I am the third person in, at the .45 second mark, wearing a Skylab helmet telling the chicken joke ….
Here is what I look like:
I am wearing a “Killer Klowns From Outer Space” T-shirt, Blues Brothers Sunglasses and a Skylab Helmet
Svengoolie host of the Svengoolie show
If you like to learn more about your favorite monster movies … check out the Modern Mythmakers series … where Michael McCarty interviews horror & science fiction filmmakers and writers:
MODERN MYTHMAKERS by Michael McCarty Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/2cpr637 The ebook is only .99 cents And it includes in-depth interviews with Forrest J. Ackerman; C. Dean Andersson; Adrienne Barbeau; Ray Bradbury; Ramsey Campbell; John Carpenter; Dan Curtis; Rusty Fischer; Neil Gaiman; Mick Garris; Laurell K. Hamilton; George Clayton Johnson; Jack Ketchum; Dean Koontz; Herschell Gordon Lewis; Thomas Ligotti; Bentley Little; Graham Masterton; Richard Matheson; Joe McKinney; Christopher Moore; Night of the Living Dead Crew: John Russo, Kyra Schon, & Russ Streiner; William F. Nolan; Ingrid Pitt; Fred Olen Ray; John Saul; David Snell; Darce Stoker; Peter Straub; Whitley Strieber; Timothy Zahn;
Foreword by Alan Dean Foster
Afterword by The Amazing Kreskin.
Whether you’re an author looking for career advice, a fan of classic films and authors, or looking for true stories of inspiration, this is the book for you.
MORE MODERN MYTHMAKERS features Horror, Science Fiction and Dark Fantasy’s most influential writers and filmmakers interviewed about the art and craft of their genres. The 25 interviews include Steve Alten, Reggie Bannister, Terry Brooks, Charles de Lint, Dennis Etchison, John Everson, Alan Dean Foster, Ray Garton, Sephera Giron, Owl Goingback, Charles Grant, Nancy Holder, Paul Kane, Ronald Kelly, Joe Lansdale, Bentley Little, Jeff Long, Jonathan Maberry, Elizabeth Massie, Larry Niven, William Stout, Jeff Strand, Harry Turtledove, J.N. Williamson, and Connie Willis.
MORE MODERN MYTHMAKERS ebook and trade paperback on Amazon
MICHAEL McCARTY: Where was the original store location and when did you originally open?
CHERI DAY: 2808 Avenue of the Cities, Moline, Illinois. We opened May 30, 2020.
MIKE: When did you move to the 4513 Avenue of the Cities location?
CHERI: April 1st, 2022.
MIKE: Why did you move?
CHERI: The first store was — let’s just say was a work in progress.
MIKE: Was it smaller?
CHERI: The first store could fit into the front room twice.
MIKE: (Laughs)
(Photo of the sign by Michael McCarty)
.
CHERI: But to answer your question, I wanted to do classes, readings and offer more.
MIKE: Why did you decide to open a store in the first place?
CHERI: It was a dream of mine since I was a teenager. I think somewhere between the ages of 17-19, which was a long time ago. There was this store called RA in an old school building in the Village of East Davenport.
MIKE: Yes, I remember that place. It was at 2212 E. 12th Street, Pierce School No. 13. My friend Ray Congrove worked in the same building.
So what was it about RA that you liked so much?
CHERI: On the first floor, the first door, there was a psychic. The second door was the entrance to RA. It had old Victorian bookshelves. The place was an old and creepy witchy store and I fell in love with it.
That is also how I fell in love with the metaphysical too.
MIKE: What did you do before Obsidian & Sage?
CHERI: I did the normal life. I got married and had a kid. Got divorced. Got remarried. Worked in the corporate world. When I left my last corporate job, my current husband (Michael) knew this was a dream that I always have my own store.
I started doing vendor shows. We were traveling a little bit. The expense of the travel, the exhaustion of hauling and setting up and breaking down stacks of books, rocks and other stuff.
Michael said, “Screw it, let’s do it.” He found the first location, down the street from where we are now. It was very affordable for us.
We are now celebrating our third anniversary.
(If you look in the middle of the bookshelf, you will see GHOSTS OF THE QUAD CITIES and EERIE QUAD CITIES. Photo by Michael McCarty)
MIKE: What does metaphysical boutique mean? Is there a difference between New Age and Metaphysical?
CHERI: No, it’s the same thing. With metaphysical, there are the psychics, the healers and the practicing witches. People who are into crystals and rock collectors.
It’s all about the energy of all things and the healing.
I just didn’t think it would be a good thing to call the store:
‘Obsidian & Sage:
The Witchy Shop.’
It all falls into the Metaphysical with the pendulums, the divinations, the herbs for crafting.
I wanted the place to be a walk in supply shop. For those who are practicing, for those who are learning. For those just collecting stuff. Instead of having everybody order it online. I’m still an on-hand shopper. I like to walk into stores, to see and touch things.
MIKE: Any complaints so far?
CHERI: Nope. Customers usually would come in and say, ‘Yeah, we have another witchy store.’ We haven’t had any problems yet. Knock on wood. Of course, we are across the street from a fortune teller.
(Jasper, the friendly feline and store mascot. Photo by Michael McCarty)
MIKE: What advice would you give to a first time sage buyer?
CHERI: It all depends on what you want to use the sage for. We had people who won’t buy sage because it a traditional Native American protection. All of our sage is ethically sourced. We are not stripping the Earth of sage. People grow the stuff for harvesting for sale.
I give out a handout for people who never used sage. It tells about the benefits and it also tells you how to use it. We have white sage, we have white sage with lavender or rosemary. We have black sage. Royal sage. and Palo Santo which is a wood — a Holy wood used for cleansing and protection.
MIKE: I’ve heard that benefits of sage is that it is a stress release. Is that true?
CHERI: Yeah. It is supposed to get rid of the negative. Paranormal groups use sage or rosemary or Palo Santo when they are doing their investigations or to remove any negative entity.
From what I’ve read, blue sage is used in exorcisms. Paranormal groups suggest if you have something in your home and you never used sage before, don’t do it, unless you know what your doing because you could just piss of the entity and then your have more problems.
I do have groups of people who I refer to help such problems.
MIKE: Definitely hit the corners of rooms, when you are using sage.
CHERI: Yes. Open up cabinets, let the smoke just fill the house.
MIKE: It is a little like pest control – hit the corners, under the sinks and the closets .
CHERI: (Laughs).
MIKE: Last words?
CHERI: Obsidian and Sage is a place for everyone, no drama, no labels, no judgement.
(Cheri Day owner of Obsidian & Sage (Left) and Michael McCarty (Right). She is holding EERIE QUAD CITIES by Michael McCarty & John Brassard Jr. He is holding GHOSTS OF THE QUAD CITIES, which he co-wrote.)
If you liked this or my other articles and blogs, please check out:
GHOSTS OF THE QUAD CITIES by Co-written by Michael McCarty.
Available in Kindle, trade paperback and hardcover. Kindle & Trade Paperback:
Divided by state lines and the Mississippi River, the Quad Cities share a common haunted heritage. If anything, the seam that runs through the region is especially rife with spirits, from the Black Angel of Moline’s Riverside Cemetery to the spectral Confederate POWs of Arsenal Island. Of course, the city centers have their own illustrious supernatural residents – the Hanging Ghost occupies Davenport’s City Hall, while the Phantom Washwoman wanders Bettendorf’s Central Avenue. At Igor’s Bistro in Rock Island, every day is Halloween. Michael McCarty hunts down the haunted lore of this vibrant Midwestern community.
Please also check out:
EERIE QUAD CITIES by Michael McCarty & John Brassard Jr. Introduction by The Amazing Kreskin Afterword by Rick Lopez of Igor’s Bistro Like the mighty Mississippi River that cleaves the Quad Cities, the region’s history can trap the unwary in some unexpected eddies. Peer through the fog of the past to catch a glimpse of the Tinsmith Ghost of Rock Island or the river serpent with a price on its head. Get the back story on the Banshee of Brady Street, read the 1869 report on a Bigfoot sighting near East Davenport and run the numbers on local UFO activity. From phantom footsteps in the Renwick Mansion to a mausoleum heist in Chippiannock Cemetery, Michael McCarty and John Brassard Jr. trace a path through the shadowy heritage of the Quad Cities.
The Rock Island Arsenal is one of the chapters of GHOSTS OF THE QUAD CITIES co-written by Michael McCarty.
The Rock Island Arsenal is located om 946 acres of land on Arsenal Island on Rock Island, Illinois. The island was established as a government site in 1816.
Divided by state lines and the Mississippi River, the Quad Cities share a common haunted heritage. If anything, the seam that runs through the region is especially rife with spirits, from the Black Angel of Moline’s Riverside Cemetery to the spectral Confederate POWs of Arsenal Island. Of course, the city centers have their own illustrious supernatural residents – the Hanging Ghost occupies Davenport’s City Hall, while the Phantom Washwoman wanders Bettendorf’s Central Avenue. At Igor’s Bistro in Rock Island, every day is Halloween. Michael McCarty hunts down the haunted lore of this vibrant Midwestern community.
Also:
EERIE QUAD CITIES by Michael McCarty & John Brassard Jr.
Introduction by The Amazing Kreskin
Afterword by Rick Lopez of Igor’s Bistro
Like the mighty Mississippi River that cleaves the Quad Cities, the region’s history can trap the unwary in some unexpected eddies. Peer through the fog of the past to catch a glimpse of the Tinsmith Ghost of Rock Island or the river serpent with a price on its head. Get the back story on the Banshee of Brady Street, read the 1869 report on a Bigfoot sighting near East Davenport and run the numbers on local UFO activity. From phantom footsteps in the Renwick Mansion to a mausoleum heist in Chippiannock Cemetery, Michael McCarty and John Brassard Jr. trace a path through the shadowy heritage of the Quad Cities.Now available in kindle, nook and trade paperback
Thank you so much for gifting me with a copy of your book FRANKENSTEIN’S MISTRESS: TALES OF LOVE & MONSTERS. I must tell you I spent much of the evening pouring over it because I literally found myself re-reading certain chapters that were lengthy, and short ones as well, that were refreshing, and for me a unique experience in horror literature.
Yes, I have read Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN, but was never a tremendous fan of the book itself. However, I was certainly impressed with the impact it’s had, not only in the literary world, but in the area of movie making since the Frankenstein monster has become a uniquely established character.
(Frankenstein’s monster played by Glenn Strange, Bela Lugosi and Michael McCarty – artwork by Bruce Walters)
Your presentation in FRANKENSTEIN’S MISTRESS, sharing it with CL Sherwood, made my reading even more interesting than what I found in Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN.
Your stories are great, and I must tell you in FRANKENSTEIN’S MISTRESS that the creation of the creature, “of great stature and horrific deformity,” to me was a dramatic and uncomfortable graphic. To be honest with you, it had a greater impact on my reading than Shelley’s embracement of her monster. And when the mistress enters the scene, I found it to be rather compelling and uncomfortably dramatic.
I was really impressed with you and CL Sherwood capturing what you couldn’t see but feel, and the interaction that slowly grows between Frankenstein’s monster and the mistress until the dramatic climax. Somehow you two communicate a disturbing description that impacted Yours Truly with the phrase “I do see blackening, frostbite and decomposition on the chin, and nose … spots on the cheek…the brain should be well preserved.” I found that to be very unique reading. It was a unique communication of the sound I could hear when later you mention “with a steady hand, he began to saw the skull until it cracked like an egg, then, he cut the membrane…”
Your and CL’s auditory imagery, in the use of sound, I found to be refreshing and slightly disturbing, and I complement both of you. I got a kick later in the book with “you’re not dead. The body doesn’t make the man, the mind makes the man. You’re words, and you’re here with me.” That really intrigued me.
(The Amazing Kreskin holding a copy of GHOSTS OF THE QUAD CITIES. He penned the introduction, with which includes his photo.) inside, for the introduction of the book, which he wrote)
I also enjoyed the other stories in FRANKENSTEIN’S MISTRESS as well, especially, “Little Creatures” by yourself you and RL Fox. I found it a refreshing invigorating diversions in reading from the other horror stories in the book. Not only reflecting on the day the character Matt “went into a pet store” — but about the smell of the animals and so forth– talk about a mass attack. As you know, my 4 cats are cherish cherished companions, so the impact really hit home when scores of cats became become the ominous villains’ attack in the climax of the story.
FRANKENSTEIN’S MISTRESS, written by you and the other authors you collaborated with, is truly a refreshing piece of well written horror, that I found of to be of the best I have read in a long time. Thank you again for the book and that is some cover (by Bruce Walters).
All my by best thoughts, Michael.
ESPecially, Kreskin”
(Michael McCarty & Bruce Walters at the GHOSTS OF THE QUAD CITIES book signing at Barnes & Noble, Northpark Mall)
FRANKENSTEIN’S MISTRESS: TALES OF LOVE & MONSTERS by
Michael McCarty
Ebook:
Trade Paperback:
Michael McCarty & Bruce Walters at the GHOSTS OF THE QUAD CITIES book signing)
FRANKENSTEIN’S MISTRESS: TALES OF LOVE & MONSTERS by
Michael McCarty
Ebook:
Trade Paperback:
It’s Alive … and in love!!!
“Michael McCarty is given full rein, and off he goes on a bizarre trip of the imagination, all stops out, no limits, hell-for-leather,” – William Nolan author of Logan’s Run
This collection of horror and science fiction stories includes a sequel to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein – with Victor Frankenstein, the monster, and a blind fortune teller named Rose Blackthorn. In the other tales… even the apocalypse won’t stop Leonard Cartwright from searching for his wife in the ruins. After getting struck by lightning that leaving him in a coma for twenty years, Jackson Heyward awakens with the ability to talk to the dead. Will the discovery of the power of invisibility help save Dr. Nick’s failing relationship with his soulmate, or will it aid in its destruction? Read these and many more twisted tales in FRANKENSTEIN’S MISTRESS.
Sometimes love is a monster …
And there is no escape from Frankenstein’s Mistress: Tales of Love & Monsters
My Friday the 13th one, I talked about BITERS and my story, “To Live & Die in IA: Zombies in Iowa” and the link for that book is:
and I talked about The Bram Stokers and of course, I will hope you will check out these two books as well, they are among my favorite:
MORE MODERN MYTHMAKES and MODERN MYTHMAKES from Crystal Lake Publishing and Michael McCarty:
MORE MODERN MYTHMAKERS Features Horror, Science Fiction and Dark Fantasy’s most influential writers and filmmakers interviewed about the art and craft of their genres. The 25 interviews include Steve Alten, Reggie Bannister, Terry Brooks, Charles de Lint, Dennis Etchison, John Everson, Alan Dean Foster, Ray Garton, Sephera Giron, Owl Goingback, Charles Grant, Nancy Holder, Paul Kane, Ronald Kelly, Joe Lansdale, Bentley Little, Jeff Long, Jonathan Maberry, Elizabeth Massie, Larry Niven, William Stout, Jeff Strand, Harry Turtledove, J.N. Williamson, and Connie Willis. Foreword by Gerard Houarner. Afterword by Jeffrey Thomas. If you’re interested in books on writing, the horror genre, science fiction, famous authors, or even becoming a full time author, this book is a must-have. More Modern Mythmakers is the sequel to 2015’s Modern Mythmakers by Michael McCarty, published by Crystal Lake Publishing.
MODERN MYTHMAKERS by Michael McCarty
And it includes in-depth interviews with Forrest J. Ackerman; C. Dean Andersson; Adrienne Barbeau; Ray Bradbury; Ramsey Campbell; John Carpenter; Dan Curtis; Elvira; Rusty Fischer; Neil Gaiman; Mick Garris; Laurell K. Hamilton; George Clayton Johnson; Jack Ketchum; Dean Koontz; Herschell Gordon Lewis; Thomas Ligotti; Bentley Little; Graham Masterton; Richard Matheson; Joe McKinney; Christopher Moore; Night of the Living Dead Crew: John Russo, Kyra Schon, & Russ Streiner; William F. Nolan; Ingrid Pitt; Linnea Quigley; Fred Olen Ray; John Saul; David Snell; Darce Stoker; Peter Straub; Whitley Strieber; Timothy Zahn; Foreword by Alan Dean Foster Afterword by The Amazing Kreskin.
Whether you’re an author looking for career advice, a fan of classic films and authors, or looking for true stories of inspiration, this is the book for you.
The Richard Matheson Companion is rare, hard to find and expensive if you if even find it … but it is well worth it.
Here is my review of the book:
The Richard Matheson Companion
Edited by Stanley Wiater, Matthew R. Bradley and Paul Stuve, Gauntlet Press, 576 pgs.
$50 unsigned numbered edition, $60 signed numbered edition, ISBN: 1-887368-96-5
Rating: ****
Gauntlet Press has been very good to Richard Matheson over the years, publishing his books and scripts in attractive, collectible editions. And one could also say that Richard Matheson has been good to Gauntlet Press. So it was only destiny that Gauntlet Press would publish such a definitive volume as The Richard Matheson Companion.
Matheson, of course, is a multi-talented storyteller whose career has spanned five decades and the speculative fiction genres and their various written formats, including stories, novels, TV and movie screenplays, stage plays, etc. He has penned such classics for the Twilight Zone: “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” (with a sweaty William Shatner as the only person who sees a gremlin messing with an airplane’s engines in mid-flight), “Third from the Sun,” “Little Girl Lost,” “The Invaders,” “Night Call,” “Death Ship” and “Nick of Time” (with a less sweaty William Shatner).
But Matheson’s masterpieces are too numerous for me to stop at one paragraph.
He has also written for such TV shows as Star Trek, Night Gallery, Amazing Stories, and Masters of Horror.
And let’s not forget that Matheson’s screenplay for Duel helped launch Steven Spielberg’s career. Or that he wrote the screenplay for the TV movie, The Night Stalker, directed and produced by Dan Curtis, which aired on January 11, 1972, and drew over 75 million viewers, making it the highest-rated TV movie of its time.
His words have also made it to the big screen. He is the author of many classic speculative fiction books which have been turned into movies: I am Legend (which became The Last Man on Earth, The Omega Man, and I am Legend), The Shrinking Man (The Incredible Shrinking Man), A Stir of Echoes (Stir of Echoes), Bid Time Return (Somewhere In Time), and What Dreams May Come, which became the movie of the same name.
You’d think it would be almost impossible to cover the complete works of such a legendary writer all in one book – but The Richard Matheson Companion does a superb job, with essays by the people who know him best, as well as those who have been influenced by him the most, including William Nolan, George Clayton Johnson, Gahan Wilson, Harlan Ellison, David Morrell, Dennis Etchison, Joe R. Lansdale, Jack Ketchum, F. Paul Wilson, Dean Koontz, Barry Hoffman, Brian Lumley, Greg Cox, Stephen Simon, Ed Gorman, Lewis Beale, his wife and five children.
And let’s not forgot the twenty-five pages of photos and the 183-page compiled and annotated biography and filmography.
Whew!
Yes, this is the Holy Grail for Richard Matheson fans – including myself. I was lucky enough to interview Matheson for my book, More Giants of the Genre – and that is listed on pages 484-485 of The Richard Matheson Companion. To say the creators of this book have done their homework would be the understatement of the century.
Truly this is an incredible tribute to an incredible writer.
I interviewed Richard Matheson in my book MODERN MYTHMAKERS ….
And it includes in-depth interviews with Elvira, John Carpenter, Adrienne Barbeau, Ray Bradbury, Ramsey Campbell, Dan Curtis, Neil Gaiman, Mick Garris; Laurell K. Hamilton, Jack Ketchum, Dean Koontz, Graham Masterton, Joe McKinney, H.G. Lewis, Linnea Quigley, John Saul, Peter Straub, The Night of the Living Dead crew, C. Dean Andersson Richard Matheson and more.
Also…..
MORE MODERN MYTHMAKERS
Features Horror, Science Fiction and Dark Fantasy’s most influential writers and filmmakers interviewed about the art and craft of their genres.
The 25 interviews include Steve Alten, Reggie Bannister, Terry Brooks, Charles de Lint, Dennis Etchison, John Everson, Alan Dean Foster, Ray Garton, Sephera Giron, Owl Goingback, Charles Grant, Nancy Holder, Paul Kane, Ronald Kelly, Joe Lansdale, Bentley Little, Jeff Long, Jonathan Maberry, Elizabeth Massie, Larry Niven, William Stout, Jeff Strand, Harry Turtledove, J.N. Williamson, and Connie Willis.
Foreword by Gerard Houarner. Afterword by Jeffrey Thomas.
If you’re interested in books on writing, the horror genre, science fiction, famous authors, or even becoming a full time author, this book is a must-have.
More Modern Mythmakers is the sequel to 2015’s Modern Mythmakers by Michael McCarty, published by Crystal Lake Publishing.
Here is an old dusty trunk in a cobwebbed filled attic, it has been abandoned for years. Maybe there is a priceless antique inside, who knows? Maybe it is stuffed with money or a dead body. Curiosity gets the best of you and you decide to open it … and it the portal to another world.
This is how I describe how to write a novel. You have to go to the places nobody wants to go. You have to open that old trunk up and see what is inside….
That is just my advice ….
That is my two cents worth and you can keep the change …
If you want advice from such writers and filmmakers as Dean Koontz, Ray Bradbury, Peter Straub, John Saul, John Carpenter, Ray Garton, Nancy Holder, Joe Lansdale, Owl Goingback, Terry Brooks, Thomas Ligotti, Jack Ketchum, Connie Willis, Alan Dean Foster, Bentley Little, Neil Gaiman, Richard Matheson and more … check out the MODERN MYTHMAKERS books….
MORE MODERN MYTHMAKERS features Horror, Science Fiction and Dark Fantasy’s most influential writers and filmmakers interviewed about the art and craft of their genres.
The 25 interviews include Steve Alten, Reggie Bannister, Terry Brooks, Charles de Lint, Dennis Etchison, John Everson, Alan Dean Foster, Ray Garton, Sephera Giron, Owl Goingback, Charles Grant, Nancy Holder, Paul Kane, Ronald Kelly, Joe Lansdale, Bentley Little, Jeff Long, Jonathan Maberry, Elizabeth Massie, Larry Niven, William Stout, Jeff Strand, Harry Turtledove, J.N. Williamson, and Connie Willis.
MORE MODERN MYTHMAKERS ebook and trade paperback on Amazon
And it includes in-depth interviews with Forrest J. Ackerman; C. Dean Andersson; Adrienne Barbeau; Ray Bradbury; Ramsey Campbell; John Carpenter; Dan Curtis; Rusty Fischer; Neil Gaiman; Mick Garris; Laurell K. Hamilton; George Clayton Johnson; Jack Ketchum; Dean Koontz; Herschell Gordon Lewis; Thomas Ligotti; Bentley Little; Graham Masterton; Richard Matheson; Joe McKinney; Christopher Moore; Night of the Living Dead Crew: John Russo, Kyra Schon, & Russ Streiner; William F. Nolan; Ingrid Pitt; Fred Olen Ray; John Saul; David Snell; Darce Stoker; Peter Straub; Whitley Strieber; Timothy Zahn;
Foreword by Alan Dean Foster
Afterword by The Amazing Kreskin.
Whether you’re an author looking for career advice, a fan of classic films and authors, or looking for true stories of inspiration, this is the book for you.
The Black Angel, The John Looney House are probably the two places I get asked about the most from GHOSTS OF THE QUAD CITIES. Followed by the Cry-Baby Bridge.
So here are some tidbits about the Cry-Baby Bridge
DIRECTIONS:
It’s in Monmouth, IL. Take 67 south toward Viola. From the stop sign in Viola, go exactly 18 miles on 67 and you’ll come to 230th Ave. (230th is 2 miles past of the entrance to Lake Warren Camp ground) Go right on 230th Ave and travel 1.5 miles and take a left. Go down the hill and you’ll see the bridge.
And some cool photos too
The Cry-Baby Bridge Photo by Michael McCartyMichael McCarty at the Cry-Baby Bridge photo by Cindy McCartyCindy McCarty photo by Michael McCartyUnder the bridge … photo by Michael McCarty
GHOSTS OF THE QUAD CITIES
GHOSTS OF THE QUAD CITIES by Co-written by Michael McCarty. Available in Kindle, trade paperback and hardcover.
Divided by state lines and the Mississippi River, the Quad
Cities share a common haunted heritage. If anything, the seam that runs through the region is especially rife with spirits, from the Black Angel of Moline’s Riverside Cemetery to the spectral Confederate POWs of Arsenal Island. Of course, the city centers have their own illustrious supernatural residents – the Hanging Ghost occupies Davenport’s City Hall, while the Phantom Washwoman wanders Bettendorf’s Central Avenue. At Igor’s Bistro in Rock Island, every day is Halloween. Michael McCarty hunts down the haunted lore of this vibrant Midwestern community.
Please also check out:
EERIE QUAD CITIES by Michael McCarty & John Brassard Jr. Introduction by The Amazing Kreskin Afterword by Rick Lopez of Igor’s Bistro
Like the mighty Mississippi River that cleaves the Quad Cities, the region’s history can trap the unwary in some unexpected eddies. Peer through the fog of the past to catch a glimpse of the Tinsmith Ghost of Rock Island or the river serpent with a price on its head. Get the back story on the Banshee of Brady Street, read the 1869 report on a Bigfoot sighting near East Davenport and run the numbers on local UFO activity. From phantom footsteps in the Renwick Mansion to a mausoleum heist in Chippiannock Cemetery, Michael McCarty and John Brassard Jr. trace a path through the shadowy heritage of the Quad Cities.
Divided by state lines and the Mississippi River, the Quad Cities share a common haunted heritage. If anything, the seam that runs through the region is especially rife with spirits, from the Black Angel of Moline’s Riverside Cemetery to the spectral Confederate POWs of Arsenal Island. Of course, the city centers have their own illustrious supernatural residents – the Hanging Ghost occupies Davenport’s City Hall, while the Phantom Washwoman wanders Bettendorf’s Central Avenue. At Igor’s Bistro in Rock Island, every day is Halloween. Michael McCarty hunts down the haunted lore of this vibrant Midwestern community.
Please also check out: EERIE QUAD CITIES by Michael McCarty & John Brassard Jr.
Introduction by The Amazing Kreskin
Afterword by Rick Lopez of Igor’s Bistro
Like the mighty Mississippi River that cleaves the Quad Cities, the region’s history can trap the unwary in some unexpected eddies. Peer through the fog of the past to catch a glimpse of the Tinsmith Ghost of Rock Island or the river serpent with a price on its head. Get the back story on the Banshee of Brady Street, read the 1869 report on a Bigfoot sighting near East Davenport and run the numbers on local UFO activity. From phantom footsteps in the Renwick Mansion to a mausoleum heist in Chippiannock Cemetery, Michael McCarty and John Brassard Jr. trace a path through the shadowy heritage of the Quad Cities.
I decided to try this new “The Books That Time Forgotten” book review column. Let me know what you think of it.
The books that time forgotten … but not us
The idea behind is, some books get left behind on the book shelves, collect dust or even spiderwebs but that doesn’t mean they weren’t a good read. Hope after reading this blog, maybe they won’t be forgotten. These articles will not only review the books, but speculate why the book is gathering cobwebs among other books.
Enjoy
NIGHT CHILLS
By Dean Koontz
Berkley Books
369 pages
Written in 1976, NIGHT CHILLS is an early Dean Koontz thriller written a few years after THE DEMON SEED and before his early classics like WHISPERS or THE FUNHOUSE or PHANTOMS.
How does the novel stand up today?
Excellent! Like fine wine, the book aged well.
Some of Koontz’ best books cross the genres and this is no except. NIGHT CHILLS blends several elements all together: horror, science fiction, romance, suspense and even some humor. Shaken, not stirred as any mixologist knows.
NIGHT CHILL is about a scientific experiment gone awry, much like WATCHERS or PHANTOMS would do much later in his career. In this case the experiment involves sub-liminal messages and mind-control. It is an interesting premise and Koontz did extensive research on the topic for the book (even referenced the material at the end of the novel).
The idea of subliminal advertising came into focus during the 1950s, when encoded messages would pop up in movies to help sell more popcorn and soda.
Are subliminals still going on today?
Yes and no. Not directly but the influence is there in the form of product placement. You go to see any commercial movie and the lad character might say lines in front of a lit soda pop machine. Because the vending soda pop machine has no bearing on the plot, you don’t pay much attention to it on the conscious level, But it could creep into your subconscious.
Anyway enough of my soapbox. The Amazing Kreskin and I also talk about this in our book, CONVERSATIONS WITH KRESKIN … check it out sometime.
The evil scientist in NIGHT CHILLS uses subliminal messages to control the residents of Black River, Maine (yes, Stephen King’s neck of the woods … LOL).
There are conspiracy theories and paranoia (which Koontz would play to the max in such classics as DARK RIVERS OF THE HEART in 1994). There are elements of psychological horror of a small town much like the original INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. And there is even sex.
What more can you ask for in one book?
Packed with plenty of chills and thrills and action, NIGHT CHILLS is a spellbinding read.
So why did NIGHT CHILLS end up in “The Books That Time Forgotten?” I have a few theories. One, Dean Koontz was having some problems finding his niche in the publishing industry. He started out writing science fiction and switched over to horror, which publishers felt would confuse his fans. So he wrote under a lot of pennames during this period: Brian Coffey, Anthony North, John Hill, Aaron Wolfe, K.R. Dwyer, David Axton and Leigh Nichols….. so many different pennames, it was hard to build a fanbase.
Nevertheless, check out this early Dean Koontz forgotten classic.
THE TIDES
By Melanie Tem
Leisure Books / Headline / Crossroads Press
308 Pages
Elegant, evocative and eerie, Melanie Tem’s THE TIDE is such an incredible read: there’s real horror in loneliness, rage, old age, sickness and mental illness that afflict many residents of The Tides nursing home.
In the unspeakable isolation of the nursing home is Marshall Emig who has Alzheimer’s disease. He doesn’t recognize his own daughter Rebecca who is the administrator of the faculty or his own wife Billie.
Marshall is haunted by the past. He believes that first wife Faye has come back from the grave. At first the nurses and aides believe that it’s just another sign of his deteriorating mental state.
Then other residents start seeing Faye and all hell breaks loose.
THE TIDES is a well-constructed creepy and engaging novel, balancing real life/social horrors of a nursing home and the supernatural. A literary and bold book, highly recommended.
THE TIDES was a big influence when I wrote the story “The Surge” with Holly Zaldivar for FRANKENSTEIN’S MISTRESS: TALES OF LOVE & MONSTERS.”
So how did THE TIDES end up here? My theory is this. The book was published in England with the beautiful hardcover edition, which is now super rare to get. Then it was published in America with Leisure as a paperback. Leisure eventually went out of business, making the paperback hard to get. Crossroad Press did an audio and kindle which is available on Amazon.
If you like these reviews … I have some great reviews in ESOTERIA-LAND too:
Check it out:
Book Reviews! Movie Reviews! Even a review of a Jerry Seinfeld concert!
Interviews with Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues, Tommy Chong of Cheech & Chong, Terry Pratchett, Mojo Nixon, Bobcat Goldthwait and many more…
Also check out the MODERN MYTHMAKERS series:
More Modern Mythmakers by Michael McCarty
★★★★ “As the majority of the authors are genre living legends, this book also has a wide range of tips and advice from those who have been there already, sampled success, bought the t-shirt and are kindly willing to share their sage advice.”—Horror DNA
★★★★★ “As an interviewer, Michael McCarty knows his stuff. His questions are well respected and thoughtful, and they always keep the focus on his subjects”—Romie Scott, Reflections Edge
MORE MODERN MYTHMAKERS features Horror, Science Fiction and Dark Fantasy’s most influential writers and filmmakers interviewed about the art and craft of their genres.
The 25 interviews include Steve Alten, Reggie Bannister, Terry Brooks, Charles de Lint, Dennis Etchison, John Everson, Alan Dean Foster, Ray Garton, Sephera Giron, Owl Goingback, Charles Grant, Nancy Holder, Paul Kane, Ronald Kelly, Joe Lansdale, Bentley Little, Jeff Long, Jonathan Maberry, Elizabeth Massie, Larry Niven, William Stout, Jeff Strand, Harry Turtledove, J.N. Williamson, and Connie Willis.
The ebook is only .99 cents And it includes in-depth interviews with Forrest J. Ackerman; C. Dean Andersson; Adrienne Barbeau; Ray Bradbury; Ramsey Campbell; John Carpenter; Dan Curtis; Rusty Fischer; Neil Gaiman; Mick Garris; Laurell K. Hamilton; George Clayton Johnson; Jack Ketchum; Dean Koontz; Herschell Gordon Lewis; Thomas Ligotti; Bentley Little; Graham Masterton; Richard Matheson; Joe McKinney; Christopher Moore; Night of the Living Dead Crew: John Russo, Kyra Schon, & Russ Streiner; William F. Nolan; Ingrid Pitt; Fred Olen Ray; John Saul; David Snell; Darce Stoker; Peter Straub; Whitley Strieber; Timothy Zahn; Foreword by Alan Dean Foster Afterword by The Amazing Kreskin.
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