HALLOWEEN BOOK TOUR & GIVEAWAY

 

I'm participating in the Haunted Halloween Spooktacular Book Tour this month. There will be lots of Halloween-themed content for each stop on the tour, as well as excerpts from my latest book Evil Seeds: The Ultimate Movie Guide to Villainous Children.

Nine other authors are joining too, and every one of us will be doing a giveaway, so make sure you follow along now.

See you there!

Halloween Book Giveaway

Who doesn't want to dive into a good, creepy book this time of the year? With Halloween around the corner, we're giving away ten books, written by the contributors of Strange Blood: 71 Essays on Offbeat and Underrated Vampire Movies (released April 2019).

From vampires and werewolves to ghosts and serial killers, these terrifyingly brilliant books will have you enjoy the creepy season that much more.

You can win all of them by filling in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the page. The giveaway is open worldwide and ends October 31st, 2019. Good luck!

Halloween horror stories

Hi, everyone!

Any readers from Belgium or the Netherlands here?

One of my short stories, 9, has been included in the Dutch anthology Halloween Horror Verhalen, published by Luitingh Sijthoff. It's a collection of 13 different horror stories, perfect for Halloween. Some of the other writers include Barend de Voogd, Thomas Olde Heuvelt, Martijn Lindeboom, and many others.

Pre-order Halloween Horror Verhalen at Bol.com, Amazon UK, or Amazon FR.

Halloween reading list

What's on your Halloween reading list this year?

This week, I published a guest article over at Midnyte Reader about the five books I'm planning to read this Halloween. My reading interests are usually varied, but around Halloween the only thing I want is to curl up with a book that has any hint of spooky goodness. Here's the list in case you missed it.

Vampires, Bones, and Treacle Scones by Kaitlyn Dunnett

I'm about halfway through this cozy mystery and it's an instant mood-setter for Halloween. In Vampires, Bones, and Treacle Scones the town of Moosetookalook is planning a Halloween party in an abandoned mansion. But nothing goes as planned. Objects disappear. Hidden rooms are discovered. And then, someone is murdered. What follows is an investigation to try and find the killer.  

Say Her Name by James Dawson 

This YA horror novel is supposed to be one of the creepiest books you'll read this Halloween. Set in a boarding school, Say Her Name focuses on a group of students who dare each other to summon the legendary ghost of Bloody Mary: say her name five times in front of a candlelit mirror, and she shall appear... At first, nothing happens. But in the next five days, it'll become clear that Bloody Mary was indeed called from the afterlife and that she will come for them, as she has come for countless others before.  

The Shuddering by Ania Ahlborn 

I absolutely loved Ania Ahlborn's horror novel Seed. She didn't really re-invent the wheel, but she took all my favorite elements from obscure horror movies from the seventies and eighties and threw everything into her own mix. With The Shuddering, she seems to be doing the same thing. This time, she focuses on a group of friends vacationing in a mountain cabin in Colorado. Something lurks in the forest, watching the cabin, growing ever bolder as the snow falls. After a blizzard leaves the group stranded, the true test of their love and loyalty begins as the hideous creatures outside close in, one bloody attack at a time. 

October Dreams: A Celebration Of Halloween edited by Richard Chizmar and Robert Morrish 

October Dreams is a delightful mix of Halloween goodies: never-before-published short stories, classic novellas, essays on the history of Halloween, personal reflections on Halloweens past, and guides to Halloween fiction. Among the authors are Dean R. Koontz, Poppy Z. Brite, Peter Straub, Jack Ketchum, Tim Lebbon, Ed Gorman, Tom Piccirilli, Douglas Clegg, Ray Bradbury, Richard Laymon, Kim Newman, Christopher Golden, and many more. Many call this a must-read for Halloween.  

Vacationing With Ghosts by Sharon Day 

Being an avid reader of Sharon Day's blog Ghost Hunting Theories, I've already had a preview of the many weird things that happened to her. Vacationing With Ghosts is partly a nostalgic flashback of the childhood family holidays in their beautiful summer home, and partly an account of the supernatural occurrences she encountered there. Having never experienced the supernatural, I'm usually the first to be sceptic. But Sharon Day's experiences always make me doubt my own belief. 

What's on your reading list this Halloween? I'd love to hear. Anything to recommend? 

And, of course, if you're looking for spooky reads, you can always check out my books Drowned Sorrow and The Strangers Outside. They're meant to really put you on the edge of your seat, so be prepared what you're getting yourself into. 

Megan Blackwood has just lost her son in an accident. Now she has come to Moonlight Creek with her teenage daughter, Jenna, hoping that a change of scenery might help to put their lives back together. 

But something odd is happening in Moonlight Creek. 

When rain falls over the village, its inhabitants commit grisly murders, leaving the village deserted again with the first rays of sunshine. Beneath the lake's surface, something watches... and waits... Waits to reveal a tragic past drowned in mystery and fear. One that doesn't bode well for visitors. 

By the time Megan realizes that her daughter's life is in danger, it might already be too late. 

“Pretty damn spooky” -- Book Cover Justice 

“A disturbing gem of the horror genre.” -- The Current Reader 

“A roller coaster ride of mystery, horror, and overall creepiness.” -- Reading Urban Fantasy 

“The scariest story of the year.” -- Sword and Magic 

Two sisters return to their remote holiday cabin after a day at the seaside. But little do they know they're being surrounded. Shortly after their arrival, the girls will come face to face with THE STRANGERS OUTSIDE. When the assailants make their intentions known, things take a shockingly terrible turn and an intense battle for survival will begin. 

The Strangers Outside has been turned into a movie starring Pierre Lekeux and Iulia Nastase. 

"This was a really fun, creepy horror story PERFECT for Halloween." -- Little Squeed Book Reviews 

"This had me on the edge of my seat, wanting more, more, MORE! Basically, this is an amazing horror story you should go buy NOW!" -- The Beaucoup Review 

"The Strangers Outside had me thinking about the ending for a couple of days after." -- The Diary Of A Bookworm 

"Vanessa Morgan's writing is not to be missed, for it comes from the depths of fear to give readers a chance to be entertained as well as enlightened." -- Pitching Pencils 

Halloween at the seaside

When it comes to Halloween, Koksijde en St. Idesbald are some of the best places to visit in Belgium. Usually we don't celebrate Halloween in Belgium, but these coastal towns do their utmost to organize Halloween activities such as a Halloween parade, ghost trail, live music, free pumpkin soup, pumpkin carving contest, haunted house and Halloween 3D World. This past Thursday, a representative of the municipality of Koksijde guided me through all their Halloween events. Here's a little overview of the day.

Haunted house

The first place I went was called Thriller, a three-storey haunted attraction for kids. It's your typical roller coaster ride through a maze of fog, darkness, spooky puppets, ghostly wind, sound effects, and finally a crazy man chasing out through the exit.

Halloween 3D World

Halloween 3D World was next, a hall with nine creepy decors to photograph the kids. Most of the decors have holes through which the children can stick their heads.

Pumpkin carving contest

After Thriller and Halloween 3D World, we went to the beach promenade of St. Idesbald, where dozens of children participated in the local pumpkin carving contest.

Live music

After an excellent waffle snack in 't Zwart Schaap and a look at the local Halloween decorations, it was time for the festivities to really kick off with street theater and live music.

Pumpkin soup

As the dark grew closer, the air filled with the scent of fresh pumpkins as a stall distributed free pumpkin soup to all the passers-by. Children collected their prizes for best-carved pumpkins and most original costumes.

Halloween parade

Around seven, the evening sky lit up with the colors of autumn as the Halloween parade concluded the festivities. Among the parade's signature features were monsters, giants, ghosts, goblins, witches, werewolves and vampires. Seeing those creepy creatures against a beach backdrop definitely added to the atmosphere.

Halloween party

After the Halloween parade, we went to Glam Events' Halloween party, held in a church and complete with unlimited champagne and tasty snacks.

Ghost trail

The best part of the day, however, came at the end: a ghost trail through the dunes and woods of St. Idesbald with moonlight as the only guide. Spooky ghouls and goblins startled those who dared to venture into the dark. Stalls with free pumpkin soup and drinks marked little pauses now and then.

Many thanks to the municipality of Koksijde for the opportunity and good care.

And while you're here, have a look at some of my previous Halloween posts: Avalon, the pumpkin king / Happy Halloween / Spooky Halloween treats / Best Halloween stories / Giving me the creeps October contest / Halloween in Ireland / Halloween truffles and chilling books / Halloween board game giveaway / Halloween pumpkin drinks / Halloween giveaway

Avalon, the pumpkin king

Illustration: Gilles Vranckx

Happy Halloween!

Illustration by Gilles Vranckx

Happy Halloween, everyone!

What are your plans for the day?  I'll go for a cozy dinner with friends complete with pumpkin lasagna, Halloween treats and lots of Halloween movies.

Spooky Halloween Treats

Today I have the pleasure of hosting YA author, Kristina Springer. She shares here the recipes for her favorite Halloween treats. Please leave a comment and help welcome Kristina to my blog.

I love throwing parties and I love a theme. So when it comes to Halloween, making some fun spooky treats to share with your friends is a must.

These are all super easy ideas that anyone can do and young and old will love them!

The first one is MUMMY DOGS.

These are so simple to make.

1) Get a tube of crescent rolls and a package of hot dogs. You can make full-size mummies by using an entire hot dog or cut them in half like I did.

2) Follow the instructions on the crescent rolls for pre-heating your oven.

3) Roll out the crescent dough and cut it into really thin strips.

4) Start at the top of your hot dog and slowly wrap it all the way down, leaving a little space for the eyes.

5) Put each dog on the baking sheet and cook according to your crescent roll directions.

So easy! And yum. And if you want, add on two tiny mustard eyes once the mummies are cooked. Kids love these.

Next up, DISGUSTING TEETH.

Not going to lie, I make these for my kids just for fun some afternoons. But they're great for parties too. Or a treat to bring your dentist.

1) Slice up red apples (any kind is fine).

2) Spread peanut butter on one side of each apple.

3) Stick three mini-marshmallows on one slice of apple, peanut butter side.

4) Put another slice or apple, peanut butter side down, on top and smoosh together.

That's it! Serve right away.

Last up, PUKING PUMPKIN

I love, love, love this one! And because I like things simple, the recipe is super easy.

1) Buy a tub of any kind of guacamole, a mini-pumpkin, and some black tortilla chips.

2) Carve two eyes and a pretty big mouth into the pumpkin. Since it's a mini-pumpkin, don't cut off the top. Just do your best to scrape out what you can from the eyes and mouth.

3) Position the pumpkin at the head of your tray.

4) Make the guacamole come pouring out of the pumpkins mouth and down the tray.

5) Fill in the sides with black tortilla chips.

It's so gross, it's good, right?

There you have it! Give one or all of these recipes a try and have a Happy Halloween!

Bio:

Kristina Springer is the bestselling author of My Fake Boyfriend Is Better Than Yours and The Espressologist. Her newest young adult novel, The Paparazzi Project releases December 15, 2012. Visit her at www.KristinaSpringer.com and @TinaSpringer on twitter.