These interesting objects, courtesy of the Vampa Museum of Paranormal Antiquities, are wooden stakes, blessed by a priest, that were used for vampire hunting. Really. I recently learned that there were periods of "Vampire Hysteria" in Europe and New England (not unlike the infamous witch hysteria), whereas if the deceased was suspected of becoming a vampire, the heart was either removed and staked or burned before interment, or exhumed after burial. According to the lore, if

First, I am not a regular Barbie fan (Ken, that's another story, white blond Ryan Gosling...nuff said). I stumbled upon the Vampiress Barbie, and the horror movies of the 1950s/1960s with Christopher Lee immediately came to mind. I ordered it thinking it would be a one-off, then I discovered The Munsters Barbie and Ken (had to have them, since there is little Herman and Lily Munsters merch), then Zombie Barbie, and finally Dark Mistress Barbie (reminiscent of the Poe adaptati

Sendak's masterpiece was the first time a children's book gave permission for "high-spirited" little boys to be rambunctious little monsters, as it was in their nature to be so, including a mischievous tyke with the nickname 'Prince Patrick.' Of course, this applies to any child, regardless of their gender. Max was and still is my childhood hero. Intrigued? I wrote a memoir of my childhood https://www.amazon.com/Prince.../dp/1365361977/ref=sr_1_1?

.Van Holst (1810-1844) was a Pre-Raphaelite artist who explored paranormal themes but is most famous for the illustrations in Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's 1831 edition of Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus. Of all the paintings I viewed at Vampa, this dark, eerie rendering is the one that unnerved me the most. Her stare. .

I bought this Wytchwood hoodie to promote book events for The Bedfordshire Warlock in 2024, but I wore it at non-book events too (I dug the Vitruvian Man vibe). I expected mixed reactions, but I never anticipated this response from some members of the Wiccan community: the term "warlock" is generally not used for a male Wiccan because it historically means "oath-breaker" or "traitor." The word comes from the Old English wǣrloga—combining wǣr (covenant, faith, or truth) and lē

This iconic cartoon premiered its first episode, "What a Night for a Knight," on Saturday morning, September 13, 1969, on CBS (Channel 2). I remember watching the first episode at 5 years old and having my mind blown! I couldn't wait for the week to end because Saturday morning meant Scooby-Doo and the gang time, along with classic horror monsters, ghosts, aliens, and novel villainous creations. No matter what the incarnation was... whether it was an episode with a cartoon Do

The Funko Pop! Toy Company's "Pop Yourself" has options for certain holidays and occasions, and as you can see, I have an affinity for both the vampire and the skeletal costumes.

From the Vampa Museum, a portrait of a young woman, Alice Parker, a victim of the Salem Witch Trials executions in 1692, one of the most shameful and tragic periods of early America. Twenty-five people died: twenty were executed, and five perished in prison; over 200 were accused of being witches, losing their property, civil rights, and livelihoods. This tragedy inspired me to write my novel "The Bedfordshire Warlock," a horror story about a real warlock executed in the fict

Tim Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 9, 1993, the stop-motion animated musical fantasy that changed Halloween forever. In my opinion, this crossover masterpiece of puppetry between Halloween and Christmas is the reason why Halloween animatronics and decor appear in box stores in August, the most commercial holiday after Christmas. Personally, I'm obsessed with the goblins Lock, Shock, and Barrel and the Danny Elfman-

An excerpt from my novel Servant for the Horror Writers Association’s Halloween Haunts website. For those who have not read any of my novels (audible gasp!), here is your chance to read a 2000 word Halloween-themed excerpt from my best-selling novel Servant that is not available on any other website! Enjoy! https://horror.org/halloween-haunts-an-excerpt-from-the-novel-servant-by-patrick-r-field/?

Another relic from the Vampa Museum of Paranormal Antiquities, this display included the name of Marie Leveau, the most famous Voodoo Priestess of New Orleans (immortalized by Angela Bassett in American Horror Story: Coven and the new season AHS: 13). As it is explained, Voodoo is the practice of combining the power of the Roman Catholic saints and the ancient West African deities/spiritual traditions. The kit contains Christian symbols, West African totems, root and herb pot

I mean, an author spotlight on me, a horror author, from J Scott Coatsworth, the editor of queeromanceink.com and queerscifi.com, two websites that specialize in the LGBTQ+ perspective for speculative fiction (paranormal, fantasy, horror, science fiction...). Check it out, as some of the questions are ones that I've never been asked before during an interview! https://www.jscottcoatsworth.com/author-spotlight-patrick-r-field/?

I have been fascinated by Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" since seeing Disney's animated version as a child (the standalone theatrical release was in September 1963, a year before I was born). The suspenseful and thrilling cartoon of Ichabod Crane being chased on horseback by the beheaded Hessian soldier through the forest of the Hudson Valley was, along with Dark Shadows, my introduction to the world of horror. The Tim Burton version with Johnny Depp as Ich

As an author and fan of horror literature, I'm doing something different for spooky season this year: I'll be presenting Halloween- and/or horror-related posts that have touched my life in some way every day for the 31 days of October. To start off, here's a doozy: photos of an exorcism chair and the original Bibles from Germany I recently visited at Vampa: The Visual Arts Museum of Paranormal Antiquities in Doylestown, PA, while attending a book event for my author friends a

Thanks to all who made the Romantasy Panel a success today- J.C. Plaza, Mickey Flagg, and, of course, the attentive and generous audience! Great questions! 😈

"Romantasy" aficionados or "Romantasy" curious? Join us today at 12:30 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Milford, PA, for a panel of local Romantasy authors discussing this emerging genre that promises to be both lively and informative! Btw, the pic is from a screen presentation by The Milford Readers and Writers Festival at the Milford Theater. 😈

Inventive interview questions that center on the romantic aspect of my writing. https://www.zarawestsuspense.com/patrick-field-writes-paranormal-romantasy/

The Baltimore gang came out to support me and I had my best day ever selling books: 12 total! It was a great event and I hope to be invited back next year!

Promo graphic for Author Spotlight appearing August 6, 2026. Surprised that they used my tagline.

An honor to be in the company of such prolific writers and friends like John DiLeo, Amy Ferris, and Heather Housekeeper. Thanks to Marie Liu for a great event celebrating Milford area authors!