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Saturday, October 20, 2012

Oh the Horror...

Today my friend and fellow author, Kate Roth, is stopping by to share her feelings on horror, Halloween, and October.


I’m one of the weirdos. That certain kind of person who loves to be frightened. I like horror movies, scary shows and creepy books. Around Halloween I always get the urge to watch as many horror films as I can, DVR the ghost hunting adventure shows and break out my Stephen King’s.

Not everyone can get on board with horror and I suppose I can understand why. There are a lot of things in life to actually be afraid of so why bring it upon you by getting wrapped up in stories of murder and hauntings?

Well, because it’s fun. Tension building, heart pounding, looking around to make sure you aren’t being watched—it’s all part of the fun of horror. As with all entertainment, it’s escapism. Sometimes you want to escape to Hogwarts or Middle Earth. Other times it’s the countryside where the man of your dreams waits for you. But every now and then you want to find escape in the darkened hallways of that old hotel, that mansion on a hill, the abandoned asylum. Where things go bump in the night and you challenge yourself to survive whoever—or whatever is chasing you.

I’ve often wanted to write horror but I don’t think I have it in me. I’ve tried and it never comes out right. I’ll leave it to those authors who have the horror bone and can truly tell a chilling tale. I’ll stick to the sappy stuff.
Here’s a list of a few of my spooky faves from all media.

     ·         A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – I adore Freddy! He’s wisecracking and terrifying all at once. And—spoiler—I always love a story with a kick-ass chick who can defeat the bad guy.
  •          Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill – Stephen King’s son gives daddy a run for his money with this novel about a troubled rock star that inadvertently purchases a ghost. It scared me in broad daylight and left me wanting to take a cross county road trip with some AC/DC playing on full blast.
  •          An American Horror Story – Season one of this creepy FX show completely changed the way I think of horror. Who knew you could be so scared by what can be shown on cable? So excited for season two in which a new cast, setting and storyline will be played out.
  •          Celebrity Ghost Stories – Okay so call this one lame if you will but I love this show. “Celebrities” (aka D-listers and people you barely recognize from 80’s and 90’s sitcoms) share their personal accounts of hauntings while no-name actors reenact the scenario. Let’s just say it fills the void left in me by the loss of one of my childhood favorites, Unsolved Mysteries.
Thanks again to Kate Roth for stopping by today.  To find out more about Kate and her writing visit her website.

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