Episode Transcript
[00:00:06] Hello, hello, hello, everyone. Welcome back to Weird World Adventures, the podcast. I'm your host, Mallory, and I'm here to show you just how weird this world of ours really is.
[00:00:15] I am very excited today because right now we are entering the spooky season.
[00:00:21] Yay.
[00:00:23] Our whole brand was made for this. First of all, I guess I have to say, but don't have to say, make sure you tune into Weird World Adventures on Amazon prime, on Plex, on Zumo, on Relay, wherever you like to stream. If you just put it into your TV screens, it will come up and soon to be on Tubi, which we are really excited about. So make sure you binge Weird World Adventures. It has many free to stream options. Now, it's great for the spooky season, but I wanted the focus today to be on three books that we have coming out this season. And The Spooky Season 2 have already released. The third will have released by the time this episode comes out, I believe.
[00:01:12] And we have a whole tour going around the Richmond, Virginia area signing these three new books which we're really excited about. So I wanted to make sure I gave you guys all of the information so you can come join us for our book signings and if not, you can still order our books wherever you like to purchase books. So I'm going to give you a little bit more information on that.
[00:01:36] The first release was Haunted Hikes of the Great Smoky Mountains.
[00:01:42] And that was a really fun adventure because Michael and I got to travel to the Smokies multiple times.
[00:01:48] And by the way, we did film an episode of Weird World while we were there. So it ties into season two. We have a two parter there near the end about the legends and lore and strange places that you can find near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
[00:02:04] And this book covers 40 different hikes, all of which kind of have their own unique legends and lore. And we've talked about this before on the podcast. I won't go too deep into it, but there are some wild legends in the Smokies and a lot of them go back to Cherokee culture. So you have Spearfinger the witch.
[00:02:25] There's a lot of ghost lights that have been spotted out there since the Cherokee were there.
[00:02:30] And it's just a fun, creepy, like, natural elemental place. And it's wonderful. And the hikes themselves are beautiful.
[00:02:44] Most of the ones we did had something really unique about them that was worth seeing, whether it was a waterfall, whether one of them actually had an old steam engine that was crashed into the river, which was very cool. So the steam engine was definitely worth seeing.
[00:03:00] There's this really cool, twisty tower on one of them. They all kind of have their own unique features, so there's something for everyone.
[00:03:10] And we covered 40 different hikes. All the ones we included were great for one reason or another and have really interesting legendary stories.
[00:03:19] So highly recommend you read, not that I'm biased or anything. Haunted Hikes of the Great Smoky Mountains. Each chapter talks about the legends and lore of the hike that we're featuring. It has a map so you can follow along with the hike, and then it has the detailed instructions about conducting the hike, how to get there, where, where to park, kind of all that insider knowledge, where the nearest bathrooms are. That one was really important to me.
[00:03:47] So it's a really fun guide to the Great Smoky Mountains, but in a fun, immersive way, because we get to talk some about the folklore and legends. And Michael took some killer pictures that are in there as well.
[00:04:00] So that one was the first one to release.
[00:04:03] Then the next one was the Goth Atlas, which is A Guide to 500 Spooky and Macabre places around the world.
[00:04:12] That was a really interesting, exciting book that I got to work on, because when I, you know, the. The publisher had reached out, and once we had agreed to it, it was different than any book I had written before because I got to come up with the 500 places, and we kind of massaged it and worked on it to a place where everyone was happy on the list of locations.
[00:04:33] And then certain locations were featured more heavily than others, so they sourced pictures. But then for any of the places that I had been to, you know, they allowed me to provide my own photos and to send things their way. So I had a ton of photos that I provided for that book.
[00:04:47] Most of them were shot by Michael, which was also great because he has a really nice cover photo of the Queen Mary in there, which was amazing. Again, from when we filmed season two of Weird World Adventures.
[00:05:00] And, you know, there's sections of it that are like 80 words on just the spots, like little teasers. And there's sections that are more in depth about a location and what you can find there. But it just covers a vast array of places all around the world. I kind of got to use my knowledge and feature all the amazing, incredible places I had been to before.
[00:05:22] And then, you know, to fill it in, I got to discover a lot of really cool places to add to my bucket list that I hadn't been to before.
[00:05:31] So it's a really cool guide. To just all the weirdness that's out there in every continent in the world. So I'm very proud of it. It's also a beautiful picture book. There's gorgeous photos. A lot of them were taken by Michael.
[00:05:45] And it just kind of gives you that inspo to get out there and be weird and see the world in such a unique, macabre, but special, bizarre way. How I see the world, I really love it. So the Goth Atlas is out now. You can find it at most major bookstores.
[00:06:05] It's available also online, of course, anywhere for purchase.
[00:06:10] So that's the Goth Atlas. And then the third book that's coming out in eight days from when I'm recording this on September 30th, is Secret A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful and Obscure.
[00:06:26] And it features 84 bizarre places in Richmond, Virginia. Sorry, in Virginia the state, not Richmond, in Virginia the state overall. And, you know, it's. It's kind of centralized in order by area in a way that made sense to me. But it allowed me and Michael to be able to go on a road trip several times with Autumn, which was really fun, and. And kind of journey out across our home state and just discover all the weirdness that's there. Because there were so many places I had no idea about until I went out on this road trip and these adventures. And it was absolutely worth it. It was very, very cool. I learned about so many unique and bizarre spots that I didn't know existed.
[00:07:15] And I got to, like, refresh some of my favorite places and go there to take pictures as well. So again, it has amazing photos by Michael.
[00:07:24] We write all about the history of the places, what makes them so bizarre, and, you know, why would we include them in a weird book? Because it's weird.
[00:07:34] So it gets to highlight just all of those wonderful places, which just makes me so happy, too. So that one is coming out very soon here by the end of September.
[00:07:44] So thematically, they're all kind of perfect for the spooky season for October as we move into the fall here. And because of that, we have several book signings coming up that we get to do together to promote the books. And the first one is at the Book People of Richmond on October 10th.
[00:08:06] And I just shared. If you are following me on Facebook in any way, I just shared it. It's in Henrico, the Book People. And that one's October 10th. And we're going to kind of talk a little bit about the book. We're going to have someone moderate and ask questions, and then we're going to be signing the books while we're. So that will be a really fun event and we're definitely looking forward to it. Please come if you can. That is a Saturday.
[00:08:33] The following Saturday, the 17th, we are going to be, let me see. At a Barnes and Noble. The Barnes and Noble in Glen Allen.
[00:08:44] It's the one by Virginia Center Commons.
[00:08:48] It's weird. That's someone I used to go to as a kid and they actually like downgraded to like a smaller Barnes and Noble that like is more boutique Y. That's a couple, a couple of shops down from where it used to be.
[00:09:02] And we'll be kind of right at the entrance way there inviting people in and getting to sign that day from two to four.
[00:09:10] So that will be really exciting. That'll be our first Barnes and Noble book signings.
[00:09:16] I'm really, really just so appreciative to get that opportunity to be able to sign at Barnes and Noble.
[00:09:23] And on the 15th, so we have the 10th at the, at the book people, we have the 17th at the Barnes and Noble up by VCC in Glenallan.
[00:09:34] And then on the 15th, so I'm going back two days, sorry, which is a Thursday, I'm going to be at the Poe Museum signing books with Lisa Perrin who also has a book that came out through Chronicle about seances and, and I'll be signing the Goth Atlas there at the Poe Museum. So I'm really excited for that. To be able to participate in that event.
[00:09:56] Having a book signing at the Poe Museum, I don't know, it's just very cool. It's something that I never thought I would have and I'm excited to just really embrace the spooky season with all of this.
[00:10:08] Then the 24th, so the next Saturday, the Barnes and Noble at Chesterfield Town Center. Michael and I will be signing from two to four.
[00:10:19] So we'll be at Chesterfield Town center at Barnes and Noble and then the 25th will be at the Willow Lawn Barnes and Noble. So we will be all over very, very, very, very excited about it.
[00:10:32] And then finally on Halloween I will be at the Barnes and Noble at Short Pump, signing there as well on Halloween from 2 to 4. I am so excited.
[00:10:43] Gosh, let me tell you, by, by Halloween I'll be two weeks from my due date, so I will be ready to pop. So it'll be quite, quite the sight to see if you come find us that day.
[00:10:56] I'm also Wednesday the 28th, going back a couple days of October, going to be doing a virtual talk for the Bridgeport Library in Connecticut. So they're going to stream us in, and then hopefully we can come do it in person earlier next year.
[00:11:12] And yeah, so it's going to be a very busy, spooky season, but I really hope you can come see us for one of those events at least, and come get some signed books. We'll be signing all three books at all of those events, and I can't wait to see you guys there. I just wanted to keep this kind of short and sweet and make that announcement as we discuss our book tour and all the adventures we're going to be doing for the Halloween season.
[00:11:38] And, of course, be sure to check out Weird World Adventures to accompany all of the spookiness as you continue your Halloween festivities.
[00:11:49] Thank you guys so much for tuning in today.
[00:11:52] Again, I'm your host, Mallory, and until next time, everybody stay weird.
