Autumn/Halloween is my favorite season and time of the year. Of course, a large reason for this is the fall festivals and haunted attractions that open up for business now. When I was in college, I used to go with friends to every haunted attraction in the area we could possibly get to. Nowadays with pesky things called 'adult responsibilities,' I consider getting to at least two attractions a good Halloween (if I can do three it's a bonus).
Those of you who have been following my writing and blogging in recent years have likely seen me mention Castle Blood on more than one occasion as it is on my 'must go to' list during the Halloween season. Last night (Saturday night), some friends and I visited their brand new location, which is none other than a 100-year-old three generation funeral home.
Here is my video interview with the owner, Rick (aka Gravely MacCabre) from back in September. Here, we discuss what's in store for the attraction's new home:
So very quickly, what is Castle Blood, you ask? Well, it is an award-winning attraction in Monessan, PA that is in its 21st year running. It is a live action, interactive tour with a different built in story every year. In fact, here is the description from their website, CastleBlood.com :
"We have an interactive storyline, and a game or challenge to send our patrons on each year.
The story changes from year to year, however it always remains true to our basic legend and the characters of the castle. You will take your time going through with your guide. So you’ll see everything. And everything will see you.
Depending on the Creatures you encounter, and what ‘denizens’ are in the Castle, your tour can even change from night to night."
Instead of chainsaw wielding guys in masks, you are more likely to encounter the more classic, gothic creature such as a ghost, vampire, werewolf, and maybe a zombie or two. Fans of the classic Universal horror pictures, Hammer films, or the original Dark Shadows will very likely dig it. :)
I don't want to give away too much of the new location as it truly is an experience to be had. But I will say that the rather large old funeral home offers the cast and crew much more possibilities. Never seen before rooms and special effects have been added and according to one of the cast members, there is still more to come (which I look forward to seeing next year)! The crew did an excellent job with putting it all together in the short time they had and I look forward to seeing where it will all go. Yes, the old funeral home is certainly a great fit for them.
There is still time to get out to Castle Blood this Halloween but if for any reason you do not make it, check out their other seasonal events, including their Spooky Cryptmas (Christmas), Bloody Valentine's Day, and Midsummer Nightmare!
They also have an awesome gift shop complete with Midnight Syndicate CDs, whose music they license to enhance the already spooky atmosphere. :)
Official Site:
Castle Blood
My Castle Blood Articles on Ravenous Monster Webzine:
Castle Blood: A Different Kind of Scare
Castle Blood: Halloween the Way It Ought to Be...Inside A 100-Year-Old Funeral Home
Highlighted Footage from an Interview with Rick (aka Gravely MacCabre):
October is not only Halloween, but also my birthday month! I'm also going to be releasing my first full length novel, Descent (The Birthrite Series, #1) and The Twisting House (Stories from Colony Drive, #4) very soon.
So in celebration of all that, I'm offering the three stories available in the Stories from Colony Drive Series for free on Smashwords. You can already download #1 (Cemetery by the Lake) and #3 (Romancing Elena) free, and until November 5, Dusk to Dawn (Story #2) is also free with a coupon code.
So on the Smashwords Dusk to Dawn page, enter the following coupon code at checkout:
RY63B
And then download The Cemetery by the Lake and Romancing Elena for free. :)
Then if you don't mind, rate and review on Smashwords and Goodreads , whether you loved them, sort of liked them or they weren't your thing.
Thanks everyone and Happy Halloween! :)
PS- Smashwords offers formats for pretty much any computer or e-reader. :)
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