Viral Storytelling with The Story Lady, Ronda Del Boccio

Henri:  Thanks for having me, Mademoiselle Ronda.  I love talking about Henri either way! The Story Lady:  Now about Henri, the novelist…You insist that you did most of the writing.  How, exactly, did you help write this book? 

Henri:  Mademoiselle Ronda, have you ever heard of mental telepathy?  I relayed the words on to my co-writers because they were not there with me finding the million $$$ ghost and being as I was there, and some of them had hard time communicating with Henri, I relayed my thoughts into the minds of my co-writers.  They could not have done this adequately without my help, I assure you, but thanks for asking!  I get this asked a lot. Story Lady:  Excellent and most interesting.  I do believe in telepathy, as it happens.  Now, I know you don’t want to give the ladies much credit, but honestly, do you think you would be an author without their help? 

Henri:  You are right.  They made me who I am today.  So, for that, I do give them credit.  But, it’s like anything…I would have learned it just as they learned it, if given enough time.  Henri has all the time in the world, but I tend to put off things.  If not for one of the co-writers, Heide AW Kaminski, who found a publisher for this book, I suppose it would still be sitting in a drawer somewhere and I would be out doing other ghostly things besides doing interviews…lol. Story Lady:  What do you love most about writing? 

Henri:  I love the beautiful 21^st century women that give Henri good times.  They come to blog (www.henritheghost.blogspot.com) to hear what Henri writes.  They like Henri and I have made so many new mortal friends there.  I love talking about experiences I have in the 21^st century, so I suppose that’s what I love writing about.  I figure that if beautiful 21^st century woman comes to Henri’s blog to hear about all the trouble he gets into, then maybe my tour coordinator, Dorothy Thompson of Pump Up Your Book Promotion PR (she told me to write that every time I mention her…something about publicity), is right when she says write what you know and if you don’t know, make something up.   Story lady:  That is the joy of fiction.  Also as a mentor I often tell people to “fake it until you make it.”  Did you and your co-authors ever have fights about what should be included in the book, or did you all work together well? 

Henri:  LOL, that is an understatement.  We had about nine mortals writing this book at first.  Some dropped out because they did not understand where the others were coming from and some dropped out because they did not know how to write.  We were all part of a spiritual group that talked about ghosties – fathom that – and it was run by Heather Froeschl, who actually has a book coming out about true ghostie experiences with Zumaya Publications next year.  That ought to be a lot of fun to read.  My tour coordinator has a story in there in fact.  I was too late to get my story in, but I will enjoy reading the stories of others.   Anyway, it dwindled down to three writers and myself, of course.  Dorothy, my tour coordinator of Pump…man, I think she can get someone else to pump up her own darn business, don’t you think?  Anyway, Dorothy was perhaps the worse one.  Such a stickler for details.  She didn’t feel the book was ready so it sat and sat.  For three years, in fact.  But, Heide, she’s known as the Energizer Bunny, wanted the book published as in yesterday.  Pam Lawniczak was real easy-going and just went with the flow.  Me?  I did my part and was off doing ghostie things so I don’t know how it turned out.  All I know is, Heide found a publisher called Mardi Gras Publishing and Dorothy put me on this freaking book tour which takes a lot of time out of going to Boo Drop Inn to be with the gang, but a ghost writer has to do what a ghost writer has to do. 

Story Lady:  But you are primarily touring the blogs of women (whether beautiful or not is your decision), so you should have a wonderful time.  How do you divide up the work that comes with being authors, like marketing? Henri:  So glad you asked.  I don’t think anyone’s asked this yet.  Dorothy of Pump…geez…Dorothy handles online promotions and Heide and Pam handle offline promotions.  Dorothy has set up a website at www.milliondollarghost.homestead.com, a book blog at www.thesearchforthemilliondollarghost.blogspot.com and set me up with my own blog at www.henritheghost.blogspot.com.  She’s also out there doing interviews and getting the word spread online.  There will be a spectacular Halloween party at her place online (she’s going to set up a group in yahoogroups for this) where they will be giving away prizes and partying with lots of Coors Light.  That’s how they bribed me to come.  I told them Halloween isn’t a good time for Henri is off doing ghostie things that night, but she said she would bring Coors Light and I could go after midnight.  So, I guess I’ll be there, too, and everyone can party along with me.   

Story lady:  You said you haven’t had so much fun until this trip to the mountains of
North
Carolina.  Tell us about the mansion in the mountains where you and the authors went to begin the search for the Million $$$ Ghost. Henri:  Oh, Mademoiselle Ronda, it was exquisite.  I never knew a place so haunted. I was having a field day.  The guy who owned the mansion was called Rodger Hawthorne III and he gave us all seven days to find the ghost of his late wife, Sarah, so we had seven days in the place.  The girls got freaked a few times, but that’s just because they’re not used to ghostie friends hanging out, but after it was over, I do believe they can say they had a ghost of a time. 

The mansion actually was located at
Hickory Heights, North Carolina.  Right dab smack in the middle of the mountains with NOTHING nearby.  I think Rodger planned it that way as he was an eccentric tobacco tycoon who didn’t want anyone knowing his business.  He had a few secrets he didn’t want anyone to find out, you see. Story Lady:  Ooh, secrets.  That is intriguing.  We all love secrets. 

Henri:  Anyway, the
Hawthorne mansion was a turn-of-the-20^th century country estate which sat on a bluff overlooking Hickory
Mountain.  There were two man-made lakes that hugged the estate and oaks, magnolia, red maples, black cherry and tulip poplar trees which surrounded the mansion.  The mansion itself was one of the few remaining homes that dated back to the Civil War.  It was magnificent, almost hauntingly beautiful.  It was three stories high with tall billowing pillars which set off the front of the building.  It was like being in another world.  There were gardens of magnificent and rare plants which was tended to by the groundskeeper, Hector, who actually was a strange little man who liked to pop up at the weirdest times.  He and Rodger were very close, so he kept an eye on the girls and myself while we were not only inside, but roaming the grounds looking for the spirit of Sarah. Story Lady:  It sounds absolutely breathtaking. Henri:  I’d give any chance to go back.  I might even do it after the Halloween party. 

Story lady:  You are an excellent storyteller.  I love visiting your blog and reading about your exploits.  You seem to have picked up the 21^st century terminology quite well, and you are a world traveler.  Do you often go back to where you used to live in
France? Henri:  I did actually go back and visit relatives a couple of weeks ago, but Dorothy dragged my weary ghost butt back here for this tour.  I’ll be talking about my adventures in
France as soon as this blasted tour is over.  Got a Coors Light?  My throat is parched! 

Story Lady:  Of course I have your beverage of choice…otherwise I would be a terrible hostess of the ghostest with the mostest. <big grin> If you haven’t had this much fun in centuries, why did you hang around earth this long after your death instead of moving on?  Are you on a special mission?  Did you leave something undone that you are trying to complete? 

Henri:  Yes, Mademoiselle Ronda!  I am an earthbound which means I have a mission to accomplish before the higher energies take me back.  My mission is to show mortals that ghosts are not to be feared and that you can learn from them.  So far, I think I’m doing it, don’t you? Story lady:  Aside from the fact that you wrote it, why do you feel people need to read this novel? 

Henri:  You know, when the girls and I started out writing this, we had a main reason for doing so – to prove that ghosts exist.  Even though it’s a fictional tale of a man who really was looking for proof that ghosts exist and he would pay them a million dollars to do it, we wanted to show people that with all the gadgets out there that claim to find ghosts, the real way to find them is to have an inborn talent to do so.  You can pick up vibrations and all that with this equipment, but for a ghost to actually show itself, you must be in tune with them.  Ghosts know who to trust and who not to trust, and the ones they do trust, are the ones who can see them.  Take the movie, “The Sixth Sense.”  The little boy says, “I can see dead people.”  Mortals might think the boy has gone bonkers, but truth be known, only mortals who have the intuition can really see them.  This is the reason why the girls took on this mission.  They KNEW they would find Sarah without any doubt in their minds. Story lady:  Yes, it is so strange that for some of us, the unseen is very much visible and fr others – nothing.  I could so much relate to the boy in The Sixth Sense being aware of the unseen. 

Well let me ask you this, Henri.  If you could meet one person now alive, who would it be? Henri:  LOL, you make Henri laugh.  Victor Zammit.  He is my hero.  His link is http://www.victorzammit.com/.  He’s the second guy we found out who was looking for proof that ghosts exist, but he was the nice one.  Dorothy emailed him to ask about different things to make the book authentic.  If you go to http://thesearchforthemilliondollarghost.blogspot.com/2007/04/can-ghosts-materialize.html, you can see what he had to say.  The original concept to write this book came after we heard about another guy who was looking for proof that ghosts exist whose name was James Randi.  Now, this guy is still looking for that proof at his website at http://www.randi.org/research/index.html.  He’s the original guy, but the thing is, he doesn’t believe in them and Victor Zammit is the one trying to prove they do exist.  Interesting, n’est pas? 

Story Lady:  Wow, very interesting indeed!  Thanks for sharing the links as well.  I’ll have to explore those when I have a free minute (like maybe sometime in the next millennium).  Do you and the ladies have any plans of other adventures in authoring? Henri:  I’m not sure.  I believe this may be the one and only book together as a team, so it might be a collector’s item in a sense.  I know Dorothy will have another book out sometime next year called The Soul Mate Triangle: Unlocking the Secrets of the Soul Mate Experience and I’m not sure about Heide and Pam.  As for me, I’m really thinking about it and Dorothy has mentioned to me she’s got a ghostie book in the works that may have me in it, so I may be back in another lifetime! 

Story Lady:  Great.  I understand that someone from the Ghostly Times newspaper is trying to find you, but you keep giving her the slip.  Why are you being so elusive?  (Yes, I do keep up on ethereal media as well as the usual forms). Henri:  LOL, you read my blog, Mademoiselle Ronda?  I’m always getting into trouble and landing in the Ghostly Times, so I try to keep one step ahead of them.  See, it’s Juicy.  If she finds out what Henri is up to, it’s cream cheese for Henri.  I’ve ended up in the doghouse plenty of times because she just can’t handle my stardom.   

Story Lady:  LOL.  Juicy is definitely a jealous ghostie, isn’t she?  Some females are like that.  Well, Henri.  This has been such fun, but finally, you are on tour this month.  Many of my readers are authors.  Tell us how an author can sign up for a virtual book tour of blogs like you’re doing?  Henri:  I guess this is where I’m supposed to talk about Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours?  Ahh well, I guess it’ll give me a few brownie points with my tour coordinator.  Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours is run by Dorothy Thompson and Jamieson Wolf.  Together, they send out authors such as myself on virtual book tours to promote your book, relying heavily on online marketing, whatever that is.  If you go to www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com, you can read all about it.  They say they’re cheaper than everyone else so maybe that’s why they have no time for Henri since they’re swamped with tours, but look them up if you’re in the mood to go gallivanting all over the blogosphere and tarnation and have nothing better to do.  Yikes, there goes my brownie points.   

Story Lady;  Thank you so much, Henri.  Drop by any time!  Everyone is welcome here. Henri:  Thank you for having me, Mademoiselle Ronda.  Can I go now? Story lady:  Enjoy your beer  and watch out for Juicy.  Word has it she’s looking for you.