“…there do I see the line of my people…”

Dangerously close to Hallowe’en and Seventh Star’s release of the audiobook of First Born and trade paperback of Descendant. Thursday’s going to be something else…

I plan to spend the day promoting the releases, then, in the quiet of the evening, as the season’s first flurries fall, spending some time in the small woodland shack my son and I built.

Behind the commercial trappings, Hallowe’en is first and foremost a time to honor those we have lost, who crossed over from this world to the next. Once of the curses of growing older is the lengthening list of loved ones who are no longer with us.

Since 2003 we have said goodbye to Kim’s mother, father, and grandmother; my father and grandfather, my friends Brent and John. My friends and colleagues are losing their parents and significant others. Respected peers are falling to the scythe. I have attended more funerals in the past 16 years than in the previous 37 years combined.

This is the part of growing older that is hardest to bear.

As a man of faith, I know that death is not the end for us. As a paranormal investigator, I have communed with spirits that have not crossed over. I know that the part of us that matters — our souls — are eternal.

In Risala, Ibn Fadlan recounted the following prayer, which was reproduced faithfully in the film, the 13th Warrior:

Lo there do I see my father; Lo there do I see my mother, my sisters and my brothers; Lo there do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning. Lo, they do call me, they bid me take my place among them, in the halls of Valhalla, where the brave may live forever.

Our ancestors are all there on the other side of the veil, waiting for us to join them in the hereafter. At Hallowe’en, we relish in the horror of death, in cheap scares, and spooky stories, and believe me, I am a fan of all of the trappings of the holiday, but there is always a place of reverence for our family, friends, and heroes that no longer share this physical plane…

So, remember to take a moment to acknowledge those who await us. Raise a toast in their honor. They are as close to us now, in this witching season, as they can possibly be, until we join them on the other side…

Ghosts and Gunpowder

I was largely away from the internet over the weekend, so let’s catch up.

SATURDAY, Oct 12: The Nativity of the Beast

Spent the morning and early afternoon with Kim & Conn, then set out to set up for the Converse Historical Society’s Haunted History event.

There was a decent turnout for our second annual gathering, and the film, being a collection of historical footage from 1937-1985 on loan from the Converse Public Library, was a huge success.

Of course, the highlight for me is always the “ghost tour” of the old building…

I hosted four outings, with the first two being completely uneventful, although the third showed a spattering of activity including two doors being opened by unseen spirits and an obvious presence that seemed to follow the group around, even lingering with us on the ground floor.

The fourth was filled with all manner of proverbial ‘bumps in the night‘. The most inexplicable phenomena related to mimicry. Members of ISPI who were visiting reported they stopped attempting to collect EVP because other guests (including myself) were being too loud speaking downstairs. The thing is, we attempted to recreate the experience, and despite raising their voices, no one could be heard from the floors above.

Just prior to them reporting this incident, those downstairs had clearly heard the group upstairs descending and paused their conversation anticipating their arrival. However, they never materialized, at least not until several minutes later. They assured the downstairs group that no aborted attempt to come down was attempted.

All in all, the entire event was an amazing success and CHS looks forward to hosting it again next year.

SUNDAY, Oct 13: Gunpowder and Fry Bread

Kim, Connor, and I spent the morning along the banks of the Mississinewa River for Mississinewa 1812,  the largest War of 1812 living history museum in the US. Sponsored by the Mississinewa Battlefield Society, it is a historical commemoration of the Battle of Mississinewa fought on December 17-18, 1812.

Here’s a video from 2014 to give you an idea —

The food was great, we had an interesting conversation with one of reenactors, and it’s always a thrill to explore all the wares being peddled by the vendors.

Afterward, we came home and finally decorated the house for Hallowe’en, then Connor and I swung an axe for a couple of hours to remove large portions of our ailing willow tree before finally calling it a day. Kim had made lasagna, and after a terrific meal, we collapsed in front of the television and continued our binge watching of Medium on Prime.

Monday, Oct 14: Footsteps and Hammerfalls?

So, what’s on the agenda today? I’ve the day job to address and some review reading to get in (once I get my paperwork squared), then, if the gods are willing and the creek don’t rise, the family and I will take a short hike through a local forest and then get some much needed work done on the pallet shack, which is dangerously close to being finished.

What’s coming up on our 31 Day Challenge?

Book reviews of Kincaid’s Lost Teachings of the Runes, Weber’s The Morrigan, and Casas’ Divination Conjure Style; a report on the Logansport Civic Players’ performance of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow; recaps of our Occult Detective RPG playtesting; lots on the release of my novel Descendant; some exciting news regarding the First Born audiobook release; and much more.

17 days till All Hallow’s Eve!

Who’s up for some Haunted History?

The Converse Historical Society is hosting its 2nd Annual Haunted History event this weekend, October 12, from 5-8 at the Eastern Woodland Carvers Club.

We’ll be showing off our latest acquisitions and presenting rare video footage captured throughout the history of the town. You’ll also have the opportunity to be led on a ‘ghost tour’ of the building by yours truly as I share with you the rich and storied legends of one of Converse’s most interesting landmarks.

Admission is FREE!

I unfortunately had to cancel my appearance at Para-Unity next weekend, but they still have plenty of exciting guests. If you’re out and about on Saturday, October 19th, you should swing by and support our local ghost hunters at the Riverview Event Center (421 W Canal St in Peru, IN) from 5– 8pm.

In case you missed it, I’m featured this month over at Horror Delve. I got to sit down with the talented Matt Cowen and answer 13 Questions. It was a great time and more than worth a look.

You might also check out my interview on The Star Chamber from a couple of weeks back. I had the opportunity to join Stephen, Holly, and Daniel for a deep dive into my shadowy past. And as an added bonus, Steven Shrewsbury drops in for a chat as well.

I have a blog tour coming up in November. If you’d like to open your corner of the internet up to me, I am available. You can sign up here for Bob Freeman’s Descendant Blog Tour.

 

And lest we forget why we’re all here, Descendant: A Novel of the Liber Monstrorum will be available in trade paperback and ebook on Samhain, October 31, but you can preorder the kindle version right now via amazon.com.

Suite: 16

The high point of my favorite month and season is my son’s birthday. Connor turns 16 today, which is both amazing and frightening all at the same time.

On the one hand, he’s a marvel: a terrific young man with a big heart, a gifted storyteller, immensely helpful in all facets of our daily lives, and a great sounding board.

On the other, he’s freaking 16, which has me feeling somewhat long in the tooth and wondering where in the hell all our time has gone.

It’s an honor to be this kid’s father.

Happy Birthday, Connor.

You’re now a man grown, as they say, and the world is whatever you want to make it.

I envy the journey that lies ahead for you and I am thrilled I get to be a part of it.

Cool T-Shirts don’t have to expensive

Looking for a cool (but inexpensive) Halloween T-Shirt? We’ve got you covered!

But, if you’re looking for something a little darker or magical, well, we’ve got that covered too.

Or why not check out our entire line of shirts on Amazon? We’ve also got apparel for Gamers, Historical Martial Artists, Bushcrafters, Yoga Enthusiasts, Guitarists, Theatre Lovers, and much more…

 

 

Mississinewa Reservoir Autumn Camping Weekend

We had a ghoulishly good time meeting up with family for the annual Mississinewa Reservoir Autumn Camping Weekend. Big thanks to my brother and sister in law for inviting us out.

Here’s a quick look:

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September Mourn

September comes to a close and we approach All Hallow’s Eve in 31 days.

We always pack a lot into September and October. So many red letter days, so many events that have become annual affairs. We were married on the equinox and our son was born on Leif Eriksson Day. Those signposts, coupled with the rest of our fall lineup make this time of year more than special — it makes them magical.

We take in the Mississinewa 1912 reenactment and the Fishers Renaissance Faire, we go to plays, take hikes through our Hoosier woodlands, we prowl antique shops and bookstores, and so much more…

We have special game club events all month long, I line up as many paranormal investigations as I can muster, and we read and watch suitably appropriate content.

The mood is everything.

But most of all, it’s a time for writing. I’m working on five projects right now. Some more than others. Conn and I have two tabletop projects in the works, plus I’m tackling a follow-up collaboration with my pal Greg Mitchell, a unique anthology experiment with my old buddy Ash Hamilton, and Cairnwood Manor and Liber Monstrorum are going to get the endings they deserve…

All of that, and we’re building a magical shack on the edge of our property too, positioned amongst the trees and mere inches from where Kim and I said our vows some 19 year ago. It’s been a family project and a special part of the summer that is carrying over into fall.

So we bid September a fond farewell and prepare for October’s glorious traverse. There’s more than a bit of magic in the air and I am ready to experience the five weeks that remain in our astounding adventure. We’ve spells of our own to weave and memories to create and hold dear…

And, we’ve the release of my novel Descendant to look forward to, of course, and on All Hallow’s Eve no less. If you want to read it on Hallowe’en, you most certainly can, simply by pre-ordering the ebook via Amazon. Or you can wait a day or so and read the trade. I assure you, it will be no less spine-tingling by reading it after Samhain. In fact, the story takes place a few days after the night when the veil between worlds is at its thinnest. Seems a fitting time to curl up with the novel…and pretend the events described are happening right outside your door, somewhere, out there in the wilds of rural Indiana…