Sylvia Shults's Blog, page 30

2022 is almost here…

Okay, I have no idea how this happened, but 2022 is nearly here! The end of the year is fast approaching, and you know what that means … yep, it’s time to think about calendars!

Last year’s calendar went quickly, so if you’d like to order your 2022 Days of the Dead calendar, go ahead and smash that link. https://sylviashults.wordpress.com/contact/ . This year’s calendar is bigger! And better! And did I mention BIGGER? Plus it’s a brand-new crop of ghost stories from the pages of Days of the Dead. $18 gets you all set for a brand-new year, and that includes me sending the calendar right to your doorstep. I’m hoping to avoid supply-chain issues, so I’ve already worked up the calendar and sent it off to the printers, and they do look gorgeous.

So let’s welcome the new year with a story for every month! Order your 2022 Days of the Dead Calendar today, and MAKE EVERY DAY SPOOKY!

Days of the Dead Review

So a couple weeks ago, I posted the link to a review of Days of the Dead. Becky Spratford, a reviewer for none other than Booklist, really enjoyed the book. Then it occurred to me, hey, maybe I should go ahead and post the ACTUAL review, with actual WORDS, instead of making you guys click a link. So here it is!

“This book is as advertised and even better than the hook promises it will be. As Shults says in her introduction, “Ghosts are with us, every single day.” That hook is intriguing and seducing to those who love Horror.
She then gives us an example, a ghost story tied to every single day of the year. These stories are from all over the world, and across the entire time span of human storytelling. 
Using her 20+ years of paranormal research, Shults presents these true ghost stories in context, giving you the date, obviously, but also the place and year.  Even though readers are jumping around time and space, Shults unites it all with her solid writing. It reads as if she took each day as a new challenge to hook the reader immediately. 
I started reading this book thinking, oh I will read a few days in January and then skip around reading a few days in each month, but I was hooked and when I looked up, I was through all of January. 
The stories are compelling on their own. I got fully immersed in each story. But also don’t underestimate the fun here. There is a story for every meaningful day in your patron’s lives. They can use this to look up a scary tale for their birthday, the birthday of a loved one, an important event in their lives, etc… Honestly, you need a copy of this book to circulate in your paranormal sections AND one in reference, for you and your patrons to consult as a calendar of days. You can use it as a prompt for displays or social media posts or to prank your co-workers on their birthdays. 
The uses for this book are endless, but again, it is also a solid nonfiction Horror on its own. 
Thank you to Haunted Road Media for donating a copy of this library friendly paranormal nonfiction title to me to give away to you. Consider ordering this title for your collections. Trust me, your patrons will LOVE it. And since it has a story for every single day of the year [even Leap Day] it can be incorporated into displays and promotions all year long.”

Today I Learned…

A golden retriever in California gave birth to a puppy with green fur. Its owner named the puppy Wasabi. (From 1001 Gruesome Facts, by Helen Otway)

Today I Learned…

Researchers have discovered that cottonmouth snake venom is extremely effective at removing bloodstains from white clothes. (From 1001 Gruesome Facts, by Helen Otway)

Today I Learned …

Hannah Twynney holds the dubious honor of being England’s first tiger fatality. According to history, Hannah was a barmaid at Malesbury’s White Lion Pub in the 1700s. A traveling zoo came to town, and Hannah was fascinated with the animals — who wouldn’t be, at that time? Hannah was so into the animals that she wouldn’t stop poking at them through the bars of their cages. The tiger, in particular, got tired of being prodded and teased. It turned around, swiped out a paw, and mauled Hannah to death. She died October 23, 1703, at the age of 33.

Days of the Dead Review — Someone Likes It!

Here is a glowing review of Days of the Dead: A Year of True Ghost Stories. Becky Spratford, a reviewer for Booklist (!!!), was kind enough to feature it on her RA For ALL blog. Thanks for the kind words, Becky! https://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/2021/10/31-days-of-horror-day-21.html

Today I Learned…

An ancient Chinese warrior is said to have stunned enemy troops into retreat by juggling nine balls at once. (From National Geographic Kids Weird But True! 8: 300 Outrageous Facts)

Today I Learned …

A honeybee has the same number of hairs on its body a squirrel does: 3 million. (From National Geographic Kids Weird But True! 8: 300 Outrageous Facts)

Today I Learned…

There is a body of water floating in outer space that’s 140 trillion times bigger than all the Earth’s oceans combined. (From National Geographic Kids Weird But True! 8: 300 Outrageous Facts)

Today I Learned…

After moving into a house in Pancevo, Yugoslavia, the new owner opened some shutters in front of a walled-in window and was surprised to find that unopened mail — some of it dating back 90 years — tumbled out. Mrs. Vera Aremovic told reporters that her father and grandfather, both merchants with extensive business connections throughout the Austro-Hungarian Empire, had lived in the house during the nine decades postmen had been dropping mail through an open shutter thinking there was a glass pane behind it. Their business had eventually failed, she said, because their customers complained that they never answered letters. (From Bizarre World, by Bill Bryson)