What Are You Afraid Of? Horror & Paranormal Podcast

EPISOE 121: TORMENTED SPIRITS & AUTHORS Writers are a tormented lot. We should know. We’re both authors. On Episode 121 of What Are You Afraid Of? we talk to some tormented spirits and authors. Edgar Allan Poe, tormented writer and poet, haunts the state of Maryland—the place of his birth and death. Shortly after his strange passing—the circumstances have never been entirely explained—fans began seeing his mournful spirit manifesting in his family’s home, at his favorite local tavern and especially in the catacombs where his body was entombed and moved twice. T. Fox Dunham shares the true ghost story that accounts the many visitations of his spirit and strange customs that have become associated with the tragic author including ‘The Toaster!” For the last sixty years, a phantom figure has been seen at his grave toasting Poe with his favorite cognac. Some think this spirit is Poe come back to mourn for himself and the women he loved. Then Fox interviews Crystal Lake Publishing author, Mark Allan Gunnells—

  EPISODE 120: THE DEAD STILL PARTY IN NEW ORLEANS T. Fox Dunham returns from New Orleans with new ghost stories and interviews! New Orleans is the ghost city of the south, a city rich with culture and characters. In addition to the delicious cuisine, history, culture and architecture, the Big Easy is also one of the most haunted places in the world. Over the next several episodes, author T. Fox Dunham will be sharing stories of the living and the dead encountered on his trip—stories of voodoo, torture, lost souls, haunted musicians and mystical monsters. T. Fox Dunham and Phil Thomas begin episode 120 talking about the trip, then Fox shares a story about the oldest cemetery in New Orleans, St. Louis Cemetery One, known for its iconic tombs. Because the city was built on land below sea level, they can’t bury their dead, so they’ve built cities of mausoleums, necropolises where spirits still roam, drawn out by the music of the French Quarter. Then he tells Phil all about the various monsters that terrorize th

EPISODE 119: GHOSTS OF VIETNAM   Doing the show, authors T. Fox Dunham & Phil Thomas have had the honor and pleasure of speaking to artists from around the world. On episode 119, T. Fox Dunham interviews crime/horror author Elka Ray, resident of Hoi An, Vietnam. Elka comes on the show to talk about her career, share an excerpt from the new crime anthology, A Time for Violence, and tell us about Vietnamese cultural views on the supernatural. Vietnam is mostly a Buddhist country that practices ancestor worship. Elka tells us about the creation of hungry ghosts: angry spirits that are created when a body goes missing or is damaged. And she tells a number of ghost stories from the region including the story of a haunted house in Ho Chi Minh City that required a cleansing after the presence of gaggle of Buddhists awoke a hungry ghost. David Walton narrates a ghost story about a cursed tombstone and an excerpt from Elka’s story, One Hit Wonder. Episode 119 is a fascinating look into the culture of Vietnam and

  EPISODE 118 THE MONSTERS OF SUMMER Horror authors T. Fox Dunham & Phil Thomas are the monsters of summer. On episode 118 of What Are You Afraid Of? Horror & Paranormal Show, the hosts start with a ghost story, playing part one of the Ghosts of Spring Avenue, researched and written by Mister Ghosts of Gettysburg, Mark Nesbitt, from his 8th collection of haunted Gettysburg tales. For years, families have witnessed floating spirits, vanishing figures and phantom lights in the homes and apartments on this old road. English folksinger David Walton narrates the first part of this eerie supernatural story. Then Phil and Fox discuss common themes in horror movies and share another round of clown news! A birthday boy dresses like a clown and lures children with promises of candy. Also, Fox reports on a rash of EVPs broadcasted over Amazon Echoes. Is your Echo malfunctioning or taking requests from the dead? The hosts play another song from The Zombie Dandies, and David Walton narrates Fox’s flash story of a

EPISODE 117 THE GHOST OF EMILY   The guests and staff of the Flanders Hotel located along the beach in Ocean City, New Jersey speak of the ghost of a young woman called Emily wearing a white dress who plays with doorknobs, unscrews light bulbs and runs around corners just on the edge of sight. This spirited young woman dances at weddings or sings in front of the piano while below the ghosts of mob victims scream out in the catacombs. On Episode 117 of What Are You Afraid Of? Horror & Paranormal Show, horror author T. Fox Dunham shares the story of the haunted Flanders Hotel as part of his ghost stories from the beach. He and author Phil Thomas talk about the ghosts of the Jersey shore and share the history of Beltane, discussing the many old traditions to welcome spring. Oh, and more clown news! The clowns have returned, and they’ve gone criminal! To finish the show, English folksinger David Walton narrates part two of the The Seventh Man, a story of paranoia and isolation in the arctic, by Arthur Quille

EPISODE 116 SPRING SPIRITS Spring is a season of resurrection, a season of spirits. On episode 116 of What Are You Afraid Of? authors T. Fox Dunham & Phil Thomas share ghost stories, strange tales and the history of the ancient holiday of Easter—previously known as Ostara. They begin with a creepy true ghost story submitted by a show fan in Florida. The Shadow Figure tells the story of the demonic oppression of a family after they move into a new house. English folksinger David Walton narrates this tale of turning crucifixes and shadow figures. Then Fox & Phil share the history of Easter. The holiday goes all the way back to the ancient Egyptians who colored eggs to celebrate the sun’s blessing. Fox has new clown news! And he tells some more ghost stories from the Jersey Shore about another ghost ship. “Water! Please! Just one sip.” David Walton finishes the show by reading part one of a story by the author Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch: the tale of desperate men in the north called The Seventh Ma

EPISODE 115 CURSE OF THE BLACKTHORN Author T. Fox Dunham interviews Australia’s noir and horror writer, Isobel Blackthorn. Isobel Blackthorn is a prolific novelist of original fiction across a range of genres, including dark psychological thrillers, gripping mystery novels, captivating travel fiction and hilarious dark satire. Isobel holds a PhD in Western Esotericism for her groundbreaking study of the texts of Theosophist Alice A. Bailey. Originally a Londoner, Isobel currently lives near Melbourne, Australia. Isobel answers questions about her writing, the state of women authors in the industry, her thoughts on crafting and shares some insights for new authors. In addition to her interview, she sent the show a haunting tale of an aggressive entity that haunted her in the Cockatoo house, narrated by David Walton. Fox also plays an excerpt from her noir fiction, Lacquer, which is featured in the anthology A Time For Violence, available on May 1st from Close to the Bone. It is an anthology of noir and horror

  EPISODE 114: GHOST YARNS OF THE SEA Since humans first took to the seas, stories of ghost ships haunting the waves have been told to pass the time on long voyages. Horror authors T. Fox Dunham & Phil Thomas return on episode 114 of What Are You Afraid Of? Horror & Paranormal Show to share some of these maritime tales. English folksinger David Walton narrates a story researched and written by T. Fox Dunham about an old American cruiser docked in Philadelphia. The ghosts of dead sailors still crew the USS Olympia, grabbing visitors, manifesting in the engine room and declaring their duty to go down with the ship. These spirits continue to haunt visitors and staff from Philadelphia's Independence Seaport Museum in Penn’s Landing where the ship can be visited. They play some music from bands Handmade Moments & Rue De Prague. And Phil talks about the Ghost Detective, Mike Worden: a paranormal investigator and detective who gathers evidence of ghosts in the Hudson Valley, New York. The hosts finish t

EPISODE 113: FOLK DEVILS & MORAL PANIC   On episode 113 of What Are You Afraid Of? Horror & Paranormal Show, authors T. Fox Dunham & Phil Thomas discuss an old concept in folk culture called moral panic. The most recent manifestation is the Momo Challenge. Momo is a horrific bird statue that first appeared in Japan, and according to the new urban legend, she assaults children and advises them to commit acts of self-harm. Momo is the most recent folk devil—the central antagonist causing moral panic—but the phenomenon goes back to the Salem Witch Trials, even further. In particular, Fox and Phil have kept their audience updated on evil clown sightings, and they discuss other relevant trends such as the satanic panic of the 1980s, the spurious demonic nature of Dungeons & Dragons and other events in hysterical society. Fox also plays the last part in his paranormal trilogy about Philadelphia’s most notorious haunted house, The Baleroy Mansion. The final chapter tells of dark heart of the house:

    Episode 112: Philadelphia Noir Author T. Fox Dunham interviews Philadelphia noir author Tony Knighton on episode 112. Tony talks about his writing, his influences, life as a firefighter and Philadelphia as a rich setting for noir fiction. Fox plays a ghost story about a mafia boss swearing from the afterlife, and David Walton narrates Tony’s story, Boys’ Club from the new noir anthology, A Time For Violence out on May 1st. Preorder your copy now from Close to the Bone, featuring stories from the best crime and noir authors writing in 2019.

  EPISODE 111: PARAPSYCHOLOGY Paranormal investigator, writer and journalist Don Allison chats with horror author T. Fox Dunham about myriad techniques and devices used in the pursuit of parapsychology. Don investigated the battlefields of haunted Gettysburg with dowsing rods and a ghost box, and he shares his insights about these ancient and modern devices. Don also tells new ghost stories from one of the spookiest battlefields from the American Civil War. He is the author of I Met More Ghosts in Gettysburg, and English folksinger David Walton narrates another of his stories, a tale about how he contacted the spirits from different states who fought and died at Gettysburg. And to set an eerie mood, Fox plays some indie songs from singers McCafferty and Tasseomancy, and they finish the show talking about alien life in the universe and the meaning of everything.    

EPISODE 110: HE MET MORE GHOSTS IN GETTYSBURG Journalist, civil war historian and ghosthunter Don Allison returns to What Are You Afraid Of? to talk about his new book, I Met More Ghosts in Gettysburg. Mr. Allison shares his many paranormal experiences while exploring the ghost capital of the United States, Gettysburg. English folksinger David Walton narrates a creepy ghost story from the book, In My Mind’s Eyes and a new story from Don about connecting to an old friend that passed on: Jack Bryce, Old Friend. Gettysburg is a beautiful city rich with American history, folklore and ghost stories. DON ALLISON: Don Allison, a veteran journalist and author, is a lifelong resident of Williams County, Ohio, where he shares a historic home with his wife, Diane. He has received numerous Associated Press and United Press International awards for his news, feature and column writing and special section design. Don’s weekly column “On My Mind” is a Bryan Times fixture. Drawing on knowledge gained from a lifetime of stud

EPISODE 109: KATRINA WEIDMAN Katrina Weidman, co-host of Destination America’s Paranormal Lockdown, returns to hang out with horror author T. Fox Dunham on episode 109 of What Are You Afraid Of? Horror & Paranormal Show. Katrina is a good friend to the show, and she returns to talk about season 3 of Paranormal Lockdown. Kat shares insights about her investigations and tells the creepy tale of several paranormal encounters she had while filming at some of England’s most haunted sites including the Beattie Mansion, Shepton Mallet Prison, Cambria Jail and the Drakelow tunnels. Included in her stories is the tale of phantom knocking, shadow figures, a frightening spirit she calls “The Creeper” and the story of a condemned woman named Cassandra who was terrified of death. The season finale of Paranormal Lockdown airs this Tuesday, February 5th on Destination America. Also, because it’s Fox’s birthday on Saturday Feb 2nd, he reads an excerpt from his novel, Destroying the Tangible Illusion of Reality or Search

EPISODE 108: PARANORMAL & PULP FICTION On What Are You Afraid Of? Horror & Paranormal Show, we explore the darkness, whether it’s true ghost stories, horror fiction, interviews with some strange characters or even some noir mixed in to our collections of narrated stories. Authors T. Fox Dunham & Phil Thomas welcome Fox’s old friend, Mark Slade, onto episode 108: Paranormal & Pulp Fiction. Mark has been writing for many years and is published across a wide spectrum of magazines and anthologies. He will be featured in the upcoming noir anthology, A Time For Violence, with other authors such as T. Fox Dunham, Joe R. Lansdale, Anthony Russo and many other noir and horror authors in early 2019. We play a gritty and wild excerpt from Mark’s story, Mean Business, read by voice actor, Joe Stofko. The trio discusses writing, getting published and the haunted capital of the United States, Gettysburg! Ghosts of Gettysburg historian, Mark Nesbitt, contributes two ghost stories to the show. In Surprise Re

EPISODE 107 BEST HAUNTS OF 2018 Tonight’s episode features the best ghost stories and interviews done by horror authors T. Fox Dunham & Phil Thomas in 2018. This is a great episode for current fans to enjoy or new fans to get an idea of what this dark audio magazine is about. On this show of highlights, the Philadelphia horror hosts feature ghost stories like I Met a Ghost in Gettysburg from journalist and author, Don Allison; The Suicide House, told by paranormal investigator Tina Marie Ronan; and T. Fox Dunham’s personal tale of an encounter with a ghost bus that hunts for the lost in Philadelphia. Chris Roy pens a remarkable noir story set in the south, Marsh Madness, narrated by British folksinger, David Walton. Fox interviews horror-baker Andrew Fuller, who was on Food Network’s Halloween Baking Championship, and psychic Michael Bodine, who discusses his supernatural abilities and his encounter with real vampires. Then Fox & Phil close the show with paranormal investigator Bill Reap who shares a

    EPISODE 106: THE HAUNTING OF 2019 Horror authors T. Fox Dunham & Phil Thomas are going to haunt the hell out of 2019. It’s their first show of the New Year, and they’re sharing new stories, interviews, fiction, music and witty bitter about all things dark and macabre such as the ghost story, The Baleroy Mansion. Based on research and written by T. Fox Dunham, David Walton narrates another part of this ghost story series. This time, he tells the story of the dead boy that haunts this mansion in the Chestnut Hill area of Philadelphia. Fox interviews crime-horror author & journalist Andy Rausch, discussing a new anthology that features short stories from the best authors in noir writing today, including work from Fox and Andy. A Time for Violence comes out in winter 2019. Andy also shares his experience as a successful author and offers advice to new writers entering the industry. Phil and Fox discuss new horror books, the science of the afterlife and CLOWN NEWS! And they’re just getting warming up

    EPISODE 105: CHRISTMAS HAS A DARKSIDE WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? HORROR & PARANORMAL SHOW   Christmas has a dark side. During the holidays in the days before television, people gathered to share food, drink, and a glowing fire, and to entertain themselves by competing through storytelling. Ghost stories won the night. Consider this. When winter came, food ran low, the cold threatened and disease killed many, often taking your loved ones. You missed them at Christmas, so the holidays used to be a mournful time. Eerie tales were popular, and if Halloween was the start of ghost story season then it peaked at Christmas. So what a perfect time for a new episode of What Are You Afraid Of? To celebrate mid-winter, horror authors T. Fox Dunham & Phil Thomas celebrate tales of monsters and the supernatural. Fox has researched several Philadelphia haunted houses and has written an account of a notoriously spooky mansion in Chestnut Hill: The Baleroy Mansion. English folksinger David Walton narrates part one

    EPISODE 104: HOLIDAY HORROR & NOIR What Are You Afraid Of? Horror & Paranormal Show with horror authorsT. Fox Dunham and Phil Thomas. The mid-winter season has a tradition of scary stories and legends, and we’re back to share them! Fox isn’t dead! And he’s not a zombie, we swear. After a forced break while Fox dealt with pneumonia, What Are You Afraid Of? Horror & Paranormal Show returns with a holiday-themed episode, featuring ghost stories, silly tunes and noir fiction. Horror authors T. Fox Dunham & Phil Thomas catch up then discuss the dark legends and customs that evolved in Europe during the mid-winter holidays—and these are some horrible and twisted Christmas stories told to children. Don’t be naughty or else! Cannibals. Giant cats. And trolls just to name a few Yule ghouls. Fox narrates a true ghost story about the classic haunting of an old apartment building. Horror author Todd Keisling, author of The Smile Factory, shares his paranormal experiences at 146 West High Street. W

EPISODE 103 POE'S REVENGE   Winter is upon us. We jumped autumn and went right to blizzard! Nasty time to drive but great time to listen to some spooky stories while you’re stuck in the house with some hot apple cider. Horror authors T. Fox Dunham & Phil Thomas continue their quest to explore the darkness. After chatting for a bit, T. Fox Dunham shares a true ghost story about a haunted library in Easton, Pennsylvania. This library has several floors for books and a crypt for the dead. The Haunted Library was researched and written by Mark Nesbitt: Mr. Ghosts of Gettysburg himself. Then Fox shares news about a British spiritual counselor who after dating ghosts for the last twenty years has finally settled on one lucky Australian spirit to marry. How does ‘Till Death Do Us Part’ work when you’re marrying someone dead? And Fox is pleased to interview female horror author and member of the Horror Writers Association, Amy Grech! She is a burning talent full of life and energy, and she talks about her wor

    EPISODE 102: FLUFFY & PETE  SURVIVE THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE   Zombies. Zombies. And more zombies. Oh, and a ghost story! Horror author T. Fox Dunham rises from the dead after Halloween 2018 killed him with episode 102: Fluffy and Pete Survive the Zombie Apocalypse. This is a special encore show of What Are You Afraid Of’s new zombie comedy, Fluffy & Pete, written by T. Fox Dunham & Michael Martin Garrett. Fluffy & Pete are two lovable idiots who have survived the end of the world together. Now, can they survive each other? Pete’s a simple happy-go-lucky guy who misses Halloween. Fluffy takes some time from planning his social revolution and world domination to make his friend happy. Of course, it all goes wrong . . . zombie-wrong! But in the end, they have each other. Buddies until and after the end. Listen to the first episode of their wacky adventures in the world of the living dead. British folksinger David Walton provides the voice of the supreme being living in their basement. Also, a