Radio Vibes

Thanks to the efforts of PR person Lissy Peace and the wild popularity of Harry Potty and the Deathly Boring (which I’m sure has nothing to do with the film/book of a similar name) this last week I’ve been doing a number of radio interviews.  I’ve done radio before, briefly, during my days as writer of The X-Files comic, but these have been fun, wide-ranging chats.

Wed was Eric Kaufman’s morning show at 92.7 KZIQ, out of Ridgecrest, California.  Last night, it was The John Carney Show at KMOX, St. Louis, MO, which covered a wide range of subjects, including Blood Prophecy and Paranormal State.  You can give a listen to that one here.   This morning I spoke with morning host Jay Caldwell at AM1240 WJOM in St. Cloud MN.  And, on December 8th 10AM EST I’ll be speaking with Tron in the Morning at 1530AM KCMN in Colorado Springs!  More audio links as they become available.

Meanwhile, as I await a few manuscripts back from sundry editors, I’m hard at work on two new proposals, which I hope will wow the publishing world, even as it lay dying from the twin blows of a dormant economy and the rise of the e-book.  But, hey, what can you do?  Pax.

Paranormal Thanksgiving

My third episode with Ryan and the Paranormal State team airs this Sunday, November 28 at 9 PM!  The episode, entitled Haunted Homecoming, was actually my second investigation, but through the magic of television and all is appearing now.  It’s kind of like The Beatles releasing Let It Be last, even though they recorded Abbey Road afterwards…

For this one I flew down to Ryan’s home town, Sumter, South Carolina to join the PRS team.  It was a homecoming for Ryan, and a lot of fun to see his old hang-outs, including the massive high school, but an extremely sad case.  The investigation centered on the tragic murder of Tony “TJ” Darrisaw, a 12 year old boy killed Halloween 2008 while trick-or-treating.

While we were attempting to contact spirits in a graveyard across the street, two police officers pulled up. At first I thought the police had taken us for rampaging teens, but they knew the show and wanted to see if we needed anything.  It wasn’t the best of neighborhoods, and the officers were very impressive.  I’m always humbled by people who, by career choice, put themselves at risk for the sake of others.

The cemetery itself was very eerie.  Many of the graves had electronic lights that came on at night and looked almost like frozen fireflies stretching off into the distance.

As for my own far less self-sacrificing efforts, in a totally geek moment, I had my first experience with an EMF detector and managed to find a power line running alongside the street.

I haven’t seen the edited show, but my PRS bud Coalin Smith tells me I’m in at least one sequence, researching at the local library with Eilfie Music.  Don’t know if it made it into the ep, but at one point Ryan has an experience and I bravely decide to check beneath the piece of furniture where it occurred.

Speaking of what makes it into an episode or not, I want to extend my kudos to the hard-working producers, crew and editing team.  Way back in my college days (during the reign of the pharaoh Imhotep) I’d shot a video that left me with about 24 hours of tape to edit.  It took me months to cobble two hours from it.  These guys put together less than half that out of 48 hours or more of raw footage – on a weekly basis.

Anywho, this is the last of the cases I’ve been on to date.  Paranormal State continues shooting through January, so I may be invited along for more.  Meanwhile, though, give your loved ones a hug and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Slightly Behind the Scenes at Paranormal State

Now that Paranormal Detour, my second investigation with the Paranormal State team, has aired, I’ve posted a few photos at Facebook taken at the site and around the lovely town of St. Helens, Oregon.  I’m not much of a traveller, so I was pleased to have remembered to bring a camera, but disappointed I didn’t snag a single shot with demonologist Lorraine Warren, who I spent a few hours with during the shoot.  As with any other series, there’s a lot of standing around, waiting while other interviews are being shot, lighting set up, etc. Hanging with the team has always been fun, but Lorraine was a delight.

The town itself has a rich and interesting history, only touched on in the 22 minutes of air time.  It was named after Mount St. Helens, the volcano, which is visible on clear days.  We saw it in the distance once morning, looking like an enormous piece of dried and cracked dough on the horizon.  There are several locations with a dark past and PRS actually investigated three.  The Klondike Restaurant & Bar had the biggest rep for the most activity, making it the best bet for the episode to focus on.  There was many stories about the Klondike, including one about a building inspector seeing a boy at the bar.  Upset they’d let a child in the bar, when he rose to say something, the boy vanished.  Ronnie and Dave, the current owners, pointed out an old photo hanging in one of the booths.  In it was a particularly angry-looking child who apparently matched the description of the apparition.  There were also rumors about the building formerly being a whorehouse with an abortion clinic in the basement, but in the short time available, I wasn’t able to confirm any of that.

The death I do refer to in the episode was from an article I dug up dated Feb 2, 1902.  A twenty-four year old named Gilbert Wiley Courtes was found dead, apparently from a chloroform overdose.  At the time people would knock themselves out with chloroform to get high (go figure)- but the death was described as suspicious, primarily because of how long it took to find the body.  It could’ve been accidental, a suicide, or murder.

A huge fire (one of at least two) hit the town in 1904, which some considered suspicious due to a rivalry with Portland for goods and passengers from San Francisco (though apparently that rivalry ended in the 1850s).  The 1904 fire wiped out the business district and was so bad, the town to rebuilt the courthouse out of stone.  The county’s only hanging took place in 1902, a short distance from the Klondike (then the Mount Helens Hotel).  Interestingly, a building down the block, once a hotel called the Orcadia, also had a dicey past and once had a bar inside named the Klondike.

Another interesting thing is that several buildings in the area had been moved from their original location – which strikes me as an odd thing to do with your buildings.  A local pointed one out and I could see how it hadn’t quite settled properly on its new foundation, looking generally  “off.”  The owners of the Klondike said that pieces of their building had likewise been moved there from other locations.

As for paranormal activity, while Ryan and Katrina saw most of the action (including stumbling upon a Halloween dummy stored in one of the upper rooms.  Hilarity ensued, but we won’t talk about that…) I was on the second floor.  The area was eerie, but it was tough to get too frightened with a cameraman following me around and a lots of light outside.  They say you forget about the cameras eventually, so if I appear on more shows, I’ll probably wind up walking into one.  At any rate, during dead time, at one point I heard some creaks that seemed to be responding to my questions.  We had a short chat, but ultimately I couldn’t tell if the creaking was being caused by my own shifting feet.

For me personally, the creepiest thing happened outside around four in the morning.  While two team members investigated one of the other locations, and may have disturbed some homeless people squatting there, myself, Ryan, Mike and Sam (if memory serves) were hanging out in an SUV.  In the midst of an intense quiet, far up the road, a huge group of about fifty animals (looked like cats) streamed silently across the road, moving from one alley to the other.  Not paranormal, but I wish I’d had a camera for that.

I’ve already shot one more investigation (and still have marks from the bug bites) and looking for to seeing it aired.  Meantime, pax!

Second Paranormal Petrucha!

My second case with Ryan Buell and the Paranormal State team airs Sunday November 7 at 9PM on A&E.

This time out, with some time off, the team randomly picks a town, and winds up in St. Helens, Ore., where some scenes for "Twilight" were filmed.  I’m flown in for the fun and we discover that a town landmark has a troubled past.  After some grueling research, I managed to uncover some interesting details regarding the history of some of the local hotels.  Among the most interesting parts for me, aside from the fascinating town and the view of Mount St. Helen) was the time spent with famed demonologist and lovely human being, Lorraine Warren.  With two of the locations also being restaurants, the food was great, too.  And I snagged a few “Twilight” souvenirs for the kids.  (In a remarkable synchronicity, the second issue of Slices from Papercutz will be parodying that famed book and film series.  It won’t be out until next year, but check out the cover below!)  Once the ep airs, I’ll post a few pics from the town, since this time I actually managed to bring a camera.

Stefan Petrucha on A&E’s Paranormal State This Sunday!

 

  Sunday October 17 at 9:30 PM on A&E author Stefan Petrucha will make his first appearance on the hit series Paranormal State.  The episode, “They Come Out at Night” is second in the back-to-back premiere of season five.  In addition to witnessing some amazing evidence, Stefan uncovers a possible explanation for the invisible forces tormenting a suburban family by delving into the folklore of the local Wampanoag tribe.

Over his 25 years as a professional writer, Stefan’s work has often reflected his lifelong fascination with the paranormal.  His first original comic series, Meta-4 tackled such topics as UFO history and trance channeling, while his award-winning writing on the popular X-Files comic from Topps was one of the few comics to boast a bibliography.  His latest novel, Blood Prophecy, combines vampires, the historical discovery of the Rosetta stone and ancient Gnostic myths.  He’s been a researcher, educational and technical writer and has many fiction and non-books and articles to his credit.

Given Stefan’s background, when Paranormal State star Ryan Buell wanted a writing partner for his first book, HarperCollins was quick to suggest him.  Intrigued by his resume, Ryan, an avid X-Files fan, gave him a call, and after that conversation decided to work with him.  The result, Paranormal State: My Journey Into the Unknown, is now on sale, already in its second printing and enjoying rave reviews.

While working with Ryan on the book, Stefan was invited to observe Season Three’s Ghosts of Gettysburg investigation.  He was immediately impressed with the PRS team’s integrity and good humor.  Ryan since invited Stefan on this case, thinking his research skills could be put to good use.  He’s now been along with the team on two additional investigations that will be appearing later this year, with plans afoot for more.

Be sure to catch “They Come out at Night” this Sunday!

Petrucha & Buell at NYC ComiCon signing

Petrucha @ NY Comic Con Ad Infinitum

Holy !%$@!  Eight signings! Three publishers! 70,000 people (more or less depending on who you ask)! Ryan Buell! Rick Parker! My wife Sarah and Daughters Maia & Margo!

The 2010 New York Comic Con was an insane, total blast. It’s hard to pick what I most enjoyed: seeing my daughters sign their work, hanging with Ryan and Serg of Paranormal State,  making fun of wacky artist and grand collaborator Rick Parker, signing my first mass market paperback, Blood Prophecy, or seeing eds Jennifer Schulkind of HarperCollins It! Books, Alex Logan of Grand Central and the ever-faithful J.A. Salicrup of Papercutz.

I do have to say I was particularly warmed by the crowd at the Blood Prophecy signing.  Many had read about the book elsewhere, a few knew my earlier work, others zipped through the first two chapters while waiting on line for my autograph – and everyone was excited about it.

Fingers crossed that the excitement spreads in a plague-like fashion.  Check out the video!

Btw – no one ever calls me on my cell, but of course in the midst of the deafening crowd, I get a call from Michael at the Paranormal Research Society, asking if I knew anything about Melon Heads. Turns out, I sort of do.   Do remember to catch my appearance on Paranormal State this coming Sunday at 9:30 on A&E!

Anyway, home now, tired.  And of course I didn’t have time to attend a single panel.  Hope you like the pics.  Above at the top, you can see me making a face as Ryan Buell tries to fly by flapping his hands (I told him it wouldn’t work…) Below that, I’m signing one of 96 copies of Blood Prophecy at the Grand Central Booth.  Further below, but not least, is the happy family at Papercutz, where we all signed Tales from the Crypt, Nancy Drew Vampire Slayer and Harry Potty.  Photo courtesy of fantastic editor Alexis Logan, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Scully from The X-Files.  Pax.

 

Harry Potty and the Deathly Boring!

Following the wild success (and horrified parental reviews) of Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid, I’m working with wacky artist extraordinaire Rick Parker on an all new series that slices and dices today’s cultural icons in a feisty hoot-inducing, knee-slapping manner reminiscent of the classic 1950s Mad!

First up on the carving board is Harry Potty and the Deathly Boring, on sale now at real and unreal bookstores everywhere!  Plunge into the incredibly funny excerpt and be sure to come to the NYC Comic Convention next month to meet myself and Rick.

Also at the con, on Sunday October 10, from 1:30-3, I’ll be at the Grand Central Publishing booth signing copies of Blood Prophecy.  Video and song to be released shortly!

In fact, my whole dang family will be present, with Sarah Kinney on hand to sign Nancy Drew Vampire Slayer, Maia Kinney-Petrucha signing the upcoming Wickeder and Margo Kinney-Petrucha signing the upcoming sequel to Stinky Dead Kid, Dead Dog Dies all at the Papercutz Booth.

Paranormal State:  My Journey into the Unknown continues to top sundry charts with excerpts available here and here.  Ryan’s also done an excellent interview on the book and his personal life at AfterElton.  Several great reviews are visible at Amazon – while preaching to the choir is always fun, I’m particularly pleased by those who are pleasantly surprised by the book.  Check it out!  I’ll be joining Ryan in PA this weekend for a book party and signing at the local Barnes & Noble.

In other news, the first book in the new Nancy Drew series  has earned a rave review from Ray Tate at Comics Bulletin, and Simone Cavazzuti did a nice interview with me on my Egmont years.  It’s posted as a PDF which you can access here.

I’d earlier announced that my first appearance on Paranormal State would be October 17, but it looks like they’ll be showing another, equally exciting, episode for starters.  I’ll let you know when I do.  Pax!

Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review!

The esteemed Publisher’s Weekly has given my upcoming vampire novel, Blood Prophecy, a starred review.  Orders at Amazon have already gone up since it appeared.

It reads in part, “YA thriller author Petrucha (Split) combines the paranormal with the historical for this unique, page-turning adventure”  And later:  “Over 150 years, [Jeremiah Fall] travels to the shores of Egypt, the rocky coast of Brittany, and the gates of Eden itself in a quest for understanding and redemption that will thrill fans of biblical horror and historical detail.”

So, a page-turner that thrills.  It’s not only a great review, it’s a nice, cagey description of the book.

Not only that, a terrific blurb from Paranormal State star Ryan Buell will be appearing on the cover:  “"A must read… a classy, fun spin on the vampire tale."

Blood Prophecy goes on sale October 26.  I am totally psyched.

Pax.

Last Exorcist & SDK Review

Recently back from Oregon, where I was shooting my third episode with the folks at Paranormal State.  It’s a trip and a half to be involved with the paranormal from the non-fiction side of things, not to mention the places I get to visit and the people I’ve met.  Better still when my research skills actually prove useful on the case at hand.

Details closer to the season premiere, but this time out, once the case was over, I was pleased to accompany Ryan, Serg, Mike and Coalin to a showing of The Last Exorcism. 

I’m a fan of The Exorcist, more so the book than the film, also loved The Blair Witch, and this was an intelligent combination.  It was a smart, smart script with a great setup and great acting.  Ashley Bell’s Nell totally rocks — a shame if this demon girl doesn’t earn a place in the horror film canon.  Likewise Patrick Fabian as Cotton Marcus, a preacher who finds his faith very late in the game, turns in a believable performance that does justice to the cagey script.  There is much to admire here, and I don’t often admire much.

Sadly, as I’m sure other reviews have pointed out, what could have been a great film utterly dive bombs in the last five minutes, going from an A/A+ to a C.  Audience members actually stood and said, “What?!” as the film ended.

Though annoying, I readily forgive the typical handheld-horror problems (specifically a:  why haven’t you called the police yet and b:  why haven’t you dropped the camera yet) but a sudden shift in plot, with little foreshadowing, felt more like an abandonment of the theme of faith the film had carefully developed rather than a fulfillment.  Anyway, worth seeing, but deeply, deeply, flawed.

In other news, I’d be remiss not to mention the great write-up Stinky Dead Kid just got over at The Comics Journal, which reads in part, “Petrucha’s “diary” is, er, a dead-on tonal echo of Jeff Kinney’s wimpy prose…”

That’s it for now.  Pax.

Brief Respite

Fast and crazy times.  I’ve now been part of two exciting investigations with Ryan Buell and the gang from Paranormal State, finished a rough draft of an upcoming zombie novel, dug in on a humor book I’m co-writing with dear pal Shelby Gragg and travelled much more in the last six weeks than I have in the last two years.

Next up, I’m co-scripting the second in the graphic novel parody series Papercutz Slices with daughter, Maia, and getting started on a promo video for Blood Prophecy.  Said video will feature a kick-ass music track by Jazan Wild, whose Wake Up to Reality continues to be this site’s number one download

So, anyway, that’s why I haven’t been updating much lately.

Speaking of Slices, a preview of Harry Potty and the Deathly Boring is up – with hysterically funny artwork from Rick Parker.  Having read all seven Potter books twice (once to each daughter), my incredible respect for J. K. Rowling notwithstanding, it was liberating to poke fun at them in all their over-saturated glory.  Fans of Potter satires should also check out the wonderful A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequel at YouTube.

Early reviews for my return to mainstream horror, Blood Prophecy, out this fall, have been coming in as well, with great reactions, as follows.

Richard Dansky at Greenman Review:  “Blood Prophecy is a genuinely engaging read, with more to offer than the usual brooding fanginess.”

Barry Hunter at The Baryon Review:  “Petrucha has written a historical paranormal, if you will, that has the action and the interesting characters to help you move the pages as fast as you can turn them.”

At FlamingNet the book earned a 9 out of ten and a Top Choice award: “Petrucha manages to make the reader feel like he is part of the story and really witnessing history along with Jeremiah. The novel is clearly well researched and is fast-paced to read.”

Heather at Errant Dreams: “What amazed me most is that I had a very difficult time seeing how Petrucha would satisfactorily wind up the plot—yet he did a gorgeous job of it.”

And, despite a general dislike for all things vampire, Thomas Duff at Duffbert’s Random Musings was surprised he enjoyed the book:  “…it doesn’t fall into the "glittery vampire" genre that seems to be all the rage these days.  Fall is a brutal killer who only barely keeps his needs and abilities hidden from others.“

And there you have it.  I’ll have more on my appearances in the upcoming fifth season of A&E’s Paranormal State, and my sundry writing efforts, as things progress.  Pax.

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