Meghan: Hi Tia!! Welcome to Meghan’s House of Books. Thank you for taking part in this year’s Halloween Extravaganza. What is your favorite part of Halloween?
Tia: All of it? But seriously, I do love Halloween. I think what I love the most is that no matter how old I get, it’s nostalgic. It reminds me of being a kid and running around my neighborhood with neighbors and sister, racing to as many houses as possible, then going home and dumping all our candy out and watching silly Halloween movies like Monster Squad and the ones Disney always used to put on.
Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween tradition?
Tia: Gosh. Obviously as a kid it was trick-or-treating, which usually meant freezing your butt off, then coming home and going through our candy and watching movies. When I was a teen, through my 20’s, it was watching cheesy horror flicks with my best friend and pigging out on junk food. As an adult and a parent, it’s now getting to do the whole trick-or-treat thing again with my kids. Only, it’s a little more fun because we may or may not drink wine out of paper coffee cups (shhhhh) and order pizza. I do still watch Halloween movies, though. That’s the one constant that hasn’t changed. Oh, and I DO dress up as an adult to go out with my kids!
Meghan: If Halloween is your favorite holiday (or even second favorite holiday), why?
Tia: It’s just simple. I think that’s what makes Halloween so fun. There’s no massive amount of presents to buy. No stress or worry. Just a few hours of getting to dress up, eat candy, and be a kid again.
Meghan: What are you superstitious about?
Tia: This is a tough one. I’m not really superstitious, but if I had to say one thing I am superstitious about, it would be expressing something good that I think might or want to happen for fear it won’t come true.
Meghan: What/who is your favorite horror monster or villain?
Tia: Michael Myers. (From the Halloween movies.)
Meghan: Which unsolved murder fascinates you the most?
Tia: Gosh, honestly? The JonBenet Ramsey case. Probably because it’s such a tragedy, and the parents were so suspicious and the brother kind of weird. It STILL makes me question whether it was one of them when really — who knows? It could’ve been some random person.
Meghan: Which urban legend scares you the most?
Tia: Probably Candyman. At least it did when I was a kid.
Meghan: Who is your favorite serial killer and why?
Tia: This question feels tricky. Mostly because, are we supposed to have a favorite serial killer? Is it creepy if we do? LOL
If I had to choose, I guess I’d pick Jack the Ripper. Mostly because I read a fictional historical romance called The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly that put a fictional play on Jack the Ripper that added a cool element to the story. It was kind of fun to get a glimpse into what it would’ve been like to be in Whitechapel during that time.
Meghan: How old were you when you saw your first horror movie? How old were you when you read your first horror book?
Tia: Does Jaws count? I was maybe six when I saw that and I liked it. Hahaha
Otherwise, it was probably Halloween around 11, and it only freaked me out in that creepy-cool kind of enjoyable way.
Meghan: Which horror novel unsettled you the most?
Tia: Truthfully, I don’t read horror. I immerse myself in books so much, it would creep me out WAY too much. Probably the scariest thing I’ve read is The Shining by Stephen King.
Meghan: Which horror movie scarred you for life?
Tia: Poltergeist. It still creeps me out. Anything paranormal and dealing with spirits/demons. <shudders>
Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween costume?
Tia: Gosh. This is hard. I can definitely tell you my LEAST favorite. Hahaha When I was about nine, my mom dressed me up as a pilgrim. She sowed this little dress and hat and I remember we went to this party and I hid the whole time under the table. Hahaha
Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween-themed song?
Tia: Definitely either Monster Mash or Thriller.
Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween candy or treat? What is your most disappointing?
Tia: Reese’s peanut butter cups with Snickers as a close second. Milk Duds are by far the worst. They’re like eating cardboard covered in waxy chocolate. LOL
Meghan: Before we leave, what are your top 2 favorite Halloween movies?
Tia: The Monster Squad – I used to watch this every Halloween and it’s still my favorite. If you haven’t seen it, you should watch it! It has all the classics. Dracula, Swamp Thing, a mummy, werewolf and Frankenstein. And, of course, Crazy German Guy!
Beetlejuice – Am I showing my age? What can I say? I am an 80’s child and I love Michael Keaton. Also, can you tell I don’t do super scary or super gory? LOL
Boo-graphy:
Tia Souders is a city girl turned country. If life on a farm isn’t interesting enough, renovating a century home with her hubs has kept her on her toes. There’s nothing like discovering a fried squirrel in your furnace to make life fresh again.
She’s an unapologetic wine-loving coffeeholic with a sweet tooth. In-between wrangling her children and drinking copious amounts of coffee, she writes sweet romance and stories that tug on your heartstrings.
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