Harry Potty and the Deathly Boring!

Following the wild success (and horrified parental reviews) of Diary of a Stinky Dead Kid, I’m working with wacky artist extraordinaire Rick Parker on an all new series that slices and dices today’s cultural icons in a feisty hoot-inducing, knee-slapping manner reminiscent of the classic 1950s Mad!

First up on the carving board is Harry Potty and the Deathly Boring, on sale now at real and unreal bookstores everywhere!  Plunge into the incredibly funny excerpt and be sure to come to the NYC Comic Convention next month to meet myself and Rick.

Also at the con, on Sunday October 10, from 1:30-3, I’ll be at the Grand Central Publishing booth signing copies of Blood Prophecy.  Video and song to be released shortly!

In fact, my whole dang family will be present, with Sarah Kinney on hand to sign Nancy Drew Vampire Slayer, Maia Kinney-Petrucha signing the upcoming Wickeder and Margo Kinney-Petrucha signing the upcoming sequel to Stinky Dead Kid, Dead Dog Dies all at the Papercutz Booth.

Paranormal State:  My Journey into the Unknown continues to top sundry charts with excerpts available here and here.  Ryan’s also done an excellent interview on the book and his personal life at AfterElton.  Several great reviews are visible at Amazon – while preaching to the choir is always fun, I’m particularly pleased by those who are pleasantly surprised by the book.  Check it out!  I’ll be joining Ryan in PA this weekend for a book party and signing at the local Barnes & Noble.

In other news, the first book in the new Nancy Drew series  has earned a rave review from Ray Tate at Comics Bulletin, and Simone Cavazzuti did a nice interview with me on my Egmont years.  It’s posted as a PDF which you can access here.

I’d earlier announced that my first appearance on Paranormal State would be October 17, but it looks like they’ll be showing another, equally exciting, episode for starters.  I’ll let you know when I do.  Pax!

Paranormal State Book On Sale Now!

At long last, Paranormal State:  My Journey Into the Unknown, an in-depth look at the trials, tribulations and successes of investigator Ryan Buell, founder of the Paranormal Research Society, has hit web-stores and retail outlets everywhere.  Pre-orders alone have put the book at #1 on two best-of lists at Amazon.

As for your humble co-author, it was amazing to work on and, though I seldom use the word, a blessing to meet and get to know Mr. Buell.  Each episode of the show generates over 48 hours of footage, which are then culled into a tight and dramatic twenty-two minutes.  The book not only reveals much about those other 47 plus hours, it also delves into the origins of the group and Ryan’s personal history.

Earlier this week, news of Ryan’s decision to come out in the book regarding his bisexuality was released by Entertainment Weekly.  Though he’s generally a very private person, in this instance, he felt it important to share his experiences in the hope it might help others.  Many kudos to Ryan.

I was a bit disappointed that the short EW piece didn’t make further mention of the context.  Far from being a tell-all, the issue comes up very directly as the result of an early, very extreme set of cases.  These left Ryan at a cross-roads with some very difficult decisions that ultimately led to the creation of the show. 

Suffice it to say, I look forward to hearing what people think now that the book is out and about.

Paranormal State begins it’s fifth season Sunday, October 17 at 9 PM on A&E.  If I understand correctly, the first episode airing will feature a case in which I join the investigation of a very active haunting.  For my first appearance on television, I get to say the word “Pukwudgies.”  Excitement ensues.

I’ve done three cases with the gang so far, and hope to be doing more.  More on that later, but for now, go buy the book! 

Pax.

Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review!

The esteemed Publisher’s Weekly has given my upcoming vampire novel, Blood Prophecy, a starred review.  Orders at Amazon have already gone up since it appeared.

It reads in part, “YA thriller author Petrucha (Split) combines the paranormal with the historical for this unique, page-turning adventure”  And later:  “Over 150 years, [Jeremiah Fall] travels to the shores of Egypt, the rocky coast of Brittany, and the gates of Eden itself in a quest for understanding and redemption that will thrill fans of biblical horror and historical detail.”

So, a page-turner that thrills.  It’s not only a great review, it’s a nice, cagey description of the book.

Not only that, a terrific blurb from Paranormal State star Ryan Buell will be appearing on the cover:  “"A must read... a classy, fun spin on the vampire tale."

Blood Prophecy goes on sale October 26.  I am totally psyched.

Pax.

Last Exorcist & SDK Review

Recently back from Oregon, where I was shooting my third episode with the folks at Paranormal State.  It’s a trip and a half to be involved with the paranormal from the non-fiction side of things, not to mention the places I get to visit and the people I’ve met.  Better still when my research skills actually prove useful on the case at hand.

Details closer to the season premiere, but this time out, once the case was over, I was pleased to accompany Ryan, Serg, Mike and Coalin to a showing of The Last Exorcism. 

I’m a fan of The Exorcist, more so the book than the film, also loved The Blair Witch, and this was an intelligent combination.  It was a smart, smart script with a great setup and great acting.  Ashley Bell’s Nell totally rocks -- a shame if this demon girl doesn’t earn a place in the horror film canon.  Likewise Patrick Fabian as Cotton Marcus, a preacher who finds his faith very late in the game, turns in a believable performance that does justice to the cagey script.  There is much to admire here, and I don’t often admire much.

Sadly, as I’m sure other reviews have pointed out, what could have been a great film utterly dive bombs in the last five minutes, going from an A/A+ to a C.  Audience members actually stood and said, “What?!” as the film ended.

Though annoying, I readily forgive the typical handheld-horror problems (specifically a:  why haven’t you called the police yet and b:  why haven’t you dropped the camera yet) but a sudden shift in plot, with little foreshadowing, felt more like an abandonment of the theme of faith the film had carefully developed rather than a fulfillment.  Anyway, worth seeing, but deeply, deeply, flawed.

In other news, I’d be remiss not to mention the great write-up Stinky Dead Kid just got over at The Comics Journal, which reads in part, “Petrucha’s “diary” is, er, a dead-on tonal echo of Jeff Kinney’s wimpy prose…”

That’s it for now.  Pax.