Monthly Archives

March 2017

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Downton Stabby: Sometimes Writing is The Worst

I do not believe in writer's block. I do believe that there is something wrong with the plot of my story. Or that this is not *the* story I should be working on. In fifth grade I wrote a story. Fifteen years later I wrote a book. It sucked. I mean, I had a hoot writing it IN. ONE. SITTING. But it was garbage. And I know that. Now. And now that I am of-age for a hobbit, I have accepted the fact that my attention span is thisbig. I do not like reading long things. I do not like writing long things. So, a few weeks ago I decided to tackle drafting a colle[...]

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March Roundup: Cemeteries, Graveyards, and Death, oh my!

Our team put our skeleton brains together and picked some themes for fun. March was graveyard and cemetery month for us at the Midnight Society. There have been so many fantastic and interesting posts, that I wanted to round them all up and share them all together. Here are some of my favorite macabre graveyard and cemetery posts.   Sunnydale Cemetery by Amy Guiffrida The Wandering Taphophile Returns: A Cemetery Bucket List by Kira Butler House for Sale: Great View…Don’t Mind the Headstones by Kathy Palm     Great Graveyard Scenes:[...]

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Ray Fawkes’ UNDERWINTER Will Haunt You

I had no idea what to expect when I sat down with the first issue of Underwinter this week, but I'm still thinking about the book days after I read it. It's a hauntingly beautiful horror story that reminds me a lot of Hellraiser with a splash of Eyes Wide Shut thrown in. Underwinter follows the story of a group of four very talented musicians--a string quartet that has seen better days. They get offered a very high-paying gig at a posh estate--if they can follow the rules of the performance. The book opens with one of the characters recounting a nightmare th[...]

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Sunnydale Cemetery

The Sunnydale Cemetery was Buffy Summer's playground. Night after night, she's patrol and take down the newly undead as they rose from their graves. What many don't know, is where these scenes were actually filmed. Ever wonder with the cast felt about the cemetery scenes? E News has recently shared Sarah Michelle Gellar's feelings on the subject: In the beginning of the series, the cemetery was actally built and scenes shot in the studio staff parking lot. Sarah Michelle Gellar had a real fear of cemeteries, crying hysterically after filming an episode where[...]

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Buried Alive by Jan Bonderson: the perfect bedtime read

Fellow Midnight Society member Jenna's post on Security Coffins had me pawing through my bookshelf to find a book I'd bought a few years ago for story research (if that makes you think my library is questionable, you should see my browser history...). Buried Alive by Jan Bonderson The Terrifying History of Our Most Primal Fear Funny thing is, on the jacket flap, it's also touted as "an engrossing and witty history" that "deserves a place on every bedside table in America". Sounds good to me...but I have a feeling not every one would agree with that suggestion[...]

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Surviving the Apocalypse With a Friend–7 Days to Die

I've been playing a lot of co-op horror games lately, and while in some ways it takes a bit of the edge off, in others it adds a whole new layer of horror. 7 Days to Die is a game where you are trying to survive in the zombie apocalypse, but it has a very particular twist--every seven days, a zombie horde attacks you. So, you spend the days in between the hordes gathering supplies and building materials to build a shelter that can withstand the assault. https://youtu.be/WS1j2-2OEdg This element of the game adds a constant sense of tension, as the moment you mak[...]

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House for Sale: Great View…Don’t Mind the Headstones

My daughter, somewhere around age 7 or 8, told me that her friend insisted they put their hands up when driving by a cemetery. If you didn’t…a ghost would follow you home. I told her that wasn’t true. No amount of putting your hands in the air would stop a ghost from following you home. Mom of the year…right? She asked me if I believed in ghosts. I said yes. And I do believe that cemeteries are full of paranormal goodness. Though I am unsure of the odds of something following you home, I do believe it could happen. Cemeteries are strange places, a consta[...]

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Happy Holi!

Happy Holi! Holi is a traditional Hindu festival, originating in India, that dates back into the 4th century. The timing of Holi is synchronized with the moon, so the dates vary each year, in accordance with lunar cycles. It is a two day festival; the first day is known as Holika Dahan and the second day is known as Rangwali Holi. This year, Rangwali Holi takes place today, March 13th, while the pyres of Holika Dahan were burned yesterday. Holika Dahan is set up the night before the big day. People gather for a purification ritual where a pyre of logs and du[...]

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Call Me, Maybe?

Hello, Ghosties...   As I write this, my dogs are standing at the top of my stairs, peering into the basement. The short, coarse hair along my boxer's spine is rising, strand by strand. My Shepard is letting out low, throaty growls. I could get up, but nothing is at the bottom of the stairs.   At least nothing I can see. **Trigger warning - deceased children** Anyhoo, like most people, I often fall asleep with  my phone nearby. My husband jokes around that I'll be buried with it. The more I think about it, the more I realize that I wouldn't have it[...]

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My Book Stack Brings All The Ghosts To The Yard

You  may recall I grew up across from a graveyard. So, now that I think about it, it's no surprise that 66.6% of the books in my personal library are situated in, around, near, or under a graveyard. Here, in no particular order (cover art on a scale of wtf to gtfo) are my personal favorites:                 Any graveyard books in your book stack?[...]