Spooktoberfest Winner and Runner-ups!

You all made it so hard to choose a winner for Spooktoberfest! Now I know how Adam Levine feels on The Voice... trying to choose between all of those amazing people. That's how I felt after I read and reread over these entries.
Dani and I enjoyed hosting this blogfest. Some pieces made us laugh. Others had us scared out of our minds. And a few brought a chilling tear to our eyes.
That's great writing, folks. Thank you for participating and for sharing your talent with us. We're honored beyond belief.

My choice for Spooktoberfest Winner:

Crocked by Some Dark Romantic - Mina Lobo. 

You can read her amazing entry HERE.

Congrats, Mina! I will contact you soon about getting your prize to you!

My choice for Spooktoberfest Runner-ups:

*Carving by Writing Off the Edge - L.G. Keltner 

*Randomness by The Growing Writer by Von L. Cid. 

You can read their chilling entries HERE and HERE.


Winner and runner-ups, please feel free to put the above badges on your blog if you want to... or not. The choice is yours. :D

You can view Dani's selections HERE.

Again, thank you all for participating and sharing your stories with us. 
Dani and I hope you had fun! We sure did! 

Until next time... happy writing!

Halloween Hop!

Jeremy Bates is hosting the Halloween Bloghop. Name your favorite monster movie or book and your Halloween costume. Then hop around to other participating blogs to see their choices, too!

I'm not dressing up this year, but my lovely sons came up with a cool idea so maybe we'll do it next year. Their idea... the six of us would be The Avengers. They said my hubby and I would be Hawkeye and Black Widow (I wish I could look like that! LOL.) Then from oldest to youngest, our sons would be Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and The Hulk. (Yeah, my 6 yr old would be the biggest superhero in this brood even though he's the youngest. :D )

Favorite monster movie: that's a tough one because I love horror movies. I have a list a mile long, but for this, I'll choose something with zombies... Dawn of the Dead, the remake.
Favorite monster book would be Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire.
Visit other bloggers in this blogfest HERE.

And make sure to stop by tomorrow to see the winners for Spooktoberfest!!!

Spooktoberfest Bloghop is here!

It's time for Spooktoberfest!!! Dani and I have been so excited for this!

Requirements:

1.  Your Flash Fiction piece cannot be any longer than 300 words. Sorry… that’s part of the challenge. It can be scary, comical, romantic, whatever you choose. Just be creative!
2.  You must use the MANDATORY 5 words listed below:

   cobweb(s) 

   cauldron(s) 

   jack-o-lantern(s)

   ghost(s)

  razor(s)

3.  Post your Flash Fiction piece any day from Friday Oct. 26 - Monday, Oct. 29^th. 

4.  Follow Dani and myself if you don’t already. We will follow back. And if we miss it, let us know so we can follow you.
5.  It’s a blog hop, so hop around to other participating blogs and leave some awesome comments.
6.  Have fun!

Dani and I will each choose a winner and post them on HALLOWEEN, Wednesday, Oct. 31^st.

PRIZES: The winners will get the biggest bags we can find of their favorite candy along with some fun items.

Not required but it'd make us smile... if you have a twitter and have extra time, it'd be cool if you sent us a tweet that you've posted your submission. 
Our accounts and hashtag: 
@Danibertrand
@JackieFel
#Spooktoberfest

Sweet Kiss

Screams and eerie music bounce off the walls as Ben and I enter the town’s annual Haunted

Cave. Flickering lights from inside the jack-o-lanterns line the floor and cast dancing shadows around the space.

“Ethan told me it’s not so bad,” Ben says, taking my hand in his.

I shiver, but I’m not sure if it’s because of his touch or the creepiness of this place.

“Are you scared, Ash?”

“A little.” I stare at a cauldron bubbling over with smoke and green goo.

He wraps his arm around my waist. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

White sheets dangle from the ceiling like laundry set out to dry. In one swift move, the makeshift ghosts fly toward us. I jump and dig my fingernails into Ben’s arm.

He lets out a light laugh and tugs me closer to him. His arms become my safety net as we make our way through the hellish maze of creepy zombies, headless bodies, and mask-wearing creepers.

 An amputated hand points us to an arched doorway covered in cobwebs. We walk through and brush them off. I smile, thankful the exit sign is just a few feet away.

Ben pulls me to his chest. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“I guess not.” I shrug.

“I told you I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.” He tilts my head and runs a finger down the vein bulging in my neck. “But I’ll need to break that promise now.”

Ben puts his lips to my throat, caressing my skin with his tongue. His teeth sink in, and I cry out. My neck stings like I’m being cut with a razor.

Blood drips from the wound, and I melt into him as memories of my life fade away.

Thanks for reading my flash fiction piece! Please check out the other participant's entries below!

Express Yourself Meme - Favorite monsters Boo!

Dani and I appreciate the turnout we've had with Express Yourself Meme. Thank you all so much for the support and for sharing with us!

This week's meme is List 5 Favorite Monsters Throughout History.

My list in no particular order... and I mixed mine around, listing particular monsters as well as general ones.

1. Vampires... Stephen King's Salem's Lot made me fear them, and Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire made me love them, particularly her character, Louis. *sigh*

2. Werewolves... An American Werewolf in London was my first "encounter" with werewolves, and even though it was scary, I thought it was totally badass to be able to shapeshift.

3. Zombies...Dead people walking around trying to infect the living. It can't get any creepier slash gross than those things. If zombies attack the world, I've watched and read enough zombie stuff to feel confident in surviving an outbreak.

4. The Headless Horseman... simply because I loved this when I was younger for its eerie factor. 

5. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...a split personality creating this monster of a man. Brilliant!

What are your choices for favorite monsters?

Letting Go Bloghop

It's time for Kyra Lennon's "Letting Go" bloghop to celebrate the release of 
her amazing novella If I Let You Go. 

If I Let You Go - Amazon UK
If I Let You Go - Amazon.com

For details on the "Letting Go" Bloghop, click HERE or on the pic below.

For my entry, I wrote the piece below.

Carson and Allie

I scratch my head and stare at the refrigerated display case.

“What can I help you with, son?” An older lady steps next to me, wiping her hands on her maroon apron.

“I’d like to get my girlfriend a homecoming gift.” I jerk my chin toward a bunch of flowers that I can’t even begin to name. “She’s in the Air Force, and we haven’t seen each other in four months.”

The florist’s eyes glisten with excitement. “Are you meeting her at the airport?”

“Nah. She’s been home for a few days, but her family wanted to spend time with her first.” I scuff my shoe against the floor. “I’m on my way to see her now.”

“Does she like roses?” The florist taps the glass with her finger.

“Yeah, but I want something different.” My eyes pass over the colorful bouquets, like I’m choosing a new video game.

“How about orchids?” She points to a vase of purple flowers. “They represent love, strength, and beauty.”

“Perfect.” I grin. “I’ll take three.”

Sliding the door open, the florist picks three flowers overflowing with petals. She ties a white bow around the stems and hands them to me.

I pull out my wallet. “What do I owe you?”

“No charge.” She pats my forearm. “When you see your girlfriend, tell her thanks for serving her country.”

“Thank you.” I nod and head out the door.

My heart thumps against my chest as I walk a few blocks to the church. Allie and I used to attend it together so agreeing to see her here seemed like a good idea, but now I’m not sure. It’s always been her favorite place, not mine. I only went for her.

“Hello, Carson,” Pastor Edwards says as I enter the church. “We’ve missed seeing you on Sundays.” He shakes my hand and tilts his head toward the sanctuary. “She’s inside.”

I enter the room, void of people. Just me and my girl. I spot her at the front of the church, dressed in her blue military uniform with her auburn hair tucked behind her ears.

Stepping closer, a lump forms in my throat at the frown on her face, and I grip a wooden pew to keep from passing out. Taking a deep breath, I force my feet to the front, even though it’s like I have sand inside my shoes.

“Some reunion this is,” I say as liquid floods my eyes. “You finally come home to me, but we’re saying goodbye.” I place the orchids inside the casket, next to her arm. “You’ll always be my girl, Allie.” Leaning down, I plant a kiss on her cold lips as my tears trickle over her pale skin. “Always.”

Squeezing her hand, my stomach tightens at the thought of letting her go. As I rub her palm with my thumb, I know I don’t have a choice.

I walk away with my heart in pieces, showing no sign of ever being whole again.

Thank you for reading, and thanks to Kyra for hosting this bloghop!

Also, the Express Yourself Meme (List your 5 favorite monsters throughout history) starts today, but I'll be posting mine tomorrow. Click HERE for details and to read the blogs who'll post today.

Express Yourself Meme - Language people!

It's time for the Express Yourself Meme - week 3 co-hosted by Dani and Me!

What language would you like to speak and why? 

- I'd love to learn French. I think it sounds so exquisite and flows beautifully.

- Also, I know it's not a "language" but I'd love to speak in an Aussie accent. THAT would be really cool. (I'm a sucker for accents... aka Hugh Jackman *sigh*)

Are there any languages you'd like to speak?

Care to join the Express Yourself Meme? Sign up in the weekly linky so we can see your choices!

Express Yourself Meme - 5 movies/books that terrify you

It's time for the Express Yourself Weekly Meme. (Co-hosted by Dani and me.)
Click on the picture below or in the tab bar for deets on our meme.

Week #2 (Oct 8-12) - List 5 movies/books that makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck.

I’ll admit, I watched the below movies mostly through my fingers, and yes. I even read parts of the book I list below through my fingers as well.

See, I have this theory. If I put my hand in front of my face and peek at the movie/book through my fingers, then it won't be as bad as watching/reading it head on.

Does it help? Not really, but hello? These movies/books are so scary, I can’t help it, but I like horror movies all the same. Yeah, I'm weird.

5. The Fourth Kind (movie 2009) … To quote Abbey Tyler, who the movie is centered around: “An encounter in the first kind, that's when you see a UFO. The second kind is when you see evidence of it: crop circles, radiation. The third kind is when you make contact. But the fourth kind, there's nothing more frightening than the fourth. You see, that one is when they abduct you.” 

This film is based on case studies, and they have actual footage tossed in this movie that makes my skin crawl. I mean, did aliens really take these people or is it all a big hoax? I don’t know, but it had me clutching my blanket for dear life.

4. Wrong Turn (movie 2003) – Six people find themselves being hunted by these gross cannibalistic men who live in the mountains. They are disfigured through generations of in-breeding. Seriously. Dis-turb-ing.

3. Seed (book by Ania Ahlborn 2012) – I received this as an ARC. This book is so creepy good, but I can’t even finish it yet. Yes, it’s that scary. I’m thinking it’s about a demonic presence, but I’m not entirely sure since I still have a ways to go. I’ll try not to give away too much, but there’s one part where someone is wrestling around under a sheet, but then there’s nothing there. **shivers** The way the author describes it is amazing. Now, that’s great writing!

2. Paranormal Activity movies 1, 2, 3 (and 4 is coming out soon) – so these are about families living their lives, la-de-da-life-is-great, then bam! A demonic presence haunts them in their homes. All the movies intersect with one another in some way, so it’s really cool in that aspect, but downright terrifying!

1. Jeepers Creepers (movie 2001). Teens drive home from college and encounter a creepy creature that drives an even creepier truck. *honk-honk-honkkkkk* This creature takes from people what it's lacking. It's super scary! And this thing is nasty! 

So, there's my list! What movies/books creep you out?

Want to join in on the fun? Post your list on your blog, then come back and sign up in the weekly meme linky with the link to your post so we can hop around and see your list of movies/books that scare you.

If I Let You Go by Kyra Lennon is available now!

A few weeks ago, I won an ARC of If I Let You Go by Kyra Lennon. I fell in love with the cover right away, but the novella itself is what took my breath away. 

Kyra created amazing characters - Madison, Dominic  and Tilly. I love them all, and the way their story unfolds is brilliant.

Wanna check out this wonderful novella for yourself? Well, you can!

If I Let You Go - is now available! Kyra’s doing the KDP Select thing, so for a while, it's only available on the Kindle, but you can buy it for £1.02 in the UK, and $1.65 in the U.S! 

If I Let You Go - Amazon UK
If I Let You Go - Amazon.com

Also, Kyra's hosting the If I Let You Go Bloghop.

Check out the deets by clicking on the button. 

Have a great weekend!

Cover Reveal--AWOKEN by Timothy Miller

Kimmy, one of my amazing CP's, asked if I wanted to do another cover reveal for one of her publishing bro's. So, since I heart cover reveals, and I love helping out fellow writers, here's the cover!

Fourteen-year-old Michael Stevens has never been ordinary; no orphan who hears music coming from rocks considers himself a typical teenager. But life gets a lot more complicated when two-foot-tall, albino, doll-like men sneak into his room one night, transforming the harmless music into a frightening ability he cannot control.

Soon, strangers in black suits begin to ask unsettling questions while unnatural animals with mismatched eyes haunt the streets. They are hunting, and not just Michael: anyone he cares about is in danger.

With the help of a mysterious drifter, an annoying girl he's accidentally mutated, and one of those creepy doll men, Michael finds himself in the middle of a war that could forever change the world he knows - reconstructing the very definition of humanity. 

Title: Awoken

Author: Timothy Miller

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press (www.spencerhillpress.com) Please feel free to use any images, text, links, etc. from our website.

ISBN: 978-1-937053-53-6

Release Date: August 13, 2013

Formats: Paper, e-book 

If you'd like to request an ARC, please use the reviewer form on our website. ARCs will ship in May of 2013.

IWSG - Oct - Post #7

Alex J. Cavanaugh is the brains behind IWSG. Click on his name to check out his awesome blog and join in on the fun!

I'm *this close* to finishing my WIP. I really thought I'd have it done yesterday, but a little hiccup occurred (not writing related) so now I'm aiming for this weekend. 

And to be real with myself, I should've had this finished long ago, but I suffer from "I can't stop editing along the way" syndrome. Have you heard of it? It's nasty, but addicting all the same.

One of my CP's suggested opening another word doc while writing, and when something comes to mind, put it there instead of combing through my WIP to fix, change, add, or delete something. I started her idea, and it's working for the most part. (Thanks, Kimmy!) Sure, my mind and fingers want to edit, but I'm trying my hardest to keep them at bay so I can finish my MS.

Do you have any suggestions for NOT editing your drafts until later? 
Or do you edit it as you go, too?


~ Happy writing!!! (and editing... *wink*)


P.S. Check out the Express Yourself Meme as well as Spooktoberfest by clicking on the names or in the tab bar above!!!

Express Yourself Weekly Meme

I’ve been wanting to do a meme for a while now, to discipline myself into blogging more, to stay connected with blogging buddies, and meet some new ones along the way. I asked Dani from Entertaining Interests if she’d like to join me in hosting, and she was all for it!

Express Yourself is a weekly meme beginning TODAY (Monday - October 1, 2012.) Its goal is to help our fellow bloggers get to know one another better, to help motivate one another, laugh (or cry) together, in other words – stalk.

What makes you tick? What inspires you to write? How’s the outside world influencing you? Whether it be a quote, a list of favorite things/people, a question, a song, etc., each Monday, we’ll find something different to post about. It will correlate with writing, blogging, and life in general. Then, we hope, you’ll follow suit and post, too.

At the beginning of every month, Dani and I will post a Gadget with a list of that month’s weekly Monday posts so you’ll be informed in advanced. 

We know most of you are busy when Monday rolls around or maybe you don’t post on Mondays at all. Don’t fret, we understand. That’s why you have the rest of the week to post. Just comment in one of our posts so we know to check out your awesome blog.

The Express Yourself Gadget for October is...

Again, you don't have to post on Monday. Anytime during the week is great. Whatever works for you.
And yep, we have two Express Yourself banners for you to choose from (above) because we loved both and couldn’t decide which one to use, so we leave it up to you.

Linky code

AND NOW FOR THE FIRST EXPRESS YOURSELF POST!!!

Pick a name in one of your WIP's... what was your process of acquiring it?

My currrent WIP is titled Wishful Thinking. I'm not ready to go in to detail about the plot, but it has dual POV's... Kara & Jagger.
If you visit my blog, you already know my all time favorite band is Maroon 5, so it would make total sense that my characters would involve them somehow, right?
Kara - my female MC is named after Kara’s Flowers, Maroon 5’s original name.
Jagger - my male MC is named for M5’s song, Moves Like Jagger.

We hope you'll join in on the meme so we can learn more about you through this process! 

As always, Happy Writing!!!