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Tag Archives: Ghost Story

Happy 141st Birthday, Antonio Bay!

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Posted by bradsbooks in My Fiction, My inspiration and motivation

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141st Anniversary, Adrienne Barbeau, Alfred Hitchcock, Antonio Bay, April 21, April 21st, Father Malone, Ghost Story, Ghosts, Hal Holbrook, Halloween, horror films, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, John Carpenter, John Houseman, Psycho, Seagrass, Stevie Wayne, The 21st of April, The Fog, Tom Atkins, vengeful ghosts

Eleven fifty-five, almost midnight, enough time for one more story…one more story before twelve, just to keep us warm. In five minutes, it will be the 21st of April…

These chilling words are the opening lines of dialogue from a horror film that shares this important date with us today.

Below is a slightly edited repost of a post I did a few years ago about today’s date and its significance in the realm of horror films.

Original post (edited):

Oddly, I’m not a big horror movie fan.  Even though I enjoy writing in the horror and mystery genres, when it comes to film my personal movie collection is heavy with science fiction, fantasy, adventure, and comedy rather than horror. The Fog is one of my all time favorite horror movies (the original 1980 film directed by John Carpenter). The plot is simple yet effective and harkens back to a nostalgic time of storytelling when ghost stories didn’t have to be gory or excessively violent to be frightening. Sure, there is some violence in the film, but it isn’t very bloody or overt like many of the horror films and TV shows of today, although, the film is loaded with lots of shocks and stingers that definitely get your attention.  They are the kind of scares that happen really quick, make you scream or jump, and then make you laugh at yourself afterward.  I won’t go into detail about the story because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who has never seen the film before. The Fog inspires and encourages me to write scary stories that emphasize the old cliché, “Less is more.”

The Fog is pretty tame by current standards.  After all, it’s over forty years old! If you prefer your horror served up with gratuitous amounts of blood, gore, and sex, then The Fog may not be for you.  However, if you enjoy clever, old school, spooky, sit-around-the-campfire ghost stories, then you might find it entertaining.  It’s a fun film to watch while curled up on the sofa with your favorite snack or main squeeze.

There are also a couple of personal reasons why I like The Fog.  I was a radio DJ/announcer for a few years when I lived in Louisiana, and briefly when I later lived in Florida. The “Stevie Wayne” connection is something I can relate to. Stevie Wayne is basically the main character of the film.  She is portrayed by Adrienne Barbeau.  She’s a single mom raising her son in a sleepy, yet somewhat charming little seaside town (Antonio Bay, California). Stevie recently bought a radio station atop the town lighthouse that overlooks the Pacific.  A good portion of the film takes place in and around the lighthouse/radio station. I can relate to the tasks and responsibilities that Stevie has to contend with like the ever watchful and unforgiving demands of the clock, and time, that dictate a DJ’s every move and word while on the air.

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The DiVacci Curse: An Old-Fashioned Ghost Short Story

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Posted by bradsbooks in My Fiction, The DiVacci Curse

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Chills, Creepy, Frightening, Ghost Story, Halloween, Halloween Reading, haunted house, haunted mansion, Horror, Insomnia, New Hampshire, Night-light, spooky, Thrills

Perfect for Halloween…

It’s so frightening that you’ll have to sleep with a night-light weeks after reading it!

Feel free to share this post…if you’re brave enough! (Insert sinister laughter here)

Have a safe and healthy Halloween.

The DiVacci Curse…Now Revised and Republished!

07 Friday Feb 2020

Posted by bradsbooks in My Fiction, The DiVacci Curse

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Creepy, Ghost Story, Ghosts, gothic, haunted house, haunted mansion, Horror, new edition, revised story, Scary, short story, spooky, The DiVacci Curse, vengeful ghosts, writing

I’m happy to announce that my story The DiVacci Curse has been revised.  The latest edition is available on Amazon.  As mentioned in last week’s post, I had some spare time after publishing my first novel and decided to revisit my short story (the first bit of fiction that I published).

The plot remains intact, but I cleaned up aspects of the narrative and got rid of many unnecessary adverbs and repetitive words.  The story is polished and the pacing flows more smoothly.  I think that the overall readability is better, too.  I hope that readers find it scarier, darker and more enjoyable.

Thanks for reading and please check out the link below!

Creepy Halloween reading…The DiVacci Curse!

30 Wednesday Oct 2019

Posted by bradsbooks in My Fiction

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Creepy, Ghost Story, Halloween, Horror, New Hampshire, Short stories, Spirit, The DiVacci Curse

Looking for something creepy to read to get you in the mood for All Hallows’ Eve?  If so, then I recommend my short story The DiVacci Curse.  It’s about a couple that buys the mansion of their dreams in New Hampshire.  But the new dwelling is not what it seems. The DiVacci Curse is not appropriate for children.  You can access the Amazon page for the story via the link below or from the My Books page of this blog.

I hope that you enjoy reading it….if you dare!

May you all have a spooky, safe and happy Halloween!

Time for a Little Shameless Self-Promotion!

19 Thursday Oct 2017

Posted by bradsbooks in My Fiction

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Dare, e-book, Fear, Frighten, Ghost Story, Ghosts, Halloween, Horror, Read, Scary, Short stories, Spirit, The DiVacci Curse

Happy Halloween!  I hope that everyone is doing well.  Thanks for reading.

If you need a little help getting into the spirit of Halloween, may I suggest my ghost short story, “The DiVacci Curse.” As always, you can access the direct link to the book from the My Books page of this blog.  Read it with the lights out…if you dare!

Attention Amazon Kindle Readers!

21 Friday Jul 2017

Posted by bradsbooks in A Day of Horror: The March 11, 2011 Japan Earthquake-A Foreigner's Perspective, My Fiction, My Non-fiction

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A Day of Horror: The March 11, 2011 Japan Earthquake-A Foreigner's Perspective, Amazon, Amazon Prime, e-book, Ghost Story, Horror, KDP Select, Kindle, Kindle Owners' Lending Library, Kindle Unlimited, Review, Short stories, The DiVacci Curse, The Great East Japan Earthquake

My nonfiction e-book and my fiction e-short story are now enrolled in KDP Select on Amazon.  This is good news for Amazon Prime, Kindle Owners’ Lending Library and Kindle Unlimited members.  Check em’ out!

For those who have already purchased and read my e-book and e-short story, thank you very much.  If you like what you read, then I encourage you to write a review and post it on Amazon.  I would be honored and grateful for your kindness and consideration.  If writing a review is not your thing, then please spread the word among your family and friends, co-workers, distant relatives, ex-spouses, etc.

As always, direct links to both books can be found on the “My Books” page of this blog. Thanks for reading.

Have a fun and safe summer!

Most humbly,

Brad

“You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover!”

10 Saturday Jun 2017

Posted by bradsbooks in My Fiction

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Amazon, Blood, e-book, Generic, Ghost Story, Gore, Graphic, Horror, Original Cover, Subtle, The DiVacci Curse, Updated Cover Design

 

That statement is so true.  Well, it’s taken a while (almost a year, actually) but I now have an original cover design for my ghost short story, “The DiVacci Curse.”

Only the cover has been changed.  The story and its contents remain the same.

When I first published the story last summer, I felt that it was more important to just get it published and out there, rather than delay publishing because of the cover page.  I opted to use one of Amazon’s predesigned cover pages that I liked, but was generic in nature.  I had no issues with the predesigned cover for a long time until I saw another book on Amazon (can’t remember if it was fiction or non-fiction) that used the same exact cover design…same font, colors, etc.  That’s when I realized that I needed to have an original cover design instead.

I now understand the importance of book covers.  Some readers do indeed “judge a book by its cover.”  Book covers can determine whether a reader investigates the e-book further or just clicks to another item or page, not even giving the book a second thought.

I prefer book covers that give the reader a general idea of the plot, rather than paint an overly vivid picture that is too demanding and busy for the eye. If too much is going on in the image, the message becomes confusing and complicated.  The author runs the risk of turning the reader off.  Sometimes “less is more” as previously mentioned in my post about “The Fog.”  This concept applies to book covers as well. Continue reading →

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40th Anniversary 100th Birthday A Day of Horror: The March 11, 2011 Japan Earthquake-A Foreigner's Perspective Adrienne Barbeau Amazon Amazon Marketplace Antonio Bay authors book Bradley Lobue California Creepy e-book earthquake Eastern Tohoku Film Florida Fukushima Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Fukushima Prefecture George Lucas Ghosts Ghost Story gothic Great East Japan Earthquake Hal Holbrook Halloween Han Solo Happy New Year Holidays hope Horror humanity Jamie Lee Curtis Janet Leigh Japan John Carpenter John Houseman John Williams Kindle Koriyama City love Manage your content and devices March 11 2011 earthquake Merry Christmas Movie new novel November 22 2016 earthquake nuclear crisis nuclear meltdown Nuclear Reactor paperback peace Progress Publishing radiation Read respect Review Scary Short stories Spirit Star Wars Star Wars: Episode V The DiVacci Curse The Empire Strikes Back The Fog The Great East Japan Earthquake Tohoku Tom Atkins To Sleep in the Ground tsunami Update Available writing

Categories

  • A Day of Horror: The March 11, 2011 Japan Earthquake-A Foreigner's Perspective (8)
  • A Day of Horror: The March 11, 2011, Japan Earthquake-A Foreigner's Perspective (6)
  • My Fiction (24)
  • My inspiration and motivation (22)
  • My Non-fiction (15)
  • The DiVacci Curse (4)
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  • Uncategorized (6)

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