A super fun interview with Paranormal Odyssey Podcast, now available for download HERE. Here’s what the hosts had to say about it.
Author Varla Ventura takes the stage on the Paranormal Odyssey Podcast, and scares the shit out of us with tales of Werewolves, Irish monsters, and Banshees. Keep the lights on when you listen to this one! The Mighty Ants Lipanovic takes the center seat on this one!
http://paranormalodyssey.podomatic.com/entry/2013-03-20T05_01_23-07_00
On a Miami, Florida off-ramp, a completely naked man attacked a homeless man with a ferociousness that makes The Texas Chainsaw Massacre look mild. The attacker began tearing away at the victim’s face, biting with his mouth, and then eating the chunks of flesh he tore off. Though the police and hospital are not confirming, the attacker is believed to be under the influence of bath salts–and not the kind that soak your cares away. Bath Salts are an amphetamine, and this is not the first time the drug has lead to zombie-like behavior.
Users snort, smoke, or inject the amphetamine, which can lead to extreme reactions including severe hallucinations. Reports of bizarre and extreme crimes while under the influence continue to flood the news. A man slayed a goat while wearing women’s underwear, a couple repeatedly called 911 to report a non-existent intruder, and more than one person has exhibited the urge to eat another persons flesh!
I don’t think this is quite what Vincent Price was expecting as The Last Man on Earth. But then, who ever said the apocalypse would be predictable? (Oh wait…)
Me, victim of a zombie encounter or just up all night?
Over the weekend I was haunting my local Haight Street shops and went into one of my favorites: Cheap Thrills. This store is like what Hot Topic wishes it could be. It’s packed full with everything from tiny rubber chickens to Day of the Dead skull dresses. The Baby Ventura (whom I should really start referring to as The Toddler Ventura) LOVES this store almost as much as I do. The second I walked in the PJ Harvey and Nick Cave duet Henry Lee started playing over the speakers (one of my favorite songs!) so as I browsed the mermaid tattoo patches and stripey socks, I was feeling pretty good. Imagine the “cheap thrill” I got when I looked over at the books and saw my very own The Book of the Bizarre stacked neatly on top! Like a total nerd, I still get excited over such things, and I exclaimed to the shopkeep, “Hey! I wrote this!” And no, she didn’t ask me to sign the copy but did smile nicely and seemed pretty tickled that I was so tickled. This got me thinking I needed to plug their awesome store, and while I’m at it, I decided to create Varla Ventura’s Gruesome and Ghoulish Gift Guide for the Holidays.
So here are 13 (or so) fun, freaky, and fabulous gifts for every man, woman, beast, and child on your list. (Not necessarily in that order.)
I’ll start off with one of the a real cheap and thrilling item from Cheap Thrills. Their online store, http://www.thrillomatic.com/ features such great categories as Bacon Stuff, Cupcake Stuff , Monkey Stuff, Devil Stuff, and Unicorn Stuff. This one is a perfect stocking stuffer, sweet little gift for a girlfriend, babysitter, co-worker, etc. It’s a Day of the Dead mirror, cute, compact and only $2.99!!
And speaking of magic mirrors, did you get my e-book collection, The Poison Apple and and Other Tales of Magic Mirrors and Wicked Queens? No? Well it’s pretty cheap ($2.99) too. If you are a fan of Snow White here is the perfect gift for every wicked or white witch on you list. A super-charged magical apple charm from one of the coolest purveyors of witchery, White Magick Alchemy. According to the witches at White Magick, Aventurine (the apple in the picture in the gallery is made of Aventurine but other options are available) “promotes relaxation, recovery, and regeneration. You should never buy a lottery ticket without aventurine in your left pocket!”
Some of you may be familiar with my other favorite shop on Haight, Loved to Death, thanks to the show Oddiites. This is one of those stores you can basically randomly point in any direction and find the ideal gift for the likes of me, or any other pirate/goth/archeologist in your life (I’m talking bout you, Pirate Chris). But one of the recent stand outs is this gorgeous skull decanter set with glassware. It’s a little pricier at $150 but so divine!
4. Silver Tentacle Jewelry from The Bone Room
Get thee to the Bone Room and purchase me the skull jewelery. Or a gravestone locket. Or a Spider poison ring. Or order up a realistic replica skull for your bookshelf. Or….Just be sure and call the store for availability on the jewelry. It’s artisan fortified and not mass-produced.
For the little adventurer in your life, this awesome collage kit can be purchased from Paxton Gate online or in their real-world kids store (Curiosities for Kids). I mean really, what kid doesn’t love sea monsters? You’ll also find freaky jewelry, terrariums, taxidermy, and orchids.
Of course I’ve got to add my own books to this list. Both The Book of the Bizarre and it’s sister Beyond Bizarre are cute lil’ 5 x 7 packages with flaps, lots of fun and freaky art, and packed to the gills with bizarre stories, paranormal tales, and things you need to know for your next cocktail party. And for you e-book geeks out there, I have collections of Paranormal Parlor and Magical Creature books too, which are very affordable and fun. Available on Amazon, B&N, and where ever books are sold!
Make household chores a little less boring with this amazing purple skull pot scrubber from Plasticland.com. This store, by the way, has a bit of everything cool you could imagine. Dresses, shoes, (I like the Spineless X-Ray shoes) Mermaid Tattoo pillows, and so much more. It’s very affordable, fun, and offers a great flat rate shipping on all orders–so fill up your cart and check it out!
8. The Overlook Hotel T-Shirt from 6dollarshirts.com
This website offers t-shirts from pop-culture to horror to humor and all for just six dollars! It’s actually $6.50 for a cute babydoll cut shirt for the gals in your life, but still an amazing deal. You can also get 10 shirts for 50! They’ve got a couple Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King themed shirts that I’ve already ordered! But this Overlook Hotel t-shirt, featuring the freaky twins in the center of a maze, is a must have for any fan of the horror movie (or book. Of course nerds like me know it’s not a hedge maze but hedge animals in the book…)
I’ve already purchased a gorgeous cameo and two rings from this amazing website, Starrlightjewelry and Design. She also has an Etsy shop that offers an array of incredible items at incredibly low prices! Seriously, $11 dollars for this gorgeous little bookmark, I can personally attest to the quality of this woman’s work! Plus, she donates money to bat conservation. And she is a cat lover. Oh and runs an animal sanctuary. Word to the wise, her etsy shop is currently closed for the holidays. But you can shop through her website (which is linked above for the bookmark.) Go Lady Starrlight!
10. Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Milk Pirate Onesie
Piratemod are the premier purveyors of pirate themed t-shirts, sweatshirts, doggie shirts, and baby/toddler items with amazing quality and a wide variety of super sweet Pirate themes. Plus these people are the master minds behind the Northern California Pirate Festival. Check out their online shop and get something for your dog, your baby, and your husband/lover/girlfriend/wife. My other favorite–a black t-shirt with the wise words: The beatings will continue until morale improves.
11. Sacred Heart Print by artist Benjamin A. Vierling
One of the most magnificent artists of our time, Vierling uses old world Renaissance techniques to create a layered depth rare in painting today. His painting Sacred Heart features botanicals and creatures aligned with witchcraft and high magick. This high quality limited edition print Sacred Heart, has been produced via 6-colour offset lithography and printed on archival coated stock, the 16” x 20” print is strictly limited to 250 copies, hand-signed and numbered by the Artist. It’s reasonably priced (under $75) and makes a unique and incredible gift for the witch, alchemist, lover of the macabre, or art fanatic in your life. (Check out the image in the gallery to see the splendor.)Vierling offers his original paintings and a limited number of prints through his website here: http://www.bvierling.com/
This perfume from Tokyo Milk is described as having hints of White Orchid, Vanilla, Ebony & Exotic Woods. With a super cute skull and crossbones, the Lady of the House will be delighted with this gothically minded gift. Comes also in a hand cream!
13. Monster High Doll: FrankieThis enchanting alternative to Barbies (the Monster High crew look like they’d carve Barbie, Ken, and Skipper up and eat them for a midnight feast) my personal favorite is Frankie Stein, the daughter of Frankenstein of course. Her favorite color is black and white stripes, and claims that her biggest pet peeve is that every morning when she comes upstairs her father shouts “It’s alive!”
I’m proud to tell you my nieces are obsessed with these dolls, so be warned. Once you buy one (Draculaura is cute too!) they will want them all.
Check out the gallery below to see pictures of all these fun gift items. And now, as the mommy zombie said to the toddler zombie, go forth and consume!
The gorgeous beings at Paranormal Wastelands are hosting a Zompocalypse Halloween Hop! And there are TWO (that’s right TWO) ways to win. I’ll be giving away a copy of The Book of the Bizarre and a grab bag of oozing zombie fun, including bug bracelets and stretchy zombie toys. Winner will be announced on November 2nd.
1. Follow my blog, then leave your comment below telling me your favorite character from horror, movies or books. If you’re inclined, like me on facebook and follow me on Twitter too. Between October 28th-31st.
Comment (leave your email address) anytime between October 28th and midnight on Halloween. I’ll announce the winner by the 3rd or so of November.
AND/OR
2. You can also go and check out my guest post on Paranormal Wasteland For Whom the Bell Tolls: The Bateson Revival Device and Other Freaky Stories of Premature Burial, Funeral Customs, and The Walking Dead
There is a button to enter to win at the bottom of the post.
All entries must be in the US or Canada.
Good luck, and Happy Halloween Month!!!!!!!
The gorgeous beings at Paranormal Wastelands are hosting a Zompocalypse blog hop! And there are TWO (that’s right TWO) ways to win.
Today October 25th: go and check out my guest post For Whom the Bell Tolls: The Bateson Revival Device and Other Freaky Stories of Premature Burial, Funeral Customs, and The Walking Dead
At the bottom of the page you can enter to win my book + zombie swag.
On October 28th-31st there will be an additional giveaway/Zompocalypse Blog Hop where you can do the following and enter to win again! I’ll repost this in a few days…
Follow my blog, then leave your comment below telling me your favorite character from horror, movies or books. If you’re inclined, like me on facebook and follow me on Twitter too. Between October 28th-31st.
I’ll be giving away a copy of The Book of the Bizarre and a grab bag of oozing zombie fun, including bug bracelets and stretchy zombie toys. Winner will be announced on November 2nd.
Comment (leave your email address) anytime between October 28th and midnight on Halloween. I’ll announce the winner by the 3rd or so of November.
All entries must be in the US or Canada.
Good luck, and Happy Halloween Month!!!!!!!
Ladies and Gents, hold on to your pointy hats and swallow that last chunk of Halloween candy, because we have a WINNER.
Congrats to Jonquil Alexia who will receive copies of both of my books and some freaky tidbits too. And thanks to all that participated. i hope you all had a wild and wooly Halloween!
I am participating in The Spooktacular Giveaway Blog Hop!
There are over 500 other blogs participating lots of opportunities to win supernaturally awesome books.so I am giving away copies both my Book of the Bizarre and Beyond Bizarre books plus some spooktacular swag!
To enter:
To the most inspired Halloween observer goes the spoils. Enter between now and MIDNIGHT on October 31st. I’ll announce the winner on the 2nd of November. Please only enter if you have a US or Canadian mailing address. Good luck, tell all your friends, and Happy Halloween!!
We have a winner! Ron Oliver, you’ve won the Horror Movie Madness giveaway. You’ll be receiving your soon–it’s going out it today’s mail! Here’s a sneak peak of what is creeping around in the big package coming your way, which includes copies of both of my books and some freaky fun things!
One of Ron’s favorite horror movies is The Exorcist. In a competitive genre, The Exorcist is definitely a stand out. Thanks to all who entered, and don’t worry if you didn’t win!! See the other posts about the Spooktacular Giveaway Blog Hop AND watch for the Zombocalypse Giveaway coming later this week! 
I’m just in a giving mood this Halloween season. I want to give YOU, dear reader, signed copies of each of my freaky trivia books, The Book of the Bizarre and Beyond Bizarre, along with a grab bag of zombirific Halloween splendor, including but not limited to stretchy zombies, bug bracelets, stickers, and grow-your-own maggoty worm things.
How, pray tell, can you win such a wonderful prize? It’s easy! Do one or more of the following for a point to enter. No more than 6 points allowed per person. Each point counts as an entry (so if you do everything you have 6 x the chances to win.)
1. Follow my blog. (If you already do, just say so in your comment and you’ll get the point.) (1 point)
2. Add me to your interests on facebook. You just click on my page, like it if you haven’t already, and then to the right of the like button you’ll see an a tab that you can click on. A drop-down menu appears, and you just say “add page to interests.” (2 points)
3. Follow me on twitter. (1 point)
3. Comment with the answer to this question (2 points!):
What is your favorite horror movie???
Answer by October 21st, 2012. The winner will be announced on October 22nd.
Open to US residents only (if you live elsewhere you can enter if you want the prize to go to someone in the U.S. )
A coffin bag full of books and zombie bags full of fun!
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and ghouls…
The winner of the Fangs, Fur, and Fey Giveaway is…..
Zara Alexis.
Zara, you can expect a package of creepy fun coming your way soon. Included are copies of my book, The Book of the Bizarre, and Reginald Bakeley’s Goblinproofing One’s Chicken Coop. Also a zombie-grab bag of fun!!!
See the pictures of your spoils below…
And if you didn’t win take heart! There are three more giveaways happening this month, so watch here for more details. I’ll be giving away more spooky swag and copies of both of my books.
Congrats Zara!!
(Check out Zara’s cool blog here: http://zaraalexis.wordpress.com/)
Happy Halloween!
To the victor go the spoils!
Just had a great interview with Jeffery Pritchett. Jeffery is the host of The Church Of Mabus Show “bringing you high strange stories from professionals in the carousel of fields surrounding the paranormal.”
Read about hospital horrors, magical creatures, psychic premonitons, and body snatchers~
Interview on Examiner dot com, Varla Ventura on Real Life Horrors
Recent news of the model whose sustained injuries from a fall while hiking with her husband in Hell’s Canyon, a wilderness area along the border of Idaho and Oregon, reports that Jamie Hilton is recovering from her major brain injury, thanks to the ingenuity of doctors storing the fragment of her skull in her abdomen. Yes, you read that right. When Hilton arrived at the St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho doctor’s told her husband that her chance of surviving the serious injury to her brain was 50/50. They also said her brain was swelling rapidly and her best chance was to remove a piece of her skull. About 25% of it, actually, which Hilton, upon waking in the hospital, discovered protruding from her abdomen.
Docs say the decision to store the skull in her stomach was a medical one: the body would keep it sterile, and it was ready to go right back in when the swelling had finally subsided. It remained there for 42 days.
What a story this former beauty queen, I’m happy to report, will live to tell.
See pictures and more details here:
Reminds me of these stories from from Beyond Bizarre’s chapter Blood-Red Crosses and Gross Anatomy: Hospital Horrors, Bizarre Diseases and Maladies, Haunted Hospitals and Asylums, Evil Doctors, Strange Procedures, and Very Grave Robberies. (Longest chapter title ever!) They aren’t quite the same, but it does have to do with odd things and the brain.
In a remarkable 2008 story from Colorado Springs, Colorado, a fully developed infant foot was discovered in the brain of a newborn baby who was being operated on for a life-threatening tumor. Doctors explained that it is not uncommon for the type of tumor presented to be tissue—most often muscle, hair, or teeth—from an undeveloped fetal twin. It is extremely rare for the tissue to develop this far. The foot was removed, and the infant was expected to make a full recovery.
and
Imagine the mixture of horror and relief you would feel upon discovering that what you thought was a life-threatening tumor in your brain was, in fact, a worm! A woman in Arizona was experiencing classic symptoms of a brain tumor, including blurred vision and numbness in her arm. After two emergency room visits and a clear CAT scan, doctors were stumped. When doctors took a closer look at an MRI, they noticed something deep down in her brain stem. The woman was scheduled for surgery immediately, and doctors began the procedure to remove what they thought would be a tumor. Instead, they were shocked to find a worm. Surgeons removed the worm from her brain, and the woman made a full recovery. Doctors say that many conditions, such as eating uncooked pork or not washing your hands properly after using the bathroom, can lead to worms entering your internal system.
The Library of Living Monsters
Animism, Folk Magic, and Spirit Work in the Pacific Northwest
based on The Book of the Bizarre, Weiser Books, 2008
"We'll spook a smile out of you"
based on The Book of the Bizarre, Weiser Books, 2008
"Exploring the Paranormal...Normally™"
based on The Book of the Bizarre, Weiser Books, 2008
εν αρχη ην ο λογος και ο λογος ην προς τον θεον και θεος
Blog Fiction
vampires and how I fled the country - a truthful account
Forty-two.
Your esoteric steampunk lodge of the retro-future
a blog full of my literary playthings.
Empowering your life through the wisdom of Tarot
