#j.w. ocker

[judgingbooksbycovers]

Cult Following: The Extreme Sects That Capture Our Imaginations—and Take Over Our Lives

By J.W. Ocker.

[the-final-sentence]

Which means that as long as there are people on that rock, there will always be cults.

J.W. Ocker, from Cult Following

[babadork]

Ten Interesting Facts From Cult Following: The Extreme Sects That Capture Our Imaginations-and Take Over Our Lives

Adherents to Koreshan Unity believe that the earth is hollow, with the ground being the sphere's concave interior surface. The sun, planets, and everything else in the sky are optical illusions created by a set of metal discs.

One John Frum sect worshiped Prince Philip after a photo of him was found in a government outpost in the 1960s.

The Soul Light Resurgence Association believed that the earth had experienced five nuclear apocalypses, but God came in a flying saucer to rescue believers. The first nuclear apocalypse was a dinosaur war.

In addition to the Tate-LaBianca murders, it has been proven that the Manson Family killed two more people, and they may have committed a dozen more murders.

In December 1992, members of The Children of God/the Family sang for First Lady Barbara Bush at the White House.

Mohan Chandra Rajneesh, the founder of the Rajneesh Movement, convinced his followers to buy him a $1 million watch. He also owned ninety-three Rolls-Royces.

Before the sarin attack at Kasumigaseki Station, Aum Shinrikyo murdered the lawyer representing former members in a civil lawsuit and his family, attempted to buy nuclear weapons in Russia, tried to purchase land in Australia to mine uranium, and killed twenty people using Venomous Agent X.

The Planetary Activation Organization (AKA Ground Crew Project) got the attention of the media after members of the Heaven's Gate cult committed suicide, because they both had websites. However, there has been no abuse, crime, or unnatural deaths linked to the cult.

Wiley Brooks, the founder of the Breatharian Insitute of America, gained media attention after claiming to have not eaten solid food for seventeen years. His time as a cult leader ended quickly after he was caught leaving a 7-Eleven with a Slurpee, hot dog, and pack of Twinkies.

Many celebrities or people associated with celebrities have been connected to cults beyond Scientology and NXIVM. Thomas Nichols, the brother of Star Trek actress Nichelle Nichols, committed suicide with thirty-eight other members of the Heaven's Gate cult. Rod Sterling, Ray Bradbury, Leonard Nimoy, Jane Fonda, Charlton Heston, and Milton Berle attended Synanon meetings. Painter Jackson Pollock and Singer Judy Collins were Syllivanians.

[foxandcatlibrary]

43rd Book I Read in 2023

Title: Cursed Objects

Author: J.W. Ocker

Notes: Intressant bok. Nu vill jag ta en semester till Blekinge!

[haveyoureadthispoll]

An illustrated compendium that reveals the true stories behind the most infamous, creepy, and bizarre real-life cursed objects throughout history. Spanning decades and continents, subjects range from the opulent Hope Diamond to the humble Busby Stoop chair. They're lurking in museums, graveyards, and private homes around the world. Their stories have inspired countless horror movies, reality TV shows, campfire tales, books, and even chain emails. They're cursed objects, and in order to unleash a wave of misfortune, all they need...is you. As a culture, we can't seem to get enough of cursed objects. But never before have the true stories of these infamous real-life items been compiled into a fascinating and chilling volume. Entries include: • Annabelle the Doll, a Raggedy Ann doll which inspired the acclaimed horror franchise The Conjuring • The Tomb of Tutankhamen, the discovery of which kicked-started media hysteria over a rumored "Curse of the Pharaohs" • The Ring of Silvianus, a Roman artifact believed to have inspired J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit • The Hope Diamond, which was owned by kings and inspired the Heart of the Ocean in James Cameron's Titanic • The Dybbuk Box, which was sold on eBay and inspired the horror film The Possession Whether you believe in curses or not, the often tragic and always bizarre stories behind these objects will fascinate you. Many of them have intersected with some of the most notable events and people in history. But beyond Hollywood and beyond the hysteria, author J. W. Ocker suggests that cursed objects are simply objects which have been witness to great human tragedy, and thereafter operate as mechanisms for remembering and retelling those stories. Cursed Objects will be equally appealing to true believers as well as history buffs, horror fans, and anyone who loves a good spine-tingling tale.

[curiouscornfieldcryptid]

my current read casually mentioned that the hope diamond killed rod serling and then refused to elaborate

[forthegothicheroine]

In Hawthorne City, the welcome sign [would be] spelled out in scarlet letters. All the houses have a legally mandated seven gables. A marble faun is erected in the Common. Every minister at every church wears a black veil. Its favorite Halloween decoration is the scarecrow instead of the witch. The bars have names like The Great Stone Face and The Elixir of Life, and the hotels names like The Ambitious Guest and, well, the Hawthorne Hotel. And the high school mascot has a high forehead and a mustache. This could have been Salem had the Witch Trials never happened. I mean, not literally, but Salem would most likely only have been famous for being the city that gave us Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author who gave us The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables, Young Goodman Brown and The Birth-Mark, Ethan Brand and Wakefield. The author who Herman Melville called the American Shakespeare. Whom Edgar Allen Poe called "one of the few men of indisputable genius to whom our country has as yet given birth." On the other hand, had the Salem Witch Trials never happened, we might not have had the Nathaniel Hawthorne we all are supposed to read in high school

J.W. Ocker, A Season with the Witch: The Magic and Mayhem of Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts

[the-starry-seas]

thank you for the tag @insertmeaningfulusername!

Rules: In a new post, list 9 books you're planning to read this year!

Art Deco: 50 Works of Art You Should Know by Lynn Federle Orr

Anthropocene Rag by Alex Irvine

Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party: How an Eccentric Group of Victorians Discovered Prehistoric Creatures and Accidentally Upended the World by Edward Dolnick

Dinosaur Behavior: An Illustrated Guide by Michael Benton

Orbit: NASA Astronauts Photograph The Earth

The Dinosaur Lords by Victor Milán

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Gunzon

The Illustrated Guide to Locomotives of the World by Colin Garratt

The United States of Cryptids: A Tour of American Myths and Monsters by J.W. Ocker

tagging @mereelskirata @merlyn-bane @adhd-coyote @seascribbling @cookiemonsterv3

@hastalavistabyebye @silver-tounges-and-golden-lies @colonelcaroldanvers @cozy-fish-crow

[rachel-sylvan-author]

"The United States of Cryptids: A Tour of American Myths and Monsters" by J.W. Ocker

Thank you @thecaseofbooks for the rec! ❤️

[ashleybenlove]

So, here's the books I read in May.

Blurred Lines: A Reverse Harem, Dad's Best Friends Romance by Ajme Williams – May 2

What's for Dessert: Simple Recipes for Dessert People by Claire Saffitz – May 4

I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong – May 5

Liquid Rules: The Delightful and Dangerous Substances That Flow Through Our Lives by Mark Miodownik – May 5

Black Girls Must Have It All by Jayne Allen – May 8

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein – May 11

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall – May 11

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto – May 11

Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon – May 14

Human Errors: A Panorama of Our Glitches, from Pointless Bones to Broken Genes by Nathan H. Lents – May 15

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert – May 16

Cat on the Hero's Lap Vol. 1 by Kosuke Iijima – May 16

Tentacle Alien Party by Beatrix Steam – May 17

What's A Girl Gotta Do To Get On The Naughty List? by Kimberly Lemming – May 17

How the García Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez – May 18

Frankly in Love by David Yoon – May 19

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams – May 20

More Than You'll Ever Know by Katie Gutierrez – May 21

An Earthling's Guide to Outer Space: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Black Holes, Dwarf Planets, Aliens, and More by Bob McDonald – May 22

We Are Here: 30 Inspiring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Have Shaped the United States by Naomi Hirahara – May 24

We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story by Simu Liu – May 24

Beach Read by Emily Henry – May 24

Double Tentacle by Beatrix Steam – May 25

Murder on the Orient Express: The Graphic Novel by Agatha Christie** with Bob Al-Greene – May 26

The United States of Cryptids: A Tour of American Myths and Monsters by J.W. Ocker – May 30

My only reread is marked in **. (I read the original novel last October. This is the graphic novel, so I figured it still kinda counted as a reread.)

Since May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, I made a point to read some books by Asian authors.

Favorites from this month include

More Than You'll Ever Know (the lady has two husbands in two countries!!! and it's set in Texas and Mexico!!!),

A Lady for a Duke (a Jane Austen style romance with a trans woman heroine!!!),

Simu Liu's memoir (great read; still think his parents suck even though he seems to be on better terms with them),

Dial A for Aunties (HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!!! She accidentally kills a guy who was threatening her and then her aunties and mom help her out),

Instructions for Dancing (teenager dealing with her parents divorce gains the ability to see how a relationship ends when she sees couples in love kiss),

and Frankly in Love (fake dating, real dating, polyamory gets mentioned which is nice).

[wordpress-blaze-243854396]

The widow's oil

This is my first time reading through the Bible on my own. I thought I would take you guys with me on the rest of my journey. Come and be with me as I study. Let us discover things about God's word for the first time together. I have made it all the way to 2 Kings! This is the farthest I have ever made it on my own. I am so excited and happy! Rejoice, for there is nothing that God can not do!

      Let us pray before we continue on to 2 Kings 4. Dear Lord, thank you for this day that you have made for us. Thank you for my readers and subscribers. I pray that you bless us with your love and understanding as we study your word. Use me to reach those who are also needing encouragement to study your word. I pray also that you bless my readers and even those who have not read my passage with guidance. May those who need you, find you. Protect those that need protecting. In your name we pray. Amen.

Let us dive into 2 Kings 4. I really loved this chapter. I never knew about the similarities between Jesus and Elisha! God really shows how powerful he truly is in this passage. Elisha, the man of God, uses his power to help a widow. He also aids a Shunammite woman and feeds people during a famine! Does all of this sound familiar? I had no idea! First, let us talk about Elisha helping the widow keeps her son from slavery.

The chapter begins when Elisha met a woman whose husband had just died. She was left to handle their debt all on her own. The creditor would arrive the next day to collect her sons. He planned to settle their debt by selling her sons into slavery.

     As a mother, this part made my heart sink. Just like the widow I would do anything to keep my children with me. When someone who is close to us dies suddenly, it can be hard to face all the debt they left behind. It's a daunting task.

She must have been so desperate when she went to go speak with Elisha. Some of us have been there. So desperate that we have to sell off a piece of property or pawn off a wedding ring to pay bills. But the debt collector was coming for her sons! They are a part of her. No matter how big they get they are her babies. Let's look at what Elisha said to her when she told him this news.

Elisha began by asking the widow what do you have in your house? I think we know where this is going. What he means is, what else do you have to give? Her only possession was a jar of oil. She did not answer with anything else. So I wonder if she had already sold what she could.

    So, he told the widow to go and collect vessels to borrow from her neighbors (her community!). Not just more jars, but vessels. There is no telling how small or large the vessels were that she borrowed. So she borrowed the vessels, and stayed inside pouring out the oil until there was no more left. The next day, she went to the Man of God and he told her to go sell the oil. Sell the oil to pay off your debt, you and your sons will live off the rest.

    Did you catch that? The widow was capable of paying off their debt, save her sons, and still have some oil left over! Amen! That is amazing! Can imagine what she could have done with what was left over? Comment below about how you feel about this blessing. What has God done for you recently, that you feel like sharing?

God takes care of us and never leaves us empty handed. The widow must have a really good community too. I have no idea how many vessels she filled. I do not know the size either. But all I can imagine everyone passing out any tubberware that they can spare. It is crucial to find your community. It is even more important to lean on one another during times of distress. Next, I want to jump to the famine in Gilgal. We should take a look at the community there. We will see how Elisha uses God's power to bless them. Shalom.

Source: The widow's oil

[bewitchingbooktours]

Ghosts of Sleepy Hollow by Sam Baltrusis - Haunted Halloween Spooktacular

SALEM VS. SLEEPY HOLLOW

By Sam Baltrusis 

It’s a tale of two extremely different, yet oddly similar, Halloween destinations: Salem vs. Sleepy Hollow. Will the witches overthrow the Headless Horseman —or will heads roll— in the ultimate Samhain showdown?

   According to J.W. Ocker, author of The New England Grimpendium & The New York Grimpendium, both locations have their “woes” and cons during spooky season.

  “I love this topic because depending on how you twist the narrative, you can say these two towns are nothing alike or you can say they are so similar that it’s scary,” Ocker told me during an in-person interview at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel.

   “The number one similarity is that they are both extremely popular Halloween destinations,” he said. “You get those click-bait articles every year. Both Salem and Sleepy Hollow are always at the top of every list.”

   Because they are known for their October attractions, both locations rely heavily on tourism to feed their local economy. “While Salem is changing and becoming more of a suburb of Boston, the bottom line is if they lose their tourism, they will lose their existence.”

   The author of A Season with the Witch added that both cities successfully brand themselves. “No other town can be Salem even though there are tons of other locations that had witch trials especially in the Northeast. But no one can say they’re the Witch City,” Ocker said, “only Salem, Massachusetts can do that.”

   In comparison, Sleepy Hollow is known for the Headless Horseman. “There are other towns in the country that call themselves Sleepy Hollow, but this area is the only place that can theme themselves around Irving because he actually lived here and was inspired by the region when he wrote the story. It’s basically Washington Irving land.”

   According to Ocker, both Salem and Sleepy Hollow are successful at embracing their respective themes. “There’s something about these two Halloween destinations that’s authentically spooky,” he said. “They’re also great fall destinations. The Hudson Valley and New England are top-tier places known for their foliage.“

   Other similarities include their proximity to major metropolitan areas. “Salem is close to Boston and Sleepy Hollow is a short drive from New York City,” he said. “They have this small-town, big-city atmosphere to them. They also have traffic. Who would live in Salem or Sleepy Hollow unless they’re spooky, right?”

   Another similarity shared by the Witch City and the Hudson Valley seems to be their eerily picturesque cemeteries. “There’s the Old Burying Point on Charter Street that almost serves as the hub of Salem in many ways,” he told me. “It’s even more true in Sleepy Hollow. The cemetery is extremely important. The Old Dutch Church is on the hill and Washington Irving is buried in the cemetery. The location fits right into Irving’s story and you can almost map out Ichabod Crane’s journey.”

   Speaking of the famous chase from Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” Ocker uses the tale as a metaphor to describe the differences between the two tourism-driven destinations. “In my mind, Salem is Ichabod Crane and Sleepy Hollow is the Headless Horseman,” he explained. “Salem is so far ahead in regards to marketing themselves, but I feel like the Headless Horseman is slowly creeping up from behind. In most people’s minds, Sleepy Hollow is a less evolved version of Salem, but one day it will catch up.”

   Ocker pointed out that Salem had a huge head start. “The very first Haunted Happenings was in 1982,” he explained. “North Tarrytown didn’t even become Sleepy Hollow until 1996, so they’re almost fifteen years behind Salem.”

   There’s also the obvious geographical hurdles holding back the village. “Sleepy Hollow isn’t set up to be a Salem because it simply isn’t walkable,” he told me. ”In Sleepy Hollow, you definitely need a car. In the past, they tried turning the area near the chase statue into a plaza, but the problem is that the street is the same Broadway that’s in Manhattan. It’s a busy road and it’s potentially dangerous to put outside seating or a cafe near the statue. The infrastructure isn’t there yet.”

   For Ocker, Sleepy Hollow’s greatest weakness is also what makes it so special. The OTIS: Odd Things I’ve Seen blogger said he prefers celebrating spooky season with his all-time favorite monster, the Headless Horseman. Why? After spending an October in Salem while writing his book, A Season with the Witch, the New Hampshire-based writer prefers the smaller crowds and the old-school charm of the Hudson Valley.

   “In Salem, there’s the witch-trials tragedy of 1692,” he said. “The inciting incident in Sleepy Hollow is just American letters. It’s art. So there’s no underlying guilt, which is nice. But without that guilt you don’t have the friction, the narrative, and the interesting public relations angles. The appeal of Salem is a tragedy and in Sleepy Hollow it’s just a story.”

   The lack of an underlying cautionary tale, Ocker told me, also complicates things when it comes to creating paranormal-themed tourism. “Now that Sleepy Hollow is a spooky town, they’re trying their best to pull as much haunted content as they can to make it more interesting,” he said. “It’s really hard to find great ghost stories in Sleepy Hollow, but it was like that in Salem too.”

   Thanks to all of the lantern tours in the Witch City, one can’t walk down Essex Street without hitting an allegedly haunted location. In Sleepy Hollow, however, the haunts are definitely spread out.

   “There’s a passage in ‘Legend’ where he talks about this Hudson Valley being so haunted,” Ocker said. “There are tons of stories and the Headless Horseman is just one example out of all of those tales. In the story, he sets the area up as an interesting place with a lot of legend and lore.”

   Ocker’s recommendations for tourists visiting Sleepy Hollow? “Follow the chase route,” he said. “Start at the John André monument and walk to the cemetery. Of course, it’s not a very pleasant walk because there are cars whizzing by you. But in October, there’s a lot more to do in Sleepy Hollow. It’s not every day like it is in Salem, but they have something going on every weekend.”

   Another telltale sign that Salem is currently in the lead as a Halloween destination? Ocker pointed out that the Witch City’s annual Haunted Happenings parade happens at the beginning of October while Sleepy Hollow holds its celebration during the last weekend of the month. “It’s very telling who is better at promoting the holiday,” he said.

   Ocker insisted, however, that New Yorkers are slowly learning to capitalize on the power of the Headless Horseman. “In Sleepy Hollow, you’re starting to see recycling bins that are branded. Their fire engines and police cars now have themed logos,” he said. “Even the fire plugs are black and orange. If you look around Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman is everywhere.”

Ghosts of Sleepy Hollow: 

Haunts of the Headless Horseman

Haunted America

Sam Baltrusis

Genre: Ghosts & Hauntings

Publisher: History Press

Date of Publication: September 23, 2024

ISBN: 978-146715802

Number of pages: 144

Word Count: 32,500

Tagline: Chilling Tales of the Hudson Valley

Book Description:

Nestled on the banks of the Hudson River, Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown are steeped in history and ghost lore. Famous for Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” the storied Westchester region also has a dark history of witches, spies, and pirates. 

Rumors of Headless Horseman sightings surge during spooky season while visitors flock to the Valley’s haunted hot spots like the Old Dutch Church and the famed writer’s Sunnyside home. 

Join author and journalist Sam Baltrusis on a bone-chilling journey through the streets of Sleepy Hollow as he breathes new life into the legendary village’s long-departed souls.

Amazon     BN     Arcadia

Excerpt:

Sleepy Hollow, New York is brimming with ghostly legends that have somehow taken on a life of their own.

Nestled on the banks of the Hudson River, the fabled region —which includes the adjoining Tarrytown— has become the go-to place during spooky season thanks to the popularity of Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."

Late-night lantern tours in search of a decapitated soldier's galloping ghost? Yes, please.

If one spends enough time walking through the labyrinthine paths of the village's historic cemeteries, however, there's something sinister oozing beneath Sleepy Hollow's rustic, story-book facade.

It's as if the entire hamlet is under some sort of enchantment. Or, as Irving penned in 1820, it oddly feels like the locals are somehow bewitched and "are subject to trances and visions."

The revered writer referred to the area as the "spell-bound region," and rightfully so. According to several first-hand accounts, creepy music and disembodied voices emerge out of thin air

Based on Irving's mythical take on his later-in-life hometown, it should be no surprise that the Headless Horseman isn't the Valley’s only fearsome phantom seeking postmortem revenge.

The entire region seems to be teeming with paranormal activity. Several publications sensationally claim that both Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown together make the "most haunted places in the world."

But, is it?

After digging beneath the surface, it's difficult to pinpoint what's actually paranormal activity versus a made-up ghost story that has been collectively conjured over a 200-year period.

Alex Matsuo, a Maryland-based author and paranormal investigator who has written about the area’s alleged paranormal activity in her Spooky Stuff blog, believes that the line between fact and fiction is somehow blurred in Sleepy Hollow.

“After Washington Irving's infamous tale plunged the area into fame, I would hypothesize that perhaps some of the paranormal activity could be attributed to thought-forms,” Matsuo told me. “There's also the case of self-fulfilling prophecies that people can accomplish without realizing it.”

Matsuo cited the replica of the bridge in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery as a potential hotspot for ghostly encounters that are freakishly fueled by the expectations of thrill-seeking visitors.

 “Just by knowing the tale and the true story behind it, they would already get a case of the creeps,” she explained. “Then, with tensions rising, they hear a branch break or footsteps, and they get really spooked. They go home and tell their friends and family about the creepy experience, unknowing that there was an animal nearby causing the ruckus.”

Also, there are what paranormal researchers call thought-forms or an outward manifestation of the heightened emotions of those who visit Sleepy Hollow during spooky season. Matsuo believes that based on this concept, extreme fear can somehow take a physical form within the spirit world.

“When you have a massive amount of people invested in a story, even a fictional story based on real people, that energy has to go somewhere,” she said. “In the case of Sleepy Hollow, it may have manifested into paranormal occurrences. I would guess that most of that energy is more organized, but I wouldn't be surprised if some of that energy was displaced, which could explain some of the random paranormal events that have happened over the years.”

About the Author:

Sam Baltrusis, author of Ghosts of Salem: Haunts of the Witch City and featured in The Curse of Lizzie Borden shock doc, has penned eighteen paranormal-themed books including Haunted Boston Harbor and Ghosts of the American Revolution. He has been featured on several national TV shows including the Travel Channel's A Haunting, Most Terrifying Places, Haunted Towns, and Fright Club (1 & 2). He also made a cameo in the documentary The House in Between 2 and on several additional television programs including The UnBelievable with Dan Aykroyd, History’s Most Haunted, Paranormal Nightshift, and Forbidden History. Baltrusis is a sought-after lecturer who speaks at libraries and paranormal-related events across the country. Visit SamBaltrusis.com for more information.

https://sambaltrusis.com/ 

https://twitter.com/SamBaltrusis 

https://www.facebook.com/sam.baltrusis 

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[fangirlnationmag]

JW Ocker's 'Cult Following' Explores 30 of the Weirdest and Most Dangerous Cults in History

Author J.W. Ocker has made a name for himself with explorations of Salem, cursed objects and cryptids. In his newest book, Cult Following, readers travel with Ocker through 30 of the most infamous cults in history. Whether you’re knee-deep in your study of the Branch Davidians or just casually familiar with Synanon, this book acts as a fascinating exploration of cults and how people get enmeshed…

[werecreature-addicted]

it's Twelve Nights at Rotter House by J.W. Ocker for those asking. I'm only like 8 chapters in but i like it so far.

reading a horror novel and they keep mentioning how this dude who owed the haunted house they're staying at had a TON of sex when he was alive and had a vibrating prosthetic arm like okay?? are you going to fuck his ghost or what?

[forthegothicheroine]

Ray Bradbury, an original voice and heart in the science fiction and horror genres, was always vociferous about Poe's influence on his own stories. In his introduction to the 1966 science fiction anthology S is for Space, he listed him as an influence along with Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and Mary Shelley. "Edgar Allan Poe was the bat-winged cousin we kept high in the attic room." Thirty years later, in a new forward to his macabre anthology The October Country, Bradbury wrote that Poe had grown to become more of a patriarch on the Bradbury family Halloween tree: "My proper home was Usher, my aunts and uncles descended from Poe." Where the two diverge on the family tree is that Bradbury wrote from a totally different place. Every word Bradbury wrote, no matter how sinister, no matter how fraught with soul-peril, seems to have been written with a child laughing over his shoulder, whereas any laughter Poe might have heard as he composed his tales was of the maniacal sort. The two would be perfect for a revamp of The Odd Couple.

J.W. Ocker, Poe-Land: The Hallowed Haunts of Edgar Allan Poe

[hauntedvermont]

Interview: J.W. Ocker | The United States of Cryptids

Paul chats with author J.W. Ocker (@jwocker) about his latest book, The United States of Cryptids. Released October 2022 via Quirk Books (@quirkbooks). #HauntedVermont #JWOcker #UnitedStatesofCryptids #Books #Interviews #Author #Podcast #StrangeThings

J.W. Ocker is the award-winning author of macabre travelogues, spooky kid’s books, and horror novels. His nonfictions books include The New England Grimpendium and The New York Grimpendium (both Lowell Thomas Award winners), Poe-Land: The Hallowed Haunts of Edgar Allan Poe (Edgar Award winner), A Season with the Witch: The Magic and Mayhem of Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts, and Cursed Objects:…