When Ghosts Speak - Mary Ann Winkowski [107]
My most sincere thanks to James Van Praagh, for his friendship and for having the vision to know that a television series based on the kind of work I do would be a hit.
To Bella Bajaria and Doug Prochillo for great dinner parties, never getting tired of my stories, and connecting me with the talented John Gray, whose writing and directing skills make Ghost Whisperer come alive each week. I’m very grateful to Jennifer Love Hewitt, “my little ghostbuster in training.” Thank you for sharing your ghosts with me and for being such a wonderful actress. Special thanks to CBS and the producers of Ghost Whisperer, Ian Sanders and Kim Moses, for their creative talents and for making Friday night television so compelling; and to the cast and crew for all their tireless energy and hard work.
To Jennifer Gates, my book agent with Zachary Shuster Harmsworth, who saw the television special on Ghost Whisperer and knew my work would be appealing to anyone who questions what lies beyond death. She was persistent in convincing me that a book was needed on this subject. Thank you, Jen. You are so smart and special.
To Melanie Murray, my editor at Grand Central Publishing, who made me feel so comfortable and asked all the right questions about the hows and whys of earthbound spirits. I appreciate your patient guidance through every step of this process.
To Scott Schwimer, my Los Angeles attorney, who always knows how to calm me down and put my mind at ease. You are so knowledgeable and you have such a great sense of humor. My conversations with you always end in laughter.
To Jill Stern—I could not have done this without you. Your writing skills are amazing. Thank you for keeping me sane while I was driving you insane. You gave all my ghosts life on the pages of this book.
To Louis McClung, of Lusso Cosmetics and Photography, for always making me look so good.
I also want to express my love and gratitude to my husband, Ted, and my daughters, Amber and Tara, for all the love, positive energy, and support. Thanks to all my relatives and friends for your ongoing belief and encouragement. Thank you to all of my clients over the years—both alive and dead—whose stories and photos I share. A big “thanks y’all” to Larry and Phillis Townes for your friendship and hospitality; to Kevin and Eleanore McLaughlin for years and years of warm companionship; to Dominic Cerino and Carmen Cerino of Carrie Cerino’s Restaurant for your generosity and your delicious calamari; and to David Powers for all your hard work early on.
To all the folks in TV and radio who never seem to tire of my stories and are happy to give me the chance to communicate with listeners all over the country, including Terry Moir and the Good Company cast and crew at WKYC/NBC in Cleveland, Ohio. Also in the Cleveland area, thanks to Phillip “Trapper Jack” Elliot at WDOK; Joe Cronauer, Brian Fowler at the Mix 106.5; Jim Mantel at WGAR; and George Noory of Coast to Coast—thank you all for sharing your audience with me. Thanks to Mark Dawidziak at the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Rich Heldenfels at the Akron Beacon Journal, and Eric and Ginger Burnette.
Finally, and most important, I give thanks to God for giving me this gift and the wisdom to use it well. I am so blessed.
About the Author
MARY ANN WINKOWSKI was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and still lives there with her husband, Ted, and Just Fred, their red-and-white cat. She also has two grown daughters. Born with the ability to see, hear, and talk to earthbound spirits, Mary Ann works as a paranormal investigator, helping people all over the world to resolve their problems and questions regarding ghosts or negative energy. She is also a consultant on the CBS hit television show Ghost Whisperer. To find out more about Mary Ann, visit her Web site: www.maryannwinkowski.com.