Halloween Fun with Maranda Russell

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Last Halloween

By: Maranda Russell

I really don’t know what possessed me to do what I did last Halloween.  I am usually a coward.  Maybe that was part of why I did it, I wanted to prove to the world and myself that I’m not the big crybaby everyone thinks I am.  Anyway, regardless of why I did it, I did do it, and now I will tell you the story.

Like I said, it was last Halloween, shortly after I turned 12 years old.  There is a really old cemetery by my house and I decided to spend Halloween night there with my dog, Pogo.  Pogo is a black lab and has been my best friend for the last four years.  I knew I would be safe in the cemetery with Pogo.  He isn’t afraid of anything, not even our neighbor’s nasty Rottweiler.  Plus, I know Pogo would give his life to protect me, even though I hoped that would never be necessary.

It was about 11 o’clock at night when I snuck out of the house with Pogo.  We walked about a block to the large cemetery.  I wasn’t worried about my parents finding out because they were way too busy watching a special Halloween marathon of an old show they loved as kids. 

When we arrived at the cemetery, I opened the creaky iron gate and set up a small camp under a huge oak tree.  I hadn’t brought much, just Pogo, a few blankets, a bag of chips and a small cooler with pop for me and water for Pogo inside.

Not much happened during the first hour.  I sat there looking around, jumping at every little sound.  Sometime around midnight, Pogo began acting a little strange.  Soon he was barking and growling at the cool night air, even though there was nothing there.  I started getting a little scared because I had always heard that animals can sense supernatural things, even if we can’t see them.

Suddenly, I saw something out of the corner of my eye.  At first, I closed my eyes in fear, afraid to look.  Pogo’s barking and growling grew even louder, so I knew that whatever it was must be getting closer.  When I finally opened my eyes, I couldn’t believe what I saw.

In front of me, maybe ten feet away, was a ghost.  At least I was pretty sure it was a ghost.  I couldn’t see through her like I’ve heard lots of people say you can with ghosts, but she had an eerie, unearthly look about her.  She literally glowed as bright as a light bulb.  She was wearing an old-fashioned dress, and had long hair, but I couldn’t tell what color her hair was because it glowed white like the rest of her.

She never really spoke out loud, but she still communicated to me somehow that she wanted me to follow her.  I got up and walked towards her.  Right away, Pogo put himself between us.  He refused to let me get too close to her and would growl in her direction whenever she looked my way.

Eventually we came to a place where there were many more ghosts, glowing in the darkness, just like her.  They were all gathered around an empty grave.  There was a coffin to the side of the hole, so obviously there was a funeral going on.  We stood there for a few minutes, watching the man conduct the service.  I could see the man’s lips moving, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying.

After a while, the girl I had followed walked over to the coffin.  The lid opened and she stepped into the white satin.  Once she had settled in, the lid closed again. 

Soon I heard horrible screams coming from the coffin, “No!  Please don’t bury me!  I’m still alive!”    

The coffin was shaking from the strength of her fists beating against the lid and the power of her terrified screams.  I watched in horror as the man who had been speaking smiled malevolently and signaled for the other men to lower the coffin into the ground.  Soon they were all shoveling dirt into the grave.  The woman’s screams became fainter as the other ghosts slowly buried her alive.

I must say I don’t remember much else.  Pogo and I ran out of that graveyard as fast as we could, not even bothering to pick up the things I had brought with me.  All the way home we were followed by the sound of evil laughter.

My website/blog: www.marandarussell.com

Twitter ID: @Shojobeatgirl

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/Maranda.Russell.writer

Latest ebook release: In Memory of Dad (available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords)

 

Upcoming books: Ode to Icky (print picture book, coming out within next few months), Weezie, the Elephant with Allergies (ebook coming out in October, will be on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords)

Please leave comments below. We would love hearing from you!

Halloween Fun with Sherri Browning Erwin

         

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 Halloween. 

People who celebrate and enjoy Halloween tend to be one of two types, sometimes a little of both: The Frighteners, and The Frightened. 

I've always been one of the frightened. Happily frightened. Scary costumes, great on other people but never my choice. I like to dress up as the cute, non-threatening characters, most often a tiny forest animal most likely to scamper away at first sign of trouble. In childhood, I was usually a bunny. I never wanted to scare anyone. I wanted to be scared! Vampires, are you out there? Werewolves, ghosts, zombies? Yikes! There's something so wonderfully fun about being frightened. Your heart races, your knees get weak, and there's that genuine moment of "Oh no! What's going to happen?" It's the one day a year I can really let go and feel out of control. 

Frighteners, on the other hand, enjoy driving the action. My sisters were always witches on Halloween (so fitting). Frighteners enjoy watching others react to their temporary villainy. They're emboldened by the change, and why not? It's fun to imagine being something different and new, dressing up, behaving out of character. 

Halloween is the one holiday that is pretty much the same for children and for adults. We're all looking to scare or be scared. And of course, there's candy. What's not to love? 

Perhaps my love of Halloween has something to do with why I write, and what I write, and my reading choices. Ghouls can wreak havoc on the page all year round, and the drama always runs high. Grave Expectations (Gallery Books 2011) and Jane Slayre (Gallery Books, 2010) feature vampires, werewolves, and zombies (oh my!). Are you a fan of Halloween? Do you like to be a Frightener or do you prefer to be one of the Frightened? 

Sherri Browning Erwin's Top Five Halloween Reads:

1) Dracula by Bram Stoker. The classic that introduced Count Dracula, and set the standard in vampire lore. 

2) Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. A classic tale of good vs. evil, with a spooky carnival and witchery for good measure. 

3) Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. One of my favorite books (the first one, part of a series, but the sequels haven't lived up to the original). Touching, funny, sad, with a creep factor that makes Halloween the perfect time to read.  

4) Salem's Lot by Stephen King. King is a master at chills and thrills, and the vampires of Salem's Lot raise the bar from Stoker's Dracula.

5) The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. A study in good old-fashioned psychological terror.

Sherri is the author of several books.:

        

     

    

For more on Sherri Browning Erwin visit: http://www.sherribrowningerwin.com/

On FaceBook look for at Sherrie Browning Erwin Readers, Jane Slayre and Grave Expectations

On Twitter she is @sherrierwin

On Tumblr at Sherrie Browning Erwin, Jane Slayre or Wolfish Young Gentleman

  

Please leave a comment. We would love hearing from you!

Hearthside Books & Toys Juneau Alaska

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Pumpkin Roll Giveaway

Giveaways are associated with the blog and not with Hearthside Books & Toys

Hearthside Books & Toys

 This is our downtown store. It is located at 254 Front St. in Juneau Alaska.

These are the windows of the store inside the  Nugget Mall in the Valley at 8745 Glacier Hwy

 

 

You can also shop online at http://www.hearthsidebooks.com/

or by calling them Toll-Free: (866) 789-2750

I love my bookstore! In addition to all the awesome books available they have wonderful things going on over there all the time. 

They are extremely supportive of both Alaskan authors and Indie authors. There are author signings for Alaskan authors that go on every month. They feature an Indie Next List which highlights an Indie book coming out. They have a toy and game department. In the mall location there is a train set up where children can play happily. Junior loves the train set up.

The games can be borrowed, FREE, so you can play them and determine if they are right for your family before you purchase them. How many stores offer that?

Here are a few of the planned events (they are links so you can learn more about them).

Alaska Book Week Oct 8-15 with a Prize Drawing

If you are in Juneau you can win one of three books in the drawing or a giftcard!

The books are:

 

As someone who loves to cook as much as she loves to read I am having a super hard time with this contest. I want all three. However since I collect cookbooks and would be forced to choose only one, I would probably go with the Cook Book. Wish me luck! 

More happenings are coming such as what Junior is eager for:

Meet LLAMA LLAMA for a PARTY PARTY!

(photo from Hearthside Books)

Doesn't that scream fun? I want to be a kid and go for story time with Llama Llama!

On October 19th you can get some books signed by 

Debbie Miller - Book Signing

Here are Debbie's books, which can be ordered online. If you live out of the area and  order them before the signing you may even be able to get a signed copy sent to you! Please contact Hearthside for more information.

   

 

Many of you have told me how much you like Alaska and/or are interested in Alaska. These are some amazing books by an excellent Alaskan Author. Christmas is coming. I think a copy of any of these would delight a child or adult on your list.

Other planned happenings coming up are:

Trick or Treating at the Nugget Mall

5th Annual Hearthside Holiday Event

Doorbuster Savings!

Here are some Alaskan Authors that I like. You can find their books online at Hearthside Books & Toys, or if you are in Juneau, at the store.

David Moe, ( Poetry - My Spirit Sings);  Ernestine Hayes, (Blonde Indian: An Alaskan Native Memoir); Evon Zerbetz, (share her with a child - seriously. She has some impressive children's books); Heather Lende, (check out If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News From Small Town Alaska - it is sensational!); John and Nancy DeCherney, ( they wrote one of my favorite cookbooks here - The Fiddlehead Cookbook: Recipe's From Alaska's Most Celebrated Restaurant and Bakery); John Hyde, (check out Romeo: The Story of an Alskan Wolf - this book is so awesome. It tells about a wolf that hung out by the Glacier here in Juneau. This wolf was as playful as a dog. Seriously. I loved Romeo. This book is a wonderful tribute.); R Phillip Ritter, (I loved his book Heart of Abigail: A Lyric Novella of  Juneau, Douglas and Treadwell. It weaves a fictional story with a historical base. Absolutely remarkable book!); John Straley, (amazing mystery writer - I love his writing. If you like mysteries check out Curious Eat Themselves; Woman Who Married A Bear or The Music of What Happens.); J. Kevin Burchfield, ( zombie fans you definitely want to check out The Great Alaskan Adventure...with Zombies!); Dana Stabenow, (who writes exciting mysteries - check out the Kate Shugak Series) and Sue Henry, ( another entertaining mystery writer - she has many books)

I hope you check our bookstore either online at http://www.hearthsidebooks.com

or if you are in Juneau stop at one of the stores. 

Please leave a comment. I love hearing from you.

Halloween Fun with Scott Nicholson

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Rabbit in a Midnight Graveyard

By Scott Nicholson

http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/

Many Appalachian folk beliefs came from the British Isles, and one of the prevailing cultural theories is the Scots-Irish came into New York and then kept heading south until they found something that looked like home. That would be the highlands of North Carolina, Kentucky, and Virginia, what is commonly called “Hillbilly Country.”

Stereotypes often contain a footing in truth, and there is still quite a bit of clannishness in the mountains and a distrust of outsiders. That’s why the mountains were largely left alone during the Civil War and why escaped slaves often headed for the hills where they would not be bothered as long as they didn’t bother anyone else.

The popular image of the barefoot hillbilly tending a moonshine still had a lot of basis in cultural history. Not only was whiskey making a proud family craft, the distrust of government that drove unhappy subjects from the King of England’s rule led to a distrust of government and its liquor taxes.

The Jack Tales, of which Jack and the Beanstalk is probably the most famous and benign, featured a clever Jack pulling a fast on over on the wealthy royalty, usually through industry and cleverness. While the oral tradition is dying out, those tales are still passed down through generations.

Plant lore was also carried over, as people were dependent on the environment for their goods, food, and healing. Four-leaf clovers, now popular as good-luck symbols, originally were considered charms that allowed the owner to see ghosts and evil spirits. My novels Creative Spirit and The Red Church draw on a little mountain folk magic as part of the foundation for supernatural activity.

I used the idea of “poppet magic,” a type of mountain voodoo doll, in my short story “Apple Head Dolly,” which appears in the anthology Appalachian Winter Hauntings and my forthcoming collection Gateway Drug. Shriveled apples were often used as the heads of dolls, because facial features could be cut into a wet apple and then dried into a creepy, wizened likeness.

Of course, ghost stories occur in most every culture and the Appalachian settlers certainly brought their superstitions with them. Even the Cherokee who inhabited the area had their tales, as I utilized in my novel They Hunger. One of the members of a rafting team is on a vision quest, enduring hardship in the hope of seeing his spirit animal. Of course, his animal turns out to be a hallucination induced by the drugs he is taking.

One of my favorite tales told by my grandmother involved a witch who couldn’t pee because someone stuck a broomstick up her chimney. My adult self can see the symbolism of it, but as a child, I was lost in the magic of a world where items had control over people. Similarly, glass had the power to catch ghosts or witches, or provide barriers through which ghosts couldn’t pass.

Rabbits, owls, rain, moon signs, and more affected the way mountain people looked at their world. And still do today, at least in my little hollow.

If you want more Appalachian folklore, I have a list of weather, death, healing, and supernatural listings at http://www.hauntedcomputer.com/scottst41.htm

Scott Nicholson is author of 12 novels, including the thrillers Speed Dating with the Dead, Drummer Boy, Forever Never Ends, The Skull Ring, As I Die Lying, Burial to Follow ,and They Hunger. His revised novels for the U.K. Kindle are Creative Spirit, Troubled, and Solom. He’s also written four comic series, six screenplays, and more than 60 short stories. His story collections include Ashes, The First, Murdermouth: Zombie Bits, and Flowers. His Web site is Haunted Computer.

Here are the covers of the books mentioned. Awesome aren't they?

       

   

   

Scott has many, many more. He is one of the most amazing writers I have read. Seriously, if I could reach through the computer I would click you over to his website myself. Pick one out. You will not be disappointed. Most likely you will go back for more. I am going to add on a few more below. These are my picks along with Junior's.

My favorite book is These Things Happened. You can read my review by clicking this link. 

These are Junior's favorites:

 

A couple of  Halloween picks:

  

Halloween Spirits is a collection of stories written with other authors. Right now it is available for 99 cents on Amazon. 

The Vampire Club is a series that is written with J. R. Rain. Yes, that is Vampire For Hire Series author J R Rain.  It is now available for $3.99 on Amazon.

And written under his pen, L C Glazebrook:

October Girls is currently in a Good Reads Giveaway located here. I have to admit I entered and seriously hope to win. 

Scott's Blog: http://hauntedcomputer.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/hauntedcomputer

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Scott-Nicholson/405419748973

Please leave your thoughts. Both Scott and I are interested!

Poetry with Kimberly LaRocca

On Saturdays this month I will be featuring a poem from Kimberly LaRocca. Today's poem is from her book A Black Girl's Poetry for the World. 

Because this month the theme is Halloween I will try to choose poems that fit in with some concepts associated with it. So today I am going to feature a poem that deals with ending pain,  and uses words that are common in Halloween stories, (killing, spirit, the end, fog, goodbye).

Ending the Pain

Kimberly LaRocca

This world of pain,

So much to bear.

It's all around,

Staining the air.

All consuming, Everywhere,

And I cannot escape.

Killing my mind

And spirit, too,

Like the way

That evil does.

Won't let me see a day 

Beyond today.

Now is the end for me,

Stealing my light, breathlessly.

I try to fight,

But, through the fog I can't see.

So I say my last goodbye.

I'll be with you forever now.

A better place awaits me.

The pain will end, finally.

I really like this poem. At first it brought back memories of some really dark periods in my life. Not exactly a good thing, you may be thinking. But it was. You cannot go forward without dealing with the past, (unless you want to repeat it). Now it is a step in letting go of painful things that I cannot change. They happened. They hurt. Now they need to be put to rest. So I will take lessons learned and move on. 

For more from Kimberly you can go to her website HERE. She has additional poetry there.

Copies of her book may be purchased from Amazon, in PRINT and in KINDLE form. 

To see my review please click the link, HERE

HALLOWEEN FUN GIVEAWAY ENTRY FORM HERE

ANOTHER BAD DOG BOOK GIVEAWAY ENTRY FORM HERE

Please leave your thoughts below. I read them and I answer them.

My Bookworm Santa

Jenn from Books & Barks posted about this and I thought it looked like fun so I signed up too!


'My Bookworm Santa' is an event that Bree from The Magic Attic and Michelle BookBriefs got together and planned. 

My Bookworm Santa is the book blogger's version of  'Secret Santa.' So you sign up via the form on one of the host pages linked above, and they will pair you up with another random entrant. If you're only willing to ship to America, they will pair you up with someone from America.(remember though, that the Book Depository ships free to most countries. This is a good way to meet some international book bloggers)  They will send your paired blogger's wishlist and address to you, and your wishlist and address to them. Then, before December 10th, they will ask that you purchase a book from the wishlist they sent over, and send the book to your randomly selected blogger. And on Christmas (December 25th), you'll reveal yourself to the other person, and hopefully make new friends :) Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, you're more than welcome to join the fun.

The Host Blogs will also be having a small, separate giveaway during the sign-up period. If you tweet about this event, blog about this event, or follow their blogs via GCF, and grab the event button then you'll earn extra entries. Signing up for their "My Bookworm Santa" event earns you one point. At the end of the sign-up period, they will randomly choose two participants (international people are more than welcome), and send them over one book from their wishlist. Setting up a blog post is a great way to get referrals, and each person that names you as their referral will earn you one extra entry in the giveaway.

Here are Rules, Terms and Conditions:

• If you sign up for this event, you're PROMISING the Host that you will, no matter what, fulfill your end of the agreement and send over a book to the blogger. If you have any problems, please come talk to one of the host.
• International people are more than welcome to join :)
• Sign-ups close at the beginning of December
• Please do not reveal yourself to your assigned blogger until after December 25th
• You MUST send over a book before December 10th so that it can arrive to the blogger's house in time for, or a little after Christmas on December 25th.
• The book MUST be in in perfect condition, and listed in your assigned blogger's wishlist.
• This isn't created as a way to 'get new books.' Our goal through this is to help create new friends.
• Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, you're more than welcome to join us :)
• You can sign up through the form on either of the host's pages. 

Doesn't this sound like fun? What a great way to meet new friends and share in the fun of the Holiday Season. I am excited about it! I hope you join us!

Review The Facts Speak For Themselves - Brock Cole & FF

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The Facts Speak For Themselves by Brock Cole

ebook, 178 pages

Published September 9th 2009 by namelos (first published 1993)

From Good Reads:

The subject is a white female, age thirteen. Her score on the standard Stanford-Binet puts her in the low-average quarter of her age group. She appears to be in good physical health. She is small for her age, but sturdily built. She reports that her first onset of menses occurred seven months ago. Her periods are scanty and irregular. A long history of sexual abuse.

Offended by her social workers report, above, Linda decides to tell her own version of her life and circumstances. The Facts Speak for Themselves is Linda's story, an uncompromising look at a sexually active adolescent adrift in a world where she is more responsible than the adults around her.

From me:

I chose this book, (which I purchased), as I am trying to read a number of the books on the Banned Book list that I have not read. It was a haunting read for me. It should have been a quick read as it is not really long. For me though the some of the issues were close to me and I had to keep stopping to breathe - just breathe. I think most people will be able to read it in a few hours. It is a good book that delves into a lot of issues people do not really want to speak of. I think most wish the issues were made up and really did not exist. Perhaps that is why it really was selected for the ban. Most people want to look away. They don't want their children reading it because then they might have to acknowledge it and maybe even look at the fact that someone they know may have gone through it or is walking through it now. This desire to look the other way and pretend it doesn't happen is exactly what keeps it happening. You are not protecting your daughter from anything by denying her this book. I understand the parental need to want to do that. I have two daughters. But I also understand the feeling of isolation when you are the one who is dealing with this. For as much as we tell our children if someone touches you in a bad way, we still hold them to this isolation. You can say tell me all you want but when you also say I don't want you to read this for your own good, we get the message. You really don't want to know and you are willing to let us go it alone. So we stay alone with it for years, sometimes our whole lives. Because even though the act, (acts), was, (were), finished before we reached adulthood the memories and the feelings never go away. The isolation carries on. Instead of forbidding your teenager from reading this book why not read it together? Then let your teen take the lead on discussing it. No judgement. Just listening to what they felt and thought. You may learn something, possibly something you don't want to know, about them or someone they care about. The subject this book deals with isn't going anywhere. I desperately wish it was but I am realistic enough to know that it remains a fact of some children's lives. 


The book is a compelling read. It is difficult. There is adult language and sexual situations. It is not as graphic as it could have been and I truly appreciated that. There is not a lot of feelings expressed that maybe some people will want in it. I understood that. When it is happening you shut down. You don't feel. It is something you don't fully understand and, in your mind, there is no one to talk to; so you shut down. You accept it as "normal" for you and then pretend it isn't what it is. You just try to get through each day. I appreciated that coming through for me in this book. Had the author tried to address the various feelings I would have been disappointed.

I give this book a 5 star rating. I think it is one that should be required reading, (for both teens and the adults in their lives), with a lot of listening going on. Knowledge is the key, education is the door, companionship, empathy and understanding are what get you through the door. 

If you are new to the #FF fun, Feature & Follow Friday is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. Feature & Follow Friday is now hosted by TWO hosts, Rachel of Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow them to show off more new blogs! This weeks blogs are:

Jagged Edge

A Neverending Fantasy

This weeks Question is:

 If you could pick one character in a book, movie or television show to swap places with, who would it be?

In a book it is hard to choose just one. Possibly Sookie. I think she gets herself into a lot of things but she cares about family and friends. We all make wrong choices, hers are a little more than average but she always comes through. 

Movie much easier - I loved Sam from Benny and Joon. So I would go for Joon. She had issues but she got through them humanly, was learning to live with them and she got Sam. 

TV would be Cristina from Parenthood. I am familiar with parenting and autism. I feel she does an awesome, realistic portrayal. She is very real and even though she is stressed, she loves her family. I would choose her.

If you choose to leave a comment I ask that you do it with the knowledge that survivors may read it. So keep it courteous, honest but respectful.