A Tribute to Holly

She calls herself a "curator of curiosities," and if you go to her blog you'll see that it is indeed "a collection of creepy curiosities." Holly B. Strange has been presenting her readers and followers with her unique taste in creepy curiosities for quite a few years now, and it has always been a pleasure to go to her website to see just what she is featuring this time around. 

I have personally enjoyed her special event, which has taken place every Valentine's Day. The Vampire's Day Soiree, which celebrated its tenth anniversary last February, has given participants a chance to post all things vampire on their own blogs, while remaining connected to hers. Thus, readers were able to skip from site to site with ease to see what material others had created. 

 For me, the  Vampire's Day Soiree offered a chance to present some of my vampire fiction, as I am inclined to write such material. As I mentioned above, last year was the event's tenth anniversary. Still, I noticed that participation was down last year, and I almost took it as an omen; this, even though I understood that blogging, or at least the blogs I'd been following over the years, seem to be dwindling in numbers. 

Last year, Holly's posts stopped coming. The last addition to her blog occurred early in August. Then, there was nothing. This wasn't like her and I began wondering what was going on with her. Then, and somewhere along the way, I learned that she had taken ill. Since that time information about both Holly's whereabouts and state of health have been sketchy at best. It seems, then, that there will be no Vampire's Day Soiree this coming Valentine's Day, and no blog posts appear to be forthcoming. One can only hope that Miss Holly, as I like to call her, is recovering from whatever ails her. 

So then, today's post serves as a tribute to Holly. It comes with gratitude for all of her efforts and good works. It also comes with a shout out to her. Get well soon, Miss Holly! We miss you!

 Visit Holly's Horrorland 

Vintage Haloween Photos 2021

 The days are drawing shorter and cooler. Leaves are again swirling in the autumn wind as they tumble to the ground, and the veil between the worlds grows thin. The spooky season has arrived. Halloween is just days away. 

As always during this time I enjoy presenting vintage Halloween art from years gone by This is the art that not only inspired me as a child, but continues to do so. For me, art like this is the essence of Halloween, and I always like offering it here at the Gothic Embrace. Without any further ado then, let's begin with the presentation. 

This is a creepy picture indeed. I always love pictures of Jack O' Lanterns and this one doesn't disappoint. The two skulls and the corn with the spooky face arising out of the pumpkin add a nice touch. 

What better companion to a Jack O' Lantern hanging on a tree limb than a crow? 

What could be creepier than an abode in a bog? Jack O' Lanterns light the way here, even as, according to legend, the fires of Hell burn within them in order to help Jack, who lost a bet with the Devil, find his way back to the earthly realm. 

This one is just so rustic. Here a being (a scarecrow perhaps) plays a flute while his ghoulish audience sits back, enjoying the performance. These days, there's very little rustic imagery surrounding All Hallows Eve. Some things have been lost during this digital age. This vintage picture reminds us of connection, and where Halloween really came from. 

I've seen this image in various forms, but they have always been one of my favorites.  For me, this is a scarecrow transformed. Notice the bats, the vulture, and the crow. What's there not to love about a work like this? 

Well, that's it for this year's offering. I hope you have enjoyed gazing into and engulfing yourself in the feel of Halloweens past. 

A Happy, but Spooky Halloween to all!

 

I am pleased to announce the publication of my third book, called A Day of Reckoning and Other Frightful Tales. It seems to me that it has been a long time in coming, but the project is finally finished, and I'm happy with the results. 

As has been the case with my fiction, one of the pieces here is a sequel that ties together two separate storylines, while the others are stand alone. There is one thing that is new and unique about this new publication, however. It contains several pieces of flash fiction, which I was inspired to try my hand at by a former Facebook page called The Gothic Library. One of the longer stories here, A Day of Reckoning, got its start as flash fiction, but I just couldn't let it remain that way as the idea of it all opened too many possibilities. 

In the weeks ahead, I will be bring back my Creepy Samples Offerings in which I which I offer a new excerpt of a story contained in the book. This time around, however, I will only do this with each of the longer stories as the flash fiction is... well, just too short. For those who do not know, flash fiction is generally thought of as generally being only 500 words or less.

In keeping with my desire not to commercialize this particular blog, I will direct you to my other site, Tales of Dark Romance and Horror where you can find  all the information needed to purchase near the top of the page. More info will be added in the not-too-distant future. 

Thanks for reading!

Happy World Goth Day

It's May 22, and that can mean only one thing. You guessed it! Today is World Goth Day. May you all have a very special celebration!