Keith Rommel, Paul Lonardo and Dean Warren

Bill Dougherty, Diana Barron, Patty G. Henderson and Becki McNeel, Ph.D, publisher of Barclay Books (standing)

Authors of all things scary. (left to right) Dave Lapham, Richard Lee Byers, Karen Harvey, Steve Alten, and Hugh B. Cave

Holding court at Halloween Fest. (left to right) Vince Courtney, Dave Lapham, Richard Lee Byers, Karen Harvey, Steve Alten, and Hugh B. Cave

John Urbancik and Bill Dougherty listen closely as a fan explains the true meaning of horror.

The friendly people from Orlando Ghost Tours know how to party.

Milt Thomas (back to camera), Steve Alten, Hugh B. Cave

Matt Costello proves that horror writers know how to count.

Dave Lapham and Richard Lee Byers silently ponder the future of The Spice Girls.

Adam-Troy Castro and his inflatable sidekick.

John Urbancik chats with H. Brantly McNeel, M.D., CEO of Barclay Books.

One of the lively authors panels that was held during Halloween Fest 2001. (Left to Right) Drew Williams (standing), Jeff VanderMeer, Garrett Peck, James A. Moore, Steve Alten, and Vince Courtney.

Actor, stuntman, and author Jeff Moldovan arrived late for the festivities on Saturday, but was on hand Friday evening to help lead a group of early arrivals through the haunted Townsend's Plantation in Apopka.

The crew from the hit radio show The Sci-Fi Files were on hand to party and interview authors. (L-R) Frank, Meredith, and Joey.

John Stavely (Ghost Tours of St. Augustine) entertained the crowd with some spooky storytelling.

Evening Festivities

Friday Night--Guests arriving early for Halloween Fest 2001 gathered together for dinner, and were then treated to a special candlelight tour of Townsend's Plantation in Apopka. The historic plantation house is reputed to be haunted, and is closed to the public, so the horror authors had the ghosts, spiders, and cobwebs all to themselves.

Saturday--After the festivities at the bookstore, the guests enjoyed dinner at P.F. Chang's China Bistro. Many of the guests then headed to downtown Orlando to take part in an interactive walking tour hosted by ORLANDO GHOST TOURS. Not only did they learn about the history and hauntings of old Orlando, they were given the opportunity to search for ghosts in the old courthouse using modern scientific equipment.

Jim Moore and Mike Conrad hunt for ghosts using scientific equipment while the others in the group look on.

Another reason why the old courthouse in Orlando is spooky at night: Ted Bundy carved his name in this desk while standing trial for murder.

Ghost hunting, or seeing whose is bigger?

Is John Urbancik looking for ghosts, or looking at the ladies?

Jim Moore was a bad boy during the ghost tour, so we made him stand in the corner.