Blog Archives
Scary Scribes’ Jackalope Episode is the Zombie Beaver Award 2012 Winner!
Every year, the Paranormal, Eh? Radio Network hosts its Zombie Beaver Awards, which recognize listener-chosen favorite shows, hosts, episodes, and other topics for the year. Listeners selected Scary Scribes’ Episode 7: Unnatural Tales of the Jackalope as their favorite guest/episode for 2012 (yes, even if the year’s not over yet—the “year” is usually considered October to October; any not considered this year will be considered for 2013).
You can read all about episode 7 here: http://kristipetersenschoonover.com/2012/07/29/the-jackalope-arrives-on-scary-scribes/
, hear the original episode here: http://scaryscribes.com/past-episodes/scary-scribes-ep-7-unnatural-tales-of-the-jackalope-07-29-2012/
, or watch a special illustrated version here: http://blip.tv/fawn/scary-scribes-with-host-kristi-peterson-schoonover-interviews-4-book-authors-jeff-strand-sephera-geron-fawn-dt-griffith-from-the-anthology-unnatural-tales-of-the-jackalope-6333740
Or here: http://www.frequency.com/video/scary-scribes-w/58994618
To hear Paranormal Eh?’s Zombie Beaver Award 2012 Show, listen here:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/paranormaleh/2012/10/01/zombie-beaver-awards-2012
Here was this year’s ballot:
Best Show on PEH
Paranormal Eh? Radio
Reviews from the Shadows
Our Haunted Lives
Hells Bells Radio
Headlocks and Hair Pulls PWTR
Scary Scribes
Spectral Retrospective
Best Show Not On PEH
Darkness Radio
Straight Jacket Society
Real Time
The invisible World
Best Host / Team PEH
Terry Konig & Stephen Lancaster
Terry Konig & Chris Edge
Terry Konig & Frank Todaro
Krissy P
Nicole &Angel
Darren & Brittney
Best Non-PEH Host/Team
Darkness Dave
Edge and Lancaster
Jeff Sylvia
Frank Todaro
Favorite Guest, Our Haunted Lives
Favorite Guest, Paranormal Eh? Radio
Favorite Guest, Hells Bells
Favorite Guest, Scary Scribes
Favorite Episode, Reviews from the Shadows
Favorite Episode, Headlocks & Hair LHP
Favorite Episode, Spectral Retrospective
Best Internet TV Show
Monstervision TV
Twisted Gypsies
Our Haunted Lives
Best Hall of Fame
The Ghostman & Demon Hunter Show
Ghostly Talk
Darkness Radio
Favorite Topic Show Paranormal Eh? Radio
Black Eyed Kids
Black Eyed Kids and Ties to Vampires
Big Foot
Nazis and the Occult
The Evil of Hitler
Listeners made a selection or wrote in their favorite episodes.
Scary Scribes Bonus Content: Thomas, Thomson, and Dad
Musidora Bathing by Arthur Hughes, inspired by James Thomson’s “Spring.”
In the past, I’ve written about things I have finally found: “Obstinate Uncle Otis” http://kristipetersenschoonover.com/2012/07/11/the-other-shoe-drops-robert-arthurs-obstinate-uncle-otis/, “The Light of Other Days” http://kristipetersenschoonover.com/2011/11/21/whats-right-in-front-of-you/
and even my father’s old Robert Frost poetry thesis paper http://kristipetersenschoonover.com/2011/02/17/the-things-that-come-back-to-you/ (and watch this blog in the future because there are a couple more miraculous returns that have occurred that I haven’t had time to mention yet).
Last month, while reading Scott Thomas’ spectral story collection Urn & Willow and preparing for the November episode of Scary Scribes, something found me.
If you’ve not read any of Thomas’ fine ghost stories, you’re missing out. They are rich in detail and atmosphere, stories that deserve further study as they truly exemplify good use of Poe’s Single Effect. So, when I was reading “Miss Smallwood’s Student” and came across the line “Fine framed engravings, rendered at the end of the last century, depicted the four seasons, imagery inspired by the poetry of James Thomson”[1] I knew that Thomas meant to convey something important connected to the story’s theme. If I didn’t do the research to find out who this poet was (the name sounded vaguely familiar, but at that point I didn’t know why), I’d be missing something crucial.
In the old days, I would have gone to Dad the English teacher. Being he’s gone, I did the next best thing and what everyone does initially: I Googled.
It was http://www.litgothic.com that gave me the information—and something else: a little bit of understanding.
James Thomson was a Scottish poet who was a major influence on Romanticism. He was part of what’s called the Graveyard School, the poets of which focused on dark themes (like death and longing) brought forth using dark or melancholy imagery (I paraphrased this for you—please see http://www.litgothic.com/Authors/authors.html for a much more detailed definition).
I managed to get a copy of Thomson’s famous four seasons poems, and I read them. I could easily grasp why Thomas had chosen to reference this poet, as it did add another layer of melancholy to the story.
More importantly, though, I remembered why the name might be familiar.
My Dad had a passion for the Romantic poets, and his den was full of books on the subject. He also had a passion for Scottish writers and work set in Scotland. It’s likely that Thomson would probably have been a favorite of his, and even more likely that he had probably mentioned the man to me at some point. As I read the poems, I tried to imagine my Dad reading them and what his reactions would have been. Based on some of the writing I know he enjoyed reading, I circled a few lines I thought might have had particular significance to him. I got the odd sense that I was looking through a window into his mind.
I shared this information with Scott Thomas after the show (because during the show we talked about so much stuff that the question regarding Thomson slipped my mind). To my surprise, his reasons for citing Thomson were not what I expected (no spoilers here, you’ll have to read “Miss Smallwood’s Student”).
On November 25, 2012, Scott posted the following in a conversation we were having on Facebook:
“I’m glad the story pointed you in an intriguing direction. I’ll have to check out Mr. Thomson’s work. My knowledge of him is limited to little more than my reference to him in the story: “Fine framed engravings, rendered at the end of the last century, depicted the four seasons, the imagery inspired by the poetry of James Thomson.” The house in that story is based on the Salem Towne House at Old Sturbridge Village, Massachusetts, which had prints of the type I described. In depicting the rooms in the story I studied the interiors of the house as it would have looked around 1835. I take it from my research that the Thomson-inspired prints were not an uncommon decoration at the time, at least in the homes of those who could afford such things. Other than that, I can’t claim any familiarity with him. I’m obsessive about creating a historically accurate world when I do these period stories, so I’ll work in things like that. I strive to make clothing, houses, dialogue, etc. as true as possible.”[2]
We both did a search to try to find this art. Scott found a piece of a mural that was inspired by another of Thomson’s works called “The Castle of Indolence.” The closest thing I found was Arthur Hughes’ 1848 oil on canvas “Musidora Bathing” (pictured at the top of this post), which, according to the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery website, was inspired by Thomson’s “Spring.”[3]
While seeing both works brought the room in Thomas’ story to life, I walked away from this with much more. I have always believed that one can learn about another by studying his bookshelf. In recalling that James Thomson was, indeed, a poet my father enjoyed reading—and through, for the first time, reading, at the very least, Thomson’s famous four seasons poems themselves—I learned a little bit more about the enigma that was my Dad.
[1] Scott Thomas, “Miss Smallwood’s Student,” Urn & Willow (Colusa, CA: Dark Regions Press: Ghost House, 2012), 58.
[2] Scott Thomas, private Facebook message to author, November 25, 2012.
[3] “Musidora Bathing,” Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery Pre-Raphaelite Online Resources: The Collection, http://www.preraphaelites.org/the-collection/1935P39/musidora-bathing/
Paranormal, Eh? Charity Show & Auction Dec. 3 benefits Wayne Foundation
Paranormal, Eh? Radio will be hosting its first-ever Charity Show to benefit The Wayne Foundation on Monday, December 3 at 6 p.m. ET. You can tune in to listen live here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/paranormaleh/2012/12/03/paranormal-eh-radio-charity-show. I’ll be appearing alongside network regulars and we’ll be discussing the paranormal, ghost stories and all sorts of fun stuff—but the real deal here is to head on over to Ebay and bid on some items we’ve all donated (among them, a signed copy of my book, Bad Apple).
The Wayne Foundation’s mission is to end commercial sex trafficking within the United States through direct victim assistance, public outreach, and by directly working with those who shape the policies which impact victims. You can learn more about this non-profit at http://waynefdn.org/.
There are some fine items up for bidding. Want a preview? You can see what’s up for auction here:
Here are the links to the individual items:
MonsterVisionTV T-shirt:
I Am ZOZO Poster:
Bad Apple by Kristi Petersen Schoonover
True Case Files of a Paranormal Investigator by Stephen Lancaster
Reading with psychic Ryan Michaels
Be a co-host on PARANORMAL, EH? RADIO
Tonight: Nathan & I dish on how the paranormal affects marriage on The Invisible World’s PARANUPTIALS special!
Me and Nathan tied the knot up at gorgeous Howe Caverns, Howe’s Cave, NY, on September 15, 2012. Photo by Bill Buckbee.
If there’s one question I get asked frequently about my relationship with Nathan and the paranormal, it’s “so, what’s it like to live with each other?” Well, we’ll tell all tonight on The Invisible World’s Paranuptials Special!
“Tonight on Episode 116: It’s the PARANUPTIALS SPECIAL! Recently married Nathan Drake Schoonover and Kristi Petersen Schoonover are both personalities in the paranormal world with work in television, radio and writing between them. Tonight we explore just how their relationship has been affected by both be business of paranormal and by the phenomena themselves! All this plus Paranormal News, a campfire story and more! It’s going to be a great one!”
You can tune in at 11 p.m. EST tonight and listen live here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theinvisibleworld/2012/10/04/the-invisible-world-ep-116
Past your bedtime? Don’t worry, I’ll be posting the archived episode as soon as it’s available!
Listen Carefully: The Jackalope is Here!
The jackalope is here in this special edition of Scary Scribes featuring snippets from Western Legend Press’ new anthology, Unnatural Tales of the Jackalope. Then we’ll get to chat with authors Jeff Strand, David (D.T.) Griffith, Sephera Giron, RachelTowns, Jezzy Wolfe, and Fawn Recording Artist.
Listen to it on the archives here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/paranormaleh/2012/07/29/scary-scribes-ep-7
Or directly on this site by clicking below:
Scary Scribes Ep 7 – Unnatural Tales of the Jackalope, 07-29-2012
…you can get copies of Unnatural Tales of the Jackalope here:
The Jackalope Arrives on Scary Scribes!
Tonight’s special edition of Scary Scribes will feature snippets from Western Legend Press’ new anthology, Unnatural Tales of the Jackalope—and then we’ll get to chat with jackalope expert Casie Smalls as well as authors Jeff Strand, David (D.T.) Griffith, Sephera Giron, Rachel Towns, Jezzy Wolfe, and Fawn Recording Artist. Tune in today, Sunday, July 29, 6 p.m. ET here to listen live…http://www.blogtalkradio.com/paranormaleh/2012/07/29/scary-scribes-ep-7
…and while you’re waiting, check out the Unnatural Tales of the Jackalope Trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_A-HrZvotc&feature=plcp
and the show’s guests below!
Introducing Unnatural Tales of the Jackalope: Eighteen stories, a poem, and a letter all about the fabled Southwestern Jackalope. Read as a lonely jackalope comes into his own, learn how Ronald Reagan used his jackalope to find political success, explore the horrific ramifications as jackalopes terrorize those unlucky enough to cross their paths…and meet other creatures along the way, like the mighty chupacabra and terrifying moths. This collection explores many aspects of the world of the jackalope! Edited by John Palisano, with tales by Jeff Strand, Rick Pickman, Fawn, D.T. Griffith, RachelTowns, Kristi Petersen Schoonover, Sephera Giron, and more! Available in Print and Ebook wherever books are sold!
Jeff Strand
Jeff Strand is the three-time Bram Stoker Award finalist (and zero time winner) of such novels as PRESSURE, DWELLER, BENJAMIN’S PARASITE, WOLF HUNT, A BAD DAY FOR VOODOO, THE SINISTER MR. CORPSE, and a bunch of others. Naturally, his story in UNNATURAL TALES OF THE JACKALOPE remains his greatest achievement, and there’s really no reason for him to publish another word, since he’ll never, ever, ever top that one.
More about Jeff Strand at http://www.jeffstrand.com
David (D.T.) Griffith
David (D.T.) Griffith is currently enrolled in WesternConnecticutStateUniversity’s MFA in Creative and Professional Writing program. Along with pursuing fiction in the darker genres, he’s preparing to write a book in the corporate communication field as part of his graduate thesis. His background is in visual arts, working as a photo retoucher, graphic designer, web designer, and illustrator since the mid-90s. He studied creative writing and made it part of his undergrad degree, BFA in Fine Arts. His undergrad mentor was Dick Allen, currently Connecticut’s Poet Laureate.
Learn more about David and his work at http://dtgriffith.com/.
Sephera Giron
Sephera Giron has always been fascinated with the weird and macabre. As a child, she enjoyed the taxidermy oddities displayed in sideshows at local fairs, wax museums in Niagara Falls back when they showed real mutations of nature including living humans and she even read tarot at Carnival Diablo as an adult. She has had over a dozen mass market horror and erotica books published with more of her visions transforming into e-books almost as fast as a Jackalope chases whiskey. Sephera has two sons and lives by the lake in Toronto.
Visit Sephera at http://www.sepheragiron.com
Rachel Towns
Rachel Towns is a Teacher who lives in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband Paulo. She currently writes speculative fiction, fantasy and historical fiction stories, whenever she can keep her two cats, Duck and Biggles away from the laptop, which they seem to believe is some kind of high tech cat bed.
More about RachelTowns at her website, http://thestraggletag.wordpress.com/
Fawn
Fawn is an award winning ASCAP singer, songwriter, composer and recording artist, who shared the top of the Billboard Dance Charts with LadyGa Ga, Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson in 2010 with her song ‘Wish U Love’ on Hades/Stonedef Records.
Produced by Chad Jack and Tim Letteer, the song made it to #6 on the Billboard charts and was #2 only to Madonna, on the dance/house Masterbeat charts the first 2 months of its release. Her music video of the same song, produced by Fawn and directed by Stephan Wozniak, debuted in the top 10 music video charts on MTV’s LOGO Channel alongside Taylor Swift, Beyonce’, LadyGa Ga, Mariah Carey, Timbaland and Jennifer Lopez. It remained in the top 10 for 5 months and charted at #142 for the Top 200 Hit Dance Songs of 2009. ‘Wish U Love’ was nominated for ‘Best Dance Single’ at the Hollywood Music In Media Awards in 2010 and Fawn was personally nominated for a 2010 Wake Up Award for recognition in inspiring humanity to it’s full potential. In 2009, Fawn won the JPF Music Award for ‘Best Dance Single’ for ‘Wish U Love’ and the JPF Music Award for ‘Best Dance Album’ for “Body Soul and Mind,’ both available on itunes. In 2009 she also won the VH-1 Songwriting award for her soulful song about racism, “Into The Light” and in 2011 won ‘Cover Model Of The Year’ for LIC Magazine.
Her voice and songs have been heard on numerous TV shows, CD Compilations, commercials and films such as The Little Red Wagon, Spike Lee’s The Girl Is In Trouble,The Nathalee Holloway Story, CSI Miami, Charlie’s Angels 2011, Ugly Betty, Nip/Tuck, Ford, Mazda, Pontiac, Barbie, Ponds, Target, Guiding Light, Lavazza Coffee, The Young and The Restless, Missing, Dead End Falls, and Witchblade, among others. Fawn is currently in the studio finishing up her next electronica album and a piano based compositions album. After that, her goal is to start recording her Traditional Christmas Album made up of original songs and some oldies but goodies.
At present, she has become a published author, making it into the anthology “Unnatural Tales Of The Jackalope” with her short story “The Jackalope and The Jellybean,” currently available on Amazon by Western Legends. She is also part of a photographic exhibit and two separate coffee Table books, alongside Diane Warren and other notables in ‘A Day In My Shoes: Pumps and Pups’ by photographer Amy Martin-Friedman, with proceeds benefitting Animal Alliance, an animal welfare charity. She has future plans to be photographed for the project ‘Vgirls’ with Schwartz Studios before the end of 2012.
Fawn began her entertainment industry career at the ripe age of 6 months old, starring in several National TV Commercials. By the time she was 10 years old, she was doing voice-overs and singing commercials. Her first song released when she was a teenager and produced by BT, Brian Transeau (Film Composer for Monster/Fast and Furious), ‘Oneday,’ raised a substantial amount of money and awareness for people with HIV/AIDS. All proceeds from the song were donated to the cause.
More about Fawn at www.fawnmusic.com.
Jezzy Wolfe
Jezzy Wolfe was the web-designer/mistress and contributor for Choate Road, the ‘Chuck E Cheese’ of horror, and co-hosted the blogtalk radio shows The Funky Werepig, and Pairanormal. Currently, she’s a reviewer for LIQUID IMAGINATION.
Her stories have appeared in various publications such as The World of Myth, Twisted Tongue magazine, The Odd Mind magazine, and the soon coming anthologies HARVEST HILL, Morpheus Tales special flash issue, The 2009 LADIES and GENTLEMAN of HORROR, and the Choate Road sampler fun book, KNOCK KNOCK… WHO’S THERE? DEATH!
More about Jezzy on her website at http://jezzywolfe.wordpress.com/
Scary Scribes tonight: Huldufolk high-jinx; Crabapples exclusive peek!
We’re pleased to feature Rob Watts, author of Huldufolk—the first in his quartet of paranormal books called The Crooked Roads through Cedar Grove—tonight at 6 p.m. on Scary Scribes. We’ll not only learn all about those hidden creatures of Iceland, we’ll get an exclusive sneak peek of the second book in the Cedar Grove quartet, Crabapples!
Rob grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, and has degrees in Culinary Arts and Hotel/Restaurant and Travel Management. After a long career in the culinary industry, he spent a lot of years researching and writing on the subject of Boston’s historical music scene. Rob is also a musician—and he’s combined his music and love of travel to places such as Switzerland, Sweden, France, Iceland, Denmark, Kiribati, Mexico, The Caribbean, all over the U.S. and Canada and so on—with his thriller writing, and thus each book in his series The Crooked Roads through Cedar Grove will feature an accompanying CD of original music. Find out more at www.robwattsonline.com.
Our interview with Rob will begin at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 24. Listen in here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/paranormaleh/2012/06/24/scary-scribes-ep-6-1
Rob Watts in Iceland
Miss the Twist? Spin your Sunday: Daniel Pearlman on Scary Scribes here!
Daniel Pearlman joined us for a reading of his creepy short story “The Fetal Position” on May’s episode of Scary Scribes! Pearlman re-casts ordinary objects and has a knack for giving historic events an unexpected twist or two. If you’re looking for an interesting ride, his stories are the ticket.
You can listen anytime here:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/paranormaleh/2012/05/27/scary-scribes-episode-5
Or right from this post by clicking here:
Scary Scribes Ep 5 – Daniel Pearlman, 05-27-2012
This author of two novels and several collections of short stories lived in Spainfor years, and his fantastical stories and novellas began appearing in 1987 in magazines and anthologies such as New England Review, Quarterly West, The MacGuffin, Nemonymous, Amazing Stories, Synergy, and Simulations. In 1995 he founded CLF, Council for the Literature of the Fantastic, whose object was to promote recognition of ignored work of literary quality in fantastic fiction. The project lasted through 1999, but has subsequently been taken up at other websites. He’s an active Member of the SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America).
Pearlman re-casts ordinary objects and has a knack for giving historic events an unexpected twist or two. If you’re looking for an interesting ride, his stories are the ticket.
Twisting the Ordinary: Daniel Pearlman on tonight’s Scary Scribes
Daniel Pearlman knocks back a cold one at The Mews in Wakefield, Rhode Island, August, 2010.
Want to twist up your Memorial Day weekend? Join Scary Scribes for a reading of Daniel Pearlman’s “The Fetal Position” tonight at 6 p.m. on the Paranormal, Eh? Radio Network here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/paranormaleh/2012/05/27/scary-scribes-episode-5
This author of two novels and several collections of short stories lived in Spainfor years, and his fantastical stories and novellas began appearing in 1987 in magazines and anthologies such as New England Review, Quarterly West, The MacGuffin, Nemonymous, Amazing Stories, Synergy, and Simulations. In 1995 he founded CLF, Council for the Literature of the Fantastic, whose object was to promote recognition of ignored work of literary quality in fantastic fiction. The project lasted through 1999, but has subsequently been taken up at other websites. He’s an active Member of the SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America).
Pearlman re-casts ordinary objects and has a knack for giving historic events an unexpected twist or two. If you’re looking for an interesting ride, his stories are the ticket.
Daniel Pearlman’s Website (includes a comprehensive list of all of his books)
A Giant in the House & Other Excesses
Free Work Online
“Flies,” a story at Infinity Plus
DID YOU MISS PARANORMAL EH?’S ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW? GRAB A BEER AND LISTEN HERE!
It’s hard to believe a whole year has passed since Paranormal, Eh? made its debut. What’s really odd is I remember the debut episode—I listened to Episodes 1 and 2, in fact, from my apartment inProvincetownat the Norman Mailer Writer’s Colony. It’s hard to believe it’s been a whole year, and I’m honored Terry asked me to be on the show with the gang from Our Haunted Lives and some special guests like Occult Specialist Nathan Schoonover, and we talk about the Amityville Horror, hauntings, and more! Plus, hear what’s been up on clips from his best shows and what’s coming up for 2012 on this special show!
You can listen to the anniversary show right on Paranormal, Eh? Radio here:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/paranormaleh/2012/01/16/on-year-anniversary-show.mp3
Or, just click below and listen right from this page:
