X-Files

I probably could have thought long and hard for a way to make a sentence with all Xs, but I'm just not going to. I will say that if you missed my post yesterday, please go check it out after you read this one. Here's the link. :)

So in keeping with the paranormaly supernatural fantastical Fridays of the A to Z Challenge, I have some X-Files. Yeah, I don't really have any X-Files, BUT I have some paranormal/supernatural things for you today.

Zombies:

They come in different forms these days, but there is one thing that always sticks...They crave brains/human flesh. Why is that? I've never understood much about the whole Zombie thing really. I mean, if they're supposed to be brain dead people wandering around basically moaning about nothing (except brains or human flesh) how are they able to wander around wanting those things?

(A little edit: Caterina Torres (author of Zombie Whisperer) talks a lot about Zombies over at her website-go check her out, she's even got a short story series and it's pretty good :)   )

Vampires:

These 'undead' beings have definitely changed since Dracula stepped on the scene back in the day. Granted there are legends that talk about nightstalkers that roam the villages feeding of the necks of humans that date back into the era around 1045A.D. However, it was Dracula that really put them on the map. Nowadays, vampires come in many different forms-the pasty white hotties that Charlaine Harris is so fond of all the way to the sparkling swoon-worthy creations of Stephenie Meyer.

For anyone who doesn't know what I write about, vampires are my supe of preference(though I also have a series about shape-shifters that I'm working on). Vamps are my choice. My vampires are not like Harris', Meyer's or even Rice's-mine are, well, mine. They are not undead, or sparkly, or evil. They don't drink bottled blood, but they don't feed off of necks either. My vamps drink freely donated bagged blood.

Anyway, I love me a sexy vamp and I love me a evil pasty contorted faced vamp. I love vampires in general, and I will never tire of them. However,  I've heard rumors that vampires are over used and people are getting burnt out on them and eventually (some say it will be VERY soon) vampires will be a thing of the past that nobody can even stand to hear about. What do you think? Tired of vampires? OR will you be able to handle them diferences-or not?

Weres/Shape-shifters:

I know that weres are not exactly shape-shifters. I also know that many people write about werewolves more than weres in general. And that shape-shifters can (and a lot of times do) mean people who can shift into the shape of other people. I write about shape-shifters that shift into various animals, but they aren't weres because, well, they just aren't. What I wonder is, what happened to the good ol' fashioned werewolf and why is he not so popular anymore? I don't write about werewolves just because it doesn't fit my theme, but that doesn't mean I don't like them. I like the wolf-man that werewolves used to be. Not the gigantic wolf, or even the normal looking wolf that man shifts into. I don't have a problem with the new-aged style of werewolves, I just never had a problem with the old ones.

I could keep talking about other things...actually, why not:

Fae:

These spritely little creatures come in lots of different packages nowadays too. How do you like do see Fairy's (AKA Faeries) portrayed. Do you like the Tinkerbell variety or the human-looking kind? I like them all personally.

Aliens:

They come in different packages nowadays too, huh? They used to always be either evil monstrous creatures or green funny looking men with big ass black eyes-now they're humans walking around looking normal and even having sex with people like normal. What's that about? Not that I mind, I tend to actually enjoy the books about Aliens that look normal more than others.

Witches/Wizards:

These two don't always fall into a category together, but I'm trying to keep my post at least semi-short. So, do you like the Wiccan witches that sometimes have some supernatural powers but mostly congregate in their circle chanting and what not---or are you partial to the broom riding, pointy hat wearing, cackling over a cauldron kind of witches? I myself like the witches that are more normal. And wizards, I love me some Harry P, and actually, I don't know much else about wizards so yeah...

Demons:

Evil or no? Do you prefer them evil or nice and hot? Or both? ;)

Okay, now I'm done-enjoy. :)

Happy X-Filing :D

Rated R

(Since I usually leave my Friday's open to give more attention to my Thursday TAG!s, please take a moment after this post to go check out my Questionable TAG! from yesterday (Featuring Matthew MacNish) Thanks :)

Since this is still my Paranormally Supernatural Fanstastical Friday posts, I'm going to talk about some 'rated R' things. Basically, here are some things that fall into the category and that begin with R. (Don't ask how the rated R really fits in...)

First off, here's a book blogger that you should check out: Rabid Reads.

Books

River Marked (Mercy Thompson Series, Book #6) by Patricia Briggs

The Reckoning (Darkest Powers Series, Book #3) by Kelley Armstrong

Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood Series, Book #4) by J.R. Ward

Revelations (Blue Bloods Series, Book #3) by Melissa de la Cruz

Renegade Hunter (Argeneau Series #12/Rogue Hunter Series #3) by Lynsay Sands

(Some Non-R Books that R still awesome)

Bound by C.K. BRyant

CassaStaR by Alex J Cavanaugh

CassaFiRe by Alex J Cavanaugh

Become by Ali Cross

Zombie WhispeReR by Caterina Torres

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Well Of Dreams by Scott Seldon

Edge Of Hyperspace by Scott Seldon

Thoughtless by Jacqueline GaRdner

Mutiny by Jacqueline GaRdner

Authors

(Aside from those listed above, because even if the above authors aren't Rs, they still need to be checked out. They all need to be checked out because they're awesome!)

Richelle Mead

Rachel Caine

Anne Rice

Robin McKinley

Rachel Vincent

RaShelle Workman

(And again, some Non-Rs)

CoRy Puman Oakes

KaRly KiRkpatRick

Movies

(Some of these are movies I like and some are just movies my mom came up with when I was trying to remember some R movies.)

Rose Red (Technically a miniseries, but still released all-in-one as a movie-like DVD)

Rest Stop

Resident Evil

Rosemary's Baby

Return Of The Living Dead

Raising Cain

The Raven (the 1935 one, btw)

Yeah, so, that's my post. Some pretty good books/authors/movies up there. If you haven't already, you should check 'em out :)

Happy Paranormally Supernatural Fantastic R Friday :D

Feel free to tell me in the comments some awesome R books/authors/movies that I missed, I had a hard time remembering them. :)

Legends

Yes, this is keeping with my Fantasy/Paranormal/Supernatural/etc theme. I figure since it's Friday the 13th, talking about legends fits.

Legends Lift Listeners Like Laden Lies

Right, so...

Legends

There are soooooooo many of them, right? But I'm just going to talk about a few, at random of course because that seems to be how it works this week. :)

Leprechauns: I picked this first one because it's Irish and an L. In Irish folklore the Leprechaun is a fairy. He likes to make shoes and to be mischievous. If you catch one, he'll grant you three wishes in exchange for his release. On a funny note, aside from Irish lore...the movies are ridiculously stupid enough to damn near be comedic. I mean, really what was dude thinking when he wrote that script-or maybe it's more like what was he on?

Lir: As in the Children of Lir. So I don't know how many people know this one, to sum it up for those who don't...Lir had babies with his wife and then his wife died so he married her sister. The sister didn't like the kids so she turned them all into swans. There are variations, but the way I know it goes: they spent a total of 900 years in a few different places and then a kind witch turned them back to human. Problem is, humans don't live to be 900 years old, so they withered and died. What do I get out of that story? Don't marry your sister-in-law...just saying.

Loch Ness: Oh don't we all love the legend of the scary *insert which of the thousands of descriptions you prefer* monster that can be found in Loch Ness located in the Scottish Highlands. Since the 1930s(and some say even before then) there have been rumors of this monster and pictures that 'prove' its existence. Here's a famous pic for everyone to show you how real it is...

(EDIT: If you'd like to see the photo, click here.)

...spooky right? Yeah, sure it is. There are people who say it's without a doubt a hoax and there are people who hold it to be the best proof of the monster. I have to say, I'm not sure I believe Nessie is real, but I don't know how comfortable I'd be on a boat out on Loch Ness.

Local Legends-here are two from Oklahoma

Bulldog Man: Now this legend is of old and has been 'tainted' throughout the years. In Sand Springs, Oklahoma there is a road called The Old North Road and it is narrow and winding and can be scary dangerous at night-hell sometimes at day too. In goes through Sand Springs into Tulsa. In the 1920 on a bend of said road, there was an amusement park. A very poor family with too many children and 'accidentally' left a son behind. The son lived in the park eating discarded food and sleeping in various places in the park. Two years later the park closed and he wandered the woods. He came upon the Brick Factory and the workers took him in. One night a pile of hot bricks fell on him and disfigured his face making him look like a bulldog. Years later the factory closed and the boy stayed there guarding 'his territory', shooting at anything/one who came near him. When I was younger the thing was-go to Old North Road, stop your car, flash your headlights three times and wait for him to come 'get you'. Rumors went around of people who encountered the Bulldog Man, but I never did. I traveled the road a lot and I even did the flashing lights and stopping thing, but he never came for me. It's still a fun legend regardless.

Gilcrease Museum: This is a 'haunted' museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It's been said that the man who established the museum, Thomas Gilcrease, haunts the grounds. It has also been said that you can hear children playing, a woman singing and men arguing. But there are tons of 'sightings' of Thomas Gilcrease. I'm not a skeptic, and I wouldn't be shocked if his spirit truly does still roam the museum at night. I've never gone there to see it for myself though.

So, this is a long post, sorry about that. But there were so many legends I wanted to talk about. I actually had to make myself stop when I did. Sorry I'm late, I had the post scheduled but I forgot to go back in and finish editing and click 'publish'.

So Happy Legending-yeah that's a word, sure. :)

Fantasy

(Since I would normally leave my Friday open to give more light to my awesome Thursday TAG!-if you haven't, please check out my Q&A with the Fabulous-E.M. Labonte.)

My Friday semi-theme is going to be about a genre I enjoy. I read every genre, but Fantasy is my absolute favorite. I know that many people think of 'High Fantasy' or 'Epic' novels in association with this genre, but it's more than that. Dystopian, Paranormal and Urban, even Sci-Fi (in some aspects) are all capable of being in this category. For me. when I think Fantasy I think anything fantastical and magical, anything that isn't really real. Faeries, vampires, weres and shifters, angels, demons, dragons, witches, wizards, elves and so many more. Reading is imaginative, so why not read about something that takes you to a different reality?

Fantasy: Fantastically Fun Fiction

Find yourself on a journey into a world that doesn't exist.
And take your mind to a place where the impossible is really possible.
Normal is people doing things that can't be real.
The ideas are true as you go page by page.
Animals are humans and no one is what they seem.
Supernatural things are more natural than they are 'supposed' to be.
You find yourself somewhere that is full of wonder and adventure.

Happy Fantasizing ;)

How about you? Do you like to read about the paranormal/supernatural/magical? Why do you or why don't you? What's your favorite genre?