Halloween Guest Post: Kristi Charish on Zombie Love

Happy Halloween! We have a treat for you today - BRAINS! Wait, no that's a treat for the zombies. But we have Kristi Charish, author of the Kincaid Strange series, here to talk about why we love those zombies.

We also loved The Voodoo Killings, the first book in the Kincaid Strange series, and its unique twist on zombies and necromancy. Check out our review here. Book two, Lipstick Voodoo, releases in January but we've got a chance to win an early copy at the end of the post.

Zombie Love: Our Everlasting Obsession and Love of All Things Zombie

Ghosts, werewolves, vampires, aliens. They’ve all had their high moment in entertainment and pop culture. Teen Wolf in the 80s, Interview with the Vampire, Ghost, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the 90s, Vampire Academy and Twilight in the oughts and teens. But they all seem to ebb and wane in their popularity. So much so it’s become a predictable, nay, expected cycle of monster roulette.

Not so with the zombie.

From The Walking Dead to Hello Kitty Zombie parties for toddlers, it seems as if zombies have infested and infected every facet of our culture. Many have predicted their demise for what now feels like close to a decade, but much like the shambling hordes on Resident Evil, Shaun of the Dead, and Zombieland, they just keep coming…and coming…

Wait – what’s that group of people doing outside shambling along my sidewalk? They’re awfully pale…and having difficulty moving…Oh my God, is that an open head wound!? Now where did I leave the baseball bat?

Never mind about the horde gathering in my front yard. The point is there’s something about zombies that refuse to be beaten down. They just keep getting back up, the reincarnations are slight. They are always the walking, hungry, ravenous, and (mostly) unthinking horde.

Think back to your last monster nightmare. Was it a vampire or werewolf hunting you through a forest or abandoned warehouse? I know what monster haunts my dreams, and it’s always a zombie.

Zombies are terrifying – they can’t be reasoned with (most of the time), they’re unrelenting, and they want your brains. 

So why is it we can’t get enough of them?

Well, once you peek under the surface, there are some serious and terrifying societal parallels. Twitter, Instagram, FB, YouTube, News, Netflix – even that weather app tucked way back in your pages and pages of apps, all of them are fighting for a slice of your attention, not unlike a pack of zombies are fighting for their pound of flesh (or brains – I’m not a zombie discriminator). And they want your attention. They’re designed to be addictive, to reward some addictive prone section of everyone’s brain. Marketing execs and advertisers swarm over the big data our use creates, building a profile of marketing and sales targets around those algorithms, treating us all a little bit like a mindless horde as we’re filed away into profile boxes. It’s even been suggested that our own free will is compromised, the algorithms so accurate and effective – infectious even – that they can sway our own thoughts and opinions.

Without us even realizing it.

We’re reduced to numbers, a digital notation on an invisible ledger. Watch the people around you the next time you’re on a bus, in a store, out to dinner, even waiting for a movie to start. I’ll bet an awful lot of people are hunched over their phones, zombie like in their obsession and blank features.

Scary. Zombie virus coursing through your veins anyone?

And then there’s globalization, yet again making me feel as if I’m part of a giant, unending, and often mindless horde that’s systematically taking over the planet, eating ourselves out of existence, and burying ourselves under a mass of plastic. Devoid of personality or significant distinctions. And don’t get me started on the political and current social atmospheres. It often feels as if gone are the days of nuanced discussions, friendly discourse, and open minds that formed my youth. Everyone has a voice…provided you share the right voice. No individual descent here, only the large cries of the hordes, a construct created and now fueled by social media. I know how often I feel as if I need to pick a side. My own discordant nuanced opinions aren’t wanted, and I daresay actively discouraged by social media at large.

Pick a side, any side, but the message is clear. Join a horde. 

I find myself seeking out small bands of like-minded survivors with whom to face the onslaught of the horde together, and if the success of Left for Dead is any indication, I’d say everyone is.

Kind of like I wish I had four best friends trained in armed combat now…Oh, dear – is that man who just stepped in my flower bed – is he missing an eye?! Come to think of it a few of them are – and limbs, and patches of skin…

When I sat down to write this I wasn’t certain why zombies were my worst nightmare, but now I see why. Strip the personality and independent thought away, add a number with a digitally calculated set of algorithmic opinions neatly filed into an appropriate marketing box that when applied can alter how you perceive the world, how you react – what you think you want out of life.

Thinking about it and I feel another zombie nightmare coming on…

Or maybe it’s the horde outside. They’ve made it to my window and are banging on the glass to get in. It won’t be long now… All my greatest fears about technology, globalization, and big data rounded into a terrifying, primitive, pathogenic package that my instinctive sleeping mind can process.

I wonder if that’s why I write zombies that are thinking, ones who retain their personalities, their thoughts, their individuality, all the while at constant risk of becoming the horde. But there’s hope that they won’t. That despite the constant risk, the danger of zombifying they haven’t. Yet. They fight it. 

…Then again, it might just be that I really love a fantastic monster. One who scares the pants off me and is always good for an entertaining evening of fear, much like my cell phone is an endless source of entertainment, games, information, videos, monster plants versus zombies…

Take your pick what the zombie means to you, but no doubt about it they’re here… at your doorstep, in all their decrepit, rotting glory. And if the tone of society is any indication the horde is here for a very, very, long, camped out, siege worthy stay.

About the Author

Kristi is the author of OWL AND THE JAPANESE CIRCUS, an urban fantasy series about a modern-day “Indiana Jane” who reluctantly navigates the hidden supernatural world, and THE VOODOO KILLINGS, an urban fantasy/mystery about a voodoo practitioner living in Seattle with the ghost of a deceased grunge rocker. She writes what she loves; adventure heavy stories featuring strong, savvy female protagonists, pop culture, and the occasional RPG fantasy game thrown in the mix.

Kristi is also scientist with a BSc and MSc from Simon Fraser University in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry and a PhD in Zoology from the University of British Columbia. Her specialties are genetics, cell biology, and molecular biology, all of which she draws upon in her writing.

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Twitter: @kristicharish 

Instagram: @charishkristi

Kristi's got an ARC of Lipstick Voodoo for one lucky winner!

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Goldilox and the Three Scares: Rose Red's Favorite Halloween Movies

 It's one of our favorite times of year. Leaves are falling, Halloween decorations are going up and we're all eating way too much candy. That means it's also time for one of our favorite events:

I love Halloween! The dressing up and the trick or treating is still one of my favorite things even though I pass the candy out now instead of ringing the doorbells. I love so many things about this time of year: the fall colors and carnivals, the spiced apple cider, the fun ghost-covered clothing, and the Reese's Pumpkins. My absolute favorite thing though is the Halloween movies. I don't horror movies because more nightmare fuel is not something I need.

Every year, my family does a 13 Days of Halloween movie marathon where we watch a different Halloween movie every night. I want to share with you some of my favorites. Be sure to stick around till the end to see the amazing giveaway we have from Jennifer Estep!

Rose Red's Favorite Halloween Movies

The Nightmare Before Christmas: I have been in love with this movie since I saw it in theaters as a kid. It's kooky and creepy as any movie about a skeleton trying to appropriate Christmas for his own should be. I fell in love with the residents of Halloween Town and wore out the VHS my parents bought for me. I start listening to the soundtrack as soon as October hits because Danny Elfman hit it out of the park with this one. Not to mention, Jack and Sally will forever be one of my favorite couples.

The Mummy: This one might seem a little strange to include as a Halloween movie since I love to watch it all year round, but it's one of my favorites to watch this time of year. And what's not to love about it? It has a creepy old mummy, plagues, old and new curses, witty banter, romance, action, and an uptight librarian who dreams of adventure. It's everything you need in a Halloween movie, in my opinion.

Goosebumps: This is a rather new addition to my list of favorites since I barely watched it last week. Thank you Netflix! I was in middle school during the golden age of R.L. Stine so I read all of the Goosebumps books with relish. They all creeped me out. Some more than others like the one with that damn puppet. So this movie was hit of nostalgia packed with several laughs. I enjoyed the heck out of it.

Hocus Pocus: Hocus Pocus is one of those movies that I have to watch or it doesn't feel like Halloween. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels like they need to watch the Sanderson sisters run amok for it to be All Hallow's Eve. It's one of those universally loved movies and it has a talking cat in it. What's not to love?

Ghostbusters: The original Ghostbusters movie was my dad's contribution to our family's Halloween movie marathon so I have a soft spot for it. And now we have the new one to add to the line up because it's totally amazing and badass! Jillian Holtzmann is totally my patronus! You can't go wrong with watching either version this Halloween.

ALL of the animated Scooby Doo movies: Okay. I watch the Scooby Doo movies and cartoon episodes all year round but I especially love to watch them around Halloween. Can you say epic Monster Mash? I love all the different monsters and places the Mystery, Inc gang goes. My favorites are Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost and Scooby Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf. What I love about Scooby Doo is that it's enjoyable for both kids and adults. I've had so much fun introducing my boyfriend's daughter to the gang.

Those are my favorite Halloween movies!
Tell me yours in the comments!

We've got an awesome giveaway that has been provided by the awesome Jennifer Estep! One lucky winner will win the full set of Jennifer's Black Blade series and swag! (US only)

These books are amazing! You'll totally want to enter to win them!

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Goldilox and the Three Scares: Gretl's Guide to Halloween Streaming

It's one of our favorite times of year! Leaves are falling, Halloween decorations are going up and we're all eating way too much candy. That means it's also time for one of our favorite events:

All this week we, and some of our favorite authors, have been talking about what to read for Halloween. Well, blasphemous as it sounds, sometimes I just don't feel like reading. My solution for those occasions: a Netflix binge. So here are some of my favorite shows that you can find on Netflix to get you in the Halloween mood this weekend.

Penny Dreadful: Vampires, witches and demons, plus Dr. Frankenstein and Dorian Grey. This show is dark and bloody and perfect for Halloween. Plus the series just ended so you binge the entire thing this weekend.

Haven: I might have mentioned (about 100 times) how much I love spooky small town stories. Haven, Maine is one of those quirky towns where the residents have what they call "troubles." They're a little like super powers but most of them go horribly wrong leaving the police, the main characters, to deal with the aftermath.

iZombie: It's a little like putting in a Halloween costume when zombie Liv Moore becomes a different character in every episode, though she does it by eating the brains of murder victims. Then she works with her detective friend to catch their killers. If you're in the mood for something lighter, this show's funny and odd and lots of fun.

Lost Girl: The first two seasons of the show especially are mostly creature of the week stories, perfect for Halloween. The Fae include all kinds of unique and interesting creatures, both good and evil. And I love BFFs Bo and Kenzi.

Buffy: The Halloween episodes have always been some of my all time faves. If you don't want to marathon all seven seasons this weekend, check out "Halloween," episode 6 from season 2, and season 4 episode 4, "Fear, Itself." Or if you want to be thoroughly creeped out try season 4 episode 10, "Hush" which features The Gentlemen.

(If you don't have Netflix, you might try Teen Wolf, True Blood or Twin Peaks on Amazon Prime. Or check out Constantine and Pushing Daisies on CWSeed.)

Those are my picks for getting in the Halloween mood this weekend.

Tell me yours in the comments!

We've got a copy of Necrotech by K.C. Alexander for one lucky winner.
(U.S. only)
This book is badass - you totally want it!

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Goldilox and the Three Scares: Halloween Romance Recs from Bec McMaster

It's one of our favorite times of year! Leaves are falling, Halloween decorations are going up and we're all eating way too much candy. That means it's also time for one of our favorite events:

Bec McMaster's here today to help you find the perfect Halloween read. Check out her fave paranormal romances and click the titles to add them to your Goodreads TBR. I know my list just got a little longer!

Bec McMaster's Halloween Romance Recs

Halloween is just around the corner, bringing with it the thrill of things that go bump in the night. And how better to celebrate than to snuggle in with a sexy, spooky romance? To celebrate, I'm going back through some of my favourite paranormal romances, looking for a combination of something both heart-wrenching, and a little scary.

Vampires - Ah, the good old vampire. This sub-genre needs little explaining. They're powerful, sexy and undead. My favourites? Who can go past the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R Ward? Or Thea Harrison's Elder Races series?

Werewolves - I love Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark vampires, but it's her werewolves who really steal my heart. Something recent? Try the fast-paced Omega by SM Reine, the start of her War of the Alphas series. 

Angels and Demons - Fancy a fallen angel, or a demon hero to tempt you? Try Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series, featuring the seriously sexy Raphael, and kick-ass Elena. Or if you're looking for something a little different, try Revelation by Erica Hayes. Revelation is a sexy paranormal romance featuring fallen angels and a zombie plague (double the Halloween whammy). Fans of the Walking Dead will appreciate the grittiness of Hayes' world, though it's not for the faint of heart. 

Zombies - Zombies. Not the ideal romantic combination, but the end of the world seems to make for some intense, passionate stories. Try Flesh by Kylie Scott for some sexy, apocalyptic threesome action. Or As They Rise by Jen Wilde for something a little bit YA-style. 

The Fae - Sexy dangerous fae lords... You can't go past Karen Marie Moning for her brilliant Fever series, but if you're looking for a series with a little bit more 'beast' than 'beauty' then I've got another great recommendation... Anyone who grew up with a minor obsession for goblins, thanks to David Bowie, can add The Goblin King by Shona Husk to their Fae list. 

Witches, Warlocks and Sorcerers - That old black magic adds something quite spell-binding to paranormal romance. Try Kristin Painter's The Witch's Halloween Hero from her Nocturne Falls series, which is set in a small town which celebrates Halloween all year round (bonus Halloween points!) for something light-hearted.

Or perhaps you'd prefer your magic a little darker? Hexbound, the second book in my Dark Arts series, is set in an alternate Victorian-era London when occultism is at a fever pitch. 

When Verity Hawkins steals a relic for a masked man, she knows the con is on her when the mysterious masterminds start to clean up loose ends - including her. There's only one man she can turn to: Adrian Bishop, the dangerous sorcerer she stole the relic from. 

To celebrate its release, I'm offering one lucky reader an eBook of Hexbound. Just tell me: what's your favourite sub-genre from the list above?

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About the Author

My name is Bec McMaster and I live in a small country town in Victoria, Australia, with my boyfriend, and a beautiful dog named Kobe. I grew up either with my nose in a book or writing, and never understood why other people didn’t get to watch ‘all the movies in their heads’. Following a lifelong love affair with fantasy, I discovered romance at the age of sixteen, and haven’t looked back.

When I’m not writing I like to read, go hiking with my boyfriend, pore over travel brochures, and go to the gym. I’m addicted to travel, and love to set my books in foreign places. It’s the next best thing to travelling there. One day I vow to see the entire world, whether it’s by plane, paper, or imagination.

Bec's latest book Hexbound released last week. 

It should have been an easy task... 

Verity Hastings has a little trick; she can find anything, no matter where it's hidden. It's a skill that's kept her safe and fed all the way from the orphanages and workhouses of her youth. But when she steals a mysterious item for a masked man, she knows the con is on her this time.

In order to protect herself from his associates, she can turn to only one person: Adrian Bishop, the sorcerer she stole the relic from.

Scarred recluse, Adrian Bishop, is rarely surprised anymore. But when a rather enticing little handful turns up on his doorstep claiming to be his mysterious thief, he doesn't know what to think. He needs the relic back, no matter the cost, and he's not above using Verity to find it. But as Verity begins to sneak under his guard, for the first time in years there's a ray of light in his dark world. He will do anything to protect her–anything–but can Verity ever love him once she learns the truth of his darkest secret? 

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Goldilox and the Three Scares: Frightening Fiction from Jenn Windrow

It's one of our favorite times of year. Leaves are falling, Halloween decorations are going up and we're all eating way too much candy. That means it's also time for one of our favorite events:

Today we'd like to welcome Jenn Windrow, author of the Redeeming Cupid series, to Goldilox and the Three Scares. She's got a short story and a giveaway for you.

Small Sacrifice: a Short Story by Jenn Windrow

Armed guards pulled me from my cell, and dragged me over the blood splattered Astro-turf. They shackled me to the goal post at the end of a football field turned-execution-chamber, stripped me of my last remaining article of clothing and left me to die.

Ten guards stood in a circle around me, machine guns pointed at my head. They thought they were safe. Five television crews hurried around the arena preparing for tonight’s broadcast. They thought they were safe. A priest knelt in front of a vat of water, blessing it. He thought he was safe. I’m a vampire.

No one was safe.

The announcer grabbed my chin with his pudgy, gloved hand. His mouth spread into an ugly smile before he turned and blocked the crowds view. He cleared his throat and spit. The warm glob landed on my cheek and slid down before dropping to the ground. He would be the first to die.

For five days my human captors tortured me, punished me, abused me. I allowed it. Their acts bought me time to plan my escape. The bitter blood of a family of rats who shared my cell kept me alive, their donation helped remove the last trace of poison that coursed through my veins.

Humans. They thought they got lucky catching one of the Seven Sovereign leaders of the vampire race. It hadn’t been luck. I’d been set up. By the six vampires I trusted the most. Betrayed, martyred, and left for dead at the entrance of a Vampire Apprehension Station. Silver injected in my blood to keep me compliant, close to death, to ensure I didn’t slaughter the humans. Sacrificed because I didn’t agree with their vision of the future and refused to cower to a lesser race.

Betrayal was an ugly thing.

But so was revenge.

The stadium lights flickered on and flooded the field in a cold white light. I lowered my head and let my greasy hair shield my eyes from the glare. Soft footfalls approached, bringing the all-too-familiar smell of body odor and peppermint with them. For five nights the same pungent odor visited me to pray for my undead soul.

My gaze followed the priest’s movements. He dipped a chalice into a vat of water, and raised the cup in the air, drops of water sloshed over the sides and fell to the ground. He walked over to me, the beads of his crucifix clicking against the gold cross.

“Delano Melazi, I’ll ask you again. Shall I pray for your undead soul?”

I ignored him tonight as I’ve done the last five times he asked me this question. It wasn’t my soul he needed to pray for, and it wasn’t my body they would be burying this evening.

A moment of silence stretched between us. He huffed and gestured for the guards. Two hurried over. “Hold his head.” Warm fingers dug into my scalp and forced me to meet the priest’s eyes. The twinkle in his baby blues was more devil than saint.

“By the authority of the church, I mark you as one of the damned.” He dipped his index finger into the chalice. The water rippled. He pulled his finger out and pressed it to the center of my forehead. It sizzled against my skin and burned along the two lines the priest traced with his finger. My fangs sank into my tongue, holding back my agonized scream. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of enjoying my pain.

“In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost,” he finished. The guards dropped their hold on my head and it fell back to my chest.

The holy water cross was meant to weaken me, to stop me from fighting when the executioner came out and the real damage was inflicted. On a less powerful vampire, a younger one, it was effective, but I was almost seven hundred years old. I possessed more power than anyone knew, even the vampires who sent me here.

The Sovereign leaders called my capture a small sacrifice, a peace offering to the human race. I called it a punishment, a crime, an injustice.

Static from the Jumbo-Tron played over the speakers. The announcer’s voice boomed through the stadium. The crowd cheered, excited to witness my demise. And they called the vampires monsters.

“This week, two brave VAU agents captured one of the Vampires’ leaders. Delano Melazi.” The crowd booed and hissed their hatred. “He alone is responsible for the Nightclub Massacre.”

I had nothing to do with it, but let them believe what they wanted. I had no quarrel with them, just like a wolf has no quarrel with a sheep.

Once the crowd quieted down the announcer continued. “A tragedy no human will ever forget. You’ve seen the pictures. Over one hundred and thirty humans captured, tortured, torn to pieces.” He paused and stepped closer. I felt the warmth of his flesh and heard the beating of his heart. “This monster locked those doors. This monster slaughtered your friends and family in cold blood. This monster deserves to pay.”

His words worked the already agitated crowd into frenzy. They raised their fists high in the air and yelled for my death.

Just a few moments more, that’s all I needed. Seconds until my power was restored.

The announcer’s fat fingers grabbed my hair, pulled my head back and forced me to look into the camera. “Tonight he will pay. He will suffer. He will die.” His words echoed around the stadium.

No one heard the handcuffs fall to the ground or saw me twist his head or heard his last breath. No one knew anything was wrong until his head slipped from my fingers and his body slid to the ground.

The crowd screamed.

The guards aimed their guns at my heart, pulled the triggers and let the bullets fly in a flurry of silver and speed, but I was swifter, stronger, superior.

Before the first bullet hit the metal pole that had bound me, I was in front of the final guard in line. Ten beating hearts at my feet. Ten gaping holes in their chest. Ten dead bodies on the earth.

I turned to the closest camera, the red lights still blinking, but unmanned. “I am Delano Melazi.” I raised my voice over the commotion. “And I will seek revenge against those who wronged me.”

The first blast of holy water hit me in the shoulder. It knocked me off balance. The second hit me in the face. The cross the priest had drawn on my head merely irritated me, but the onslaught of blessed liquid burned, weakened and crippled me. It ran down my arm, melted the flesh off the bone.

I had one chance to get out alive. With the last remaining bit of strength still hidden deep in my reserves, I vanished. Teleported, a handy trick only I knew I possessed, away from the stadium and the humans, but not the pain.

Jenn Windrow has a signed copy of Struck by Eros for one lucky winner!

International entries are welcome but winner outside the U.S. will receive a digital copy of the book.

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About the Author

Jenn Windrow loves characters that have a pinch of spunk, a dash of attitude, and a large dollop of sex appeal. Top it all off with a huge heaping helping of snark, and you've got the ingredients for the kind of fast paced stories she loves to read and write. Home is a suburb of it's-so-hot-my-shoes-have-melted-to-the-pavement Phoenix. Where she lives with her husband, two daughters, and a slew of animals that seem to keep following her home, at least that's what she claims.

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Jenn Windrow's debut novel Struck By Eros (Redeeming Cupid #1) released July 12, 2016.

Jenn Windrow writes sexy like nobody's business! Struck by Eros is fast, fun, and feisty! I loved every word!

-NY Times Bestselling Author Darynda Jones

One jaded woman. Two hot men. A challenge to prove Cupid doesn't always know best.

After a lifetime of dating losers, Noel Chase thinks she’s found love with college professor Len Holder. But Cupid's aim sucks worse than his crap-tacular curse, sticking her with supposed soul mate, Grayson Adler. Grayson is gorgeous, Greek, and an exact replica of the man-whores of her past. No matter what the chubby cherub thinks, Noel is sure Grayson is Mr. Wrong with a capital “W.”

Forced to do Cupid’s bidding, Noel must spend her days with Grayson matchmaking the unlucky-in-loves, and trying to resist Grayson’s charm and do-me-now sex appeal. But when Cupid tries to match her fiancé, Len, with another woman, Noel must make an excruciating decision. Defy Cupid and hang on to Len? Or succumb to her fate and trust Grayson with her heart?

Add Struck by Eros to Goodreads

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The second book in the series, Pierced by Venom, will be out on February 14, 2017.

She’ll willingly travel the highway to hell to bring back the man she loves.

Gia Adler had it all—a charmed life and her true love to share it with. But moments after she murmurs, “I do,” her ex-boyfriend delivers a lead wedding present into her new husband’s chest, leaving him in a coma and shattering her dreams.

Hell-bent on ruining her future, Gia’s psychotic ex-boyfriend then abducts her, transporting her to an underground world of destruction, drugs, and death. He’s no wicked witch and they’re in no enchanted forest. He’s evil incarnate and she’s submerged in hell-on-earth, a twisted thing of nasty nightmares. 

Guided by the spirit of her comatose husband, Gia must fight for her happily-ever-after – and her true love – by facing down her ex and the demons of her past.

Goldilox and the Three Scares: Sandy Williams's Five Fave Halloween Books

It's one of our favorite times of year. Leaves are falling, Halloween decorations are going up and we're all eating way too much candy. That means it's also time for one of our favorite events:

We're happy to have Sandy Williams back on the blog to kick off Goldilox and the Three Scares. Check out her Hallowen book recs and don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY!

Sandy Williams's Five Favorite Halloween Books (sort of)

I have two confessions to make. First, Halloween is my least favorite holiday. That seems sacrilegious coming from a paranormal author, but it’s true. I’ve always felt guilty about it, but I’m just not a fan of how horrible (as in horror-ble) the holiday has become. There are some houses that are so scary I don’t want to take my kids to them (and I’m a bit of a chicken, so I don’t want to go myself, lol).

My second confession: I don’t like holiday books. If a book has a holiday mentioned in the blurb, and it’s from a new-to-me author, I likely won’t pick it up. I know. I’m a terrible person!

There is one exception to my anti-Halloween/holiday quirk: kids’ books. I have five-year-old twin boys, and I’m sure I’ve read just about every Halloween picture book ever published. So for all the moms, dads, grandparents, and others out there who might be looking for good reads for the children in their lives, here are my five-year-olds favorite five Halloween books.

  Boogie Bones: This story is super cute. I thought at first it might be too scary since there’s a big ol’ skeleton on the cover, but he’s the cutest skeleton ever. All he wants from life (uh, death?) is to dance, and he sneakily finds a way to leave the cemetery and enter a dancing contest.


 

AlphaOops: This barely qualifies as a Halloween book in my opinion, but the boys insisted I included it since the letters mention Halloween. The alphabet is trying to put on a skit, but letters keep forgetting what words they’re supposed to start, so everything is out of order. It ends up being a cute, funny story that my kids really enjoy.

 Room on the Broom: This one is my favorite! It’s not specifically about Halloween, but it’s about a witch, so really, what’s more Halloween than that? A witch loses things like her hat and different animals find the items. When they do, they ask if there’s room on the broom for them, and the nice witch always replies with a yes. The broom gets pretty crowded by the end of the book!




  Marley’s Trick or Treat: I might have lied. Room on the Broom might not be my favorite because Marley’s Trick or Treat is absolutely adorable! Marley is a Labrador puppy, and some of you might remember him from the book and movie, Marley and Me. I had no idea that the author had a series of picture books out starring that mischievous yellow Lab, but I intend to borrow or buy the rest of the stories. In this one, Marley got into all sorts of trouble as the family prepared for a Halloween party. My boys laughed out loud several times and I couldn’t help but smile. I highly recommend this book!

  Froggy’s Halloween: This one comes from a series of books about Froggy. It’s a very simple tale about Froggy trying to think of different Halloween outfits to wear. He tries out many before settling on the perfect outfit. :-)

And there you have it—my twins’ favorite Halloween books. I love instilling a love for reading in my kids, so I’m always on the look out for new, funny, and engaging books to read. Halloween happens to be the boys’ favorite holiday, and they love reading these books all year long. Do you or your kids have a favorite Halloween book? 

Sandy Williams is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card so you can choose your own Halloween treat!

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About the Author

Sandy Williams has lived and breathed books all her life. When she was a teen, she was always the first to finish her class assignments so that she could read as much as possible before the bell rang. Her grades didn't suffer (much), and she was able to enroll in Texas A&M University. She didn't sneak in novels there, but every other line of her college lecture notes are filled with snippets of stories. After she graduated, she decided to turn those snippets into books. Sandy is the author of The Shadow Reader novels, an urban fantasy romance series about a human who can both see and track the fae, and The Anomaly Novels, a science fiction romance series about a woman soldier brainwashed to risk everything in order to preserve and protect her government. When Sandy isn't writing, she sneaks in time to read books by her favorite authors, and she still enjoys playing EuroGames like Dominion, 7 Wonders, and Agricola.

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Sandy's newest book, SHADES OF HONOR, will be released on November 4th, 2016. 

She won her freedom. Can she win a war?

Commander Rhys Rykus is facing court martial. With his career on the line, he’s ordered to keep his distance from the brainwashed Ash and protect her from afar, but sinister elements threaten her safety. He accepts a new mission that puts them on the same warship, knowing it will take all his self-control to fight his feelings for her.

Lieutenant Ramie Ashdyn is no stranger to fighting for her life. Still under the influence of the Coalition’s brainwashing, she cares little for her own safety. She merely wants to protect the Coalition… and reconnect with Rykus. 

Rykus knows how important Ash is to keeping all of them alive, but the target on her back is enormous. Will the growing threat to the Coalition take down Ash and Rip’s only shot at love? 

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