Halloween Spirit by Laura Hunsaker

With Halloween fast approaching I was thinking of reading a couple of Paranormal Romances to get in the Halloween spirit (not to be confused with Spirit Halloween lol). 

My favorite Paranormal Romances usually have a lot of action, or even a Romantic Suspense plot. So while I was scrolling my library, then Amazon, because my TBR is never ending, it got me thinking that I do have a preference in the sense that I don't really want bunny shifters, or hummingbird shifters. I don't know why I don't like that, but it's not my jam. I want vampires, werewolves, and depending on the world, other large predators. (And all of this is of course just my faves, not saying it's right or wrong or the only way. In fact I love both the Kate Daniels series and the Pride series by Shelly Laurentston which does have bunny shifters. I'm just generalizing). 

So when I came across this meme:

All I could think of was, um yes. Accurate. LOL I think this is why I want a monster romance. 

In my books. I want a monster hero in my books. In real life? Ehhhh...yeah I don't know if I could do that. I mean, thinking of the cryptids that are out there: Bigfoot? Skunk ape? Yeti? Chupacabra? Loch Ness Monster? I don't know.

But if werewolves and vampires were real, if well, Nessie and Bigfoot were real? I guess it would depend on the circumstances? Maybe? I'm not saying yes, but I'm not saying no... I mean, the Mummy? The one with Brendan Fraser? just saying, every single one of the those characters was beautiful, and that Mummy Imhotep was in love. His love transcended death. I mean, I'm not mad at that. 

So how about you? Are you a Paranormal Romance fan? Are you open to all? Or do you prefer the originals, vampires, witches, werewolves, etc?

And since I mentioned Spirit Halloween, I wanted to share this funny (fake-I snagged it from Instagram) costume that I feel we all can appreciate:

And if you want one of my Paranormal Romances, my vampires are $.99 right now ;)

Highlander Reborn (Amazon affil link)

The Broken Highlander (Amazon affil link)

Trick or Treat by Bea Tifton

Yesterday at the grocery store I pondered that oh, so important question, What Halloween candy will we buy? We really don’t need to buy any, because we don’t have any trick or treaters. I don’t think many kids even go door to door now. When I was a kid we did. We planned our costumes carefully and greeted the holiday with anticipation and excitement. We would go door to door. If we knew the people, we were allowed to take cookies or the ultimate fun Halloween homemade treat, popcorn balls. Word quickly traveled when one house had particularly good candy. Some people I knew piled into a parent’s car and drove to the wealthy parts of town, but to my friends and I that was cheating. It was a neighborhood thing. We would go door to door, escorted by our parents when we were very small, then allowed to go on our own. When we got tired, we would come home and gorge ourselves. Mom and Dad would pick through our haul to get their favorites as well.  After a few years people began to circulate rumors of razor blades or candy poisoning, and while we still got to trick or treat, Dad would buy our candy from us. It wasn’t quite the same but as an adult I understand. (Hey, at least we got money to replace the candy if we wanted.) 

Now I see elaborate Halloween yard decorations, but I think most kids go to Trunk or Treat celebrations instead of going door to door. I think those are nice but not the same as the neighborhood celebrations. It’s a little sad. Today’s kids don’t know what they’re missing, but I do. And my father really misses opening the door on Halloween. He loved the little ones the best because they just looked so cute in their costumes and the proud parents would be hovering nearby.

We have a new routine where we buy some candy “just in case” and order pizza for Halloween. We watch the original “Ghostbusters” and “Practical Magic” and snack. I enjoy it. Last year I had choir rehearsal on Halloween night and we did the pizza thing the day before, but it wasn’t the same. This year, the way is clear for pizza and candy on Halloween night. I may even put a Halloween shirt on the dog.

 

Do you have trick or treaters? Do your kids do something for Halloween?

  

Photo Credits:Pexels.com
Terrance Barksdale "Pile of Halloween Sweets"
Yuting Gao "Group of Children in Halloween Costumes"
Charles Parker "Little Girls in Halloween Costumes Standing on Stairs"
Sam Lion "Small Dog Sitting in Light Studio"
Kaboompics.com "A Room with Halloween Decorations" 

Wait! What was That? by Bea Tifton

 I'm filling in for the lovely and talented Beth Trissel. Please check out her many great books. 

It’s the time of year when television networks and streaming services are loaded with scary movies. Today at lunch some friends and I were talking about some scary movies we liked and some we would never see.

I don’t see slasher movies. In college I finally saw “Nightmare on Elm Street” because, well, I was in college. But I hated it. And I’ve never seen any others. That’s simply not enjoyable to me. 

As I type this blog post I’m watching “Arsenic and Old Lace”, a comedy spoof of scary movies, although Raymond Massey was scary in his own right. I watch it every Halloween.

But the psychological scares? The masters like Hitchcock?  He relied on tapping into things that would sear right into people’s psyches. The edge of your seat scares like “Psycho” or “The Birds”. One can see Hitchcock’s influence on M. Night Shyamalan in the “Gotcha!”  moments of his movies. And it’s fun to see either director make his trademark cameo. (When we’re watching Hitchcock movies, my father and I each try to be the first one to see Hitchcock and whoever spies him first yells out excitedly, “I see him!”)

I had a roommate in college who loved Stephen King so I've seen many of his. He's very gifted, but some of his movies are a bit too dark for me. My parents had never seen "The Shining" although they had toured the Stanley Hotel once on vacation, so we watched it a few months ago and it scared the fool out of us. I've seen it a couple of times and I was still on the edge of my seat.  It's a classic

Why do we like to be scared? Maybe it’s the unknown, the delicious anticipation of what’s going to happen next, even as the hair on our arms stands up and we peer through our fingers. And, ultimately, we know it’s not real, that at the end of the day (or night), we are going to emerge unscathed. Well, apart from a few unsettling dreams, I suppose.

However, if I hear something go bump in the night, I’m definitely not venturing out into a dark yard or down a dank basement clad in nothing but a nightie and high heels. Now that’s just stupid.

Do you like to watch scary movies? Leave a comment below.

Pexels.Com Photo Credits Unless Otherwise Noted

Mikhail Nilov "A Scary Girl in Black Maleficent Costume"
Joonas Kaarlainen "Clouds Under Full Moon"
Wikimedia Commons " Alfred Hitchcock Psycho Trailer"
Zachary DeBottis "Silhouette of a Person"
Pedro Figueras "Car Passing on Road Between Trees"
Nitin Chauhan "Steps and the Door to the Basement" 

WELCOME FALL

 By Caroline Clemmons

Who here still has Halloween candy? Hero bought enough for a horde of trick-or-treaters but only about a dozen came to our house. Hero and I were disappointed. We love seeing the kids in their costumes, especially the small ones. Hopefully, families were doing some celebrating with games and/or movies at home. Oh my, what will happen to all our leftover candy?

I'm so glad Fall has arrived. If you're suffering under inches of snow or the hurricane's destruction, I do apologize for enjoying our weather. Today is so perfect that even a confirmed indoorsy person like me can enjoy being outdoors. Not that I'll actually be outside much because I have a book to finish.

Plus, my mind has been going everywhere without me the past week. As my grandmother used to say, "Haste makes waste." I've been hurrying too much on some things and not enough on others. Is there such a thing as Fall fever? If there is, that's my excuse.

I’m completing the second of two new Christmas stories. The first, I may have mentioned a dozen or so times. I hope not that many, but I do love this anthology.

HOLIDAY HEARTS, is my novella in CHRISTMAS COMES TO DICKENS, a contemporary anthology set in New England. It was released last week and is only 99 cents!. This is the first time I’ve written a New England setting. I’ve always wanted to visit there, especially in the fall. Via books, I can. https://books2read.com/DickensChristmas  

There’s also a FREE recipe book, IT’S A DICKENS OF A COOKIE, at https://books2read.com/dickens-cookie

The second Christmas book this year is a western historical, MEG, Angel Creek Christmas Brides book 20, and releases December 18. Yes, of course I want you to buy these books, but the reason I’m mentioning them is—Christmas! My favorite time of year! It’s available for preorder on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Angel-Creek-Christmas-Brides-Book-ebook/dp/B08BTB2HVJ  

I suppose we need to get through Thanksgiving before we start talking Christmas. That is, in my head I know that. In my heart, I’m doing a Snoopy dance because it’s close to my favorite time of year.

To mix it up a bit, I combined my three Pinkerton Matchmaker Series books into a trilogy and have it now available at a price that is $1.51 less than if you bought the books individually. Of course, the books are still available as singles if you prefer. My three are AN AGENT FOR MAGDALA, AN AGENT FOR LYDIA, and AN AGENT FOR JUDITH. This series has been so popular. For me, I’ve enjoyed writing the combination of mystery, marriage of convenience, adventure, and romance. You can find it at the Universal Amazon link of https://mybook.to/Pinks  

Do something fun today then read a romance!

 

LUCY ~ THE CLARINETIST by Judy Ann Davis

October reminds us of cool, crisp days, a rainbow of colored leaves, and Halloween. October is also National Dessert Month. With seasonal ingredients like spicy cinnamon, rich caramel, and decadent pecans, autumn is one of the best seasons for baking. Who doesn’t enjoy pumpkin pie heaped with Cool Whip? Or apple pie or crisp? How about pecan pie and the many cobblers?

This month, on October 26th, I’m releasing my last novella in the Musical Christmas Series. It’s Lucy –The Clarinetist, and like the preceding novellas, it includes a recipe that one of the main characters enjoys. This time it’s Andre Almanza, my main character, who likes apple pie with a cinnamon crumb crust.

APPLE PIE with Cinnamon Crumb Crust  

INGREDIENTS:

¾ cup sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg (optional)
Dash of salt
6 cups thinly sliced pared apples
(McIntosh work well)
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine

Deep Dish Pastry for a 9-inch pie
(You need only the bottom crust)

 Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pastry or use one purchased from the store.
(Frozen deep dish varieties work best.)

Stir together sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt, and mix with apples.

Turn into pastry-lined pie pan and dot with butter.

CINNAMON CRUMB CRUST:

Mix 1 cup flour, ½ cold cup butter, and ½ cup (packed) brown sugar.

Cut dry ingredients into butter with pastry cutter until crumbly.
Carefully spread the mixture on top of the apples, packing it down around the edges, and sprinkle the top with cinnamon.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes.

NOTE: You may need to cover topping with aluminum foil for the last ten minutes to
prevent excess browning. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

BLURB:

A merry novella for the holiday season!

Lucy Ciaffonni wants nothing more than to start her own public relations firm, but she’s stuck at the local bank performing boring communications and advertising duties. When her best friend and computer guru, Andre Almanza, buys an area farm to create a barn theater, Lucy is pulled into the mystery of discovering where a rare, German, H.F. Kayser clarinet was hidden on the property during Prohibition.

Andre Almanza has always adored Lucy from afar. He hopes she’ll take the position of barn theater manager. When she agrees to help him renovate the barn and update and furnish his huge Victorian house, he is delighted—that is, until the entire town becomes involved in locating the missing antique instrument. To complicate matters, there are ruthless people who want to recover the expensive clarinet and cash in on its legend and value.

Will Lucy and Andre locate the clarinet and finally acknowledge the sparks of romance that have been smoldering between them for the longest time? Will it be the perfect Christmas?

LINK for Lucy ~ The Clarinetist

Why Horror? by Joan Reeves

Horror and Romance?

Trick or Treat? Yes, it's that time of the year for ghosts and goblins and things that go bump in the night.

Horror is big not only in October but also in the other months of the year. I'm not much for horror movies. In fact, I don't even like the movie trailers when they're shown on television.

But romance in horror as in vampire romances? I'm okay with that. In fact, horror in romance is big, i.e., the above mentioned vampire romance with a hero who's usually a sexy hunky vampire.

Horror or Romance

As a romance reader, are you sometimes puzzled why horror is so popular with readers?

Reading taste has been studied by people much smarter than I. They say there are subconscious psychological reasons for why we choose what we choose when it comes to books and visual media.

The reasons are universal—people all over the world respond to the genres because of the same reasons. These reasons speak to an individual on a sub-conscious level based on what the individual values.

Appeal of Horror

Horror appeals because of the desire for good to triumph over evil.

You can take any horror book or film and boil it down to its basic components, and you'll find it's always a battle of good versus evil. At least the successful examples of this genre are.

I think the unsuccessful examples probably were meant to be that, but somewhere along the way, the story had an identity crisis, maybe because the writer didn't know the genre well enough to understand its dynamics.

From Primitive To Contemporary

The horror story is ancient. I imagine some caveman telling stories around the campfire tried to scare the T-Rex out of his listeners.

Horror connects with those not-so-logical parts of our brains. You know, those primitive parts that tell us to get scared by what goes bump in the night.

Stories from ancient times to today's urban myths are the end result, and people voluntarily listen, read, or watch in order to be frightened and to subsequently be reassured that good wins over evil.

The Horror genre has always reflected the anxieties of each generation. In the original Dracula film Nosferatu, the story wasn't just about a vampire.

The original Dracula was a metaphor for the seemingly senseless and random deaths in the first world war and the later world flu epidemic.

The Dracula tale is told anew for each generation. What's really interesting is to take older horror films and contrast them with remakes to see whether the same character remains a villain or has transformed into the hero of the piece.

In previous decades, vampires, mummies, Wolf Man, and zombies starred as monsters. After the war with the threat of nuclear bombs, aliens and robots became the monster along with giant insects and other animals.

All these reflected fears arising from the unknown. From UFOs to the effects of radiation, people were worried and writers and movie makers used this in their work.

Modern Monsters

Today, even with amazing visual effects, it's hard to create a really terrible monster when the evening news is full of stories about Ebola, serial killers, war, kids killing kids, school massacres, etc. So tellers of tales ramp up the horror thus giving us unimaginable horror books and movies.

Trick or Treat!

Horror works not because of the visual effects genius at work but because the audience's imagination is at work. The scariest horror films are the ones where the "monster" isn't seen until late in the movie, after he's picked off the victims one by one.

It's that fear of the unknown that taps into our primitive brain. Remember the original Alien or Predator films?

You didn't see the menace until you were good and scared. The unknown. The fear of what goes bump in the night when you're imagining the absolute worst. And then you find out what you imagined wasn't nearly bad enough.

Now that's horror! So, how do you feel about horror?

Joan Reeves—Keeping Romance Alive…One Sexy Book at a Time—is a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance. Joan lives her happily-ever-after with her hero, her husband, in the Lone Star State. They divide their time between a book-cluttered home in Houston and a quiet house at the foot of the Texas Hill Country where they sit on the porch at night, look up at the star-studded sky, and listen to the coyotes howl.

Sign up for Joan's Newsletterand be the first to know about new books and giveaways plus receive a free ebook after you confirm and opt-in.

Memories of Palmersville's Halloween Royalty Celebration

by Laurean Brooks

When I was in school, one of my favorite times of the year was the annual Halloween Royalty held in October. It was an exciting month beginning the first week and ending the last week, as each grade competed for a coveted glittering crown.

Palmersville's school was small, staying at around 300 students in grades 1 - 12.  Because of the size of the school and our rural town, everyone knew everyone. Sure, we had occasional disagreements, but in the end,  all was forgiven, and we became family again. 

There were three categories in the Halloween Royalty competition. From grades 1-4, Maids and Paiges were elected. Grades 5–8 elected Princess and Princes. The high school grades elected Queens and Kings. All were voted on by the students from his/her class. The boys and girls who had been selected were excused from classes for one hour a day to practice a waltz in the gymnasium that would be performed at the Halloween Royalty celebration on the last Friday night in October.

The grades in each category competed against one another. Each grade strove to raise money by selling food or chances on items. Or they hosted hayrides, plays or sock hops. The class from each division who brought in the most money would win the coveted crown at the Halloween Royalty.

In sixth grade, one of my classmates brought his cotton candy machine to school. Our class took turns bringing cups of sugar to school to make the treat. I helped and can remember my amazement at watching the machine spin out cotton candy. The sweet concoction was a big seller. One day we ran out of sugar. But, never fear; I lived a short distance from the school. Our teacher, Mr. Trevathan, sent me home for two cups. Our sixth-grade class easily won the competition that year. They said we raised even more money than the senior class, which was unheard of.

On the night of the Halloween Royalty, the totals were tallied in each grade category. The three winning classes were announced over the loudspeaker and gold glittering crowns were placed on the heads of the elected royalty from those classes. As soon as the royalty winners were crowned, the three winning couples swept onto the dance floor to perform a waltz. 

The music swelled as the couples swirled about the dance floor while the entranced crowd fell silent in the gymnasium. The boys, decked out in suits and bowties, were handsome indeed, while the young ladies adorned in colorful, floor-length formals were a beautiful sight to behold.

The Halloween Royalty celebration was a magical night now etched in my memory. Our school looked forward to the excitement and camaraderie it brought.

All proceeds from the event went to the school to help with repairs, renovations, teachers' supplies, and other things that might be needed. 

In 2001, Palmersville School was consolidated. It was a sad day for the entire community. But we knew we had done our best. The funds from the Halloween Royalty had kept our little school alive and thriving for decades to come. The wonderful memories of tears and laughter shared from days-gone-by, still linger on.

                          (Credit for Palmersville School photo goes to Robert Reynolds)

             

********************************
SEVERED HEARTS

A Vintage Era romance where two broken hearts are mended

https://www.amazon.com/Severed-Hearts-Laurean-Brooks-ebook/dp/B07BFLSQVK/ref=sr_1_6?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1539960882&sr=1-6&keywords=Severed+hearts

Julie Blanton's dream is realized when shy Johnny Michaels all but professes his undying love. But, when he enlists two days later without so much as a goodbye, her world crashes.

Johnny has loved Julie since high school Civics class. But before he can muster the courage to ask for a real date, he overhears words that cut to the core. Humiliation drives him to make a rash decision. Will it cost him Julie's love?

Autumn Getaways in the Midwest! #Halloween #Ghosts & More

Hello Friends, Fans and Followers of Smart Girls Read Romance. We're thrilled you stopped by in the 'spooky' month of October.

Autumn is a great time to plan a fall get-a-way. You won't find lovelier places to visit than the Midwest. Before trees shed their leaves in preparation for winter, they often put on a brilliant display of color...deep burgundy, buttercup yellow and sunburst orange.

Here's hoping you take time to schedule a short vacation this fall and enjoy the same beauty depicted in this image from the state of Wisconsin.

Many small towns hold fall festivals and Halloween galas meant to attract not only local residents but adventure-seeking tourists. I can't list all the links of special getaways in the Midwest, but below I covered some spectacular events in Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota (Click on the links for more information). Better yet, Google "Autumn Getaways (insert your State name here)".

Happy Fall, Happy Halloween and sincere thanks for visiting Smart Girls Read Romance! 

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Blue Harbor Beer Festival, Sheboygan, WI

Jester Park Equestrain Center, Iowa

Scenic City Empress Boat Club, Iowa

Fall Family Camps, Ely, MN

Itasca State Park, Park Rapids, MN

Of course I want to tell you about my latest SPOOKY release on October 1^st.

Like many of my books, COMES A SPECTER, Book 2, Ghostland Series, has a sinister ghost. One reviewer said the specter scared the bejeebers out of her, (She still gave it 5 stars.)

"I can't recall the last time I read such a fascinating ghost story, especially one that is steeped in ancient traditions of Native Americans, particularly the Blackfoot tribe. It's rare I come across a paranormal story that is rich with tradition and that those traditions are called upon to expel the evil wrecking havoc in an otherwise normal world."

About Comes A Specter:

Western Historical/Paranormal

Six months ago, Anya Fleming's ten- year-old son, Willie-boy, found his father hanging in the barn. Traumatized over his father's suicide, the boy hasn't spoken a word since. Now, Willie-boy has come down with a grave, unknown illness and there's only one man who can save him, Sutter Sky, a learned Blackfoot shaman known as Yellow Smoke—a shaman who was once deeply in love with Anya.

But Fate had other plans for Anya and Sutter—she was forced to marry Lewis Fleming, a cruel man who berated her night and day, and brokenhearted Sutter immersed himself in the mystical customs and beliefs of his People and became a healer.

As if Anya didn't have enough to deal with after her husband's death and son's illness, an evil, sinister ghost is terrorizing their ranch. Anya is convinced the spirit is Lewis, who apparently isn't done making her life miserable.

When she turns to Yellow Smoke for help, will he put side his bitterness and save Willie-boy? And can the renowned shaman dispel the powerful ghost from their lives and send him back to Hades?

AMAZON

Pumpkin Everything by Kimmie Easley

My name is Kimmie, and I am a self proclaimed Fall junkie. When people pass around the memes making fun of 'Pumpkin Everything', I wholeheartedly believe they are directing it towards me. And I am A-OK with that, because that means I'm one step closer to my favorite time of the year!

Yes, I am perfectly aware there is still a month left before it's actually fall. However, that's one of the Fall junkie symptoms. Do I ask my family if it's ok to burn pumpkin scented candles in late July? No. Do I ask them if it's ok to fill the candy dishes with candy corn? No. Do I care if I embarrass them in the store by squealing the first time I see the colors orange and black lining the aisles? Or when I hear the costumes stores are open? Nope.

They've learned to love me through it, particularly because there is no chance of my being rehabilitated.

The smell of spice, pumpkins, and apples lighten my mood. 

The creativity of costumes and decorations make  me feel young again, even for a short time. 

The family meals warm my heart like no other time of the year. 

And let's not forget about the first time you step outside and feel the crisp morning air. You know Fall is on the way, and from that moment on you drink your coffee on the patio.

As I sit with my A/C on high, and drink cold ice tea instead of coffee while my pumpkin candles burn in the background, I thought I'd share with you some of my musings that make me excited to be a Fall junkie and keep me motivated and on my author game.

A SAUCY HALLOWEEN PLAYLIST

VINTAGE 

  

MOVIES

CREATIVITY

    

YUMMIES

So, yes. As some are dreading the loss of summer and will miss swimsuits and amusement parks, I shall be bouncing around the house in anticipation. Of course, shorts and flip-flops are year round in this house, so some things will always refuse to change with the weather. 

What are you looking forward to as the seasons change?