why things happen as they do, and maybe you can understand it too.

Hotlink: http://bit.ly/1cKl879

http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com

okiebookwoman.blogspot.com

soniagensler.blogspot.com

Two Hearts

Posted on May 23, 2014 by John Biggs

“Two Hearts” was published in Stone Crowns issue 4, May 21, 2014.

Opening Paragraphs:

Grandma told me there’s a witch’s house at the edge of the ten-mile woods, just south of town where boys like me go if they don’t know their Cherokee ways.

“It’s a scary place,” Grandma said. “Almost scary as the cancer hospital in Muskogee where they took my sister.” Her eyes went blank for a few seconds and her hands drifted up to her jumbo-size, old lady breasts.

I said, “The big old clapboard place with broken windows and no paint,” just to get her mind off dead sisters and hospitals.

I guess it worked; Grandma crossed her arms underneath those scary breasts as if that’s what she had in mind all along. She said, “You’ll wind up in that witch’s house if you don’t take my lessons serious.”

She tapped one foot like a horse who could count up to twenty, waiting to see if I’d come back with a smart remark.

When I didn’t, she said, “It’s a pure fact, Richard; if you ain’t Cherokee, you ain’t nothin’.”

You can download Stone Crowns issue 4 free on your computer or mobile device here.

Ghosts

Posted on May 17, 2014 by John Biggs

When I saw The Central Spiritualist Church of Oklahoma City across the street from

The Central Spiritualist Church of Oklahoma City

my grandson’s elementary school I wondered if a piece of my life had just re-emerged to haunt me.

My mother’s family was part of the spiritualist movement before I was born. Her father had a Native American spirit guide who showed up at séances and offered what amounted to family counseling. She had a couple of aunts who were semiprofessional mediums, and an uncle who was a psychic painter before he got serious about drinking.

The back door of the Centralist Spiritualist Church of Oklahoma City

Ghosts were common fair in the 30’s and 40’s. Newspapers reported hauntings they way they reported political scandals. There were spiritualist camps, spiritualist libraries, spiritualist schools and plenty of spiritualist churches, where—according to Mom—services usually started with the pastor saying, “I have someone here with a message for . . .”

The spirit world had mostly gone out of fashion by the time I came along. Mom’s family (and I) attended the Baptist

Inside the Central Spiritualist Church of Oklahoma City

church. The only messages came from a man in a suit standing behind a pulpit. Those messages were peppered with thees and thous and whosoevers—incomprehensible from my childish point of view. I drew pictures and daydreamed and waited almost patiently for the Sunday drive back home when Mom would entertain me with stories from her supernatural salad days.

She described table rapping séances and materialization séances. She’d seen spiritual possessions and touched ectoplasm—it’s slippery, if you’re wondering. One ghost (a friend of her father’s) interrupted a family picnic at a spiritualist retreat and announced he’d drowned that very day. Nothing that cool ever happened in the Baptist Church.

I believed everything Mom told me. Ghosts were no exception. I had confidence in her right up until an embarrassing episode in my life when I turned out to be the last person in the third grade who believed in Santa Clause. Then everything she said came into question.

My father wasn’t interested in spiritual matters of any kind. He never set foot in a church unless there was a wedding or a funeral. I asked him once if he believed in God. He thought about it for several seconds and finally said, “I guess so . . .sure.”

His disinterest didn’t stop him from seeing ghosts. Dad saw his grandmother during World War II when it looked like he was going to be killed. He saw his father-in-law shortly after the old man died, and he saw my mother—his wife—off and on for the ten years he lived after she, “had to go away.”

“Probably my imagination,” he told me. “But those ghosts look solid as a Cadillac.”

I complained that I’d never seen anything that faintly resembled a ghost.

“When I die,” he told me. “I’ll let you know if there’s anything to it if I can.” He died six years ago and I’m still waiting.

The Central Spiritualist Church of Oklahoma City is a white frame wooden house, about 1,000 square feet. Too small for me to attend a service without being noticed. I write fiction. Some of it is horror. That little house looks like a perfect prop for a final scene where things go bad for the protagonist.

A Google search revealed an almost imperceptible but I found a telephone number. I called the pastor, told her about my mother’s family, told her I was curious about the church and asked if I could come.

“Of course,” she said, without a hint of Stephen King in her voice. “Services are at 2:30 p.m. the first and third Sunday every month.”

I’ll let you know if Dad left any messages.

“Bounce” now available in FrostFire Worlds–May 2014 issue

Posted on May 15, 2014 by John Biggs

“Bounce” was published by Alban Lake Publishing in of FrostFire Worlds, May, 2014 issue.

Opening Paragraphs:

Raj told Mary, “Got to get worse before I get better. Got to hit the bottom before I bounce.” Then he sat down in his chair and didn’t get up again. That was two days ago—three, if midnight has come and gone. Mary can’t keep track of hours in the dark so she counts her heartbeats and wonders what she’ll do if he dies.

She tries to slide into a dream with a happy ending like the bedtime stories Raj used to tell her. About the olden days when people had birthdays they could circle on a calendar. When they had real live friends who talked to each other just for fun—taking turns, using inside voices. Like the voices in the living room that are probably part of a dream trying to break into Mary’s sleepless night.

You can order FrostFire Worlds May, 2014 issue here.

Getting Short Fiction Published

Posted on May 10, 2014 by John Biggs

In 2005, the Pioneer Library System invited readers and writers from all over Oklahoma to attend the Red Dirt Book Festival. It was free, and it featured Oklahoma literary luminaries like Tim Tingle, Rilla Askew, Marcia Preston, Tim Tharp, and Bill Bernhardt.

As an additional incentive the festival invited attendees to submit short-short stories (no more than 2,000 words) to be evaluated for publication in the 2005 Red Dirt Anthology. I had written a 190,000 word novel (That one is still unpublished) so 2,000 words seemed like a walk in the park.

I wrote my first story ever for that publication—“Gypsy Ghosts and Nicknames”. It wasn’t very good but competition was minimal (About 75 submissions), and the anthology took it. I was hooked.

Short stories are a lot more fun to write than novels. You can turn them out faster. You can give up on them when it’s clear you should. Rewrites and revisions are relatively easy: you can add characters, switch points of view, change tense, even change the sex of your protagonist. Anything is possible within twenty double-spaced type written pages.

My second and third short story publications came two years after my first. “Footprints,” and “Mystery Land” made it into 2007 Red Dirt Anthology. Those were better stories and made encore appearances in other magazines later on, but Red Dirt Book Festival rejected my submissions in 2009 and never conducted another event. My only market had dried up.

Where do you send a piece of short fiction once its finished? Agents don’t represent them. Small presses usually don’t want singles. Slick magazines like The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair aren’t interested unless you’re already famous.

I didn’t publish another story until Regina Williams (I met her at OWFI) accepted “Pure D Truth” for the Storyteller magazine’s 2011 second quarter issue. That was publication number four in a six-year period. Since that time I have had about 40 additional stories published and several more scheduled to come out this year.

My writing improved, but it didn’t improve that much. Many of those recently published stories were written during the long dry period from 2007 to 2011. The thing that changed my publication success rate more than anything else was a website I discovered, https://duotrope.com.

Duotrope was a free site when I first signed up. They tried to support themselves with contributions. I gave them what they asked, but not many people did so now the site costs five dollars a month—$50.00 a year if you’re willing to commit that long.

You can sign up for a 7 day free trial by going here: https://duotrope.com/index.aspx

Once you are a subscriber, a newsletter comes in the mail each week, It breaks down the current market into the following categories: paying market listings added, non-paying market listings added, markets opening or re-opening for submissions, markets closed for submissions.

The paying market category looks like this:

Monkey Star Press: Adventures in Potty Training (themed antho)

Baen Books: Baen Fantasy Adventure Award

Booktagon

FireGoat Books

Words Magazine

If you find a market that interests you, click on it and you go to a page that tells you what the publication pays (if anything) and what it wants in terms of style and length. If you are still interested, a link on that page takes you to the publication website where you learn more details. You can often read examples of published stories and even submit right from that site.

Duotrope currently tracks 5,003 markets, including fiction, non-fiction and poetry. They provide a search feature that allows authors to find markets that fit their individual needs. The Duotrope site offers submission and publication statistics including acceptance rates, response times, and types of responses (form vs. personal). Most weeks there are interviews with editors that provide insights into the selection process.

The site is good for novelists too. The Big Six don’t show up there unless they are seeking un-agented submission, but there are plenty of small houses, and publishers that specialize in e-books, short story collections, and novellas. My publisher, Pen-L Publishing is listed on the site. I pitched Owl Dreams to Duke Pennell at the 2012 OWFI conference rather than submitting blind. Personal contact is almost impossible for short fiction, but it’s still the best policy for placing novels.