Tag Archives: Halloween

Free Short Story Through October 8, 2022

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This is a fall short story by Jillian Chantal. She was lucky enough to know a lot of her grandparents and great grandparents due to the longevity gene.

Her paternal great grandfather was Carver Fowler and he was a quiet man who loved to do wood-working. He also, as a young man, had a Model T and spent the whole rest of his life regretting selling it. Jillian always loved that his name was Carver and he did wood-working.

Mallie Phillips was her great grandmother and that lady was a pistol. She was sassy and fun and up until the week before she died, she would be in her yard with her cane in one hand and a rake in the other.

The year of the story is fudged as they would have been older than Jillian wanted them to be in the story if she used their real dates of birth.

Enjoy this free short story– just long enough to read while you have your pedicure. GET IT LINK

Blurb:

In 1924, Carver Fowler, a young man raised on his family’s farm in North Alabama, has long been in love with one of the girls who lives in town. Her name is Mallie Phillips. Mallie has always treated Carver as beneath her notice since in her opinion he’s nothing but a country yokel.

The county’s fall festival is soon and, as a joke, Mallie is dared by a friend to ask Carver to be her date to the party. Mallie takes her up on the dare and visits Carver to invite him to accompany her to the festivities.

In the midst of all the intrigue about whether Carver will be her date or not, a young man is killed and another is attacked. Carver becomes a suspect and Mallie begins to understand that Carver may not merely be the backwoods boy she thought he was.

Death by Pumpkin Spice by Alex Erickson

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This book is part of a series of stories with the protagonist being the owner of a coffee shop who can’t help but get involved in murders that happen in her town. She’s attracted to the detective she works with on the cases but she also has a date with a local doctor and has a former live in lover who is a stalker. In other words, she attracts drama. And she isn’t very likable.

Even though she owns a coffee shop and the title of the book makes one think there will be some kind of pumpkin spice drink—latte, coffee or even chai—nope. Not any in sight for the entire book.

A woman is killed at a Halloween party and busted pumpkins are all around her but no spices. Nope. None.

The protagonist is smart and clever in the way she can solve crimes but she is one of those types who don’t listen. Even when she is told to stay out of the crime scene, she goes willy-nilly in the room and starts touching stuff.

The first couple of times she didn’t listen were cute but then it got old. I get that the amateur sleuth needs to have access to try to solve the case in these kinds of books, but it really became annoying to this reader. I’m sure there were other ways to get around that issue but her just blatantly ignoring warning after warning became tedious. She went rogue way too many times to count.

All that being said, the mystery itself was good. It was clever to have the story take place at a Halloween party with a terrible storm so everyone was stranded there and also in costume. It heightened the danger and intrigue to make the killer not be able to escape. The other partygoers didn’t seem too concerned to be locked in a mansion with many rooms for a murderer to hide in, though.

I thought the ending was appropriate and I enjoyed the mystery of the murder.

Even though this is a series, I was able to follow the story and figure out who was who without much effort.

For a quick, easy, seasonal read with not much depth, this was a fun one. Just don’t expect any pumpkin spice.

Happy October, Witches!

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It’s October and time for some magic. Check out this oldie of mine from a few years ago.  Link

HereThereBeWitches_LRG

One chaotic week in October, former friends, a guardian angel, and a secret prophecy cause turmoil in the life of a teen-age witch-in-training.

Cali French, a high school senior, is cut out of her inner circle when she refuses to participate in a spell her friends want to cast. Cali fears the dark magic and the unknown consequences of the shortcut they want to take by casting the spell.

Unbeknownst to her, Cali is the subject of an important prophecy. Her former pals have discovered this and have an even more sinister motive in forcing her to cooperate in their work than Cali can imagine.

Her very life in peril, the young witch-in-training faces unknown dangers relying only on her unpolished skills and some assistance from a guardian angel and a gentle giant.

 

Cover Reveal

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I have a new book coming out July 8, 2016. It’s called Rex, the Ex and the Hex from CHBB Publishing and it is such a fun story, I can’t wait for it to be available. There’s voodoo, witch doctors, a tarot card reader and even a haruspex.  There’s a murder trial and even a laundromat. When did you last read a book with a scene in a muggy, steamy laundromat?

The story takes place in parts of south Alabama, Pensacola and even New Orleans. Here’s the awesome cover made by Rue Volley.Vector illustration of girl walking through a mysterious dark forest

Word Wednesday- Halloween Video- Tim Curry

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I can’t embed this here but check out this video of Tim Curry for Halloween. Click here to watch him in The Worst Witch.

Just for fun, let’s use WORST as the word of the day even though I’m quite sure you already know what it means. Worst is the superlative of Bad or Ill.

1. most corrupt or evil

2. most unsuitable or unattractive

3. most lacking in quality.

Notice how the word most is used in all those definitions?

Long Time No Post!!

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Sorry I’ve beem MIA. I’ve had a lot going on with my mother being ill and in and out of the hospital. I’ve also had to travel quite a bit recently and have been working diligently at the day job and the evenings writing. I also had edits on a pretty long novel that my alter-ego has coming out on September 9, 2012.

I’m over here today to announce that I got an acceptance for a Halloween story to be published by Whortleberry Press in September. This will be my fourth year in their Halloween anthology and I’m super excited to be back. I absolutely adore the fall season and all the holidays therein.

This story I wrote was so fun. I woke up on a Saturday morning with the first paragraph in my head, fully formed. I jumped up and grabbed my iPad to jot it down. The next paragraph came right away and every time I thought I’d stop working on it, more came. I didn’t get up for two hours and it was done. I was still in my robe and was shocked when I looked up to see it was two hours later.

I edited it that night and sent it in. It’s a really cute little story if I do say so myself. It’s in first person but you know, it really called out for that perspective.

The name will be changed from what I had but that’s cool. I’m awful at titles so I’m always open to changing them. LOL! Of course, I’ll post when it’s available for purchase.

October 30, 2011- Two Year Anniversary

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I started this blog way back on October 30, 2009. So much has changed since then. I was newly published in my very first anthology- appropriately a Halloween one- the story was called “The Arm” and was published by Whortleberry Press.  Since then, I’ve had three novels published under my romance pseudonym. I have three more romance novels under contract. I’ve also had 8 short stories published with two more coming out in time for Valentine’s Day.  I’m pleased with all I’ve accomplished in a short time and at how much  my writing skills have grown.  I have two other romance novels out on submission as well as a mystery novel. Here’s hoping for some good news on those. Although it may be that I’d stress myself out if they’re all accepted- lots of edits would be coming my way.

Here’s a fun picture of my nephew to celebrate Halloween Weekend and my blog anniversary: