HBT - Win "The Hollow" Perfume! 3 winners

:( I'm so sad that today is the last day of my Haunted Blog Tour. It went by way too fast and I wish the month was longer so I could've posted even more. BUT I am excited for today's post. It's a contest, ya-hoo! What's the prize, you ask?

A 3-set perfume sampler, for 3 different winners! That's right - Jessica Verday, author of "The Hollow", has generously offered three lucky followers of my blog a special prize. Jessica told me that she's all out of the full size perfumes right now, but she has some sampler packs (Abbey, Caspian, and Kristen).

How to Enter:
-This contest is open to followers only. (If you aren't one, become one!)
-Just leave a comment letting me know, and be sure to include your email address!
-There are additional things you can do for extra entries. These are optional, but give you a better chance of winning.
-Please try to put all of your entries in ONE comment, it makes it easier to count them all up.

Contest Rules:
-Open to USA and Canada only!
-Leave an email address in your comment, please! No email = No entry. Sorry, but I have to have a way to contact the winner.

Extra Entries:
+3 Put on your sidebar - please leave link.
+6 Blog about this giveaway - must leave link!
+2 Add me to your blogroll.
+1 Comment on my interview with Jessica Verday.


The contest ends on November 20 at midnight. The winner will be chosen and posted/emailed on November 21.

HBT - Interview with author Thomas Fahy

Tomorrow is HALLOWEEN! WHOO! So for today's Haunted Blog Tour post, it's an interview with author Thomas Fahy, who has written the suspense novel "Sleepless".


How did you come up with the story in your book "Sleepless"?
I came up with the idea while working on my last book, The Unspoken, which is about a group of teens who are haunted by their childhood memories of growing up in a cult and now must face a horrifying prophecy—that they will die from their worst fear. The main character, Allison, is epileptic, and during her seizures, she has these visions of terrible crimes before they happen. Her visions made me think about nightmares and the power they can have over us—to make us scream, break out in a sweat, and, in some cases, sleepwalk. I thought it would be kind of cool to write something about sleepwalking—as if it were a disease that could infect people and make them do things.

What is the scariest book you've ever read?

Well, I find different books and films scary at different times in my life, but the first time I remember being really scared by a book was reading Stephen King's It. I was the same age as the characters when I read it, so I could identify with their fears and insecurities. I stayed up until 1 or 2 in the morning several nights in a row as I raced through it. Sometimes, a strange noise in the house at would freak me out as I was reading. And it certainly made me wary of clowns! I still think it's a terrifying book.

Do you have any Halloween traditions?

I really enjoying buying a pumpkin and having it around the house a few weeks before Halloween. Then, a few days before the 31st, I carve a different, creepy face into it. That has become a tradition for me in recent years.

Are you working on another book? If so, could you share a little bit about it?

Right now, I’m working on something a little different—a book called The Philosophy of Horror. It’s a collection of essays about horror books and films and television shows, about why people like to be scared. It’s coming out a few months. I’m also brainstorming some ideas for my next teen horror novel.

What's your favorite horror movie and why?

It's a tie between Seven and Silence of the Lambs. These films are so frightening psychologically. They leave so much of the horror up to the imagination. Showing less is such an effective way to send chills down the audience's spine--and to keep them thinking about it long after the movie is over.

Most haunting nightmare you've ever had?

I was drowning in this swamp. Thick, black muck was covering my body, and before I went under, I forced myself awake. I opened my eyes but couldn’t move. I tried to lift my arms and my legs. I got no response. I tried to turn my head. I couldn’t. I was absolutely paralyzed. It took a few moments before I could feel my body again. It was terrifying.

What's the most strange, funny, or unique Halloween costume you've ever seen or worn yourself?

Several years ago, I went to a party with someone who dressed as a "cereal killer"--wearing a breakfast cereal box with a knife in it. I thought that was pretty funny.


Thanks so much for the interview Thomas!

HBT - Guest post with author Jessica Verday

October is wrapping up! I can't believe how fast it went by. Well today's Haunted Blog Tour post is a guest post with author Jessica Verday, who has written "The Hollow".

Must-See Hallowe'en Movies (That You Probably Haven't Seen):

Hallowe'en is a time I look forward to every year, and while most people would probably think it's because of the free candy or haunted houses, one of the things I love most are the scary movies that come on tv. Some channels do countdowns with a spooky movie shown each night, some channels do monster marathons on Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons. Either way, I'm hooked when a Hallowe'en special comes on. Here are some of my must-see recommendations that you (probably) haven't seen.

Lady in White - From IMDB: Locked in a school closet during Halloween 1962, young Frank witnesses the ghost of a young girl and the man who murdered her years ago. Shortly afterward he finds himself stalked by the killer and is soon drawn to an old house where a mysterious Lady In White lives. As he discovers the secret of the woman he soon finds that the killer may be someone close to him.

Although this is an old one, in my opinion, it's one of the BEST ghost stories out there. Spooky and atmospheric, this isn't about gorey chills and slasher thrills. It's melancholy, sorrowful, and tugs at your heart strings. When the song "Did You Ever See A Dream Walking?" plays, it's one of the most haunting parts of the whole movie.

The Good Son - From IMDB: After his mother's death, a young boy, Mark, is left with his aunt and uncle while his father makes an important trip. Cousin Henry is at first great fun, but isn't your average boy next door. Mark believes Henry is evil, but no one else can see this.

Featuring a young Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood, this eerie movie will have you questioning how well you really know that neighborhood kid. Evil comes in a cute package - but which one is The Good Son?

Jeepers Creepers - From IMDB: Bickering siblings Darry and Trish are driving home for college break when they make a horrific and bizarre discovery in an old church basement. Break may have to wait as Darry and Trish are relentlessly pursued by The Creeper, a creature who who is hell-bent on eating them.

With a creepy truck ("BEATNGU"), a creepy guy, and a long, lonesome road, this road trip from hell is a must see. Be careful though, after viewing this you might not want to drive by any corn fields late at night...

Thir13en Ghosts - From IMDB: Arthur and his two children, Kathy and Bobby, inherit his Uncle Cyrus's estate: a glass house that serves as a prison to 12 ghosts. When the family, accompanied by Bobby's Nanny and an attorney, enter the house they find themselves trapped inside an evil machine "designed by the devil and powered by the dead" to open the Eye of Hell. Aided by Dennis, a ghost hunter, and his rival Kalina, a ghost rights activist out to set the ghosts free, the group must do what they can to get out of the house alive.

Although this is a choppy, fast paced movie that leaves you breathless in between scenes as you spin from one room to the next, the beauty of this movie is in the ghosts themselves. Definitely one to get a DVD copy of for the special features alone where each ghost's story is explained in full detail.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show - From IMDB: It's the weird and wonderful as newly wed couple Brad and Janet encounter a problem when they car halts in the rain. They both look for contact only to find themselves at the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter a transvestite. A place to stay is offered, but will Brad and Janet want to remain there? Especially when a large group of Transylvanians dance to the 'Time Warp', Dr. Frank-N-Furter builds his own man and a whole host of participation for the audience to enjoy.

Ahhh, Hallowe'en isn't Hallowe'en without The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and of course you've probably seen this one. Bizarre outfits, a campy musical, and one sweet transvestite from Transylvania who is looking for love make up this odd yet loveable movie. This is the number one can't-miss-it Hallowe'en spooktacular movie of all time. You'll be singing Let's Do The Time Warp Again long after the movie is over!

HBT - Guest post with author Marley Gibson

Today's Haunted Blog Tour is a guest post with author Marley Gibson. She has written the Ghost Huntress series, along with her nonfiction book, "The Other Side".

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Halloween has long been an...interesting holiday for me.

I remember my first costume and trick or treating outing was me in a white bedsheet with the eye holes cut out and me carrying a plastic pumpkin and tooling around town with my cousin, Ben, and my friend, Melissa. We gathered a plethora of candy that night, however, I couldn't eat any of it until it was inspected for razor blades...it was the scare back then.

At my school, we always had this kick @ss Halloween carnival. In second grade, I was up for Halloween festival queen. It was a fundraising thing. The girl who raised the most money won the crown. My brother, a senior, was working the admission gate for the Halloween carnival and he asked everyone entering if they'd give a donation for his sister to become the queen. With his help, I came in second place! I won a red velvet cake that year in the cake walk.

As I worked my way through school, my homerooms hosted different activities for the Halloween carnival. Second grade was the pick up ducks, fifth was the country store where we sold davinity, cookies, and other homemade items. Nineth was the go fish booth where you tossed a fishing pole over a sheet and pulled back a bag full of goodies. Junior year was the haunted house where we all slapped on fake blood and rubber masks and scared hell and four dollars out of all the younger kids. We also had the hay ride where we all piled into the back of a truck, steered through the woods behind the school where each load was attacked by water balloons by hidden seniors. Sadly, some little kid got upset by it and the school discontinued it. So, my senior year, we hosted a Monster Mash. Three tickets to dance with the senior of your choice in this semi-disco in our home room. Cheesy...yes, but a lot of fun.

My sophomore year, I was riding around town with some friends of mine when we came upon one of the city's cemeteries. Quicker than a flash, they attempted to leave me and my friend, Daphne, in the cemetery by ourselves. Being the smart girls that we were, we both tackled one of the football player guys who were trying to ditch us. We spent the next hour and a half huddling together for warmth around creepy gravestones. Daphne and I were the picture of bravery...the football players...not so much.

College brought less mischieviousness and more mayhem. Fraternity parties. My best costume in my college years was as a Navy Blue Crayola. Brilliant costume, if I must say so myself.

Nowadays, I find myself not at a party or dressed as something crazy-cool or hip...rather, I'm in my jeans, hoodie, and tennies and I'm walking around a haunted location with my K2 meter, my digital voice recorder, and my camera. And I wouldn't have it any other way. I have learned so much in my ghost hunting research. I have met so many wonderful people who aren't creepy or weird or anything like that...rather they are spiritually grounded, faithfully based, and eager to try and seek out what's on The Other Side.

Happy hauntings to you all!

P.S. Check back tomorrow for an awesome contest thanks to Marley! :)

HBT - Vampire Contest!

CONTEST CLOSED, WINNER CHOSEN!

I'm excited to announce what today's Haunted Blog Tour post is...a SIGNED copy of "Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side" from the fantastic author Beth Fantaskey! Better yet - it's international! :)

Book Description:
(young-adult)
The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .
Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.


How to Enter:
-Just leave a comment with your email address and what you love about vampires!

Contest Rules:
-Open internationally to anyone on Earth! (Sorry, Martians.. )
-I'll use Random.org to pick the winner.
-The contest ends on November 14 at midnight. The winner will be chosen and posted/emailed on November 15. Good luck! :)

Extra Entries:
+2 For being a follower of my blog, or becoming one.
+2 Put on your sidebar. Include link!
+4 Blog about this contest. Include link!
+1 Comment on this awesome guest post with Beth Fantaskey.
+2 I picked 5 random people from my followers list and they get 2 additional entries...just because! See? Being a follower has its advantages. :) So if your name is on the list, just let me know in your comment.
-Ladystorm (Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh my!)
-Charlotte (The Book on the Hill)
-Brendiiz (Eternamente en Tiniebla)
-Dahlia (Book Shopaholic)
-Allison (Read Into This!)

HBT - Guest post with author Beth Fantaskey

The lovely young-adult author, Beth Fantaskey, agreed to write a guest post for today's Haunted Blog Tour! She has written the book "Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side", and the soon-to-be-released book "Jekel Loves Hyde".

Beth has decided to re-write a chapter in her novel from a different character's perspective. Even if you haven't read the book yet (like me), you should still read it. It's amazing! :) Check back tomorrow for a great contest.

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Hey everyone! Happy Halloween!

This is one of my favorite holidays, and I couldn’t resist including a Halloween scene in my first novel, Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. For the “Haunted Blog Tour,” I’ve rewritten that scene from the point of view of Jake Zinn, a character many readers root for, probably because Jake’s an average guy with a good heart who does his best to compete for the heroine’s affection against nothing less than a vampire prince.

Here’s a glimpse into Jake’s thoughts as he prepares to kiss Jess for the first time – even as he suspects that she has feelings for the charismatic, foreign boy who has suddenly shown up in their quiet, rural community.

Have a scary-fun holiday!

Beth

Jake Zinn – Halloween Night

I couldn’t think of anything to say to her. Not one stupid thing, even though we’d just spent two hours at the school’s fall carnival together.

Jess Packwood was sitting next to me in my truck, biting her fingernails and looking out the window at nothing, and my brain was about as blank as the view passing by.

I jammed the truck into fourth and almost laughed. What would old Mrs. Wilhelm call that? “As blank as the view?”

A simile? Metaphor? Analogy?

One of those things.

I stopped laughing, and my fingers got tight around the gearshift.

Vladescu would have known. That guy was all about reading and metaphors and Moby Dick and might as well’ve taught English lit., the way he was always piping up from the back of the room. Mrs. Wilhelm was so in love with him, it was kind of sick. She was practically as bad as the rest of the girls in school, who made faces like, “Oh, god, look at him,” every time Luc walked down the hall.

I looked over at Jess, who was still biting her fingernail, looking really pretty.

And what about her? Was she, like, in love with the guy who lived over her folks’ garage?

I kind of thought so, even though Jess swore they were hardly even friends.

“The carnival was fun, huh?” I asked, just to say something.

Jess yanked her hand away from her mouth and looked over at me, looking surprised, like she’d been daydreaming. “What?” She hugged the stuffed hot dog I’d won for her by throwing some softballs at a cardboard clown. “Oh, yeah… It was great.”

Now what? Why couldn’t I think of anything to talk about?

I thought about Jess all the time. I thought of stuff I wanted to tell her, and in my brain it came out great. And we’d talked a lot over the summer, when I’d go to the diner where she’d worked. I’d known Jess practically my whole life, but she’d just been this girl who lived on the weird farm where they didn’t seem to grow anything but stray cats. But sometime over the summer, without me even noticing, that changed. I must’ve eaten about 30 hot turkey sandwiches before I figured out why I didn’t really go anyplace else. I liked hanging out with Jess, watching her add up checks in her head, without a pen. She could even do the tax. I liked to tease her about that.

But tonight she seemed like a gazillion miles away. The whole time we’d been at the carnival, she’d kept watching the door, like she was expecting somebody to maybe show up. I didn’t want to know who.

“So… how about that reading list for lit.,” I tried again. “It’s like a book a week!”

“Yeah, it’s a pretty crazy schedule,” Jess agreed, still hanging on to the hot dog.

What a stupid prize. I wished I could have won her the bear, which was cooler. But I’d only been able to get two softballs through the clown’s mouth. I sucked at throwing. That’s why I’d gone out for wrestling. No pressure to throw anything.

And why’d I have to bring up lit.? I saw the way Jess turned around whenever Luc talked about “symbolism.”

I downshifted kind of rough and hauled on the steering wheel, turning onto the dirt road that went to the Packwood place.

Vladescu could throw. He was the big basketball star at Wilson.

I’d tried to like that guy, and give him a chance, but it was hard. And I wasn’t the only one who thought he was different. Frank Dormand was telling the whole school that Lucius was crazy. Maybe dangerous.

Sometimes I wondered if I should have slammed Dormand against a locker for teasing Jess, like Luc had done while I’d stood there like an idiot. But my parents would kill me for getting in a fight at school, and Dormand had just been joking around…

“Hey, we’re here,” I said, like Jess wouldn’t recognize her own house, which was right in front of our faces. I pulled over near the barn, where I usually parked to deliver hay, put the truck in neutral and turned to look at her, and all of a sudden I really couldn’t talk.

Wow, she was pretty in that dress. It was, like, more mature than what the other girls wore to the carnival – but Jess had a body, and that dress showed it off. Not, like, in a sleazy way, but just… wow.

I’d seen guys checking her out all night – the same guys who’d been busting on me for liking a math geek – and I’d felt like telling them, “Back off, because I saw her first. You snoozed, and you lost!”

“Thanks again for winning me the hot dog,” she said, twisting around so we were face to face in the dark cab. Over her shoulder, I could see a jack-o-lantern lit up on the porch. And something, or somebody, next to it. At first I thought her dad – talk about a weird guy – had made a scarecrow, but then I thought I saw it move…

“I had a great time at the carnival,” Jess added.

“Sorry I didn’t get the bear,” I told her.

She smiled and shrugged, so the top of her dress shifted a little, and it was really hard not to look down at her chest, even though my dad told me never to do that when you talked to a girl. “Well, a hot dog’s nice,” she said. “It’s different, you know?”

I licked my lip, getting nervous. I’d kissed girls before, sure, and I knew it was time to make a move, but Jess made me act like I was in junior high. She was different. Good different. I looked past her out the window again. And was her dad on the porch? Or was that…?

“Did I tell you that you look really great in that dress?” I asked, stalling.

“Thanks.” She smiled again and wrapped one of her curls around her fingers, and I just about lost it. What was it about this girl?

We said some more lame stuff – I didn’t even know what I was saying – and all the sudden she started getting out of the truck, so I quick killed the engine and hustled around to get her door. And the weird thing was, as I walked in front of my truck, I decided not to even try to kiss Jess.

Not that night, or ever.

I made up my mind, right then and there, that we were through before we even really got started.

That’s when she tried to hop down, tripped on her own feet, and fell right on to me.

I heard her say “crap,” which was pretty funny, and then she slammed into my chest.

Yeah, I had planned to tell Jess that I’d see her around, and not even promise to call her, because I wasn’t going to. But when I caught her, she smelled so nice, and she felt so good, and a part of me still wanted to kiss her, so I did. It was like I lost control of myself, and the next thing I knew, we were kind of making out. A little.

I’d never heard of Jess having a boyfriend, but she was a good kisser. Her lips were really soft, and she tasted like the cotton candy I’d bought us at the carnival. Sweet. I almost felt like maybe I wasn’t so hot at kissing.

Where’d she learn to kiss so good…?

I opened my eyes and saw that jack-o-lantern laughing at us. I stopped kissing her. “I gotta get going, or I’ll break curfew,” I said.

Then I promised to call her, and I knew I would do it.

I also knew I should offer to walk Jess to her door, but I didn’t. I got back into my truck, and she stood there while I drove away. I slowed at the curve just past the barn, but I didn’t check the rearview to watch her go into the house, because I didn’t want to see her not open the front door. I didn’t want to see the girl I liked so much sit down next to the guy I’d seen watching us when I’d come around the front of my truck.

I steered around the curve, still not looking back.

Vladescu.

He was the reason I’d almost told Jess that I didn’t think we should keep hanging out. He was waiting for her next to that jack-o-lantern, looking scarier than anything else I’d seen that Halloween. Looking mad.

I didn’t really wanna be part of a pissing match with some foreign kid, even over Jess. Especially not with Luc, who looked like he’d been in a few fights, back in whatever country he came from. I didn’t check out guys in the locker room, but it was hard to miss that scar on his arm. I’d butchered stuff, and I knew the kind of marks knives left behind.

I drove down the Packwood’s dirt road, knowing I would call Jess, like I’d promised, because I was a nice guy – and for some reason, I couldn’t help wanting to be with her. Even though I had this feeling that it was all gonna turn out bad. That someday, it was gonna come down to me versus Vladescu. And remembering how Luc had practically strangled Dormand just for teasing Jess, let alone kissing her – I had this spooky feeling… Mrs. Wilhelm definitely would have called it “foreshadowing”… that one of us was gonna get hurt.

HBT - Ghost Story: Loseley House

Today's Haunted Blog Tour post is a ghost story about the Loseley House in Guildford. It's creepy how many ghost stories are originally from Surrey...

This beautiful house situated just outside Guildford in Surrey has been the home of the More-Molyneaux family since the sixteenth century. In the past its guests have included Queen Elizabeth I, King James I, Queen Anne and Queen Mary. It is also home to several ghosts. The ghost of a smiling lady dressed in Victorian clothes has been seen outside one of the bathrooms in the house. The present owner who saw the woman later found a portrait of the ghost in the attic. She is thought to have once lived there herself.

Another ghost of a lady has been seen but this time she is dressed in brown and does not appear to be nearly as friendly. She has been seen standing at the bottom of the stairs, and when she appears, witnesses usually feel a coldness surround them... As the story goes, about 400 years ago the 'Brown Lady' murdered her step-son by chopping off one his legs so that her own son could inherit her husband's fortune. When her husband found out what she had done he locked her into a room and kept her there for the rest of her life. Every year, on a particular night, horrific screams are reputedly heard coming from the room where she was kept prisoner.

Another ghostly lady has been seen by one of the owner's daughters. This time the ghost was that of a little old lady dressed in gray. She appeared only to the young girls in their playroom, where she would sit and smile at them, as if she was taking care of them. As the girls grew up, they realized there was something 'odd' about their friend and told their parents. The family eventually became very nervous about the ghost and left the house.

The house is also thought to be haunted by the ghost of a man who can be seen in fancy dress walking through the Long Gallery.

HBT - Mad Lib with author Allison Van Diepen

Today's Haunted Blog Tour post is a Mad Lib with author, Allison Van Diepen! She has written the young-adult novel "Raven".

How it works: I asked Allison to give me nouns, adjectives, verbs, etc. and then placed them into an already-made story with blanks. It usually turns out pretty funny! *The words she gave me are bolded.

This Mad Lib is called: Prom Night

One of the first and finest major horror films of all time was called "Madonna," about a teenage caterpillar who was rocky. She went to school and got good grades, but she was always behaving too quietly and did not like her fellow computers. This was because they did not like her. They all thought she was dry and acted like a canoodle. So at the end of her senior year, this girl was not invited to the heinous prom. All of the other students had dates and new hats to wear. But they treated their classmate as if she were really horrific. And she behaved so carefully, it was horrifying. Madonna was so mad at all of the other bassethounds at her school that she decided to ruin their prom. You see, she had stunning magical powers and if she concentrated on her belly button, she could start fires or make salad tongs start indulging. So she went to the place where the dance was being held and walked into the kitchen, and her ear blazed out magical energy. All of the girl's protesters burst into people. Then aquamarine liquid nitrogen began dripping from the arena all over everyone. At this point, everyone began lurching and trying to get out, but there was only one door! The students were tugging on each other and screaming, "Booyah!" It really taught those students a lesson. The lesson was, "Don't forget to invite Madonna!"

HBT - Win a Cute Tote Bag!

CONTEST CLOSED, WINNER CHOSEN!

Today's post for my Haunted Blog Tour is yet another giveaway! :)

In yesterday's guest post with Katie Alender, author of "Bad Girls Don't Die", she mentioned some Halloween costumes she's worn in the past. One of them being a dalmatian outfit, to match her dog. (If you haven't read the post yet you must, I love it!)

Well, for the giveaway, Katie is offering up a tote bag she made out of fabric from her Dalmatian costume! Is that cute, or what? Read on to see how to win! :)

How to Enter:
-Just leave a comment with your email address and the funniest Halloween costume you've ever seen. Be sure to include an email address in your comment!

*Please answer the above question! Most of the time, people skip over that part. I like to read what you guys say! +1 extra entry if it makes me laugh. :)

Contest Rules:
-Open to USA and Canada only.
-I'll use Random.org to pick the winner.
-The contest ends on November 13 at midnight. The winner will be chosen and posted/emailed on November 14. Good luck! :)

Extra Entries:
+2 For being a follower of my blog, or becoming one.
+1 Comment on my guest post with Katie Alender.
+2 Each time you advertise the contest! Link it to your sidebar, put my "Haunted Blog Tour" button on your blog, blog about it, twitter, etc. *Must include links!

HBT - Guest post with author Katie Alender

Please read this post!! It's one of my most favorite author guest posts!

Today's Haunted Blog Tour is a guest post with author, Katie Alender! She is the author of the young-adult novel "Bad Girls Don't Die", which was published this year.

"Being the Character", by Katie Alender

Halloween always makes me feel guilty. This is probably tied to my somewhat questionable sense of personal style. You see, when you see Halloween costumes for women, they're usually tiny body suits with bunny tails or long, clingy Elvira dresses. When we go to Halloween parties, we're surrounded by women like this, showing off their assets in teensy-weensy leotards.

But not me. Oh, no, not me.

For example, last year? I was a nun (NOT a sexy nun--a convinving nun). Before that, I was a Dalmatian (to match my dog, Winston--he's not a Dalmatian, but he dressed like one, too.) And before that? I was a farmer.

So, yeah, I feel a pinch of guilt. Because while most men probably want a hippity-hoppity leotard bunny at their sides, my husband is the one with the girl dressed as one-eyed Leela from "Futurama"--bumping into things, losing my cardboard eye, having major purple hairspray malfunctions...

Dressing up for Halloween is about playing a character. As a writer, I'm quite comfortable it. And I must say, the characters who are the most fun to "play" aren't the perfect bunnies in shiny leotards, or the "she'd never be allowed to wear a skirt that short in Kansas" sexy Dorothys. They're the nuns, and the farmers, and the outcasts with one eye. They're the real people, who aren't necessarily cute and flirty, but have a story to tell. You know just by looking at them (or thinking about them, as an author).

But okay, that's not the only reason. I'm also not quite the bunny-suit type. The last time I wore any kind of leotard in public was probably 1989, to a gymnastics class where I most certainly got stuck trying to flip over the uneven parallel bars (my gymnastics career was quite short-lived).

I don't know what I'm going to be this year. I"m sort of looking forward to it and sort of not. My husband is lucky; he's always the same thing. He has a foam milk carton that he puts on his head, and his face is the 'missing person'. It's great, because it makes him about seven feet tall and I can spot him from across the party.

I don't have anything against the ladies who like to get out there work it in their sassy costumes. But I must say, when I'm hanging out in my nun garb (and--the best part!--sensible, comfortable shoes), and I see a Victorian zombie bride come in, covered in lace to her chin, wrists, and ankles, and so gory that she couldn't possible be considered tempting to anyone but her zombie groom, my heart does a happy little dance.

And I think, "Now there's someone with a story!"

HBT - Win the "Wicked" series, signed!

CONTEST CLOSED. WINNER CHOSEN!

It's time for another spectacular spooky contest in honor of my Haunted Blog Tour! Author, Nancy Holder, has generously offered a set of her Wicked series, which she wrote with Debbie Viguie, for one lucky winner! Oh and also - all three of the books are signed. :]

Description of the Wicked series:
Holly Cathers's world shatters when her parents are killed in a terrible accident. Wrenched from her home in San Francisco, she is sent to Seattle to live with her relatives, Aunt Marie-Claire and her twin cousins, Amanda and Nicole. In her new home, Holly's sorrow and grief soon give way to bewilderment at the strange incidents going on around her. Such as how any wish she whispers to her cat seems to come true. Or the way a friend is injured after a freak attack from a vicious falcon. And there's the undeniable, magnetic attraction to a boy Holly barely knows. Holly, Amanda, and Nicole are about to be launced into a dark legacy of witches, secrets, and alliances, where ancient magics yield dangerous results. The girls will assume their roles in an intergenerational feud beyond their wildest imaginations...and in doing so, will attempt to fulfill their shared destiny.

Does this series sound great or what?! I just got my own set, too, so be on the lookout for their reviews.

How to Enter:
-Just leave a comment with your email address and what you are going to be for Halloween! If you aren't dressing up this year, you can mention a costume you wore in the past. -Be sure to include an email address in your comment!

*Please answer the above question! Most of the time, people skip over that part. I like to read what you guys say!

Contest Rules:
-Open to USA only.
-I'll use Random.org to pick the winner.
-The contest ends on November 6 at midnight. The winner will be chosen and posted/emailed on November 7. Good luck! :)

Extra Entries:
+2 For being a follower of my blog, or becoming one.
+2 Each time you advertise the contest! Link it to your sidebar, put my "Haunted Blog Tour" button on your blog, blog about it, twitter, facebook, myspace, etc.
*Must include links!
+2 I picked 10 random people from my followers list and they get 2 additional entries...just because! See? Being a follower has its advantages. :) So if your name is on the list, just let me know in your comment.
-Natalieranae (Mindful Musings)
-Briana (The Book Pixie)
-Misty (Book Rat)
-Kim (And Anything Bookish)
-Karen Barnett (Cannot Be Shaken)
-Eli (Tainted Poet)
-TruBlu93 (Starry Night)
-Sharonluvscats (Sharon Loves Books & Cats)
-The Bookologist
-Pixie (Page Turners)

HBT - Win signed Nancy Holder books!

CONTEST CLOSED / WINNER CHOSEN

How would you like to win TWO, SIGNED books by young-adult author Nancy Holder!? :)

Description of "Possessions":
New-girl Lindsay discovers all is not right at the prestigious Marlwood Academy for Girls. Ethereal, popular Mandy and her clique are plotting something dangerous. Lindsay overhears them performing strange rituals, and sees their eyes turn black. It doesn’t help that the school itself is totally eerie, with ancient, dilapidated buildings tucked into the Northern California woods, a thick white fog swirling through campus. There are hidden passageways, odd reflections in the windows at night, and scariest of all is the vast lake rumored to have captured the ghost of a girl who drowned many years ago. What Lindsay doesn’t yet realize is that Mandy and her cohorts are becoming possessed by spirits who have haunted the school for two hundred years. Spirits who want someone dead... And that someone is Lindsay.


Description of "Pretty Little Devils":
Some girls would KILL to be part of the in crowd. POPULARITY is the one thing Hazel wants....High school junior Hazel Stone is sick of being stuck with the c-listers. She'll do anything to be one of the Pretty Little Devils, her school's most coveted clique. The PLDS are famous for their secret soirees, held in the oversized suburban homes of the people they babysit for. So when Sylvia invites her to one of the PLD parties, Hazel couldn't be more thrilled! Little does she know... Hazel's new social status comes with a price. Sure, it's fun skinny-dipping in infinity pools and drinking the contents of the well-stocked rec rooms...after the kids are in bed. But when the lights go out, this babysitter has to deal with more than monsters in the closet. Nasty things start happening. Frightening prank calls. A cat gone missing. Mysterious threats. It seems that someone's jealous of newly popular Hazel... DEADLY JEALOUS. When other babysitters start turning up dead, Hazel has to figure out who to trust, before someone turns their backstabbing ways on her.

Sounds like your kind of books? Well read on to see how you could be the lucky person to win both signed novels! Please read all the rules and how to enter thoroughly!

How to Enter:
-Leave a comment, and be sure to include your email address!
-There are lots of additional things you can do for extra entries. These are optional, but give you a higher chance of winning.
-Please try to put all of your entries in ONE comment, it makes it easier to count them all up.

Contest Rules:
-Open to USA residents only! Unless international readers, you have someone in the U.S. who can mail it to you. (Sorry! I'm just a poor high-school student.)
-I'll use Random.org to pick the winner.
-Leave an email address in your comment, please! No email = No entry. I have to have a way to contact the winner!

Extra Entries:
+4 If you follow my blog.
+3 Put on your sidebar - please leave link.
+1 Twitter about this giveaway - leave link.
+5 Blog about this giveaway - leave link.
+3 Comment on my guest post with Nancy Holder.
+2 Go to Nancy's site and tell me one thing you learned from her bio.
+1 Vote in my Nancy Holder poll (in the top right sidebar).

Total number of entries you can have: 20!


The contest ends on November 3 at midnight. The winner will be chosen and posted/emailed on November 4. Good luck! :)

HBT - Guest Post with author Nancy Holder

For the Haunted Blog Tour post today, it will be a guest post with author Nancy Holder! She has chosen to write about her inspiration: Edgar Allan Poe.

--------------------------------------------

Poe-sessed by Possessions

It was a cold, gray day last March when I flew to Washington, D.C., to spend four days of spring vacation seeing the sights. Just four days to tour the nation’s capital, Colonial Williamsburg, and Jamestown. So why did I spend an entire day driving in the opposite direction, getting lost numerous times in the rain, winding up in a very bad neighborhood? And why did I leave the safety of my car to make my way to a graveyard, bearing three red roses? And why, when I saw the name on the monument, did I start to cry?

Because it was the grave of my hero, Edgar Allan Poe.

Poe was the first American author to attempt to live solely off the money he made from writing. Although adopted by a very wealthy man, Poe turned his back on an easy life as a Virginia planter, left West Point Military Academy, and wrote. He and his beloved wife, Virginia, nearly starved. His great enemy, Rufus Griswold, is responsible for the image we have today of Poe as a tortured lunatic addled by drugs. Yet he was possessed by a demon—or an angel, depending on your outlook—which was his muse. Something pushed him to write through poverty, the early death of Virginia, and lack of solid publishing success. He was only forty when he died, and his grave was originally unmarked. Today he is buried in a monument with his mother-in-law and his Virginia, which is why I brought three red roses.

It wasn’t until I started teaching creative writing that I really, seriously sat down and read Poe’s work. I was completely mesmerized. I felt so close to him while reading his words that it was as if he sat beside me and turned the pages of his work with a phantom hand.

I have tried to use my own writing to connect at that same deep level with my own readers. My way to duplicate the effect Poe had on me is to try to make the world I’m writing about so real to me, and to feel the deepest emotions of my characters so completely, that my pages are soaked with those sensations and images.

When I co-wrote the Wicked series with Debbie Viguie, I read tons of books on the Wiccan traditions, witchcraft, the Middle Ages, and I went to France. I immersed myself in the witchy world as thoroughly as I could. I visited a chapel dedicated to Joan of Arc, with fresh roses at her feet, and thought of our characters doing the same. I remembered how brave she was to lead armies against the English, and to die at the stake when she was only nineteen. She reminded me of the single-mindedness and courage of Poe. (If you’d like to see a video of Debbie Viguie and me, please go to http://www.simonandschuster.com/multimedia and type in “Wicked”.)

To write Possessions, I scared myself. Constantly. Every morning I got up, made coffee and watched a horror movie. The ones that scared me most, I watched over and over. Some of them are: El Orfanato (The Orphanage); the American and Japanese versions of The Grudge and The Ring; The Changeling (with George C. Scott); The Skeleton Key; The Others; The Innocents, and many, many more. I also listened to scary movie soundtracks (The Possession of Emily Rose, for example) while I wote. I worked myself into a state of fear and then I huddled in a small bedroom on the first floor of my house—which also happens to be the coldest room in the house. And I put the intense fear that I was feeling on the page.

But to connect with others as Poe connected with me, I needed to make readers care about the people in Possessions. And so I had to care about them. And I did care…and still do. Lindsay Cavanaugh, the main character, has lost her mother to cancer and had a very public breakdown at school after she becomes possessed by the popularity demon. She seeks refuge at Marlwood Academy for Young Women, a super-exclusive boarding school high in the mountains of Northern California, and she quickly learns the dead haunt the school…and want payback for terrible wrongs committed against them.

Lindsay is so brave, and so kind, that she is very real to me, and I care deeply about what happens to her. Every morning, I could sense Lindsay waking up inside my head, trapped in the nightmare world I put her in. I knew I had to get to work so that at least she would have me for company…until the readers of Possessions joined her, pulling for her, I hope, all the way.

This seems to me to be a slightly mad way to live, and so I understand Poe, who was equally possessed by other lives in other worlds. Poe was a man of strong emotions and passions, who couldn’t stop writing. I can’t stop writing about Lindsay, and so I’m lucky that Possessions is the first book in the Possessions series. Possessions: the Evil Within, will come out in June, and I’m beginning work on the third book. Lindsay is the star, but I can’t forget handsome, adorable Troy Minear; and wicked mad and sexy Miles Winters, the twin brother of the ringleader of the evil girls, the beautiful and spoiled Mandy Winters. Each in his or her tormented way tries to find the light. But some will walk in darkness…forever.

My hero, Edgar Allan Poe, found his light in the darkness. He wrote about people whose obsessions occasionally unbalanced them; who dared to hope and dream past the point of reason. He was a writer possessed, as am I. And that is why I spent my vacation visiting his memorial.

I’m hard at work on the third book in the series, bunkered in my room, scaring myself half to death all over again! And now that Halloween is here, and the nights are cold and filled with ghosts, I hope that you will let Possessions give you a few spooky chills , and that Lindsay and her story will possess you, as I have been possessed.

HBT - Mad Lib with author Nancy Holder

Today's Haunted Blog Tour post is a Mad Lib with young adult author, Nancy Holder! She has written the novels Possessions, Pretty Little Devils, and the Wicked series.

How it works: I asked Nancy to give me nouns, adjectives, verbs, etc. and then placed them into an already-made story with blanks. It usually turns out pretty funny! *The words she gave me are bolded.

The Mad Lib is called: "The Gleaming"

One of Kiefer Sutherland's first big acting roles was playing the part of the cape in the horror classic called "The Gleaming Cauldron." This haunted movie tells the story of a writer who needs a quiet place to work, so he rents a fun house in Colorado in the middle of winter. He takes his wife and small stepmother with him. Then it snows evilly for 13 days, and the couple discovers the cursed place is haunted by the ghost of a putrid pumpkin. Well, this horrible ghost is the evil spirit of a former exorcist in the Revoluntionary Army. It takes possession of his heart and forces him to act wickedly towards his own stepmother! At this point, there is a lot of shrieking, but before he can harm anyone he is killed by a stray bat!

Haha that sure would make an interesting movie.. :) Check back tomorrow for a guest post with Nancy and over the weekend there will be two contests for her books! Don't miss out.

HBT - Your Own Ghost Experiences?

Today's Haunted Blog Tour: Instead of telling an urban legend or ghost story from the past in different countries, I decided to change it up a little bit! Here is where you can share your own ghost encounters, or ones that you have heard from friends/family.
Note: I do not believe in ghosts, but I love to read ghost stories! Ironic, huh?

Here are a few that I found on the internet from various websites. All of the writers who submitted the stories claim that it's the truth.

-Submitted by Amber:
On one stormy Friday night, at about 8:30 pm, when I was about 16, my mom and dad had to work over time and my sister was sleeping at a friend's house. My brother was at my cousin's house. I was home alone. I had some ghost experiences in this house before, but this one is the scariest. I was in the living room, watching a TV show, and the sink went on and it sounded like someone was doing the dishes. I looked over in the kitchen and all the dishes were still there dirty. I thought I was hearing things so I went to my room to sleep. It felt like someone was watching me. I kept hearing little creeks, like my door was opening. I looked and no one was there. I looked in the mirror and saw an outline of a little boy. My old baby teddy bear that I found in the house, when I moved in, flew up in the air. He said "I want my dolly". He sounded angry. I ran to my kitchen, got the phone and called my mom's cell phone. No one answered. I was totally freaked out. I ran to my room under my bed. When my mom came home, she looked under my bed and was surprised to see me. I told her "mom, my my my old teddy flew in the the air... I saw a a a ghost". She took me to the doctors. She thought I was crazy. The doctor said "she is not crazy, now the best thing for you to do is to bless the house". We got a person to come and bless the house. Some things still happen. I don't think blessing the house was enough.


-Submitted by Gaga:
When I was younger I used to sleep over my aunt's house because my mam used to babysit my cousin's every Sunday night for my aunty to work. I used to love it as me and my cousin's are similar ages so we get on really well. I used to sleep top and tail with my cousin Nathan. That night we went to bed around 9.30pm where we played on the playstation until 10pm when my mother would shout up "time to go to sleep" so we turned the playstation off and settled down to sleep. I woke up through the night and saw my cousin Nathan walking towards the door so I followed him where he made way to my aunt's room, the room where my mother was sleeping. I called his name at least three times but he didn't acknowledge me. I woke my mother up through calling my cousins name she said " what's wrong? " no longer was my cousin there I said " I saw Nathan he was just here" so we both went to my cousins bedroom and he was in bed fast asleep. It was definitely my cousin Nathan I saw that night. Was it just my imagination? Or has anyone else ever experienced anything like this?


-Submitted by Justin:
About 3 days ago I was on the computer and all of a sudden I heard light scuffing feet and what sounded like a little boy's voice in the hallway then stopped in front of my door! I looked at the bottom of my door and I thought I saw a shadow of feet for a few seconds. A few people have suggested that there is a little boy in my house that is stuck here in our world. I live on a long street that has a huge history of deaths. My house is about 100 years old. A few more things happened that night. I asked my parents if they heard anything when I went to go back to my room and I saw a child in the dining room. It could have been my brother but my parents told me he was sound asleep. I feel as if the boy is looking over my shoulders watching me write this. It is hard for me to write this because I'm remembering my eight year old fish that fell out of the tank and died a few days ago and what is strange is I took pictures of my fish and one of the pictures showed him transparent! He is a dirt eater and is NOT transparent. I took pictures of the rooms in my house and I think I got a picture of a kid sitting on the counter in the kitchen weeping. I have had dreams of ghosts that look and sounds like him.

Got a story?? Leave a comment or email it to me with your name at: booksobsession(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll post it!

HBT - Win "Strange Angels" signed!

CONTEST CLOSED! WINNER CHOSEN.

Just as I promised in yesterday's post, today's Haunted Blog Tour post will be a contest! What's the prize you ask?? How about....

A SIGNED COPY OF "STRANGE ANGELS" BY LILI ST. CROW!

Book Description:

Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called “the touch.” (Comes in handy when you’re traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.) Then her dad turns up dead—but still walking—and Dru knows she’s next. Even worse, she’s got two guys hungry for her affections, and they’re not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever—or whoever— is hunting her?

Sound good?? Well read on to see how you could be the lucky person to win a copy! :)

How to Enter:
-Leave a comment, and be sure to include your email address!
-There are additional things you can do for extra entries. These are optional, but give you a better chance of winning.
-Please try to put all of your entries in ONE comment, it makes it easier to count them all up.

Contest Rules:
-Open to USA residents only! (Unless international people, you have someone in the U.S. who can mail it to you.)
-I'll use Random.org to pick the winner.
-Leave an email address in your comment, please! No email = No entry. Sorry, but I have to have a way to contact the winner!

Extra Entries:
+4 If you already follow my blog.
+3 Become a follower of my blog.
+5 Put on your sidebar - please leave link.
+1 Each time you Twitter about this giveaway - must leave links!
+8 Blog about this giveaway - must leave link!
+3 Put my "Haunted Blog Tour" button on your sidebar and link it to my site.
+3 Comment on my interview with Lili St. Crow.


The contest ends on November 3 at midnight. The winner will be chosen and posted/emailed on November 4.

Good luck! And don't forget to check back each day for the rest of the Haunted Blog Tour posts this month! :]

HBT - Interview with author Lili St. Crow

Can you believe October is already almost halfway over?? I hope you're all enjoying my Haunted Blog Tour! For today's post, it's an interview with author Lili St. Crow, author of the Strange Angels series.


Do you have any Halloween traditions?

Carving pumpkins with my kids. I love it, and they love it. It's the only holiday I really decorate for.

What's your most memorable Halloween?

Probably the one I moved into my current house on. Let me just say it was an Experience. We moved on short notice, and I barely realized it was Halloween until everything was done.

What's the scariest movie you've ever seen? Scariest book read?

Hmm. I don't think I've seen a movie that's really deep-down scared me, unless it was one of Michael Moore's. The closest was The Village, which did make me jump a couple times. The scariest book I've ever read has to be Stephen King's IT. I slept with the lights on after that one.

Do you have a favorite Halloween recipe?

I like the smell of baking pumpkin pies, but I hate eating them. Sometimes I'll make one and just smell it, or buy a pumpkin pie candle and light it. That's as close as I get to a favorite Halloween recipe.

Are you superstitious?

No. Just cautious.

Most scary nightmare you've ever had?

I think I was seven, and I dreamed I was locked in my school with a bunch of other kids. There were giant robotic spiders that would drink a kid's blood, and they went around turning the thermostats down because they didn't like the heat. People passing by outside the school gates wouldn't help us, because school wasn't out yet. I ended up in a bathroom stall in the cold, hearing the spiders rustling outside. I still get chills when I think of that dream.

Funniest Halloween costume you've ever seen or worn?

The funniest one I've ever seen was a young man in a lacy slip with the word FREUD painted on the skirt, in big black letters. A Freudian slip. I found it hilarious.

Which Disney Villain do you like the best and why?

Maleficent. Because she's just so awesome, and that horned helmet--she carries it off so well. I never thought the prince should have killed her. She was far more interesting than Aurora, that's for sure.

Where did you come up with the ideas/characters for your Strange Angels series?

The characters were already there, actually. Christophe is very, very loosely based on a young Vampire Hunter D, but that's about it. The characters were fully-blown the moment I got the initial image for the book, which was Dru in her kitchen staring at her back door. There was a zombie there, and I instantly knew the zombie was her father and that she was in deep trouble. Everything about the series sprang into my head at that moment.

Thank you so so much!

Thank you for having me!

Check back for tomorrow's post to win a signed copy of Strange Angels!! :)

HBT - Ghost Story: The Winnats

My post for today's Haunted Blog Tour will be a ghost story called "The Winnats" which orignated from Castleton, Derbyshire.

The Winnats, in Castleton, Derbyshire, is a rocky, cavernous area, known not only for its beautiful scenery but for its two tragic ghosts as well.
In the eighteenth century, Peak Forest was the place where young lovers could get married at any time of the day or night. Allan and Clara were one such couple, and totally against their parents wishes they planned to travel to Peak Forest to be married. Their journey took them through Winnats Pass, where they were set upon by five men. The attackers robbed them of their savings and then dragged them into the bushes at the roadside. The five miners then killed Allan with an axe in front of Clara, then eventually beat her to death.

The next night, filled with drink, the miners came back to the spot where they had killed the young couple and put them into sacks and buried them. Since then, strange noises and the sound of anguished cries can be heard around the spot where they were murdered, and some witnesses even claim they have seen the ghosts of the young couple running in and out of the trees!

Years later, miners were digging in a mine shaft nearby when they came across the skeletons of a young man and woman holding hands. They were believed to be those of the murdered couple, and to this day the ominous sounds of something being dragged along the floor and pitiful cries of help can still be heard...

HBT - Comment Contest for The Monster Variations!

CONTEST CLOSED! WINNER CHOSEN.

In yesterday's Haunted Blog Tour post, which was an interview with young adult author Daniel Kraus, I said there would be a contest for his book! Daniel has generously offered a signed copy of his new release thriller, The Monster Variations.

Book Description:
Someone is killing boys in a small town. The murder weapon is a truck, and the only protection is a curfew enacted to keep kids off the streets. But it’s summer—and that alone is worth the risk of staying out late for James, Willie, and Reggie. Willie, who lost his arm in the first hit-and-run attack, finds it hard to keep up with his two best friends as they leave childhood behind. All of them are changing, hounded by their parents, hunted by the killer, and haunted by the “monster,” a dead thing that guards the dangerous gateway between youth and manhood. But that’s not all: shadowing the boys everywhere is Mel Herman, the mysterious and brilliant bully whose dark secrets may hold the key to their survival. As the summer burns away, these forces collide, and it will take compassion, brains, and guts for the boys to overcome their demons—and not become monsters themselves.

How it works/How to enter:
-This contest is different from my other ones - it's a comment contest! Which means, for every real comment you leave on ANY of my posts throughout the month of October, it counts as one entry.
-The comments have to be longer than just a sentence or phrase..I want real ones relevant to the post! :)
-Only one comment per post counts as one entry. Like, even if you comment the same post 3 times, it still counts as one entry.
-You can comment on any of my blog posts that were/will be posted in October....starting with this post!

**Only open to residents of the U.S. and Canada!! Unless, international readers, you have someone in the USA who can mail it to you.

For your first entry, just comment saying you'd like to be included - with your name and email address. **YOU MUST INCLUDE AN EMAIL!**
Then, for every comment you leave, I'll start adding up for your entries.
For a complete list of all of my Haunted Blog Tour Posts, click here!

The contest ends on October 31 at midnight. The winner will be randomly chosen and posted/emailed on November 1.

Good luck! And don't forget to check back each day for the rest of the Haunted Blog Tour posts this month to comment! :]

HBT - Interview with author Daniel Kraus

Today's Haunted Blog Tour post is an interview with author Daniel Kraus, who has written the young adult thriller: The Monster Variations.


How did you come up with the story in your book "The Monster Variations"?

Out of nowhere, I envisioned a scene in which a boy wakes up on the side of a road to find out that he has been hit by a car and his arm has been torn off. I wrote the scene, liked it, and then tried to figure out the mystery of who this kid was, how his town would react, and finally, who was driving the truck.

What is the scariest book you've ever read?

I can remember reading Stephen King's Pet Sematary when I was a kid and being pretty freaked out. I finished the last hundred pages or so in one night and I was all alone in the house, and I can remember tip-toeing around, turning on lights. Just to, you know, make sure nothing was hiding in the corners.

What's the most memorable Halloween you've ever had?

For some reason the Halloween that sticks out to me is the last one I ever went trick-or-treating. My friend Ben (to whom the book is dedicated) and I dressed up like vampires from the movie The Lost Boys. We were too old for trick-or-treating and mostly planned to scare little kids. Yet we wore costumes, which means we were still on that edge of growing up. One thing's for sure: we weren't very scary.

Do you have any Halloween traditions?

Halloween is my favorite holiday. I usually spend all day watching horror movies. I'll even take a day off work if I need to. Usually I write down all the movies beforehand to make sure I have my TV schedule all plotted out. I take my horror-movie watching very seriously. Very. Seriously.

Can you tell us a little bit about your next book, "Rotters" coming out in 2011?

It's an epic horror adventure about grave robbing. It's very creepy and very disturbing, and after you read it you may think I am a very scary man. But I'm not. Seriously. Hey, why are you backing away?

What is the scariest thing that has happened to you?

When my wife and I were driving around Scotland, we stayed in this old hotel in the middle of nowhere. We had spent the day roaming through empty castles and ancient stone circles and we were already kind of freaked out. So we settled down in this creepy room with a big four-poster bed, and both of us were suddenly seized by dread. It was too dark and too quiet. The idea of getting up to use the bathroom was terrifying. There was a sense of something very wrong in that room, so wrong that I almost felt sick. I don't believe in ghosts, but sometimes I think of that night and have my doubts.

What's your favorite horror movie and why?

Wow, that's a tough one. There's a flick made in 1962 called "Carnival of Souls" that I really like. It was made for about five bucks, all the actors are terrible, and it has some really lousy effects. But there's something about it that creeps me out - maybe it's the setting of an old abandoned theme park. There's also a French film made in 1960 called "Eyes Without a Face" that will scare the hell out of you. It's about a surgeon who kills women so he can cut off their faces and try to graft the skin onto the face of his terribly burned daughter. I saw it in a crowded movie theater a few years ago and during one scene in particular you could've heard a pin drop. The entire audience was holding its breath.

Most haunting nightmare you've ever had?

When I was four years old, I had a dream that I was walking through our house at night in my pajamas. I heard crying and I turned and saw my baby sister in her crib. Two arms were coming from the ceiling, reaching down toward the baby. In each hand was a bottle of lotion that was pouring all over the baby. I'm getting chills just thinking about it. It was so scary that, the following night, I had a dream where my room was filled with TVs playing the first dream, over and over and over...

What's the most strange, funny, or unique Halloween costume you've ever worn?

One time I poured a bunch of fake blood over a handkerchief and tied it around my head to look like some kind of crazy killer or something. It wasn't funny or unique, but it probably qualifies as strange.


Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions, Daniel! Readers - look for tomorrow's post for a chance to win his book "The Monster Variations"!