Click on in for 10 questions with Varla Ventura! Not only is she the curator of the new Magical Creatures and Paranormal Parlor lines of ebooks from Weiser books, but she’s also the author of “Beyond Bizarre: Frightening Facts and Blood-Curdling True Tales” and “Book of the Bizarre: Freaky Facts & Strange Stories”! Learn about some unique books and a few “bizarre” facts too!

Join us for 10 questions with Paul Bartholomew, author of “Bigfoot Encounters in New York and New England”, as we talk about Bigfoot, New York state’s cryptozoological heritage, and Bigfoot/Sasquatch in film and television.

I take a thoughtful argument in favor of the giant squid becoming the mascot for the marine conservation movement and turn it into pirates versus hippies. Man, I am not helpful.

Join us as we ask Joseph W. Zarzynski, Underwater Archaeologist and Executive Director of Bateaux Below, Inc 10 questions about sunken battleships, lake monsters, and where to eat when you’re in Lake George, NY.

I talk to Dr. Bob Curran, author of “Man-Made Monsters: A Field Guide to Golems, Patchwork Soldiers, Homunculi, and Other Created Creatures”, about all things creature, Swamp Thing, and yes, Santa Claus.

What happens when a student of art history writes a book about monsters? Something very beautiful.

Or maybe Froggie. See how a simple article about frog symbolism turned into a love letter to a 3 year-old.

For some reason I love the idea of giant sea creatures. All those in search of the giant squid shows on the Discovery Channel – watched them. Ditto when they bust out the giant octopus stuff – I’m there. I don’t know what about them that I like so much. Perhaps, oddly, it’s the romanticism of the giant sea creature. I know it sounds funny, but for some reason a giant sea squid makes me think of multi-masted ships getting taken into the briny deep for venturing off the map. The ocean is still so vast that we continually discover new things living there. And that although doubtful, I can still entertain the idea that one day I’ll be watching BBC America news in the morning (because it’s back!) and hear a neutral voice with a British accent explain that a ship has been destroyed off the coast of some country by some giant tentacled thing from the deep.

This brings me to the lusca.

Generally when we say harpy, we’re referring to, as Random House Dictionary states, “a scolding, nagging, bad-tempered woman; shrew, or a greedy, predatory person.” Perhaps it’s that innate fear or repulsion that leads to so much trouble when trying to learn about the mythological creature the harpy.

Christopher Balzano, author of “Picture Yourself Ghost Hunting” (as well as many other books) and News Editor for GhostVillage.com, shares his insights on the Pukwudgie.