Haunted Indiana - Introduction - (1 of 6)

I Yam What I Yam

Halloween is my favorite time of the year. I love all things spooky. It's no wonder that I write stories filled with horror and the strange when I grew up watching things like Haunted Indiana and Sammy Terry. What are they? you ask. Haunted Indiana was a collection of local urban legends that were re-enacted, so to speak. The production values are terrible (they are 25 - 30 years old) but they are campy and fun. Sammy Terry was the local late night ghoul that appeared every Friday night, introducing young minds like myself to the fabulous world of Horror Films.

Like Popeye said, "I yam what I yam." I wanted to link the videos all in one post but I can't get it to work just right, so I'm going to make six more posts, each with a video of Haunted Indiana. If I can find one with Sammy Terry I'll post that one as well.

Enjoy!

That Was Fast

And then Summer was over.

Don't get me wrong, Fall is my favorite time of the year, but didn't Summer go just a bit too fast for all of you? I really am pushing it this time trying to get a September post in. I'm sorry. Soon I will try to make this blog more interesting. Less chatter about me will be a start.

So what's been going on? Unfortunately, not enough. The ideas are still flowing. The word counts continue to disappoint. But Halloween is on the way. I get all giddy just thinking about it. I can't help myself. I just love the spookiness of the season. If I ever become more financially comfortable, then you can just count on me opening a nice little haunted house out in my garage. I live to scare -- or is it scar? -- people.

I just applied for my first writing "job". Literally. Just now. I hit send for the email not more than two minutes ago. The Edge of Propinquity (which was nice enough to publish my story) has an opening for a Universe Author, which means a story appearing in each monthly issue for a year.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed, and if it doesn't work out then I already have my next novel outlined.

How's that for positive thinking!

Jamie Eyberg: My Friend

The internet has made a small world even smaller. We meet and share our lives with people that 20 years ago we never would have met. We form digital friendships that are no less powerful than face-to-face friends.

Jamie Eyberg was my friend. No we never met. Never shared a meal. Never watched a movie together. And now to my great sadness, we never will.

Jamie was a good man. He always encouraged my writing. Always posted nice things on this blog. He enjoyed working with his hands, spending time with his wife and children, and dreaming of writing something people would find moving. In that we are brothers.

I don't pretend to understand. My heart hurts. My thoughts and prayers go out to his children, who lost not one parent, but both. There are a few people setting up donations for the children. You can read about them on Barry Napier's blog.

I will miss sharing Jamie's life via his blog. I will miss my friend.

Can't You Please Wait?

Man, ol' man. It never fails. I get an idea for a novel; get some research done; get my characters fleshed out; sit down for the long haul, and what happens? That's right, some new idea for a short story digs in and won't leave me alone.

Normally this isn't all that bad -- if I'm working on another short story. But when it's a novel then I have to worry that by the time I'm done the short story will leave me. Not the idea, but the desire to put it on paper.

Part of my job takes me through a couple of museums on a daily basis. I see lot of art that moves me, some I'll never understand, and some that, well, appeal to my dark scribbling nature.

So, though I probably shouldn't, I think I'll take a small break to write the short story.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so they say. I hope this one will be worth at least five times that. And yes, if you are wondering, that IS in fact a tattooed pig. Let your imaginations soar with this one.