“Who Says They Can Ban Halloween? By David B. Riley

They say you never really believe in ghosts until you’ve encountered one. Two Halloweens ago I was working in Vail, Colorado at a hotel. I worked graveyard shift. October tended to be a dead month.  There was very little going on and all thoughts were on the approaching ski season. They kept the place open, but most of the daytime staff were doing cleaning and maintenance type duties to get everything ready for winter. So, I worked on night reports and posted what few special charges there were and set about generally being bored. I was particularly in a sour…
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 Doldrums by David B. Riley

Halloween Haunts: Halloween Doldrums by David B. Riley

My first few Halloweens when I was young were simply awesome–just a pinch of scariness coupled with an adventure with my friends. The trick or treating was almost secondary to the costumes and comradery of what excitement awaited us–almost. I was particularly fond of my skeleton costume for reasons I can no longer remember. As I grew older, I also became aware of a darker side of the holiday–vandalism. The first time I encountered it someone went along the street and took people's Jack-O-lanterns and smashed them to bits. That made little sense to my young mind. I'd carved that…
Halloween Haunts: The Highwayman By David B. Riley

Halloween Haunts: The Highwayman By David B. Riley

One of the first stories I ever had published is "The Highwayman." I've actually managed to get it reprinted some 10 times over the years at various anthologies and such. It's very short, kind of whimsical, and I tend to dust it off every October. I debated whether to use it for Halloween Haunts as it's not really horror.  But it definitely is a Halloween story.  I hope folks enjoy it.    "The Highwayman" by David B. Riley Kalcouldn't tell for certain no one had seen him, but there weren't any sirens screeching through the night. He opened the hatch and…

GUNSLINGERS & GHOST STORIES by HWA Member David B. Riley (editor)

Author: David B. Riley (editor) Ghosts are not just found in haunted houses. They have a disturbing tendency to turn up where you least expect them: like saloons, brothels, Indian ruinsâ and sometimes even in the middle of a gunfight. Saddle up for a haunted ride through the Wild West. Featuring spooky stories by Joel Jenkins, Dana Bell, Laura Givens, Henrik Ramsager, Kit Volker, Kenneth W. Cain, Adrian Ludens, C. J. Killmer, Darla Upchurch, John Howard & J. A. Campbell. Publisher: Science Fiction Trails Release_Date: 12-1-12 ISBN_10: 0615725848 ISBN_13: 978-0615725848

Halloween Haunts: Halloween Dog by David B. Riley

Halloween was always a wonderful time when I was growing up. Though, as an adult, it really stopped being much of a holiday. As time went by, I sometimes was in Arizona, where my dad lives, and sometimes not around Halloween. One year I remember my dad wanted me to walk his dog because he wanted to stay home and hand out candy. That was fine. I decided, since it was Halloween, to put Zero (named thusly because he really liked cold weather) in a Bart Simpson T shirt. One thing about golden retrievers is they’ll pretty much go along…