Tag: Erica Lucke Dean

GUEST POST: Erica Lucke Dean

megHan

The Unsung Hero of Halloween

Is it just me? Or is everyone too tired to drag out the Halloween decorations this fall? We’re nearly three-quarters of the way through year two of the pandemic, and I barely have the energy to change out of my pajamas most days. I sure as hell don’t feel like getting my porch all dolled up like it’s going to a spooky party. Besides, where I live, we don’t get trick-or-treaters on a good year, so it’s not as if anyone would see them. And since I’ve only been inside the grocery store a total of five times in the past several months, I haven’t gotten swept away by the impulse buys. I can scarcely believe it’s already October, and I don’t even have candy corn yet.

What? Is that the sound of candy corn haters I hear? I’ve got news for you. I actually like the tri-colored confection. I might even go so far as to say I love it. And do not @ me, people. I’m well aware that eating too much of the sickeningly sweet stuff causes a wicked headache worthy of the worst hangover ever. And yeah, the sugary goodness gets stuck in all the nooks and crannies of the most expensive dental work. But it’s also the very epitome of fall. It screams of cool evenings, pumpkin patches, kids in costumes and…

As Forrest’s buddy, Bubba Blue, might say, candy corn is the fruit of the corn maze. You can make candy corn fudge, candy corn peanut bars, candy corn rice crispy treats, candy corn Chex mix, candy corn poke cake, candy corn Halloween bark, white chocolate chunk candy corn sugar cookies, candy corn trail mix, candy corn chocolate chip cookie cake, candy corn brownies, candy corn blondies, candy corn pop corn balls, candy corn ambrosia, candy corn cheesecake, pumpkin bread with candy corn topping, candy corn biscotti, candy corn punch, candy corn cake pops, candy corn lollipops… you can add candy corn to plain M&Ms, peanut M&Ms, and mini pretzels. And don’t forget the candy corn Jell-O shots! 

In a pinch, candy corn can even do double duty as fall decor. Fill a jar halfway with the itty bitty sweets and stick a candle in the middle. Hell, it’s even good for stress relief. Who wouldn’t want a pumpkin shaped piñata filled with candy corn to work out those pandemic frustrations, while also satisfying a sweet tooth? And before you say, “but it’s bad for you!” I have it on good authority, you can buy organic candy corn, and how can that be bad?

So to all the naysayers out there, I’ve got one thing to say to you… quit hating on candy corn! It’s quite literally the unsung hero of Halloween. You heard it here first.

Boo-graphy:
After walking away from her career as a business banker to pursue writing full-time, Erica Lucke Dean moved from the hustle and bustle of the big city to a small tourist town in the North Georgia Mountains where she lived in a 90-year-old haunted farmhouse.

Tired of being woken up in the middle of the night by a pesky poltergeist, the author of contemporary young adult, romantic comedy, and paranormal romance moved into a cute little cabin in the woods, where she lives with her husband, her dogs, and the occasional bear. Much like the characters in her books, Ms. Dean is a magnet for disaster, and has been known to trip on air while walking across flat surfaces.

How she’s managed to survive this long is one of life’s great mysteries.

You can find out more about Erica, in addition to her humorous blog posts and disasters, on her website.

Represented by: Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong of The Purcell Agency

Eve Versus the Apocalypse —
When everyone she cares about is killed in an alien invasion, college color guard Eve uses her skills with a saber to battle her way through the changing landscape. Faced with monsters of more than one kind, Eve isn’t sure who to trust. After running into a group of survivors, she must decide if a new alliance with the dangerously sexy Archer is worth the risk. His offer of protection is tempting, but if she agrees to join him, her life may not be the only thing on the line.

Eve on Kindle Vella
New episodes drop every Sunday

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Erica Lucke Dean

megHan

Meghan: Hi, Erica! Welcome to this year’s Halloween Extravaganza. What is your favorite part of Halloween?

Erica: I’m a huge fan of all the spooky stuff. I love the pumpkins, witches and ghosts… especially the old decorations from the 30s. Somehow they’re creepier to me than the modern slasher movie props.

Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween tradition?

Erica: It isn’t Halloween without watching It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. And Hocus Pocus. The original Halloween. I don’t know, I like it all… from trick-or-treating to picking out costumes to decorating the house (mine isn’t done yet this year, but it will be!)

Meghan: If Halloween is your favorite holiday (or even second favorite holiday), why?

Erica: Halloween is most definitely my favorite holiday. I think first of all, from the time I was a kid, it was like the gateway to the holidays. Mom used to pull out the velvety paper cutout decorations. We always found the biggest pumpkin to cut into a jack-o-lantern. Mom made our costumes. Our little town had a parade with prizes to the best costumes.

Meghan: What are you superstitious about?

Erica: I can’t sleep if my feet aren’t under covers. Or if any part of my body is dangling over the side. I don’t know if that counts or not. I’m not afraid of black cats – in fact, I’ve had several growing up. And my daughter has 2 now. They love sleeping in my lap.

Meghan: What/who is your favorite horror monster or villain?

Erica: Michael Meyers from the original Halloween movie. And I don’t endorse anything between the first one and the most recent ones with Jamie Lee Curtis. Those are the best. I’ll give bonus points to the Rob Zombie version. It was good, but sooooo gross. LOL.

Meghan: Which unsolved murder fascinates you the most?

Erica: I don’t really follow unsolved murders that closely, but I think the Black Dahlia is the most fascinating one I can think of.

Meghan: Which urban legend scares you the most?

Erica: I don’t like looking into mirrors in dark rooms. I’m always afraid I’ll see Bloody Mary or the Candyman in them.

Meghan: Who is your favorite serial killer and why?

Erica: I hate to say I have a “favorite” because serial killers are bad dudes. But I can’t seem to help myself when any documentary on Ted Bundy comes on. It’s terrifying to think someone could live a normal life, have a family, a job, and just be out there killing people on the side. He could be anyone.

Meghan: How old were you when you saw your first horror movie? How old were you when you read your first horror book?

Erica: I was a huge fan of the old Abbott and Costello movies when I was a kid, especially Abbott and Costello Meet Dracula/Frankenstein/the Wolfman. I loved those movies. I was probably 7 or 8 the first time I saw them. I can’t remember how old I was when I read The Amityville Horror, but I LOVED scary books and movies as a kid. I think I read exclusively horror until I graduated college. Weird, right?

Meghan: Which horror novel unsettled you the most?

I loved Stephen King books when I was a teenager. To this day, ’Salem’s Lot scares the bejesus out of me.

Meghan: Which horror movie scarred you for life?

Erica: I’ve seen a lot of horror movies in my day, but the one that scared me for life was Final Destination. I still can’t fly.

Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween costume?

Erica: I dressed a I Dream of Jeanie one year. That was my favorite adult costume. My favorite kid costume was the year my mom dressed my sister and me as a two-headed man. We won a prize at the annual Halloween parade that year.

Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween-themed song?

Erica: I have too many. Monster Mash, Little Red Riding Hood, Werewolves of London, I have an entire playlist that goes on loop from October 1st – 31st.

Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween candy or treat? What is your most disappointing?

Erica: I actually love candy corn. Mary Janes. Sugar Daddys, Snickers. You can keep your Gushers, Smarties, and those other fruit flavored things.

Meghan: Thanks again for stopping by. Before you go, what are your top 15 Halloween movies?

Erica: There are really too many to choose. I might not watch all of them every year, but I might watch some of them more than once. My list might fluctuate from year to year to add or subtract one or two. But these are must watch movies!

  1. Carrie
  2. Night of the Living Dead
  3. A Nightmare on Elm Street
  4. Scary Movie
  5. Shaun of the Dead
  6. An American Werewolf in London
  7. The Witches
  8. Fright Night
  9. The Nightmare Before Christmas (this one does double duty at Christmas too!)
  10. Beetlejuice
  11. Halloween
  12. The Lost Boys
  13. Practical Magic
  14. Hocus Pocus
  15. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

Boo-graphy:
After walking away from her career as a business banker to pursue writing full-time, Erica Lucke Dean moved from the hustle and bustle of the big city to a small tourist town in the North Georgia Mountains where she lived in a 90-year-old haunted farmhouse.

Tired of being woken up in the middle of the night by a pesky poltergeist, the author of contemporary young adult, romantic comedy, and paranormal romance moved into a cute little cabin in the woods, where she lives with her husband, her dogs, and the occasional bear. Much like the characters in her books, Ms. Dean is a magnet for disaster, and has been known to trip on air while walking across flat surfaces.

How she’s managed to survive this long is one of life’s great mysteries.

You can find out more about Erica, in addition to her humorous blog posts and disasters, on her website.

Represented by: Cathie Hedrick-Armstrong of The Purcell Agency

Eve Versus the Apocalypse —
When everyone she cares about is killed in an alien invasion, college color guard Eve uses her skills with a saber to battle her way through the changing landscape. Faced with monsters of more than one kind, Eve isn’t sure who to trust. After running into a group of survivors, she must decide if a new alliance with the dangerously sexy Archer is worth the risk. His offer of protection is tempting, but if she agrees to join him, her life may not be the only thing on the line.

Eve on Kindle Vella
New episodes drop every Sunday

REVIEW: Shattered Souls

megHan

Flames of Time 3: Shattered Souls
By: Erica Lucke Dean
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
Publication Date: 5.18.2021
Genre: Romance, Time Travel, Paranormal
Pages: 247

Ava Flynn walked through flames to erase the past and bring her little brother, Josh, back from the dead. But the reboot doesn’t come without strings. While navigating her new reality, Ava must avoid Maddox… without fracturing the timeline. If she fails, she may never find Laith again.

With her own heart at stake, Ava scours time for the key to unraveling the curse binding her soul to both Laith’s and Maddox’s. One brother is the love of her life. And the other… Not even death will stop him from keeping them apart.

As Ava’s present collides with the brothers’ pasts, she discovers that breaking the curse might have unintended consequences. And this time, her soul isn’t the only one on the line.

If any of you have followed my reviews since before this blog became a house full of books, when it was just a gal in a blue mask, you’ll recognize Erica’s name and know that I have a love-hate relationship with her books. On one hand, I hate romance, with a passion, and am very vocal about it, but on the other hand, Erica is a fantastic sales person and can even manage to get this grouchy romance-hater to give her stuff a try. And even like it.

I want to add in a side note here before I continue on with the review of this book: I think the reason that I am drawn to her books is because the characters seem very real, even the characters that couldn’t possibly be real. Yeah, they may be beautiful or handsome, which is something that turns me off of romance books, but they are down-to-earth beautiful and down-to-earth handsome, with the clumsiness and awkwardness and stupidity and even not-so-great self esteem that could make them you or me. They are not perfect. They have family issues and have been hurt in the past. They make mistakes, and sometimes big mistakes. They need help. They come off as real people.

Shattered Souls is the third and final story in her Flames of Time series (you can find my reviews for 1 Splintered Souls and 2 Scattered Souls by following the links) and has been on my “much anticipated release” list for some time. (Note: There is not a “much anticipated release” list. I’m not one of those people who get super excited about the next book in a series or trilogy, counting down the days until release, but Erica leaves you wanting more, even when she ends a series.)

As with the other two, she had me wanting to throw my Kindle across the room, while she also had me glued to my seat because I couldn’t put it down, which is a glorious thing when you’re someone who has had a problem getting into any book for quite a while now. There were moments where I wanted to throttle Ava, where I liked Laith more than Maddox or Maddox more than Laith, and where I had a hard time trusting the people in her life, all with shocks and surprises around every corner. The time travel moments in all three stories, but especially this one, were very well done, leaving you on the edge of your seat hoping and praying that she would make it, which is an improvement considering I didn’t care for her in the first book. There was anger, tears, laughter, relief, heartbreak, and tension – all the things a good book should have – along with some unexpected moments that I’m still not over. The ending – oh my GAWD the ending! – thinking about it as much as I have since finishing this story, really, it is the perfect way to end it all, while also making me wish there was one more book. Just because I have questions. Especially since the book did not end anywhere close to the way I had thought the series would end all along.

The entire series did not disappoint. She had some fantastic side characters that I wish I had gotten to know better, so one can always hope she’ll use some of them in the next trilogy she writes. (One can always hope, right?) The setting was perfect, and became even more perfect as the series went on, as we realized more and more the importance of different aspects of where it all happened and where it all began. The bits of history she used throughout (for the story and the time travel) were very well researched (there were some little details that I went and looked up, just to see) and smoothly added to the story – they were literally hopping through time and she made it sound like the most realistic thing ever.

This series is definitely on my Top 20 of the Century list, and one that I may even sit down and read again. (Anyone who knows me and my reading habits well KNOWS that I am not someone who usually sits down and reads a book again, except for my yearly read of A Christmas Carol and my current read-through of the recently deceased Beverly Cleary books, but in this case, I think that, because of the wait between the three books, there are things I think I would notice and things I would look at differently if I did. Maybe even a few small subtle things I could have missed.)