I spent a most enjoyable weekend in Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow (recounted here) this past weekend; was at Lyndhurst most of the day yesterday and got to talk to a couple of staff members at some length. One of them told me the estate manager(s) had lobbied long and hard to get Burton/Depp to consider filming the new DS movie at Lyndhurst, but they had been unsuccessful—sadly, as it would have been my first choice of filming locations. She was quite enthusiastic about the whole DS business and was thrilled to find out about the Big Finish audio dramas. Conversely, one of the other staff members (an older gentleman who'd been there for quite a few years) indicated the Lyndhurst staff strongly disliked the DS gatherings since "the fans take over the whole place" and some were inevitably unruly, to the point of going up in the tower (which is illegal). I suspect this recounting is one to be taken with a grain of salt, particularly since, in my experience, DS fans are among the most mature and most "mellow" that I've been associated with.

At any rate, it was a beautiful weekend at Lyndhurst, and sure got me in the Halloween spirit. (I watched both movies just before the trip to make sure the spirit was alive.)

I don't know whether this problem has come up -- I didn't see it in the topic list when I did a quick browse. I just downloaded Google Chrome, and came to log into the boards. Didn't recollect my password offhand, so I did the "forgot password" thing and requested the email to reset my password. I got the email and clicked on the provided link, but all it did was tell me I was trying to enter the boards illegally, just as when I try to enter from any other link. I recollected my password, fortunately, but it appears to me that there's no way to reset my password in the event I really can't remember it.

At Bob Freeman's Occult Detective Blog.

The audio drama I wrote for Big Finish, starring David Selby and Lara Parker, is now available for pre-order.



Visit Big Finish or my Web site for more details.

Oh yeah, it feels good to write DARK SHADOWS again.

As was mentioned amid the recaps of the Fest, I have written an audio drama for Big Finish's DS series. It's titled DARK SHADOWS: PATH OF FATE, and features Quentin and Angelique. It's already gone into production, though I don't know what the release date will be. Stuart will probably offer more details when he has an opportunity.

Is it scary? Oh yes, it is scary. Is it full of magic and enchantment? Oh yes, it's full of magic and enchantment. Is it full of carbohydrates, saturated fat, red dye #3, tar, nicotine, and aspartame? Well, that's a matter of interpretation, but in my view, not so much.

Not directly DS-related, but if you've enjoyed DREAMS OF THE DARK or any of my other spooky fiction, you might enjoy my upcoming collection of short fiction from Dark Regions specialty press.



It's due for an April release. You can get more info, including how to order, at my Web site book page: http://www.stephenmarkrainey.com/othergods.htm

I know some here are concerned about the WGA strike and how it will impact TV schedules, movies, etc. While I don't have a personal stake in the WGA strike per se, as someone who writes professionally, and being an active member of the Horror Writers Association, I do have an interest in seeing the writers prevail in this situation. Just like the major corporations in Hollywood, literary publishers are beginning to insert clauses in their contracts that deprive writers of any income made on electronic/digital sales. Right now, there's virtually no money being made there, so no one's made much of a stink yet. But it will be coming, somewhere down the road.

This video is hysterical -- and pretty much says it all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzRHlpEmr0w

I picked this one up on Ebay some time ago, and I decided to read it this weekend.

You know, those Ross novels were never meant to be sophisticated literature and all, but I gotta tell you, I think I may have discovered the single worst book ever written. Even worse than Kathy Ptacek's Gila, which, frankly, I never expected to see displaced as the mostest awfulest book that ever was.

Quentin masquerades as world-famous rock star Jim James, but no one has ever seen his face. One of Roger's friends discovers a planet called Velva, which is populated by Velvetians. Velvetians kidnap Roger and friend and install themselves at Collinwood. (Elizabeth deduces this as early as page 21, when she confides to Barnabas: "I've been obsessed with the idea that some sort of plane landed in the fields near here...and someone who was on it entered this house and took Roger captive. Then this mysterious someone had Roger sent away on that plane while he installed himself here in his place!") Elizabeth confides the same to Julia, who -- instead of wondering if Elizabeth is in her cups -- quickly determines that Roger has gone insane (with an exclamation point). Barnabas and Quentin, though, being special and all, figure out the aliens plan and turn the tables on them.

Good God. Good God....

Yes. This is the Plan Nine From Outer Space of all pulp novels. I'm certain of it.