Posts
Some of you are here because my friend,
C. Lee McKenzie,
pointed the way
in her IWSG post.
Good friends make all the difference
in life, don't they?
When the nights grow long, and the year is coming to a close,
it's only natural that people feel an urge to gather together.
At the edge of the year, it also makes sense to think of people and places that are no longer with us.
Samhain is a Gaelic festival marking the end of the harvest season
and the beginning of winter or the "darker half" of the year.
We now call Samhain Halloween,
but the old darkness, the old fears are still lurking in the shadows just past the light of our illusory faith in science.
Why do we like scary stories?
When you read one that becomes frost down your spine,
you are hit with the feeling to read another one.
You have to love dopamine!
It's not the believing them that is the crux, but the disbelieving them
though they breathe winter through your veins.
You step out of the prose haunted house pumped by adrenaline
but comforted by the knowledge that such things can't happen ... that you are safe.
'Or are you?'
whispers the eternal child who awakens whenever the shadows draw close.
Take a ride on my twin ghost trains.
(Only $1.99 each on Kindle)
Who knows?
You may win one of the 20 prizes offered
on Lee's blog.
Oops!
This was supposed to
go up at midnight.
Oops!
This was supposed to
go up at midnight.
Sunrise tomorrow will be seventy degrees. I'll take the breath of winter right now!
ReplyDeleteYou and me both! :-)
ReplyDeleteGood friends (and family) who we can depend on makes such a difference in our lives.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I consider myself kind of brave, but not where ghosts/spirits are concerns. Any sign of them on a train and I'd be jumping.
Teresa
The ghost trains in question are my Halloween Duo of short story collections, Teresa. :-)
DeleteAnd it's easy being brave reading a horror short story -- all you have to do is close the book or Kindle when it gets too intense!!
Midnight looks just like my cat Sindbad. He was my last cat and he lived on the rooftops in Los Angeles. Too much traffic, too many dogs down below. I miss him so.
ReplyDeleteSindbad is a great name for a black cat. I have to keep Midnight indoors for all the reasons you gave -- that and the owls and hawks here would find him a furry tidbit! I miss my Gypsy as you miss your Sindbad.
DeleteI do love a good spooky story, though I prefer Poe's psychological terror more than modern ravening serial killers. Happy writing in October.
ReplyDeleteSadira, the first tale in SILHOUETTES is a psychological murder and hunt thriller. It's set in 1946 Hollywood where false fronts and masks are tools of the trade in more ways than one. I think you might like it.
Deletenot my genre (which I earnestly don't know what it is... none necessary, though, because I just like to write. Wink-wink), but highly atmospheric entry to Halloween vibe.
ReplyDeleteSILHOUETTE has a variety of genres spun in thriller/horror mode: psychological, Native American myth, Native American/ crime romance, straight out fantasy. Thanks for commenting, PJ
DeleteLove, just love, scary stories this time of year. They are so much fun. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
Thanks, Anna. :-)
DeleteI never liked scary stories until I started reading how makeup was done in horror films. Let's just say Fangoria magazine changed my views. It also might be that I grew up in a haunted house and I didn't need anything else scary in my life.
ReplyDeleteWe live in a scary world so I believe that fiction horror lets us confront our fears in a venue where we can close the book on it! :-)
DeleteI love the relief that comes after a scary story. There really is something in our psychology that craves a good scare so that we can find safety and peace in our circumstances, eh?
ReplyDeleteExactly, Crystal. :-)
DeleteNothing like a good spooky tale to make you feel better about your life!
ReplyDeleteMy best friend, Sandra, said she liked listening to my trials since it made her life so much better by comparison! :-)
DeleteHi Roland - plenty of other horrors around ... so I try and stay away from the spooky. Black cats are my favourite ... and I'd have one if I ever settled. Take care and all the best as October creeps forward - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteA black cat is said to be lucky in some countries. I like horror tales where there is a hero or heroine that doesn't give up and comes out on top, perhaps bloody but victorious. :-)
Delete"We now call Samhain Halloween, but the old darkness, the old fears are still lurking in the shadows just past the light of our illusory faith in science." Love that! Happy IWSG day :-)
ReplyDeleteYou liking my thoughts on the old darkness in our world made my day. Thanks, Ronel. :-)
DeleteCongrats! I like spooky stories.
ReplyDeleteOo, that Midnight looks like a trouble maker. LOL
Poor Midnight is cooped for so long while I am on my blood runs, he goes a little bonkers when I come home!! And he is a rascal even when he is on his best behavior!
DeleteLove this line: “When you read one that becomes frost down your spine ...”
ReplyDeleteGreat post and congratulations:)
Thanks for liking my turn of phrase. I try to make readers feel my intent. Have a great midweek!
DeleteGood luck with your new releases, Roland! You must be one of the most prolific writers I know.
ReplyDeleteI am a piker when compared to Isaac Asimov and Harlan Ellison, but I try to write to keep my wits flexible! Best of sales with your new book. Your reviews are great!
DeleteFriends are so valuable. The writing community is full of them. I've added your release to the IWSG newsletter going out at the end of the month!
ReplyDeleteShannon, thanks so much. Life of late has been so hectic it has taken me this long to see your comment. Bad me! Great you!
ReplyDelete