I adopted these two cuties at Sunday's Reptile Expo! They are Great Plains toads, and right now they're sitting in their feeding area within their new tank.
I named them after the demon creatures from the original Ghost Busters (Zuul was one of those demon dog things that possessed Sigourney Weaver's character for a while, and Gozer was the head baddie, who later took the form of the Stay Puffed Marshmallow Man). October adoption, Halloween month, Halloween-themed names it is!
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My husband, Kevin, completed his first marathon yesterday - the Scotiabank Waterfront Marathon! He ran for THS and raised $795 for their doggies, kitties, bunnies, turtles and so on! ;)
I've always been a huge fan of Hallowe'en and everything about it. Ghost stories, tales of haunted houses, monsters, horror movies, candy...really, what's not to like? Kevin and I were even MARRIED on Hallowe'en, way back in 2004, shortly after we finished up a movie called Space Zombies: 13 Months of Brain-Spinning Mayhem! How apropos. As I sit at our iMac, listening to Blue Oyster Cult's Don't Fear the Reaper, followed by the theme to the TV show True Blood, and Warren Zevon's Werewolves of London, I'm reflecting on how much influence Hallowe'en and all things horror have had on me, my writing, my projects. As much influence as animals have had on my life, I think. But I've usually infused a little...or A LOT...of comedy into those projects as well. I thought I'd post about them here and there over the month of October, starting with what I could probably consider my/Triple Take Productions' first foray into horror-comedy fare. It was 1999, and my good friend Rob Downes and I had recently seen The Blair Witch Project that August. And then the Blair Witch parodies sprang up like fungus in all the moist places you don't dare look. And we had a production company, so why wouldn't we gather our creative friends in a room and crank out a short film quick as we could? There was even a contest held in LA seeking comic Witch parody shorts for an ad hoc anthology with the promise of distribution. Though we weren't able to get our version to that contest in time, we got that short onto SCREAM (Corus Entertainment's horror specialty channel at the time) and SPACE (as well as Space's specialty channel known as Drive-In Classics, featuring such classic films as Conqueror Worm, starring Vincent Price, as well as many Roger Corman and Russ Meyer flicks, and many, many more obscure features...Jean Rollin, anyone? Coffin Joe?). It ran as an interstitial for about two years, even though several years had passed since it had been made. It also screened at the then Bloor Cinema, during a monthly festival called Video Vaudeville. That short film is called The Scary Bitch Project, and it stars Kim Croscup, Jeff Hannaford, and Rob Downes. Judy Singh and Greg Davies were our main crew. I directed, because that's what I do and because I am bossy.
There were bit parts for myself, Judy, Greg, several residents of Fergus, and my Mom and Step-Dad as well. We shot it in Fergus, Ontario over the second last weekend of September in 1999. It was a blast. And the shoot at night, in the middle of a small forested area between Fergus and Elora, was actually pretty terrifying from time to time. Okay, more often than not, it was terrifying. Especially when Rob and I had to wander away from the rest of the cast and crew so we could make school bell sounds and so Rob could scream in the distance for the camera. Ten Little Tricksters by Penelope Anne Cole Illustrated by Kevin Collier Published by Guardian Angel Publishing I wanted to make sure I saved this review for closer to the Halloween season, and now, it's here!
Penelope Anne Cole’s Ten Little Tricksters is an adorable rhyming and counting Halloween-themed picture book! Excellent use of rhythm and rhymes that match up uniquely with each group of little tricksters, from ten little ghosties to one little pumpkin. The illustrations by Kevin Collier are a bewitching seasonal treat—including “creaky” skeletons and “screechy” bats. Children will love counting down to Halloween with this delightful tale and parents will not be able to resist reading its catchy verses aloud! Please note: I reviewed a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion/review. Sloth the Lazy Dragon has a SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) Book Blast page that went live today! Please visit the page at: http://www.scbwi.org/bookblast-display/?id=413157 and show your support. :)
Leave a message in the Guest Book and to share this page with anyone you might know who might like a copy, especially as the holiday season draws closer. And those of you who have read or do read the book in the future, please post a review on Amazon, and/or GoodReads, and/or Barnes & Noble. Happy Thanksgiving! Sloth will be eating something healthy and sensible. ;) The novelization of the screenplay I co-wrote (under the name Regan T. M. Pazuzu - this one's definitely not for kids, please note!) with my husband, Kevin Risk, called They Suck is published and available for sale on Lulu.com and soon, Amazon.com! WARNING: Mature content! Not for children! (Coarse language, gore, and comic sexual situations.) SYNOPSIS : A mutated vampire with extraordinary, unnatural thirsts chooses a queen for his new race of Vampires - a tidy, obsessive-compulsive woman named Nicole Ridley who is later found “dying” by her enraptured, animal-loving fiance, Robert Spavor. Sadly, not understanding the nature of the attack on his true love, Robert and his animals struggle in vain to save her. Soon after, the city is terrorized by the wantonly vicious attacks of the newly born vampire Nicole. Her lurid escapades soon attract everyone’s attention, including her ex-lover, who finally realizes the intense gravity of the situation. Robert and his troubled friend, Terry, wage war against these grotesque Vampire Mutations, which culminates in the silliest, most Blood-stained, gory, epic battle ever created! COMING SOON: An "online performance" launch! You are invited to attend an online event on Facebook. Come watch the characters from They Suck interact at the official launch party...and interact WITH THEM! Mwah-hah-hah-hah...Facebook performance and official launch date TBA. Check back for more details and watch for the event page on Facebook! Buy your copy of They Suck HERE!
THREE WISE ANIMALS Category: Wings of Faith Author: Robert G. Seal threewiseanimals.htm Illustrator: Jeff West Hardcover ISBN: 9781616337933 1616337931 Paperback ISBN: 9781616337940 161633794X eBook ISBN: 9781616337957 1616337958 Three unlikely young friends in ancient Judea – Louis the sheep, Joshua the ferret and Mahmoud the bull – embark on a life-changing adventure to Bethlehem. Can they make it in time to deliver their unique gifts to the newborn King, or will Herod’s evil wolf stop them and alter history forever? MIDNIGHT THE KITTEN Category: Animals & Pets Author: Margo Cronbaugh Bean www.margobeanbooks.com Artist: Aumi Kauffman Perry www.aumistudios.com Hardcover ISBN: 9781616337971 1616337974 Paperback ISBN: 9781616338008 1616338008 eBook ISBN: 9781616338015 1616338016 Children on the farm have the experience of a lifetime when they rescue a tiny hungry kitten and discover how cats behave. The children learn about farm life, being responsible, reacting to a need, and the joy of having a pet.. PHILLIP FLIES HOME Category: Wings of Faith Author: Dorris Fortson www.neemavillage.org Illustrator: Edgar Ortiz edgarortizdesign.com Paperback ISBN: 9781616337919 1616337915 eBook ISBN: 9781616337926 1616337923 Phillip, our little honey guide, is the story of a real baby who was abandoned in Arusha, Tanzania and rescued by Neema House. The baby, Phillip, was named for Phillip Wood who was the only American on Malaysian flight 370 that went down in the Indian Ocean on March 23, 2014. Phillip's story is a happy honey guide bird, leading a honey badger to a honey tree and loses his way home. MOM THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS Category: Littlest Angels Author: Susan J Berger https://www.amazon.com/Susan-J.-Berger/e/B002O8R0SG Illustrator: KC Snider www.kcsniderart.com Paperback ISBN: 9781616337988 1616337982 eBook ISBN: 9781616337995 1616337990 Lucas’ friends say there is no Santa Claus. When he wants to know if Santa is real, Mom invites him into the circle of those who keep the dream alive. Will Lucas decide to be a Dream Keeper? |
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