Tag: Halloween Extravaganza 2021

EXCERPT: Love on All Hallows Eve by Martha Wickham

megHan

The cold fall air blew over Terra’s face and through her long, curly, black hair. It was the night before Halloween and Terra’s mind drifted away. She was on one of her late night strolls through the local graveyard. Sitting on a grassy mound she watched the blood moon turn slightly red. This part of Chicago was peaceful and restful. No city to disturb anyone.

Fall leaves blew and circled her a few times then left. Her black lips glistened as she smiled at the night. The reddish moon interested her and she wanted to know more. Why was Samhain so interesting? She didn’t know anything about it, but wanted to. She would start by studying the moon. The night was spent reading a book about it and the fall solstice. It was 1979 and little did she know Halloween had approached at midnight. Heading back home she began to feel alone. Going out at night made her feel lonely. Bride did not know anyone. Her new name was Johnston, but she was not married to that new monster she made long before he was destroyed for being evil. She reflected on her living time with him sometimes. She wanted to meet people. As the sun gave a hint of sunlight it was time to sleep at home and she wondered if Frankenstein would ever come back to claim her? Probably not.

On Halloween night Terra sat quietly in her room. Creepy cackling and bubbling could be heard, then footsteps. She went outside and saw nothing. The full moon lit the area well. Curiously she headed to the graveyard and sat on a large tombstone. Crickets chirped and fireflies flew, but that was all. It was time to go past the graveyard. Walking near a road she heard voices. Two young men were chatting and a little drunk because they were coming from a Halloween costume party. One was dressed as a vampire with teeth, dark slick hair, pale skin, and a dark cape. The other, his close friend, was Frankenstein. They looked very good. Tall and dark.

Bride approached them.

“It’s back that way,” Frankenstein said pointing in the direction of the party.

“I don’t need that info from you any more,” Terra said to what she thought was her ex. She walked over to the vampire and put her arm through his. “What part of this country are you from?”

“South of Chicago,” the vampire replied.

“I’m Terra. I’m the bride of Frankenstein, or was. Care to get a drink?” she asked the vampire.

“Why not.” The phony vampire’s teeth sparkled. He winked at Frankenstein. “I’m Dracula,” he said to her with a Transylvania accent. He looked so handsome in the dark. Terra didn’t look so bad herself.

“I’ll see ya later,” Dracula said to Frankenstein. They were off to have a romantic drink.

After the drink it was time to say goodnight. “Can we do it again some time?” she asked.

“Yes,” the vampire said. “I’ll come by and get you this Friday evening. We’ll have a candle lit dinner at my house.”

“That sounds lovely! Alright.”

He began walking her home. “Don’t hate my friend Frankenstein. He can be nice.”
“I know. I was engaged to him once. Didn’t know him well. You I’d like to get to know.” “I will see you then.” He kissed her on the cheek and left her sight.

“I’m going to go out with this girl again. I like her, but I drank too much last time,” Dracula said to Frankenstein with a stomach ache.

“Just don’t let her find out your not a vampire. Why does she believe we are monsters?”

“I don’t know. Good costumes,” he said shrugging.

“Watch her. I think she’s weird.”

“Pretty, but weird. She won’t find out. I’ll only come out at night,” the vampire swore. “How is it you’re not hung over?”

“I hold my liquor,” the green one answered and they both laughed.

“I need to prepare for our Friday dinner. Do you know where I can get a hearse and a coffin? And I want to shop at one of those Halloween stores. They are probably having clearance sales now.”

“I know a company. I’ll ask if we can borrow or rent,” Frankenstein said hatefully. “How long can this go on for?”

“I don’t know. When it gets tired I’ll wait until she loves me and cares for me too much to get mad. Then I’ll tell her.”

Boo-graphy:
Martha has studied writing with Writer’s Digest and has an associates degree in Social Behavioral Science. She has also written poems and songs and even studied screenwriting and horror. She still practices writing and likes getting writing prompts. Her favorite author is V.C. Andrews.

The Mystery of Frankenstein’s Bride –
When love takes a turn, what are you willing to do to keep it?

Terra’s love life is a monster so she sets out to see her old flame Nathaniel Johnston. But when she finds he is no longer living either, eternity is theirs. Bringing him back will get her a husband because of her passionate feelings for him.

Johnston is her new life, but when they are on their honeymoon in Germany things take a bad turn. The castle they stay in creates too much distance between the two.

Can she get closer to him before it’s too late?

Love On All Hallows Eve –
On All Hallows Eve Terra meets Bobby. He pretends to be a real vampire to her and they start dating. When they find out, Bobby and his friend, she is the undead bride of Frankenstein they have a violent breakup. After when Terra is haunted she gets the help of psychic Rose. The hardest part is for Terra to let go of the machine that brought her and Frankenstein to life.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Alma Katsu

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Meghan: Hi, Alma. Thanks for joining us here on Meghan’s House of Books for our annual Halloween Extravaganza. It is a pleasure meeting you. Let’s get started: What is your favorite part of Halloween?

Alma: Seeing what the kids in the neighborhood are wearing. It’s always fun to see them get so excited. However, now that we’ve moved to a mountain in a remote area, we get absolutely NO trick-or-treaters.

Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween tradition?

Alma: I used to love watching a cheesy horror movie late at night while eating a terrible frozen pizza (when I was a kid, there wasn’t a lot of frozen foods, so even a bad one was a treat.) Not to be a downer, but these days I tend to be doing events on Halloween so that’s another tradition out the window.

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

Alma: It is my favorite holiday, probably because it was one day that kids could do what they wanted to do—decide what they would dress up as, which neighbors they were going to. Maybe kids had a lot more autonomy back then. Parents didn’t worry much about anything bad happening to us.

Meghan: What are you superstitious about?

Alma: I was somewhat superstitious as a kid, maybe because I was raised Roman Catholic, perhaps the spookiest of all religions, but I’m not superstitious anymore.

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

Alma: Vampires, for sure, because they’re so sexy. Frankenstein’s monster is certainly interesting, lots of emotions and drama there. I’ve never been able to get into zombies or werewolves for some reason.

Meghan: Which unsolved murder fascinates you the most?

Alma: The really sad thing is that unsolved murders have become so mundane in our culture. Murders happen all the time and so frequently that there aren’t enough police resources to keep up with it. Still, there is something that fascinates the public—maybe the “it could happen to you” aspect of it. It’s said that the audience for true crime stories is disproportionately female, probably because females make up a disproportionate number of the victims.

Meghan: Which urban legend scares you the most?

Alma: I find stories around abandoned towns and cities the most interesting. Even though the truth is probably a bit more prosaic—changing economies drawing people out of town, or construction of a highway away from city limits—seeing those empty, decaying buildings always makes me wonder. There are a lot of abandoned farms where I currently live, so maybe that’s why it’s on my mind a lot lately.

Meghan: Who is your favorite serial killer and why?

Alma: Jeffrey Dahmer, for obvious reasons (see The Hunger).

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

Alma: So long ago for both book and movie that I can’t remember exact titles. I was probably inappropriately young, as in those days parents didn’t oversee children’s activities quite so much. Like, maybe 7 or 8? I remember reading Edgar Allan Poe at 8, and it was probably the beginning of my fascination with the Gothic, horror, and speculative fiction.

Meghan: Which horror novel unsettled you the most?

Alma: The book that made the biggest impression was probably The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. I can’t say it unsettled me, but it opened my eyes to what a horror novel could be.

Meghan: Which horror movie scarred you for life?

Alma: Not a movie but an episode of the original Twilight Zone, the one with the ventriloquist’s dummy. I was eight years old and in the hospital, and wandered into the common room (there weren’t televisions in individual patient rooms at the time). Young and alone and scared in the hospital. Yipes!

Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween costume?

Alma: I wish I’d dressed as a pirate at some point…

Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween-themed song?

Alma: Probably the Monster Mash (again, dating myself…)

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

Alma: Snickers or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Anything with peanut butter. The worst? Candy corn or circus peanut-type things. Pure sugar, ugh.

Boo-graphy:
Alma Katsu is the award-winning author of six novels, most recently Red Widow, The Deep, and The Hunger. She is a graduate of the master’s writing program at the Johns Hopkins University and received her bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University. Prior to the publication of her first novel, Katsu had a long career as a senior intelligence analyst for several U.S. agencies. She lives in West Virginia with her husband.

Red Widow –
An exhilarating spy thriller about two women CIA agents who become intertwined around a threat to the Russia Division–one that’s coming from inside the agency.

Lyndsey Duncan worries her career with the CIA might be over. After lines are crossed with another intelligence agent during her most recent assignment, she is sent home to Washington on administrative leave. So when a former colleague, now Chief of the Russia Division, recruits her for an internal investigation, she jumps at the chance to prove herself once more. Lyndsey was once a top handler in the Moscow Field Station, known as the “human lie detector” and praised for recruiting some of the most senior Russian officials. But now, three Russian assets have been discovered–including one of her own–and the CIA is convinced there’s a mole in the department. With years of work in question, and lives on the line, Lyndsey is thrown back into life at the agency, only this time tracing the steps of those closest to her.

Meanwhile, fellow agent Theresa Warner can’t avoid the spotlight. She is the infamous “Red Widow,” the wife of a former director killed in the field under mysterious circumstances. With her husband’s legacy shadowing her every move, Theresa is a fixture of the Russia Division, and as she and Lyndsey strike up an unusual friendship, her knowledge proves invaluable. But as Lyndsey uncovers a surprising connection to Theresa that could answer all of her questions, she exposes a terrifying web of secrets within the department, if only she is willing to unravel it…

The Deep –
Someone, or something, is haunting the Titanic.

This is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the passengers of the ship from the moment they set sail: mysterious disappearances, sudden deaths. Now suspended in an eerie, unsettling twilight zone during the four days of the liner’s illustrious maiden voyage, a number of the passengers – including millionaires Madeleine Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim, the maid Annie Hebbley and Mark Fletcher – are convinced that something sinister is going on… And then, as the world knows, disaster strikes.

Years later and the world is at war. And a survivor of that fateful night, Annie, is working as a nurse on the sixth voyage of the Titanic’s sister ship, the Britannic, now refitted as a hospital ship. Plagued by the demons of her doomed first and near fatal journey across the Atlantic, Annie comes across an unconscious soldier she recognises while doing her rounds. It is the young man Mark. And she is convinced that he did not – could not – have survived the sinking of the Titanic…

The Hunger –
Evil is invisible, and it is everywhere.

Tamsen Donner must be a witch. That is the only way to explain the series of misfortunes that have plagued the wagon train known as the Donner Party. Depleted rations, bitter quarrels, and the mysterious death of a little boy have driven the pioneers to the brink of madness. They cannot escape the feeling that someone–or something–is stalking them. Whether it was a curse from the beautiful Tamsen, the choice to follow a disastrous experimental route West, or just plain bad luck–the 90 men, women, and children of the Donner Party are at the brink of one of the deadliest and most disastrous western adventures in American history.

While the ill-fated group struggles to survive in the treacherous mountain conditions–searing heat that turns the sand into bubbling stew; snows that freeze the oxen where they stand–evil begins to grow around them, and within them. As members of the party begin to disappear, they must ask themselves “What if there is something waiting in the mountains? Something disturbing and diseased… and very hungry?”

BOOK BLOGGER INTERVIEW: Shawn Remfrey

megHan

Hey, Shawn! Welcome to Meghan’s House of Books. I’m so excited to have you on one day to start this whole thing out!

Meghan: What Is your favorite part of Halloween?

Shawn: It has to be Slappy’s Escape. Slappy is a ventriloquist dummy from the Goosebumps series. He’s super creepy but so much fun! Every year at our Halloween/Birthday Bash, we set up this really cool trick or treating circuit. The premise of the game is that the group stops at each station in an attempt to find where Slappy has stolen all the birthday gifts to. Don’t tell anyone, but this year Slappy is going to be stealing the gifts by trying to ride the lawn mower to get away. At each station, a costumed person will read out a clue and then treats are handed around. The clue leads them to the next station. Setting this up is sooo much fun! We hand out Ramen noodles and fruit snacks and bath toys and all sorts of silly stuff. I get so much joy out of planning this! Last year Slappy tried to steal my car! It was such a blast taping his hands to the steering wheel and peaking at him through my windshield throughout the entire party!

Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween tradition?

Shawn: It’s easily The Sorting of the Ramen. Do you know just how many flavors there are?! Invariably, when the kids reach the ramen station at trick or treating, they rifle through to find their favorite flavor. Ramen noodle packs fly everywhere and people get whacked on the head. Last year I’m pretty sure somebody threw elbows over a pack of shrimp lime. It’s like Halloween Hockey!

Meghan: If Halloween is your favorite holiday, why?

Shawn: It used to be my second favorite. Since the pandemic that has changed. For me, it’s all about the magic factor. Christmas used to be top of the list. I spend the entire year preparing for Christmas and then my entire family shows up to my magically lit home to open magically wrapped gifts and I get to see the magic release itself as they open each gift. Now I send boxes of stuff for people to open whenever they open them. Halloween gets to retain its magic. I get to dress up in costume and be someone else and throw joy and intrigue at people. Halloween is magical. You get to live in another dimension for a short time where pumpkins and blood and a little fear are at the core.

Meghan: What are you superstitious about?

Shawn: I enjoy canning food. I only have one superstition. When the jars are lining the counter, while they’re cooling, they make a pinging sound as each one seals. Every time a jar seals, I yell out ‘Thank you for your service!’ If I don’t do this, the other jars will feel like I take them for granted and they won’t seal and I’ll be wading through rotted food up to my hips. No way! Thank you for your service!

Meghan: What/Who is your favorite horror monster or villain. 

Shawn: I gotta tell you, I don’t even remember his name but the guy that Jeffrey Jones played in Ravenous. Okay, yes, he’s a vampire. He’s gonna eat my brains with a spoon and that kind of stinks. But! What does he plan to use his eternity for? Knowledge! He just wants to eat a little flesh and study all the great philosophers and figure out the meaning of life. Who wouldn’t respect that?!  

Meghan: Which unsolved murder fascinates you most?

Shawn: Honestly, I can’t go here. This is a world that I don’t let myself get into. I’m obsessive and I know that somebody would end up writing a cozy mystery series about a crazy woman and her paper dolls that tour the country solving unsolved murders.  

Meghan: Which urban legend scares you the most?

Shawn: My older son and I were talking about this last week. Final Destination. When Death wants you, it’ll get you one way or another. Oh you took the wrong flight? Didn’t die when you were supposed to? Guess what? Now rabid dogs will be eating your entrails.  

Meghan: Who is your favorite serial killer and why?

Shawn: I can’t pick a favorite specific one. I just really love cannibals. If you’re gonna kill people, at least be productive.

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

Shawn: Story time!!

I have this aunt, we’ll call her Aunt Smelley. You know, anonymity and all. So Aunt Smelly has me spend the night with her when I’m 8. I had no idea she’s a horror junkie. She knows I love Santa though. So we get our cappuccino and some cookies to nibble on and sit and she begins the movie. Silent Night Deadly Night. I’m doing just fine, thinking how cheesy it is. Then it reaches the scene where the guy peeks through the door and sees the couple getting intimate. I was even alright then. He walks in with his knife. I’m still alright. He plunges it into the woman’s side. Still, heh, not so bad. Then there’s the moment he’s sawing down her side and you can see the knife halting momentarily in the more gristly areas and you can hear that sound! Oh that sound! I still have nightmares.

Meghan: Which horror novel unsettled you most?

Shawn: This is an easy one. There has only been one horror book that upset me so much I had to stop reading it. Spilled Milk by Paul Dale Anderson. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I couldn’t make it past chapter three.  

Meghan: Which horror movie scarred you for life?

Shawn: You probably think I’m going to say Silent Night, Deadly Night. I’m not. Big Trouble in Little China. Scariest movie I’ve ever seen. They don’t die! It doesn’t matter what you do, they just keep coming! And the fingernails! The fingernails! They want you dead and they’re not gonna stop when the movie ends. Oh no. They’re still coming. They’re still after me. They won’t stop until they get me!  

Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween costume?

Shawn: These are such fun questions! Okay so a few years back we went to a special needs trunk or treat event. It was amazing! I, in my infinite wisdom, chose to be She-ra: Princess of Poweeeeeeerrrrr! I bought these amazing gold knee boots. I bought this great costume to go with it. I went all crazy and got this wretched blonde wig that really finished off the look. We’re walking along and I’m having the time of my life. I’m She-ra! Then this sweet girl came over and started stroking my wig. I smiled at her and she scowled at me. “Is this a wig?” “Yes it is.” “I don’t like it. Take it off.” It’s such a fun memory! She-ra is awesome! I got to be her until this sweet little pumpkin told me to stop.

P.S.  I kept the dang boots.  I like to sit in the bottom of the closet and hug them sometimes.

Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween-themed song?

Shawn: It’s a toss up between Rockwell and Alice Cooper. Somebody’s Watching Me or Feed My Frankenstein. Until they have a sing off, I’m gonna have to pick both.

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

Shawn: I love candy corn!  Love it! Gobble a hand full and I’m Spider-man bouncing off the walls and ceiling. Love it! Sugar high! Anybody wanna send me some? 

As for my most disappointing, wow I don’t even know if they make them anymore. My grandma always bought them and everybody gave them out back in the 70’s and 80’s. They were these wretched peanut butter taffies and they were rapped in the prettiest papers of orange and black. They were the epitome of what a Halloween treat should be, until you took a bite. Peanut butter dust on the inside and since it was mostly a taffy texture, you couldn’t get it out of your mouth.

Meghan: Top Halloween movies/Books.  

Shawn: That’s like asking me which kid is my favorite! (It’s the smartass one) Okay so I don’t have a favorite Halloween book or movie, but I do have a favorite Horror book that is terribly underrated. It was a gift from one of my kids and I treasure it so much I keep it in the bathroom where I keep all my extra girly stuff. That way, if I wanna do a face mask or have a bubble bath, this book can keep me company.  

Bon Appetit: Stories & Recipes for Human Consumption edited by Hydra M. Star and Alder Strauss. It’s an anthology of short stories about cannibalism. Some of them are meh, but most of them are pretty dang good!  Plus there’s a mystery to solve!

Boo-graphy:
I’m Shawn and I began reviewing books about 20 years ago. I’ve been a blogger off and on for nearly as long. Though I started off reading everything, I really found my niche in the horror community. These days most of my time is spent teaching, learning, and arting. I’m still a part of the book community, but for medical and personal reasons I’ve had to really pull back. Most of my recent work has been behind the scenes as well as throwing up the random review on Goodreads. I think the hardest part of being a book blogger came a few years ago when I began losing my eyesight. In an electronic world, it’s difficult to be productive when you can’t see things very well electronically.  

Halloween holds a really special place in my life. I have a special needs teenager with severe cognitive delays. It was only a few years ago that he began to understand what a birthday was and that he had his very own. At that time, he was an avid Goosebumps fan. He still is. His birthday is in October and Halloween is his favorite holiday. We began throwing Halloween themed parties for his birthday and it’s been a huge success! The entire family shows up in costume and we have a rollicking good time!  

Halloween Extravaganza 2021

megHan

There was an old witch, believe it if you can
She tapped on the windows, and she ran, ran, ran
She ran helter skelter with her toes in the air
Cornstalks flying from the old witch’s hair

Swish goes the broomstick, meow goes the cat
Plop goes the hop-toad sitting on her hat
“Whee,” chuckled I, “What fun, what fun!”
Halloween night when the witches run

Rattle go the skeletons, running down the lane
And a spooky tree taps the window pane
“Whee,” chuckled I, “What fun, what fun!”
Halloween night when the witches run

Jangle of the rusty chains, the monster drags along
And bats go screech for their Halloween song
“Whee,” chuckled I, “What fun, what fun!”
Halloween night when the witches run

I don’t know about anyone else, but I have been waiting all year for this day. Having not done the Halloween Extravaganza last year, I felt like I really needed this, and from the reactions I’ve gotten so far, I can guess that I wasn’t the only one.

This year, we’re doing things a little differently.

I added some additional ways for authors to participate and created an interview specifically for this year’s event. (I’m very excited about the interview AND a huge thanks to the readers who sent me over questions for that.)

There’s also a Facebook group where we’ll be participating in other frivolities, so if you haven’t joined, you really should! Trivia and giveaways and links, oh my. Stop on by and say hello. In the end, those who joined in the shenanigans will have their name added to the Halloween bowl and maybe, just maybe your name will be drawn for an Amazon gift card (runner up will get a set of Halloween bookmarks – who doesn’t love bookmarks?).

Let’s see how long we can celebrate Halloween.