Meghan: Hey, Krist! Welcome back to Meghan’s HAUNTED House of Books. What is your favorite part of Halloween?
Kristopher: I couldn’t imagine not being a fan of Halloween. Next to Christmas, it’s the one day when everyone can be a kid again. People celebrate horror and openly admit to being entertained by it. Plus, it’s just so much fun. That’s never changed throughout all my life.
Meghan: Do you get scared easily?
Kristopher: I don’t know if “easily” describes it. But a lot of things do scare me. Now that I’m older and a father, I have worries that I never thought about when I was younger. Plus, I’ve seen relatives get sick, friends have passed away, and marriages haves ended. I never thought I was indestructible when I was younger, but such fears never crossed my mind. Now they dwell there.
Meghan: What is the scariest movie you’ve ever seen and why?
Kristopher: Probably The Changeling with George C. Scott. I saw it when I was very young and some of it really disturbed me. Even now, I still feel the same way I did as a kid whenever I watch it. The images, locations, and music just really messed me up all those years ago.
Meghan: Which horror movie murder did you find the most disturbing?
Kristopher: Probably the flashback seen in The Changeling. I don’t want to give it away, but that one bothered me when I saw it for the first time. Still does.
Meghan: Is there a horror movie you refused to watch because the commercials scared you too much?
Kristopher: I don’t think so. If anything, it had the exact opposite influence on me. The scarier the better. Especially when I was younger. I’d talk about the trailers with my friends, and we’d imagine what the movies would be like. Usually, they didn’t come close to our imaginations, but sometimes they far exceeded them.
Meghan: If you got trapped in one scary movie, which would you choose?
Kristopher: Probably Just Before Dawn because of the beautiful scenery. I’d just have to make sure I steered clear of the inbred family.
Meghan: If you were stuck as the protagonist in any horror movie, which would you choose?
Kristopher: Maybe the Scream series since, until recently, the core group have lasted so long.
Meghan: What is your all-time favorite scary monster or creature of the night?
Kristopher: The werewolf, for sure.
Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween tradition?
Kristopher: All of it. I don’t think I enjoy one more than the other. It’s all a buffet of scary fun.
Meghan: What is your favorite horror or Halloween-themed song?
Kristopher: Monster Mash. I have loved it since I was a little kid.
Meghan: Which horror novel unsettled you the most?
Kristopher: The Girl Next Door. Nothing comes close. Jack Ketchum was a master, and he stuck to the basics in that story and conjured up a truly disturbing book based on real events.
Meghan: What is the creepiest thing that’s ever happened while you were alone?
Kristopher: A candle flew off a shelf and smacked into a wall right in front of me. I think it was going after my wife at the time. She’d been standing where the candle hit seconds before it launched. I entered the room just as it took flight. Once, in the same place, when I was completely alone, I watched hand-prints appear on the ceiling and vanish within seconds of emerging. Needless to say, we moved out of there first chance we got.
Meghan: Which unsolved mystery fascinates you the most?
Kristopher: I’m fascinated by most with a supernatural element. Unsolved murders and things like that don’t really fascinate me much. But anything with “monster sightings” or paranormal components will hook me in. If it involves a cryptid, even better. Water monster sightings also interest me a lot.
Meghan: What is the spookiest ghost story that you have ever heard?
Kristopher: Surprisingly, I haven’t heard a bunch. But there was a local legend about a Wildman that lived in the woods around my house growing up. When I was a kid, I swore I saw him once. I was in the woods and saw a man just walking around, dressed in ragged clothes and carrying an ax. I told people, and that was when I learned about the “Wildman.” Don’t know how true that story was, but I did see the man.
Meghan: In a zombie apocalypse, what is your weapon of choice?
Kristopher: Unlimited gun supply. I’d want them to be as far away from me as possible. No up-close battles if I can help it.
Meghan: Okay, let’s have some fun. Would you rather get bitten by a vampire or a werewolf?
Kristopher: Werewolf!
Meghan: Would you rather fight a zombie apocalypse or an alien invasion?
Kristopher: Probably a zombie apocalypse. But an alien invasion would be quicker, if I was on the losing side.
Meghan: Would you rather drink zombie juice or eat dead bodies from the graveyard?
Kristopher: Ew! Zombie juice. Unless it was just one bite from a dead body.
Meghan: Would you rather stay at the Poltergeist house or the Amityville house for a week?
Kristopher: Amityville. The Poltergeist house is terrifying!
Meghan: Would you rather chew on a bitter melon with chilies or maggot-infested cheese?
Kristopher: Nasty! The melon, for sure.
Meghan: Would you rather drink from a witch’s cauldron or lick cotton candy made of spider webs?
Kristopher: Give me the cauldron.
Boo-graphy: Kristopher Rufty lives in North Carolina with his three children and pets. He’s written numerous books, including All Will Die, The Devoured & the Dead, Desolation, Pillowface, and more. When he’s not writing, he’s obsessing over gardening and growing food. For more about him, please visit his website.
All Will Die —
A year after a group of teenagers were brutally murdered in the mountains, their parents return to the scene of the crime in hopes of luring the killer out of hiding. Unfortunately for them, they are successful. Though they expect the fight of their lives, they quickly learn how unprepared they are for the savage brutality that awaits them. One by one, they will experience exactly what their children endured in their own night of hell.
Their obsession has led them to this nightmare and their one chance at retribution. But if they don’t succeed…
Bone Chimes 2 —
A woman battles a madman to save the package she ordered…and her life! A Christmas party in the mountains is invaded by otherworldly creatures. A man teams up with his son’s favorite toy to kill someone. And a Halloween prank might lead to the end of two boys’ innocence.
These are just a few of the stories in Bone Chimes 2, the second collection from Kristopher Rufty that features nine more demented tales for fans of monsters and childhood fears brought to life. With an introduction by Aron Beauregard, this collection will leave you squirming with fear and delight!
Meghan's House of Books 