I Am Currently...

Loving: How all the stores already have Halloween candy on sale! Tiny chocolate bars rock!

 Reading: AMRITA by Banana Yoshimoto. I'm appreciating her wonderfully simple style that pulls the reader in almost immediately. Full of graceful descriptions of everyday occurrences. 



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Watching: I don't watch a lot of television, but I just started Orange Is The New Black. My favourite parts are when we see how the different characters ended up in prison. Plus, I'm dying for the Walking Dead Season 5 to be uploaded on Netflix. Shh...I haven't seen anything past Season 4.


Thinking about: Taking cooking lessons in the fall, or at least sending someone in my family to learn how to cook. Also, I'm going to try really hard to win the lottery this year.


Anticipating: Launching my third novel, GIRL ON THE RUN in September! It's a companion novel to BUTTERFLIES DON'T LIE. I'm really in love with this story and the characters and I'm tremendously excited to share this book. Check out the Pinterest board.

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Wishing: Sheriff Graham would return to Once Upon A Time.

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Making me happy: Did I mention the Halloween candy, yet? Also, my dog Cody is super adorable and sleeps on my feet when I write. He follows me around the house, making me feel like Lord Grantham from Downton Abbey.  

 

 

How about you?

Top Ten Fantastically Scary Movies To Watch This Halloween

There is no shortage of horror flicks this time of year, but the only thing worse than getting raisins for Halloween is wasting your time watching a stinker of a scary movie.

Fear not (ha!) I have the top picks that will soon have you squirming in your chair with suspense, screaming with terror, and covering your own eyes—but not completely because you need to know what it's safe to look again.


#1. FRIGHT NIGHT (1985)

When a teenager discovers his next door neighbour is a vampire, nobody believes him.

His only hope is a washed out black and white movie horror film star, played by the incomparable Roddy McDowell.

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#2. THE CHANGELING (1980)

A recently widowed music professor moves into a secluded mansion and is soon haunted by the ghost of a murdered child.

The spooky séance scene alone will raise the hair on the back of your neck.

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#3. PSYCHO (1960)

A secretary embezzles thousands from her employer and goes on the run only to end up at a secluded hotel owned by a young man and his overbearing mother.

Of course we all know the iconic shower scene, but the creepy camera angles and 'out of nowhere' attack scenes will have you screaming.

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#4. PET SEMATARY (1989)

A big city doctor moves to a small town in Maine with his picture perfect family only to discover an unearthly graveyard with the power to bring back the dead, a power that soon becomes irresistible.

Oh, dear Lord, the last scene. *shudders*

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#5. WHEN A STRANGER CALLS (1979)

A babysitter is terrorized by a serial killer.

I saw this at the drive-in when I was twelve and had to sleep with the lights on for a week.

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#6. THE HITCHER (1986)

A man who escapes an attack from a psychotic hitchhiker is stalked and framed for all his murderous crimes.

C. Thomas Howell, that's all you need to know. Plus there's a French fry scene you won't soon forget.

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#7. REAR VIEW WINDOW (1954)

A wheelchair bound photographer spies on his neighbours and is soon convinced one of them has killed his wife.

Oh please, Grace Kelly's outfits are worth your time. A classic.

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#8. THE SILVER BULLET (1985)

A small town is terrorized by a werewolf and its up to Marty, a paralysed twelve year old, to figure out which one of his neighbours is the killer.

YIKES! I still remember the moment of the reveal. Awesome to watch the youngish Cory Haim and Megan Follows as his sister. Plus, lets not forget Gary Busey as the good natured, drunken Uncle.

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#9. POLTERGEIST (1982)

A family's newly renovated home is soon inhabited by vengeful ghosts.

Remember the scene with the clown under the bed? *whimpers*

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#10. AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON

Two American college students backpacking through Britain get attacked by a beast that none of the locals says exists.

A good combination of funny and scary.

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BONUS!!!!!

HOUSE OF WAX (1953)

After a tragic fire nearly destroyed his business, the owner of a wax museum turns vengeful and soon discovers a gruesome way to make his sculptures more life like.

What's Halloween without Vincent Price?

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Do you have any favourite scary movies?

BOO! Scariest Literary Characters You Can Be For Halloween

Looking for a costume to help you stand out? Search no further.

Here's a list of the top eight scariest literary characters you can be for Halloween. Skipping, of course, the obvious Dracula and Frankenstein choices...


1. Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. All you need to wear is a pink wool suit and an expression of sweetness hidden behind pure evil.

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2. Bill Sykes from Oliver Twist. Toss on a ratty blazer, an ascot with a beer stain, a woolly top hat, grow out three days worth of beard and you're all set. Throw in a cocky accent for good measure.

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3. Cruella de Vil from One Hundred and One Dalmatians. Easy-peasy costume; half white and half black. What? You don't think a cartoon character is nasty enough? She makes clothing from the skin of cute little puppies. Enough said.

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4. Hannibal Lector from Silence of the Lambs. The straight jacket may make it tough to hold a drink, but I'm sure a straw will fit through the face mask.

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5. Annie Wilkes from Misery. Flowered peasant dress with deep pockets and a sledge hammer. FYI, this costume works best if you're actually Kathy Bates.

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6. Voldemort from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Tape down your nose, shave your head, and grow out your fingernails.

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7. Pennywise from It. A creepy clown with sharp teeth is guaranteed a scream or two. Please don't show up at my house dressed like this.

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8. White Witch from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Dress all in white and don't smile, a few icicles in your hair wouldn't hurt either. Make sure to carry a tin of Turkish delight.

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Who are some of your picks for scariest literary characters?

Scary Books For Stormy Nights

I usually enjoy a good bump in the night...er, I mean scare. This time of year as the evenings get cooler and Halloween decorations appear around the neighborhood, a suspenseful thriller is the perfect companion for my bedtime cup of tea...okay whiskey.

For nights when the wind whistles under the eaves and the shadows of the bare trees look like witch fingers reaching for the window, may I suggest a few reads that will get you in the mood...er, for reading a scary book.

(Don't miss the trailer I made at the very bottom!)

The Spiral Staircase by Ethel Lina White

Hitchcock brought it to television and Dorothy McGuire starred in the movie. If that doesn't impress you, nothing will.

This is a classic slow building suspense novel complete with an isolated mansion and a stormy night. At it's heart is a poor servant girl trapped in a house with old family secrets while a killer prowls outside looking for an unlocked door.

photo credit, mysterytarget.com

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Stephen King admits it's one of his favorite horror stories. Enough said.

Here's a tip, read the book first THEN watch the movie—the original black and white, forget about the Catherine Zeta Jones version.

photo credit, connorcoyne.com

Pet Semetary by Stephen King

How can I pick just one Stephen King title? It's tough but this book explores the power of grief and how it can make people act in a way that others would consider insane.

I read this over twenty years ago, but the last line has stayed with me all this time, and still gives me goosebumps.

"Darling," it said. 

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Ghost Story by Peter Straub

There's nothing better than a group of old guys in tuxedos reminiscing about one summer fifty years ago when they were all in love with the same woman.

You think you know what's going to happen, but you're wrong. You think you know who is to blame, but you're wrong. You think you'll be able to sleep after reading this, but you're wrong.

Holy graveyard spookfest! Keep the lights on.

photo credit, womansday.com

Stranger With My Face by Lois Duncan

This is the cover that caught my teenage eye in the Chester Book Mobile (ahem...many years ago) and introduced me to the awesome Lois Duncan.

It's light on the gore by contemporary standards, however this suspense filled, paranormal teen drama has all the voice and angst of today's younger generation with clever dialogue and pitch perfect emotions.

A horror story that's full of clever twists with a heroine you'll be cheering for until the heart stopping finale.

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The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins

One of the best openings you'll read. A working class man falls in love with a gentleman's daughter, only to find she has a mysterious connection to a local family tragedy. A must for any mystery lover!

photo credit, broadviewpress.com



Check out the quick video I made for YouTube!

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What are some of your favorite spooky reads?