Monthly Archives

May 2014

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Granary Burial Ground, Boston

Hello from Boston! I've been in the city for the past week attending a design conference, but the place is so beautiful and there are so many adorable little puritan cemeteries I just had to bring some  beautiful taphology home for you. The focus of today's post is Old Granary Burial Ground. Third oldest cemetery in Boston, it was founded in 1660, and holds 2,345 marked graves. Despite the small number, it's assumed that nearly 5,000 souls were laid to rest here, among them three signers of the Declaration of Independence (Sam Adams, John Hancock, Robert Tre[...]

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Death by Rollercoaster

So apparently this is not a new thing, but somehow I'd never heard of it. Last week I asked my husband what I should write about for this post and he said, "The death coaster." And I laughed. But he didn't. And then we argued for a good five minutes about whether or not "the death coaster" was a thing. Finally I broke down and Googled it. It's a THING, guys. I mean, the idea of it is a thing. And the science behind it is solid. This video explains everything about it. My only real lingering question is: who would run it? Like, a doctor--a medical professional? Or[...]

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Face Off – Dead & Lovely Inspiration

Special effects makeup wasn't something I necessarily thought I'd be into. I mean, it sounds neat enough, but would I really want to watch a show with people putting on makeup? The answer is apparently yes, yes I would. And not only so I enjoy watching the show, but it continuously inspires me as a writer to work harder and push myself further. And as a lover of the dark and twisty art of the world? This definitely tickles my fancy. The show is called Face Off, and it airs on Syfy (I'll never get used to writing Syfy, by the way. I pronounce it siff-eee, and say[...]

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Horror Writer Interview #5- HEATHER MARIE

 Welcome to the latest edition of our Women of Horror interviews. This week's spotlight is on Heather Marie. Let me tell you, I've read THE GATEWAY THROUGH WHICH THEY CAME and LOVED IT!!! I'm thrilled to introduce her here, because I have no doubt that you will be hearing about her more and more. Enjoy! 1.  What does the word “horror” mean to you?   Anything that entails giving someone a fright. Something twisted or menacing that makes someone tremor at the thought. It's not always about shock factor for me, but rather an idea—that[...]

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Lights Out – A Spooky Short from the Who’s There Film Challenge

I love being scared. Though I love to read scary books, seeing a scary movie unravel on a screen is one of my favorite things to do. This weekend my best friend Johanna Banana told me that she had a short video I just had to see. Banana is my usual scary movie partner in crime. We watch scary movies together. We hide under blankets on the couch. And we scream appropriately during really scary moments. The gleam in Banana's eyes when she told me she had something for me to see, told me it was something awesome. And I was right. Apparently there was a competition[...]

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The Witches of Salem

I'm packing my bags today. Not, as you might imagine, because I've been accused of doing something insidious and I need to get out of dodge, but because I'm hopping on a plane tomorrow and heading to Boston for a week for work. Given my proximity to several creepy things, including Salem, I figured it might be prime opportunity to open up the floor for discussion on the latest television show to jump on the horror bandwagon. We've seen the haunted house and asylum aliens a la American Horror Story, we've got the zombies in The Walking Dead, we're even taking a c[...]

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“Zombies” in Renaissance Europe

Modern medicine is a beautiful thing. In 1495 Europe was hit with an acutely horrendous disease: syphilis. As it was a completely new disease being introduced to the population, the people of Europe had no resistance mechanisms to the grossness that was syphilis. And when I say gross, I mean it, people. Those first several years, before eventually being replaced by milder strains, the disease-- also known as "The Great Pox" or "The French Disease" -- manifested itself in its victims in truly grotesque ways. The following description was written by Ulrich Von H[...]

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Creature Feature: Aliens, Do you believe?

Do you believe in aliens? If you are any part human, you have at least wondered about the existence of extraterrestrial life. Maybe your idea of alien lifeforms are cute and cuddly, ala E.T. Or perhaps something more along the lines of the monster from the movie Alien. Maybe you gravitate toward the idea that other planetary life might simply consist of plants and micro-organisms. Whatever the case, the possibility that a being who is not human could occupy the universe is both intriguing and chilling. This is what makes alien books, movies, and TV shows so inter[...]

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Once Upon a Midnight Pinning

Pinterest is the place to look for inspiration--whether it's for a book you're writing, a painting, what to wear, how to decorate your house, or what book to read next. If you're looking for inspiration that's maybe a little... dark. macabre. creepy. bloody. Different. Well, The Midnight Society of course has you covered. There are 20 boards up for whiling away the midnight hour, and we're always up for suggestions for more! After I noticed how beautiful our boards look with the Pinterest widget, I just had to feature five of them here to grab your attention...[...]

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Horror Writer Interview #4- Bailey Knight

I have to say just how fortunate I am to be surrounded by all of this talent! Not just the ladies I blog with here at The Midnight Society, but also those who have been so kind as to allow me to dig into their writer brains. Amazingness has come from these fabulous women and I hope to continue to be blessed.   Now, without further ado--please welcome Bailey Knight to the cemetery!   1.  What does the word “horror” mean to you? If it frightens me, I’m probably into it.   I love horror because fear is universal and unavoidable. We are[...]