(Un)Dead Man Walking...

Welcome to October... or, as I prefer to think of it, that time of year when suddenly everyone thinks about ghosts, ghouls, and hauntings only to forget about them after Halloween. Those of us dealing with the dead generally feel it's "just another day at the office" and sometimes scoff at the sudden interest. Although there is one exception to it being like the rest of the year: everyone wants you to be everywhere at once for the whole 31 days.

Honestly, I haven't had what you might call a laid-back October in a few years now. I miss the days when Halloween was something to look forward to instead of the last night and a mile marker for that next chance to take a deep breath, kick off your shoes, and relax. But this is what I've chosen, because I love the paranormal. So I won't complain... though I might try my best to find mild ways of enjoying myself between gigs.

And this month is going to be action-packed for me. I'm gone to Cleveland this weekend to conduct an investigation at a haunted place, followed by an appearance on The Kode 'N Nyte Show on NRR Radio on Sunday to talk ghosts, have fun, and give away a copy of Queer Hauntings. Then I have a few days of down time, hopefully having coffee with a friend, before taking my great adventure east to Salem, the Witch City!

Thankfully traveling via Amtrak again (I love rail travel... so relaxing), I'll be arriving in Boston on October 8th where I'll meet with Jeffrey Justice, who has been tirelessly helping me plan events in Salem for my week-long stay. I don't have a full schedule yet to give you all, but you can be sure I'll be poking around town, popping up in some of the expected (and more unexpected) places. If you happen to be in the area, check with your local bookstores and see if I'll be popping by... I know Cornerstone Books is on my list for the 15th!

Although it is mainly intended to be a "business" trip, that doesn't mean I'm not planning on enjoying myself. If money permits, I'll be having a nice celebratory beverage at some night spot with Jeffrey and I'll be taking plenty of photographs throughout my stay. I''m even planning an excursion to a haunted New England site as research for the sequel to Queer Hauntings (yes, I'm already working on that slowly). Perhaps I'll take a few interesting photos and have a little contest here... letting my dear readers try to guess where I was.

After I arrive back in Ohio on October 17th, it's off to Dayton for another busy week with friends, followed by a ghost tour. Perhaps I'll stop to breathe around the 24th before the month crescendos into Samhain, or All Hallows Eve. All the while my laptop will be with me. During all my excursions, I should be letting everyone know what is happening and updating things accordingly. There is no guarantee I'll have time to post daily, but at least I'll do my best to share my experiences with you all.

I See a Bad Moon Rising...

It's early Monday morning, there's thunder outside and the rhythmic sound of rain falling. It may be close to dawn, but there's still enough "dark and stormy night" to make me forget all the stress, drama, and insanity of recent time and think back to Halloween's approach.

October (and all the festivities that come with it) is a time when we all want to be someone... or something... else for a little while, even just to pretend for a few hours. And what best exemplifies this desire than the shapeshifter. Werewolves and other humanoids have been a part of lore for centuries. We've been terrified by the thought of people who could become animals while the moon was full, though secretly, we all would like to have that ability: the power to change who we are and live differently for a brief time. Let's face it. None of us is completely happy with ourself or life as it is. There's something intriguing out there that catches everyone's fancy.

Still, as I always say, there's humor to be had in everything. And in light of the fact that life can get insane, overwhelming, and downright difficult, I think it's time to get a little amusement out of that inner animal inside us all. And an ingenious man online did just that... having a little fun with Shakira's song "She Wolf". I can't help but laugh watching this one. Well, ok... perhaps between chuckles I think he's not too bad to look at:

Win a Copy of Queer Hauntings!

Most of you readers may not realize how much work goes into trying to find interesting stories, websites, etc. to mention in this blog. It can be tiring work. But the research and digging doesn't end there. Even when it comes to my book, finding reviews, booksellers, or anything else happening with it, that too requires a lot of research and digging. Yes... believe it or not, authors aren't told everything!

In fact, one such bit I just stumbled across may be of interest to most of you. Edge (along with its different individual city websites) often gives away a variety of tickets , DVDs, books, etc. on its website. Now, it's giving away a copy of Queer Hauntings to one lucky entrant! There isn't a deadline listed, but I wouldn't wait too long to enter. Click here to go to Edge Boston's page for the book giveaway.

Sorry, everyone, but it's not a signed copy. Although that can be arranged if you win...

Creepy Queer Photo Ops...

It's been too long since I posted any interestingly delightful images. So here's a little something to disturb or brighten your day...

Creeping from the Crypt...

I've done it again. I've neglected this blog. Of course, this month I haven't been online as much as I normally am, so that's part of the reason. It's been another crazy few weeks for me, chock full of anxiety, stress, and my usual confusion. The temperatures here are slowly dropping down to autumn levels and Halloween will be here before we know it. That's not such a bad thing, though. I'm ready for pumpkins, cider, and the sweet scent of burning wood mixed with foliage in the air. Besides, 'tis the season for people to suddenly regain interest in ghosts and hauntings...

Personal dramas aside, I have also been working (when possible) on research for a sequel to Queer Hauntings. It might sound premature considering the book isn't even available everywhere yet (and I haven't even seen my first copy of it yet), but this time around. the research will be more grueling. I have perhaps five places to research at this moment, which means I need at least another 35 stories before I will have another full manuscript. My goal is by next year to have it finished, along with another possible book I'm looking into... though writing two books at once might be a struggle.

On the bright side, I'm still looking forward to my great escape to Salem in October. I'll be updating with details as soon as I know anything for certain. I'll also be off to Dayton yet again for another adventure with friends and spooks, so it will be a busy time for me. I'm hoping to have a few books on hand before I begin my travels, but we shall see how things work out. Also, on October 4th, I'll be on NRR Radio talking about my new book, as well as doing a bit of ghost hunting on the air. Apparently, the studio where DJ Kode and DJ Nyte are based has become a lot more active in the past month, so this could prove to be interesting. But don't expect things to be too serious. We're all going to have a little bit of fun... and during the program, I highly doubt the only spirits around will be those of the dead.

I've finally been updating my website a bit, so feel free to check things out. There are book excerpts posted and I'm slowly adding links as I find more booksellers offering Queer Hauntings. I'm still hoping to do book signings, lectures, and library events as time passes though it might take a little time. I know my local library might be interested in setting up something, though I'm hoping to break out of Ohio here and there too. Yet another thing for me to get going on: contacting places and trying to set up a few events as locations from the book. So much to do, so little time when you're only one man. That's where this blog suffers too. Perhaps Jeanne Barrack is right... I need a blogging team to help keep this thing going!

I'll do my best to keep this thing alive, though. Hopefully I'll find some nifty things to write about soon...