My interview with Susan
Christopher Reburn: First, let me say what a privilege it was to do the foreword
for your new book, Huh? What? A Ghost? Where? Memoirs of a Hearing Impaired
Ghost Researcher. It is a truly fascinating book.
Susan Ray-Miranda: Thank you so much, Christopher! It was such an honor to have you do the
foreword for my book. Writing the
book wasn’t easy for me. Took 3 long years to complete the book. It has always been difficult for me to put
down in words what I have in mind. I
could not have done this without my husband, Richie’s and my daughter,
Adriane’s love and loyal support, my niece, Becky for her wonderful editing and
my beloved sister, Coke’s final and loving nudge.
Christopher Reburn: What was your reason writing and publishing this book now?
Susan Ray-Miranda: I wanted to share my life experiences and let
readers know that there truly is an Afterlife, that the Spirit World does exist
and that ghosts, spirits, Light Beings, orbs are all around us 24/7. It is okay to be skeptic….you just need to
have an open mind.
You know, Christopher, I have had people come up to me and tell me
that they don’t believe in ghosts which is fine with me. But, before they go any further, I will ask
them 3 questions: (1) Do you believe in God? Response:
“yes”; (2) Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Response:
“yes”; (3) Do you believe in the Holy Ghost? Response:
“yes”. I would then look at them
and replied “Well then, you DO believe in ghosts!”. They would look at me with a puzzled look on
their face and I would walk away shaking my head and chuckle at the irony of
their responses.
CR: Was it hard for you on an emotional level to recount some of
the harder details of your life, for example the bullying you endured and the
loss of your sister?
SRM: Yes, it was but I have come to understand that it
was my destiny to experience these life struggles, to learn from them, be a
better person for it and to help me grow on my spiritual path. It was this knowledge that gave me
strength. My sister’s death really hits
home for my family because all of my other brothers and sister, including
spouses and their children are still around as well as my parents who are in
their late 80’s. I do know in my heart
and soul that my sister is around me and even helped me with my book. She has already visited me in my dream,
letting me know with a smile on her face that she’s happy and at peace now and
watching over me and my family.
CR: It sure feels like your sister helped you in putting the book
together. Did you feel her around you alot during the process of writing the
book? It seems like she was an
inspiration for you to write and finish the book.
SRM: Yes, I did and still do feel my sister’s spirit
around me. Right after she passed, I
actually felt a powerful urge to finish my book. I would work on my book for awhile, put it
down for awhile, work on it again for awhile, then put it back down for
awhile. This would go on for 3 years
until my sister passed when I got a feeling of “you really need to finish this
book!” I really believe that it was my
sister giving me a final nudge.
CR: When did you discover your fascination with the paranormal?
SRM: I was very interested in ghosts, spirits and things
that goes bump into the night since I was a small child. I loved Casper the Friendly Ghost and
especially his mischievious cousin, Spooky who I thought were real ghosts until
my sister, Coke explained to me that they were just make-believe, like Santa Claus….I
was such a young and naïve child with quite an imagination. Obviously, it did not stop me from believing
in real ghosts though. My fascination
with the paranormal became even more powerful when I visited the “Tunnel”
during my surgery at the age of 6.
CR: Share with us what your first paranormal experience was like?
SRM: My first paranormal experience occurred at the
Lamothe Hotel in New Orleans when the chandelier in Adriane’s bedroom started
swinging back and forth while the other chandelier in the connecting bedroom
remained still. This was the day after
Adriane and her friend, A.J. experienced the sensation of someone jumping on
their beds for two nights. Turned out
that the suite was haunted!
CR: Would you share with us your scariest paranormal experience?
SRM: My scariest paranormal experience occurred at
Brookdale Lodge during the night in May of 2001 when a ghost ran right through
me during a dream. It was the most
startling and unpleasant feeling of being violated and actually knocked the
breath out of me. I can still remember
the feeling to this day! Ugh!
CR: Where do you long to go to paranormal investigate and research
next?
SRM: There are so many places in the United States that I
would like to investigate and research but I would especially love to visit
England where ghosts are known to rampant in castles, pubs, etc. I would even love to spend a few nights in a
haunted castle and I heard that there are many that have been converted to bed
and breakfast inns. My husband and
daughter have already told me that they will come with me to investigate, so I
have to get busy saving money!
CR: Is there a particular abandoned hospital or building that you
want to go to?
SRM: Again, there are many that I would like to
investigate. I would like to check out
the famed Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio which served
as the fictional Shawshank Prison of the movie
“Shawshank Redemption” with Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. This reformatory is considered one of the
most haunted places in the country.
CR: What do you want your readers to take away from reading this
book?
SRM: I hope to leave the readers with more interest in
things that goes bump in the night and things that cannot be explained
away. Hopefully, they will open their
mind and check out their curiosities.
CR: This book is truly amazing on so many levels, and your
connection to the Spirit World is incredibly strong and powerful in its own
right. I have a funny feeling that this first book is the first of many to
come. Do you care to tease us with some
information about your next book?
SRM: If I do write another book, most likely it will be a
journal of my future paranormal experiences.
Who knows? As the saying goes
“Never say Never!”
CR: Thank you Susan for a wonderful book and I just know that it's
already helped so many people. Thank you for being you. You are incredibly
special to all of us.
SRM: Thank you for the kind words and for giving me the
opportunity to share my stories and events.
I would also like to thank the readers showing interest in my true-life
stories and purchasing my book. I love
you all with much hugs and God Bless!
As Good As It Gets!!
