My Best Nightmare

Graylock Cover Revealed

2012-01-11T19:37:00.000-08:00

My next book, The Ghost of Graylock, comes out in August, but I've gotten permission to show you all the cover.

Ready?

Close your eyes... now... open!

You've seen it here first! Yay!

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.

I'm so very excited about this one. I hope you like it!

(this post was updated to include the names of the artist and designer on 1/13/12)

The Ghost of Graylock!!!

2011-12-29T09:18:00.001-08:00

Hello there -

Scholastic has released the summary for my newest book, The Ghost of Graylock, which will arrive in stores this coming August 2012! Here it is:

Does an abandoned asylum hold the key to a frightful haunting?

Everyone's heard the stories about Graylock Hall.

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.

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.

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. . . .

Scary, suspenseful, and surprising, Dan Poblocki's latest ghost story will keep you turning pages deep into the dead of night.

Scared yet? You can pre-order your copy now at Amazon.com!

Murmuration & Chills

2011-11-05T06:15:00.000-07:00

You 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!

The Short Career of a Spooky Girl

2011-11-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

This is Chloe Moretz, aka Hitgirl from Kickass. And this clip shows how totally awesome she is.

Scary Girl with Chloe Moretz from Chloe Moretz

Halloween Never Ends

2011-11-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

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...

Here I am at my first Zombie Lobster Bake.

Happy Halloween, today and everyday!

I Have Lost My Mind

2011-11-02T11:16:00.001-07:00

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 (Rotters) 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 couch for approximately 70 hours, it was worth it... for ART's sake.
Here is my complete list (* = recommended):
(By the way, if you're under 17, ask your parents before watching any of these... Some of them are NASTY.)
1. Burnt Offerings
2. Case 39
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.
4. The Eclipse *

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. 6. Peeping Tom
7. Cronos *
8. The Sentinel
9. Dead Snow
10. Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil * A horror comedy that turns the "scary cabin in the woods" genre on its decapitated head. 11. Carriers
12. Don't Go to Sleep *
13. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon *
14. Popcorn

15. The Howling

16. I Was a Teenage Zombie & 16. (oops, I marked 2 #16's) The Skin I Live In *
17. Nightmares in Red, White, and Blue
18. Dahmer *

19. The Ward

20. Requiem

21. Zombies of Mass Destruction

22. Deathdream * Vietnam Vets and a vampire of sorts. A creepy little supernatural serial killer flick - from the director of A CHRISTMAS STORY. Yeah.

23. Deep Red
24. Paranormal Activity 3 *
25. Sheitan
26. Scream *
27. Red State * A Kevin Smith nightmare about some totally twisted home-grown fundamentalist terrorists. 28. Child's Play *
29. Paranormal Activity (the original) *
30. The Phantom of the Opera *
31. The Exorcist *

Then, before midnight on Halloween, I squeezed in a few more . . .

32. Ghost Story

33. Hellboy: Blood and Iron

34. Alien *

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.

To check out Daniel Kraus's entertaining list, his blog at Booklist Online is here.

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!

Rumors of My Marriage

2011-06-21T19:15:00.001-07:00

I need to clear something up!

Yesterday, I gave a presentation at a local school here in Park Slope, Brooklyn about my new mystery series, The Mysterious Four. 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.

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.

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!

Shirley tried to explain this to her class, but they weren't having it! No, no, they told her. We saw you kissing!

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.

I'm writing this to set the record straight. I am not marrying Miss Wooh. Her fiance would be VERY mad if that happened, but never mind that because it's not happening . . . not because she isn't a lovely human being, but because we are just FRIENDS.

Here we are, being all friendly! Okay? ;^)

Cheerio!

Dan

Viola, Woodrow, Rosie & Sylvester: Character Arc Throughout a Series

2011-06-11T05:07:00.000-07:00

With the arrival this summer of my new middle grade series, The Mysterious Four, 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.

The Mysterious Four 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.

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.

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.

These very simple traits lead my kids to explore events in their town that interest them most.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Even with a book that is simply a group of mystery stories that are linked together like The Mysterious Four, 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 Four's 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.

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.

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 Four as they journey into new (and sometimes scary) corners of town. Because, come on, who doesn't like a little mystery?

I don't look like me anymore

2011-05-17T08:02:00.001-07:00

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.

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.

What I'm saying is, it's time for a new portrait.

Spontaneous Book Haul

2011-05-05T06:53:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

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 - The Mysterious Four! hehehe...

I couldn't stop myself from picking up four books:

The Keep by Jennifer Egan. I've been hearing so much about this writer lately, especially with all the buzz for A Visit From the Goon Squad, so I was curious about her work. I happened to pick up The Keep 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...

Up in the Old Hotel by Joseph Mitchell. A collection of interviews and short pieces about old New York City characters from a New Yorker 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 character. Very cool.

Just Kids 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.

Role Models 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...

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 The Keep. Up in the Old Hotel seems like something I can keep coming back to. Just Kids is so elegant looking, as is Role Models.

Can you tell how much I love books? Go check out Greenlight if you're in Brooklyn. It's so great!

[686 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217-1699 (718) 246-0200] ‎

~Dan

Phew!

2011-02-10T12:02:00.000-08:00

Hello,

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 The Mysterious Four, 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.

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!"

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.

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?

What's the most mysterious dog? Maybe I'll get one to inspire me to keep on truckin.

Dan

Free Books Aren't Free (from Saundra Mitchell)

2011-01-12T08:37:00.000-08:00

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 The Stone Child has been downloaded illegally a few thousand times... That's my rent money folks!

“Free” Books Aren’t Free

~Dan

Wimps

2010-12-27T13:57:00.000-08:00

I 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 that? Not me, that's who.

Watch it for yourself if you get a chance. You won't be disappointed. I'll probably be watching it again soon...

This is ME as a wimp!

A Dream From My Self Proclaimed Biggest Fan

2010-11-11T05:25:00.000-08:00

Here is a story from Sophie, who wrote to me about this really creepy dream she had the night she finished reading The Stone Child!

"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.

'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.

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!'

'WHO'S COMING!?!?' I screamed at the darkness, thinking someone would answer me.

And then I woke up. And of course I had this dream the night I finished the stone child."

Whew! That was a good one, Sophie. Like something I would dream about.

Thanks for sharing!

Return to Books of Wonder

2010-11-07T15:45:00.000-08:00

Hey there,

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.

Here's a list of the awesome people you can meet there!

T.A. BARRON Merlin's Dragon: Ultimate Magic
DIANE ZAHLER The Thirteenth Princess
JAKE HALPERN World’s End
BARRY LYGA Archvillain
J.M. DeMATTEIS Imaginalis

and me... DAN POBLOCKI The Nightmarys

For more details, check out Books of Wonder's website:

http://www.booksofwonder.com/events111110.asp

18 W. 18th Street, NYC

Hope to see you!

~Dan

New Reads - The Monstrumologist

2010-10-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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.

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.

View all my reviews

Help Me Create the Ultimate Nightmare!

2010-10-06T06:42:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

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."

THIS YEAR, to say "cheers" to The NIGHTMARYS, my newest book, I'm doing something different.

I invite you to participate in my next writing project. I want to hear about your greatest fears, nightmares, and phobias.

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.

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.

How's that for a Halloween surprise?

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!

Together, we can frighten the WORLD. Mwah-hah-hah!

All best nightmares,
Dan

Oh Look! A Nightmarys Giveaway!

2010-09-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

Head over to Books and Literature for Teens if you want to win a free copy of The Nightmarys...

AND there's a great fat interview with moi, if you're into that sort of thing.

Click here:

http://booksandliteratureforteens.blogspot.com/2010/09/interview-with-dan-poblocki-and.html

My New News...

2010-09-10T19:35:00.001-07:00

So after long last, I can officially make this announcement.

Actually, this is from Publishers Lunch:

"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..."

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...

xo Dan

Mom and the Nightmarys

2010-09-04T08:04:00.000-07:00

So 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!

She found a bunch of copies in Framingham! Go Framingham! Go Mom and Bruce!

Ha!

xo

Wait Wait This One is So Much Cooler!

2010-08-29T11:42:00.001-07:00

Arcade Fire and Local Natives

2010-08-29T10:36:00.001-07:00

I got some new music! I recommend you get it too.

Scary Movies?

2010-08-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

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.

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...

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 Don't Be Afraid of the Dark... mostly because it was also produced by Guillermo Del Toro (who totally gets it). Check out the trailer here... http://youtu.be/0WCaXfiO8hk

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?

In the Mood for Zombies

2010-08-26T05:33:00.000-07:00

A 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!

Check it out here...

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???

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.

http://promo.simonandschuster.com/zombiesvsunicorns/

Anyway, it is Thursday and the sun is finally shining... but everyone knows that doesn't stop a zombie. Watch yourself!

How I Spent The Nightmarys Release Day

2010-08-25T06:01:00.000-07:00

Creating a book from idea to tangible product is a long, bizarre process.

Once the book is complete and is sent off to production by your editor, it is pretty much out of your hands. For The Nightmarys, this happened in fall of 2009. You have to just let it go... and then wait... and wait... and wait... And in the mean time, your editor sends you the preliminary cover art, and the final cover art, and eventually Advanced Copies of the book... Which is REALLY cool.

Then, if you're lucky, you start to hear from people who are interested in reading the book. Bloggers. Fans of other books you've written. Your best friends who want to pump up your ego... (thank you all!). This pretty much carries you along for the last few months as you continue to WAIT for the book to come out.

Last year, when The Stone Child was released, I was so overwhelmed, I didn't even know what to do with myself. There were so many ups and downs (mostly in my head) that by the release date, I felt like I was floating through life. David Levithan and I decided to share a book party at Books of Wonder (who were kind enough to host us). And it was a blast... But still, I was totally freaked out. It was surreal to finally see the book sitting on shelves around New York City.

This year, my prep for The Nightmarys release was more conceptual. I was connecting with people on line. I'd done a few events over the summer (a writing camp for kids, and a school visit) to help start getting the word out that the book was coming soon. I decided to wait for any sort of release date event - I've got some things in the works and will share as soon as they're finalized. So I decided to lay low.

I woke up, checked facebook, reminded everyone I know that the book is now available. Then I went to work and begged everyone there to go buy a copy! Ha. My friend Ethan met me for lunch to celebrate. We ate burritos and had a piece of cake. Then I met another friend in the evening for drinks and a trip to Barnes and Noble in Union Square. To my surprise, the store had quite a few copies prominently displayed! It was so fun to see it up there on the shelf. I grabbed all of them and asked the girl at the info counter if I could sign them. Before we left, I picked up a copy of Mockingjay (of course).

Down the street, I realized I forgot to take a picture in the store. So we ended up in the subway -- and he was kind enough to share the copy he bought for my modeling shot. We said goodnight and I came home.

It's weird... after such a long build-up and all the waiting... it's just another day. Which is nice in a way... Everything that comes next is unknown... and uncontrollable.

Anyway, I hope you're all able to find a copy of The Nightmarys. I'm really happy with the work we all did to make it happen. Let me know what you think!

All best (nightmarys),
Dan

The Most Important Day of the Year Has Come

2010-08-24T06:32:00.001-07:00

That's right... after a LONG wait, The Nightmarys is finally available in stores and online today! Also, The Stone Child is being released in a beautiful paperback version from Yearling.

Get ready for the chill of fall and overcast skies by picking up copies of these books... or ask your library to stock them!

Wishing you all the best (nightmares),

Dan

Great Site for All Things Spooky

2010-08-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

D. M. Cunningham is a writer and blogger, and his extraordinary taste is on display at his blog http://literaryasylum.blogspot.com/

He interviews writers and artists about all things monsters and genre fiction: two of my favorite subjects in the world. Plus he has these amazing photos of Halloweens past on his most recent post. Totally just put me in the mood for fall.

If you're looking for other books like mine, he's got lots of recommendations... so head on over there and follow him... He's also on twitter. Very cool! You won't be sorry!

NIGHTMARYS ARC TOUR

2010-07-21T19:20:00.000-07:00

Are you a YA lit/ Children's lit blogger? Want a chance to review an advanced copy of my next book, The Nightmarys? Check out Good Golly Miss Holly's site to sign up! Hurry, first come, first served...

http://goodgollymisshollybooks.blogspot.com/2010/07/arc-tours-nightmarys.html

Inspiration Everywhere

2010-07-18T09:14:00.000-07:00

I'm sharing this video with you because I love it... I find it inspiring, and maybe you will too.

Cheers,
Dan

Signed Nightmarys Giveaway

2010-07-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Nightmarys

by Dan Poblocki

Giveaway ends at August 24, 2010.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

The Busiest Year Yet

2010-07-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

So this is being a writer... I've got a book out there in the world, another coming out in August, and three due to the publisher before the end of the year. I've been working full-time at Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City for the past almost ten years, while trying to have some semblance of a social life.

I must say, it's all very exciting, but MAN it's hard...

But I'm not complaining! I'm so grateful to have been given the opportunity to be this busy.

What makes it worth it:

getting letters from readers telling me how much they've enjoyed my books and how they can't wait for the next one.
seeing the work out there in stores and on shelves.
watching work take on life all around the globe.
visiting with readers at schools and libraries and answering amazing questions.

Just a tease: I haven't officially announced my next project, but I'm having a lot of fun working on it. New books are coming out next year. I'll be sure to tell you all about them when I'm allowed to.

Hope your summer is not as sticky as mine, or if it is, that at least you have a nice fan. I do.

Cheers,
Dan

June is News

2010-06-01T18:02:00.000-07:00

Long time no speak...!

That's because I've been busy writing... Just not on here...

I'm so psyched about visiting PS 107, in Brooklyn this Friday. I'm going to read a little, and talk a little, and share some very new, very secret writings... Ooh yeah!

Anyway, my Sprummer is going well so far. (That's Spring/ Summer... sort of like how brunch is breakfast/ lunch.) Hope yours is too!

If you're in Poland, or if you read Polish, you must be excited that the Polish edition of The Stone Child is coming out this month. I cannot wait to get my copy... The publisher changed the title to Key to the Underworld and also gave the book a different cover. The new title makes sense, if you've read the book... don't you think? But I'm still partial to The Stone Child... ;^)

~dan

Library Visit In Montclair, NJ

2010-04-15T06:32:00.000-07:00

Hey All -

Just putting the word out there... I'll be in Montclair, NJ on Tuesday April 20, at the public library.

http://www.montclairlibrary.org/content1862

I'll be reading from The Stone Child and discussing the book from conception to publication--answering questions and such. I'll also be giving a preview of my next book, The Nightmarys, which comes out this August.

Spread the word, if you will... It would be great to see lots of faces from my one of my home states!

Cheers,
Dan

Best Response Ever

2010-03-07T21:24:00.000-08:00

I should preface this story by mentioning that I let my father borrow one of the advanced copies of The Nightmarys last weekend. Halfway through the week, he called me up to tell me how much he was loving it... which I thought was great. And then... tonight...

As I was making dinner I got a phone call. The caller ID told me it was my dad. I picked up and said hello.

This is what I heard: "You've got to be freaking kidding me!" Nothing else... No hi, howareya... just, "You've got to be freaking kidding me!"

I was like, "What did I do?"

"I'm totally freaking out right now..."

"Why?"

"Your book! I just got off the train and I'm walking home and there's this old man in front of me and he turned around and stared at me and then this streetlight just went out as I walked under it, and... it's the curse, isn't it?"

At this point, I had to laugh. "You're kidding, right?"

"No! There were so many scary scenes right after the next, and then, just when I thought it was over, it got scarier! I can barely breathe. And now I have to go home to an empty, haunted house."

Eek. I certainly didn't mean to do that to him! I apologized profusely.

He told me people are going to sue me for putting them through that...

Now, I really hope no one sues me when they read The Nightmarys, but I suppose if you like scary stories, you might like this one. At least, my dad thinks so!

Just getting excited for everyone else to read it starting in August! It still seems so far away...

Cheers,
Dan

Advanced Copies!

2010-02-24T06:31:00.001-08:00

So excited! I got home last night to find a package from my editor. I was expecting page proofs (loose pages with all the mark-ups from copy-editing), and to my surprise, there was a little bonus.

You've probably already guessed what that was (see, I included a hint in the title of this post... also, there's that big picture right there). They sent me a couple advanced copies. Let me tell you, it's so much fun after all the work to finally see your words in actual bound-book form.

The cover illustration is still so creepy. The interior design echoes The Stone Child, but adds something new. I can't wait to share this one with everyone!

Cheers,
Dan

And here they are... The Girls.

2010-02-18T04:53:00.001-08:00

Nightmarys Cover Art

2010-02-10T20:30:00.000-08:00

Came home through the blizzard tonight to find a package from Random House waiting for me. My editor and designer sent me the final cover proof for my new book, The Nightmarys, which comes out this August. It's the first time I've gotten to see the back of the book, read the cover copy, and see my author photo (by my friend Nic).

Wow, is the image scary! It's the kind of scary that makes you want to hold it at a distance... or maybe put it in the freezer. I'm sort of shocked that this thing actually came out of my brain...

Can't wait until August!

The Ghost Story Answers

2009-12-13T15:13:00.000-08:00

In October, I held a contest here at enigmaticmanuscript, posting ghost stories every few days, I asked you to guess which were true and which were not. Whoever guessed the most correctly won a free signed copy of my book. (It's on its way, Wooden Spoon!)

I also promised that eventually I would post the answers here. So if you haven't read any of them yet and still want to be surprised, you may want to stop reading here...

Spoilers ahead!

_________________________________________________________________

And the list goes like this:

1. The Eye at the Door: True

2. Hell Shower: True!

3. The Burns Street Disturbance: True

4. The Lady in Red: True!

5. The Hounds of Blairsden: (Though it was based on a very real place, the story itself is) False

6. The Bullet Hole: True

7. Boo!: True!

8. Mrs. Lee: True

9. Another Burns Street Disturbance: True (my dad's house is totally haunted!)

10. The Drowned Dog: False (though unfortunately I did once come across a drowned dog on a beach... so sad!)

11. The Yowl: Totally true!

12. The Devil's Tree: True

13. The Driveway: The murder story is true... The ghost story is fake... so the answer is ... duh... False.

14. Yet Another Burns Street Disturbance: True

15. The Ouija Board: True

16. After the Spirit Board: True

17. The Kelsens: .... .... .... and the final answer is... False! (obviously. though wouldn't it be cool if it were true? I think so.)

________________________________________________________________

Anyway, thanks to everyone who played. If you haven't read the stories, it's not too late. Share 'em with your friends, classes, family. This could be a fun party game... IMHO.

Cheers, during a very unscary December,

Dan

Gone for Awhile, Back Again

2009-12-07T21:54:00.000-08:00

Haven't posted lately. I've been busy with the new/ old job, back at the cancer hospital. And no, I'm not kidding... I work at a cancer hospital, something I didn't feel the need to put in my author bio. I actually really enjoy it.

I'm finally excited about an old project that sucked me back in recently. I started writing this story about four years ago, got 180 pages into it, then quit. Last January, I began again, a new version, revised, but I still wasn't able to commit to it. In my head, it just seemed too big, too much. And after revising The Stone Child last year, finishing the first draft of The Nightmarys, and writing an entire other manuscript between October and December, I guess I just needed a break.

So I'm happy to say, I'm finally back at it. A great big wallop of a story that I'm excited to write. It only took about a year to recover... and it'll probably take me longer than that to complete a first draft... but if there's one thing that 2009 has taught me, it's that I've got plenty of time to grow, to keep going. I can't be in a rush, because the universe is certainly not in a rush for me. It's a difficult lesson to accept when you feel like you're on the cusp of big things.

These are the moments to remember the little things. Those are what give us patience...

Happy December, everyone.

Dan

If on Sunday, you're in NJ

2009-11-05T06:18:00.001-08:00

Come out, come out, come out!

And we have a winner...!

2009-11-02T19:54:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Ms. Wooden Spoon! You are the winner of the October Ghost Story Project and a free signed copy of The Stone Child (and though you are currently sending me your own copy to get signed, I will be sending you back an extra, because you deserve it! Do with it what you will! And thanks for the cookies! Can't wait...)

And thank you to everyone who played the game. It was so much fun to remember my spooky childhood and write these stories.

In a few days, I'll be posting a list of which stories were true or not. Check back to see if you were right to be skeptical or whether I fooled ya good.

xo Dan

Last Day to Vote on the October Ghost Story Project

2009-11-02T05:35:00.000-08:00

Either you're in... or you're out.

End of the day. I'm tallying them up. Winner will be announced by the end of the week.

;^) Dan

October Ghost Story Project Wrap-Up

2009-11-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

Ah, the day after Halloween... sadness.

For everyone who has actually read the ghost stories and voted, I'll be tallying up the score within the week.

For everyone who hasn't had a chance to read the stories, I'm giving you a few extra days. Get your votes in there. The more stories you comment on, the better you chances to win a signed copy of The Stone Child.

Come on. You can do it... Share the stories with your kids, nieces, nephews... Halloween doesn't have to only last for one night! Every day is Halloween for me... ;^)

Answers about which stories were real and which were made up coming soon. Check back!

xo Dan

OGSP - Story #17 October Ghost Story Project

2009-10-31T07:42:00.000-07:00

The Kelsens

During my senior year, we lived at the end of a cul-du-sac, near the edge of some deep woods. Across the street, was a family with two young boys. The Kelsens. I'd sat for them several times. Every time I came over, their mother reminded me that I wasn't allowed to throw parties while they were gone. I don't know what kind of teenager she'd been, but obviously, she held some dark secrets. I on the other hand would never have thought to do such a thing. I didn't mind her strange attitude toward me because her kids were hilarious.

On Halloween that year, their parents were invited to a party. They asked me to watch the boys. I had been looking forward to hanging out with my friends, but I really needed the money, so I agreed.

The boys and I watched some mildly scary movies, and then we carved jack-o-lanterns. They'd gone out trick or treating before I'd gotten there, so there was an abundance of candy which we nearly overdosed on. As the night grew later, the boys fell asleep on the couch. They'd wanted to wait for their parents, but after midnight, I decided to finally lead them up to their bedrooms.

By three am, I'd fallen asleep on the couch myself. I was woken by the sound of knocking on the front door. At first I wondered if it was more trick-or-treaters... LATE trick-or-treaters, but when I saw the boys' parents peering through the window beside the door, I realized my job was just about over. I thought it was weird that they were knocking on their own door, but I answered it anyway, figuring they'd forgotten their keys or something.

When I opened the door, I realized they looked odder than when they'd left the house earlier that night dressed as Sonny and Cher. Now they appeared to be undead versions of the same. Their skin was caked with pale makeup, and fake blood dripped down their chins. I guessed that they'd picked up creepy contact lenses along the way, because their eyes were now milky white. They smiled at me, and I laughed.

"What the hell happened to you guys? Rough night?" I said.

The Kelsens laughed too, but the sound was odd--empty, as if they were humoring me. "You could say that," Mr. Kelsen answered. "We had a makeover once we got there."

"Looks like it."

"You didn't have any of your friends over, did you?" asked Mrs. Kelsen, glancing past me, as if she were hoping I actually had a house full of teenagers hiding in her closets.

"Uh, no." I stepped out of the way, so they could come into their own house. But they continued to stand on the front steps. It suddenly dawned on me that they were playing a game. "Oh, right. I get it. I have to invite you in."

They laughed again. "Yeah," said Mr. Kelsen. "Vampires now." He gestured at his wife and shrugged.

"Ha ha." I moved farther into the hallway, heading toward the living room to grab my jacket and bookbag. But I soon realized they weren't following me. I turned around to find them still waiting on the doorstep. Now they looked angry.

"Uh, Dan, you have to invite us in," said Mrs. Kelsen sharply.

"Okay!"I joked. "I will on my way out." Remembering how she'd treated me earlier-not trusting me-I didn't feel like continuing the joke. I just wanted to get home, and maybe catch the last few minutes of Carnival of Souls on PBS. Besides, I thought what they were doing was just weird. If they didn't want to come into their own house, that was their own prerogative. "The boys were really good tonight. They didn't throw their dirty socks at me this time."

When I came back to the hallway, the front door was closed and the Kelsens appeared to have gone. I wondered if they'd simply entered the house. But I hadn't heard them and hadn't seen them sneak by me. "Hello?" I called, softly, trying not to wake the kids upstairs.

Too late. I heard voices in their bedrooms. I figured their parents had gone up to say good night. I would have just left, but they hadn't paid me yet. I crept up the stairs. I heard the two boys speaking full voice, behind their closed bedroom door. I knocked and the voices stopped. I heard someone say, "Shh."

I opened the door and was struck by a blast of cold air. Between the twin beds, the window was open, the gauzy curtain blowing in the breeze. The children were sitting on their mattresses, facing the window. The older one, Brian, 7 years old, glanced at the younger one, Kyle, 4, as if telling him silently to keep a secret.

All of sudden, Kyle exclaimed, "Mommy and Daddy are outside."

Brian just looked scared. "They told us to let them in, but not to tell you."

"Not to tell me?" I felt my stomach shrink. "Why not?"

"Mommy says you'll make her sleep outside," Kyle answered.

"I wouldn't do that."

"How can they climb up here from down there?"Brian asked. "Why don't they come in the door?"

I rushed to the window and glanced outside. The parents stood in the grass just below the window, staring back at me. Even though I couldn't see their faces, I knew they were smiling those empty smiles. All I could think was that this was a big joke; the whole family must have been in on it. I began to laugh. And simply to end it all, I called out into the darkness, "Alright, come on in!"

I blinked and Mr. and Mrs. Kelsen were gone. From downstairs, I heard a crashing noise, glass breaking. Kyle screamed and scrambled over to his brother's bed. I closed the window and crept to the open door. "Everything okay down there?" I shouted. But no one answered. "I really have to get going. This has been fun and everything, but... do you have my money?" I was actually freaked out, and I figured getting straight to the point would help me work up the nerve to walk home across the street. "Stay here," I whispered to the kids, shutting the door behind me.

Slowly, I made my way down the stairs to the foyer. "Hello?" I said. Still no answer. I peeked into several rooms only to find them empty. Finally, at the back of the house, I noticed that the large sliding glass doors had been smashed. Glass lay on the carpet just inside. Had the Kelsens done this? And why? I suddenly regretted inviting them back into their own house, but then I remembered: there's no such thing as vampires! I reasoned, sure, it was Halloween, I was babysitting, and I was by myself, the perfect reason to go all Jamie Lee Curtis, but come on!

I heard something behind me and spun, but there was no one there. All reason was sucked from my brain. I felt incredibly vulnerable with the night at my back, so I stepped away from the broken glass.

Suddenly, from the living room at the front of the house, I heard voices. It took me several seconds to realize it was the television. Telling myself I had nothing to be afraid of, I peered into the living room and found Mr. and Mrs. Kelsen sitting on the couch. They were watching an informercial. Together, as if they'd been practicing, they glanced at me and smiled, the fake blood glistening red on their teeth.

"Thanks so much, Dan," said Mrs. Kelsen. "Your money's on the table by the front door."

"What about the broken glass?" I asked. "What happened?"

Mr. Kelsen's head lolled. Mrs. Kelsen chuckled. "My husband's had a little too much to drink. Can you show yourself out?"

I certainly could, and I certainly did. I practically ran home.

Safe in my own bedroom a few minutes later, I watched as the light turned off in Brian and Kyle's bedroom. I figured their parents had finally come in to kiss them goodnight.

I got in bed myself, totally freaked out, but I couldn't fall asleep. I kept thinking about what had happened upstairs. Who had opened that window? Why had they woken their children simply to play a practical joke on me?

Eventually, I dozed off, but a couple hours later, a strange noise woke me up again, or so I thought. It was the sound of skin squeaking on glass. I turned to the window closest to my bed and nearly screamed. Brian and Kyle were staring at me from the darkness. "Let us in," they said. "Mommy and Daddy are scaring us." I leapt from my bed and closed the curtain, shutting out what must have been a nightmare. I turned on the lights and hid under the covers. I closed my eyes trying to fall asleep again, but it didn't happen.

The next day, I told my mother what had happened. She didn't believe me and wasn't amused. She called over there, but no one picked up. The car wasn't in their driveway.

A few weeks went by. One day, a for sale sign appeared on the front lawn. Word spread through the neighborhood that the family had packed up and left in the middle of the night.

I never saw them again.

**** MWAH-hahahahah! Real? Fake? Does it even matter? It's Halloween! And this contest is soon to be over... Leave your vote in the comments. I'll be sending an update in the next few days with a list of which stories actually happened... and which I embellished. Stay tuned... xo Dan****

OGSP - Story #16 October Ghost Story Project

2009-10-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

After the Spirit Board

Summer before my senior year of high school, my family moved to a house down the hill on a cul-du-sac near the middle school.

Soon after we'd settled in, strange things started happening. For example, I had this little Felix the Cat stuffed animal which sat on my stereo. One night, I came into my bedroom. When I flicked the lightswitch on the wall, Felix flew full force across the room and tumbled onto the floor next to my bed. I didn't know what to do... I wondered if "Orin" had followed me from the old house, if that was even possible.

Even weirder, I came into my bedroom one afternoon and found a CD case (remember those?) standing on end on the edge of one of my dresser drawers which had been pulled out slightly. It was a jarring image. I asked the rest of my family if they were messing around. I got a great big weird-looking Nope. Again, I had a feeling it was "Orin."

The next year we moved again, this time to a condo near the VA hospital. My bedroom was on the ground floor (otherwise known as the basement, but a NICE basement). I had my own bathroom. One night, when I was reading in bed, I happened to glance up at my dresser. Propped up on a dresser drawer was another CD, standing up on its edge.

I got chills.

I was certain that something was following me from house to house. This time, I was hoping it was "Orin." I didn't want to imagine what else it might be. An demonic music fan... maybe?

***vote vote vote! Hurry! Real? Fake? I'll be giving you a book (a GREAT book) for FREE! Why wouldn't you try? Huh? ;^) ****

OGSP - Story #15 October Ghost Story Project

2009-10-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

It's getting closer and closer to Halloween... which means this contest will soon be over! If you've missed any of the October Ghost Stories (and you're super bored at work) check 'em all out. The more you read and vote on, the better your chances to win a signed copy of The Stone Child! That's a $15.99 value for the price of... nothin'!

Okay, now for today's tale...

"The Ouija Board"

After many years of living in the haunted house in Basking Ridge, NJ, nothing shocked or surprised my family. We'd heard strange howling sounds. Lights that were off when we went to bed at night, would be left on in the morning. Doors would open and close by themselves. We'd hear footsteps upstairs when we were downstairs, and no one else was home. Sometimes, we heard voices whispering from empty rooms. I saw a dark figure standing at the end of my bed at night.

Of course, as teenagers, it was inevitable that my friends and I would try to figure out who or what was haunting us. One night, we decided to have a seance in my bedroom. We lit a candle and sat on the floor with the flame between us. We turned off the lights. "If anyone is here, give us a sign," we asked again and again. After several minutes with no response, we got bored and started talking about other things... when suddenly, the candle just went out. No rustling flame. No wind or breeze. It just went, ssst. And we were thrown into darkness. We ran screaming from the bedroom. The seance was over.

The summer after my junior year of high school, my parents sold the house. My friends and I came up with the idea to build a Ouija board, to try and receive some answers before my family had to leave. I don't know why it took us so long to try it. I think we were too scared. But with an end point looming, we bit the bullet, just to see what would happen.

On a large white piece of poster board, using a black magic marker, we drew the alphabet, numbers zero through nine, a "yes," a "no," a "hello," and a "goodbye." As a planchette, we used a small slip of paper that had been posted by magnet from the refrigerator door. This slip of paper was covered with writing--phone messages jotted down over time. On the paper, we drew a thick black arrow to point at the board. We didn't have any instructions; we simply used the template of the Parker Brothers game.

The first night, several of us gathered at the kitchen table. Two of us would touch the paper planchette at a time. To our surprise, the planchette began to move almost immediately... It was unclear at first, as if getting used to us. When we asked questions, we received answers.

The board told us that we were speaking with a girl who, for some reason, called herself "Orin."

We asked her how she had died. To our surprise and confusion, she said, "Never lived."

We asked, "Where were you before you were in this house?"

The planchette spelled out, "Tummy."

I kid you not.

"Why are you here? Why don't you leave?" we asked.

"Old vibes," the board said. Whatever that meant...

We ended the night frightened and thrilled. We'd finally made contact with someone in the house, someone who'd been watching my family for years. Now she was talking.

And that was only the beginning...

*** Well? Do you still think I'm only telling stories? Leave your vote in the comments.... ****

OGSP - Story #14 October Ghost Story Project

2009-10-28T19:07:00.000-07:00

Yet Another Burns Street Disturbance

By now, we all know that my dad and step-mother's house in Queens is haunted... or do we?

Here's another quickie, for all you believers:

Built into the wall separating the dining room and kitchen is a beautiful original cabinet which is accessible from both rooms. You can pull the utensil drawers out from either side. Picture it: you're in the kitchen, and you need a spoon. Open the drawer. Then, at dinner, you need a fork; without getting up from the table, you can open the same drawer from the other side. It goes both ways! There's also a sliding wooden panel where you pass dishes through the wall. And the piece de-resistance--above the counter are several rows of open glass shelves. You can literally look through the cabinets from one room into the next.

I describe this all in such detail for a specific reason. I want to you understand exactly what I saw one night before a dinner party at their house.

I was in the kitchen looking for my dad. Through the glass cabinet, I saw a tall man standing on the other side of the wall with his back toward me. Of course I thought it was my father, so I headed toward the door to speak with him. Strangely, just as I was about to enter the dining room, I thought, "Wouldn't it be weird if there's no one there?"

Well, guess what? Seconds later, as I peered around the door frame, I found the dining room empty. In fact, my dad was upstairs.

I am absolutely positive I saw someone standing in the dining room.

Are you absolutely sure you believe me?

*** leave you vote in the comments below... We're coming toward October's end! Who's gonna win a free copy of The Stone Child???****

OGSP - Story #13 October Ghost Story Project

2009-10-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

The Driveway

My grandmother's best friend, Bette, lived across the street on Union Point Road in Webster, MA. Both women have since passed away, but I'll never forget Bette's story about her sister, who'd gone missing nearly forty years ago.

When Bette's sister disappeared, she was certain that her sister was dead, and that she'd been the victim of foul play. Bette believed that the sister's husband had murdered her. But her sister's son was still young, and Bette didn't want to upset him by accusing his father of doing such a thing.

Years went by. Bette grew old. Her sister's husband passed away, and the house passed to the son. Bette claimed that one day she'd seen her sister outside in the driveway. Bette was certain her sister's spirit was trying to tell her something. Time and again, the apparition of Bette's sister continued to appear standing on the driveway.

Bette had an idea. Thinking back to when her sister had disappeared, she recalled that her husband had poured a new concrete driveway.

She managed to convince her nephew to investigate the driveway itself. They brought in technology. The state x-rayed the concrete at the old house. They discovered a body.

After years without an answer, Bette was finally able to bury her sister... in a proper grave.

*** Real or made up? Leave your vote in the comments...****

OGSP - Story #12 October Ghost Story Project

2009-10-26T05:44:00.000-07:00

The Devil's Tree

Another of the legends in my old town revolves around a lone tree that stood in the middle of a farm field up in the hills. The tree stood at a sharp corner in the road. What made it creepy was that the tree only grew leaves once every few years. Some years, it was just barren.

People say that way back in the nineteenth century, criminals were hung from this tree. Now, the legends tells that every midnight you can see a body hanging from the branches.

What do you think my friends and I did with this information when we were in high school? Uh-huh. That's right.

We used to go up there all the time. We never saw any bodies hanging from the trees, but it was certainly a spooky place. We would bring a camera. Once, I took a picture of the tree trunk. A large firey orb floated in front of it.

One time, I went up to the tree during the day with another friend of mine. Again, I brought my camera. We took pictures of the tree, trying to see if anything else might show up in the shots. We also took snaps of the surrounding field and forest and road. We didn't see anything that day, but when the photos came back from the lab, you might have thought we had. In a couple pictures, there were wispy strands of fog. In one photo of the road leading into the nearby woods was one particularly thick patch of fog. I immediately noticed a face staring back at me from the center of the gray mist.

Frustratingly, I lost the picture years ago... I really wish I still had it. I would have posted it here for you to judge for yourself.

**** Real or made up? Vote in the comments....****

OGSP - Story #11 October Ghost Story Project

2009-10-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

The Yowl

My sister and I were home alone one night at the house in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, the one we were pretty sure was haunted. My mom was taking an evening class. My brother was away at school.

Emily and I had just finished watching the scariest movie ever made (Jacob's Ladder) and, for some reason, decided to go to sleep straightaway. I brushed my teeth and got into bed. I heard the water running down the hallway, as Emily finished up in the bathroom. The water stopped and Emily called out, "Dan? Did you hear that noise?"

"What noise?" I shouted back.

Just then, from what seemed like the bottom of the stairs, a sound erupted--unlike anything I'd ever heard. It was a yowling, howling, growling noise. An awful, hungry animal sound. Deeper than a dog, harsher than a large wild cat. When it stopped, the house was stunned into silence, which made the sound all the more frightening.

I leapt from my bed and dashed down the hall. I found Emily cowering in the bathroom, her toothbrush still in hand. Her eyes were wide--stunned. I probably looked the same way. It was a late fall night, so all the windows were closed. The sound had definitely come from inside the house.

Maybe it was our imaginations reacting to the scary movie that turned what might have seemed, on any other night, like an ordinary noise, into a horror-show... but we didn't think so. This sound was as real and as crazy as anything I'd ever heard.

"Okay," I said. "Let's be calm." I grabbed a disposible shaver from the counter (because that would protect us!) and trying to be a "big brother," decided we needed to check it out. You have to understand that until this point, we'd be hearing and seeing things in this house for years... so what was one more disturbance?

Hestitating, my sister slowly followed me down the stairs. "Hello?" we called out, but received no answer. After quickly, scanning the kitchen and the dining room and finding nothing, Emily and I decided to turn on the lights and watch some television, something cheerful and silly, until Mom got home.

But after a few minutes, from the other side of the house came a loud banging noise. Immediately, Emily grew frantic. "Let's call the neighbors."

"No, wait..." I said. I didn't want to get anyone else involved... since we'd dealt with stuff like this all the time. "Let's check it out." Emily followed me to the living room, I think, mostly because she didn't want to be left alone in the family room. Along the way, we turned on the rest of the lights. Once in the living room, we found nothing out of place... nothing that could have created the banging sound we'd just heard.

We crept back to the television and turned it up even louder...

Minutes later, we heard a noise in the family room, where we sat. Something was brushing against the walls. We rubbed against the heating vents, creating a soft shing-shing-shing sound, over and over.

That was the final straw. I grabbed the phone and called a neighbor. I told them I thought someone was in the house, because I was pretty sure they wouldn't have come if I told them that I thought we were being haunted.

The neighbors showed up just as my mother came home. We all searched every corner of the house but found nothing out of place... I'm not sure how I got to sleep that night, but eventually I did.

Later, my older brother, Brendan would make fun of me and Em, for claiming to heard that howling, growling noise at the bottom of the stairs. After several years though, at a party, he pulled me aside and said, "I need to apologize to you."

"For what?"

He'd been watching one of those paranormal phenomenon shows on the Discovery network, this one being about Electronic Voice Phenomena, or EVP. EVP is the capturing of ghostly voices on tape... for "scientific" purposes.

Brendan explained that the final section of the show described people who had heard growling and howling sounds in their houses and captured them on tape. Brendan said they played some for him. The noises gave him chills. They'd sounded exactly what Emily and I had described years earlier.

At this point, I'd never heard of growls being heard in haunted houses by anyone else, but my brother's apology certainly freaked me out.

I never heard anything like it again. Thank goodness.

***Your turn! Real or made up.... Vote in the comment section below...***

OGSP - Story #10 October Ghost Story Project

2009-10-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

"The Drowned Dog"

Home from college one summer, I went to visit my friend, Greg, whose family rented a house down at Long Beach Island on the Jersey Shore. Greg and I spent the day in the water, body-surfing, building sand-castles, napping and reading. At dusk, we went on a walk far south of where he was staying. We were so caught up in our conversation, we almost didn't notice the small crowd gathered at high-tide water mark. There were a few police standing around a dark lump on the sand. Walking closer, we saw that the lump was actually a dog. A yellow lab.

At first, I wondered why he was laying there. It seemed like a strange place to take a nap. Then, I noticed its tongue lolling from its mouth, quite long and purple. It's stomach was fat, like it had swallowed a watermelon.

"Is that dog...?" Greg started.

"It's dead," I finished. The thing looked like a corpse from a television crime scene, played by an animal actor. It almost seemed like it could have stood up and shaken itself out, the way dogs instinctively do when they're wet.

We figured it must have gotten swept out into the ocean somehow, then washed up on the beach.

Disturbed, we walked back to his family's place just as the sun was setting. Over dinner, we told the story of what we'd seen. Greg's mother wasn't too happy about it--not good meal-time conversation.

Later, when Greg and I were watching television, a neighbor, an older woman, stopped by. We heard her chatting with Greg's parents in the kitchen. Eventually, they called to us. His parents were pale.

"What's wrong?" Greg asked.

They asked us again what kind of dog we'd seen on the beach. When we reminded them, the neighbor nearly fainted. She had a yellow lab. Charlemagne. He was missing.

Greg's mother asked the neighbor when was the last time she'd seen him. The neighbor said the dog had been playing in her fenced-yard all afternoon. She'd checked on him from the kitchen window less than an hour earlier and had watching him rolling in the grass, chewing on a piece of rawhide. But later, when she went out to feed him, he wasn't there. The fence had been unlatched. She was afraid someone had come by and let him out.

We explained that if she'd seen Charlemagne less than an hour ago, she had nothing to worry about, at least when it came to the dog on the beach. We'd encountered him at least three hours earlier.

But the next day, when Charlemagne hadn't returned, Greg's neighbor went to the police. They confirmed that the dog they'd found was in fact poor Charlemagne. We were all devastated.

The thing we couldn't figure out though was how the neighbor had seen the dog out in her yard, even after we'd already walked by his body washed up on the shore. Maybe her eyes had been playing tricks... or maybe the dead dog had learned a new one.

***You know the rules by now.... Vote in the comments section below... If you dare!***

OGSP - Story #9 October Ghost Story Project

2009-10-13T18:53:00.000-07:00

Ethan's telling me I should write a story called, "You Could See Right Through the Chicken," but I think I'm going to wait on that one for now...

Tonight's tale instead is called "Another Burns Street Disturbance"

So now we all know that my dad and step-mother's house in Forest Hills is haunted. Right? Remember the tape measure and the attic?

Here's another one from my father.

During the renovations, my dad and step-mom hired a contractor to work on their kitchen. One day, the contractor couldn't find the knob he'd bought for a particular appliance. He searched and searched all of his materials, but the knob had disappeared, so my father volunteered to drive out to Home Depot for a replacement while the contractor continued to work. But when my dad got to the store, the contractor called on his cell phone, asking him to come home.

When my father returned, he found the contractor standing on the sidewalk, looking pale. "What's wrong?" my dad asked, already sensing the answer. The contractor sheepishly explained that something had freaked him out, then he proceeded to tell his own story.

The way the guy worked was: he would lay out all of his materials and tools on a white drop cloth so he could keep track of them. This is where he was certain he'd left the knob before it had disappeared. After my father left for the store, the contractor went back to his drop cloth to retrieve a particular tool, a wrench, let's say, but now the wrench was missing from the drop cloth as well.

According to the contractor, something told him to go out to his truck, that he'd find what he was looking for out there. So the guy went out to his truck. To his surprise, in an obscure corner of an old tool box, he found... not the wrench... but the knob that had earlier disappeared. What was strange was that he didn't use this tool box very often; in fact, he hadn't touched the container for quite some time. He had no idea how the knob had gotten there. Feeling freaked out, he brought the knob back inside, and was about to call my father at Home Depot, when he noticed that the wrench had somehow reappeared on the white drop cloth at his feet...

That was when the contractor called my father and decided to wait for him outside.

Two strange stories now about ghostly happenings during construction--could it be the ghost was unhappy about the changes being made to her house? Or was she only trying to be helpful?

**** Or did I make the whole thing up? Leave your vote in the comments below for your chance to win a signed copy of my book... ****

Reading this Sunday!!!!

2009-10-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

If you're in the NYC area this Sunday, come on out to Books of Wonder in Chelsea for the Fantastic Fiction event. Nine very cool authors reading from their very cool books. Signing. Answering questions. The usual...

http://www.booksofwonder.com/events101809.asp

Sunday OCTOBER 18TH, 1:00 - 3:00PM

Books of Wonder
18 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011

OGSP - Story #8 October Ghost Story Project

2009-10-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

"Mrs. Lee"

Let me start by saying: This is a weird one. True or not, that's for you to decide, but either way, it's weird.

Several years ago, I went to a wedding in Cincinnati. My friends Kathy and Leon were tying the knot. Another friend, Caroline, was kind enough to let me sleep on the futon in the living room of her apartment.

The rehearsal dinner was lovely. Afterward, Caroline drove us back to her place, and we stayed up late watching The Simpsons on DVD. Eventually, we went to bed. The futon was comfy enough, but just before dawn, something strange happened. I sort of woke up. I say "sort of," because it didn't quite feel like waking... especially when I felt the presence of an old woman drift into the room through an open window. When the old woman lay down on the futon next to me and began speaking, I figured I must have been dreaming. She spoke for a long time, telling me the story of her life. I listened intently, knowing, for some reason, that her story was very important to remember.

As the sun brightened the room even more, I drifted closer toward consciousness, and soon I knew the woman would have to leave. I realized that I couldn't remember what the old woman had told me. "I need to remember you," I told her. "How?"

"You'll know me by the name Lee," she said.

"Lee?" I asked.

And she spelled it for me. "L-E-E."

I woke up and was alone, of course, the dream clinging to the corners of the room like cobwebs.

When Caroline got out of bed, I told her about the dream. "Do you know anyone named Lee?"

I certainly didn't.

She said she didn't either but suggested I call my friend Kathy who was getting married that day. I knew it was important, and what could have been more important than the wedding we were to attend that day? Kathy said she'd known someone with that name in high school. "How did she spell it?" I asked.

"Leigh," said Kathy, and I knew that wasn't it.

Anyway, Caroline and I went to the wedding and had a blast. I passed off the encounter with the old woman as nothing more than a dream. By the next morning, I'd nearly forgotten all about it.

I left for the airport that afternoon. I found my seat on the plane and opened the book I was reading. At the last second, a woman and her daughter boarded. The mother took the window seat next to me, and the daughter had the seat in front of her. Almost immediately, the woman began talking to me. At first I was annoyed, but I quickly warmed up to her. She was charming and sweet and funny. She told me about the book she was writing about her awful husband. I told her about the book I was writing--some massive brick of a first novel which will never ever be published, though at the time, it was all I could think about.

Eventually, it came out that I was working at a cancer hospital... The woman's face changed. "I'm just coming back to New York from my mother's funeral in Texas. She had cancer." I told her I was sorry for her loss. We spoke a bit more about my job, and that was that.

By the time we were about to land, we finally introduced ourselves. I told her my name, and she asked my family heritage. "My father is 100% Polish," I explained.

"Oh, I come from a long line of old Southern families. We have names like Adams. Lee. We're related to General Robert E. Lee. In fact, my that's my maiden name."

My mouth dropped open, and the woman looked concerned. "Lee?" I asked. "L-E-E?"

The woman nodded, and I tried my best to recount the dream I'd had the morning prior. She just looked at me strangely, not quite getting it...

But, if there was a puzzle to piece together, I'd finally managed to find the parts. If this woman's maiden name was Lee, then that was her mother's last name as well--the old woman who had only just passed away that week and whose funeral had been held the day before...

The plane landed, and the woman and I wished each other luck with our books and our futures. She said nothing more to me about my dream, or vision, or whatever the hell it had been. Then we parted.

I like to believe that she was merely being polite... that deep inside, she was touched by what I'd told her... by the old woman I'd seen and her story, which I couldn't quite remember.

**** Come on... that one's gotta be fake, right? Or is it??? Leave your vote in the comments below for a chance to win a signed copy of The Stone Child...****

OGSP - Story #7 October Ghost Story Project

2009-10-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

"Boo!"

My older brother and I always enjoyed tormenting our little sister--in a loving way of course--if only because she made it so easy. My mom used to call Emily "Me-too" because anything my brother and I had or did, she wanted, to be part of the boys or something. She didn't want to be left out. And if she was, she got mad!

So how could I resist the opportunity, when I was in middle school, to try and scare her the same way my brother and I would scare each other. You know, by jumping out from around corners? (Sound familiar?)

One Saturday morning, I heard my sister moving around in the bathroom and turn on the shower. She'd left her bedroom door open, and I noticed her bed was unmade. Breaking all sorts of house rules, I crept into her room and hid under the covers, trying to make myself inconspicuous.

A few minutes later, I heard the shower turn off. I clenched all my muscles, giddy with the anticipation of making her scream when I leapt out and surprised her. (I know, I was cruel, don't judge me.) Seconds later, the bathroom door opened, and I heard footsteps in the hallway. My sister walked purposely toward me, and didn't stop until she was standing right next to the bed. I knew I'd been caught--especially when she leaned over and started breathing on my face. I could feel it through the sheet. In the back of my mind, I wondered how she'd known I was there so quickly. I figured I didn't have anything to lose by whipping the sheets away and screaming, "Boo!"

No one was there.

In fact, I could still hear my sister moving around in the bathroom. The door was still closed.

Chills raced across my skin. I jumped out of the bed, realizing that even though I hadn't been caught by Emily, I'd certainly been caught by something.

****Did I make this one up too? Leave your vote in the comments for another chance to win a signed copy of my book, The Stone Child... Results will be announced after the best day of the year--Halloween!****

OGSP - Story #6 October Ghost Story Project

2009-10-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

"The Bullet Hole"

When I was in high school, my friend Grace had several puppy-sitting jobs. One of the families she whose dogs she cared for lived in the hills far west of our town. Sometimes, she asked me to tag along. I loved playing with the dogs, but there was also something compelling about visiting the homes of these people who were away. Empty houses feel entirely different from ones that are occupied--sad, lonely... all the obvious stuff. This one house was even stranger. Not only was it an oddly shaped, seven story modern with an indoor swimming pool, but it had once belonged to someone who'd supposedly been the victim of a mob shooting.

That's right--someone had been murdered in the puppy-sitting house. I wasn't sure if I believed Grace at first, but when I saw the bullet hole which, for some reason, was STILL in the window of the indoor pool room, I knew that something bad had happened there.

I was highly invested in all-things "ghost" at the time, so I was extremely curious to spend some time in the house, even if it was only to help Grace change the doggie food bowls and water. When I entered through the garage, I felt odd. Maybe it was the house's seclusion up in the hills. Maybe it was knowing the house's history. I almost expected to find a dead man lurking around every corner. All we found though were two grotesquely cute Lhasa Apsos who were very happy to see us.

Grace and I spent some time playing with the dogs. Then, as she cleaned up the kitchen, I wandered to the base of the stairs in the grand foyer. That was where I first heard the voices.

Moving closer to the stairs, I heard them more clearly, a soft whispering, which actually sounded like a radio or television had been left on somewhere upstairs. I couldn't make out any words, but the sound was clearly there. I asked my friend if the owners had left a stereo playing... she gave me a look, and I brought her to the base of the stairs. "Do you hear it?" I asked. She nodded.

Together, we ascended the steps, the dogs locked in the kitchen behind us. At the first landing, we encountered a large living room with a cathedral ceiling. But the stereo was off and we couldn't find a television. And yet, the whispering sound was still there if we listened closely. But only near the stairs. If we moved away, the sound stopped.

We climbed the next set flight, which wound up the center of the house in a clunky spiral. At each floor we looked for some electronic device which might have been left on, and at each floor, we found nothing.

Finally we came to the top, the master bedroom. On a nearby shelf was a television set! But the screen was dark and as I peeked at the cord, I found the tv unplugged.

Grace and I couldn't figure out where the sound was coming from, and at that point, we weren't sure we wanted an answer...

Especially as we came back to the base of the stairs and found all of the foyer lights turned on. Funny. We hadn't left them that way...

Grace and I quickly said goodbye to the poor pups and went outside. Driving away, I couldn't help but catch a glimpse of the bullet hole in the window behind us and wonder what secret someone might have been trying to whisper to us.

****Did I make this one up??? Really? How can you be so sure...? Leave your vote in the comments for another chance to win a signed copy of my book, The Stone Child... Results will be announced after the best day of the year--Halloween!****

OGSP - Story #5 October Ghost Story Project

2009-10-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

"The Hounds of Blairsden"

When I was in high school, my friends and I would drive around the Bernardsville Mountains, trying to defeat our boredom. Though my corner of New Jersey was filled with more local legends per acre than anywhere else I've ever lived, those roads were particularly ripe with folklore. And at night, they were terrifying.

If you grew up in Basking Ridge, you must have heard about Jacob's Ladder, the old winding road through the hills with the seven pronounced bumps, under which it was told were buried seven bodies.

One of the stories I'll never forget has to do with an old estate which stood at the top of a steep hill, overlooking a large mirror-like pond. Blairsden. The mansion's name was carved into a stone wall at the estate's ruined gate, just above a terribly creepy relief of a goat's head. That's right... a freakin' goat's head greeted any trespassers who were nervy enough to cross the gated off bridge which led from the road across a small creek. Past the gate was an abandoned driveway which hugged an overgrown hillside and which, once upon a time, led up the hill to the stone house at the top. I was a curious teenager. I explored this driveway one afternoon with a friend of mine. The scariest thing that happened to us was when we got back in my car and realized we were crawling with ticks.

But Blairsden came with a much creepier history than a mere insect infestation.

The house's story went like this: Blairsden was built by rich young man for his new bride. But before they even had a chance to share their perfect love nest, the poor girl died. The young man was left inconsolable. He moved into the house by himself. Supposedly, he bought himself a number of hunting dogs for sport, and also to keep himself company.

The dogs, however were no comfort. The man fell into a deep depression. One night, he drowned each dog in the pond at the base of the hill, before taking his own life.

A sad story... but it doesn't end there. Legend says that if you look into the water in the dead of night, you can see the glowing red eyes of the dogs looking back at you.

My friends and I would often freak ourselves out by driving by the pond, but we never saw the red lights for ourselves. This didn't stop us from trying... or going even further.

Though Blairsden's old driveway was locked and crumbling, a newer driveway had been built on the other side of the hill. The mansion itself had been turned into a rest home for retired nuns... or so we believed... which somehow made the house even spookier. On several occasions, my friends and I would drive all the way up to the house at night. Thinking back on it now, it seems like quite a rude thing to do, bothering the nuns like that. But at the time, we cherished every thrill we could get.

Past a ten foot wall, the driveway circled a long thin reflecting pool. Along the wall were stone busts of important looking men. My friends and I would drive quickly past them, holding our breath, hoping the nuns wouldn't chase us off the property... or call the police.

The last time I drove up to Blairsden, I was by myself. I'd come home on a break from college, and one night, I decided to check out the place for old-time's sake--the best kind of sake when you're on a break from college. The leaves were off the trees and the hills were especially dark. I pulled into the mansion's long driveway and tried to make my way up to the top, but when I reached the wall, I found the entrance chained off. I figured that maybe one too many people had had the same idea as my friends and I over the years, and the nuns had had enough.

I had put the car into reverse and was trying to pull a k-turn, when looking over my shoulder, I saw someone walking in the road behind me. I nearly hit him. The red tail lights reflected off a man in a long coat. He didn't look at me. Just kept walking by. I pulled forward and up the road. Looking into the rearview mirror, I noticed that he was walking at least four large dogs. I swear one of them looked back at me, its eyes glowing red...

I drove as fast as I could away from there...

I tried to fall asleep at my mom's house, but all night long, I heard a dog barking in the woods outside. I haven't been back to Blairsden since.

**** What do you think??? Real story, or did I make it up? Leave your vote in the comments below... Keep coming back. The more you vote, the better your chance to win a signed copy of The Stone Child. Winner will be revealed after Halloween!*****

OGSP - Story #4 (October Ghost Story Project)

2009-10-06T04:32:00.000-07:00

"The Lady in Red"

Believe it or not, I actually went to college for acting.

Syracuse University. Woo-hoo.

Our acting classes were held in a building down the hill from the main campus. This building housed the university theater (The Storch) as well as a professional regional theater called Syracuse Stage.

I first heard about the Lady in Red when I was working at the box office for Syracuse Stage. One of my co-workers told me that the theater was haunted by a woman, an actress, wearing a red dress. Supposedly, this woman didn't like being upstaged. She would grow jealous of anyone else who wore red on Syracuse Stage. There were countless stories of strange mishaps when one of the actors was costumed in red.

My co-worker told me her story: she'd been working late in the box office and was about to leave, when she found the door locked. From the outside. The problem was, the door didn't lock from the outside. She was alone in the theater and had to call her partner to help get her out. But when help arrived, the door wasn't locked anymore. Weird...

Okay... but here's what happened to me when I was in a show with someone who wore red.

It was my junior year, and I'd been cast in Syracuse Stage's production of Three Tall Women, by Edward Albee. I played the non-speaking role of The Boy. Basically, the three tall women were my mother... (surreal, I know). My role was to come onstage in the second act, sit by my dying mother, and weep. Very difficult to do night after night, with any authenticity. I'm pretty sure I used all my tears up during rehearsals.

One of the three tall women was made to wear a 1960's style red chiffon dress in the second act. Right from the start, this dress gave our actress problems. The first time she even tried it on, her shoe heel caught on the hem and tore a huge hole at the bottom. By the time the show was up and running, our actress couldn't get out of that dress fast enough, and began undressing in the hallway before she ever made it to her dressing room.

Anyway, I spent most of the show in my own dressing room, listening to the dialogue piped in through speakers. Opening night, a friend of mine gave me a single red rose in a small vase. I had placed the vase on the counter next to my dressing room mirror. As I sat listening to the play, untouched, the vase tipped toward me and spilled the rose's water all over the floor. Unnerved, I scrambled to wipe up the mess. I couldn't think of how the vase had tipped over by itself. I felt like it was the Lady in Red wishing me luck...

Like I said, it was difficult eventually to come up with tears on stage, but when I did, they flowed. After one performance when the boo-hooing was authentic, I rushed offstage after my scene and heard someone call my name from a storage room. Clear as day, a woman said, "Dan!"

Thinking it was one of my stage-hand friends, I looked all around that side of the stage for the person who called my name. But no one was around. No was had been near enough to say my name that loud, enough for me to believe they were within poking distance...

When I realized I was completely alone in the dark backstage, I hurried downstairs toward the light and the possibility of company.

****Real or made-up??? Vote in the comments for a chance to win a signed copy of the Stone Child...!****

OGSP - Story #3

2009-10-05T18:27:00.000-07:00

"The Burns Street Disturbance"

A few years ago, my father and step-mother bought a row house in Forest Hills Gardens in Queens, NY. It's a beautiful neighborhood with lots of history -- actually designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. Lots of tudor-style houses and buildings... nearly a century old.

The house my parents bought is four stories tall -- a living room, dining room and kitchen on the first floor, two bedrooms and a bath on the second, two more beds and another bath on the third, and below it all, a large basement. Before they moved in, they did many renovations. During construction, I went to see the place for the first time. As I made my way to the top floor, I felt strange, that we weren't alone up there. It was the way I used to feel in our house in New Jersey-the haunted one- like someone was watching me. I said nothing to my father. I didn't want to frighten him in his new house.

Yet, as I stood there, my father exclaimed, "The neighbors' kids say this place is haunted."

I got chills. I nodded. "I can feel it."

"This room in particular," my father continued, pointing at one of the top-floor bedrooms. He smiled, amused.

"Guess we'll see what happens," I finished.

A few months later, my father called me. "You'll never believe what happened," he said. "Or actually, maybe you will..."

This is his story.

One night, my father was in the attic of his new house, working on the air vents. The light had grown dim, and he had no flashlight to see by. He managed to crawl toward the hatch which led to the ladder. He climbed down the ladder, which brought him to the closet in the front bedroom on the top floor. The electricity had been turned off on this floor, and the only light to see by shone from the stairwell.

My father passed through the room, went through the door, out into the hallway and had started down the stairs to work on a separate project, when he realized that his measuring tape was not on his tool belt. Thinking that he'd left it up in the attic, he crossed back through the bedroom, entered the closet, and climbed the ladder into the darkness again. But as he floundered blindly in the attic for the tape, he quickly realized that he wouldn't have been able to find his own nose if it hadn't been attached to his face. So he gave up the search.

He climbed back down the ladder and was about to cross through the bedroom for the third time in less than five minutes when he realized something was now blocking his path. An object that had not been there moments earlier... Stretched out across the floor, in front of the bedroom door, was the measuring tape.

Surprised, my father picked up the tape, attached it to his belt and called out for the house to hear, "Thank you!"

If it had been me, I'm pretty sure I would have shouted something else...

****Real story or made up??? Leave your vote in the comments... Keep coming back every day to vote. Whoever leaves the most correct responses will win a signed copy of The Stone Child!****

OGSP - Story #2

2009-10-04T05:52:00.000-07:00

"Hell Shower"

During my junior year at Syracuse University, my roommates and I lived on the first floor of a triple decker apartment building off-campus. There were four bedrooms, but only three of us.

Of course, I believed it was haunted.

For example... we had a large plant which sat in the corner of our living room. One night, I watched as all the leaves and branches began to shake, as if someone were brushing a hand through them. But no one was near the plant. I wondered if I was seeing things until my roommate's two cats rushed over to the corner and stared at the plant with me. The rustling stopped, but I was still freaked out. I'm pretty sure the cats were too.

Another time, out of the corner of my eye, in this same corner of the living room, I saw a large shadowy figure standing there watching me. When I looked directly at it, it disappeared, but when I turned away, I could still see it standing there in my peripheral vision.

The weirdest room in the apartment was the bathroom, which was in the long hallway near the front door. One night, I came home with a friend to find we had the apartment to ourselves. Or so we thought, because as we came into the living room, we heard someone moving around. The lights were off in the apartment. I dragged my friend back to the front hallway. "Hello?" I called out, as I turned on the hall light. The sounds from the bathroom stopped. But the door was closed, so we couldn't see inside.

Of course.

We were freaking out as we slowly pushed the door open. I quickly flicked the light switch on, only to find the shower curtain drawn shut.

Of course.

"Hello?" I said again weakly, as my friend groaned in fear. But we received no answer. After a few seconds, I decided to suck it up and be a big boy. I reached out and pulled the curtain back. The shower was empty. However, one of my roommate's disposable shavers lay conspicuously in the middle of the tub.

My friend and I sighed in relief, and quickly forgot about it.

But soon, I was forced to remember. One morning before class, shortly after this incident, I was taking a shower. The way the bathtub was set up, there were shelves built into the faucet side of the shower as well as the opposite wall. These shelves were where we kept our shampoo and shower gels and whatever else we thought we needed in order to stay clean. On this particular morning, I was rinsing my hair when every single bottle sitting on these two shelves flew from their perches and struck me. Literally, the bottles flew several feet through the air to hit my body, hard. I cried out in shock and pain. Then I slowly put them back where they belonged.

This continued to happen again and again, until I finally started shouting at whatever it was to knock it off. And it started to happen to my other roommates as well. The bottles would fly from the shower shelves all at once, but only when we were in there. I might have dismissed the incidences as caused by gravity and a slanty old building, but with the other stuff we'd seen and heard in the house, we believed that a spirit who lived with us had something against us bathing... As ridiculous as that sounds...

****What do you believe??? Real story? Or fake? Leave your vote in the comments below... oh, and spread the word about the contest... Most correct guesses wins a signed copy of The Stone Child!****

October Ghost Story Project (OGSP)- Story Number 1

2009-10-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

"The Eye at the Door"

The first time I ever saw a ghost, I was twelve years old.

I was in the upstairs bathroom brushing my teeth one evening. In the mirror, I noticed that someone was watching me through a crack in the door behind me. I clearly saw an eye come up and peek at me for several seconds. A few seconds later, it disappeared. At first, the sight of the eyeball frightened me. But by the time I spit out my toothpaste, I had concluded that my older brother was standing out in the hallway, preparing to jump in at me when I swung the door open. "Dummy," I thought. "He thinks I didn't notice him."

So I decided to jump out first. I yanked the door inward and shouted, "Boo!" But to my surprise, my brother was not standing in the doorway. Oh, I thought, he must by hiding just around the corner. So, I leapt into the hallway, determined to get him back, and shrieked, "Yah!" Again, I found I was alone.

The hallway was dark, as were the bedrooms. My brother's bedroom door was open, and I figured that if he was the one who'd been watching me through the crack in the door, he must have managed to run and hide in there. I crept toward his bedroom, growing uneasy. I'd never imagined my brother to be so stealthy.

As I entered his room and turned on the light, I tentatively called out his name. But I found the room empty. Obviously, I received no answer.

By now, I was getting scared. Whoever had been watching me brush my teeth must still be upstairs. He couldn't have had enough time to creep away, I thought. I rushed downstairs toward the light of the kitchen if only to get away from the feeling that I was still being watched, that he might leapt out and grab my arm... or worse.

I found my mother sitting on the couch, reading the L.L. Bean catalogue. "Mom," I said, "Is Brendan home?" My brother.

She shook her head. "It's just you and me," she said.

Chills rattled my body. "Someone was upstairs watching me brush my teeth just now. I saw them through the crack in the door."

My mother looked amused. "I've been down here for awhile. No one else is home."

She wanted me to believe that I had simply imagined the eye at the door.

But as I got in bed that night, I couldn't be certain of what I'd seen at all.

**** So what do you think? Real or not? Leave your vote in the comments!****

October Ghost Story Project Announcement

2009-10-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

Since it's finally October, officially the coolest calendar month, I decided to push myself to do a little experiment.

Part contest, part just-for-fun, I'm going to try and write, until Oct. 31, at least one ghost story per day.

Those of you who know me understand that I've always had a fascination with ghost stories, so much so that, when I moved to New Jersey at eleven, I eventually came to believe that our house was totally haunted.

Ever since then, I've had a love/hate situation with the ghosts in my life... ;^)

Anyway, the October Ghost Story Project goes like this - I will write down a daily ghost story here on this blog. Some of them will be true, some of them will be fiction.

You will write in the comments whether or not you think the story is true. (True meaning--it actually happened to me or someone I know.) The more ghost stories you read on the blog, the more you can vote. And at the end of the month, who ever has guessed the most correctly wins a signed copy of The Stone Child, my first book!

Happy Hauntings,

Dan

Another Translation

2009-09-24T04:41:00.000-07:00

This is so exciting. The Stone Child will be read in Vietnam!

In Vietnamese!

I love getting this news...

Cheers,

Dan

October Event!

2009-09-14T14:58:00.001-07:00

Hey there -

Peter Glassman at Books of Wonder asked me to come back for another visit, since we sold out of The Stone Child the first time around...! I'll be part of a panel featuring "Fantastic Fiction," with totally amazing authors John Connolly (The Gates), John Hulme & Michael Wexler (The Lost Train of Thought), and Daniel Kirk (The High Road).

We'll be presenting our books, answering questions, and signing signing signing! Come on out!

Here are the details:

Sunday, October 18, 2009 (!)
1:00-3:00 pm

Books of Wonder
18 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011

Hope to see you there,

Cheers,
Dan

Neato Stuff

2009-09-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a week since The Stone Child's release, and what a week it's been! My book party (with David Levithan) at Books of Wonder was a smashing success. There seemed to be about a hundred people there... and they sold out of my book! (Psyched and disappointed about that at the same time, but more psyched than disappointed). I will write more about that awesome experience when I get some pics together... but for now...

A few other cool items:

The Barnes and Noble Review named The Stone Child as one of three Chapter Book recommendations for the week of September 2, along with Kate DiCamillo's The Magician's Elephant and Gennifer Choldenko's Al Capone Shines My Shoes. Two very big deal authors... and ME!

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/bn-review/longlist.asp

One of my favorite Blogs

http://bellairsia.blogspot.com/

mentioned me and my book. This blog is dedicated to ALL things, John Bellairs, and is so cool. If you don't know about my favorite author , John Bellairs, (shame on you! :p ) pick up a copy of The House With a Clock in its Walls. From the creepy and comforting gothic setting, to the amazing illustrations by the classic and hilarious Edward Gorey, you won't be disappointed. I'd been reading the bellarsia blog for quite some time--and I'm so happy to have been mentioned in a posting there!

In other news, I'm up at my mom and step-dad's lake house, diligently revising my next manuscript, which is scheduled to be on Random House's fall 2010 list... I'm very excited about this one... so if you liked The Stone Child, get ready for next year! More (and bigger) spooks to come...

Cheers,

Dan

Awesome Event in September

2009-08-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

Hi There,

Please come see me read at the Jefferson Market Branch of the NY Public Library on September 9th. 6-7:30, 425 6th Ave, at 10th Street. I'll be up there with a totally intimidating stable of authors. Here's the awesome lineup:

Gordon Korman, Pop
Justine Larbalestier, Liar
David Levithan, Love is the Higher Law
E. Lockhart, The Treasure Map of Boys
Lauren McLaughlin, Recycler
Bennett Madison, The Blonde of the Joke
Me! (Dan Poblocki), The Stone Child
Scott Westerfeld, Leviathan

Yeah... Hopefully I'll actually have the nerve to speak... Come early, I have a feeling it might be difficult getting a seat to this one!

Cheers,
Dan

One more day

2009-08-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, I'm so excited... my book finally comes out tomorrow. Once again, if anyone is actually out there reading this, and you're in NYC on 8/25, come to Books of Wonder (18 W. 18th Street) at 6pm for my reading and signing and cupcake celebration!

And please spread the word about The Stone Child... It's really creepy, a little bit silly, and tons of fun. Please buy a copy, review it, tell a friend about it. Fledgling authors and their books need as much help as they can get!

Cheers,
Dan

Sweet!

2009-08-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

Jay Asher, the author of the NY Times bestselling phenom, 13 Reasons Why, mentioned my book on his blog, as one of the few which caught his attention in the Fall Children's Book edition of Publisher's Weekly.

Check it out here:
http://jayasher.blogspot.com/2009/08/fall-2009-childrens-books.html

I'm in good company! So cool.

Cheers,
Dan

Arrival

2009-08-20T13:14:00.001-07:00

I was surprised to come home last night and find two big boxes on my doorstep. My heart started to flutter when I saw that cute little Random House emblem printed on them. Could it be? Had the day arrived? Finally?

Well, I won't keep you in suspense... I opened the boxes to find my 20 beautiful author copies of The Stone Child. I did I little dance and squealed a bit, then took a picture of the books all stacked up on top of each other.

I'll post the pics here when my computer figures out how to let me do that... but I just have to say, this is really cool!

Cheers,
Dan

Homestretch

2009-08-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hi there-

Officially one week left until The Stone Child is available. I'm so excited...

especially after spending an extra-special four day weekend in Alta, Utah, at my agent, Barry Goldblatt's client retreat. About twenty of us holed up in an off-season ski lodge high in the (HUGE) mountains, chatting about the writing business, craft, time-management, inspiration, and lots of other really useful stuff. Holly Black made lots of flow-charts. Karen Healey took lots of notes. Shannon and Dean Hale did some interpretive dance. Cassandra Clare wrote the ending of her next novel. Mette Harrison took part in an iron-man competition (for real!). And everybody else was super kind and dandy.

I've never done anything like this before, and I left Alta feeling so lucky to have been part of the experience. I was especially star-struck, as some of my favorite authors in the world were sitting right next to me. But what surprised me most was learning that these VERY successful writers feel the same sorts of anxiety that us newbies do.

Lots of wine was poured, lots candy was shared, lots of push up competitions took place. Lots of gossip was given. Lots of hummingbirds were spotted. Lots of laughs were shared... And I'm certain we all left Utah feeling sad that it went by so quickly.

We're all looking forward to next year... wherever that may be.

Book Release Party!!!

2009-08-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

Hi There,

If anyone is in the NYC area on Tuesday 8/25, please come to The Stone Child's release party at Books of Wonder.

Bestselling author David Levithan and I are celebrating the same-day debuts of our new books.

I'm told there will be cupcakes! And who doesn't like cupcakes...?

For more information, check out the event notice at the Books of Wonder website, here:

http://www.booksofwonder.com/events082509.asp

SO looking forward to seeing you there...

Cheers,

Dan

POLAND

2009-07-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

Oh, and how did this slip my mind? The Stone Child is going to be published in Poland! In Polish! Wow. If I had a wishlist for foreign editions of my book, Poland was definitely at the top. Mission accomplished.

My grandparents will be able to read it!

Random House Subsidiary Rights rocks my world.

;^) Dan

In Defense of Must Love Dogs

2009-07-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

You know what? I'm gonna go right ahead and defend the film version of "Must Love Dogs."

Because, I don't know why... I just kind of liked it. Maybe it was all the dappled golden sunlight. And the Diane Lane. And the dogs. I love dogs. And really... who cares?

Cheers,
Dan

The Learning Curve

2009-07-24T13:05:00.000-07:00

I've met a few authors in my time--all lovely people. Recently, I had the opportunity to hang out with some new very cool ones, authors, that is.

As my publication date approaches, I've been totally stressed... I don't even know why any more... but talking with other writers, and their own experiences of the publishing process has been enlightening... I finally understand that what I'm feeling is totally normal. That everything that has been happening recently with my book (wonderful and perplexing, both), has happened to many, many people before.

So I just wanted to say, I'm happy I've found I'm not alone in all this craziness. Much of it has been extraordinarily exciting... but I suppose when you're on the verge of materializing one of your long-term dreams, every little thing might start to freak you out. Now that I know that this is just how it all works, I think I can get on with my day.

Just putting it out there... in perspective for myself I suppose, and I'm grateful for the opportunity. So grateful!

Cheers,
Dan

Saturday morning

2009-07-18T06:06:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am, listening to the sounds of construction just outside my bedroom window on a Saturday morning. Not that annoying. Just a little scraping now and again.

Trying to settle into the new apartment, but I seem to have a strong aversion to unpacking boxes. Maybe it's that I know most of them are filled with books. And once you unpack a box of books, they mostly just sit on the floor, especially if you don't have proper bookshelves--so for now, it just seems more organized this way.

I'm not sure what I want to do with my day. I haven't gotten back into a good writing routine ever since I turned in my last manuscript--a while ago--and since I'm waiting for my editorial letter this week, I just feel like anything I put on paper will be interrupted... which, I suppose, is okay...

Went out to see the 1944 version of The Picture of Dorian Gray with a bunch of friends last night at the Rubin Museum on 17th street. Their deal is you can buy a drink at the bar, and get a ticket for the movie screening downstairs... Pretty cool. A few weeks ago, we went to see Gaslight. And August is chock full of options... The Shining. Alice in Wonderland. Labyrinth. ("Starring Jennifer Connelly, David Bowie, and a whole lot of goblins") Tron.

It's a pretty cool place. I think it beats the overly attended, once upon a time fun, Bryant Park Movie night... now that you have to get there right when they open the lawn (430?) just to get a spot, and the wait 5 hours... it doesn't seem to be the lark it used to.

Oh well, things change... NYC especially.

Happy Weekend!
Dan

What a week

2009-07-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

I won't go into specifics... so this post is sort of pointless.

Let's just say, I'm really, really, really, ready for my book to be out in the world. I'm really, really, really looking forward to hearing your thoughts and such.

I'm ready to keeping working on the next project--big or small.

I'm ready to plant a garden. Too bad my back yard is concrete!

One funny story: I just moved into a new apartment in Park Slope. A little cat has been hanging out just outside my bedroom window, in the tiny, creepy dark alley. Sometimes at night, I hear his collar jangling... Anyway, I told my friend Ethan about him, that the kitty had hopped up onto my windowsill and rubbed a hello against the screen.

Well earlier today, Ethan was hanging out. He asked me, hey has your kitty friend been back to visit. I was about to say no, when I turned and found him sitting on the ramshackle little fence just outside the window, staring at us...

His ears must have been burning.

Cheers,
dan

Alarm Clock

2009-07-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

Here's something weird. Every time my alarm clock went off this morning, I dreamt I turned over and hit snooze. But then I was confused when it kept ringing. I was like, "Doesn't snooze work anymore?" But it was only a dream of turning off the alarm. And I did this for and hour and a half.

Boo.

Off to the Country

2009-07-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

Things I'm excited about for this weekend:

An Amtrak Trip to New England along the Connecticut and RI coastline.

My mom's screen porch.

Barbecues (hotdogs, blackened).

Jet-skis.

Patio boats.

Reading my library books: Cicada Summer by Andrea Beatty and The Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman.

Rum punch.

Kayaking around little islands with small cabins nestled within the trees.

Beer.

Wine.

Swimming!

Gabbing with gays.

Telling everyone that I'm up at Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg.

And that's the truth. Pthpppth!

Cheers!

And AGAIN!

2009-06-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to announce that I was informed the The Stone Child will be translated into Greek!

GREEK!

That's like an entirely different alphabet! Now I can imagine little Greek kids sitting around reading my book while eating grilled octopus salad and mint chutney covered lamb, while overlooking the glowing turquoise expanse of the Mediterranean Sea... ah, maybe I'll have to come and read the book TO them?

It's been a big week. Huge.

I moved from my tower at the top of the hill in Prospect Heights down to the cozy valley at the bottom of Park Slope, and I'm SO excited. My new apartment is absolutely everything I've ever dreamed of. I have closets (!) AND there's room enough so that I can walk all the way around my bed! Plus, good water pressure! (It's the little things...)

Seriously: shiny hardwood floors, beautiful details on the walls. A large living room to share with my new roommate Zack. We're going to have so much fun. We're even getting cable! Hooray!

Still waiting for editorial feedback on The Nightmarys. I'm hoping to be done with that by the fall... but we'll see. As we know by now, these things take awhile.

BUT we're finally less than two months from The Stone Child release date.

Sheesh. Has time ever passed more slowly than now?

Last week went by SOOO slowly--I think mostly because of my move. I sat at my office desk every day, twiddling my thumbs thinking, "If only I could leave right now, I could just rent a truck and get it all done."

Hmm, now that I think of it, it was sort of like editing a book--"If only I could get feedback right now, I could just start revising and get it done. (and get paid... ;^)" ...hee hee... just kidding.

Okay, time to get back to data entry. (That's right, I went back to a day-job for now... economy woes-shmeeconomy woes... We'll survive, right? Right??? And maybe eventually write full time??? hahahaha!)

Cheers,
Dan

Forgot to Mention

2009-06-18T11:20:00.000-07:00

Big News.

Random House told me they've sold the French translation license to a French publisher, which means... The Stone Child will be published in French!

How freakin' cool is that?

In my warped imagination, I can see little French kids sitting around with their poodles and cappuccinos, wearing berets, eating croissants and french fries, flipping excitedly through L'Enfant en Pierre, while sitting underneath the Eiffel Tower. (I don't know if that will be the actual title over there, but I ran 'the stone child' through an online translator and that's what they gave me...)

Yes, I know that's not exactly how it is in France -- but wouldn't it be cool if it was?

Side-note regarding broad national stereotypes: in middle-school, I had a German pen-pal named Mati, who told me that he and his friends thought all Americans did was watch lots of television and put ketchup on everything... Was he right?

Burgers and Cupcakes

2009-06-05T11:43:00.001-07:00

Did you know there is a restaurant in Manhattan called Burgers and Cupcakes?

Do you know what they serve there?

Burgers. Cupcakes. Yummy. Period.

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

2009-05-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

I actually had to count out the "ch's" to see if I got the song right.

I'm sitting here at work, having last week started a short term assignment for a non-profit in midtown. Starting my proofreading class next monday, and heading in for volunteer orientation at a literacy non-profit. Book is coming out in August... and I'm twiddling my thumb. Doh-de-doh...

I really don't think anyone reads this thing, so I'm going to be honest here, more honest than I would if I thought it mattered so much...

I feel really lucky for all the opportunities I've been given. So I don't want to sound like a complainer. But I can help but feel frustrated that the ground beneath my feet barely seems to solidify before shifting again.

I was on a bus back from Boston a couple months ago, and I ended up meeting this writer named Rachel Cohen who was really neat. She had lots to say about writing and teaching and life and people. She told me this story about interviewing Norman Mailer for this book she wrote, and how he'd asked her: So when does the book come out?

RC: 8 months.

NM: Hmm... Maybe your character is stronger than mine, but take it from me, that's a long time. This is the hardest part.

I've been waiting over a year, and I still have 3 months to go. Since I've never shot anyone (yet), I certainly don't have Norman Mailer's strength of character!

I think I'm going to have to move again (for the 10th time in ten years), and I really don't want to. It's about money and not having the big important job I used to have back when I first moved into this place. I was talking with Ethan last night, and we decided that another move for me should be fun. That I should look at it as an opportunity to make things better for myself. Get a bigger bedroom. Get a closet. You know, stuff that's hard to find in NYC? It's all about perspective... or something.

Recently, all I've really wanted to do is leave New York. I really do love it here, but I'm starting to feel the pull of trees and water and mountains and air... I don't know where that would be exactly, but I'm beginning to think that a vacation there just isn't going to cut it for much longer. Maybe it's summertime, but I don't think so...

The frustrating thing is that I can't afford to move to the country just yet -- so if I do move, it'll have to be within NYC. Which is super expensive... I'm in a catch-22, I think.

Help!

This was a bit of a ramble... oops.

Meeting People

2009-04-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

This morning, I gave a talk to a group of students at the school where my step-father works. The class was called "life-skills," and the students were all part of the special education curriculum. Basically, I spoke about what it means to be a writer. I have to say it was pretty awesome.

I was nervous at first, mostly because I haven't really done too much of this sort of thing yet. A couple weeks ago, I participated in a Teen Advisory Group run by my friend Anne at the New York Public Library. But other than that, I haven't really gotten up in front of a group of young people since I did children's theater after college. Ah, the memories. Still, performing in a play for kids is majorly different from actually talking about yourself and what you do for a living.

Today, I was impressed with my audience. They paid attention and asked questions and seemed generally interested in what I had to say, which is pretty cool considering that none of them had read my book, or even heard of me before that class. They wanted to know about the cover art, and the titles of my other books, and if The Stone Child is going to be turned into a movie... Ha. I told them that I wouldn't mind if it is.

I'm looking forward to doing more of this kind of thing in the future... Gets me psyched. Helps me remember why I wanted to do this whole writing thing in the first place.

Cheers!

A Ghost Story (the first)

2009-04-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

Bonus post for today:

Anyone who knows me, knows that I've always loved a good ghost story. Telling 'em, listening to 'em, it's all good. I've lived in quite a few haunted places over the course of my life -- I don't think I'm special or anything... but I have certainly moved a whole bunch... My high ghost percentage probably has to do with this fact more than anything else: the law of averages. Living in many places gives you more chances to end up in a weird one.

I also have to say before I relate the most recent occurrence, I'm not even sure if I actually believe in ghosts. How's that, you ask? I dunno. What I do know is that weird things can happen and often there are no explanations.

Here's my story: I currently live in a sprawling penthouse apartment in an old pre-war building in Brooklyn, NY. No, I'm not rich. I live in the eensy-weensy maid's quarters just off the smallish kitchen. Ah, the writer's life...

My roommate, who owns the place, has been out of town for awhile and I've been alone there. In some of the other places I've lived, I've definitely felt something strange right off the bat. But in the almost 2 years I've lived in Brooklyn, I haven't really noticed anything weird, even after I learned that the guy who built the building jumped off the roof after it opened. That's right, he might have leaped from the ledge just outside my bedroom window. But if his ghost haunts my building, he's not hanging around the roof.

Anyway, this past week, I was in the kitchen late at night, getting something from the fridge, I don't remember what. I went to close the refrigerator door, and for some reason, it bumped back open. I reached forward to close it again. At that moment, I very clearly heard a female voice next to me say, "Pardon me."

Mm-hm. Hallucination you ask? A noisy next door neighbor? Who knows. I'm going to go with the maid who's room I now inhabit. If I'm living with her ghost, at least she's polite!

Cheers...

Way Too Long

2009-04-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a break from the failed title of the day feature, if only because I haven't posted a note in several months... Whoa, it's been like three and half months since I've even looked at this thing. And man have things changed.

Since my last update, I've snagged a wonderful agent, wrote a tentative proposal for a new series, started two more manuscripts (one of which I'm currently working on), and spoken to a group of teens at the New York Public Library for the first time ever. I've gotten feedback from actual strangers who've read advanced copies of my book. Things are finally starting to continue to happen! I cannot wait for August when my book is actually on shelves.

Right now, I'm up in Webster, MA, visiting my mom and step-dad at their lake house. I really needed to take a break from NYC. I'm trying to work on this next manuscript, but mostly I've found myself just thinking thinking thinking... I've realized how much time I spend in my head, and I'm not sure if it's so healthy. At the same time, I've come to the conclusion that, for me, the act of writing, of exploring the world of a story is like twisting the release valve on a pressure cooker. I need to write in order to stay sane and if I can't, I start to go a little nuts...

I wonder if other people feel this sort of thing, and not necessarily with writing? For awhile there, I was going to the gym three or four times a week. At that time, I needed to exercise the same way I needed to write. Not sure why I stopped. Does anyone feel compelled toward a hobby or activity which you feel keeps you sane?

I don't know what it is about stories that gets me out of my head, makes me feel safe. Telling them or listening to them, watching them in a dark theater, or reading them while tucked into bed... Mmm. The best...

Okay, so this is a bit of a ramble. I'm going to get back to work now before I break...

Cheers!

Minor Discomfort

2008-12-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

Failed title of the day: Minor Discomfort. (You know this story has to be about jailbait, a concept which, in the wrong hands, is doomed to to be bad... I, for one, shall not go there...)

Anyway... hello! Long time no write. That's because I've been busy finishing my latest book. You heard it here first. I finished the manuscript yesterday. (And by 'finished,' I mean I'm just now getting started... because hearty revisions are yet to come, I'm certain.)

I'm very excited because I've actually accomplished what I set out to do a mere month and half ago when I quit my day job.

I'm looking forward to next week's holiday, when I won't be distracted by having to run from my family and hide in my room, tap-tap-tapping away on this keyboard. I may still run from my family, but it won't have anything to do with writing.

(I'm kidding! You know I love you all... and I cannot wait to eat yummy food, listen to Christmas carols, and fall asleep underneath the sparkly tree at my mother and step-father's house in Massachussetts. Ah, just thinking about it now is making me giddy.)

Isn't it funny how I pretend people actually read this thing?

HARD

2008-12-01T06:04:00.000-08:00

Hey there. Failed title of the day = HARD. Try to to write that story. You'll fail.

Probably.

That title actually isn't so bad... and I must admit, it's a last minute replacement for the failed title I'd been thinking of for the past few days. For some reason, this morning, my original idea flew out the brain and left the country. But HARD is good enough. It's a little racy, a little gritty, and waaaay dumb. I don't know what the story would be... but it sounds like a sexy cop novel. Or something.

So here I am a little farther from the raft. The writing is getting HARDer. Last week really tripped me up for some reason. Maybe it was the holiday and all the obligations which come along with that...

But I really think my biggest stumble came after I read an article in the New York Times about the publishing industry and how everyone is freaking out about future sales and acquisitions and how many folks are leaving their jobs or getting fired... And blah blah blah, economy woes, blah, blah, blah. Ugh. Some advice for struggling artists out there: nix the articles in bourgeois publications about how the market for your work sucks and you're doomed. DOOMED. Said articles are not helpful for 'creativity.' (Mmm, the balm of cynicism feels so good.) I've spent the past week with my mind a whirling, wondering if I've made a mistake, and cursing the banks for f-ing up the world just when I finally have the balls to try to make a change in my life...

I'm about to start on today's pages... My characters are finally learning the TRUTH about their situation. I'm about to set up their race to the finish line. (On your marks... BLAM!) Over the weekend, I plotted out the end of the book -- and realized (once again) that what I thought was going to be a tight, quick, economical little story has metastasized into a full-fledged epic. It's possible that my trip-up (and creative psych-out) was caused by realizing the book won't be complete within the next 50 pages, as I'd planned. I'm learning that I just need to let that go. I've got to become an organic farmer and tend my crop without the pesticide called Negativity (Blecch, sorry... that was awful. And so, there's another failed title for ya: A Pesticide Called Negativity. Try to write that story. You'll fail!)

Seriously, I'm thinking of taking my laptop and sitting underneath the dining room table (or in my closet, or on top of the washing machine) just to get a different perspective. I wonder if that might help...?

At the very least, this week, I'm staying away from the New York Times.

Cheers!

The Diary of a Sad-Sack Muffin

2008-11-22T07:21:00.000-08:00

So I decided (just this second) that one feature of this little blogging experiment will be: titles for imaginary failed novels. Henceforth, you will find the imaginary title at the top of each post. Today's: The Diary of a Sad-Sack Muffin. Go ahead, try to write that story. You'll fail.

Anyway... an update. I've finished week two of this full-time novelist gig. Week one was extra-ordinary. Oh such freedom! I went to a movie, met up with friends for lunches, dinners, spent a little money I do not have, explored a couple museums... joined a dang Dungeons and Dragons group. Oh yeah, and I did some writing.

Week two was different. More real. A little more lonely. (I keep reading in different places that writing is a solitary existence... um, yeah.) But, and this is a big BUT, (ha, big butt) I've more than doubled the manuscript's pages since I quit the job.

To give some perspective: from the end of August to the beginning of November, while working full-time at the hospital, I'd managed to produce a meager 35 pages. A good beginning, but the writing time was way too inconsistent. After two weeks of writing every day, I've pumped out (ha, pumped) an extra 55 pages. That's write (oops... right), I'm up to 90 pages, suckas. More important, I'm happy with the book, so far! (I know! Unbelievable!) If I can continue at this rate, I hope to be done by the beginning of December.

Despite all the realness, the trying to figure it out-ness of my new life, so far, the move has paid off, at least metaphorically.

So I guess the point of this entry is to tell you all to quit your jobs. You'll be much happier. Most of you will probably all be fired soon anyway, so why not beat them to the punch?

Cheers!

The First Day

2008-11-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

Hi,

So, I left the office last Friday with a large bag filled with stuff. Pens, folders, paper-clips, post-it notes... all stuff I probably should have left there, but I really don't think they'll miss it. I did leave the electric stapler and a few Halloween gourds, so I'd say it was an even trade.

It really didn't hit me until this morning that I quit. This past weekend was so action packed, I didn't have time to think.

So far, I slept in later than I thought I would or should. I sent an email to my editor, letting him know my new situation and asking for an update on the manuscript I turned in two months ago. And now, I'm wasting time writing this little entry before I actually get down to the writing.

I haven't looked at the new book for several weeks -- and I'm hoping I'll be able to dive right back in. I hope having much much more time to do so doesn't make it more difficult.

We'll see what happens. I have tons of social invitations this week -- all of a sudden I'm so popular! Also, there are tons of movies I want to check out. But why do they keep raising the price of tickets? Last theater I went to charged 12.50. I guess that's going to be one of my luxuries I'm going to have to cut back on... Netflix will have to do.

Anyway, I'd better get started before the day gets away from me.

And it's official...

2008-11-04T20:21:00.000-08:00

Now I understand the screaming...

You have to hear it to believe it...

I've lived through a lot here in New York City. Fourth of Julys. New Year's Eve's. In Astoria, when Greece won the World Cup, the streets flooded for twelve hours.

There is such power in the voice of the people. And this is the loudest I've ever heard it cheering...!

You have to believe it to hear it.

11:11 11/4/08

2008-11-04T20:15:00.000-08:00

Headlines put Obama in the lead.

Rooftop. Brooklyn.

I've never heard such incredible shouting from the streets below. It is constant. Steady. From ALL directions.

Like a battle cry. Triumphant.

We are ready for you.

I am so happy.

Made my Morning

2008-10-23T04:55:00.000-07:00

Days are getting rougher heading into the final stretch of the "job." Strange. I thought it would be easier. But thank heavens for this.

I forgot about this website. They just came out with a book, which is doing quite well. Good for them. Now I have something to do at work today!

xo

For Better or Worse, A New Yorker

2008-10-19T06:47:00.000-07:00

This past week, while walking down New York City streets, I've noticed a trend. On at least four occasions, strangers have stopped me and asked me for directions. In each disparate location, I had the right answer for them.

One time, one man stopped me and asked me the way to Columbus Circle. I told him we were standing in it. Seconds later, another man asked me where 59th street was -- I pointed directly behind us.

Instead of my default reaction of, "Why the hell are you talking to me?" which has evolved swiftly over the past several years, being able to answer these questions for these people has made me envision my place here in the micro-cosmos of this city. I am no longer looking at it as an outsider. I am part of the machine.

When I first moved here, almost 10 years ago, my father had already been living in Manhattan for 6 years. Ultimately, I've had a type of home in this city for nearly half my life. Yet, in those early days, I couldn't escape the constant comment, "You're not from around here, are you?"

I would say, actually, "I sort of am." Even if it wasn't in NYC that I originated, like Walt Whitman, or Teddy Roosevelt, I'd still only come from New Jersey, which in the grand map of the world, is not THAT far from New York.

I learned that when these people insisted I wasn't "from around here," they didn't mean, from across a river. They meant Denmark, or Austria, or some small country in Eastern Europe. I don't know what it was in my demeanor that made me appear so to be so green. I've always sort of had a youngish looking face, but there are plenty of young people who've grown up in New York. And I could sort of say the same thing for myself...

Was it an innocence? A naivete? A profound appearance of one who is lost in the woods? I cannot claim that I possessed none of those things. Somehow, I was proud that the city hadn't claimed me...

I haven't decided whether or not this new-found appearance of me as someone-who-belongs is a good thing or not. Because appearances are deceiving. I could always leave. Anyone could, and many people do.

And if I look like I'm one to ask how to navigate these streets, does that give me some sort of authority here? That is something I thought I never wanted. Not here. New York is wonderful, but anyone who knows me, knows that it has kicked my ass from the Bronx to Brooklyn and back.

I wonder if all this is related to the new direction I'm taking -- leaving the workaday world to work on what I care about? Exploring this city on my own terms, to find inspiration for my writing. Maybe making a choice like that is what gives me authority -- not in the city particularly, but in my life. Maybe that's what people are seeing in my no-longer-so-young-ish face, and maybe that's why they finally feel like I'm someone who knows the way...

I was right...

2008-10-09T07:28:00.001-07:00

Joss did it to me again. Two episodes later. Another major character. Dead.

I'm a masochist...

(sigh).

The Death of a Fake Person

2008-10-08T08:10:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me, knows that recently, I've become a huge fan of all things Joss Whedon. This either makes me a big loser for pooh-poohing Buffy and Angel for so long (because how could these shows possibly live up to the hype? oh, the naivete of moi...), a big loser for finally becoming a fan-boy, or a big loser because all I do now is sit on the couch and watch 5 consecutive hours of TV on DVD every single g'darn night. I'm okay with my self-inflicted loser-status... I'd proudly wear a big plastic "LOSER" button on my lapel every time I leave my apartment if it came down to choosing between wearing such a button and falling into an alternate dimension where Joss Whedon never existed, which, in the world of Whedon, is always a possibility.

I love his creativity. I love his silliness. I love his shocking twists of plot. But above all, I love his characters. Even the totally EVIL ones... His team of talented writers somehow make you relate to EVERYONE on some level -- which creates an unsettling dynamic between wanting the heroes to defeat the villains, yet wanting the villains to find some sort of redemption... I guess?

However, when I started out watching these shows, nobody warned me the cost which would eventually come with my emotional investment in the lives of these fictional characters. And I've since learned that Mr. Joss is infamous for murdering some of his most Beloved in the most shocking ways imaginable. (Okay, granted, some of the characters "magically" return, but you never know which ones will, and which ones will not.) The fact that I've teared-up over the supposed death of a quirky demon says something about the transcendent qualities possible in these "lowly" genre categories of pop-culture. But it's all good.

Except when my favorite character from the Whedon-verse is killed in a shock-twist final moment of the episode I watched last night. Don't worry - I won't give anything away for those of you who have not yet had the priviledge of being subjected to this torture...

I went to bed, my face tear-stained, my nose stuffed up, thinking "WHY? WHY? WHYYYYY?"

There was so much LEFT I wanted to see happen, to go-through with these people... I had expectations DAMMIT, and now they've all been dashed (no, exploded) to hell!

I woke up this morning, the episode replaying in my sleep-addled brain, like a post-traumatic stress disorder flashback... And as I made myself coffee, the brilliance of the episode began to work itself into my nervous system... And I recognized carefully crafted early clues that indicated I should have seen this coming -- I should have been prepared...

But I guess that's what makes my Whedon so compelling. I'm never prepared. I'm always shocked into laughter, or fear, or revulsion... and I think that's what makes good story-telling.

So even though I'm pissed, and hoping, improbably, that maybe this plot-point will be one of those "ha, ha, just kidding" moments, I understand that these things are what make us "losers" keep watching. At least until the networks cancel the shows prematurely. I, like many Joss fans, am keeping my fingers crossed for his next project: Dollhouse.

Hopefully, we, the faithful, will have the opportunity to love the next generation of Whedon creations before he, or someone else, decides to pull the plug on them. Despite the pain, I will always return for more... Like the vampires who populate his worlds, I'm totally addicted...

Is "Bad" Contagious?

2008-10-06T09:26:00.000-07:00

Last night, I watched my latest Netflix arrival, The New Kids, a "thriller" from the "80's" starring a bleachy-eyebrowed James Spader as a coked-up, Floridian "Redneck" teenage psychopath, who, along with his posse of dim-witted backwoods cliche friends, decides to "terrorize" a fluffy-mullet-headed Lori Loughlin and her short-shorts wearing older brother (the so-called New Kids) simply because Lori refuses Spader's creepy "I don't know you but I'm entitled, improbably rich, and James Spader, so love me" invitation to the school dance.

The "terrorizing" begins slowly, with said posse tossing around lascivious stares and pick-up lines at which any two-dollar hooker would roll her eyes, cutting the school water-fountain's long line, and hocking loogies onto the library's microfiche machines. As the tension grows (or something), the Spader group's rage quickly devolves into unjustified stunts such as grafiti-ing the amusement park where the New Kids live with their uncle and aunt, killing the fuzzy bunnies, ducks, and goats that live at the New Kids' very own petting zoo, and finally kidnapping the doomed Lori from the school dance, dousing her with lighter fluid, threatening to set her face on fire with matches (I love that she simply keeps blowing out the flames), pulling off her tight white dressy jeans, smearing her granny panties with calf's blood, shooting her uncle in the stomach, and rampaging through the darkened amusement park (mirror-maze included), while the "New Kids" escape, then pick off the bad-guys one by one in a not-so-high-stakes violent game of cat and mouse. (The very first scene of the film sets up how well-prepared the "New Kids" would be in case of a scenario such as this, when their (soon to be dead) military father tears them from their beds to jog, punch, crawl, and wear head-bands, montage-style, with him, which the kids happily agree to like members of some strange Manson-Family Exercise Cult). As one might imagine (after observing the extensive military preparation of his rivals), this duel ends badly for Spader, when his overly hair-sprayed head adds fuel to the fire of his drug-induced obsession after he's doused in gasoline by Lori's brother and gets his pretty face blow-torched off. Oh, and all of this is set to a power ballad with lyrics proclaiming several "80's" themed philosophical arguments such as the importance of being strong, doing your best, winning, and not being a big fat loser.

I really don't know what inspired me to rent this movie. Early Spader? Memories of the video-tape cover my eleven year old self was fascinated by in the horror section of the local video store in Lincoln, Rhode Island? That it was directed by the guy who made Friday the 13th (which, in retrospect, is probably not a great reason to rent a DVD...)?

If you can't tell, I didn't think this was a very good movie. Duh. But The New Kids was the type of "not very good" that makes me rethink some of my own material, questioning whether I've made similar mistakes in plotting, characterization, dialogue, mise-en-scene, verisimilitude or what have you.

In my experience, writing novels (or, I suppose, any kind of story-telling) is a bit like getting lost in the woods. When you're in the thick of it, (oh let's just go with the cliche) it's hard to see the forest for the trees. For me, it's mostly in editing that I gain any sense of perspective. And really, only after I've received feedback from trusted reader-friends, am I able to see the shape of what I've done and whether or not it "works."

I'm currently awaiting feedback on my second manuscript, not only from my editor, but from my writing-group, and I have to admit... this is a frightening time. Terrifying. Ultimately, I have confidence in what I created, or else, I would not have shared it. But then I go and watch an abomination of story-telling like The New Kids, and it makes me wonder -- what if I'm like that. What if I just didn't see it... What if I suck?

I've had similar experiences in creative malaise while watching the brilliant Strangers With Candy. If The New Kids makes me realize all the ways a piece of crap (I mean art) can be bad by being bad, Strangers makes me realize all the ways a piece of art can be bad, by pointing out the cliches which make up the badness. For anyone who lives in a dark closet (and if you do, I suggest opening the door), Strangers With Candy takes the "after-school special" formula and turns it on its head, making fun of the teenage "problem" story by exploding all the YA stereotypes: drug-abuse, sexual abuse, disabilities, pregnancy, disease... joining cults. You know, the usual? As someone who's written a couple of (admittedly un-good) unpublished YA books, I can say that watching Strangers With Candy while working in that forest I mentioned earlier was a real confidence-shaker. How does one continue writing, when you know someone out there might tear your work a new a**hole, or worse, satirize you into oblivion?

I suppose I'm writing about this now because, as I begin my next book, I fear the mistakes I've made in the past. It's paralyzing. I've plotted and planned, made notes for the journey forward, but still, it's frightening to step into the woods, because, as always, the path is difficult to see. Plus, Jason Vorhees, or Amy Sedaris, might be hiding behind a mulberry bush with a machete, or an empty scotch tape-dispenser. ("Hobo Camp!") For the past few weeks, the thought of opening the laptop has filled me with a sense of "Naw, not yet." Watching The New Kids only compounded this feeling...

Is it all part of the game? They say a good writer can benefit from reading(or watching) "the bad." (You know... they? Them? Those people who say things about writers?) Because being aware of what to avoid is the best way to avoid... those things. Still, it's difficult to prepare yourself for the ego-busting effect of the truly Bad.

I've since gone through my Netflix Queue and deleted all the films but the ones which I'm certain will inspire me, at least until I'm a little farther into my own journey -- when I can observe such atrocities from a distance, through binoculars, without fearing I've become one of them.

If I took anything away from The New Kids experience, it was a stronger desire to do my best, to win, and avoid being a big fat loser, which, I suppose is worth something at least. All I need now is a power-ballad soundtrack to get me through it... No synthesizers, please.

The Leap

2008-10-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

I put in my notice yesterday. I'm giving them four weeks. Then I'm done.

That's what I said to my boss: "Four weeks, then I'll be done."

He sort of laughed, sort of scoffed: "That sounds so Dramatic and Final..."

Me? Dramatic. That's arguably true, I suppose.

But Final? Well, yes, that's an absolute.

What he didn't mention, but very well may have been thinking, was that my decision is simply Stupid. Quitting my job - my comfortable, cushy, soul-crushing non-profit job - in the midst of one of the most woeful economic moments of my semi-short life, to pursue unemployment (ah-hem, my creative passions), may not be the most mentally sound step one might make at a moment like this.

I never claimed to be mentally sound. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm not.

But I've saved up some money, and hopefully, the banks won't crash before my planned four month sabbatical comes to an end.

My purpose: To finish my next manuscript, find an agent, and sell the book for a great deal of money on which I can live comfortably, while writing my next manuscript, selling that for a great deal of money, and so on and so on.

Then I'll be done.

No, really. For the past several months, I've begun to realize that, although I can afford my rent, my meals, the occasional social outing, and the modest vacations which have peppered recent years with little deer-poops of excitement, something has been missing. Working full-time while churning out several novels, two of which will soon be published, has sort of worn me into the ground. As I've tread a familiar path to my lonely Upper East Side office from Brooklyn on a daily basis, looking down to avoid eye-contact with strangers, I've often recognized parts of myself stuck in the sidewalk cracks... "What's that? Oh, just a piece of my Oprah-Lovin' Spirit. Leave it. It's dirty now."

Do any of you find yourself talking to people silently during your own commutes? (I've seen your faces, heard your screaming fist-fights, I know what you've been thinking...) Well, my internal conversations have become a little strange (okay, scary) for my taste. I've felt myself retreating from opportunities towards which I once would have sprinted happily. "Drinks after work? Blind dates? Fun? ... Naw. I think I'll stay home and see what new collections PackRat added to Facebook this week. Or maybe I'll nap! Napping is good! It helps me prepare for another day of soul-suckage..."

Once upon a time, I was able to rise before dawn, plug away for hours on my fiction, then shower, moisturize, dress, and rush to work on time. "Yes, sir! Right away, sir!" For some elusive reason, I cannot do it anymore. Not even with all the psych meds... I kid. I kid...

...I kid about kidding.

And so, I've decided to leap. What will follow here is the chronicle of my possible descent into the abyss of poverty, the frustration of working without structure, the loneliness of living inside my head for hours, even days at a time.

Or maybe, I'll find a way to recover from whatever's been ailing me... Maybe (just maybe *squeak*) in four months time, all my dreams will have come freakin' true.

This is an experiment. My own Manhattan Project. The possibility for destruction is great, but I, like 'Guns and Roses' before me, seem to have an appetite for it. I guess we'll see what happens.

On November 7, 2008, I'll be done. Finally, dramatically... Stupidly. Then, it shall begin...

Stay tuned.