Jeff Belanger – författare

Bronze Winner for Popular Culture, Foreword INDIEsStep into the dark roots of Christmas past where the Krampus punishes the bad boys and girls.Christmas time is truly the darkest and creepiest time of the year filled with devilish creatures lurking in the shadows waiting to get us. Best known is the Krampus who has been the subject of films and songs. There was a time in the late 1800s when people sent Krampus cards, not holiday greetings. There are other violent and dangerous monsters from all over northern climes who have been hunting naughty children for centuries. From shapeshifters to mountain trolls, to elves, to heavy-handed cohorts of Saint Nicholas, the Christmas holiday has been filled with ghosts and monsters ready to dole out punishment to those who need it.The Fright Before Christmas will delve into the folklore of Krampus and his friends with the elf-like Tomten and the goblinesque Karakoncolas. The Belsnickel is ready to hit us with his switch of sticks and Gryla may drag you back to her mountain lair. And watch out for the Yule Cat ready to pounce! These are just a few of the yuletide beasties coming for us in The Fright Before Christmas in the hope they can save us from ourselves.The folklore roots of Christmas under its many other guises (Yule, the Winter Solstice, Saturnalia) is examined in a different, darker light. The Winter Solstice is a time to be afraid. It’s the shortest day of the year. The longest night. In some parts of the world, the sun doesn’t rise at all. It’s dark, and we have to wonder if the sun will ever come back at all. Christmas has always been creepy and with The Fright Before Christmas you'll see the other side. This is a book for everyone who loves a little darkness around the holidays.Be good or the Krampus will get you!

Gold Winner—Travel, IBPA Book Awards 2026Go legend hunting with explorer of the unexplained Jeff Belanger, visiting haunted places, where monsters lurk, and other roadside oddities.“Legends have always run deep in New England—thankfully, Jeff Belanger is here to uncover them and bring them to life. This collection of mysteries, secrets, and folklore from America’s birthplace is as illuminating as it is fascinating.” —Josh Gates, explorer, host of Discovery’s Expedition UnknownWicked Strange is a journey and a celebration of all the things that make New England like no other place on earth. In a time when so much of the world is becoming homogenized—as big-box stores and chain restaurants move in and so many communities lose their identity—we still have these legends. They belong to specific towns and streets. These are stories locals will share with you . . . if they trust you.This travel guide takes readers on a journey to the strange and frequently unseen world that is often right under their noses. Covering numerous haunted places, environs where mysterious creatures have been spotted, areas where unusual events have happened, eccentric locals, and roadside oddities to explore, noted expert of the strange Jeff Belanger is your guide to all that’s local and strange. Haunted locations from all over New England are covered:The Haunting of Conimicut Lighthouse—Warwick, Rhode Island Maine’s Sistine Chapel—South Solon, Maine Edith Wharton’s Haunted Mansion, The Mount—Lenox, Massachusetts Emily’s Haunted Bridge—Stowe, Vermont The Sleeping Giant—Hamden, Connecticut The Haunted Mt. Washington Hotel—Bretton Woods, New Hampshire New England is also full of monsters and devils that lurk in the woods, lakes, and seas. Explored are some of the best known and most obscure, including Lake Champlain’s Champ; the Cumberland Vampire of Rhode Island; Gloucester’s Sea Serpent; the Black Dog of West Peak in Meriden, Connecticut; and the Flying Moose of Maine.Also covered are unusual events, such as UFO sightings (Connecticut’s UFO crash at Bantam Lake / Betty and Barney Hill’s UFO experience), and roadside oddities, such as the World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet (Burlington, VT), Boston’s Big Steaming Tea Kettle, and the literal Fork in the Road of Westport, MA. Wicked Strange takes you off the beaten path, revealing a hidden world right under your nose. Come journey through the towns, hamlets, and hills that hide the strangest of history. Uncover the wickedly strange.