The Mayor of Halloween is Missing! is an illustrated story book for ages 6-9 from debut author Emily S. Sullivan and artist Cat Scully. It is the story of three children who go on a quest on Halloween Night in order to find their missing mayor and save trick-or-treating.
Mayor Fatz has been gone for days and there are few clues to his whereabouts. He holds the missing key to the Holiday Room at Village Hall, where he is tasked with initiating the night’s festivities. Friends Charlotte, Jackson, and Charlie must follow the clues scattered throughout their small town and overcome their fears if they want to find Mayor Fatz and preserve their Halloween traditions.
This is an absolutely charming children’s book, beautifully illustrated by Cat Scully.
Mayor Fatz is missing!
He’s the spirit of every occasion in the little village named “Holliday” and goes way out of his way to make sure that every celebration is special. He’s known for his memorable costumes, and attention to detail, so everyone can enjoy special days to the fullest.
When he goes missing right before the big Halloween events, a group of students who are eager for the festivities, use their wits and friendship to discover what happened to the Mayor of Halloween!
I’d read this to any young one capable of understanding the words, and it would be great for an early reader who can sound them out by sight.
There’s nothing “scary” or questionable in the story, rather it defines bravery, empathy, and how children often understand more than adults give them credit for. The kids use critical thinking to follow a series of clues, eventually finding their beloved mayor. All is well, and the ending is cheerful and upbeat! The illustrations are colorful, and “classic Halloween” in nature, and they add a lot of character to the story.
It’s a gem of a children’s book suitable for reading year-round, and long enough to spread out over a couple of bedtimes.
Boo-graphy: Ruthann grew up in Upstate New York, where October is magical. She writes dark speculative and horror fiction. Her work is published in numerous successful anthologies. Solo and collaboration projects will feature in 2022 and 2023. Extensive travel, superstition, and backyard boogeymen influence her characters and settings. She lives on a cattle ranch in Texas with her husband and his animals. A large, blended family keeps her sane most of the time.
Jamie is a small-town girl who’s trying to better herself in spite of her surroundings and circumstance. She’s on her own at a young age and needs to support herself despite having few advantages in life. Her life changes when a patient dies and leaves her a hand-written recipe book. It’s not what it appears to be on the surface, and others want it more.
Book Excerpt: Jamie needs to support herself and applies for a housekeeping job at the hospital, hoping there will be time for daydreams later. She’s unsure of her future in Crees Crossing, and the options are limited. The pleasant, reserved young woman catches the eye of an older nurse, eager to retire, who notices she’s a hard worker, intelligent and reliable, and always kind to the state-funded patients living on borrowed time. The hospital is known locally as God’s Rural Waiting Room. The residents are admitted by an uncaring family or the court, with the ultimate intention of a more humane passing. The nurse suggests Jamie fill out the required paperwork and sign up online for an accredited nursing class, offering to add her personal and professional recommendations to the process.
The girl doesn’t own a computer, so she stays on after her shift, eating jelly sandwiches while studying alone in a small office with management approval. She completes the required clinical work, passes her exam, and starts earning a slightly better salary to the hospital soon after.
The first few months in her position at Mercy Care are tough. Jamie is the unofficial new girl. She’s assigned the dirty work others neglect but doesn’t miss a shift, does her job well, and gains respect as a valued employee. The run-down facility relies on her. Patient care is minimal but consistent, and Jamie’s confident she’s chosen a solid career path to build on, hoping for more education and experience. She makes a couple of friends at work, sharing stories and making weekend plans with them at lunch. They discuss their love lives over tuna salad, or rather the lack of, due to only a few young men worth dating in the entire country.
Meghan: Jamie, thank you for agreeing to sit down with me today. What is one word you would use to define yourself?
Jamie: Fearless
Meghan: What does the plot require you to be? How does this requirement limit you?
Jamie: To rely on what I know, not what I see. My trusting nature limits me.
Meghan: What is your quest?
Jamie: To live every day like it’s my last, because it may be.
Meghan: What do you like about the other main characters? What do you least like about the other main characters?
Jamie: It’s always nice to have friends, but when some reveal their true nature, it becomes hard to not be angry at yourself for being naive. I dislike selfish people.
Meghan: When was the last time you lied? What made you do it?
Jamie: Probably to myself, because I believed life would be easier if I did the right things.
Meghan: Who have you betrayed lately? What happened?
Jamie: My friend Lila. I should have been a better friend, and she was hurt because I wasn’t.
Meghan: Would you say that you are an optimist or a pessimist?
Jamie: Optimist
Meghan: What is your superpower?
Jamie: I’m a survivor, and I’m able to think through hard situations. I’m resourceful and decisive.
Meghan: What is your biggest secret?
Jamie: I’ve read “the book” and understand more about the contents than I let on.
Meghan: Do you live in the right world? How necessary are you to your world?
Jamie: No. I want to live elsewhere, but my roots are deep in Crees Crossing.
Meghan: What is your role in this setting? Are you okay with this role or would you like it to change?
Jamie: I’m okay with my role for now, but have every intention of changing it, as soon as possible.
Meghan: Did you turn out the way you expected?
Jamie: No. I never expected I’d be faced with a situation so terrible, that it would change everything I believe to be real.
Meghan: What, if anything, would you change about your life?
Jamie: I’d like to continue my education, find love, and learn what true peace is.
Meghan: How do you feel about your author?
Jamie: She is bold, and understands not only what makes me tick, but also how to tell my story with unflinching style.
Meghan: If the two of you got together for coffee, what would you want to say to them?
Jamie: Thanks for giving me, and all the girls out there working hard to better themselves, a voice.
Boo-graphy: Ruthann grew up in Upstate New York, where October is magical. She writes dark speculative and horror fiction. Her work is published in numerous successful anthologies. Solo and collaboration projects will feature in 2022 and 2023. Extensive travel, superstition, and backyard boogeymen influence her characters and settings. She lives on a cattle ranch in Texas with her husband and his animals. A large, blended family keeps her sane most of the time.
Meghan: What is the creepiest thing that’s ever happened while you were alone?
Ruthann: I live on a rural ranch, an old land, in Texas. One day, the kitchen door blew open, and I swear I saw a soldier in a Confederate uniform watching me as I was writing a grocery list, while sitting at the table. I wasn’t afraid of him, he was sad.
Meghan: Which unsolved mystery fascinates you the most?
Meghan: What is the spookiest ghost story that you have ever heard?
Ruthann: Not far from my ranch, there’s a stretch of road, where “they say” during construction, a man was crushed under the roller of a piece of equipment. He died, and they paved over him to avoid a lawsuit. This was many years ago. He has been “seen” dragging a leg, as he walks on the side of the road. The old ranchers swear it’s true!
Meghan: In a zombie apocalypse, what is your weapon of choice?
Ruthann: Poison darts. Could stab the zombies with them, throw them, shoot them, etc. Easy to carry and make, once you work out the potion.
Meghan: Okay, so here’s the fun bit….
Would you rather get bitten by a vampire or a werewolf? Vampire.
Would you rather fight a zombie apocalypse or an alien invasion? Zombie invasion, I’d like to think I’d be smarter, vs an alien invasion, because who knows!
Would you rather drink zombie juice or eat dead bodies from the graveyard? Zombie juice. With a good shout of bourbon to kill off any cooties.
Would you rather stay at the Poltergeist house or the Amityville house for a week? Amityville House. Haunted houses are cool!
Would you rather chew on a bitter melon with chilies or maggot-infested cheese? Bitter melon with chilies.
Would you rather drink from a witch’s cauldron or lick cotton candy made of spider webs? Cotton candy from spider webs, the devil you know!
Boo-graphy: Ruthann grew up in Upstate New York, where October is magical. She writes dark speculative and horror fiction. Her work is published in numerous successful anthologies. Solo and collaboration projects will feature in 2022 and 2023. Extensive travel, superstition, and backyard boogeymen influence her characters and settings. She lives on a cattle ranch in Texas with her husband and his animals. A large, blended family keeps her sane most of the time.
Meghan: Hey, Michaelbrent. Welcome to this year’s Halloween Extravaganza… extended edition. It’s always a pleasure to have you here. What is your favorite part of Halloween?
Michaelbrent: I’m a dad, so my favorite part is definitely stealing candy from my kids after we trick-r-treat, then scratching my head and positing on the possibility of candy-stealing gremlins when my kids notice all their Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have disappeared.
Meghan: Do you get scared easily?
Michaelbrent: Absolutely. I’ll scream (loudly) during horror movies, because I love to let myself go and just enjoy the terror. And my kids love watching me when I play a scary video game. It’s like watching someone tapdancing during a seizure. And I’m okay with that: at least my cowardice is entertaining.
Meghan: What is the scariest movie you’ve ever seen and why?
Michaelbrent: Hmmm…scariest movie would be a toss-up. There are just so many good ones out there! But if you define “scariest” as “biggest effect on ME,” it would probably be either The Shining or Watcher in the Woods, both of which I saw when I was around eight years old, and both of which sent me (literally) screaming down the hall when it was time for bed. I’ve rewatched both since then, and no longer scream about it (at least, not as much), so I feel very brave as a human. Conquering fears for the win!
As an adult, I do scream and shriek with the best of ‘em in the theaters, but I rarely STAY scared long after credits. Though there was a film called Aterrados (in English, Terrified) that just hit me in the right spot: I not only screamed during the movie, and that night I woke up FREAKED because someone was looming over my bed. Turned out it was just a hat on the bedpost, but sleep had pretty much gone bye-bye at that point.
Meghan: Which horror movie murder did you find the most disturbing?
Michaelbrent: Probably the one with the four colorful children with bizarrely stretched bodies and faces. Teletubbies is a nightmare in the waking world.
Meghan: Is there a horror movie you refused to watch because the commercials scared you too much?
Michaelbrent: Nah. Though there are definitely plenty that I’ve said, “Looks like that’s not for me.” I love horror, but there are still images and ideas that I think are not great for me, so I avoid those things. Not a judgment on others who might think differently, just there are definitely “no-go” areas in media that I choose to avoid for personal reasons.
Meghan: If you got trapped in one scary movie, which would you choose?
Michaelbrent: Probably Prom Night or one of those ilk: something where pretty much everyone who gets killed is a super-good-looking teen. I’d be safe on every level.
Meghan: If you were stuck as the protagonist in any horror movie, which would you choose?
Michaelbrent: Final Girls. I wouldn’t make it through to the end, but at least I’d have fun deconstructing the movie before I died!
Meghan: What is your all-time favorite scary monster or creature of the night?
Michaelbrent: Hmmm… I don’t think I have one. There are SO MANY GOOD ONES!
Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween tradition?
Michaelbrent: Definitely that “stealing candy from my children” thing.
Meghan: What is your favorite horror or Halloween-themed song?
Michaelbrent: I love the Halloween main title song. Awesome, and so iconic!
MeghanL Which horror novel unsettled you the most?
Michaelbrent: Probably The Shining by Stephen King. Not so much for the story, but because I remember reading it as a kid in the one room in my house where I wasn’t going to be disturbed by parents or siblings: the bathroom. So there I am, sitting on “my thinking spot,” and I turned the page to the part where the topiary animals come alive…and right then an earthquake hit. The unsettling part was trying to decide if I should play it safe and run for cover (but sacrifice my dignity as my pants were still around my ankles), or just sit tight, as it were, and hope for the best.
Meghan: What is the creepiest thing that’s ever happened while you were alone?
Michaelbrent: I’m no longer allowed to discuss this due to the terms of the settlement. But it does have to do with six rubber bands, a rabid penguin, and a single phone call made to the Bolivian Embassy in Uruguay.
Meghan: Which unsolved mystery fascinates you the most?
Michaelbrent: Probably the Jack the Ripper one. Not about who he is (I know that, but am prohibited from revealing it due to the terms of the above-named settlement), but how he got so many of the bloodstains out of his clothes!
Meghan: What is the spookiest ghost story that you have ever heard?
Michaelbrent: The Haunting of Hill House, hands down. Shirley Jackson’s book is one of the greatest pieces of horror literature ever written, and still sends shivers down my spine every time I read it.
Meghan: In a zombie apocalypse, what is your weapon of choice?
Michaelbrent: I’d like to say “crowbar” or “M16” or “grenades,” but honesty compels me to ask if “whimpering” can be considered a weapon. Because that’s probably what my go-to would be.
Meghan: Okay, Michaelbrent… let’s have some fun —
Would you rather get bitten by a vampire or a werewolf? Werewolf. I’d have hair again!
Would you rather fight a zombie apocalypse or an alien invasion? Z-poc, definitely. Stay out of crowds, aim for the head. Seems simpler.
Would you rather drink zombie juice or eat dead bodies from the graveyard? Probably zombie juice. Which I’m assuming is some kind of smoothie made of old fruit.
Would you rather stay at the Poltergeist house or the Amityville house for a week? Amityville.
Would you rather chew on a bitter melon with chilies or maggot-infested cheese? I have no answer for this one.
Would you rather drink from a witch’s cauldron or lick cotton candy made of spider webs? Definitely the cotton candy. Cauldrons are SO last-year.
Boo-graphy: Michaelbrent Collings is an internationally bestselling novelist, produced screenwriter, and speaker. Best known for horror (and voted one of the top 20 All-Time Greatest Horror Writers in a Ranker vote of nearly 20,000 readers), Collings has written bestselling thrillers, mysteries, sci-fi and fantasy titles, and even humor and non-fiction.
In addition to popular success, Michaelbrent has also received critical acclaim: he is the only person who has ever been a finalist for a Bram Stoker Award (twice), a Dragon Award (twice), and a RONE Award, and he and his work have been reviewed and/or featured on everything from Publishers Weekly to Scream Magazine to NPR. An engaging and entertaining speaker, he is also a frequent guest at comic cons and on writing podcasts like Six Figure Authors, The Creative Penn, Writing Excuses, and others; and is a mental health advocate and TEDx speaker.
I Am Legion 1: Strangers — You wake up in the morning to discover that you have been sealed into your home. The doors are locked, the windows are barred. THERE’S NO WAY OUT.
A madman is playing a deadly game with you and your family. A game with no rules, only consequences. So what do you do? Do you run? Do you hide?
Legion is a teacher. An avenging angel. A murderer. A madman. Born in the blood of a dying mother, raised in the underground lair of an insane father, he travels the world looking for those who keep secrets and sins. He finds those who have fallen short, and teaches them the lessons they need to leave their mistakes behind. Even if he has to kill them to do it. Because sometimes murder is the only way to teach a proper lesson.
So when he sees a man kidnap two people on the side of the road, Legion knows it is time to teach again. Soon he finds himself caught in the crossfire of a coup in a Russian crime syndicate. He is captured, beaten, bleeding, in chains; cut off and alone.
It’s just the way he likes it. Legion has found his students. And for them, life is about to become frightening and so much… stranger.
Legion is a teacher. An avenging angel. A murderer.
A madman.
Raised in the underground hideout of an insane father, he searches for those who keep secrets and sins. Then he teaches them how to leave those mistakes behind. Even if it means killing them to do it.
Because sometimes murder is the cost of a proper education.
That’s why, when he comes to a neighborhood in the grips of a vicious gang war, he knows the time has come to teach.
Soon Legion – and his imaginary brothers, Water and Fire – are caught in the middle of a vicious fight for control of the Downs, the worst part of a city on the verge of anarchy.
Legion is facing enemies on all sides. Hundreds of men will stop at nothing to capture or kill him.
Legion will teach the lessons. And the students will never forget, no matter how long – or short – their lives may be.
Legion is a teacher. An avenging angel. A murderer.
A madman.
Raised in the underground hideout of an insane father, he now travels the world searching for those who torment the weak, who harm the innocent. He uncovers the secrets and sins of evildoers, and teaches them how to leave those mistakes behind.
Even if it means killing them to do it.
But this time, the tables have turned. The ghosts of Legion’s past have come for him; the victims of his madness have returned to torment and destroy him. Wounded, weak, near death: for the first time, Legion is not predator, but prey.
Now, aided by a woman and her daughter—who have themselves been surviving in secret terror for a decade—he must survive long enough to battle his past, to destroy the ghosts that have come for his sanity and soul…and to kill all who would harm his new friends.
Tracked by a crime family more twisted than anything he has ever seen, threatened by a madman whose strength is greater than anything he has ever experienced, Legion has never been closer to danger. They want his pain. They want his death. And they will stop at nothing to achieve their aims.
But Legion is a good teacher. So he will run. He will hide.
And then, when the students are ready…he will teach.
Meghan: Hi Wesley! Welcome BACK to Meghan’s Haunted House of Books. It’s always a pleasure having you on. What is your favorite part of Halloween?
Wesley: I think I like the fact that, for at least one month out of the year, most people get into the “horror spirit” to watch cool movies and decorate and celebrate with little kids. As someone who kind of lives Halloween most of the year, it’s fun to see others join in.
Meghan: Do you get scared easily?
Wesley: Unfortunately. My wife can sneak up on me pretty easily and get me fairly often. Can’t say I’m a fan of it.
Meghan: What is the scariest movie you’ve ever seen and why?
Wesley: The Descent. Claustrophobia is a real bitch for me and that film hits all those nasty little buttons.
Meghan: Which horror movie murder did you find the most disturbing?
Wesley: Uncle Frank from Hellraiser. When he’s torn apart by all the hooks and chains at the end, it’s pretty unsettling, even though it cuts away pretty quickly.
Meghan: Is there a horror movie you refused to watch because the commercials scared you too much?
Wesley: Not that I can think of. I remember trailers for The Evil Dead remake were pretty wild and freaky. It’s a shame the film didn’t live up to the hype.
Meghan: If you got trapped in one scary movie, which would you choose?
Wesley: I guess any Romero zombie film. At least I’d have a fighting chance of getting away pretty easily.
Meghan: If you were stuck as the protagonist in any horror movie, which would you choose?
Wesley: Maybe Ethan Hawke in Daybreakers. I think being a vampire and then reverting back to human would be a very interesting experience.
Meghan: What is your all-time favorite scary monster or creature of the night?
Wesley: I’ve always been a big fan of vampires.
Meghan: What is your favorite Halloween tradition?
Wesley: I don’t really have one, but now that I’m a father, I’m hoping I can create some with my son.
Meghan: What is your favorite horror or Halloween-themed song?
Wesley: There’s a song in a Pinkfong and Baby Shark’s Space Adventure Netflix film called “Those Dry Bones” that I find to be particularly catchy.
Meghan: Which horror novel unsettled you the most?
Wesley: Wrath James White‘s The Resurrectionist. I find the idea of someone being able to kill you and then bring you back to life with zero memory of that happening to you incredibly gnarly.
Meghan: What is the creepiest thing that’s ever happened while you were alone?
Wesley: Agreed with the voices. If they were real or in my head, that’s up to you.
Meghan: Which unsolved mystery fascinates you the most?
Cruel Summer — Melissa Braun is a broken woman. Only wanting what’s best for her family, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to mend her fractured relationship with her abusive boyfriend. In a last ditch effort, she hopes the sun and sand of a much-needed Florida vacation will bring them closer together. Patrick Braun is a demoralized kid. Quiet and sullen, he only wants his mother to see her boyfriend’s crippling torment. After years of silence, he refuses to stand by and let the abuse continue to tear them apart.
Hoyt Rainey is a vile man. Unable to keep his hands to himself, he finally takes his anger one step too far. Only this time, he finds himself on the receiving end of his own punishment. Down and down he goes, plunging deeper into the dark blue abyss of the sea.
Melissa and Patrick finally believe they are safe, the trouble now behind them for good. They are wrong.
Gods never really stay dead-they only lie in wait. And when a beast as old as time discovers Hoyt…he, too, won’t stay gone for long.
The nights grow darker, the water flows colder, and the cruelty of summer lives on.
They Come Mostly at Night — A high class restaurant where the food brings out the worst in its patrons…
A man whose mind won’t stay inside his own body…
A mother and daughter’s trip to a zoo full of dead animals…
An Italian immigrant’s idea of the American Dream ripped from his grasp…
A mysterious woman’s unquenchable hunger for negative energy…
Darkness looms ahead in these eleven short stories from the Splatterpunk Award and Imadjinn Award-Winning author Wesley Southard.
Keep the lights on. It’s a long time before sunrise.
Maybe it’s the death of a loved one…or the petrifying fear of hands around your throat…the dread of rejection…or maybe it’s the black, soulless eyes of a child that shatters your sanity…
Within these pages, delirium reigns supreme. You’ll discover how far a prisoner will go to be with his dying wife, and what lurks between the walls of that Louisiana jailhouse to keep him there. You’ll find out how deep a man can cut himself to dig out the past. You’ll meet a college professor whose fear of flying might be the least of his worries. And you’ll learn how a sister’s love for sweet treats can reunite a broken family…whether they want it or not.
Aliens and lot lizards…disembodied lips…the voice of God Himself…
Thirteen stories and a brand new novella from horror author Wesley Southard.
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