Diary of a Psychic

"Talking to ghosts is addicting. One afternoon, during her senior year at Colegio de Santa Rosa in Intramuros, Aileen was playing Spirit of the Coin with her classmates. “Spirit, spirit, are you in?” they asked. The spirit eagerly answered their questions. When the Angelus bell rang at noon, Aileen and her friends said good bye. “No,” the spirit answered..."

SPRG Trilogy author A.S.Santos was interviewed by MANILA BULLETIN staff this past Halloween week, and the article is now online!

Read it here:
http://www.mb.com.ph/diary-of-a-psychic

4 and 5 Star Reviews of the Entire SPRG Trilogy on Amazon.co.uk (plus fan art!)

Ever since we published the SPRG series, we've gotten different kinds of feedback from distinctly different types of readers:

• There are a few readers who think that it's just another story about a teenager with psychic abilities, or just another scary story... and they leave it at that.
  
  Apparently, they are not our target audience, and that's okay.
  
• Then there are those readers (a lot of them!) who actually "get it" -- and they love the science / psychology / spirituality / romance / creepiness of it (usually all of the above!), and they get the underlying messages of faith, love, and hope in between the lines.
  
  And yes, you are our people, and we love you to bits. :-)
  
• Then there are those who take it a step further:
  
  They not only "get it," and they not only LOVE it... they are now our fans/advocates/evangelists, posting reviews of the SPRG books when they can, and even making fan art so they can stay connected with our characters...
  
  And YES, we love you even more!

Here's just a sample of fan art example we've gotten recently, as well as reviews of all three books (that we just discovered) posted on Amazon.co.uk.

Thank you for these, Mikaela and Iya, and we hope more people (especially those who need the message of these books) would join our tribe soon!

Mikaela Jaluag's "group photo" of all the members of the SPRG:
The humans (from left to right): Sir Julius, Eartha, Richard, Sam, Migs, Aris, Lana, and Vanessa.

Meanwhile, here are the per-book reviews on Amazon.co.uk by Iya:

Click the photo to enlarge / read the review.
Click here to read Voices in the Theater.

Click the photo to enlarge / read the review.
Click here to read Corpse in the Mirror.

Click the photo to enlarge / read the review.
Click here to read Darkness in the World.

P.S.

Recently we learned we actually have one more type of reader: those who are more similar to Samantha Davidson (our main character) than they first realize.

They are usually spiritually sensitive, and when they read certain parts of the books, they report that they seem to hear and feel extra information as well, or are reminded vividly of their own past experiences.

Our only explanation for this phenomena is this:

SPRG series author A.S.Santos has had her own real life paranormal experiences, and many of their bits and pieces and actual details are woven into these books. This is why she's called on the help of angels many times during the writing of this trilogy... and most likely these are the connections & energies that our sensitive readers are picking up on, as well.

It is for you that we offer this reminder:

Book Trailer for "Darkness in the World"

Darkness in the World is the third and final book in the SPRG Series, the college paranormal romance trilogy that's set entirely in Manila, Philippines. :-)

SPRG stands for "Student Paranormal Research Group," the university org that our heroine Samantha Davidson joins when she moves to the Philippines, hoping she could find answers about her disturbing experiences.

Watch the book trailer here:






Meanwhile, you can also get the basic information you need on the SPRG Trilogy here (just click on the photo):

SPRG Series Author A.S.Santos Talks to Tourism Students About the 6 Different Kinds of Paranormal Activity at Haunted Locations

Last September 27, 2014 the Tourism and Events Management students of Lyceum Philippines invited author A.S.Santos to talk about Dark Tourism in the Philippines. 

 

A.S.Santos is the author of the young adult paranormal romance novels under the SPRG Series (SPRG stands for Student Paranormal Research Group) and has done extensive research on the science, spirituality, and psychology of the paranormal. 

In order to help Tourism students understand the special considerations involved in putting together a haunted attraction or ghost hunting tour, A.S.Santos talked to them about "The Paranormal Side of Dark Tourism," particularly the 6 kinds of paranormal phenomena that may be present at haunted locations. 

The event was attended by about 200 tourism students from different universities.

Here are some of the snapshots. :-)

Hosted by LPU's H457 Enigma: Illuminating Dark Tourism
Photos by Karen Lucille Escabusa

#LPUEnigma2014

Miniature lamps to "illuminate" Dark Tourism.

The lovely ladies manning the registration table.

A.S.Santos shows an actual shot of an unexpected apparition
(behind the woman in the photo) taken at a popular tourist destination.

The most important thing in putting together ghost tours: RESPECT.
Respect the history, the rules, and the significance of a location.

A.S.Santos (far right) with the winners of the ebooks
"Voices in the Theater" and "Corpse in the Mirror"
-- books 1 and 2 of the SPRG series.

The tourism and events management students behind the event.

A.S.Santos receives tokens of appreciation from the team.

The event's venue: Maestranza Plaza in historic
Intramuros, Manila.

When Lola Iyay Said Goodbye

January 1, 2010 / 3:00am

It was New Year's Day in 2010 when we got the phone call at 3am.

And you know that it's urgent when someone calls you at 3am.

"It's Lola Iyay," my brother said on the other end, his voice shaking. "She had a heart attack. She's gone."

The 3rd Floor Balcony Was Empty

Photo by bjearwicke

Lola Iyay was our mom's distant cousin, and she was the one who took care of us while we were growing up. She'd been part of our family ever since we could remember.

As we drove up to the building in Caloocan that day, we half-expected to find her where we usually found her whenever we came over for New Year's Day (and any other day we came to visit):

Standing at the 3rd floor balcony, looking out for the sight of our car, excitedly waiting for us to arrive.

But she wasn't there.

The 3rd floor balcony was empty. She was never going to wait for us there again.

Her Spaghetti Was Still There. But She Wasn't.

That day we ate the last platter of the dish she prepared the night before, for New Year's Eve: spaghetti.

Her death hit us hard at that moment. This was the last time we were going to taste her cooking.

Her spaghetti was still there, but we couldn't tell even her how delicious it was.

The Strange Story

As we finished Lola Iyay's spaghetti, I told her friend Eden: "I didn't know that December 28 was the last time we would see Lola Iyay alive."

My cousin's wedding took place on December 28, 2009 in Batangas, and most of the family attended.

After the wedding, on their way back to Caloocan, they all made a stopover at our house for a quick snack, drinks, and a much-needed bathroom break.

They also dropped off my sister at our house. She was catching a flight to Singapore early the next day, and was staying the night with us since our house was closer to the airport.

I remember my sister giving Lola Iyay a tight hug, telling her to take care of herself, and not get angry too much so her blood pressure doesn't get too high.

We all hugged Lola Iyay, too -- we hugged everyone -- and as they left to make the rest of the trip back to Caloocan, we all saw Lola Iyay at the back seat of the vehicle, waving at us from the window the way she usually did.

That was the last time we saw her alive.

"But Lola Iyay didn't attend your cousin's wedding," Eden suddenly said.

What?

"She wasn't feeling well that day," she continued. "I remember it clearly. She stayed in bed the whole day, she didn't go anywhere."

When we asked the rest of our family and relatives, they all said the same thing: Lola Iyay didn't go with them to the wedding, and she certainly didn't visit our house.

More Strange

What made it even stranger than it already was was the fact that my sister said the same thing: Lola Iyay wasn't there at the wedding, and she wasn't there when they dropped her off at our house.

She had hugged Lola Iyay back in Caloocan, just before they left for the wedding.

NOT in front of us, in our house near the airport.

Most "Ghost Stories" Are Actually "Love Stories"

We still have no clear explanation about what happened, or which laws of science made it possible (alternate realities? out of body experience? distorted perceptions?).

All we know is the effect: We were comforted to know that -- 4 days just before her death -- Lola Iyay came to hug us one last time, even though she was actually sick in bed several miles away.


---

In Book 3 of the SPRG Trilogy, "Darkness in the World," there is a scene in Chapter 7 that deals with alternate perceptions like this.

Read the sample chapters of Book 3 here: http://tinyurl.com/darkness-sample.

Top 3 Reasons Teachers Should Discuss The SPRG Trilogy With Their Students

Teachers who assign "book reviews" or "book reports" to their students can start considering using the SPRG Trilogy in their discussions... for 3 very good reasons.

Here they are:

Information You Need About The SPRG Series

Not sure where to start?

Here are the quick links to help you get what you need to know:

• ABOUT The SPRG Series 
  Is this your first time to hear about the Student Paranormal Research Group? Learn the basics here!
  
• ABOUT The Author
  The SPRG paranormal romance trilogy is written by A.S.Santos, a former television scriptwriter and magazine editor. Find out more about the author here.
  
• FEEDBACK: What Readers Say 
  What readers like you think about the novels!
  
• CHARACTERS: Meet The Members 
  Inside information on the series characters.
  
• CHARACTERS: Pick Your Team! 
  There are actually three love angles in this series. Which team are you on?
  
• RESOURCES: Download Your Sample Chapters 
  If you haven't read the novels yet, get your fr*e sample chapters here!
  
• RESOURCES: Download Your Book Discussion Guides 
  Want to encourage your professor to discuss these books in class? Show them these book discussion guides, so you can get to talk about ghost stories and get actual grades for it!
  
• RESOURCES: Get Your Ghost Hunting Kit 
  Want to try being a ghost hunter for a day? Check out this page!
  
• RESOURCES: Top 3 Things Teens Need to Know About the Paranormal
  Have you had strange experiences? Do you seem to have psychic abilities? Is it actually okay to go "ghost hunting" with your friends?
  The answer to your questions are in this Special Report. A must read for teens!
  
• RESOURCES: Buy The Books Today!
  Because nothing beats the full experience of being part of the story. :-)
  

School Ghost Story: The Man Downstairs

Photo by Bjearwicke

My kid's Catholic school is over 100 years old. There is a basement under the gym that's used for storage.

I was subbing once, and during recess one of the kick balls goes down the stairs.

A little girl was standing at the top of the stairs yelling, "Just throw it up to me."

I went over and asked who she was talking to, and she replied:

"That big man down the stairs."

I went down and there was nobody down there, and it was the only way in.

I asked some of the other kids if they have seen the man before, and they said, "Yes, but Sister told us not to talk to him."

I asked them to describe "Sister," and they described a nun.

There haven't been nuns at the school in 40 years.




From Tickld:
http://www.tickld.com/x/when-you-see-what-these-kids-said-youll-want-to-run-number-5-is-bone-chilling

Have You Experienced A Ghostly School Encounter?

Maybe you were in elementary school. Or maybe it was in high school. Or maybe it happened when you were already in college.

Either way, it's still there in your memory: your own school ghost story.

Share it with us today.

Name:
Email Address:
Tell us the school ghost story here:
If you know of any history the school has that might explain the ghostly encounter, write it here:

Click here to put a form like this on your site.

Courage Is Not The Absence Of Fear

 

When you know what's important

you know what you can be courageous for.

- A.S.Santos

Author, the SPRG Series

What The Dead Can Teach Us About Living

Top 3 Things About The Paranormal
(That Give Us Insights On How To LIVE) from A.S. Santos

Is It Really Just An Imaginary Friend?

Does your child simply have an imaginary friend?

Or could it be something more sinister that you need to do something about?

Here are four (4) differences between "harmless imaginary friends" and "possible harmful entities" that can help you decide:

 

If you feel that your child's "imaginary friend" may be something you need to be concerned about, seek the help of a counselor or a psychologist first to rule out other possibilities / diagnoses, and to create a plan of action for what you can do next.


- The SPRG Team

One Benefit Of Reading Ghost Stories: They Allow Us To Face Our Fears

As regular human beings, we encounter a lot of things in life that make us feel afraid. 

We fear failure, we fear death, we fear rejection, we fear ridicule, we fear not being good enough. 

But whether or not our fears include "ghosts" and the "unknown," one benefit of reading ghost stories is that it helps us -- through fiction, and maybe sometimes fact -- to face something fearful

...and realize that we'll be alright in the end.

Well, maybe not all horror fiction ends on a happy note, but the SPRG series does.

Mostly. ;-)

Check out the fr*e chapters and see for yourself:

• First 5 Chapters of Book 1: Voices In The Theater 
• First 5 Chapters of Book 2: Corpse In The Mirror 

While A.S. Santos was finishing Book 2 of the SPRG series...

...they were experiencing manifestations in their own house, for some reason.


It started in December 2012 (exactly one year ago), and lasted until March 2013, with incidents happening about twice a month.

They were actually very simple manifestations, and they were quite consistent:

People in their household often heard movement inside empty bedrooms.


Thud Against The Wall
The bedroom belonging to their housekeeper L has one entire wall made of wood. On the other side of this same wall was a hallway, where several pictures are hanging on display.

While A.S. Santos was alone in the house one day (everyone else was out), the author distinctly heard a thud against the inside of L's bedroom wall, like an adult body had just slammed against it. It was so distinct that some of the pictures hanging on the hallway shook.

But when Santos opened L's bedroom door, there was no one inside. In fact, the author was still all alone inside the house.

Even as a writer of paranormal fiction, the author felt there must be a logical explanation to it, and decided not to tell anyone.


Chairs Moving
About a week later, when L the housekeeper was alone in the house, she distinctly heard chairs being moved around inside F & D's bedroom. The chair leg sounds could be heard scraping across the floor, loud enough to reach all the way to the kitchen where L was.

When L went in to check, there was no one there. The two chairs in the room were standing in the middle of the floor, but L couldn't be sure if they had just been moved there (since F & D don't always leave them in their proper place).


More Chairs
The final incident happened when C & A left the house and locked their bedroom door behind them, the way they usually do.

They were gone for about 3 hours, but when they came back D reported that they heard the chairs inside their bedroom moving around in their absence.

Because of D's report, everyone else started sharing their own experiences, and that was the only time they realized it had been happening consistently, but they were all just shrugging it off.



These manifestations were nothing alarming, just interesting.

And since A.S. Santos usually writes about the paranormal at night, it's a good thing it didn't turn into anythig more than that.

Corpse In The Mirror -- Book 2 of the SPRG Series -- is now available!
Get the first 5 chapters here for fr*e!

Even When A.S.Santos Writes Ghost Stories, They Still End Up Being About Love

Get the book now! Click here!

Thanksgiving Sale: Get Books 1 & 2 of the SPRG Series for LESS THAN the Price of One!

This special Thanksgiving Bundle offer is until December 1, 2013 only.

Click Here Now To Get The Discount!

Trailer for "Corpse In The Mirror," Book 2 of A.S.Santos' SPRG Series

This book is now available on Amazon.com today!

Want To Be A Ghost Hunter For A Day?

SPRG series author A.S.Santos teamed up with Cyburban.org to create a Virtual Ghost Tour anyone can take in Intramuros, Manila (Philippines) starting Halloween 2013.

For fans (and future fans) of the SPRG Series, this ghost tour is your chance to experience being a paranormal investigator for a day (and at your own schedule!).

Here's the feature about it on GMA News TV, filed under "Dark Tourism."








If you'd like to experience this ghost tour,
click here for your complete "Intramuros Ghost Tour" kit.

Book 2 of the SPRG Series Launches This Halloween 2013

The SPRG (Student Paranormal Research Group) Series -- the teen/college romance that is set in Manila, Philippines -- now offers the second book in this paranormal trilogy!

Book 1: Voices In The Theater 

When we first met Samantha Davidson in Voices in the Theater, she was still coming to terms with her secret: she could hear other people’s thoughts.

Transplanted to a strange country and estranged from her family and peers, she had to learn to trust others and, most especially, the voice that she had long suppressed—her own.

(Click here to read the first five chapters of Voices In The Theater.)

Book 2: Corpse In The Mirror 

Samantha now returns in the second installment of A.S. Santos’ SPRG Series, Corpse in the Mirror.

This time, we see her powers deepen as she realizes that she can now also see things through others’ eyes.

They aren’t much—momentary glimpses, really—but these are dark things. Twisted things. Things she can’t bear to watch. But since she is the only one who can see them as they happen, she may be the only one who can prevent them from happening again.


(Click here to read the first five chapters of Corpse In The Mirror.)



Corpse in the Mirror launches on October 30, 2013, but you can start pre-ordering from iTunes and Kobo.

Paranormal Series Author Giving ‘Ghost Talks’ This Halloween

Manila, Philippines (October 2013) — Student Paranormal Research Group (SPRG) Series author A.S.Santos is offering to deliver a highly informative talk about The Top 10 Things Teens Need To Know About The Paranormal during this Halloween month of October to high school students,college groups, and organizations who reserve their spot by emailing info(at)flipside.ph this September.

A.S.Santos is the author of the SPRG Series, a paranormal romance trilogy for college students set in one of the well-known universities in Manila. Beginning with book one titled Voices In The Theater (released last year) and now followed this year by book two, Corpse In The Mirror, the series follows Filipino-American Samantha Davidson as she comes to terms with her growing psychic abilities, and as she tries to find answers by joining her school’s newly-formed Student Paranormal Research Group.

“It was during my teens that I started having paranormal experiences of my own,” reveals Santos, “And in my current work with teens and new adults, I’ve come to realize that many of them encounter many strange experiences, too. They just don’t often know how to make sense of them.”

The SPRG Series has become the author’s way of helping teens make sense not just of their ghost experiences, but also of the other mysterious experiences that come with the territory of young adulthood: changing relationships with parents, managing priorities, nurturing friendships, and--of course--figuring out this mysterious phenomenon called love.

“All of our strangest experiences seem to happen during our teens,” the author says, smiling.

“One of my own personal experiences with the paranormal happened when I once used a Ouija board to contact a spirit. In response to my question, the spirit spelled out the full name of the person I was supposed to marry. At that time I didn’t know anyone by that name, but that same week a classmate told me someone from a neighboring school wanted to meet me, and when I asked who it was she mentioned the exact name that the spirit gave me through the Ouija board.”

(Before we continue this story, Santos gives us a warning: DO NOT ever play with the Ouija board, or Spirit of the Glass, or Spirit of the Coin. The author will tell you exactly why during the talk The Top 10 Things Teens Need To Know About The Paranormal.)

“My classmate asked if I wanted her to arrange a meeting between me and this person,” continues Santos. “At that moment I realized I was about to make a major decision in my life. I knew that if I actually met this person--at that moment in time, when I was only fifteen--I would always carry around in my mind the idea that this was the person I was going to marry. This idea would naturally influence my decisions,until, eventually, I probably will end up marrying this person. Not because of my complete choice, but because an unknown spirit had planted the idea in my mind.

“So I told my classmate, ‘No, please don’t introduce us.’ If I was really supposed to be with this person, then I knew we would have the chance to meet each other eventually. But at that point in my life, I knew that our meeting each other would not be good for me at all.”

As of this writing, Santos still hasn’t met the person-mentioned-by-the-Ouija-board. In fact, the author is now happily married to someone else,“Someone I really chose to be with,” the author says, “And not because of the influence of some spirit.”

Santos realized then that our paranormal experiences often have something to teach us, not just about life and death, but also about who we really are.

The author concludes that “This is what my characters go through in the SPRG Series as well. Because every kind of experience we have helps us become who we’re supposed to be.

“Even the paranormal ones.”




For more information on the SPRG Series and to read more about the author’s other real life ghost stories, please visit  www.StudentParanormalResearchGroup.com.

To reserve an October talk schedule for your school group or organization (YES, bookstores, cafes, and radio show invites are also welcome!), please email info(at)flipside.ph with the subject heading “We want to invite A.S.Santos.” Schedules will be booked on a first come, first served basis.