Lights Out With Sylvia Shults
227 episodes - English - Latest episode: 18 days ago - ★★★★ - 8 ratingsExplorations of the paranormal with your paranormal investigator Sylvia Shults.
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Episodes
Today I Learned Today I Learned …
October 17, 2022 14:00Parents in Japan will often warn their children to cover their tummies during a thunderstorm. Local superstition holds that Raijin, the god of thunder and lightning, likes to eat children’s bellybuttons. (From Ripley’s Believe It Or Not: Eye-Popping Oddities)
Today I Learned Today I Learned …s
October 10, 2022 14:00Togbe Ngoryifia runs a car repair garage in Frankfurt, Germany, but is also an African king with 200,000 subjects whom he rules via Skype. He became King Banash of the Hohoe people in southeast Ghana in 1987, after being named as the successor to his grandfather’s throne. His father and older brother were not permitted … Continue reading Today I Learned …
Lights Out: Robinson Cemetery
October 07, 2022 15:08Here’s another episode of Lights Out for your listening pleasure! Let’s take a wander through the woods on a crisp fall evening, and see what the spirits have to say. https://youtu.be/FeaFXKEdTHk
Grave Deeds and Dead Plots is on the air!
October 05, 2022 14:53Spotlight – Grave Deeds and Dead Plots Ron’s Amazing Stories. On the podcast this week we will have a special Ghost Stories With Sylvia. Sylvia and I will be discussing her brand new book Grave Deeds and Dead Plots. It is the first volume of an exciting new series. These collections of ghost stories feature spine-tingling tales of … Continue reading Grave Deeds and Dead Plots is on the air!
Make Every Day Spooky!
September 29, 2022 14:43The 2023 Days of the Dead calendars are HERE! Just $15, and that covers postage to send it straight to your doorstep. The calendars are a generous 8 1/2 by 11, with plenty of room to write in coming events: dentist’s appointments, frat parties, fun things like that. To order, simply click on the Contact … Continue reading Make Every Day Spooky!
Days of the Dead Now Available With the Click of a Mouse!
September 23, 2022 18:43Well, here’s some fun library news! Days of the Dead: A Year of True Ghost Stories, is now available on Biblioboard. What does this mean? It means that if you’ve got a library card, you can read Days of the Dead for free in ebook format. And you can skip the hold shelf — with … Continue reading Days of the Dead Now Available With the Click of a Mouse!
Today I Learned ……
September 12, 2022 14:09On the day Judy Garland died, a tornado struck Kansas. Judy Garland was found dead at her London home late on the morning of June 22, 1969, twelve days after she had turned 47 years old. An F3 tornado touched down in Saline County, Kansas, on June 21. Sixty people were injured, but no one … Continue reading Today I Learned …
Today I Learned Today I Learned …s, Day 1: Victo…
September 12, 2022 14:09On the day Judy Garland died, a tornado struck Kansas. Judy Garland was found dead at her London home late on the morning of June 22, 1969, twelve days after she had turned 47 years old. An F3 tornado touched down in Saline County, Kansas, on June 21. Sixty people were injured, but no one … Continue reading Today I Learned …
Today I Learned Today I Learned …s, Day 1: Victo…
September 12, 2022 14:09On the day Judy Garland died, a tornado struck Kansas. Judy Garland was found dead at her London home late on the morning of June 22, 1969, twelve days after she had turned 47 years old. An F3 tornado touched down in Saline County, Kansas, on June 21. Sixty people were injured, but no one … Continue reading Today I Learned …
Today I Learned …ares of Christm…Today I Learned i…
September 05, 2022 14:00Great white sharks are 200 times heavier than domestic cats, but their brains weigh almost the same. (From 1,339 Quite Interesting Facts to Make Your Jaw Drop, by John Lloyd, John Mitchinson, and James Harkin)
Today I Learned ……Today I Learned ……
September 05, 2022 14:00Great white sharks are 200 times heavier than domestic cats, but their brains weigh almost the same. (From 1,339 Quite Interesting Facts to Make Your Jaw Drop, by John Lloyd, John Mitchinson, and James Harkin)
Today I Learned …ares of Christm…T
August 29, 2022 14:00Coyotes can run faster than roadrunners. (From 1,339 Quite Interesting Facts to Make Your Jaw Drop, by John Lloyd, John Mitchinson, and James Harkin)
Today I Learned ……Today I Learne…
August 22, 2022 14:00Even when adjusted for inflation, the movie Titanic cost 50% more to make than the ship of the same name. (From 1,339 Quite Interesting Facts to Make Your Jaw Drop, by John Lloyd, John Mitchinson, and James Harkin)
Today I Learned …oday I Learned …
August 22, 2022 14:00Even when adjusted for inflation, the movie Titanic cost 50% more to make than the ship of the same name. (From 1,339 Quite Interesting Facts to Make Your Jaw Drop, by John Lloyd, John Mitchinson, and James Harkin)
Today I Learned …oday I Learned …
August 15, 2022 14:00In Finnish an exclamation point is a “shout mark”; in Spanish it’s a “wonder symbol.” (From 1,339 Quite Interesting Facts to Make Your Jaw Drop, by John Lloyd, John Mitchinson, and James Harkin)
Today I Learned ……Today I Learne…Today I Learned …
August 15, 2022 14:00In Finnish an exclamation point is a “shout mark”; in Spanish it’s a “wonder symbol.” (From 1,339 Quite Interesting Facts to Make Your Jaw Drop, by John Lloyd, John Mitchinson, and James Harkin)
Review of Grave Deeds and Dead Plots
August 13, 2022 21:32So every month or so, I head on over to Ron’s Amazing Stories, and Ron Hood and I chat about the paranormal for a while. Ron was kind enough to get himself a copy of my brand-new book, and even better, he wrote up a glowing review of it. Here it is: “I have had … Continue reading Review of Grave Deeds and Dead Plots
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July 25, 2022 14:00An octopus has horizontal pupils; whatever angle the octopus is at, its pupils always stay aligned with the horizon. (From 1,339 Quite Interesting Facts to Make Your Jaw Drop, by John Lloyd, John Mitchinson, and James Harkin)
Today I Learned …There’s A New Book In Town!Today I Learned …
July 19, 2022 15:48That’s right, the first volume of Grave Deeds and Dead Plots is now LIVE! Welcome to the first volume of an exciting new series, Grave Deeds and Dead Plots. These collections feature spine-tingling tales of true crime … with added ghosts. Each story is a tale of murder, passion, or cold-blooded killing—and each case has … Continue reading There’s A New Book In Town!
There’s A New Book In Town!
July 19, 2022 15:48That’s right, the first volume of Grave Deeds and Dead Plots is now LIVE! Welcome to the first volume of an exciting new series, Grave Deeds and Dead Plots. These collections feature spine-tingling tales of true crime … with added ghosts. Each story is a tale of murder, passion, or cold-blooded killing—and each case has … Continue reading There’s A New Book In Town!
Lights Out #103: Pennhurst Asylum
July 09, 2022 03:19Who’s ready for a brand-new episode of Lights Out? We’re going to wander the gloomy halls of Pennhurst Asylum. Take my hand … https://youtu.be/71Y8BaVDeac
Today I Learned T
June 27, 2022 14:00Twins Samuel and Ronan Peterson were born in Cape Cod Hospital on November 6, 2016, to parents Emily and Seth, of West Barnstable, Massachusetts. Samuel was born at 1:39 am and Ronan arrived 31 minutes later, but by the time Emily had given birth to Ronan, the clocks had gone back one hour due to … Continue reading Today I Learned …
Today I Learned Today I Learned o…Today I Learned …
June 20, 2022 14:00Twin brothers Jeremy and Nick Hart retired as British Airways pilots by landing their final flights thirty second apart at London’s Heathrow airport on September 28, 2017. (From Ripley’s Believe It Or Not: A Century of Strange)
Today I Learned …Today I Learned …Today I Learned …
May 30, 2022 14:00Francisco Rios, of Hartford, Connecticut, won $100,000 on the state lottery in 2018 by using numbers taken from a classic 1958 episode of the TV western series Bronco. He used the numbers 22, 2,18,12, and 28 because the episode was about a man who had been buried in a glacier for 22 years, 2 months, … Continue reading Today I Learned …
Guess Whose Book Won First Place?
April 07, 2022 14:04I have news! Good news! I’ve just found out that Days of the Dead: A Year of True Ghost Stories has won First Place in the Bookfest Awards. How about that? And you can go here to get your very own copy, if you haven’t already: https://bookshop.org/…/days-of-the-dead-a…/9781735668987 You can also get it here: Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735668982?ref=exp_hauntedroadmedia_dp_vv_d&fbclid=IwAR3sWUj9_YTBlM–2kxKyMMQo92XiWTOcAYgaBq8f6lHfINp-He4oeOQyH8 … Continue reading Guess Whose Book Wo...
Lights Out: Return to Malvern Manor
March 24, 2022 15:25What’s even better than exploring a haunted location all evening? Getting to spend the rest of the night there! And when the spirits come out to play, that’s when things get REALLY interesting … join me for another visit to one of my favorite haunted places, Malvern Manor. https://youtu.be/AoqSaueVit8
Lights Out: The Watseka Wonder
February 24, 2022 17:07I KNOW, I know, it’s been positively AGES since you guys have enjoyed an episode of Lights Out! (Unless you’ve been watching or listening to past episodes, in which case, good for you!) I’ve got a great excuse — I’ve been putting the finishing touches on a new book for you all, so that’s why … Continue reading Lights Out: The Watseka Wonder
2022 Calendars Still Available!
January 14, 2022 20:34Are you still looking at your 2021 calendar? The year is over (and thank goodness for that!). There’s a great way to get your spooky fix for all of 2022. I’ve put together a new calendar, using twelve of the 366 stories in Days of the Dead: A Year of True Ghost Stories. It’s bigger … Continue reading 2022 Calendars Still Available!
Welcome — I Think? — To 2022.
January 04, 2022 18:45What can I say about 2021, besides things that would probably get my mouth washed out with soap? Good grief. (Literally. We lost many family members this past year, including a sweet dog.) But life does have a way of going on. For instance, there are now two MORE places you can listen to my … Continue reading Welcome — I Think? — To 2022.
Merry Christmas 2021!
December 25, 2021 17:09 - 54.4 MBThanks for being a vital part of this blog! You guys all rock. I appreciate you tuning in every Monday morning for Today I Learned, for Lights Out episodes, and for whatever other thoughts are running around my brain. Here’s a little extra Christmas present for you guys this year: links to a couple of … Continue reading Merry Christmas 2021!
The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Twelve: Wawel Castle
December 24, 2021 15:00Wawel Castle rises above Krakow, Poland, the symbol of Polish national identity for centuries. Nestled in a bend of the Vistula River, it sits proudly atop Wawel Hill. The castle was built by King Casimir III the Great, who ruled Poland from 1333 to 1370. It was in the early 16th century that the castle … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Twelve: Wawel Castle
The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Eleven: Ghost Stories With Sylvia
December 23, 2021 15:00The Victorians LOVED telling ghost stories at Christmas. One of the most famous Christmas stories of all time has not one, but FOUR ghosts in it — A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. Join me and my host Ron Hood, of Ron’s Amazing Stories, for a look at this beloved classic tale. www.ronsamazingstories.com And for … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Eleven: Ghost Stories With Sylvia
The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Ten: A Victorian Christmas
December 22, 2021 15:00Even in modern days, we still cling to a cozy Victorian ideal of the holidays. Say “Christmas”, and most of us will reflexively think of family gathered around a colorfully lit tree, a tree with presents piled underneath it. (Whether or not that imaginary family will get along with each other without the lubricating effects … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Ten: A Victorian Christmas
The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Nine: Christmas Booze
December 21, 2021 15:00So, are you burned out on eggnog? (That is TOTALLY not a thing for me. I’d drink it all year ’round if my waistline would let me.) But if you want a change from traditional nog, why not go exotic, and give coquito a try? Coquito (Spanish for “little coconut”) is a creamy rum punch … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Nine: Christmas Booze
The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Eight: Today I Learned…
December 20, 2021 15:01The author Washington Irving is best known for his story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, a Halloween staple featuring the terrifying specter of the Headless Horseman. But what is less-known is Irving’s contribution to the lore of Christmas. It was Irving who came up with Santa’s workaround for locked doors — a squeeze down the … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Eight: Today I Learned…
The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Seven: Charlotte Brontë
December 19, 2021 14:59December 19 – Death of Emily Bronte, Haworth, England (1848, recurring) One of the giants of English literature is Emily Bronte, despite the fact that she died at the age of thirty, having published only one novel. Emily was a shy child who grew into an introverted woman. People found her standoffish, but that masked … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Seven: Charlotte Brontë
The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Six: The Eyeball Ghost
December 18, 2021 14:50This story is excerpted from my latest book, Days of the Dead: A Year of True Ghost Stories. December (12) – A Trooper to the End, Anniston, AL (1989, recurring) When faced with a terminal diagnosis, people can have differing reactions. Captain E.C. Dothard was 58 years old when he was admitted to Stringfellow Memorial … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Six: The Eyeball Ghost
The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Five: Io Saturnalia!
December 17, 2021 15:00Saturnalia was one of the best parties of ancient Rome. Starting on December 17 and going through December 23, slaves would be waited on by their masters, people would give gifts, public banquets made everybody happy, and it was generally a non-stop party for those days. It was seen as a time when everyone was … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Five: Io Saturnalia!
The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Four: St. Lucia
December 16, 2021 15:00Saint Lucia – Patron Saint of the Poor and Blind In Scandinavian tradition, the Christmas season is welcomed on St. Lucy’s Day, December 13. Young girls, usually the oldest daughter in the family, wake the family members with a breakfast of Lussekatter, currant-filled buns made golden and fragrant with saffron. The girl serves this treat … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Four: St. Lucia
Extra Fun!
December 16, 2021 00:49I have a special Christmas surprise for everyone! I’m going to be doing a live radio show tomorrow, Thursday December 16, at 1:30 pm Central. The radio station is KWMR West Marin Community Radio (@KWMRRADIO on all social media channels). Tune in at KWMR.org, and KWMR.org/apps. The host of “Right Now”, Mia Johnson, and I … Continue reading Extra Fun!
The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Three: Christmas is Cancelled
December 15, 2021 15:00The Oxford Hotel in Denver, Colorado, is haunted by the forlorn ghost of a mail carrier. The postal worker stopped in at the hotel’s bar for a drink sometime in the 1930s. Taking a few moments from his route to warm up from the snowy weather, he ordered a beer. But he didn’t tarry long. … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Three: Christmas is Cancelled
The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Two: Lights Out!
December 14, 2021 15:12Welcome to the Dead of Winter! Today we’re going to revisit a couple of Lights Out episodes from years past. Curl up by the Christmas tree, turn on the tree lights, have a cup of something warm and lovely handy, and let’s go … Lights Out. Lights Out Extra: Christmas 2020. https://youtu.be/tcFUsqrKSUI Lights Out #66: Christmas … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day Two: Lights Out!
The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day One: Today I Learned…
December 13, 2021 14:57Merry Saturkwanzukah, everyone! I’m delighted to bring you the Twelve Nightmares of Christmas this year, just like I did last year. Can you believe this is the fifth year we’ve done this? And boy, have I got some great stuff for you guys! Here’s the best part: I am once again partnering with Darren Marlar, … Continue reading The Twelve Nightmares of Christmas, Day One: Today I Learned…
The New Year Is Coming…
December 09, 2021 01:46Have you finished your Christmas shopping yet? The end of the year is fast approaching, and you know what that means … yep, it’s time to think about calendars! Does someone you know have a wall that needs a bit of spooky decoration? Last year’s calendar went quickly, so if you’d like to order your … Continue reading The New Year Is Coming…
There’s Still Time…
December 04, 2021 01:43The stockings are hung by the chimney with care, but you’ve still got time to order your 2022 Days of the Dead calendar! Last year’s calendar went quickly, so if you’d like to order your calendar, go ahead and smash that link. https://sylviashults.wordpress.com/contact/ . This year’s calendar is bigger! And better! And did I mention … Continue reading There’s Still Time…
2022 Is Fast Approaching …
November 20, 2021 01:42Okay, I have no idea how this happened, but 2022 is nearly here! The end of the year is fast approaching, and you know what that means … yep, it’s time to think about calendars! Last year’s calendar went quickly, so if you’d like to order your 2022 Days of the Dead calendar, go ahead … Continue reading 2022 Is Fast Approaching …
2022 is almost here…
November 14, 2021 01:41Okay, I have no idea how this happened, but 2022 is nearly here! The end of the year is fast approaching, and you know what that means … yep, it’s time to think about calendars! Last year’s calendar went quickly, so if you’d like to order your 2022 Days of the Dead calendar, go ahead … Continue reading 2022 is almost here…
Days of the Dead Review
November 10, 2021 15:06So a couple weeks ago, I posted the link to a review of Days of the Dead. Becky Spratford, a reviewer for none other than Booklist, really enjoyed the book. Then it occurred to me, hey, maybe I should go ahead and post the ACTUAL review, with actual WORDS, instead of making you guys click … Continue reading Days of the Dead Review
Days of the Dead Review — Someone Likes It!
October 21, 2021 13:12Here is a glowing review of Days of the Dead: A Year of True Ghost Stories. Becky Spratford, a reviewer for Booklist (!!!), was kind enough to feature it on her RA For ALL blog. Thanks for the kind words, Becky! https://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/2021/10/31-days-of-horror-day-21.html
Peoria State Hospital News!
July 15, 2021 16:47There are wonderful things afoot on the hilltop in Bartonville. The Peoria State Hospital Museum is moving ever closer to opening. You can find loads of great information here: https://www.peoriastatehospital.com/?fbclid=IwAR2p_IGVARQ5nWDYlxeStvd8u4Y9FF3ZSpd0d2rs1FaHrukOYnffYrgOc7g