Get Out & Vote!

I tend to be more politically active these days, mainly because I cannot turn a blind eye to the devastation and depravity being wrought by the so-called President of the US and the horrific regime behind its bloviating, useful idiot. I haven't been able to hold back since 2016, when it became clear to anyone with two brain cells that even accidentally bump into each other that there was nothing remotely right or decent or even sane about the state of affairs under this "administration." And no, contrary to every very vocal MAGA assertion, it's not the "Liberal media," or "fake news," or the ubiquitous screech of "TDS!" that informs the resistance to this regime; it's the content of Project 2025 (which has been out there for all to see, and by rights should have been the biggest, brightest red flag to anyone who even claims to be a patriot); it's the absolute vileness of unfiltered Donald Trump, largely via his press and social media releases; it's the tangible results of MAGA policies, such as a needless war with Iran; inflation far in excess of that under the previous administration, which ostensibly spurred so many votes for Donald Fucking Trump; it's the alienation of our best allies and trading partners; it's the stunningly overt favoring of totalitarian policies, exemplified by the admiration of Russia's and (sometimes China's) despots — despite the desperate MAGAT screams that it's the Left promoting "communism" (if only any of them knew the difference between totalitarian "communism" and what the term really means); it's the tearing down of our most worthy institutions, which represented some of the most important guardrails against an autocratic chief executive; it's the blatant grift that is enriching the occupant of the White House (hideously damaged by that self-same occupant) and his degenerate family.

I could go on. And on. And on.

So, yeah, when the organizers of the local No Kings rallies announced a day to show up and encourage people to vote, then yeah, I signed up. It's true that this rally represents protest against the awful goings-on in this country, but the number one message was, indeed, "GET OUT THERE AND VOTE!" At today's event, about 60 people showed up, which for this sized community — and with very little publicity — proved pretty damned respectable. The vast majority of passersby showed obvious support as well, which was heartening.

No one — NO ONE — in this group is some radical who hates America. That's total MAGA bullshit. This is a solid group of very intelligent, very decent, very moral Americans who believe strongly in policies that help more people than they hurt. Religion plays no part in these ideals; no one is espousing the imposition of radical Islam and Sharia law; no, you're thinking of Christian Nationalism, which is closer to Sharia law than any other belief system in this country.

Now, if you're quite happy with the status quo, then by all means, vote your conscience. However, if your conscience isn't mortified by the goings-on of this regime, well, you and I have nothing in common. And you just have yourself a nice day with your head in the sand, you hear?

This Saturday, October 3 — Martinsville's OKTOBERFEST

THIS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, I'll be selling and signing books at the 45th Annual Oktoberfest in Martinsville, VA, from 11:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. I'll have copies of The House at Black Tooth Pond, Balak, Fugue Devil: Resurgence, and many others, perfect for the Halloween season. My table will be located on East Main Street, near the corner of Lester Street, just across from Rania's Restaurant. In addition to scary people like me, there will be vendors of all varieties — jewelry, holiday items, arts, crafts, clothing, home goods, and food. It's always a good time!

Autographed, Creepy-Ass Books at Chapter & Hearth Booksellers

Chapter & Hearth Booksellers, in nearby Collinsville, Virginia, has picked up autographed copies of several of my books, and they're doing a bang-up job promoting them, which I so appreciate. Currently, they have The House at Black Tooth Pond, Gods of Moab, Blue Devil Island, and The Lebo Coven. Chapter & Hearth is located at 3408 Virginia Avenue, Suite 2, Collinsville, VA 24078, (276) 352-5117, and open Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. I love this shop!

It's cozy, comfortable, and has all the character of the best neighborhood bookstores from their heyday — not to mention a fine selection of books! If you love books, and you're anywhere in traveling distance, I strongly recommend that you stop in!

---

THE HOUSE AT BLACK TOOTH POND
Stephen Mark Rainey delivers a chilling Appalachian tale steeped in atmosphere and creeping dread. The House at Black Tooth Pond follows the unsettling mysteries surrounding an isolated home and the dark history embedded in the surrounding woods. Rainey’s signature slow‑burn tension and vivid sense of place make this one of his most haunting works. Our in‑store copies are signed by the author, making this eerie novel a perfect addition for collectors and horror fans alike.

THE GODS OF MOAB
In The Gods of Moab, Stephen Mark Rainey blends Appalachian dread with cosmic horror, pulling readers into a remote mountain community where ancient forces stir beneath the surface of everyday life. The novel builds a slow, unnerving tension as characters confront otherworldly menace and unsettling revelations that challenge their grip on reality. Rich with folklore, psychological unraveling, and that signature Rainey atmosphere, this is a gripping descent into mythic terror. Our signed copies make an exceptional addition for collectors and fans of dark, immersive storytelling.

BLUE DEVIL ISLAND
Set against the backdrop of WWII, Blue Devil Island blends military suspense with Lovecraftian terror as a squadron of soldiers encounters something far more sinister than enemy forces. Mark Rainey’s mastery of claustrophobic tension and otherworldly menace turns this remote island into a nightmare landscape. These signed editions offer readers a gripping mix of historical adventure and cosmic horror — a standout for anyone who loves dread that builds page by page.

THE LEBO COVEN
In The Lebo Coven, Mark Rainey taps into dark rural folklore and the shadowy traditions of a small Appalachian community. Witchcraft, ritualistic secrets, and ancestral darkness converge in a story that feels both timeless and deeply unsettling. The novel’s slow‑building supernatural tension makes it a perfect read for fans of occult horror. Our signed copies highlight Rainey’s local roots and give collectors a chance to own a piece of Martinsville’s horror legacy.

---

Thanks, Ed & Mitch at Chapter & Hearth, for all your support!

What? Another Barfday?!

Oh, come on. No way is it birthday time again. I'm pretty sure I turned 66 only a few days ago, and now I'm turning 67. What the fook? Yeah, I know, getting older is better than the alternative and all that, but the increasing speed at which these years keep zooming past is staggering. At this rate, I'm going to be a pile of cremains as of yesterday.

A few days back, I vaguebooked about certain hard times that were sucking out my very soul, and while I'm not entirely free of those issues, things are better. A lot better, for which I thank Yog. I'm going to say that my Birthday Eve last night was the best ever. No shit! Lately, Kimberly and I have been regularly spending Friday afternoons at nearby Hamlet Kitchen, a lovely local wine spot three minutes up the road, and so yesterday, we made it a little birthday celebration—just the two of us, but damn, it was nice. And tonight, we had good friends Joe & Callie over for dinner, drinks, and what amounted to a raucous rumble that almost resembled dancing. 

Kimberly very kindly gave one of her beautiful handmade cards for my birthday, and just above, you can see it on the living room bookcase, with a wee bit of support from Gabora and Baragon. Splendid! 

Her birthday is next Saturday, so we'll be celebrating that in some fashion as well. As you can see in the photo below, she's getting really, really old.

Oh, wait, that's the guy behind her. Sigh.

Brugger and Old Dude having a birthday eve celebration at Hamlet Kitchen

Old folks prior to the shenanigans

Made lemon-garlic shrimp for dinner

Old Dude, Brugger, Callie Hietala, Joe Keiper getting ready for dinner and whatever the hell it was that came afterward.

The whatever-the-hell-it-was that came afterward

Another Election Day

Virginia held a special election yesterday to approve or disapprove new congressional districts, created primarily in response to the Republican redrawing of Texas districts to pick up new seats. For me, as a local elections official, this meant another big day working at my polling precinct (fortunately, it's at my old elementary school, a short distance up the road). Especially for an aging dude like me, it's pretty grueling. Up at 4:00 a.m. to be at the site by 5:00 a.m.; get the polling area all set up (we did some of it the day before); open at 6:00 a.m., work until 7:00 p.m., with a brief lunch break midday; and then break down/repack all the equipment, as well as tabulate/sign off on all the results. This means getting home a bit after 8:00 p.m.

It was a busy, busy day, with at least three times as many voters coming in as in the previous elections I've worked (about 650 at our precinct). The redistricting issue was the only one on the ballot, so at least tabulating and reporting the results weren't very complicated. There were two hardware snafus during the day (these seem almost inevitable on Election Day), but fortunately, they were relatively brief inconveniences. Oh, and one unhinged fellow who clearly wasn't a registered voter who had a little fit when we wouldn't allow him to vote without going through the full registration/affirmation of identity/provisional ballot process.

Having been on the other side of the voting booth, it's safe to say that while I'm not a fan of making voting difficult, I'm certainly a proponent of requiring a valid ID to vote. It's sensible and practical. No, not in the way the SAVE Act proposes. There's too much potential for disenfranchisement in the terms of that proposal. What we currently have in Virginia is absolutely sufficient.

I don't have it in me to editorialize on the results of the election, other than to say that what's good for the goose is good for the gander. I hate gerrymandering, but when one party starts using it so blatantly to gain an advantage, you cannot be surprised—or legitimately disapproving—that the other does so only to level the playing field. You start cheating, and cheating comes back to bite you.

At least in Virginia, the voters approved the measure. In other states, it was foisted upon them. That said, however the election might have turned out, I am happy to have been part of the democratic process that functioned exactly as it should. By the way, if you believe Trump's typical, unhinged rant about how the election was rigged, I have one question for you: How is the air there on Planet Moronica?

I'm Getting Too Old for This Shit

I can always tell when spring officially rolls in because I start having migraines. I've had a couple in the past few days, fortunately not too severe. Inevitably, in spring and fall, the changes in weather seem to play hell with my system, and that is when the migraines are pretty much guaranteed. At least they're not as bad as they were some years ago, when they regularly knocked me down and out for at least a full day.

 

There are woods all around our house, so in the fall, the leaves that gather in the yard are prodigious. We tend to clean them up about every other year, and we skipped this past fall. They do gather pretty deep in the lower yard out back, though, so I figured that, as part of my regular spring cleaning, I'd take care of them today. Not surprisingly, this turned out to be a masochistic, awful thing to do. It took me about three and a half hours to blow out the garage, the driveway, and the lower yard, which was covered by as much as two feet of leaves in places. Now, I feel like my back is permanently stooped. I'm getting too old for this shit.

 

There used to be grass back there, but as the trees have grown and cast more shade over the backyard — not to mention the frequent gullywashers that flood the low-lying areas in the summertime—grass does not grow happily back there. Right now, there's some lovely dirt though.

 

Remember, tomorrow is the grand opening of Eden's Ember Bookshop in Eden, NC, at 729 South Van Buren Road, Eden, NC, and I'll be there signing books from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Stop by if you can! 

No Kings...Ever

If you follow me here, you probably know I don't talk politics on my blog very often; I usually have my say on that subject on other social media, mainly Facebook, and I reserve my blog as more of a journal about positive current events, writing, geocaching, monsters, books, movies, etc. However, I'm gonna mention that today, I took part in the third No Kings rally because in my view, it's a personally meaningful subject. I make no secret of the fact that I despise DJT, and even more, I hate what he and this entire MAGA regime is doing to this country, and with the approval of far too many Americans. Peacefully protesting this bullshit is something I feel compelled to do, and thankfully, I am far, far from alone. How anyone with half a brain can't see — and oppose — the hellish depths to which Trump & Company are dragging this country is beyond unfathomable. So, it's good to see so many people, all over the USA, coming together for events like this to show that not all of us have lost our fucking minds.

I don't know the exact number at this point, but Martinsville's rally today was well-attended (I'm guessing at least 200 people), and best of all, many, many passersby honked and waved in approval versus the scant handful who had nasty things to yell. That, at least, is heartening.

Some scenes from our local No Kings rally. A good crowd, and far more honks of support than ugly shouted epithets from the passersby.

My favorite moment was when one old fella yelled out at us, "I will pray for all of you."  Several people called back, "We'll pray for you too, and peace be with you." He looked kind of surprised, and after a moment he called back, "Well, peace to all of you folks too." There really was a great sense of fellowship with all these local people who clearly care about democracy and decency.

Urban Renewal

It's been awhile since I created a daikaiju scene, so I did. I was walking uptown this morning, and when I passed one of our local restaurants and had a clear view of the sky, I thought I might snap a photo that could be used for a background. And there it is.

 

Bandai Godzilla and MechaGodzilla, the 1974 designs, both about six inches tall, Photoshopped. Scary, eh? 

Be Wiched to Save the Day

This morning, the timer on the coffeemaker was one minute from going off when — ZZZZT! POW! — out goes the power. We're having major winds, with gusts up to 55 mph, and they hit us early.

If you've had the misfortune of experiencing morning Mark before he's had coffee, you are aware that this is a horrid state of affairs. After several hours in this state, we hauled ourselves into town and found coffee, plus a really fine breakfast, at Be Wiched, in Uptown Martinsville. Thus, I am marginally alive again. Be Wiched owner Kathy Kitzmiller also owns a brand-new boutique — The 9th House — and today was its grand opening. There were mimosas and other treats, so Brugger was ecstatic about finding such a cool place in town.

Happily, we made the best of an increasingly uncomfortable situation, and the power came back on a short time ago. It's freezing out there, and it was getting that way inside. So, we're hoping the wind dies down, and we don't go dark again tonight. Temp is supposed to be 13° F, with a wind chill below 0°.

Ironically, we're about to have a generator installed, but alas, too late to help us this go-around.

 

Last night, though, was an enjoyable time. Lately, we've been spending Friday afternoons at Hamlet Kitchen, right up the street from us. They have a good selection of their own wines, and some decent food you can get for take-out. Last night, we spent an enjoyable couple of hours with some wine. Our regular hostess brought us a couple of glasses with "personalized" napkins — a party theme for Brugger (naturally!) and a semi-humorous Hemingway quote for me (even more naturally!). For afters, we watched Alien: Covenant, which really isn't a favorite, but we've been watching others in the Alien franchise, so we figured we otter.

 

In the immortal words of the late, great Dr. Franklin Ruehl, it was better than a slap in the belly with a wet trout.

A Smashing Hot Christmas!

Amid all the turmoil out there in the world, Ms. B. and I have managed to have a pretty mellow Christmas season, for which both of us are very grateful. Recently, we both have had to deal with some unpleasant health issues, expensive cat health issues, and the loss of a dear loved one a couple of weeks ago, so a little holiday joy has gone a long way.

Last night, we went to visit and have dinner with friends Bob & Yvonne, which was a lovely time. We had some delicious food, excellent drink, fun games, and great music. One of their (several) cats, Frei, hung out with us as well, which gave us a few good laughs. Since they don't live very far away, I walked both ways (though Ms. B. drove because she transported the foodz, presents, and other goodies), and I enjoyed seeing so many nice holiday decorations around the neighborhood. Down at nearby Lake Lanier, there's a floating wire Christmas tree, about 25 feet tall, which is quite lovely at night, as you may see in the photo at left.

 

This morning, Ms. B. and I opened a fair passel of lovely presents we got for each other. I got a Space Godzilla figure, which I'm sure y'all will be seeing amid one of my miniature sets very soon. To celebrate, as you can see above, Godzilla took a festive Christmas morning stroll. The cats enjoyed some fun wrapping paper adventures. After all the gifts were opened, I went for a stroll around the neighborhood, only to find it unpleasantly hot out there. It's not like I'm all that keen on freezing winter weather, but Christmas morning ought not feel like it's late summer. But I did enjoy getting out there, walking around the lake, and taking a few photos of the scenery.

This afternoon, we'll be having Christmas dinner with friend Samaire. And to all of you who visit this little corner of the virtual world, Scary Christmas to those who celebrate it, and Happy Horrordays to all.

Old people making merry at Bob & Yvonne's

Old dude, Yvonne, Fred, Bob

Frey, nonplussed by all the excitment

L: Our Christmas tree; R: Ms. B. is festive on Christmas morning!

Do you see Mr. Moose?

Working up a sweat walking around Lake Lanier

The boathouse

Apparently, this is where Great Pumpkins go to die.

Let It Snow... (Again)

Literally, a few hours after the last of the snow from the other day melted, bit more fell today—about the same amount we had the first time. This evening, I decided to go walkies around the neighborhood to look at the holiday decorations. There's a pretty good many around, and that makes me happy because I love seeing the neighborhood all done up. It's pretty cold out there, but once I got moving, I felt plenty comfortable.

 

I was most curious to see how our lit-up trees in the woods behind our house looked from other vantage points. There are several areas on the neighboring streets from which I can see them, and they really do look great—kind of like a bunch of fiery creepy crawlies from another dimension.

 

As they should.

 

Our next-door neighbors have a nicely decorated place, and they put some lights of their own around the edge of the woods next to us. So, we have what looks like a convocation of spritely spirits out there, and I heartily approve.

The lights in the woods seen from our driveway; they're to the right of the house in the photo above, just out of the camera's view.

Our next-door neighbors' place and some of their outdoor lights, seen from in the woods.

Since Brugger is in Michigan, I took the opportunity to wrap her Christmas presents today and put them under the tree. I always label them clearly, so that, come Christmas Day, there is no confusion about what belongs to whom.

Autumn Woods, Unexpected Stashes

The backyard is looking pretty nice

For well over two years now, I haven't missed a single day of walking and/or running at least three miles, usually a good bit more than that. Fall is my favorite time to take long walks around the neighborhood (except maybe sometimes when it snows). This year, we don't seem to have as many varying colors of foliage as we sometimes do, but it's still pretty, and the temperature is pleasant. We have woods on three sides of our lot as well as on the far side of the street out front, so we're surrounded by nature.

 

Lake Lanier is a small lake just down the street from us, and I walk there frequently. There's a smaller, adjacent body of water that we locals have always called "The Little Lake," and beyond it, a stretch of woods between two roads about a mile long. When I was a kid, several friends and I frequently played among those woods (mostly as soldiers who fought against the giant monsters that lived out there), and in my teenage years, we rode minibikes and motorcycles on the trail that snaked through the woods.

 

There's still a trail back there, now used mostly by our sizable deer population. Once in a while, I take a walk back there, and today was just the day for it. The terrain has changed somewhat over the years; the trees are denser and taller, but there's far less undergrowth. Back in the old days, the ground was largely covered by tall reeds and flowering plants, which gave it a more jungle-like appearance. During my adolescence, when I was so smitten with the daikaiju movies of the day, like Destroy All Monsters and War of the Gargantuas, we always kept a sharp eye out for monsters, and our BB guns at the ready (yes, they were very powerful, anti-monster BB guns).

When I was 11 or 12 years old, what I didn't count on finding back there was a stash of the most grotesque porn magazines possible—mostly about bestiality. The graphic photos and stories of animals, mostly horses and dogs, having sex with young girls were pretty traumatic. I was with a couple of young friends at the time, and I think we ended up burning them. I never had any idea which neighbor had hidden the magazines in a plastic bag in a hollow tree, but whoever it was must have been pretty sick.

 

The memories of fighting monsters in those woods are far more pleasant. And nowadays, it's a tranquil and lovely place to engage with nature.

Another Longest Day

Back in June, I took my first turn as an elections officer in my home precinct for the Democratic primary. Election Day, even for a smaller one like the primary, is a pretty long one: up at four a.m., at the polling place by five a..m., work the station for thirteen hours, then break down and repack all the equipment and complete the mountains of required paperwork, which takes from sixty to ninety minutes. Very tiring, but since I found working the previous election ultimately gratifying, I decided to do it again. I'll probably even go for it again next year for the mid-term election.

 

Yesterday, the election for state governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general, plus several local positions, brought out a record number of voters in town for a non-presidential election. Whereas the first time around was a slow day (I even managed to get in a significant amount of work done on my then-current novel-in-progress), yesterday was busy, busy. Very little downtime, and quite a few hours on my feet, which I'm feeling a bit today.

 

The other officials on our team are all fantastic, consummate professionals, and I'm proud to serve with them in one of the most important democratic processes in this country. No matter who the members of our community voted for, it was my honor to be part of making their votes count.

WDBJ Channel 7 from Roanoke did a short segment about our election, and you can even get a quick glimpse of ye Old Dude in action in the video story. The link is here.

Halloween Party Horrors, Ghosts, Legends, & Cryptids

Joe, Suzy, Jennifer, Jamie, Scott, Samaire, Mark W., Kim W., Kimberly B., Terry, Beth;
the Front Man is behind the camera

The Front Man

'Tis done! Brugger and I put on our annual Halloween Party last night, which was—as expected—crashed by a plethora of frightful fiends. Sadly, several folks who'd anticipated attending weren't able to, but those who did, at least by my reckoning, somehow survived. There was cheese and there was meatballs (alas, no caviar), and long tall glasses of wine up to h'yar. Yes, we did have that and more. I think it's safe to say that no one left the premises hungry or thirsty.

We had a fun Halloween horror trivia contest — 13 questions about horror movies, books, and stories. I made most of the questions pretty easy for the layman, but a few of them required a bit more than casual horror knowledge. At least a couple of people correctly answered the question "Which 1982 horror classic featured the famous line, 'You've gotta be fucking kidding me!'" Go Suzy and Joe!

Now, I started out as the Front Man from Squid Games, but after a while the heat in there began to get to me, pretty seriously, so I changed into last year's slightly more casual costume, which still hung in our entryway closet (see below photo with Brugger). Temperature-wise, this provided some relief, and it also made it a hell of a lot easier to consume wine and vittles. In case I didn't mention it, we had lots and lots and lots of wine and vittles.

Some of us stayed up till the wee hours yakking about scary things, both real and unreal. Sadly, the real is overshadowing too much of the far more agreeable unreal. All in all, we had a fine time. Needless to say, the better part of this morning was spent on restoring the casa to habitable condition.

Horror trivia! Suzy, Joe, Beth, and Jamie won prizes.

This afternoon, I attended a presentation about the ghosts, legends, and cryptids of Martinsville and Henry County, given by Garrett Channel, who is the executive director of the Salem (Virginia) Museum. He provided a lively, very enjoyable talk that was perfect for the season. He related the legend of Sam Lion, a bit of local (very likely embellished) history, which I wrote about a few years ago (here). After his presentation, I talked briefly with him about my writing and interest in such creepy legends, and he told me he actually used my blog as one of his references. Well, I find that kinda cool, particularly since I use both the real and "altered" folklore of this area as a basis for many of my stories and books (most recently, The House at Black Tooth Pond).

As an added bonus, I ran into my seventh-grade American History teacher, Ms. Kerry Tillery, who lives up the street from us. She is a most wonderful person, and I'm so glad she is still around. It's always a pleasure to have the opportunity to talk with her.

"Castle Rock," I call it. I have a geocache here. This was supposedly a part of the original
"Sam Lion's Trail" of local legend.