Meet Robert Pruneda: This Week's Treasured & Tipsy Timeslip Traveller
Travel and make-believe go hand in hand. Whether we're in the present or the past, in a haunted castle, an enchanted forest or a broken down building, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and traveling the world can bring the imagination to life.
Please join this week's guest, horror author, Robert Pruneda, as he takes us on a spooky journey into the haunted places of the United States. #Amityville #TheStanleyHotel #TheQueenMary #MuseumofDeath #ClintonRoad #Alcatraz Island #Travel #AuthorInterview #TreasuredTipsyTimeslip #RachaelStapleton #RobertPruneda #Horror
Please join this week's guest, horror author, Robert Pruneda, as he takes us on a spooky journey into the haunted places of the United States. #Amityville #TheStanleyHotel #TheQueenMary #MuseumofDeath #ClintonRoad #Alcatraz Island #Travel #AuthorInterview #TreasuredTipsyTimeslip #RachaelStapleton #RobertPruneda #Horror
As a horror author, it’s only natural for me to want to
visit locations that are considered haunted or just downright creepy. Since I
grew up in Austin and still live in Texas, I’ll stick to locations throughout
the United States that I’ve never visited. So hop in the car with me while we
travel across the country for a spooky adventure.
The
Stanley Hotel – Estes Park, Colorado
Stephen King is one of my favorite authors, so it only makes
sense to visit the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, which was the
inspiration for Stephen King’s novel The
Shining. He used the Stanley as his model for the Overlook Hotel after he and
his wife Tabitha stayed in Room 217 (the haunted room in the novel) while they
were vacationing in Colorado on October 30, 1974. How fitting, right? They were
also the only overnight guests before the hotel shut down for the winter. Many
people believe it is haunted, and of course, we can go on a ghost tour while
we’re there. When I eventually make a visit to the Stanley Hotel, I’ll be sure
to stay in Room 217.
The
Queen Mary Hotel – Long Beach, California
Another hotel I would love to visit is the Queen Mary in
Long Beach, California. I first discovered this location while watching a
special “Haunted Locations” special on the Travel Channel. I think movies like Ghost Ship (2002) and Triangle (2009) triggered this desire for me to stay on the Queen Mary
without actually going on a haunted cruise. I’ve never been to Los Angeles
either, so when I eventually make my way there, I plan to stay at the Queen
Mary Hotel in Long Beach. Honestly, I would travel to California just to go on
the various paranormal tours available and learn more about this fabled haunted
ship.
Museum
of Death – Los Angeles, California
If a horror author is going to stay on a haunted ship so
close to Los Angeles, it would be a crime not to visit the Museum of Death. That
place is probably one of the creepiest locations on earth, which is exactly why
I want to visit it. From what I’ve read it even has a real guillotined head on
display and various torture devices. Not to mention actual crime photos of the Charles
Manson murders. I know it’s a bit morbid to want to visit a place like this,
but hey, it might give me some inspiration for a future novel. J
Alcatraz
Island – San Francisco Bay, California
While I’m visiting California, I would make a trip down the
coastline to visit “The Rock” in San Francisco. Aside from the obvious
historical reasons, people also visit Alcatraz Island because of strange
occurrences that visitors and park rangers have reported, including the faint
banjo twangs of the infamous gangster Al Capone. The National Park Service
manages all tours to Alcatraz Island, so there aren’t any official ghost tours,
but they do give night tours. That seems like the perfect way to explore such a
historical sight, while also getting in a bit of that creepy factor. Who knows?
Maybe Al Capone will even play a few tunes for me on his banjo while I’m there.
Amityville
House – Amityville, New York
The house located at 112 Ocean Avenue in Amityville, New
York is the most haunted place in America according to many experts in the
paranormal field. Made famous for Jay Anson’s The Amityville Horror: A True Story and subsequent series of movies,
the Amityville house has quite a fascinating history. I recommend reading up on
it if you don’t know the actual story behind the original movie. Hollywood
embellished what actually happened, of course, but the The Amitvyille Horror is based on a true story. Personally, I would
never live in that house, but I sure would love to visit it and chat with the
current owners.
Clinton
Road - West Milford, New Jersey
If I’m taking a road trip across America in search of some hair-raising
destinations, then on my way back home to Texas I’ll travel down the most
haunted road in America . . . Clinton Road in West Milford, New Jersey. I recently
discovered this ten-mile narrow, winding stretch of highway while doing some
research on the Internet. I have to admit, the information I read about this
road gave me a bit of the heebie jeebies. I’ve driven down some spooky roads
before, but none that had so many stories of hauntings, serial killers dumping
bodies, Satanic rituals, phantom trucks, and even a ghost boy who likes to toss
quarters at you. That’s just a few of the things that can potentially give you
goosebumps while traveling at night. You can imagine how your mind could play
tricks on you if you’ve done a bit of reading up on the folklore about Clinton
Road.
Other
Locations
Those were just five eerie locations out of many that I
would love to visit. Others, to name a few, include the Saint Louis Cemetery in
New Orleans, the Trans-Allegeny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia (and other
abandoned asylums), and the St. Augustine Lighthouse in Florida.
Have you been to any of the destinations I mentioned? If so,
I’d love to read about your personal experiences or other haunted locations in
the comments. Also, be sure to enter my Rafflecopter contest for a chance to
win a copy of my supernatural occult horror novel Devil’s Nightmare, published by Forsaken.
Buy
Devil’s Nightmare
<Rafflecopter
Contest>
Devil’s
Nightmare
Devil’s
Nightmare Series
Book
One
Robert
Pruneda
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Forsaken Imprint
Booktrope Publishing
Date of Publication: July 15,
2015
Cover Artist: Laura Hidalgo
Book Description:
Veteran homicide detective Aaron
Sanders thought he’d seen it all, but nothing could have prepared the seasoned
detective for the mutilated remains of a kid’s parents or the equally vicious
deaths of three boys at another crime scene.
As Aaron works to solve the cases
and protect his only witness, an orphaned child, he learns of an ancient curse
that leaves him questioning all he’s ever believed. Now, to save himself and
the child, Aaron must confront his own inner demons, and some he never knew
existed. But if he does, will he make it out alive?
Devil’s Nightmare is an occult
suspense horror novel by Robert Pruneda, who shakes readers with his visually
graphic scenes, supernatural twists, and disturbing settings in this first
installment of the Devil’s Nightmare series.
About
the Author:
Robert “Sharky” Pruneda is a
native Texan, video game “enthusiast” [addict], and fan of all things horror.
He left a career in the newspaper industry in 2011 to pursue the life of a
nocturnal author, brainstorming new and creative ways to creep out his readers.
He doesn’t only write horror though.
He also pens the occasional
family-oriented tale just to keep from going completely nuts with all those
creatures of the night whispering in his ears. When he’s not pulling ideas out
of his twisted brain, you’ll likely find him on social media or fighting
alongside his fellow gaming buddies where they all get shot up into Swiss
cheese (or turned into little bite-sized chunks because of “Sharky’s” obsession
with explosives). Medic!
Pursue your dreams . . . and
never look back.
Newsletter sign up http://bit.ly/SharkyNewsletter
Tour
giveaway
2 paperback copies US Shipping
2 ebook copies
Grand Prize Pack a signed copy of
Devil’s Nightmare, swag, and $25 gift card
Link to entry form
Image Credits:
Clinton Road - Daniel Case at English Wikipedia (Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.) [LGPL (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
Queen Mary Hotel - Mike Fernwood from Santa Cruz, California, United States (The Queen Mary Uploaded by Altair78) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting me during my blog tour, Rachael. I enjoyed putting together that list of creepy destinations for your readers.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Sharky
vV""Vv