Posts Tagged ‘Halloween countdown’

We’re in October. My favorite time of the year. In fact, I would argue it’s the real most wonderful time of the year, not Christmas (see my blog post about that here). And, now that we’re in October, my HOA lets me put up Halloween decorations in my yard!

So, without further ado, here is the my yard display for spooky season 2026.

Not bad, right? And if you can’t tell, the theme this year is “spiders.” That’s what’s covering all the characters. Well, except Lizzie Borden. But I include her because she’s kind of my favorite acquitted-murderess-turned-ghost. Not having her there would feel wrong.

Anyway, here are some close ups of my skeletons covered in spiders.

Yeah, I have a feeling that one spider by the porch is going to scare some delivery people. But what can I say? A little adrenaline rush is good for everyone.

And, of course, I made a silly little video about the yard, just like I did last year. Take a look.

Silly, right? But for some reason, it’s got over eleven hundred views on YouTube at the time of this writing. No idea why, but I’m glad people are enjoying it.

And, of course, I took a night shot of the yard. And it was spooky!

Ooh, I think I made myself shiver! And I’m glad it turned out so well. Honestly, one of the best parts of being a homeowner these past four years is being able to have a yard display. To customize it and even tell a story, even just a silly little one, in my yard. And the best part is, my neighbors love it, too! They may not read horror, let alone read anything by me, but several of them love to come by, check out what I’ve put up, and even take some photos.

And occasionally I scare their pants off, too. I had a ghost that hung on a pole and floated in the wind one year, and it scared people to pieces.

Which is kind of the whole point of this display, isn’t it?

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed seeing my yard display this year. I’m going to enjoy having it up through the month. And I am looking forward to putting out my Jack-o-lantern on the 30th. In fact, I think I’ve just had an idea for what I will carve this year…


One more thing before I end the post, my Followers of Fear: today my horror writer friends and I had the event at Bite This by Annie, aka Columbus’s Goth bakery. And it was a blast! We enjoyed each other’s company, we enjoyed the sweets, and we got to sell some books. In fact, one person sold out of one book entirely (good for her)!

And this coming Saturday, me and my horror writer friends will be gathering at Sweets of Grace in Canal Winchester for more sweet treats and spooky reads! If you can stop by, it’s this Saturday, October 10th, 2026 from 11 AM – 6 PM at 60 E. Waterloo Street, Suite A, Canal Winchester, Ohio, 43110. However, you need to RSVP to go, so please do so on the website HERE.

And if you can’t stop by but would still like to support me (or you just need a spooky book to read), then why not check out my catalog of books? From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, I got something for every reader, including some free stuff. You can check them out using the button below.

And if you like what you read, please leave a review online so I know. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m taking the rest of today to relax. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 27 days till Halloween!

Hello Followers of Fear. I did say I would be back, but this is sooner than expected, isn’t it?

Anyway, I’m happy to announce that it looks like I have one more event I’ll be appearing at before the year is out. Remember when I did BookBash earlier this year? Well, they decided to host an early Halloween event,* and guess who’s confirmed as an attending author? That’s right: me!

So, here are the details: BookBash Halloween will be taking place on Saturday, September 26, 2026 at the VFW center in Ashtabula, Ohio. The address is 4102 Main Street, Ashtabula Ohio, 44004. There will be two sessions: one family-friendly session that’s more centered on Halloween fun and trick or treating from 11 AM – 3 PM, and then a darker, spookier section from 6 PM – 9 PM. Either session, of course, will include amazing authors with spooky books for the season, so anyone in the area should totally show up.

Obviously, I will be doing the evening session (can you imagine me at the family-friendly session? The carnivorous horses would traumatize the kids!), and I will be bringing Tarot cards along with copies of my books. Hopefully plenty of readers show up.

BookBash Halloween’s poster. Hope you can join us!

And that might not be the only event I do. My HWA Ohio friends and I are trying to set up one or two events for the month of October. If we manage to get anything planned, I will be sure to spread the word.

And, of course, I will be keeping an eye out for other events I want to attend. The moment they open, I want to apply. Wish me luck!

And in the meantime, if you can’t make it to the event and still want to support me, or you’re looking for something spooky to read for the season, I have plenty of stories available, including some free ones. Why not check them out? From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, I got something for all horror fans. I’ll include a link below.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Again, I hope I will be back with news very soon. Can’t say when, though; life is unpredictable. Anyway, until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 89 days till Halloween. I assume that means Michael Myers is training hard at the gym right now (and I don’t mean the guy playing Austin Powers).

*I did suggest to them after BookBash that something for Halloween might be a fun idea. However, whether my suggestion actually led to this event or not, I cannot confirm.

Well, I got another event on the horizon! And this one, both its timing and theme, shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows me.

I attended the Columbus Witches Ball in November 2022, and had an amazing time. Hosted by the Magical Druid, one of the most prominent metaphysical shops in Columbus (we have a few), it’s an awesome gathering of witches, Wiccans, and neo-Pagans. There was a ritual (which I filmed for YouTube), some dancing, and, of course, plenty of people interested in books and Tarot readings. I did very well on sales, and also had a ton of fun.

I wanted to go back in 2023, but I had a conflict, and last year, I attended a different event held by the Magical Druid, so I decided not to go. But this year, I’m going back. And this year, it’ll be held at the Ohio Brewing Company at 421 East 2nd Avenue in downtown Columbus from 1 PM – 11 PM. Obviously, there will be food and drink (it is a brewery, after all), but also a guest lecturer, a ritual, and dancing. Plus, lots of vendors, including little old me. I’ll be there selling books and doing Tarot card readings, so if you’re in the area, please consider attending. I’ll include links to tickets below.

And don’t worry. I’ll be sure to post a reminder before the event. Just in case you forget. And I’ll let you all know if any new events pop up. Which, given Halloween is 94 days away, is likely to happen.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares!

The Anchorage Mansion looks so creepy in the dead of night, doesn’t it?

So, as many of you know, I was in Marietta, OH this weekend for the Hidden Marietta Paranormal Expo. And you probably also know that I not only freaking love Marietta, but that it’s filled with haunted buildings. And while I was in Marietta, I made sure to do some ghost hunting at two of my favorite places: the Lafayette Hotel, where I was staying, and the Anchorage Mansion, where Hidden Marietta does their main business.

And hoo boy, did I get some results!

Now, for those unaware, I tend to use dowsing rods quite a bit when I ghost hunt. These are copper, L-shaped rods that have copper cylinders around the handles. The idea is that the ghosts can manipulate the rods to answer yes-or-no questions or to point. And the cylinders around the handles keep the questioner from manipulating the rods.

My first session was in my hotel room, where I contacted the spirit of a former employee. And, given the answers I got, I felt kind of sad for her.

After that, I decided to try getting some responses in the hallway. Where, by the by, I got some amazing results with some friends about two years ago (see that post here). And this time around, I got results again!

Pretty awesome, huh? The most amazing thing is, when I played the video back, you could clearly hear that thumping noise! My audio clearly picked that up! Now, as to what caused it, or for my camera to go out of focus for a couple of minutes, I don’t know. Still, it was pretty cool! (Also, I met the husband of the couple at breakfast the next morning and got to fill him in on my results. I wonder if he’s a believer now?)

With my exploration of the third floor completed, I headed down to the basement. According to the guy at reception, there are nine spirits of children haunting the hotel, as well as several dogs and a cat. (He also thought he’d heard of a woman who used to work at the hotel dying in the last twenty years and a guest having a heart attack in the 1980s, though he wasn’t sure of the details and couldn’t remember where the employee who died used to work.) The most active and famous of these children is Thomas, whom I was told during my first stay at the Lafayette can be contacted from the basement.

So, to the basement I went! And Thomas reacted to my calls.

How spooky is that? At 5:48 and 8:42, you can clearly hear a snapping sound that likely isn’t the front door! And at 8:08, I could have sworn I heard a whisper coming from down the basement hallway!

Well, after that, I headed to the Anchorage Mansion, where I met my friend Jeff Ignatowski, and we were led on a tour of the Anchorage, hearing about its history and ghost stories. And let me tell you, there’s been some new stories. For instance, there’s apparently a nasty new spirit in the attic and tower that’s pretty territorial. It’s even forced Henrietta and Clarabelle, the two little girls who play up in the attic, out of the attic and to the second floor! The staff have been moving their toys down so they’re not constantly being harassed by this new, mean entity.

Now, after the tour, Jeff and I went to the servants quarters, which is on a sub-floor leading off the second floor. Here, another malevolent entity that has a problem with women is supposed to lurk. Here, we tried to contact said entity and get some answers.

Creepy, right? We didn’t get any answers, but it was interesting how some of those entities reminded me of the Donner Party. And I nearly hit my head on a barrier hanging from the ceiling. Was something leading me there, hoping I’d hurt myself?

Well, after that, we spent a bit of time in the room where Clarabelle and Henrietta’s room, or the room where their dolls, pictured below, are now. The dolls in the rocking chair are theirs, and were designed based on their feedback. Supposedly, you mess with the dolls, they’ll mess with you right back. One college student touched them, and then got slapped on the back. There was a child-sized handprint on his back, according to the stories.

After that, Jeff and I tried messing with some of the equipment to rent in the dining room, but it didn’t really work for us. And that ended the evening. Still, it was pretty cool. And I always enjoy coming to the Anchorage Mansion. Hell, I always love coming to Marietta! And I’m so glad it gave me some amazing experiences again.

Though my experiences with scary stuff didn’t end once I left Marietta. You see, after I left the convention, I stopped by a computer store in Columbus to pick up something. And while I was there, I found something that filled me with fright! You can see the video below!

3D printers! After writing an entire novel about an evil one, so many of them in one place filled me with fright! And I’m sure if the novel ever gets published, a gathering of them will scare plenty of people!


That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Remember, we’re 32 days away from Halloween, so if you’re still looking for something spooky to read this October, I’ve got plenty of stories to offer. Plant/human hybrids and strange gods, Mafia-hunting serial killers, and carnivorous horses! Just check out the button below and you’ll find all my published works, including some free stuff available for download.

And if you end up reading any of my work, please leave a review! Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps other readers find my work.

Also be sure to check out my YouTube channel. If you like it, you can subscribe and be the first to watch my videos when it uploads.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.

You have no idea how much this musical has been on my mind lately. Especially the song “Non-Stop.”

I’ve had the soundtrack from Hamilton stuck in my head lately, especially the song Non-Stop (if you haven’t ever heard it, you can check it out here). Now, if you’re unfamiliar, this song is the Act One finale and summarizes Alexander Hamilton’s post-war rise to become the first Treasury Secretary of the United States, while also going over how Hamilton never stops working and writing.

There’s some verses from this song that has really resonated with me lately:

How do you write like you’re running out of time?…
How do you write like tomorrow won’t arrive?
How do you write like you need it to survive?
How do you write every second you’re alive?

Even if you don’t know me, you probably know I’m a writer, and you can see why these lyrics resonate with me. If you do know me, you might recall I’ve mentioned how my time for writing has seemed to be shaved down this year. So, when I do write, I’m trying to make the most of my time (including as I’m writing this). And when I’m not writing, I feel like I should be.

Sadly, the time I’m not writing is usually spent doing things that are essential for living my life: eating, sleeping, working, etc. If I didn’t, I would not be able to pay my bills and would probably have to move in with one of my parents (and I’m not doing that again!). And while I would like to use my vacation time to spend some time writing again, at the moment, that’s not feasible.

So yeah, it’s a sucky situation. And I don’t know how to fix it. After all, summoning demons to win the lottery has too many drawbacks, though it is tempting.

I guess, while I look for new ways to find more time for writing, I’ll do like Alexander Hamilton did. I’ll write like I’m running out of time. Because time’s a quick bastard, and I need to take advantage of it when I can. Until I eventually get to the point when I can write full time and I (hopefully) don’t have to worry about not having enough time to write.

Going to write like I’m running out of time, like I need it to survive.

In the meantime, write like tomorrow won’t arrive. Write like I need it to survive. Write every second I can find.*

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I have to get ready to spend necessary time sleeping. So, until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and only 78 days left to Halloween. If you’re not at least thinking of getting ready for spooky season, then what are you doing with your life?

*That last one is not an exact quote, but I think Lin Manuel Miranda and everyone who loves this show will let it slide.