Halloween Haunts: The Widow By Erik Hofstatter

Halloween Haunts: The Widow By Erik Hofstatter

  A billow of fruity vapour swirled around me as I waited to begin my morning commute. It smelled like peaches and reminded me of a smokescreen employed by the military but fused with a potent, aromatic flavour. I cast a disapproving glance in the boy’s direction, watching smoke camouflage his acne as he puffed on his e-cigarette. He inhaled the poison with short, raspy breaths. A flock of gaunt faces engulfed me and I surveyed them with distaste. Vague melancholy leaked out of their fissured facades. Like them, I abandoned expectation long ago. Like them, I was trapped in…
Halloween Haunts: Cheapers Creepers by Sumiko Saulson

Halloween Haunts: Cheapers Creepers by Sumiko Saulson

When I get writer’s block, I turn to one of my other creative tools, such as painting or illustration. Back in the fall of 2012, when my father was in the last months of his life, I was too worried to write. I spent hours drawing instead. That’s how I ended up illustrating a couple of short stories. It’s why I am now presenting at comic book and zine centered events like SF Zine Fest, in addition to writing events like ConVolution and BayCon. Not coincidentally, one of my characters, Charlotte Metaxas from Happiness and Other Diseases, is a graphic…
Halloween Haunts: Mr. Moose by Walter Jarvis

Halloween Haunts: Mr. Moose by Walter Jarvis

Mr. Moose haunted our house at Halloween during my high school years. My youngest brother, who was seven at the time named him, and the name stuck for his once-a-year roll out on Halloween eve. He was a response in some ways to a notable falling off in the spirit of Halloween in our town. It had become an excuse to go out and round up as much candy in the shortest time possible. Many of the kids, particularly the older ones, didn’t even wear costumes.  Even if they did, there was very little creativity in them. A sheet with…
Halloween Haunts: Halloween, A Becoming by Lou Rera

Halloween Haunts: Halloween, A Becoming by Lou Rera

Halloween is a becoming. In the parlance of pop culture, it’s an outing. You can become a Halloween extrovert and strut it, or you can be discovered in the shadows of someone’s doorway. I’ve always gone for the idea that once a year, I can morph into something that obfuscates my appearance. I can skulk around anonymously. I can feign that I am viewing the world through the eyes of a psychopath or a disgruntled loner. But there’s an extra dollop of obsession with my take on becoming. Inclusive within those exterior changes, Halloween’s nerve roots burrow into my flesh…
Halloween Haunts: The Killer Pumpkins by Naching T. Kassa.

Halloween Haunts: The Killer Pumpkins by Naching T. Kassa.

When I was a girl, I loved the “B” horror films of the 1950’s. My dad introduced them to me and I enjoyed the terrible acting, cheap sets, and silly gimmicks. Even today, the letter B raises images of Vincent Price, The House on Haunted Hill, William Castle, and a myriad of other screen goodies. We always watched them on Halloween and they never failed to amuse me. Until I lived one. Did dramatic, spooky music run through your mind? Did a chill run up your spine? It didn’t? Humph! You’ve been watching too many Blair Witch movies. Anyway, let’s…
Halloween Haunts: The Last Haunted House I Remember by Kristina Stancil

Halloween Haunts: The Last Haunted House I Remember by Kristina Stancil

Growing up in the Bible Belt I felt like an outcast.  I didn’t care about Miss Piggy and her jewels that she always raved about.  I was down with the Count.  I didn’t have the typical upbringing.  I was told Santa Claus didn’t exist at a young age but witches, ghosts, magic, etc. were spoken of as real.  There was nothing to be afraid of because a good ghost followed the family and kept us safe. Whether it was the psychological makeup of my mom or the fact it was ingrained into me not to be outgoing but even though I adored…
Halloween Haunts: Hallowe’en in a Suburb and in a Library by Kevin J. Wetmore, Jr.

Halloween Haunts: Hallowe’en in a Suburb and in a Library by Kevin J. Wetmore, Jr.

  I have spent much of my adult life chasing my drug of choice: the feeling of October in the New England of my childhood. The day gets darker earlier, the air becomes a little crisp like an apple, and, as Ray Bradbury put it, “everything is smoky smelling and the sky orange and ash gray at twilight.”  There is no feeling quite like it and it lasts for a whole month.  My little hometown of Cheshire, Connecticut (“The bedding plant capital of New England!” is its claim to fame) would become the setting of a Stephen King short story…
Halloween Haunts: Where Have All The Children Gone? by Kenneth W. Cain

Halloween Haunts: Where Have All The Children Gone? by Kenneth W. Cain

  This last Halloween was the first for my family in our new house. While my wife and I anxiously waited for children to show up at our door in search of treats, not a single one appeared. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, as we live atop a steep hill without any sidewalks. We’re also close to a community that provides far easier means of obtaining candy. As such, we aren’t expecting any kids this year, either. That’s a gloomy premonition, as we both find ourselves missing the costumed children, the excitement of the holiday, and the joy it…
Halloween Haunts: How to Plan a Hallowedding by Joanna Parypinski

Halloween Haunts: How to Plan a Hallowedding by Joanna Parypinski

I knew I’d made the right choice of mate when I suggested to my fiancée that we have a Halloween wedding, and he agreed. While the internet is rife with ideas for Halloween weddings, it’s still considered a non-traditional theme. That’s perfect for me because I find many traditions revolting, particularly those with bigoted origins (like a father “giving away” his daughter because she is an object that must be passed from one man to another). But as soon as we decided on a Halloween wedding, there came the question: how does one actually pull this off? Traditional weddings come…
Halloween Haunts: The Power of a Mask George Wilhite

Halloween Haunts: The Power of a Mask George Wilhite

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, or at least a tie with Christmas. You can’t beat the latter for spending time with family and friends, the gift exchanges, the way it brings out cheer even in years of tragedy and pain. But, as I’m sure is true for many of my peers who have become horror writers, my personal affinity has leaned towards October 31. My father and I spent many late nights watching Creature Features, a late Saturday night show in the California Bay Area. Bob Wilkins hosted two old movies, some classic, some cult or schlock, and…
Halloween Haunts: Your Story Idea is Stupid by David B. Riley

Halloween Haunts: Your Story Idea is Stupid by David B. Riley

“A mirror that drips blood? Really?”  That was the response an  editor of an anthology of horror stories gave me  after she read and rejected my submission. Let’s go back a few years. I once worked at a haunted hotel.  The employees knew it was haunted.  Few of the guests did.  The company that owned the place didn’t seem to want any more publicity about it.  For that reason I will refrain from mentioning the property, save from the fact it is in Wyoming. Back then I worked a lot of night shifts–We had a night porter, two security guards,…
Halloween Haunts: Halloween Costumes by Paul Stansfield

Halloween Haunts: Halloween Costumes by Paul Stansfield

Today, I thought I’d discuss costumes, mostly some highlights (and lowlights) from my personal history. I’ll start with one of my first costumes, as a skeleton, when I was four years old.  From a very young age I loved skeletons, so it was an obvious choice.  (The fighting skeletons from the Jason and the Argonauts movie made a huge impression on me, to cite one example.)  My mother deserves the lion’s share of the credit, of course, as she dyed a pair of my pajamas black, and then painstakingly cut out “bones” from a white sheet and sewed these on the…
Halloween Haunts: Nightmare On My Street by Edward P. Cardillo

Halloween Haunts: Nightmare On My Street by Edward P. Cardillo

  Halloween is my Christmas, as my wife explains it to her friends. Every October I open up the garage, drudge out the life-sized witch, Headless Horseman, and Grim Reaper; ransack my man cave in the basement for skulls, bats, and animated creepy crawlies (which reside there year round); and carve exactly three pumpkins. My son gets in on the fun, and although it takes a half a day to set up my trademark graveyard, complete with lighting and eerie music effects, it is a labor of love. My neighborhood is ideal for trick-or-treating. It’s low traffic, away from major…
Halloween Haunts: Tricks, Treats, and Terrors by Christopher W. Clark

Halloween Haunts: Tricks, Treats, and Terrors by Christopher W. Clark

It is always this time of year when I can feel something in me start to shift, slightly.  It’s an easing, a relaxing—it feels in many ways like the last few miles driven on a long road trip, when you know home is just around the corner.  As the air starts to cool and crispen, and the leaves flare into ever deeper fires of color, and nights linger a little longer than they did in the long summer months, when I start to see skulls and pumpkins and hollow-eyed latex masks fill the shelves of every store like strange totems—it’s…
Halloween Haunts: Masks by Micky Neilson

Halloween Haunts: Masks by Micky Neilson

Early on in my life I didn't really get to participate in Halloween. I grew up with a schizophrenic father who had taken me from home at 10 months old. We spent much of my childhood on the run from authorities, usually broke or close to it. The only time I ever went trick or treating while I was with my dad was somewhere around age 9 or 10—he wrapped me up in toilet paper and sent me out as the mummy. By the time I turned 13 dad was arrested and I went into foster care. After that, among…
Halloween Haunts: Never a Night Off by Lincoln Cole

Halloween Haunts: Never a Night Off by Lincoln Cole

Halloween is the best time of the year for enjoying the scarier parts of life. People who normally are prudish and uptight about horror will discard their preconceived notions for one night and just allow themselves to enjoy life. It is the one night of the year where everyone is allowed to throw on a costume and pretend to be someone else… Never a Night Off “Did you see where he went?” Dominick asked, stepping up alongside his friend and glancing out over the crowd. The Halloween party at The Rusty Nail was in full swing and everyone was wearing…
Halloween Haunts: Honoring the Dead by Heddy Johannesen

Halloween Haunts: Honoring the Dead by Heddy Johannesen

  Samhain is a time to honor those who are still in spirit.  During Samhain, practice divination with the dead. The veil between the world of the living and the dead is thin. The dead like to be remembered. They continue to care about you after death. Perform prayers and leave offerings to show your devotion. Offerings could be something they loved in life such as a particular song, favorite aftershave or a rose. It tells them you remember them as they were in life and that they are loved. To honor those who have passed before you, keep a…
Halloween Haunts: Edinburgh Terror by Denise A. Agnew

Halloween Haunts: Edinburgh Terror by Denise A. Agnew

While I’ve been published in the romance genre for many years, this year I’ve turned my attention more toward the horror genre. I was thrilled to hear HWA was doing this Halloween blog event and knew I had to contribute. All my life I’ve been interested in the paranormal, and I’ve had a few strange things happen to me from the time I was a child that I might classify as strange and/or paranormal. I’m a skeptical believer. I am also an empath with some clairvoyant/clairsentient abilities, so I frequently pick up people’s feelings. I’m also a paranormal investigator. I’m…
Halloween Haunts: Be A Better Writer With JAWS by Tom Leveen

Halloween Haunts: Be A Better Writer With JAWS by Tom Leveen

Let’s assume for the moment that Jaws is, in fact, a horror movie. Cool, thanks. Now: So what aspect of the Father of the Summer Blockbuster might we study for writing tips? There are many to choose from in this A+ of a film, but I’m choosing two that probably slipped by unnoticed: One set of three lines, and character backstory. Police Chief Martin Brody, father of two boys and happily married to Ellen, came to Amity from New York City where he was a police officer. A dangerous job, to be sure. Almost from the beginning, the family seems to wonder…
Halloween Haunts: A Guide to Finding Horror in Star Trek by Kevin David Anderson

Halloween Haunts: A Guide to Finding Horror in Star Trek by Kevin David Anderson

As a fan and writer of horror, I tend to look for and find the horror in everything. From romantic comedies to presidential debates, I can somehow see the terror, the dread, and the worse case scenario in all stories, real or imagined. But when it comes to my favorite science fiction franchise, Star Trek, the search for horror, both dark and scary, is never difficult. Not the dystopian horror of 1984 or The Hunger Games, but good old fashion B-movie creature feature Halloween horror; vampires, zombies, shape shifters, body snatchers, and even serial killers can all be found in…