Call for Submissions: Haunted Playthings

I've written about Haunt Jaunts on this blog many times, and today I've got something fun to share for all the writers out there: a call for submissions for a new Haunt Jaunts project! Haunted Playthings: 13 Tales of Terror Based on True Stories...or are they? will be edited by C. Le Mroch, and and she's looking for your best stories about haunted playthings (real or made-up). You can find all the info here:

Haunted Playthings: Call for Submissions

Also, check out Shadow People and Cursed Objects: 13 Tales of Terror Based on True Stories...or are they? It's a fun read, and you can find my review here:

Book Review: Shadow People and Cursed Objects

HJ’s Holiday 2017 Ghoulish Gift Guide

Got some fans of horror and the paranormal to buy for this Christmas? Haunt Jaunts has got you covered! Check out their awesome gift guide, and you're sure to find the perfect gift...you'll probably find something for yourself too. : )

HJ’s Holiday 2017 Ghoulish Gift Guide

ScareLA: Haunted LA vs. Haunted OC

I was lucky enough to go to ScareLA this year, and while I was there, I attended Haunted LA vs. Haunted OC, a live version of the Collywobbles podcast. I wrote about it for Haunt Jaunts, and you can read about it here:

Scare LA: Haunted LA vs. Haunted OC

You can also watch the podcast, which I highly recommend because it was really entertaining. : )

Join the Haunt Jaunts Facebook group...if you dare!

Since this blog's readers are interested in the paranormal, I wanted to let you guys know about a new Facebook group you might like. I've featured Haunt Jaunts on my blog a bunch of times, and now there's a Haunt Jaunts Facebook group, so if you're interested in haunted locations and things like that, check it out! : )

https://www.facebook.com/groups/HauntJauntsGroup/

Haunts Jaunts on ParaMania Radio

I've mentioned Haunt Jaunts many times on this blog, so I wanted to share the news that there's a Haunt Jaunts radio show now! It airs Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central and is hosted by Courtney Mroch, and if you can't listen then, you can download each episode after it airs. You can check it out on the ParaMania Radio website. : )

http://paramaniaradio.com/SHOW.php?showid=101

The Fearless Ghosthunter: Courtney Mroch

I've shared content from Haunt Jaunts many times on this blog, and recently Courtney Mroch, creator of the paranormal travel website and all-around cool person, was a guest on a paranormal radio show show called The Fearless Ghosthunter. Her conversation with host Scott Morrow was pretty interesting, so I thought I'd share it. : ) You can stream or download the show here:

http://paramaniaradio.com/On-Demand.php?ondemanddir=The+Fearless+Ghosthunter&fbfile=The+Fearless+Ghosthunter+-+Courtney+Lynn+Mroch+20170211.mp3

Also, check out Haunt Jaunts for all your paranormal travel needs:

http://www.hauntjaunts.com/

Book Review: Shadow People and Cursed Objects

Shadow People and Cursed Objects: 13 Tales of Terror Based on True Stories...or are they? is a 2016 book edited by C. Le Mroch (the creator of Haunt Jaunts, a website I've linked to many times on this blog). Ten authors contributed stories to this anthology, and after you read each story, you can flip to the back to find out whether it was based on a true story. Here's a little about the stories:

"The Busby Chair" by Alice J. Black: A cursed chair causes the death of anyone who sits on it.
"The Storm on Promise Land Road" by Ken Teutsch: A father and daughter are caught in a ghostly storm.
"Bye, Bye, Blackbird" by Emerian Rich: A cursed necklace brings trouble into a woman's life.
"The Gypsy's Curse" by C. Le Mroch: A woman receives mysterious phone calls related to a haunted pond she visited as a child.
"The Black Flowers" by Barry Charman: Two funeral directors find an empty black coffin (which is made from a dead hanging tree) outside the gates of their funeral home with instructions to bury it.
"The South Will Rise Again" by Keith Karabin: Two armies (one human and one ghostly) battle in Virginia's Great Dismal Swamp.
"Lady Winters' Mirror" by S. Mickey Lin: A woman buys a haunted Victorian mirror at an auction.
"Doomsday, Every Night at Five" by Evan Dicken: A child's deceased grandfather appears in a broken TV set and makes some disturbing premonitions.
"Fatty and the Nothing Man" by Sean Ealy: Bullies lock a classmate in a haunted house and soon come to regret it.
"Murder for Dummies" by Carl Barker: A young girl goes backstage after a ventriloquist's show and discovers that the dummy is really the one in charge.
"Pedro" by C. Le Mroch: Ten-year-old Kyle blames his imaginary friend whenever he gets in trouble, but Pedro might not be as imaginary as Kyle's father believes.
"The Mannequin in the Middle of the Road" by C. Le Mroch: After a man hits a mannequin that was lying in the road, he puts it in the trunk of his car...and the mannequin isn't happy about it.
"Comeuppance" by C. Le Mroch: A woman stays in a haunted hotel on a business trip.

I enjoyed all the stories in Shadow People and Cursed Objects, but my favorites were "The Gypsy's Curse," Lady Winters' Mirror," and "Comeuppance." If you enjoy reading about ghosts, haunted objects, and things like that, you should definitely check this book out. : )

My rating: 8/10

September: The Month of Bigfoot

I've never thought of September as Bigfoot Month, but according to Haunt Jaunts' calendar of paranormal/horror festivals, there are three Bigfoot festivals this month, so I guess September is the month to celebrate Bigfoot. First up is the International Bigfoot Conference in Kennewick, Washington, which takes place September 2nd-4th.

http://www.internationalbigfootconference.com/

That same weekend (on the 3rd), there's also the Bigfoot Celebration in Willow Creek, California.

http://www.redwoods.info/showrecord.asp?id=3689

Minerva, Ohio's Minerva Monster Day takes place on September 23rd and 24th and will focus on Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, the Minerva Monster, and the Beast of Whitehall.

http://minervamonsterday.com/

Check out Haunt Jaunts for a list of all of the fun paranormal and horror festivals going on all year. : )

http://www.hauntjaunts.net/paracons-horror-fests/

Happy Friday the 13th!

If you're looking for something fun to do to celebrate Friday the 13th, Haunt Jaunts to the rescue! Check out their website for a list of haunted attractions that will be open today...if you live in Passaic, NJ, Rosharon, TX, Plano, TX, Canton, OH, Bedford, TX, or Wright City, MO, you're in luck!

http://www.hauntjaunts.net/haunted-attractions-open-friday-13th-2016/

Haunted Hotels

If you enjoy the paranormal and traveling, why not stay at a haunted hotel on your next trip? If you're not scared to sleep in a room with spirits, go to paranormal travel website Haunt Jaunts and check out their list of haunted hotels. You can find the list here (if you're going to California, you're in luck...they have a bunch of haunted hotels):

http://www.hauntjaunts.net/find-haunted-places/haunted-hotels-us/

If you do stay at a haunted hotel (or ever have before) and would like to write a guest post about it, please email me at crystalsmithconnelly@yahoo.com. : )

Haunt Jaunts Call for Submissions: Shadow People and Cursed Objects

Haunt Jaunts, a travel website about haunted/paranormal places, is planning to release an anthology, and they need your submissions. They're looking for fictional stories (5000 words or less) about shadow people/ghosts or haunted objects, so if you've written something like that, please submit it (if you haven't written something like that but would like to, you have until July 31st to submit). Here's all the info:

http://www.hauntjaunts.net/call-for-submissions-shadow-people-and-cursed-objects/

Good luck! : )

Cool Website of the Week: Haunt Jaunts

This week's cool website is Haunt Jaunts, a travel blog about haunted places.  On this website, you can find links to websites that list haunted places, ghost tours/walks, and haunted Halloween attractions, and there is also a list of paranormal conventions and conferences.  The website also has a store called the Halloween Scareporium, which is full of cool Halloween costumes and decorations, and some of the proceeds go to the Lymphoma Research Foundation.  Try the search feature, and type your city in and see what comes up...I live in Charleston, SC, so I wasn't surprised to see a few posts about my city (including one entitled "The 14 Most Romantic Haunted Cities We've Jaunted To So Far"...Charleston was fourth on the list).

http://www.hauntjaunts.net/