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Almanac of the Infamous

365 Days of Impossible Occurrences

365 days of impossible occurrences, fantastic treasures, and incredible true tales will amaze, confound, and remind us just how mysterious this world really is. A magical daily read.

Chances are good that you have had a brush with the unexplained, even if you didn’t recognize it. Psychic or paranormal experiences don’t always announce themselves with bells and whistles sounding off, lights flashing or a spontaneous knowing that something unusual has taken place. More often that not it can be a subtle “What was that?” taking place out of the corner of your eye or the edge of your attention.

Paranormal activities, anomalies, and unsolved mysteries are all around us. They happen everywhere, all the time. Many encounters are recorded; many more are not. If you have ever wonder your own unusual experience has happened to anyone else, chances are, yes, it has.

Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible and the Ignored has it’s own website devoted to paranormal activity, unsolved mysteries and unexplained phenomenon. Check it out and order your FREE BIRTHDAY MYSTERY.

Sample illustrations are from the artists ‘sketchbook’. Illustrations in the book the same but without the color. To look inside the book go here.

Check out some sample  topics below.

Men in Black

Some UFO witnesses have been scared into keeping quiet about their experiences by oppressive figures known as the ‘Men in Black’. Those who have encountered these sinister individuals report that they generally travel in groups of two or three, wear dark suits and hats, and drive old but pristine black cars.
The founder of the International Flying Saucer Bureau, Albert Bender, claimed he was visited by three Men in Black after he announced a theory to explain UFOs. They told him to keep silent or face ‘dire consequences’.

Skyfalls

On May 5, 1786, the last day of a drought that had lasted since the previous November, “A great quantity” of black eggs fell on Port-au-Prince, Haiti. They hatched the next day, and some of these strange animals from the sky were preserved in a flask of water. The creatures shed their skin several times and resembled tadpoles.
In Moreau de St-Mery’s Description de St DomingueI (1796) there is an account of what may be one of the few showers of frog-spawn on record. It fell during a drought over the whole of San Domingo (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic) on May 5 1786. De St-Mery wrote: “There fell, during a strong east wind, in several parts of the city of Port au Prince… a great quantity of black eggs, which hatched the following day…They shed their skins several times and resembled tadpoles.”

Crop Circles

On July 7, 1996, the crop circle mystery took a leap into the impossible when a stunning and elegant design was created in 45 minutes, on a Sunday afternoon, in full view of the busy highway by Stonehenge. A pilot flying over the sunny Wiltshire, U.K. countryside around 5:00 pm noticed nothing unusual in the wheat field.  A Stonehenge security guard and a farm worker also confirmed the absence of any pattern.  Forty-five minutes later, the pilot returned and the massive fractal had appeared. Traffic was at a standstill as drivers stopped to observe the newly formed symbol.

UFOs

The Gorman ‘dogfight’ as it is called, which for 27 minutes involved Lt. George F. Gorman of the North Dakota Air National Guard and a UFO over Fargo, North Dakota, on the night of October 1, 1948, is one of the early classics of the genre.
Gorman, who had been on a cross-country flight with his squadron, had decided to stay up after the other planes had landed and log some more night-flying time. At about 9PM he was preparing to land when the control tower informed him of another craft – a Piper cub – in the vicinity. Gorman could see this plane clearly below him, but then what appeared to be the taillight of another plane flashed by him on the right.

Mysterious Manuscript

On August 19, 1666, the rector of Prague University sent a letter and a manuscript to one of his former students, the Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher. The manuscript became forgotten about in the monastery library in Frascati, Italy for 250 years. It was obtained by Wilfred Voynich in 1912 and went on to be dubbed “The Most Mysterious Manuscript in the World.”
Christened the ‘Voynich,’ the 6” x 9” parchment codex appears to be a straightforward book. It is, however, over 200 pages written in a code or unknown language that has never been deciphered, and is elaborately illustrated with coloured drawings of unknown plants and the sun, moon and stars. Depictions of tiny naked women frolick over the pages.

Luminous Phenomena

The first indication of anything unusual was the appearance of white caps on the sea here and there, which made me think that the wind had freshened, but I could feel that this was not so. Then flashing beams appeared over the water, which made the Officer on watch think that the fishing boats were using powerful flashlights. These beams of light became more intense and appeared absolutely parallel, about 8 feet wide, and could be seen coming from right ahead at about ½ second intervals.

Endorsements for Almanac of the Infamous

“From the Crystal Skull to Peking Man, this is the only believable history of the world I have ever encountered.”
Lemony Snicket

“Juanita Rose Violini’s Almanac of the Infamous, Incredible and the Ignored is 365 days of wonder and fascination. It is amazing what peculiar things happen to people in this ever so strange world of ours. A mind-opening (and bending) delight!”
Whitley Strieber author of Communion and founder of UnknownCountry.com

“This is really delightful—Charles Fort would have endorsed it enthusiastically!”
Colin Wilson, author of The Outsider

“The Almanac makes a charming and often enlightening read. Enjoy.”
Fred Alan Wolf, Ph.D., a.k.a. Dr. Quantum, author of Dr. Quantum’s Little Book of Big Ideas

“Juanita Rose Violini’s Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible and the Ignored is delightfully odd, wonderfully weird, and anything but normal. Filled with historical curiosities and esoteric advice, the book explains legends, the paranormal, and the people who experience the fringe. Have fun, but don’t get too close … this book may be contagious.”
Jeff Belanger, author of The World’s Most Haunted Places, founder of Ghostvillage.com and host of 30 Odd Minutes

“Juanita Violini delivers a world most of us can’t even begin to imagine. This is something quite beyond strange occurrences. Rather, Violini brings us a whole year’s worth of unexplained mysteries with which to confuse our staid little hearts: a new one, each and every day. Be afraid. This one could change your life.”
Linda L. Richards, author of Death Was the Other Woman

“If you’re looking for a daily dose of inspiration, dive into any page and you’ll find life a little less dreary and full of possibilities. Charmingly illustrated and lovingly researched, Ms. Violini has compiled a compendium of curiosities that reinforces one’s faith that the world is more than it seems, and is truly full of wonder.”
Jeff Hoke, author and illustrator of Museum of Lost Wonder

“The world of the mysterious and the miraculous is closer than you think. Step outside your conception of reality and get ready to greet each day with a sense of wonder, possibility and magic.”
Clint Marsh, author of The Mentalist’s Handbook

Online Reviews

http://www.mysticlivingtoday.com
Reverent and irreverent alike this 296 page eccentric encyclopedia of everything had me laughing, crying, and thinking all at the same time. Set up by days of the year it was such fun to go to different birthdays and see what other things were going on, or even to just read it as a kinda strange non-fiction masterpiece. The author is not only smart she is an excellent artist as evidenced by her phenomenal drawings throughout this adventure.

What happened on 4/26 in France was astounding, a shoemaker in England had an interesting time on 5/25 and oh so much more. Another feature I totally enjoyed was the little quips called “secret power” and “to optimize” after each ditty. I would recommend this mirthful, fanciful bundle of info to anyone wanting to shake up the mundane a little bit, it will also give you interesting tidbits to share with others. Thanks Juanita, I didn’t know learning could be so a blast.
Love & Light,

Riki Frahmann

http://www.curledup.com
“Sometimes the world’s magic leaks out.”

That’s how author Juanita Rose Violini explains the extraordinary things included in the Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible, and the Ignored. When the introduction to a book is this lyrical and profound, you can bet that the main content will be a delightful journey.

Violini provides 365 separate entries keyed to the dates in history corresponding to the bizarre and mysterious events she chronicles. Fifty-eight years ago today, for example, Yeti footprints were found on Mount Everest. Violini writes compact entries, full of facts that will satisfy trivia buffs whether or not they are familiar with the event. The Yeti footprint essay contains just enough details to relay the full story, leaving plenty of room for the additional touches that the author provides for each entry: a quote (in this case “It began in mystery, and it will end in mystery, but what a savage and beautiful country lives in between.” – Diane Ackerman), the day’s secret power, and a clue for optimizing the secret power.

The infamous, incredible, and ignored topics run the gamut from fish that fall from the sky to a woman with X-ray vision, from time-traveling French women to the mysterious death of Meriwether Lewis. Crop circles, UFOs, supernatural powers, and just about all other weird things you can think of grace the pages of this unique and entertaining almanac.

Violini has done a good bit of research, and she probably enjoyed every moment of it. Her MysteryFactory.com website makes her a familiar name to fans of crime fiction, but the majority of mysteries included in Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible, and the Ignored lean toward the fantastic, making them all the more fun because we get to continue speculating about them.

Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible, and the Ignored is a year’s worth of education and entertainment that trivia buffs and mystery lovers will cherish.

http://facingnorth.net
The Almanac of the infamous, The Incredible and the Ignored is a fun book filled with unusual but factual tales that reminds me of the Ripleys Believe it or Not books I devoured as a child.  Violini, however, takes on a different tact with her book and takes the almanac from a simple collection of unusual facts to a text that can be integrated into one’s daily life.
The almanac is calendar based and there is an entry for every day of the year.  The stories are brief, fascinating and engaging.  Each entry contains a famous quote, a secret power suggestion and a suggestion on how to optimize the knowledge gained from studying the article.

For example, the entry for January 1st contains a brief article on the Crystal Skull.  The secret power for this day suggests using crystals for mental and physical healing.  The Optimize section suggests spending time studying and practicing with crystals.

This is a really fun book. I’ve read it several times and every time I go through the pages I learn something different. The articles engage the intellect as well as stimulates the imagination. The suggestions made were fun and interesting to do, and with the least amount of time and effort.  If you’re into unusual tales, this book is for you.
Highly recommended.
~review by Patricia Snodgrass

http://booklegiondotcom.blogspot.ca
Our Take: This Almanac chronicles various supernatural and bizarre events in history.  The format is easy to read with a few short paragraphs and an accompanying illustration.   The book covers everything from floating trees to spontaneous human combustion.  This book has fun with the subjects, while still taking them very seriously. 

The Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible, and the Ignored is a real treat to any fan of the supernatural.  Its informative and thorough, yet light and entertaining.

http://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.ca
Frozen frogs falling from the sky, the Jersey Devil, lost cities, giant birds carrying off children. They might sound as if they’re all out of some B movie. Instead, these are all entries in the Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible, and the Ignored by Juanita Rose Violini.

Violini presents daily stories of the unusual, from Roswell to fireballs. Each short entry ends with a quotation, a secret power, and “To optimize.” The entries are interesting, but become repetitious. There are lightning episodes scattered throughout the year, listed for the day or month they occurred. Sometimes it’s a stretch to make the connection between the daily entry and the quotation. William James comments, “To change one’s life: Start immediately. Do it flamboyantly. No exceptions.” I’m not sure how that relates to “Illogical Lightning,” except that it’s flamboyant. And, the “Secret Power” and “To optimize” leave me bewildered. For that same entry of Illogical Lightning, the “Secret Power” says, ” Today’s power is the ability to change circumstances in a flash.” The “To Optimize” for that day says, “Do what you are afraid to do.” I’m afraid, I just don’t get those.

My recommendation for this book would actually be as a gift for teens who enjoy the weird and the unexplained. They would gloss over the summary parts that seem disconnected, and would appreciate the Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible and the Ignored.
Almanac of the Infamous, the Incredible and the Ignored by Juanita Rose Violini. Weiser Books, ©2009. ISBN 9781578634477 (paperback), 304p.

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