#BadMoonRising The BEK Curse by Jonathan Pongratz #horror #paranormal #shortread

On By Teri PolenIn Bad Moon Rising

I read an early draft of this author’s book, and until then I’d never heard of the urban legend of black-eyed kids. After I finished this unsettling story, you can bet there’s no way I’d let these creatures in my house. If they came knocking at my door, we’d be pulling up stakes and packing up the wagon. His work in process has me all kinds of excited (haunted ruins, something dark and malicious – woohoo!). Welcome Jonathan Pongratz!

Which Stephen King novel unsettled you the most?

Despite it not being my favorite, Salem’s Lot probably unsettled me the most. Vampires are tricky, slippery creatures, and we find out first hand what a nest of them can do and how it can impact entire towns or even the world. That kind of scale is truly terrifying, especially when you think how thin and fragile the protective layer of civilization is.

Do you believe in any ‘mythical’ monsters like chupacabras or shadow people?

Oh, most definitely! As a teenager I encountered what I believe was a being that was invisible to the eye, but was affecting the physical plane (I don’t believe it was a ghost). It was terrifying.

I also have seen shadow people numerous times up through my late 20s. They’ve been quiet for the most part nowadays, and I’m very grateful! Once those flood gates are opened it’s hard to function as a member of society because you’re always looking behind your back.

Would you rather go to a real haunted house or watch a horror movie marathon?

Ooo, I’d love to go to another real haunted house please! Here in Missouri I’ve been to the Vaile Mansion, Belvoir Winery, and stayed a night at the McInteer Villa. The McInteer was probably the closest to an active haunting that I’ve seen, but I would love to stay at the Sally House in Atchison, KS. It’s supposedly inhabited by demons, and I’ve never braved something so extreme before. One of these days I’m going to do it.

Have you ever traveled as research for any of your books? 

Only once, but it was really exciting! I traveled to the Mabry-Hazen House in Knoxville, TN as a location in one of my Gifted Universe novels (they’re all unpublished right now) that I was brainstorming. Actually being there gave me so much inspiration, and I saved all the photos to social media so I could get the details right at a later time.

I also love to AirBnb anywhere remote for a change of scenery to get the creative energy going.

If you could be mentored by a famous author, who would it be? 

Madeline Miller please! She wrote The Song of Achilles, which blew me away earlier this year. Her ability to write a story set in a world full of rich detail and intriguing characters is amazing, and I would love to take any and all pointers from her.

What are you working on now?

I’m currently working on an LGBT Horror/Fantasy novel called The Ruins. A gay travel vlogger and his boyfriend journey to Peru to find the location of these supposedly haunted ruins that no one’s ever filmed before, and they unearth something far darker and malicious than they ever thought.

I’m nearing the end of my first draft and hope to see this published sometime in 2023.

“Just let us in. This won’t take long.”

Early retirees Maria and Richard Wilcox adore their new home out in the country. The past six months have been sheer bliss as they settled in and prepared for their golden years.

Until the night they answer a knock on their door.

The unexpected visitors are a pair of children. Richard tries to be cordial, but something about the kids is off. Something sinister, something menacing, something inhuman.

And then the children demand to be let in.

What do they want? Is this all a prank? Can Maria and Richard get them to go away, or will their dreams of a peaceful retirement together go up in flames?

Purchase Link

books2read.com/jonathanpongratz (yep, just the one! Check it out. I love how just one link does everything on Books2Read)

Author Bio and Social Media

Jonathan Pongratz is a writer and author of captivating horror, fantasy, and other speculative fiction stories. When he’s not writing, he’s busy being a bookworm, video game junkie, and karaoke vocalist. A former resident of Dallas, he currently resides in Kansas City with his Halloween cat Ajax. By day he works magic in finance, by night he creates dark and mesmerizing worlds.

Website: http://www.jonathanpongratz.com

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/jonathanpongratz

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jonathanpongratz

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanpongratz/

Tumblr: https://jonathanpongratz.tumblr.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jonathanpongratz

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jonathan-pongratz

90 thoughts on “#BadMoonRising The BEK Curse by Jonathan Pongratz #horror #paranormal #shortread”

  2. Pingback: #BadMoonRising The BEK Curse by Jonathan Pongratz #horror #paranormal #shortread - Jonathan Pongratz

  4. Pingback: #TeriPolen’s #BadMoonRising – Featuring #JonathanPongratz – #HappyHalloween | The Write Stuff

    1. Honestly, I hadn’t heard of it either until I started listening to some spooky podcasts. A lot of them covered this subject and it peaked my curiosity. It turned out this is an ongoing phenomena that has plagued so many people. Truly terrifying.

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  8. I watched a show on Epix called Chapelwaite (Teri, you’d love it) based on Salem’s Lot. I keep meaning to read that work, but it’s one of only a few of King’s early works that I haven’t ever read.

    The black-eyed kids? SUPER CREEPY. Sounds like a story I’d love. Best wishes to Jonathan. Thanks for hosting, Teri.

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        1. Yeah, my parents were the same way with all scary movies, but I’d just wait for them to go to bed and watch them anyway haha!

          I’d say the old miniseries is a bit less intense overall but they’re both pretty dark and exhilarating.

          Thank you!

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            2. Ah. So we share that middle name. Good to know.

              The only person in my family who sleeps fairly well is my dad. My mom always seemed to have long nights and early mornings, and my sister, brother, and I all have followed in her insomniac footsteps. When I was a kid, I thought she was making sure we weren’t misbehaving, but now I wonder if she was just unable to sleep.

              Good for you for your tenacity. You got to enjoy the good stuff a lot earlier than I did. But I’ve been trying to catch up for years!

              Liked by 1 person

            3. Haha, indeed we do!

              I’m so sorry you suffer from insomnia. From what I’ve heard, it’s awful. I actually have the opposite issue. I fall asleep really easily when I’m comfortable and I can basically sleep on any surface with no issue. I’m strange haha.

              Enjoy the catch up. There’s so much great stuff out there!

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    2. Oh I love anything supernatural. It’s a very interesting love hate relationship when you become a part of it. I prefer to be a spectator these days mostly, but I always test the waters a little with local haunts this time of year.

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            1. Oh, it’s always a lot of fun! Me and a group of friends love to catch up there, so it doesn’t always have to be a spooky outing unless we want to explore the abandoned buildings (there’s a renovated one where they have weddings and stuff). Totally. There’s always an epic story behind haunts.

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  14. I read the BEK Curse and thought it was great. So creepy. Actually, this whole post was creepy! It’s fun to wonder about paranormal stuff, but Jonny has actual encounters! And more than one! His account of shadow people and wanting to meet a demon… eeek! Thanks, Jonny and Teri, for making me want to hide under the covers.

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    1. I’d like to join him on some of those encounters, but I might skip the demon, lol. I’ve really enjoyed hearing about some of the authors’ paranormal experiences, Diana. They help set the stage for a creepy Halloween!

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    2. Thanks for stopping by Diana! Yeah, my family has something of a history with paranormal phenomena, so I guess you could say we are magnets to a certain degree. I’m still kind of on the fence with going to the Sally House in Atchison where the demons supposedly are, but one of these days I know I’ll muster up enough courage to stay the night. Let’s hope I survive!

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  17. Great to see Jonathan here again! I don’t know about haunted houses anymore, though. The last one I went through (years ago), had huge spiders hanging down and the staff literally had to pull me through with my eyes shut while I was on the verge of freaking out. LOL. Demons and monsters? No problem. Leggedness? Forget about it! You’re braver than I am, Jonathan!

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