All Posts

The Great King Boo Conspiracy

Tracking the mysterious identity of one of the most famous ghosts in the world.

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Unpacking the Essentials

You might think that unpacking clothing, acquiring food and drink, or setting up some kind of entertainment would be the thing to do when arriving at a new living space.

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Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver

A classic video game where the undead defy gravity and family feuds reach epic proportions.

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A Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins With

A co-conspirator with professional packing skills.

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Vântoase of Romanian Folklore

Wind spirits of Romanian folklore.

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I R DED

By the time you read this, I will be dead...

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Abbey of Thelema in Sicily, Italy

The ruins of a villa in Sicily that some believe once housed a Satanic order.

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Tucson's Beautiful Nature, Killer Sunshine, & Journey to Texas

Tae and I have been in Tucson, Arizona, for a little over a year, and the nature here is still just as beautiful as when we arrived.

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The Posthumous Execution of Oliver Cromwell

A man so hated that his corpse was executed.

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Purging, Packing, & a Bark Scorpion

Moving is always a great time to take a breath and assess your belongings before flinging them into a dumpster.

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The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde

The first of many stories published by a now famous, versatile Irish author.

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Novel Synopsis & Upcoming Move

I'm revisiting early versions of my synopsis to revise it in preparation for querying the now-completed novel.

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Restless Spirits of Bachorza Manor in Poland

An old, crumbling manor house in Poland with a restless spirit.

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Novel Edits Complete & Next Story Brainstorming

I've officially completed all of the minor edits for the now-completed novel, and I'm moving on to the next step: querying.

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Haunting of Ackergill Tower in Scotland

The story of a castle in Scotland and the ghost that haunts it.

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Project "9"

I finished the bulk of the work on my first novel, and I've been itching for a new, big creative project ever since I sent the novel out to beta readers.

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Chessie of Chesapeake Bay

A sea monster that was first spotted in 1936.

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Nighttime Tarantulas & Novel Next Steps

It's so hot during the day here in Arizona that going outside feels like walking into an oven.

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Belgian UFO Wave of the 1990s

Low-flying triangular objects in Belgium.

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Early Beta Reader Feedback & Monsoon Rainbow

I've gotten some feedback on my novel WIP from a few beta readers already, and it's been overwhelmingly positive.

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Beta Readers & Busy Lives

I finished working through the latest revision notes from Tae, and I've sent off the novel to a small group of beta readers. 🎉

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Baby Lizards Harassing Cats & Novel Revisions Update

So, apparently, it's baby lizard season here in Tucson, Arizona.

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Zombie Road in Wildwood, Missouri

Strange occurrences and spectral figures on a short road in Missouri.

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Novel Revisions & Creepy Dolls

I'm about halfway through the revision notes from Tae.

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Rodney Alcala, aka The Dating Game Killer

An American serial killer who made an appearance on a game show amidst his murder spree.

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Tae's Notes & the Difficulties of Blurbing

About two weeks ago, I finished the third draft of the novel WIP. I handed it over to Tae to go through it with her keen eyes.

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The Butterfly Murders (1979)

A director's debut film that helped kick off Hong Kong's New Wave movement.

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Novel Update & a Well-Deserved Rest

It's a strange feeling to have finished the latest draft of the novel WIP.

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Green Clawed Beast of the Ohio River

The story of a woman pulled underwater by a strange beast on one hot summer day.

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Novel WIP Milestone & Abominable Party Spider

Early Sunday morning, after staying up all night, I completed a full set of revisions (third draft) on the novel WIP, from start to finish.

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Ghosts of Charleville Castle in Ireland

A Gothic-style castle in Ireland with a few incorporeal residents.

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A Nocturnal Snake & Four Chapters Remain

Tae and I were walking a few nights ago and stumbled upon a little snake.

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The Puppet Masters by Robert A. Heinlein

A science fiction novel from 1951 with themes still relevant today.

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Philosophical Razors & Why You Should Always Take a Flashlight on Nighttime Walks in Arizona

I'm a big fan of philosophical razors. Recently, Tae stumbled across a new one to add to my Big Bad Toolbox of Very Sharp Things™.

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Ghosts of Omenainen Island

An island inhabited only by the corpses of sinners.

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The Tale of Père Fouettard

Oh, the tales children are told to get them to behave.

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On Story Endings, Lumberjacks, & Heresy

I've been in a book club for years, and I often like to ask how people would change the endings of books. It's fascinating to find out how a book's end can change one's opinion of the entire work.

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Hydrus of Medieval Bestiaries

A cryptid referenced as far back as Ancient Rome.

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Kids Do the Darndest Things

Kids leave traces everywhere!

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Legend of the Killer in the Backseat

An urban legend over fifty years old may have real roots.

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Becoming Dated at the Speed of Smartphones

Tae and I are watching the old seasons of Dexter. Nearly everything on the show feels current, like it could be unfolding right now.

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The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

A film from over a century ago and the quintessential work of German Expressionist cinema.

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Spot the Wolf Spider & Sharpening My Mallet

Obviously, these things are related. A quick update on nature and tools.

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Haunting of Manchac Swamp in Louisiana

A legendary voodoo priestess predicted a Louisiana town's destruction.

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A Scrambling Gecko & I Forgot Cheetos

Those two things are unrelated, I think.

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Restless Spirits of St. Michan's Church in Dublin, Ireland

Desecrated mummies in Ireland make for restless spirits.

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Don't Forget To Take Breaks

With everything going on in your life, it can sometimes be tough to remember to take a break. Luckily, Mother Nature is out there constantly setting up signposts for us.

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The Spooky Bunch (1980)

What do you get when you combine horror, ghosts, comedy, and Cantonese Opera?

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Bananas don't have memories.

Is it just me, or does it constantly seem like the world is falling apart? Wars, natural disasters, disease, famine, murder, poverty—the list goes on and on.

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El Coco, El Cucuy: The Child Eater

"Sleep child, sleep or else...Coco will come and eat you." — Auto de los desposorios de la Virgen by Juan Caxés. 17th Century.

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On Revising, Editing, Storytelling, & Characters

On novel drafting, I made it past revisions on a pivotal scene that had been stuck in my head for a while. It needed...something. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, and I had to let it sort of percolate within the broader story.

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The Donner Party

A migration for a better life led to a series of shocking events.

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Brown Widow Spiders & Online Ads Everywhere

Apparently, brown widow spiders are everywhere in Tucson now. They set up webs and actively hunt down other spiders, including black widows.

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Ulama of Sri Lankan Folklore

A shriek from the jungle portends death.

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Arizona Doesn't Do Daylight Saving Time & I Rescued a Spider

The horrors of Daylight Saving Time, an eight-legged friend, and writing updates.

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Jure Grando of Kringa, Croatia

The world's first documented vampire.

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Winter Moon Over the Desert, the Coming Spring, and Steady Progress

I took this photo of the winter moon over the Tucson desert with my phone and was surprised at how well it turned out.

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Leannán Sídhe of Irish Folklore

An alluring figure from Irish folklore that can bring you a wonderful life for a price.

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A Jumping Spider & Catching Up

I rescued a jumping spider on the wall a few days ago before Cap'n Hammy Pants found it. Her name is known far and wide as the scourge of the insect and arachnid worlds. Eight-legged parents tell their children stories of the massive paw-stomping furry monster to keep them from wandering too far into the wilds.

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La Llorona of Mexico City

Stories of a spirit from Mexico City, dating back to at least the 1500s.

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Pigeons Drive Cap'n Hammy Pants Crazy

Over the last week, two pigeons have come and sat by the window every morning.

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Old Book Ghost of Peoria State Hospital in Bartonville, Illinois

A gravedigger still lingers a century after his death.

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Fantastic El Peuchen Art

A British/Chilean artist living in the UK reached out to me a while back about my article El Peuchen of Mapuche Mythology.

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Coffin Joe of Brazil

What is now known as Brazil's National Boogeyman brought the very first ever Brazilian-produced horror film to the world.

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Walking With Crutches Is a Skill

Due to a sudden injury, I've learned how to use crutches over the past few days. No one tells you how much skill is required to properly use them.

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Bogeyman: Myth or More?

A creature parents tell their children about all around the world. Is it a myth? Or is there something more?

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Where Were You When the Space Shuttle Challenger Exploded?

Some of you reading this may not have been alive, but I distinctly remember it.

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Son of Frankenstein (1939)

A horror movie icon's final performance as a Universal Classic Monster.

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To Verb a Noun: Telekinesis

Tae and I were talking about the word telekinesis. I don't think there is an existing verb form for it, at least not one that I could easily find.

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Morgawr of Cornwall, England

A sea serpent off the coast of England, spotted by soldiers during World War I.

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Generative AI; or, Why ChatGPT Sucks

There has been a lot of talk about ChatGPT and "generative AI" lately. I've noticed a lot of posts on various social media sites, posts from users who are brand new to the platform and who all have the same five talking points and use the same phrases and linguistic style.

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Hauntings of the Forbidden City in Beijing

Strange happenings in a city centuries old.

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New RAM, Stable Computer

A few weeks ago, I had RAM failing in my computer, which resulted in all sorts of weird, intermittent issues.

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Cooking With Vincent Price

A horror movie icon's secret, real-life superpower.

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Happy 2023

Weird how fast time goes, isn't it?

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Krampus of Alpine Folklore

Everyone's favorite wintertime horned, anthropomorphic pre-Christian pagan kidnapper. What can be said about Krampus that hasn't already been said?

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Success Defunkifying "The Supernatural Omnibus" From 1931

I've successfully defunkified a few books now with my Not Patent Pending Demonically Divine Defunkifier 3000™ (not trademarked).

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I Made a Book Trailer

It's been a bit since I played with video, so I thought I'd make a little book trailer.

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Ghosts of Raynham Hall Museum in Oyster Bay, New York

A museum in New York with recorded ghost sightings from over one hundred years ago.

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A Box Full of Thorns

Quite literally.

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Ghost of Dreamworld Theme Park in Australia

An amusement park in Australia with the restless ghost of a little girl.

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One Year of Newsletters

I don't usually write this much in a weekly update, but it's been a year since I started writing newsletters, and I thought I'd reflect a bit.

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Glaistig of Scottish Folklore

A malevolent Scottish ghost. (Or is it?)

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You Never Know Where You'll Find...The Witches!

Arizona isn't a place people typically think of when the word "witch" is mentioned, but you might be surprised to hear that the desert is not only full of life but also rich with...the witches!

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Inugami of Japan

A familiar spirit born from a brutal ritual.

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An Old Book & A Few Updates

A friend of mine sent me an old book for my birthday. It's an original from 1931—nearly one hundred years old. The book is in fantastic shape for being almost a century old. I'm running it through my old book process right now, and I expect it to be finished next weekend. Just look at the first few pages to get an idea of what's inside.

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Seven Gates of Hell in Hellam Township, Pennsylvania

One gate is visible in the day, six more at night, and passing all seven takes you straight to Hell.

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Finally, a Proper Fall

While snow is blanketing many parts of the United States right now, Arizona feels like autumn.

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Phone Cameras, Full Moons, & Finishing the Absolution Retelling

I took a photo of the full moon with my phone on November 8th, 2022. The cameras sure have come a long way since the potato quality of yesteryear.

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Prime Hook Swamp Creature of Delaware

A strange creature lurks in the swamps of a wildlife refuge in Delaware.

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An Update on the Fauna of Mirrors

Remember the strange story of the Fauna of Mirrors I mentioned in Mirrors: Superstition, Mythology, Psychology, & Sanity?

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Haunted Pillar on Broad Street in Augusta, Georgia

Local legends are fascinating. Most of them can't really be traced back to any particular origin, and precisely how or why locals know about them is a bit of a mystery.

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Devil's Night Moon Over Tucson & Finally Finished Moving

I took this photo last night, around sunset, of the moon on Devil's Night here in Tucson.

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Owlman of Mawnan, Cornwall

Many legends of cryptids don't have a clear origin, a story that can easily be traced back to the first sighting. For these creatures, the line between cryptid (an as-of-yet undocumented natural animal) and supernatural is sometimes blurry, as is true with cases such as The Qalupalik of Inuit Folklore or El Peuchen of Mapuche Mythology. In some ways, the controversy surrounding sightings of strange things can make them even more intriguing to explore because there is little in the way of proof for or against their existence. At the core of these legends or folklore is a story, often a tangled combination of truth and fiction, genuine experience and exaggeration.

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Dollies Are a Great Help While Moving & a Light Writing Week

There's a bit more to do with the move into a new place in Tucson, and it's a good thing I have a couple of dollies to help.

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