Monthly Archives: October 2011
JOIN ME AND THE NEW ENGLAND HORROR WRITERS AT ROCK & SHOCK THIS WEEKEND!
It’s here! Rock & Shock blasts its way intoWorcester, Mass this weekend at the DCU Center & the Palladium!
Rock and Shock is a fan convention and features celebrities, movies, vendors, and Q&A panels as well as musical concerts. This year’s celebrity guest list is extensive and includes Ace Frehley and Lance Henriksen.
I’ll be at the New England Horror Writers table along with other members including:
T.J. May (Ill Conceived)
Matt Bechtel (House of Pain)
Bob Booth (Phantom—NeCon Classic Horror)
Scott Goudsward (Shadows Over New England)
Stacy Longo (Dark Matter Heart)
Jason Harris (NEHW Newsblog)
Geoffrey Goodwin
Danny Evarts (Shroud Magazine)
Kelli Jones
Trisha Woolridge (Bad-Ass Faeries 2: Just Plain Bad)
Jack Haringa
Jennifer Yarter (The Coven)
Tracy Carbone (The Man of Mystery Hill)
Anthony Laquerre
Rob Watts (The Crooked Roads Through Cedar Grove)
Larissa Glasser
Nathan Wrann (Dark Matter Heart)
LL Soares (Cinema Knife Fight)
Paul McMahon
John M. McIlveen
Morven Westfield (Darksome Thirst)
Ken Wood (Shock Totem Magazine)
We’ll have books for sale, you can talk one on one with any of us, and we’ll have plenty of cool swag, too! Be sure to stop by!
For complete list of guests, schedules, and just about everything you could possibly want to know, check it out here: http://www.rockandshock.com/
For a complete list of guests, schedules, and just about everything you could possibly want to know, check it out here: http://www.rockandshock.com/ Wanna know more about the NEHW? You can find out more about us here: www.newenglandhorror.org.
MISS ‘WHY GHOSTS LOVE ME?’ FUNDRAISER? PIX AND VIDS HERE!
Thanks to Jennifer Strickler Cole for this fantastic pic! I don't exactly know what they're doing--trying to scare up ghosts?--but here they are, left to right, Frank Todaro of The Invisible World, Terri J Garafolo of Entities-R-Us, Nicole Hall of CT Soul Seekers, Mike Mafara of CPEAR, Nathan Schoonover of various paranormal and TV programs, Angel Ortiz of CT Soul Seekers, and Andy Siedel of Indy Para.
Why Ghosts Love Me at St. Peter’s Masonic Lodge #21 in New Milford, Connecticut was a huge success! If you missed it, here’s photos and video.
Frank Todaro, of The Invisible World, and Nathan Schoonover are ready to go!
Nathan Schoonover of A&E’s Extreme Paranormal, Travel Channel’s Paranormal Challenge and The Ghostman & Demon Hunter Show was on hand for spooky stories and Halloween fun. The presentation included ghostly stories and paranormal evidence with guest speakers Nicole Hall and Angel Ortiz of Connecticut Soul Seekers, Terri J Garofalo of Entities-R-Us—ghost hunting comics—Donna Parish-Bischoff of Indy Paranormal and Frank Todaro of The Invisible World Radio. I was there signing copies of my book, Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole—Tales from Haunted Disney World, and was joined by fellow horror short fiction writer Stacey Longo, also of New England Horror Writers Association.
Proceeds from all sales and admission went toward the upkeep of the historical St. Peter’s Lodge.
Me, taking a break on the lawn of the Lodge before heading inside to set up. Photo by Maureen McFarlane.
Yeah, this is my Krissi-a-Go-Go look. Photo by Maureen McFarlane.
The entrance to the lodge. The Masons did a great job decorating the outside! Carl Keyser, of the lodge, is facing the camera; he also did the event’s flyer.
Billy Mo Buckbee, longtime friend and member of the Lodge, created this cemetery to the right of the stairs.
Nathan had tables for presenters on reserve.
The alcove where presenters set up their tables. The stained glass windows are just so gorgeous; at last year’s event, this area was cordoned off.
Stacey Longo, short fiction horror writer, also of New England Horror Writers.
A close-up of the Skeletons in the Swimmin' Hole Table.
A full shot of the Skeletons in the Swimmin' Hole--Tales from Haunted Disney World table.
Connecticut Soul Seekers' table. Nicole Hall, who also writes the Our Haunted Lives column for the Canadian group Paranormal, Eh? and Angel Ortiz did a great presentation.
Terri J Garofalo's table. She writes terrific ghost hunting comics.
Thanks to Jennifer Strickler Cole for this fantastic pic! And no, they are so not ready to present yet! Here they are, left to right, Frank Todaro of The Invisible World, Terri J Garafolo of Entities-R-Us, Nicole Hall of CT Soul Seekers, Mike Mafara of CPEAR, Nathan Schoonover of various paranormal and TV programs, Angel Ortiz of CT Soul Seekers, and Andy Siedel of Indy Para.
Connecticut Soul Seekers gets ready to take the stage.
A close-up of one of the windows in the Masonic Lodge's main hall.
Stacey Longo’s table. Stacey and I are both members of New England Horror Writers.Stacey has written many scary short stories and has been featured in numerous anthologies.
The foyer of the Masonic Lodge. The couches were especially comfortable.
The foyer of the Masonic Lodge.
Terri J Garofalo of Entities-R-Us, Donna Parish-Bischoff of Indy Para, and Frank Todaro of The Invisible World.
Me and Frank.
Stacey and me.
Dinner of champions! Seriously, they have good food available at these events. That burger was delicious. Just rare enough to be juicy.
Left to right, Mike Mafara of CPEAR, Angel of CT Soul Seekers, me, writer Stacey Longo, Donna Parish-Bischoff of Indy Para, Nicole of CT Soul Seekers, and paranormal humorist Terri J. Garofalo.
Left to right, Mike Mafara of CPEAR, Angel of CT Soul Seekers, me, writer Stacey Longo, Donna Parish-Bischoff of Indy Para, Nicole of CT Soul Seekers, and paranormal humorist Terri J. Garofalo.
Left to right, Mike Mafara of CPEAR, Angel of CT Soul Seekers, me, writer Stacey Longo, Donna Parish-Bischoff of Indy Para, Nicole of CT Soul Seekers, and paranormal humorist Terri J. Garofalo.
OH MY GOD THERE'S AN ORB!!!
Nathan just before the presentation.
Left to right, Billy Mo Buckbee and Nathan. Both are members of the Masonic Lodge.
You know, clowning around… Billy and Nathan or Obadiah Stane and Tony Stark?
You just gotta love a changing portrait!
What was cracking us up about these portraits was that Nathan said they took down a couple of portraits of lodge members and put these there instead.
Nathan and Frank just before the presentation started.
Taking a break outside. The jack o'lanterns were a great touch...and kept Sam away, of course (points if you know what I’m talking about). They were carved by Lodge members Carl Keyser and Billy Mo Buckbee.
Thanks to Jennifer Strickler Cole for this fantastic pic! It looks like they’re finally ready to begin! Here they are, left to right, Frank Todaro of The Invisible World, Terri J Garafolo of Entities-R-Us, Nicole Hall of CT Soul Seekers, Mike Mafara of CPEAR, Nathan Schoonover of various paranormal and TV programs, Angel Ortiz of CT Soul Seekers, and Andy Siedel of Indy Para.
The opening moments of Why Ghosts Love Me.
The presenters' corner.
Jennifer Strickler Cole, of Goshen, and Stacey. Jennifer picked up the anthology HELL HATH NO FURY, which features one of Stacey's stories, for her spooky Halloween read.
From left, Jennifer Strickler Cole, Stacey Longo Harris, me, and Jayne Mackel, also of Goshen, who picked up Skeletons in the Swimmin' Hole for a friend.
Thank you JENNIFER STRICKLER COLE for this great shot! Left to right, Jennifer, Stacey Longo Harris, Kristi Petersen Schoonover, and Jayne Mackel.
Frank Todaro delivers his "Campfire Stories," which is a popular segment of his show, The Invisible World.
Frank Todaro shares a tale from his very popular “Campfire Stories” on his radio show The Invisible World.
…because neither Nathan nor Frank can go very long without mentioning either thing…
Nathan gives his opinion on a Campfire Story.
This is the ghostly bride Billy hung from a lamppost. It reminded me of Miss Havisham.
The St. Peter's Lodge silhouette on one of the pumpkins. Carl Keyser did this. It rocked, yes!
Nathan's second biggest fear: Sharks. His first? Trolls.
Good friends Michele Ingram (left) and Maureen McFarlane (who does all my headshots) joined us for the night!
Nathan and Marty Landgrebe.
The spread back at my house. It had been a long day and we were all starving.
Maureen and Michele drink from matching Halloween glasses. Festive!
Nathan and Stacey.
Nathan and Stacey in front of our Halloween mantel.
Me and Frank.
Me and Frank.
Chilling out on the back porch. It had been a hot day, and I'd been running around so much that, when the night set in, it was refreshing to sit outside.
I cleaned up the kitchen and set up coffee for the next morning. I didn't hit the sack until 5:30 a.m. Sunday.
A “LIT” LOOK AT DISNEY’S HAUNTED MANSION: THE ATTIC’S PORTRAIT
A shot of the Bride’s portrait in the attic scene in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion, taken in May, 2008. Photo by Dave DeCaro and used with permission; if you’re a Disney Park fan, you won’t want to miss his site! http://www.davelandweb.com/
If you love classic ghost stories, Disney’s Haunted Mansion offers more than thrills and chills. This four-part series takes a look at classic ghost story images the attraction brings to life.
Your Doombuggy rounds the corner and enters the Mansion’s attic, a creepy menagerie of web-shrouded trunks, lamps, furniture and dishes. The deeper you go, the more dense and specific the items become—you see fine china, a rotting wedding cake, an embroidered wedding announcement…and then a ghostly bride.
There have been so many changes in that scene in the last few years, and not just to the bride herself. The last time I traversed the forbidden attic was in 2008, and I noticed for the first time that at least one portrait—that of the bride with one of her husbands—is in an oval frame.
One of the Edgar Allan Poe’s freakiest little pieces isn’t the one that’s read as part of school curriculums or even the most talked about. If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, then you know what that piece is, because I’ve referenced it several times: “The Oval Portrait.”
While it’s true that oval frames for portraits were quite common during the Victorian age, the bride’s portrait at its very core seems to have been inspired by Poe’s short piece.
*POE’S “THE OVAL PORTRAIT” SPOILER ALERT*
٭ Poe’s “Oval Portrait” is a story within a story: it opens with the narrator and his valet stumbling into an abandoned mansion for shelter. In theHauntedMansionattraction, we play the role of the narrator: we have “stumbled” into a decrepit, abandoned (well, by LIVE people, anyway) mansion.
٭ The narrator and his valet choose to settle
“in one of the smallest and least-sumptuously furnished apartments. It lay in a remote turret of the building. Its decorations were rich, yet tattered and antique…”[1]
A turret could certainly be comparable to an attic—high and tucked away—and notice that the turret’s furnishings could easily describe what’s in theHauntedMansion’s attic.
٭ The comparison between the frames in “The Oval Portrait” and the Haunted Mansion is also worthy of note. “The Oval Portrait”’s frame is described as “richly gilded and filigreed in Moresque.”[2] Another term for Moresque is Arabesque, which is a type of symmetrical scrolling (usually consisting of some kind of foliage). Take a closer look at the photo above. Note that the Haunted Mansion’s frame appears, although worn a bit, gilded—and that the silver scrolling on the top and bottom appears to be symmetrical: Arabesque (Moresque). The word “arabesque,” in addition, is used higher up in “The Oval Portrait”: “frames of rich golden arabesque.”[3] So there may have been some consideration of this story here when the Imagineers were choosing the frame.
٭ Both portraits are stunningly life-like. While we Disney fans would normally attribute that to the Imagineers’ insistence on quality, this fact is a key plot point in Poe’s piece (which was originally titled “Life in Death,” by the way): The narrator is so captivated by it he is drawn to learn more about the work:
“Least of all, could it have been that my fancy, shaken from its half slumber, had mistaken the head for that of a living person…I had found the spell of the picture in an absolute life-likeliness of expression, which, at first startling, finally confounded, subdued and appalled me. With deep and reverent awe I replaced the candelabrum in its former position…I sought eagerly the volume which discussed the paintings and their histories. Turning to the number which designated the oval portrait, I there read the vague and quaint words which follow…”[4]
٭ Lastly, the tragic tale “The Oval Portrait”’s narrator reads in the volume is that of a young bride—and it ends in death.
If you’d like to read Poe’s “The Oval Portrait”—a later version in which he removed some extraneous details about opium use—you can read it for free here: http://www.eapoe.org/works/tales/ovlprtb.htm (if you want to read the original 1842 version which includes the whole introductory paragraph at the beginning, you can do that here, although most published versions of this story never include it: http://www.eapoe.org/works/tales/ovlprta.htm). If you’d prefer to own it for your library, you can find it in The Complete Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe here: http://amzn.com/0385074077. You can also get just the story “The Oval Portrait” for your Kindle here: http://amzn.com/B005EC3KI8; or, if you prefer to own his complete works for your Kindle, you can buy that here: http://amzn.com/B0038M2IMK.
I’LL BE AT THE OPEN AIR MARKET & FESTIVAL IN MIDDLETOWN WITH NEHW ASSOCIATION SUNDAY, OCT. 23
A far shot of the Open Air Market and Festival at the Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown, CT. Photo Credit: Mel Tavares, Rocky Hill (CT) Patch ~ http://rockyhill.patch.com/users/mel-tavares
I’ll be at the 9th Annual Open Air Market and Festival at Wadsworth Mansion Sunday, October 23, 2011, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., signing books and socializing with New England Horror Writers Association members Stacey Longo, Rob Watts, Kasey Shoemaker, and Dan Foley. Don’t miss your chance to pick up some signed spooky reads for Halloween!
The event will featureConnecticutgrown or made products, entertainment throughout the day, horse-drawn carriage rides, face painting, and docent-lead tours of the mansion (which I hope I get the opportunity to do!). It’s held at Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill Estate, 421 Wadsworth Street, Middletown, CT 06457.
For more information, you can check out this article on Patch: http://rockyhill.patch.com/events/9th-annual-open-air-market-at-wadsworth-mansion-in-middletown or visit http://www.wadsworthmansion.com/
Hope to see you there!
LOOKING TO SPOOK YOUR SATURDAY? TONIGHT: WHY GHOSTS LOVE ME!
TONIGHT: Why Ghosts Love Me at 7 p.m. at St. Peter’s Masonic Lodge #21 inNew Milford,Connecticut!
Join me and host Nathan Schoonover of A&E’s Extreme Paranormal, Travel Channel’s Paranormal Challenge and The Ghostman & Demon Hunter Show for spooky stories and Halloween fun.
The presentation will include ghostly stories and paranormal evidence with guest speakers Nicole Hall and Angel Ortiz of Connecticut Soul Seekers, Terri J Garofalo of Entities-R-Us, Donna Parish-Bischoff of Indy Paranormal and Frank Todaro of The Invisible World Radio. I will be there signing copies of my book, Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole—Tales from Haunted Disney World, and selling some other goodies–and I’ll be joined by writer Stacey Longo, who will also be selling copies of her work–if you want a spooky anthology for Halloween, get it here! Refreshments will also be available.
Proceeds from all sales and admission will go toward upkeep of the historical St. Peter’s Lodge in New Milford, Connecticut.
The event takes place from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. Saturday, October 8, at St. Peter’s Lodge #21 at11 Aspetuck Avenue in New Milford, CT. Tickets sold at the door. Last year’s event sold out, so get there early! Admission: Adults $10, Seniors $8, and Kids 10 and Under, $7.
NOW ON KINDLE: SKELETONS IN THE SWIMMIN’ HOLE—TALES FROM HAUNTED DISNEY WORLD
Just in time for autumn in New England, Skeletons in the Swmmin’ Hole—Tales from Haunted Disney World is now available for Kindle here: http://amzn.com/B0052N333Q.
BAD APPLE: SECOND ROUND OF EDITS/REVISIONS NEARLY COMPLETE!
The preliminary cover for Bad Apple.
Well, it’s been crazy, but the second round of edits and revisions on my novel Bad Apple, which is forthcoming in November from Vagabondage Press Books, is nearly done!
I will keep you posted.
ROCK & SHOCK IS COMING…JOIN ME AND THE NEW ENGLAND HORROR WRITERS OCTOBER 14-16!
There’s probably not much that Robert Englund (best known for A Nightmare on Elm Street) and I have in common except for V in the 1980s (he was in it and I loved it)—and that we’ll both be at the same event in October: ROCK AND SHOCK, from October 14-16 at the DCU Center & the Palladium in Worcester, Mass.
Rock and Shock is a fan convention and features celebrities, movies, vendors, and Q&A panels as well as musical concerts. This year’s celebrity guest list is extensive and includes Ace Frehley and Lance Henriksen.
I’ll be at the New England Horror Writers table along with other members including:
T.J. May (Ill Conceived)
Matt Bechtel (House of Pain)
Bob Booth (Phantom—NeCon Classic Horror)
Scott Goudsward (Shadows Over New England)
Stacy Longo (Dark Matter Heart)
Jason Harris (NEHW Newsblog)
Geoffrey Goodwin
Danny Evarts (Shroud Magazine)
Kelli Jones
Trisha Woolridge (Bad-Ass Faeries 2: Just Plain Bad)
Jack Haringa
Jennifer Yarter (The Coven)
Tracy Carbone (The Man of Mystery Hill)
Anthony Laquerre
Rob Watts (The Crooked Roads Through Cedar Grove)
Larissa Glasser
Nathan Wrann (Dark Matter Heart)
LL Soares (Cinema Knife Fight)
Paul McMahon
John M. McIlveen
Morven Westfield (Darksome Thirst)
Ken Wood (Shock Totem Magazine)
Be sure to stop by!
For a complete list of guests, schedules, and just about everything you could possibly want to know, check it out here: http://www.rockandshock.com/
WRITER? WHAT YOU COULD LEARN FROM NEW ENGLAND HORROR WRITERS’ EXPERIENCES AT THE HEBRON HARVEST FAIR
The banner and back wall. This event served as our new banner’s christening!
In the middle of September I had the privilege of working the New England Horror Writers booth with several other writers at the Hebron Harvest Fair in Hebron, Connecticut—and it’s safe to say that along with our foot-long hot dogs, fried dough and discovery that we all have memories of Charlotte’s Web in common, we picked up something else: a few epiphanies about all the other things we do as writers besides write.
DanKeohane’s novels Margaret’s Ark and Solomon’s Grave on the table. Also: Nathan Wrann’s vampire extravaganza Dark Matter Heart and Jennifer Yarter-Polmatier’s novels, including The Coven. Further down on the table, books featuring the shorts of Stacey Longo and Kurt Newton.
Dan Keohane (Solomon’s Grave, Margaret’s Ark) talks about the value and thrill of a burgeoning concept—writers banding together—here: http://nehwnews.wordpress.com/2011/09/14/author-dan-keohanes-experience-at-the-hebron-harvest-fair/
At left, Breaking Eggs, Dark Demons and Scary Holiday Tales, all featuring the work of Kurt Newton; Dark Things IV, From Shadows & Nightmares, and Hell Hath No Fury, featuring the work of Stacy Longo; and Granny Snatching by Ron Winter.
Kurt Newton (Black Butterflies, Dark Demons) became more aware of the importance of observation; he talks about that in his article “My Encounters with the Blurry People” here: http://nehwnews.wordpress.com/2011/09/18/kurt-newtons-encounters-with-the-blurry-people-at-the-hebron-harvest-fair/
A far shot of the left table. The etchings in the rack were done by Danny Evarts. The raffle ticket jar is to the left; in front of that are the short stories and fliers we shared with passers-by. Skeletons in the Swimmin' Hole is at the front corner of the table.
I, of course, learned something too: about how important it is to get out of that box we write in and spend time with readers. I’d forgotten how much fun that was, and I’m guessing many of us, who spend hours and hours holed up working, have as well. You can read my piece on this, “Hot Times at the Hebron Fair: The Thrill of Discovery” over at the New England Horror Writers Association’s blog at http://nehwnews.wordpress.com/2011/09/16/author-kristi-petersen-schoonovers-write-up-and-pictures-from-the-hebron-harvest-fair/
For more information about the New England Horror Writers Association, visit here: www.newenglandhorror.org.
Below, photos from the entire weekend…including pics and video of the animals. Nathan grew up on a farm, so there was no chance we’d miss that—because sometimes what you learn while you’re doing an event isn’t just about writing, it’s about life, too.
A far shot of the left table. The etchings in the rack were done by Danny Evarts. The raffle ticket jar is to the left; in front of that are the short stories and fliers we shared with passers-by. Skeletons in the Swimmin' Hole is at the front corner of the table.
A far shot of the left table. The etchings in the rack were done by Danny Evarts. The raffle ticket jar is to the left; in front of that are the short stories and fliers we shared with passers-by. Skeletons in the Swimmin' Hole is at the front corner of the table. To the right are postcards for AnthoCon, an exciting brand new conference making its debut in November in Portsmouth, NH. Yes, I'll be there!
Graphic novels by NEHW member Nathan Wrann, Granny Snatching by NEHW member Ron Winter, and The Man of Mystery Hill by NEHW member Tracy Carbone. To the right, Shadows Over New England, by member Scott Goudsward, and behind that, the anthology How the West Was Wicked, which features one of Scott's stories.
The Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole promotional postcards among other members’ books.
Danny Evarts, of Shroud Magazine and illustrator of the children's book It's Okay to Be a Zombie, poses with his stand.
Left to right, me and Stacey. That's my new Nightmare Before Christmas t-shirt I bought at the Disney Store when I met Stacey and Jason earlier in the week at the WestFarms Mall to deliver books.
Skeletons in the Swimmin' Hole T-shirts and totes. The book is a collection of ghost stories set in Disney Parks (and I wrote it, so I feel weird saying by NEHW member Kristi Petersen Schoonover, but there you have it).
The NEHW T-shirts. We sold a few of these!
Nathan, of course, was there. He had a reel of Extreme Paranormal, Paranormal Challenge, FearNet, and some other film projects running at night.
The Friday Night crew! Left to right, Stacey, Jason Harris, who does the publicity for NEHW; NEHW member Kurt Newton, Danny, and me. Kurt had several of his books available. If you look closely at the table it has been rearranged again so we could accommodate his books.
This is the piece of wood that went through my foot (if you read Kurt Newton’s column, in true horror writer fashion he tells the whole story complete with grisly details).
My foot after the “accident.” Yes, that’s a Garfield band-aid. That was all they had.
Nathan and Jason stopped chatting for a minute so I could get their photo.
Late night Friday: Nathan works on stapling more short stories to hand out. Writer/publisher of Shroud Danny Evarts on his Ipad.
Hebron sunrise. Saturday was beautiful.
My coffee (and God I needed it) on Saturday morning. I took the picture because the steam (which you can see in the pic) was rising in a very interesting way and catching the sun from the kitchen window.
The breakfast of champions!
Stacey split the board. Many fans visited with Nathan -- it was cool.
We were raffling off a case full of books, many signed and some limited. The winner also got the book case we used for display. The raffle went over very well. Our winner was Alec Wallman of Marlborough, CT. The books were donated by several generous publishers and writers: AIO Publishing (www.aiopublishing.com), Borderland Press (www.borderlandspress.com), Tracy Carbone, Creative Guy Publishing (www.creativeguypublishing.com), Delirium Books (www.deliriumbooks.com), Earthling Publishing (www.earthlingpub.com), Scott Goudsward, Knopf Publishing (knopfdoubleday.com), Nightshade Books (www.nightshadebooks.com) and Prime Books (www.prime-books.com)
Scott Goudsward (Shadows Over New England) and Greg X. Graves do a little Hamlet!
Stacey Longo and a cow.
Me, a chicken, and a cow.
Left, Scott Goudsward, me, center, Greg X. Graves, right. We were clowning around—I’m the celebrity and they’re my body guards. I don’t even know how or why we thought of doing this. It might have been my Jackie O-esque sunglasses.
Del’s Lemonade is a classic Rhode Island thing. I couldn’t believe I found them in Connecticut. I rushed to the booth and asked, “what are you doing here?” and one of the staff members looked at me and answered, “uh…selling lemonade?”
Greg X. Graves, left, and his girlfriend live in Rhode Island. It was their first time having a Del’s. I just love this picture!
I had been hoping they’d have fried dough with tomato sauce—I look forward to getting it every summer, and this year I hadn’t gone to many fairs so I missed out. Boy was I glad to see Doughboy!
The Doughboy menu. Doughboy has won best food awards the past three years at the Hebron Harvest Fair.
SATURDAY LUNCH!
Writer Dan Foley got deep into the horror atmosphere by getting his face painted.
Nathan, left, and Zombee Bob. Don’t know who Zombee Bob is? Check him out at http://www.zombeebob.com. If you’re a zombie freak (or worried about the apocalypse), then he needs to be on your radar: he’s got great art, T-shirts, and more!
Nathan chats with a fan after she’s just had her photo taken with him.
Nathan chats with the video club of the Regional Andover Hebron Marlborough--RHAM--high school about what it’s like to work in television.
You can take the boy off the farm, but you can’t take the farm out of the boy: yes, there were signs everywhere advising against petting the goats (for obvious reasons, they are animals and unpredictable, after all), but Nathan, who grew up on a farm and raised goats, just wasn’t going to heed that. Here he is petting a little Saanen. When he was a child, he had a Saanen named Ghost.
I swear: Nathan is the Goat Whisperer.
In this video, Nathan tells me about the remaining piece of horn in this Saanen’s head and what they will do to remove it.
Here he is petting a Nubian.
This one is a Toggenburg.
I have never seen a fatter bunny in my life. I felt bad for him, all pressed up against the wires like that. Do you think he was comfortable? He doesn’t look it.
I took a picture of this bunny because he reminded me of my black cat Poe.
We were joking around calling this one “The Watership Down Bunny.”
This is the information on the cute little dwarf bunny you’re going to see in the next picture.
The dwarf bunny! I want one! Nathan said no.
When Nathan was growing up on the farm he had a rooster just like this one. Its name was Kilcaise.
Nathan clowning around.
The Saturday afternoon crew: Greg X. Graves, Scott Goudsward, Danny Evarts, and Kevin Wood (Shock Totem).
Me, left, posing with Scott Goudsward, author of Shadows Over New England.
Nathan, left, and Danny discuss the coming Zombie apocalypse.
Danny and Stacey react to the giant snake that was over near the Hebron Harvest Fair’s midway. I have to admit, it was the largest snake I’ve ever seen!
Saturday night chill-out: yeah, who can resist that good old greasy Bloomin’ Onion? Left to right, Nathan, Danny Evarts, Jason, and Stacey.
Sunday morning Nathan: I’m so jealous of that staff T-shirt he’s got from the Annabel Lee tavern in Baltimore, MD.
Writer and NEHW Nathan Wrann has these cards available for promoting his books at events—it’s a great idea, and for you writers out there, it can be done through http://www.bit.ly.
Sunday lunch: foot-long hot dogs. Delicious!
Nathan poses with a Civil War Re-enactor; there was an entire camp set up at the fairgrounds.
This is called the “Oh my God it’s so late and we have all this packing up to do” survival kit.
Ahhh, Connecticut farm towns, where there’s always somebody that has to mud bog. And no, it wasn’t me.
Another shot of the mud. We didn’t realize it had covered the headlight until the next day, and so we were laughing about the fact that on the drive home the previous evening we had been talking about how we both noticed my lights were a little dim.
WRITER STACEY LONGO JOINING ME AT THIS WEEKEND’S WHY GHOSTS LOVE ME EVENT TO BENEFIT MASONIC LODGE
Me and Stacey Longo at the recent Hebron Harvest Fair. She will be joining me at the book table at the Why Ghosts Love Me event on Saturday, October 8.
I’m thrilled to announce that fellow horror writer Stacey Longo will be joining me this weekend at the Why Ghosts Love Me Halloween event to benefit St. Peter’s Masonic Lodge in New Milford, CT. She will be there selling copies of the various anthologies that have included her hair-raising tales, and I, of course, will be there with Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole—Tales from Haunted Disney World as well as a few other goodies.
Stacey’s work has been featured in several anthologies to include Dark Things IV, Malicious Deviance, Daily Bites of Flesh 2011, and Hell Hath No Fury, and several are forthcoming. You can read more about her at http://www.staceylongo.com/.
Don’t miss out! This is your chance to get some great spooky reading for a terrific cause. And now, some information on the event itself:
Join host Nathan Schoonover of A&E’s Extreme Paranormal, Travel Channel’s Paranormal Challenge and The Ghostman & Demon Hunter Show for spooky stories and Halloween fun.
The presentation will include ghostly stories and paranormal evidence with guest speakers Nicole Hall and Angel Ortiz of Connecticut Soul Seekers, Terri J Garofalo of Entities-R-Us, Donna Parish-Bischoff of Indy Paranormal and Frank Todaro of The Invisible World Radio. Kristi will be there signing copies of her book, Skeletons in the Swimmin’ Hole—Tales from Haunted Disney World, and selling some other goodies. Refreshments will also be available.
Proceeds from all sales and admission will go toward upkeep of the historical St. Peter’s Lodge inNew Milford,Connecticut.
The event takes place from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. Saturday, October 8, at St. Peter’s Lodge #21 at11 Aspetuck AvenueinNew Milford, CT. Tickets sold at the door. Last year’s event sold out, so get there early! Admission: Adults $10, Seniors $8, and Kids 10 and Under, $7.
