fictitious. The inspiration to do this book however, was the direct effect of my working on the rebuilding of fuel terminals in Beirut, where many nights seemed to me to invoke the presence of such a haunting, even though the climate in Lebanon is nothing like that of the misty north; that's why Iceland was later chosen as the setting.
Denise: What kindled your interest in life after death?
George: Life after death isn't as much the issue as is wondering whether those beyond the pale can have any visible form here among the living, which is no longer the realm they belong to. My story, with interest in life after death or ghostly apparitions, goes a long way back to 1981, when my mother passed away, and when within a few days after her passing, several incidents were reported, which gave credence to one in particular, which spoke about her apparition at our home in Nigeria -- an incident which I elaborated on quite a bit in the book's foreword. The reasons behind her presumed apparition are understandable to all who closely knew my mother's life and person; the only thing I can add here is that not all those actually knew that her death was in a way just another good reason to eventuate such a postmortem occurrence.
Denise: Has your research led you to believe that there are actual cases where spirits of men, women and children are at peace?
George: Now your question shifts from pure paranormal to somewhat religious, because causes for a restless soul or one that's not at peace are not purely and exclusively earthly: there are also the spiritual reasons. However, I would like to point out that not one documentary or report on hauntings and the stories behind them has been of a religious nature, like being an unbeliever or the like, except maybe in the cases of corrupt clergymen. Such clergy are relatively few, but in all, we shouldn't overlook the religious reasons.
Most stories speak of the nostalgic return, or the tormented deceased; -- the vengeful ones (like Terror at the Terminals) returning for some sort of unfulfilled justice -- but rare are those that speak of spirits undeserving of the Lord's mercy. Needless of any research, such spirits definitely do exist; I'm not sure whether they roam the earth or not, but certainly they do exist in a realm of unspeakable torment and unrest. Take the example of Lazarus and the rich man in the Bible: there can be no better example of how unbearably tormented that rich fellow had become after death, and Jesus spoke elaborately of hell and the devil many times. Regarding this, there's a reference I would refer you to (although I'm not sure how plausible you might find it), which is the account of an Austrian lady's experiences with purgatorial souls; yes, believe it or not, you'll come across some stunning stories! It is a document accredited by the Catholic church, if you happen to give it any credence. The late lady's name was Maria Simma, and the book's title is "My personal experiences with the poor souls." Yes, in fact, the very Christian message came to deliver us from the state of not being at peace, definitely before death, but especially after it.
Denise: Why rebuild a terminal if there were 40 years of reports of paranormal manifestations?
George: Interesting questions you've got for me today! Rather, why sleep nights in allegedly haunted houses, castles and hotels to get a feel of the haunt? I believe a haunting, however notorious, is no obstacle before a grand project such as a NATO resupply fuel yard, located at a spot ideally unmatched in the vastness of the North Atlantic, and with the kind of people who would be the least concerned with a nagging ghost, why not rebuild it? Some would even favor the idea of a place with such a notorious reputation up in the freezing north; I know I would.
Denise: You actually worked on the reconstruction of fuel terminals at Dora-Beirut after they were destroyed by shelling during the 1989-90 conflicts. What was that experience like?
George: Although I would like to walk into that (now) prohibited zone once again, just out of nostalgia, I don't miss the working situation down there, not one bit; not after thirteen years since I last walked out of there. I'm thankful to it for having inspired and nurtured the growth of the story, but I wouldn't want to relive that experience. ..It was like having been sentenced to four years of hard labor, and I mean literally hard labor. To get a feel for it, visualize a group of convicts working under the scorching sun, dipped in soaking sweat, with chains shackled all around. Well...I remember that August week in 1993 when we had to patch a two-mile pipeline with asphalt coating before having it submerged. We did that with sticking sweat-soaked shirts and trousers sticking all over our legs, under an almost 40C temperature due to the asphalt heaters we were using, and the sun, of course, plus the powdery residues of sandblasters polishing the tanks right above our heads before they were coated with the final paint. Not exactly a stardust shower in one's gladrags, huh?
The bliss of it were the night shifts. I picked night shifts to escape the daytime heat mostly, and because the night shift was one of place-centered tasks, unlike those of the day. Also, time passed much faster and with much less fatigue at night. Of course, when I visualize the yard it is my memories of the night shifts; my workmates and the motion under the spotlights, and sometimes adorned with rainshowers and drizzles, with the sounds of machinery and metal banging and clanging all around, growing into something more like a film setting, all too live and perfect to disrupt any idea or relevant inspiration. We left the terminals at Dora in March 1994, never to step back in there again, but I took something beautiful with me; something that I only began to bring to life eight years later, in 2002.
Denise: Was writing this book everything you thought it would be?
George: Terror at the Terminals is not my first book, and having to live with a story and get it to completion is a feeling I experienced before.
The beauty of it, though, is that there's something special about every story, and writing Terror at the Terminals was an experience rather tumultuous, in a period with lots of turbulence and ups and downs, but nonetheless it was an enjoyable thing to see through into existence, and yes, I can say in the end it came out far better than I could ever have planned when I started writing it.
Denise: How long did it take from idea to publication?
George: Thirteen years. As I said the idea came in 1993, and publication was completed in 2006. The actual writing period however, took me between eight and nine months, begun on April 21, 2002; accomplished on March 17, 2003.
Denise: What has the feedback been from its readers?
George: I still am lending out copies for interested people to read, and so far feedback has been very encouraging and full of acclaim. First thing they say is, "we can't wait to see the movie." To tell the truth, I can't wait to see that either. I write my books visualizing them as movies, and when I tell my stories to listeners they say they can easily visualize a motion picture. As usually they find my story-telling style riveting.
Denise: How are you promoting the book?
George: Oh, the usual options of self publishing, including books to reviewers and press releases; radio interviews, but no TV. Promotional and marketing options still come in, and we're trying to make use of those that best suit our abilities.
Denise: When can we expect your second and third books to be published?
George: I can hardly wait, but the second has to wait for a certain amount of success by the first, and the third is now on halt, not yet officially begun. I guess I need the kind of promotional strategy that takes a great deal off of my shoulders in order to really dedicate myself to any productive writing effort.
If you don't mind, I'd like to add the following to my view on question (3), and this sort of leads me back to the Bible. As versus the argument of souls not at peace, John 3:16 (prominent verse of the section 3:14-19) makes clear the main condition for (adult) salvation. I say adult because belief is of course an adult bearing, depending on both heart, and mind, whereas in juveniles and infants, it's probably an act of the heart, but definitely not as much the mind (except maybe in very few cases). What I mean to say is that adults with belief in God's salvation through Jesus Christ, with a way of living consistent with this belief, is sure to lead those individuals to His heavenly presence; this I say because He says "he that believeth on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." John 3:18. Therefore, even if those individuals are not yet in the heavenly dwellings, they are no doubt in a place of spiritual peace; yes, this I firmly believe. As for children and juveniles that have passed, I believe their lives did not bear the kind of sins that would deprive them of God's mercy and embracing light. Yes, you can believe that for certain; spirits of millions of men; women and children, are no doubt at peace.
--Denise Fleischer, January 17, 2007
