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Finding Faeries

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Finding Faeries

Tag Archives: Halloween

A Very Special #Magicday

31 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by Kathleen Palm in Magicday, Thoughts

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

celebrate spooky, Halloween, magic, Magicday

So it’s Monday, which means the search for magic because Mondays need it.

But it’s also HALLOWEEN!

halloweenskull

If you know me, you know this is one of my favorite holidays. So the magic of today is Halloween!

The day we don masks to scare away the spirits lurking in the dark, the day the veil between this world and what waits beyond is thin, the day to celebrate everything spooky and creepy. To light candles in jack o’ lanterns to bring them to life. To walk in the dark with the chill breeze and fallen leaves. A time of horror movies and imaginations run wild, making our hearts race.

As a kid, my sisters and I would rush home from school, put on our costumes, and wait eagerly for our dad to come home from work so he would guide us through the nighttime streets in search of candy.

halloweentrickortreat

My dad’s job of taking us out is long over, so he stays home and puts up epic decorations to scare other people’s kids. Last year we went and joined his display, one of the best Halloweens ever.

My dad's house last year.

My dad’s house last year.

 

Me...last year.

Me…last year.

I have decorated my house, though out in the country, we don’t get trick or treaters. I have carved three pumpkins and have a few more to go. I am going to take myself to see the movie OUIJA today! And tonight you’ll be able to find me sitting on my front porch amid my flickering pumpkins and skulls enjoying the night, listening to the leaves, and wondering what lurks in the shadows of the trees across the street.

Here are a few pics from my house this year!

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Angus looks a little weird, cause he's leaning forward...

Angus looks a little weird, cause he’s leaning forward…

One of my six pumpkins!

One of my six pumpkins!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 

Best Halloween Ever

02 Monday Nov 2015

Posted by Kathleen Palm in Just for fun, Thoughts

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

decorations, Halloween, memories, my parents' house, scary, trick-or-treating

If you remember from my last post, I took my kids on a five hour drive Friday to my parents’ house for Halloween.

And that means a five hour drive home yesterday.

Ten hours in a car for a few hours of trick-or-treating? Am I crazy?

Nope. It was all worth it.

HALLOWEEN IS IMPORTANT!

My kids are done trick-or-treating and where we live, trick-or-treaters are non-existent. And I LOVE to be in the middle of Halloween. I love the sounds of kids running amok. I love the sounds of leaves crunching underfoot. I love the chill in the air…and even a little rain is acceptable. So I went where the action was. No one wants a sad Kathy on Halloween.

My mom and dad get A LOT of trick-or-treaters. I believe the final count was about 440 pieces of candy handed out. 440! AH! Yes, they had enough candy. It was a miracle.

But before that…there was much to do! So many decorations and lights that had to be set up, electrical cords run, creepiness to spread!

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My dad! *waves*

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The kids all had jobs!

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Medusa was motion activated and would tell everyone to fear her as her eyes glowed and snake-hair moved.

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Eventually everything was ready. Scary sounds oozed from speakers. The strobe light was flashing. Though at 4:30 in the afternoon the effect was minimal.

My daughter and I did a bit of dressing up…

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Then we accompanied my sisters and their four girls on their walk up and down the street on their hunt for candy. I love seeing all the decorations and hearing the phrase “trick-or-treat” echoing along the block. I had a few kids stare at me as I wandered the street in my cloak and strange make-up. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

When we returned to my parents’ house, my daughter and I waved to my sisters and nieces as they continued on their candy gathering adventure, then became a part of Halloween, joining Dad’s décor.

Ella took a spot on the front porch.

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I stood behind the coffin, illuminated by the strobe light. Those innocent trick-or-treaters and their parents (because walking up the sidewalk of Dad’s house often required holding someone’s hand) didn’t always see me right away…didn’t know if I was a real person, until my eyes followed them and my head moved.

I WAS IN HEAVEN. Heaven.

The screaming. The crying. The wide eyes. More than a few turned right around and only returned with back-up. Then they finally made it to the door and were hit with the vision that is my dad as he lures them to him with candy. There is usually much hesitation…and crying…and one kid jump a foot into the air.

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When an ambulance crawled down the street with the theme song from the movie “Halloween” playing, I nearly died of joy. I tried to look menacing, but I couldn’t help smiling. My daughter said the same thing.

It was the best Halloween ever. And because we can’t go to my parents’ house unless Halloween falls on a Saturday, I won’t get to experience this for a long time…if ever again. So I soaked it all in. Basked in the creepy.

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The bride and groom skeletons spun around. A big hit!

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I made new friends…

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So next year, you will probably find me curled in a corner throwing candy at myself with horror movies playing because I won’t be in the middle of Halloween. I won’t be enjoying the creepy lights and music. I won’t be hearing kids yell “trick-or-treat”. I won’t be wandering out in the cold fall air.

Without that, I don’t know what Halloween will become for me. I guess it’s time to find new traditions. It’s time for Halloween to evolve. But I will treasure my moments out in the middle of the action. I will miss it.

I hope everyone had a great Halloween!

 

HALLOWEEN!

29 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by Kathleen Palm in Just for fun, Thoughts

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

going to Grandma and Grandpa's, Halloween, memories, scary decorations, thoughts

It’s almost Halloween!

halloweenskeleton

If you know me, you know I love the scariest night of the year. Heck, I love all of October. I’ve been watching horror movies all month! Yea!

gremlinslaughing

My kids have sadly outgrown the tradition of trick-or-treating.

However, last year, my daughter asked if we could please go to Grandma and Grandpa’s house (my parents) for Halloween.

I said that certainly we could go, but only if Halloween falls on a Saturday, because of the drive to get there.

And I asked her why…why did she want to go?

Because she wants to help Grandpa with Halloween decorations. Because she wants to see all the scared kids. Because her Grandpa is super cool.

And a few minutes later, she came to me and announced that Halloween was on a Saturday the next year… COULD WE PLEASE GO?

supernaturaldeanyes

When my family moved to another city in my junior year of high school, it was tough. But we ended up in a big, old Victorian house with a front porch and my dad had this great idea… decorate the house for Halloween.

Our first year there was lights and creepy music, but it was rather awesome.

Then I went to college and got married and moved away… I missed how my dad had embraced Halloween decorating. Every year he added something new.

When my kids were three and four, I decided they were old enough to trick-or-treat. For their first time out ringing doorbells and gathering candy, I took them to my parents’ house-they weren’t in school yet, so might as well take a little trip. Grandpa in his scary mask did not scare them. They did a great job walking up and down the street and never complained once about the rain.

They don’t remember all of this.

Which makes it a great time to return.

My daughter and I have costumes ready. My son is ready to help Grandpa carry the coffin and skeletons. I am ready to enjoy the sounds of leaves running from the chill breeze, of kids laughing and their feet pounding across the road. I am ready to stand in the dark and take in the atmosphere of the night, surrounded by Dad’s creepy decorations. Such as these from last year…

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He has built something new for this year!

And hopefully I can steal a candy bar or two.

We leave tomorrow. I will return with pics. Be sure to have a…

halloweenskull

Halloween Night: Trick or Treat… Cover Reveal

09 Friday Oct 2015

Posted by Kathleen Palm in cover reveal

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

anthology, cover reveal, Halloween, horror, illustrations, MG, stories, trick or treat, YA

So there’s this new book coming… it’s lurking in the shadows. Can you see it? Sense it?

The MG/YA horror anthology Halloween Night: Trick or Treat will be released into the world 10/27/15 from Hocus Pocus & Co.

Halloween Night: Trick or Treat on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25673465-halloween-night

And the cover is FABULOUSLY CREEPILY SPOOKY AWESOME!

FINAL-Halloween_night_large

Halloween Night: Trick or Treat Blurb

Graveyards, spirits, witchcraft, black cats, candy, and haunted houses.

Strange things happen on Halloween. All Hallows Eve is the single night where the veil between the living and the dead is opened. And now spirits, monsters, and candy will collide!

Seventeen authors and illustrators set out on a horrific journey to set the record straight. What really happens on Halloween night? Trick or Treating is not all fun and games. There are more tricks than treats scattered through these pages. Sure, All Hallows eve can be a scream. But sometimes, it’s straight-up murder.

Halloween Night: Trick-or-Treat is a middle grade and young adult horror anthology that falls on Halloween night.

Read if you dare! You’re in for a scare!

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Congrats to everyone involved!

Stories & Illustrations Include:

Big Brother Zombie by Evan Purcell

Give Us Something Good to Eat by Rie Sheridan Rose

Halloween Ritual by Amy Giuffrida

Haunter by Ryan Bartlett

Hello Annie by Tiffany Morris

It’s All a Bunch of Hocus Pocus by Violette Ulalume

Knock, Knock by Jennifer Moore

Ms. Holstein’s Special Halloween Treat by Chad P. Brown

Night of Monsters by Matthew Wilson

Something Good to Eat by Patrick Hueller

The House of Sam Hain by Betty Rocksteady

Sweet Nothing by Julie Hutchings

The Ghost by David N. Smith and Violet Addison

The Peeping Trick-or-Treaters by Kevin Lewis

Tricks and Treats, and Chicken Feet by Shawn Anderson

What Lurks in the Darkness by Kathleen Palm

YES! THAT’S MEEEE!!!!! I can’t wait to read all the stories.

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More from the Publisher

Hocus Pocus & Co. believes in in all things scary. We are a small publishing house that wishes Halloween was all year long and loves what goes bump in the night.

Hocus Pocus & Co. is headed by Jolene Haley, who noticed that horror was an unrepresented category in MG, YA, and NA and is working hard to change that!

Hocus Pocus & Co. on the web: http://hocuspocusco.com/

Hocus Pocus & Co. on Twitter: https://twitter.com/hocuspocusco

 

Cover Design by Cara Vescio

 

 

Join the book buzz using hashtag  #HocusPocusReads

October!

01 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by Kathleen Palm in Thoughts

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

fall, focus, Halloween, Midnight Society, October, thoughts

October is here!

DrwhoAHHHH!

I love this month. The corn stalks, though quite a bit shorter than normal (thanks, rain) are turning brown. The leaves will soon burst into celebratory colors. Mallowcream pumpkins, that I shouldn’t eat, but do. Horror movies. Cooler temperatures. The end of volleyball season… wait, I don’t like that.

A couple of my horror stories will be released in anthologies!

avengerslokiyes

The movie Crimson Peak is out October 16th! I NEED THIS MOVIE!

And Halloween! The kids and I are going to my parents’ house this year to help my dad scare all the kids! His decorations are fabulous. I’ll post pics, PROMISE!

Be sure to stop by my other hangout The Midnight Society for all the October Fear Fest fun! Writing contest where you can win BOOKS! Posts on slasher movies, ghosts, zombies, and traditions. Live-tweeting some of our favorite movies and a look at horror video games.

But in all the fun, I must focus.

FOCUS... like that

FOCUS… like that

Things must get done, and I admit that I am not the best at the getting of all things done. Nope.

Have no fear. Hahahahaha! Fear! See what I did there? *snort* Halloween? Horror movies and stories? Fear? Nevermind.

I will keep moving forward, making progress. Because I’m not sure what November will bring, so I must make the most of this month. And take time to enjoy myself… as we all should.

Happy October! May it be fabulous! Just stay out of the cornfields…

 

 

#EverydayIsHalloween… The Last Creepy Day

31 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by Kathleen Palm in Just for fun, writing

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

#EverydayIsHalloween, Halloween, scary, story, The Midnight Society

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!

All month I have worked to get here, following The Midnight Society on their fabulous creepy journey.

Thanks for joining me.

And now the final installment … *sigh* Where does the time go?

My pumpkin is carved…

My creation. Isn't he lovely?

My creation. Isn’t he lovely?

 

The spider webs are hung. The skulls displayed and bones scattered through the yard…

DSCN1139 DSCN1143 DSCN1142 DSCN1137

 

And today’s word to inspire the final story-a-day is Halloween.

Of course it is. The perfect word. And you know about Halloween, right. When the veil between our world and the world of ghosts, demons, and faeries thins, allowing, well… mayhem, chaos, bad things. This story knows what it wants to be.

Halloween Night 

Monstrous oak trees line the cracked road. Old street lights struggle to push back the night. Will’s eyes gleam with mischief. “That party, dear Rusty, was legend.”

Leaves crunch under our feet as we wander the streets. Trees creak in a breeze.

I shove my hands in my pockets. “Pretty epic.”

A street light flickers then dies with a pop, allowing the blackness to creep farther into the street. I flinch. A chain link fence clatters in the wind. Whispers chase the breeze, sending chills up my spine.

“Scared?”

I chuckle. “It is creepy out here.”

The pitter patter of feet mix with the chatter of dead leaves. A high-pitched giggle creeps through the air. Another light goes out.

I stop, my stomach twisting with unease. “What was that?”

Two more glowing pools on the road dim then fade, plunging the world into darkness. A shriek flies through the night, freezing my heart. Will stumbles, his confident stride lost. Moonlight trickles over the edges of clouds and through the leaves to touch the confusion wrinkling his brow.

Panic descends on my mind. Footsteps slap across the road behind me. I spin. Empty darkness sits like a solid mass, as if to declare there is no escape.

Something hits the backs of my knees, which buckle, sending me sprawling to the ground. My cheek burns and I press my hand to my face. Warm blood coats my fingers when I pull them away. Will cries out in pain as he falls to the street. A low growl rumbles in my ear. Footsteps echo everywhere.

Will screams. I stare, my mind whirring in confusion, as he stands, kicking his feet and waving his arms at … at nothing. “Rusty! Help! Get them off! Off!”

With a smack, he hits the pavement. As if pulled by invisible wires, he jerks along the road, fingers clawing at the ground.

“Will!” I rush up the street. Sharp pain stabs my lower back, but I push forward. Tripping, I fall. My shoulder screams in pain as it takes the force. Tapping and hissing surround me. Fear weaves through my heart as an unknown force drags my friend into the darkness. “Will!”

His screams drive me to my feet. Stinging scratches appear on my arms. What feels like fangs sink into my leg, but I run, chasing the sounds of Will’s pain.

Then his cries for help stop, leaving the pounding of my feet and heart the only trace of life. I pause. My ragged breathing flows into the night as clouds of fear. My body trembles. Tears crawl along my cheeks.

“Rusty?” Will’s voice creeps through the night.

Relief floods my mind. “Will? You okay?”

“Come on, friend. You’ll love what I found.”

I jog along the road, wiping tears from my face. A dark form steps into view, the moonlight tracing crooked shoulders as he stays a step away.

“Will? What the hell just happened?”

He raises his arms. “Join us!”

I swallow. “Us?”

Rustling, growling, and hissing, a horde of strange beings creep out from the tree line and onto the road. Crawling. Limping. Oozing into view. Black eyes glint in the dim light. Claws tap on the road.

Will shuffles forward. His eyes now black pits of nothing, his skin the color of death. “Happy Halloween.”

End

And that’s how we Halloween! (Oh, that’s a verb now.) So, whatever you do to celebrate this October 31st, have a blast! But stay alert, you never know what might lurk around the corner or in that dark hall.

#EverydayIsHalloween … Boo!

08 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by Kathleen Palm in Just for fun, writing

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

#EverydayIsHalloween, Halloween, moon, scary, story

Back again for a bit of Halloween fun? (even if it can get a little dicey?)

O-kaaaaaaaayyy.

Today the Midnight Society is inspiring us with the word moon. That puts all sorts of creepy thoughts in your mind, right? Right. My head has grabbed onto the edge of an idea. We’ll see what happens in this short story.

CHANGES

“It’s gorgeous, Lilith. I’m so glad you brought me here.”

Moonlight trickled over our hands, our fingers entwining. Her blood-red nails tapped against the cold boulder we had climbed.

Her fingers squeezed mine. “I’m so glad to be here with you, Jen.”

A breeze whispered through the trees, fall leaves rasping all around us. Wispy clouds drifted across the full moon like Death’s fingers reaching across the heavens, trying to suffocate the orb’s brightness.

My blonde waves slipped over my shoulders, as I gazed up. “I’ve never seen the moon look so big.”

“They say a full moon changes people.”

I chuckled. “Like werewolves?”

“Not quite.”

Intrigue sparked in my mind as I turned my gaze to her, to Lilith my dark savior, the girl who showed me passion. She ran her fingers through her black curls as she glanced at me. The moonlight painting her face with chilling beauty. Goosebumps raced up my arms. Those violet eyes haunted my dreams.

I tucked my hair behind my ears as I shifted to face her. My teeth tugged on my bottom lip. “Like what then, exactly?”

She tilted her head towards me, leaning closer until her breath crept along my skin. Her eyes shimmered until they glowed red. Her face twisted into a terrible parody of itself.

“Like me.”

End

Well, then. That one took me a bit longer to pull out of my head. I hope you enjoyed it. And until tomorrow… have a haunted day!

 

 

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Kathleen Palm, Author

Kathleen Palm, Author

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