tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73841670839540857212024-03-13T09:21:11.963-07:00My Best NightmareDan Poblocki is the author of The Nightmarys, The Stone Child, and The Mysterious Four Series. This site is what his brain looks like on the internet.Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.comBlogger98125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-64449629827648944622012-08-01T09:25:00.002-07:002012-08-01T09:25:30.553-07:00NEW BOOK IS OUT!Just making an official announcement: As of today, <u>The Ghost of Graylock</u> is totally published and available wherever you can find it.<br />
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Hope you enjoy reading it! I had fun writing it. Scared myself silly.<br />
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xo DanDan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-36331704605684594552012-01-11T19:37:00.000-08:002012-01-13T11:02:21.343-08:00Graylock Cover RevealedMy next book, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Ghost of Graylock,</span> comes out in August, but I've gotten permission to show you all the cover.<br /><br />Ready?<br /><br />Close your eyes... now... open!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ERjupEbpXiU/Tw5WA86f5YI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/dD5v__l3JNk/s1600/Graylock_jkt.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 265px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696585153021732226" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ERjupEbpXiU/Tw5WA86f5YI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/dD5v__l3JNk/s400/Graylock_jkt.jpg" /></a><br />You've seen it here first! Yay! </p><br /><p>The illustration was created by the brilliant Shane Rebenschied with Chris Stengel, who is an Art Director at Scholastic. They captured the feel of the book perfectly.<br /><br />I'm so very excited about this one. I hope you like it!</p><br /><p>(this post was updated to include the names of the artist and designer on 1/13/12)</p>Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-20590034300594302742011-12-29T09:18:00.001-08:002011-12-29T10:16:53.616-08:00The Ghost of Graylock!!!Hello there -<br /><br />Scholastic has released the summary for my newest book, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Ghost of Graylock</span>, which will arrive in stores this coming August 2012! Here it is:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Does an abandoned asylum hold the key to a frightful haunting?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Everyone's heard the stories about Graylock Hall.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">It was meant to be a place of healing - a hospital where children and teenagers with mental disorders would be cared for and perhaps even cured. But something went wrong. Several young patients died under mysterious circumstances. Eventually, the hospital was shut down, the building abandoned and left to rot deep in the woods.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">As the new kid in town, Neil Cady wants to see Graylock for himself. Especially since rumor has it that the building is haunted. He's got fresh batteries in his flashlight, a camera to document the adventure, and a new best friend watching his back.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Neil might think he's prepared for what he'll find in the dark and decrepit asylum. But he's certainly not prepared for what follows him home. . . .</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Scary, suspenseful, and surprising, Dan Poblocki's latest ghost story will keep you turning pages deep into the dead of night.</span><br /><br />Scared yet? You can pre-order your copy now at Amazon.com!Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-59186604017701159792011-11-05T06:15:00.000-07:002011-11-05T06:20:06.773-07:00Murmuration & ChillsYou know when birds do that thing . . . ? Swoop and swarm and swirl? When starlings do it, the behavior is called murmuration. This video captures a close-up view, practically from inside the flock. And honestly, it gave me goosebumps. Breath-taking!<br /><br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/31158841?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" frameborder="0" width="618" height="494"></iframe>Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-52272262989675668952011-11-03T12:05:00.000-07:002011-11-03T12:12:36.707-07:00The Short Career of a Spooky GirlThis is Chloe Moretz, aka Hitgirl from Kickass. And this clip shows how totally awesome she is.<br /><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.funnyordie.com/embed/78c7180f2e" frameborder="0" width="400" height="256"></iframe><br /><div style="WIDTH: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a title="from Chloe Moretz, John Carpenter, Ryan Perez, Funny Or Die, Lesley_Tsina, Brian Lane, TLopezCepero, Kat Bardot, and BoTown Sound" href="http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/78c7180f2e/scary-girl-with-chloe-moretz">Scary Girl with Chloe Moretz</a> from <a href="http://www.funnyordie.com/chloe_moretz">Chloe Moretz</a> <iframe style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; OVERFLOW: hidden; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; WIDTH: 90px; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; HEIGHT: 21px" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?app_id=138711277798&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.funnyordie.com%2Fvideos%2F78c7180f2e%2Fscary-girl-with-chloe-moretz&send=false&layout=button_count&width=150&show_faces=false&action=like&height=21" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-20944608180525788032011-11-02T12:02:00.000-07:002011-11-02T12:05:22.070-07:00Halloween Never Ends<div>I wanted to get this pic onto the last post, the one about my brain melting... but this stupid website kept screwing up the formatting... so... </div><br /><br /><div>Here I am at my first Zombie Lobster Bake.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670476466865158210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6s5JyFmkG2E/TrGUTZq1uEI/AAAAAAAAAIE/fpZypdG9_o0/s400/zombieme.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Happy Halloween, today and everyday!</div>Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-92165530862008959522011-11-02T11:16:00.001-07:002011-11-02T11:30:18.229-07:00I Have Lost My Mind<div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div>Well, not really. But after watching 31 Horror Films in 31 Days over the month of October, I'm pretty sure my brain has melted a little bit. I got the idea for this personal challenge from fellow author Daniel Kraus (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rotters-Daniel-Kraus/dp/0385738579/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320248913&sr=8-1">Rotters</a>) who Tweeted about it early last month. It was grueling, overwhelming, nightmare-inducing, kind of silly, and best of all, inspiring. Watching so many bad (and a few good) films in a row can show what works and what does not work when it comes to story-telling. So, even though I'm pretty sure I lost some muscle tone from sitting on the <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UWrqJohDdqI/TrFvFDpKYrI/AAAAAAAAAFk/chvlY1-jqFQ/s1600/fat%2Bcat.jpg"></a>couch for approximately 70 hours, it was worth it... for ART's sake. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670464679610980898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 314px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xAUIkQ5y3Fc/TrGJlSucmiI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/l83gAXM05Ek/s320/fat%2Bcat.jpg" border="0" /><br />Here is my complete list (* = recommended):<br />(By the way, if you're under 17, ask your parents before watching any of these... Some of them are NASTY.)<br />1. Burnt Offerings<br />2. Case 39<br />3. Session 9 * Possibly the best haunted insane asylum movie ever made. Filmed in the now destroyed but forever EPIC Danvers State Mental Hospital in Massachusetts. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G-GbXNub6l4/TrFyXND17wI/AAAAAAAAAFw/5jGRXc-6YxI/s1600/Session%2B9.jpg"></a><br />4. The Eclipse * </div><br /><div>5. Lake Mungo * A twisted little mock-documentary about a haunting in Australia. When their daughter drowns during a vacation to serene Lake Mungo, the family doesn't expect her apparition to appear in their home movies. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670464685637909218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 317px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GsrQYulSyTA/TrGJlpLYOuI/AAAAAAAAAHc/GVsfS6-gyE4/s320/Lake%2BMungo.jpg" border="0" />6. Peeping Tom<br />7. Cronos *<br />8. The Sentinel<br />9. Dead Snow<br />10. Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil * A horror comedy that turns the "scary cabin in the woods" genre on its decapitated head. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670464695797203442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 216px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dMfhHnmDcjs/TrGJmPBiwfI/AAAAAAAAAHs/RrnDRNNr2h0/s320/T%2526DVE.jpg" border="0" />11. Carriers<br />12. Don't Go to Sleep *<br />13. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon *<br />14. Popcorn</div><br /><div>15. The Howling</div><br /><div>16. I Was a Teenage Zombie & 16. (oops, I marked 2 #16's) The Skin I Live In *<br />17. Nightmares in Red, White, and Blue<br />18. Dahmer *</div><br /><div>19. The Ward</div><br /><div>20. Requiem</div><br /><div>21. Zombies of Mass Destruction</div><br /><div>22. Deathdream * Vietnam Vets and a vampire of sorts. A creepy little supernatural serial killer flick - from the director of A CHRISTMAS STORY. Yeah. </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670464678410260098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 227px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bu6YUBI--Qs/TrGJlOQLDoI/AAAAAAAAAHE/h7HI15MeEb0/s320/deathdream.jpg" border="0" />23. Deep Red<br />24. Paranormal Activity 3 *<br />25. Sheitan<br />26. Scream *<br />27. Red State * A Kevin Smith nightmare about some totally twisted home-grown fundamentalist terrorists. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670464705970978082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 226px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ox0SOqptEm8/TrGJm07KPSI/AAAAAAAAAH0/f0m-15D_neY/s320/Red%2BState.jpg" border="0" />28. Child's Play *<br />29. Paranormal Activity (the original) *<br />30. The Phantom of the Opera *<br />31. The Exorcist * </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Then, before midnight on Halloween, I squeezed in a few more . . .<br /></div><br /><div>32. Ghost Story</div><br /><div>33. Hellboy: Blood and Iron</div><br /><div>34. Alien *</div><br /><div><br />So, I guess that's technically . . . 35 Horror Films in 31 Days (including the doubling of the 16th film). Not too shabby. It helped that I was waiting for my editor to get back to me regarding my latest project, so I had time to do this without worry.<br /></div><br /><div>To check out Daniel Kraus's entertaining list, his blog at Booklist Online is <a href="http://blog.booklistonline.com/2011/11/01/31-horror-films-in-31-days-the-terrifying-conclusion/">here</a>.<br /></div><br /><div>If I can find some way to un-liquify my brain, maybe I'll try again next year. I challenge you to do the same... It's fun!<br /></div></div></div>Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-27691881519522242862011-06-21T19:15:00.001-07:002011-06-21T20:07:27.406-07:00Rumors of My MarriageI need to clear something up!<br /><br />Yesterday, I gave a presentation at a local school here in Park Slope, Brooklyn about my new mystery series, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Mysterious Four</span>. One of my good friends, Shirley Wooh, teaches third grade there. I arrived early, excited to see the faces of the kids who were expecting me. Slowly, the classes filed into the library on the school's top story. The students sat down on the floor. I tried to stay focused, going over my plan for the presentation. When Shirley's class came in, I was even more excited, not only to see her students, but also to see my friend.<br /><br />Often times, when I see a good friend, I'll give them a hug hello and a kiss on the cheek. Well, yesterday, I didn't realize that when I hugged my friend Shirley hello, all of the students slyly observed my action . . . and they came to their own conclusions about what this gesture meant.<br /><br />After I had gone, Shirley told me that a rumor was racing around her classroom that she and I were engaged to be married. I was so amused! First of all, I know Shirley's fiance, and he's a great guy, but he's certainly not me. Second of all, Shirley and I are just friends!<br /><br />Shirley tried to explain this to her class, but they weren't having it! <span style="font-style: italic;">No, no</span>, they told her. <span style="font-style: italic;">We saw you kissing!</span><br /><br />Little did I expect that my excitement to see Shirley would turn into rumors of marriage! I'm impressed with the detective work, and the deductive reasoning, but a good detective remembers that not everything is exactly what it appears to be.<br /><br />I'm writing this to set the record straight. I am <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> marrying Miss Wooh. Her fiance would be VERY mad if that happened, but never mind that because it's <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">happening</span> . . . not because she isn't a lovely human being, but because we are just FRIENDS.<br /><br />Here we are, being all friendly! Okay? ;^)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6aW4I8jLdXY/TgFbAUvfbhI/AAAAAAAAAEg/BPrb1mdh8cA/s1600/Not%2BEngaged.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 244px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6aW4I8jLdXY/TgFbAUvfbhI/AAAAAAAAAEg/BPrb1mdh8cA/s320/Not%2BEngaged.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620873871061118482" border="0" /></a><br />Cheerio!<br /><br />DanDan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-33481782220062260662011-06-11T05:07:00.000-07:002011-06-24T08:24:50.659-07:00Viola, Woodrow, Rosie & Sylvester: Character Arc Throughout a SeriesWith the arrival this summer of my new middle grade series, <em>The Mysterious Four</em>, I've been thinking a whole lot about Character. I've never written a series of novels before (actually these books are more like interweaving story collections than anything else), and I noticed a marked difference in the process from my earlier books, especially when it came to creating the characters.<br /><br /><br /><div align="left"><br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616933402065315810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xsbyYORpBFY/TfNbK10hJ-I/AAAAAAAAADw/656Ahg_uECY/s320/M4H%2526H.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><em>The Mysterious Four</em> are Viola Hart, Sylvester Cho, Woodrow Knox, and Rosie Smithers, a group of sixth graders who live on the same block in Moon Hollow, an odd little Hudson Valley town (because, really, aren't all Hudson Valley towns a little odd?). After they meet and become friends, the new girl, Viola, binds them together with her love of mystery stories. They form a club and decide to become detectives on their own.<br /><br /><br />I had a basic idea of who these kids were when I began - even as I wrote the proposal for the first book. It's hard to start a story without a sense of how the protagonists respond to any given stimulus.<br /><br /><br /><br />The Basics: Viola, that new girl, is outgoing and a bit bossy. Sylvester is a goofball with a penchant for parlor tricks. Woodrow likes sports and games, and he rides his bike everywhere. And Rosie is a science girl, loves reading about animals, and collecting specimens to decorate her room with, to the dismay of her older sister with whom she shares the space.<br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div align="left"><br />These very simple traits lead my kids to explore events in their town that interest them most.<br /><br /><br /><br />For example: Viola listens to her parents' police radio to find out true crimes that occur in Moon Hollow. Sylvester pays attention to the customers at his parents' diner and uses his knowledge of magic tricks to try to debunk some potentially threatening patrons. Woodrow solves some rather benign puzzles during gym class; as a result, he challenges himself to discover some truly weird phenomena in town. And Rosie helps a far-away cousin who is having some extremely strange pet problems.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616935905301451378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 220px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIaWh1OOpTQ/TfNdcjGhUnI/AAAAAAAAAEA/5pF6p3VEuBs/s320/M4Clock.jpeg" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br />I never expected the mysteries to be easily solved by my readers--some of the stories may be, and some of them may take an internet search to figure out. And I think that's fine. I think kids who pick up this book want to be surprised - to learn things they've never heard of before. I thought about what excited me when I was a kid - animals with strange traits, puzzles that seemed to have no answer, secret codes, secret passages. My readers have access to all sorts of information, but it might take them some effort to find it. And good for them. The reader can experience being an actual detective.<br /><br /><br /><br />This is the difference between this series and similar ones that came before it, like the wonderful Encyclopedia Brown books by Donald J. Sobol. Readers nowadays have technology that folks back in the Sobol days didn't have. The fact that Encyclopedia Brown had a photographic memory and knew everything about Everthing certainly helped keep those books interesting and the Sobol's clues varied. Encylopedia's memory was a unique and ground-breaking trait for its time. The kid may have been one of the first superpowered children's book heroes.<br /><br /><br /><br />Which brings me back to Character . . . My group of kids are NOT geniuses, so I needed to find another way to make the concept of their mystery club success plausible. I tried to do this with their quirks, their unique interests, their temperment, their curiosity.<br /><br /><br /><br />Even with a book that is simply a group of mystery stories that are linked together like <em>The Mysterious Four</em>, I felt the need to make Viola's, Rosie's, Woodrow's, and Sylvester's relationship grow, become stronger. And this is the difference I discovered in writing a series, rather than the stand alone books I'd written previously--I was able to continue the <em>Four's</em> character transformations into books two and three. I knew I'd have room there to let them grow, change, challenge one another, and surprise themselves. So Book #1 may be pretty straight forward -- but I was happy to find that there was much more to the story.<br /><br /><br /><br />This was my favorite part of getting to the end of #3: realizing how far the kids had come . . . and yet, how much they had stayed the same. Isn't this the way life is? The ordinary mysteries of our everyday experience shape us, change us, help us see the world in a new way, and if we're lucky, after the dust settles, we ultimately hold on to who we are at our center. Our center is what allowed us to be curious, to explore, to fight in the first place.<br /><br /><br /><br />I hope I was this generous and capable with my favorite new detectives. And I hope my readers will want to explore Moon Hollow with the <em>Four</em> as they journey into new (and sometimes scary) corners of town. Because, come on, who doesn't like a little mystery?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-82718196449826137312011-05-17T08:02:00.001-07:002011-11-02T08:43:26.502-07:00I don't look like me anymore<div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Coming across my author photo on the internet, I realized how very quickly things change. Though I only took that picture 2 years ago, I look like a completely different person now. It's kind of funny to think that the person who wrote those earlier books is emblazened on the book jackets... but he's not me.<br /><br />Looking back at the past 2 years, I'm not sure I could have even written The Stone Child or The Nightmarys today. I've learned so much. About life. About writing. About this crazy business. About myself. My perspective of the world has changed. The WORLD has changed. Yes, it's amazing how quickly things can transform, take new shape, reveal truth, lie. So I guess it makes sense that the guy standing in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is gone now.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zDiWQo6_dSg/TrFkyOdb1LI/AAAAAAAAAFM/kx_1Gy07UiM/s1600/hatatwork2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670424219873957042" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 181px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zDiWQo6_dSg/TrFkyOdb1LI/AAAAAAAAAFM/kx_1Gy07UiM/s320/hatatwork2.jpg" border="0" /></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670423810463370834" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 164px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vNkDqsxn3HA/TrFkaZSWDlI/AAAAAAAAAE0/vsGu5QultA4/s200/botgarden.jpg" border="0" />What I'm saying is, it's time for a new portrait.</div></div>Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-35063039824264862052011-05-05T06:53:00.000-07:002011-05-05T07:40:35.634-07:00Spontaneous Book HaulHi there,<br /><br />I went out after work last night with my good friend Caroline, and we ended up at Greenlight Bookstore in Fort Greene in Brooklyn. It's a wonderful indie shop with many quirky titles featured by the friendly staff. And how could I not appreciate a store that has copies of my new series - <em>The Mysterious Four</em>! hehehe...<br /><br />I couldn't stop myself from picking up four books:<br /><br /><em>The Keep</em> by Jennifer Egan. I've been hearing so much about this writer lately, especially with all the buzz for <em>A Visit From the Goon Squad</em>, so I was curious about her work. I happened to pick up <em>The Keep</em> and the first paragraph totally grabbed me. Two cousins with a troubled past meet up to restore an old castle somewhere in Europe--they end up digging up those old troubles. Mysterious! I'm very excited to read this...<br /><br /><em>Up in the Old Hotel</em> by Joseph Mitchell. A collection of interviews and short pieces about old New York City characters from a <em>New Yorker</em> writer. This was recommended to me by my friend Ethan Hill, a portrait photographer here in Brooklyn. How very appropriate, since this book seems to be a series of portraits as well. An exercise in examining small details that reveal <em>character</em>. Very cool.<br /><br /><em>Just Kids</em> by Patti Smith. It won an award. Woo hoo! But besides that, here is another book about a lost period of New York City history by a woman who lived it. Art, music, young love, two future legends trying to find themselves. What else can one want in a book about NYC in the 70's? I guess I'll find out.<br /><br /><em>Role Models</em> by John Waters. This guy is just a genius. I've wanted to read his newest book since it came out in hardcover. Now with a beautiful paperback release, I had no excuse to skip it. Or at least I ignored any excuse...<br /><br />I have so many books on my shelves now, it's becoming extremely difficult to justify bringing home any more babies. But I'm happy with my discoveries at Greenlight. Egan had signed the copy of <em>The Keep</em>. <em>Up in the Old Hotel</em> seems like something I can keep coming back to. <em>Just Kids</em> is so elegant looking, as is <em>Role Models</em>.<br /><br />Can you tell how much I love books? Go check out <em>Greenlight</em> if you're in Brooklyn. It's so great!<br /><br />[686 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217-1699 (718) 246-0200] <br /><br /><a id="pp-map-link" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&q=greenlight+bookstore&fb=1&gl=us&hq=greenlight+bookstore&hnear=New+York,+NY&safe=active&hl=en&view=map&cid=5401356151859956269&iwloc=A&ved=0CDkQpQY&sa=X&ei=d7bCTZFQjbbJBJ28ldEH" jsaction="app.loadVPageUrl"></a><a id="pp-map-link" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&q=greenlight+bookstore&fb=1&gl=us&hq=greenlight+bookstore&hnear=New+York,+NY&safe=active&hl=en&view=map&cid=5401356151859956269&iwloc=A&ved=0CDkQpQY&sa=X&ei=d7bCTZFQjbbJBJ28ldEH" jsaction="app.loadVPageUrl"></a><br /><br />~DanDan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-72012105059831212192011-02-10T12:02:00.000-08:002011-02-10T12:22:50.580-08:00Phew!Hello,<br /><br />For the past nine months (omg nine months!) I've been writing a new series which is coming out from Scholastic this year. It's called <em>The Mysterious Four</em>, and it's about a group of kids who live on the same block who decide to create a detective club. They challenge one other to solve the mysteries they encounter every day, and the reader is invited to solve the mysteries along with the characters. There are fourteen mystery stories in each book (with a bonus e-book mystery), and so far there are three books. By the time I'm done with book number 3 (which should be very soon) I'll have written 45 mysteries total. 45 mysteries in nine months. 3 books in one year. AND I work a full time job at Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.<br /><br />If someone told me one year ago that this would be part of my career, I would have said, "No way. I won't have time for that!"<br /><br />Don't get me wrong, I'm having tons of fun with the project. I'm a working author who, in about six months, will have five books out on the shelves. Every day I come up with another idea for a project I want to work on. I'd love to have just one more day in my week to do all the things a guy has to do in order to not live like a crazy person in a big city. I don't think I've gone grocery shopping in about a month. And laundry sits in the hamper a few days too long at a time.<br /><br />Am I crazy for wanting to get a dog right now? I have a feeling a little buddy will help me feel more grounded. I definitely want one that's small enough for a Brooklyn apartment, that won't bark too much, and that I can rescue from a shelter. What should I be looking for? <br /><br />What's the most mysterious dog? Maybe I'll get one to inspire me to keep on truckin.<br /><br />DanDan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-50940831297891436362011-01-12T08:37:00.000-08:002011-01-12T08:42:05.729-08:00Free Books Aren't Free (from Saundra Mitchell)Check out this article by fellow spooky author Saundra Mitchell (Shadowed Summer) about how illegal book downloads are keeping writers poor and pushing us out of the book business... I've had these thoughts for months now - after finding out that <span style="font-style: italic;">The Stone Child</span> has been downloaded illegally a few thousand times... That's my rent money folks! <br /><br /><a href="http://anywherebeyond.livejournal.com/342581.html">&#8220;Free&#8221; Books Aren&#8217;t Free</a><br /><br />~DanDan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-19305604350659475272010-12-27T13:57:00.000-08:002010-12-27T14:10:48.143-08:00WimpsI just watched the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie on DVD. Zoo-ee Mama, that was good. Rowley was so funny. I laughed so hard I cried a little bit. But only because I was laughing, not because I was sad or anything... I mean, I don't cry during movies. Right? Who does <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span>? Not me, that's who.<br /><br />Watch it for yourself if you get a chance. You won't be disappointed. I'll probably be watching it again soon...<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sCrxroEkiUk/TRkOhxbBO5I/AAAAAAAAAC0/Ww2A2xG7DlM/s1600/wimpyme.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 163px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sCrxroEkiUk/TRkOhxbBO5I/AAAAAAAAAC0/Ww2A2xG7DlM/s320/wimpyme.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555487588703353746" border="0" /></a><br />This is ME as a wimp!Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-69544258482901031452010-11-11T05:25:00.000-08:002010-11-11T05:31:27.693-08:00A Dream From My Self Proclaimed Biggest FanHere is a story from Sophie, who wrote to me about this really creepy dream she had the night she finished reading <span style="font-style: italic;">The Stone Child</span>!<br /><br />"<span style="font-style: italic;">I was sitting at home watching TV my mom and dad were talking in the kitchen, and all of a sudden the lights went off. I was so startled that I called for my mom and dad in the kitchen. The power always went out so it wasn't that scary. But when I called for my mom and dad there was no answer. At that moment the lights turned back on and started to flicker. The windows opened and slammed shut.<br /><br />'Hello? Is anyone there?' I said The doors and windows opened again, but it looked like someone or something was holding it open. The wind started to howl and then I saw it in the corner of what used to be the kitchen.<br /><br />The kitchen it morphed itself into a huge mess! In fact the whole house seemed to spin and dance, calling to me 'THEY'RE COMING THEY'RE COMING FOR YOU!' <br /><br />'WHO'S COMING!?!?' I screamed at the darkness, thinking someone would answer me.</span> <p><span style="font-style: italic;">And then I woke up. And of course I had this dream the night I finished the stone child." </span></p><p><br /></p><p>Whew! That was a good one, Sophie. Like something I would dream about. <br /></p><p>Thanks for sharing!<br /></p>Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-9505835060407134802010-11-07T15:45:00.000-08:002010-11-07T15:51:50.278-08:00Return to Books of WonderHey there,<br /><br />If you live in the New York City area, why don't you head on in to Books of Wonder on Thursday, November 11 @ 5 pm. I'm participating in a panel of fantasy/ adventure authors who are sharing our latest books and signing copies and saying 'hey' and stuff. <br /><br />Here's a list of the awesome people you can meet there!<br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"> <b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">T.A. BARRON</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#008000;"><b><i> Merlin's Dragon: Ultimate Magic</i></b></span><br /><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">DIANE ZAHLER</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#008000;"><b><i> The Thirteenth Princess</i></b></span><br /><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">JAKE HALPERN</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#008000;"><b><i> World’s End</i></b></span><br /><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">BARRY LYGA</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#008000;"><b><i> Archvillain</i></b></span><br /><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">J.M. DeMATTEIS </span></b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#008000;"><b><i>Imaginalis</i></b></span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;">and me... DAN POBLOCKI </span></b><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#008000;"><b><i>The Nightmarys</i></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"> For more details, check out Books of Wonder's website:</p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><a href="http://www.booksofwonder.com/events111110.asp">http://www.booksofwonder.com/events111110.asp</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify">18 W. 18th Street, NYC</p><p class="MsoNormal" align="justify"><br /></p>Hope to see you!<br /><br />~Dan <span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;color:#008000;"><b> <i> <br /><br /><br /><br /></i></b></span>Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-37309364680259290662010-10-14T21:02:00.000-07:002010-10-14T21:03:46.726-07:00New Reads - The Monstrumologist<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6457229-the-monstrumologist" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Monstrumologist (The Monstrumologist, #1)" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266705962m/6457229.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6457229-the-monstrumologist">The Monstrumologist</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3377941.Rick_Yancey">Rick Yancey</a><br/><br />My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/85566998">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /><br />Much more violent than I expected... Cringingly so. This one makes me wonder what YA genre is, exactly. I compare it to the style of The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti, which was marketed as adult, albeit not horror. I actually think teens might have a difficult time with the language in this book, but they probably deserve the challenge. <br/><br/>And cheers to the Printz committee for awarding this book an Honor. The story is not typical awards fare (and thank goodness for that!), but it definitely stands out for the authentic voice and beautifully written, and effectively nauseating, prose.<br /><br/><br/><br /><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/978279-dan-poblocki">View all my reviews</a>Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-21021538260127216902010-10-06T06:42:00.000-07:002010-10-06T06:57:06.954-07:00Help Me Create the Ultimate Nightmare!Hello Everyone,<br /><br />Last October, in celebration of The Stone Child's release, I presented a contest on this blog where I wrote a ghost story a day and asked you all to guess whether it was "real" or "fiction."<br /><br />THIS YEAR, to say "cheers" to The NIGHTMARYS, my newest book, I'm doing something different. <br /><br />I invite you to participate in my next writing project. I want to hear about your greatest fears, nightmares, and phobias. <br /><br />In the comments section of this post, leave me a little story. It can be a description of your worst nightmare. It can be an experience that totally freaked you out or something you fear might happen.<br /><br />At the end of the month, on Halloween, I will read through your comments, plucking elements from each to create one huge, epic Nightmare story which I will post on this site. And I will choose at random a commenter who participates to receive a signed hardcover copy of The NIGHTMARYS. <br /><br />How's that for a Halloween surprise? <br /><br />A couple caveats: to win, you must follow this blog. AND, if I feel like I'm not getting enough comments from you, dear readers, the game is forfeit. SO SPREAD THE WORD. If you want to help me write my next scary story... direct your friends to this site. And tell them to scare me! <br /><br />Together, we can frighten the WORLD. Mwah-hah-hah! <br /><br />All best nightmares,<br />DanDan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-12709198365914592282010-09-13T19:35:00.000-07:002010-09-13T19:37:06.561-07:00Oh Look! A Nightmarys Giveaway!Head over to Books and Literature for Teens if you want to win a free copy of The Nightmarys... <br /><br />AND there's a great fat interview with moi, if you're into that sort of thing.<br /><br />Click here:<br /><br /><a href="http://booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com/2010/09/interview-with-dan-poblocki-and.html">http://booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com/2010/09/interview-with-dan-poblocki-and.html</a>Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-2907356928451613672010-09-10T19:35:00.001-07:002010-09-10T19:40:57.482-07:00My New News...So after long last, I can officially make this announcement.<br /><br />Actually, this is from Publishers Lunch:<br /><br />"Dan Poblocki's HAUNTINGS AND HEISTS (The Mysterious Four #1), [is] about four kids in the oddball community of Moon Hollow who come together to solve crimes and puzzles big and small: debunking sea monsters, thwarting bullies, or revealing who threw out mom's asparagus; they will figure out the truth in six clues or less, and readers are invited to guess alongside them each step of the way..." <br /><br />What this means is I have THREE books coming out next year! The Mysterious Four will be a lot of fun. I can't wait to share them with you...<br /><br />xo Dan<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Verdana; font-size: 78%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Verdana; font-size: 9pt;"></span></span>Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-29639338926175668262010-09-04T08:04:00.000-07:002010-09-04T08:10:47.386-07:00Mom and the NightmarysSo my sister forwarded me this pic from my mother and Bruce who had to go searching throughout Massachusetts to find a copy of my new book because she didn't want to order it online! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sCrxroEkiUk/TIJgccd6WCI/AAAAAAAAACo/47Ea47SFLbE/s1600/Mom+and+the+Nightmarys.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_sCrxroEkiUk/TIJgccd6WCI/AAAAAAAAACo/47Ea47SFLbE/s320/Mom+and+the+Nightmarys.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5513074935649163298" border="0" /></a><br />She found a bunch of copies in Framingham! Go Framingham! Go Mom and Bruce! <br /><br />Ha!<br /><br />xoDan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-32693905270758811242010-08-29T11:42:00.001-07:002010-08-29T11:43:20.426-07:00Wait Wait This One is So Much Cooler!<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8pZkZguPAPs?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8pZkZguPAPs?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-54558047916372972072010-08-29T10:36:00.001-07:002010-08-29T10:45:28.923-07:00Arcade Fire and Local NativesI got some new music! I recommend you get it too.<br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9oI27uSzxNQ?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9oI27uSzxNQ?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fnTacC1qUmE?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fnTacC1qUmE?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-23714552590904038212010-08-29T10:18:00.000-07:002010-08-29T10:32:28.347-07:00Scary Movies?Yesterday, I saw The Last Exorcism with my friend Nico. While I enjoyed what the film makers were trying to do with the mockumentary style story-telling, the movie left me wanting more. Specifically, more scares, more intense moments... more cohesion? I guess in the end, the big twist came out of nowhere and the story ultimately fell flat.<br /><br />Nico and I left the theater a little bit confused... a little bit disappointed. Afterward, we chatted about how we longed for a good scary movie... and realized how rare they are. We tried to come up with a list of TRULY scary movies, and the list was small. My top choice is a Spanish movie called [REC]. Basic premise: zombies, a quarantined apartment building in Madrid, a camera crew... and... stir.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sCrxroEkiUk/THqYW5azgsI/AAAAAAAAACQ/fkskpSEb958/s1600/rec_movie_poster.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 283px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_sCrxroEkiUk/THqYW5azgsI/AAAAAAAAACQ/fkskpSEb958/s400/rec_movie_poster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510884613179015874" border="0" /></a><br />I also liked The Orphanage, another Spanish movie about children and ghosts and a very creepy building. Some horror movies can actually make you feel something other than scared -- and this was one of the more emotional spook movies I've seen.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sCrxroEkiUk/THqY1v22ulI/AAAAAAAAACY/Nr0dksCufps/s1600/the-orphanage-thomas.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 289px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_sCrxroEkiUk/THqY1v22ulI/AAAAAAAAACY/Nr0dksCufps/s320/the-orphanage-thomas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510885143188257362" border="0" /></a><br /><br />But we were having a difficult time coming up with more -- I'm not into the slasher, gorefest, torture movies that had their heyday about three years ago. I don't even consider those to be scary movies... But they are what the studios think will sell tickets nowadays, I guess. I told Nico that REC is the one film in recent years that (as I watched it by myself, in my living room, in the dark) made me scream out loud, clutch at my hair, and leap off the couch in shock... We also decided that The Blair Witch Project was a truly scary movie...<br /><br />I long for a truly scary movie -- a story that won't necessarily give me nightmares, but that is intense, and taut, and well-built, and makes sense. A movie that mixes a little humor in with the horror... because really, what nightmare isn't completely ridiculous on some level? I have some hope for <span style="font-style: italic;">Don't Be Afraid of the Dark</span>... mostly because it was also produced by Guillermo Del Toro (who totally gets it). Check out the trailer here... <a href="http://youtu.be/0WCaXfiO8hk">http://youtu.be/0WCaXfiO8hk</a><br /><br />Can anyone think of a movie that truly frightened you recently? I need to get ready for Halloween... which is coming more quickly than we all realize... Do you have a list of recommendations or favorites?Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7384167083954085721.post-5486504303243446482010-08-26T05:33:00.000-07:002010-08-29T21:39:46.228-07:00In the Mood for ZombiesA couple friends sent me the trailer yesterday for the new Walking Dead show that premiers on AMC on Halloween. I'm so excited about this! I love zombie movies (and I don't care that others may think they've jumped the shark). But the idea of a continuing story about survivors of a zombie plague... I have no words. Wait, yes I do... HOORAY! <br /><br />Check it out here...<br /><br /><object id="flashObj" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0" height="388" width="456"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=593569611001&playerID=83327935001&playerKey=AQ%2E%2E,AAAAAAuyCbQ%2E,-gfAmfm8njJ8S-9E4q2UfzG931rvkxuP&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true"><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com"><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="videoId=593569611001&playerID=83327935001&playerKey=AQ%2E%2E,AAAAAAuyCbQ%2E,-gfAmfm8njJ8S-9E4q2UfzG931rvkxuP&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" swliveconnect="true" allowscriptaccess="always" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" height="388" width="456"></embed></object><br /><br />So last night, I was looking around in my old DVD's to see if I had anything zombie themed and I came up short... I've seen Shaun of the Dead and 28 Days later too many times to care at this point. And everything streaming on Netflix just seemed lame... Who knows... Maybe this means I'm leaning towards writing my own story???<br /><br />That being said, I'm also really excited about this new book coming out in a month called Zombies vs. Unicorns. Clearly you can tell which side I'm on.<br /><br /><a href="http://promo.simonandschuster.com/zombiesvsunicorns/">http://promo.simonandschuster.com/zombiesvsunicorns/</a><br /><br />Anyway, it is Thursday and the sun is finally shining... but everyone knows that doesn't stop a zombie. Watch yourself!Dan Poblockihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04551129633931376286noreply@blogger.com0