Answer: The title is catchy, but the book itself consists of true and, in many cases, "surprising" stories, some of which will startle and invite further discussion. And witching rods really do appear to communicate information when practitioners ask questions of them.
Answer: The title comes from two chapters in the book. The first story is a touching account of a little boy (myself) who gets his first experience with senseless killing. Another chapter is called "Witching Rods That Talk" and this story is as strange as the title suggests. When I was in college I did some research on water witching or dowsing as it is sometimes called. I did not know that both in ancient times and in modern times, some people actually and literally "talk" to their rods and the rods seem to answer. A town water supply near my home was found - using this method - and some Indians of British Columbia talk to twisted rods and seemingly get information (but not related to water). So this is a mystery that I pursue in the book.
Answer: One of my stories is called "Spirit Ship." Some fishing friends capsized and the lone survivor had what might be called a "near death experience." He was lost at sea and very near death, when a boat with old men in it came by to rescue him, or so he thought. When he reached out, his hand went through the boat. To my great surprise, this is a story that the Indian people of the British Columbia coast often tell. And they report seeing similar ghost-type ships. But ships that are associated with "death" are a phenomenon found around the world and are well known and documented in archaeology - another mystery. I tell the real story and explore the history and what it means.
Answer: Not at all, but perhaps of all the mystery stories, none will seem stranger than the "Sasquatch/Bigfoot" stories. I did not believe any such creature existed until many of my friends reported having seen and experienced something really strange and in some cases, frightening. The Natives have been telling these stories for years, and since I live in quite a wild and remote area, these encounters have been experienced by many of the residents. A PhD biologist, who lives on Vancouver Island, has written two books on the subject - one of which is written specifically for the scientific community.
Answer: All of the different types of stories can be fascinating and even exciting. Sometimes we can miss some interesting ideas simply because we've never been introduced to them. I seek to approach some important spiritual concepts by telling real stories and mixing them with other stories to show that one is just as interesting as another.
Answer: The book consists of short stories designed to catch attention through the use of humor, surprise, and little known facts. Then there are a series of stories that build to a conclusion. (1) There are really only two spiritual systems or choices available to every person. (2) I think that the Bible gives the most satisfying and logical answers to the questions that this book introduces through the use of fascinating narrative.
Answer: The target readers most specifically are people who are non-religious and who would not normally read religious material. That being said, this book is designed to appeal to all readers of any philosophical persuasion and of any age. And the stories are designed to catch interest rather than to convey the final dogmatic word.
Answer: Those who have had Sasquatch encounters will really appreciate finding that they are not alone. And there are some other true stories that are just as strange. (For example, I have a story from when I was 15 years old and was nearly suffocated by an unseen evil presence.)
Answer: Yes, I have some bear stories, cougar stories, killer whale stories, and wolf stories. Killer whales are also known as Orcas and many of them eat only fish, but others are known as transients and they are called killer whales for a reason.
Answer: I have stories of transient killer whales hunting sea lions and dolphins. And one day I watched as transients caught a sea lion and trained 3 little killers on the techniques for dealing with prey. But while this was taking place on the surface, a friend of mine was commercial diving for sea urchins just below them. He did not know what was taking place above. Many of my stories come from my years as a commercial fisherman.
Answer: When I was young, my family lived on a floating log camp. The book has some photos, but basically our houses were built on large rafts that floated on the ocean. I was involved with making a living aquarium until an otter ate all the specimens. Then we tamed the otter and it visited us for many years and brought its family. We did similar with a blue heron until an owl killed it. Then we managed to catch the owl...
Answer: There is one chapter called "Misunderstandings." One of the examples in that story is of a time when my father-in-law was explaining to a cultured lady that his brother had always had an interest in photography but never told anyone. He thought he explained about the secret obsession with photography but he inadvertently used the word "pornography" and did not understand the woman's reaction. Another story is called "The Birds and the Bees." I fumbled an explanation to my little boy's question about where he came from and thought that I did a pretty good job for the time being. However, it was some time later - in church - that he loudly disagreed with the concept of having been created by Jesus. He proceeded to explain that he had come from a "seed" that Daddy gave to Mommy and although he had not seen the seed, he really wondered how it tasted...
Answer: Many of the stories are for interest and fun. The book is designed to make for enjoyable reading for young and old alike. But some stories are very serious and are designed to make people think. I have a story about how I was abducted and I give practical advice from my experience in order to help youth and parents.
Answer: Yes. The chapter deals with some tricks that are not funny at all and have eternal consequences. Some of the topics include hypnotism, channeling, energy manipulation in acupuncture and therapeutic touch, etc.
Answer: The book can be read or downloaded from this site (for free). It can be ordered from the publisher or Amazon, etc. But the best way presently for a hard copy is to order from this site. The cost is $10.00 (which includes shipping in the U.S. and Canada). For other areas or for bulk orders and distribution purposes contact the author.