Throughout its eight hundred year history, Bisham Abbey in the UK has housed English nobles and even royalty. Queen Elizabeth I spent time here when in exile. Bisham Abbey is ranked as the third most haunted building in the country. A secret passage located on the grounds is reportedly haunted and strange lights have been seen on many occasions that appear to "dance" above the lawn.

The building also has its very own ghost, known as Lady Elizabeth Hoby, who once lived at the Abbey. Many believe that she still remains because she never recovered from the death of her son. Apparently she's made a habit of threatening guests by ripping blankets off of beds and throwing objects. Guests recognize her from her portrait that still hangs in the building. Strangely, while most witnesses have been able to make the connection to the portrait, there is one detail that doesn't go along with her portrait — Lady Hoby's hands and face appear black when her apparition manifests.

To honor the Abbey's rich English history and its ghosts, the UK'sFright Nights will hold a festival on Saturday, May 10th from 7 p.m. to 12 p.m. Guests will get the chance to investigate with leading paranormal investigators of the UK and work with psychics in the buildings most haunted rooms. The event will include paranormal-themed lectures, psychic fair and costumed actors will tell tales of the Abbey's history and stories of its resident ghosts. Tickets can be purchased online.

Now it's your turn to investigate the paranormal with the PRS. On May 30th to June 1st 2008, fans of "Paranormal State" can join the cast for a "Field Trip" weekend in Smithtown, New York at Katie's Bar on Long Island, featured in the episode "Beer, Wine and Spirits." Having been on a paranormal retreat before, I can say this: it's not your typical vacation. Judging by the lineup of speakers and events that the PRS has arranged for that weekend, it's no wonder that the 100 original tickets have already sold out. There's currently a waiting list, but the PRS has decided to expand the number of tickets available for fans at some point in the near future.

If you go, here's what to expect:

On the night of Friday, May 30, ticket holders will arrive at Katie's Bar to meet Ryan Buell, Eilfie Music, Heather Taddy, Sergey Poberezhny, Katrina Weidman, Chip Coffey, Lorraine Warren and "Big Brian," owner of the bar. Attendants can drink and chat with their favorite cast members as well as other fans of the show. Hopefully the ghost of Katie's Bar has left enough stemware to go around.

As the New England Patriots made history last Sunday evening, I walked into a former Presbyterian Church in Baltimore to celebrate the birthday of one of the world's most beloved writers of the macabre, Edgar Allen Poe. Westminster Hall, shrouded in eerie purple lamplight, was the location for an evening of Poe in two acts: "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" and "Remembering Poe."

Westminster Hall stands above Baltimore's only catacombs. Its cemetery, called the Old Western Burial Ground, is the oldest in the city and houses the bones of Poe, his cousin Virginia and his aunt Maria. During his life in Baltimore, Poe experienced his first little taste of success ($50 worth) while living with his aunt and cousin at 203 Amity St. from 1832 to 1835. However, his time spent in Baltimore was marked mainly by poverty and debt. One of his first horror stories, entitled "Berenice," was written in Baltimore. Jeff Jerome, curator of the Poe House and Museum, orchestrates various Poe events year-round.

Author Edgar Allen Poe, famous for his stories and poems involving death, love, hate and fear, was born on January 19th 1809. Although Philadelphia comes in a close second place, no one loves Poe more it seems than Baltimore, Maryland — even going as far as to name their NFL team "The Baltimore Ravens". Every year the city of Baltimore parties for Poe first on his birthday and then on the day of his death. Plus, they've got his body — which certainly counts for a lot.

The world-famous Edgar Allen Poe birthday celebration will be held on Saturday, Jan. 19 and Sunday, Jan. 20, 2008. In charge of events is Jeff Jerome, curator of the Poe House and Museum. A Baltimore tradition since 1982, events will take place in Westminster Hall and will celebrate Poe's life and work as well as his person — which rests in the adjacent cemetery.

At Wizard World Texas in Arlington, Chip Coffey hosted a Q&A about "Paranormal State" after screening a preview of an upcoming episode. Coffey, a professional psychic and medium, took questions from the audience about the nine episodes he has filmed to date. He said that on the set he is kept away from everyone until it's time to shoot, so that he can go into each situation cold and assess it without prior knowledge or experience. Each scene is filmed exactly as it happens, with no scripting or direction. An audience member noted how realistic the show seemed, and asked Coffey if any scenes ever had to be re-shot. Coffey said that there was only one: when he was wearing a scarf in one scene and had taken it off in the next, they asked him to redo the second scene with the scarf on for continuity's sake.

As a psychic, Coffey's first desire is to help people in need find solutions to their problems. He doesn't pack up and leave when the cameras stop rolling, he said; he likes to stick around and make sure that the job is finished and that the families will be all right. He told the audience that the topics on "Paranormal State" will run the gamut from hauntings to demons to animal sacrifices. Coffey still finds these things frightening, but often more frightening are the things that happen to him after the filming is over. He told the audience a story about waking up at his house after filming an episode about animal sacrifice to hear his four usually docile dogs fighting outside.

Coffey said that he has been precognitive for as long as he can remember, and he credits his great-grandmother, a Native American medicine woman, for this ability. He performed ad-hoc readings for friends and family before embracing it as a full-time career in 2001. His abilities manifest themselves in relatively harmless ways, and he is able to keep them in check in his daily life unless they are needed.

Texas does everything big, and comic-book conventions are no exception. Wizard World Texas will be held at the Arlington Convention Center in Arlington, Texas from November 16-18. Wizard Universe sponsors Wizard World conventions all over the country; this is the fifth year for the Texas edition.

This year's guests include Laura Vandervoort from "Smallville," DC Comics Executive Editor Dan Didio, and Marvel Zombies cover artist Arthur Suydam. Workshops will be held on the philosophy of comics, painting, comic book marketing and production, and the drawing of characters from the Star Wars universe. Don't miss Saturday's "Paranormal State" Q&A with Chip Coffey, chief medium/psychic for the Paranormal Research Society. The convention starts Friday at noon and concludes Sunday at 4pm.

Havre de Grace, Maryland, a gorgeous maritime city located along the banks of the Susquehanna River, near the head of the Chesapeake Bay, will host a weekend of events called "Locals, Legends and Lore" beginning this Friday, November 2nd through the 4th. Events will explore the history and haunts of the city that would have been our nation's capital if it wasn't for one single vote that gave that title to Washington D.C.

Havre de Grace was discovered by John Smith as he sailed up the Susquehanna River in 1608. There he met the Susquehannock Indians whom he described as "the most noble and heroic nation of Indians... stately and majestic." In 1658 a settler named Godfrey Harmer bought 200 acres of land and called it "Harmer's Tract." This land is the same land that is now the historic district of Havre de Grace. In 1782 Marquis de Lafayette wrote during his travels that the town should be called Havre de Grace, "Harbor of Mercy" due to its resemblance to Le Havre, France. Three years later the name was officially adopted. In 1789 the House of Representatives cast its votes for either Havre de Grace and Washington D.C. to serve as our nation's capital. The cities were tied until the speaker made his deciding vote for Washington, D.C.

Our first reader submission comes from Geoffrey Colon of Brooklyn, New York, who attended Univ-Con last weekend.

With various seminars titled "Project Stargate," "Science and the Sensitive" and "Tapping Into Your Sixth Sense," an outsider like me wondered if Univ-Con should be labeled a fantasy convention. Because of my skepticism of the paranormal prior to my arrival I really didn't know what was in store. Was it going to be a bunch of freaks who took everything they thought they heard or saw with no grain of salt? Unlike other conventions I have attended to see what they were all about (UFOs, aliens, etc.) those within the paranormal community were not quick to judge or expect me to take what they presented as ultimate proof. They didn't say, "we have evidence here which is going to convince you of the other side." They didn't get upset if I said, "I don't believe." They were not there to make me believe. And because of this, the evidence presented in some of the seminars was more, not less believable.

At the pinnacle of the convention, I attended the presentation of "Paranormal State," a new show produced and presented by television network A&E. This real life series made a lot of sense to be debuted at Univ-Con. The show features cast members made up from the Paranormal Research Society, a group consisting of present students and graduates from PSU. This show took everything that was presented to me in the various workshops and packaged it into a half-hour weekly show for television. The episode drew cheers and a standing ovation at its conclusion. It even made me think, if I can be presented interesting findings from the paranormal and question the existence of paranormal activity after being a pronounced skeptic, what will this TV show do to alter the conscience of millions of viewers who can tune into the show and its ghostly findings on a weekly basis? That answer is still an unknown.

photo: Geoffrey with "Paranormal State" cast member Heather

Savannah is said to be one of the most haunted cities in the country, and there's no better time to explore it than during GhoStock this weekend. Hosted by paranormal investigator and TV personality Patrick Burns, the festival is in its fifth year of frightening and fascinating people with ghost stories and hunts.

The schedule this year includes panels providing tips for potential paranormal investigators — EVPs, working with psychics, etc. — as well as presentations on parapsychology and poltergeists by Dr. William Roll, case studies of hauntings with Doris "Dusty" Smith, Tiffany Johnson and Dave Schrader, and several video and film presentations — including a sneak preview of "Paranormal State." There will also be tours of notable Savannah haunts and plenty of opportunities to celebrate the Halloween season with fellow paranormal seekers. The fun gets started today, Oct. 25, and runs through Sunday.

Read Part 1 here.
On Saturday at UNIV-CON, audience members were given a special sneak peek of the upcoming A&E television show "Paranormal State," becoming the first audience in the country to seen an entire episode of the show. Cast members answered questions from the audience afterward where Buell jokingly remarked that "I seem much more serious on TV."

Following A&E's "Paranormal State" presentation, Dave Schrader of Darkness Radio hosted "The Darkness Debate," which featured a number of well-known paranormal experts. Panel members included psychic Chip Coffey, Professor Lloyd Auerbach, Chris Flemming of "Dead Famous," demonologist Keith Johnson, author Michelle Belanger, psychic and hypnotherapist Tiffany of ReadingsbyTiffany.com, and "Ghost Hunters" Grant Wilson and Jason Hawes. Several times the debates between experts became intense, covering such topics as competition within the paranormal field, the pros and cons of charging for investigations and the dangers of exposing demonology via paranormal television shows. Coffey remarked that "you don't pick up a book and become a demonologist." According to Coffey, there are only two or three real demonologists in the world. Concerning competition within the field, which proved a heated topic among panel members, Wilson joked that "There are enough ghosts in the world for everybody."

Every year, the Penn State Paranormal Research Society strives to impress and thrill attendees with four days and nights of presentations by paranormal celebrities, informative and instructional workshops and entertainment at the national paranormal conference, UNIV-CON. The overall atmosphere was electric with excitement for distinguished guests that included Doug Bradley, famous for his role as Pinhead in Clive Barker's Hellraiser; paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren; exorcist Father James Lebar; the cast of A&E's upcoming "Paranormal State" and The Atlantic Paranormal Society's "Ghost Hunters" Grant Wilson and Jason Hawes.

Thursday's main event was "An Evening with Death," performed by actor Doug Bradley. The Dark Prince of Pain thrilled audience members with a 75-minute collection of death-themed one act plays and famous and not-so-famous death-oriented quotes and statements. Bradley started off the performance with a chilling scene from Hellraiser. After removing a black handkerchief from around a familiar gold, gleaming puzzle box, a hushed gasp of delight rose from the audience. "Avoiding death is of course, impossible," Bradley said, "From the moment we are born we are dying." Later Bradley explained that "Death has always been something that fascinated me since I was a kid." Bradley disclosed that he was fairly certain that he would not be in an upcoming remake of Hellraiser.

UNIV-CON: the national paranormal conference — this event really does get bigger and better every year. What began as a small event six years ago has grown to become one of the leading paranormal conferences in the country. Hosted by Penn State University and the Paranormal Research Society, this year's lectures and events are expected to attract over a thousand attendants. With its educational setting, unique lecture set-up and great variety of paranormal celebrities, UNIV-CON truly sets the precedent for paranormal conferences. The conference spans a period of four days: Oct. 18 through Oct. 21.

If your favorite movies have aliens, blood, UFOs and zombies in them, the third annual International Horror & Sci-Fi Film Festival is for you. From October 19-21, science fiction and horror fans will descend upon the Harkins Centerpoint Theatre in Tempe, Arizona for a weekend of films both new and classic.

This year's special guests include Ken Foree from the original Dawn of the Dead and Exorcist star Linda Blair. There will be special screenings of The Warriors, The Hidden and Terminator, in addition to screenings of competition features and short films.

The focus is horror past and present at ScreamFest, the annual festival celebrating the best in shock, schlock and gore. This year's event, held October 12-21 at Grauman's Chinese Theater in LA, sets out to "discover the new blood of horror and honor the masters."

This year's lineup includes some major events, like the 25th anniversary screening and reunion for Friday the 13th, Part 3. The festival will also include some anticipated premieres, like 30 Days of Night, Robert Rodriguez's director's cut of Planet Terror, and other new entries into the cinematic world of horror from creators around the world, all vying to be the next big thing.

From Oct. 10th to the 14th, Erie, Pennsylvania shape-shifts into Eerie when thousands arrive to partake in the annual Eerie Horror Film Festival, a showcase event for independent filmmakers, screenwriters and video game developers.

Adrienne Barbeau stars in the kick-off party October 10, and legendary horror punk band The Misfits entertain at the after-hours party October 11. Fans can feast on screenings of 48 horror, scifi and suspense films, including the world premiere of Horror's Hallowed Grounds: Episode 2: Texas Chainsaw Massacre on October 11.

Horror fans are stalking their way to Chicago's Northwest Side for three days of chainsaws, blood, zombies, guns, gore and more at the Chicago Horror Film Festival this weekend, October 5-7, at the Portage Theater.

With more than 20 features, 10 short films and even a "Family Fright" film series safe for the little ones, CHFF is one of the most diverse and rewarding festivals of its kind. And scariest, of course. Add in Q&As with filmmakers and actors, demos by effects wizard Doug Goins on "How to do Gorifying Effects on a Budget," awards ceremonies, a packed horror vendor room and live musical acts on Friday and Saturday nights, you've got an fright-filled weekend sure to scare the daylights out of you.

This will also be the Midwest's first opportunity to glimpse "Paranormal State" — a 10-minute teaser of the show will air on the last day of the show. This event is in my backyard, and I can't wait to see the preview.

Grab your popcorn and your best monster-hunting kit and prepare to descend upon the Big Apple for a weekend of horror flicks. The New York City Horror Film Festival, October 24th-28th this year, will be held at New York University's Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Film Center in Greenwich Village. The Cantor Film Center is a new addition to the film festival's venue and speaks eloquently of how this yearly event has grown. The film festival features genre legend guests as well as spine-tingling films from up-and-coming new directors. In addition, the festival yearly bestows lifetime achievement awards on the biggest and best names in the genre.

Past awards have been given to effects make-up legend Tom Savini (pictured left), "Dawn of the Dead" director George A. Romero, and director/producer Roger Corman. According to Corman, the festival is a must-see. He says, "This is a festival unlike any other. It is a brilliant combination: horror wrapped up in the heart of New York City. This is the festival for horror fans to go to!"

[photo courtesy of Wolfman Productions]

If you're a fan of horror/thriller/scifi/fantasy films, you can feast on the cream of the indy crop at the seventh annual Shriekfest Film Festival October 4-7 in Los Angeles.

Among the must-sees are Christopher Marquette in a special sneak preview of The Day the Dead Weren't Dead, Judd Nelson and Robert Wagner in Netherbeast Incorporated, Kevin Sorbo in Something Beneath, and David Morse and John C. McGinley in A.W.O.L.

The festival features 44 features and short films and 32 screenplays. Awards will be given in 15 categories, including one for best filmmaker under the age of 18. Finalists are announced on shriekfest.com.

All screenings will be in the fabulous Chaplin Theatre at Raleigh Studios, 5300 Melrose Ave. in Hollywood. After checking out the films, fans can rock on at parties. Check out the Shriekfest website for ticket, schedule and party information. Tickets, at $8 per film, go on sale until September 29.

The festival is directed by Denise Gossett and Todd Beeson. "Paranormal State," a new series debuting in December on A&E, is a sponsor.

Every year since the 2002 release of the movie The Mothman Prophecies, loosely based on John Keel's 1975 book, the town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia hosts The Mothman Festival, in honor of the area's creepy past.

Here's the story: Over a hundred sightings occurred from November of 1966 until December of 1967 in Point Pleasant and surrounding areas. These sightings often included encounters with a large winged creature and/or UFOs, while others claimed to have had encounters with men in black. Descriptions of the Mothman commonly included these details:
• 7 feet tall or more
• winged beast/bird/humanoid
• intense red eyes
• silent but quick flight pattern
• hypnotic abilities