Merry meet all,
October is the most magical month! Today’s post is all about how to enjoy this insanely magickal month! Whether that be which movie to watch, which horror novel to read and more!
I am a member of the Horror Writers Association as most of my darkling readers know, and that means that I sometimes get sent free PDFs to read from them. If I like it, then I nominate them for a Bram Stoker Award. That is a great reason right there to become a member of the awesome organization. I get to read the honking’ huge October issue newsletter and with that, are many goodies. So let’s dive in to the good gory horror stuff, shall we? You will only get the best of the best here!
First up, books!
Come on, reading won’t kill you. Sit down with a hot cup of cider or coffee and enjoy!
London native C.C. Adams is the horror/dark fiction author behind books such as But Worse Will Come, Misery And Other Lines, and Downwind, Alice. A member of the HWA, he still lives in the capital. This is where he lifts weights, cooks—and looks for the perfect quote to set off the next dark delicacy.
Adams has a story in The Black Beacon Book of Horror anthology releasing Friday, October 13, 2023 (yes, you read that right, Friday the 13th). The anthology features dark and disturbing tales of psychological, supernatural, folk, gothic, and cosmic horror that you might want to read with the lights on (or off). It’s big horror fun! You can read interviews with the authors at https://blackbeaconbooks.blogspot.com/.
Lydia Peever
September brings a full semester of reading to our desks, with a little nonfiction on the reading list, too! Short stories abound, so our backpacks and brains won’t get too overloaded with page count; though there are many new authors’ names to learn. Worth studying up in case there is a quiz!
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Midnight Masquerade
Greg Chapman
IFWG Publishing
2023-10-31
https://ifwgpublishing.com/title-midnight-masquerade/
Midnight Masquerade, a collection of Greg Chapman’s acclaimed and original fiction. In these stories, you’ll discover how the masks we all wear hide our innermost fears, and how our choices can expose true horrors. Also included are Chapman’s acclaimed novellas, The Last Night of October and Vaudeville, and the short stories, “Octoberville” and “Left on October Lane.”
Christmas and Other Horrors
Ellen Datlow, editor
New York Chapter
Titan Books
2023-10-24
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/727016/christmas-and-other-horrors-by-ellen-datlow/
Hugo Award-winning editor and horror legend, Ellen Datlow presents a terrifying and chilling horror anthology of original short stories exploring the endless terrors of winter solstice traditions across the globe, featuring chillers by Tananarive Due, Stephen Graham Jones, Alma Katsu, and many more.
Abject Fear
Paul Carro
Tether Falls Press
2023-10-20
https://paulcarrohorror.com
Dr. Mitch Trager, a brilliant but tormented scientist, is haunted by an unspeakable tragedy that shatters his world. In a desperate bid to save humanity from the shackles of terror, Trager assembles an eclectic team of scientists, each burdened with their own agonizing phobias. Together, they plunge into the abyss of the human mind seeking a cure for the most elusive disease of all. Fear.
The Weird Cat
Katherine Kerestman and S.T. Joshi
WordCrafts Press
2023-10-18
http://www.creepycatlair.com
A well-told horror story has much in common with your own cherished puss. Kitty jumps upon your lap and purrs, and you turn the page of your book. You are mindful that cats dwell in a larger world than our own, the gulfs and abysses of which we can obtain but a shadowy glimpse, through their eyes. In The Weird Cat you delve into that larger realm through more than three dozen classic and contemporary short stories, poems, and essays by masters of the craft.
Deathrealm: Spirits
Stephen Mark Rainey, editor
Virginia Chapter
Shortwave Publishing
2023-10-17
https://shortwavepublishing.com/catalog/deathrealm-spirits-horror-anthology
Editor Stephen Mark Rainey is thrilled to announce the release of Deathrealm: Spirits, a new horror anthology from Shortwave Publishing. This volume includes fiction and verse by authors such as Linda D. Addison, Meghan Arcuri, Larry Blamire, Maurice Broaddus, Brian Keene, Ronald Kelly, Joe R. Lansdale, Elizabeth Massie, Jeff Oliver, and many others.
Tomorrow & Tomorrow
Lillah Lawson and Lauren Emily Whalen
Sword & Silk Publishing
2023-10-17
https://www.swordandsilkbooks.com/post/cover-reveal-tomorrow-and-tomorrow-by-lauren-emily-whalen-lillah-lawson
A dark and twisted retelling of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, featuring an all-girl rock band straight out of Athens, Georgia; witches; ghosts; and murder most foul.
Along About Midnight
Dorian J. Sinnott
Raven’s Hollow Books
2023-10-16
Like every small town, Oakridge has its secrets. When October falls, Peter Harlow and his friends seek to uncover them at the Chapel Hill Cemetery—surrounded by jack-o’-lanterns at midnight. But what starts off as a fun scare for the season, an attempt to wake the Devil, turns into something far more than they bargained for.
We Used to Be Different: a collection of stories and miniatures
Elle Mitchell
Oregon Chapter
Little Key Press
2023-10-13
https://emitchellwrites.com
Sixty-two eclectic stories and flash fiction pieces with sixty-two miniatures to match. Take a journey through the unexpected in We Used to Be Different, the latest mixed-media collection from the creative and twisted mind of dark fiction and crip-fic author and multi-disciplinary artist Elle Mitchell.
The Devil Thinks I’m Pretty
Charlene Elsby
Ontario Chapter
Apocalypse Party
2023-10-13
https://www.apocalypse-party.com/devil.html
A teenage girl can sense the devil in the trailer park. A devil’s threesome allows him to fully possess her. She can see her boyfriend’s mind is wandering. The new girl will suffer enough for everyone.
Chasing Shadows: Convocation
Zachariah Jones
Water Sign Books
2023-10-10
http://www.thezachariahjones.com
The second installment of the Chasing Shadows trilogy. The story follows Jarek Videni, a young intuitive whose next step in his journey has brought him to Deadwood, South Dakota circa 1924. Nearly 50 young women have gone missing, and it is up to Jarek to try and uncover the sinister darkness tied to the missing women … and himself.
Foxfire
Rowan Hill
Bayou Wolf Press
Virginia Chapter
2023-10-10
http://www.writerrowanhill.com
Eight potential investors and acquaintances gather at the site of a future hotel in remote Lapland. It is polar midnight in the cold ancient forest, the sky is full of the flaming aurora, and the guests begin dying at an alarming rate. As the dwindling survivors rally against the spectre stalking the forest, an ancient force connected to the land wants them off and will leave only one alive.
Let Me Tell You a Story
Tim Waggoner
OH Chapter
Raw Dog Screaming Press
2023-10-05
https://rawdogscreaming.com/books/let-me-tell-you-a-story
Partly autobiographical, partly tutorial and diagnostic, each chapter in this book features one of Waggoner’s stories followed by reflection on the historical context of publication, insightful commentary, and exercises for writers who are just learning their craft as well as those who have already made a name for themselves.
Songs in the Key of Death
JG Faherty
New York Chapter
LVP Publications
2023-10-03
http://www.lycanvalley.com/2023/05/new-release-songs-in-key-of-death-by-jg.html
JG Faherty‘s first poetry collection explores a wide range of subjects, including technology, love, fear, death, the afterlife, and insanity. There are evil dentists and surgeons, parasites, cryptids, monsters, mad scientists, maniacs, aliens, evil plants, sentient tumors, ghosts, prisoners, serial killers, and more.
Spirits of the Dead
Keith Gilman
Severn House
2023-10-03
http://www.keithgilman.com
Spirits of the Dead is a masterpiece of supernatural horror, a tightly woven tale of possession held together with fraying threads of human emotion. Readers will be scared. They will also be moved.
The Devil’s Promise
Celso Hurtado
Inkshares
2023-10-03
https://www.amazon.com/Devils-Promise-Ghost-Tracks/dp/195030163X
San Antonio is full of secrets, and seventeen-year-old Erasmo Cruz investigates the strangest of them. After gaining renown for surviving the city’s legendary Ghost Tracks, he has set up shop as a paranormal investigator. But helping exorcize other people’s demons doesn’t seem to relieve his own; his best friend has abandoned him, his grandmother is nearing death, and his own health has taken a sudden decline. A new case hurls Erasmo into a dark web of cults, bargains, and broken pasts. Only one thing is certain: the Devil keeps his promises.
Thin Places
Barbara Cottrell
Vanishing Edge Press
2023-10-02
http://www.barbaracottrell.com
Bodies falling from the sky, a serial killer on the loose, and endless bureaucracy. Winter quarter has begun at Miskatonic University.
Blood in the Holler
David Sangiao-Parga
Woodhall Press/Penguin Random House
2023-10-02
http://www.davidsangiao-parga.com
A group of pro wrestlers run afoul of some meth dealers in West Virginia on their way to a show. Their only hope for survival lies in the hands of current company champion and former U.S. Marine Brick Lamar, who’s in a race against time to find them before it’s too late.
Impulses of a Necrotic Heart: and Other Afflictions
Red Lagoe
Virginia Chapter
Death Knell Press
2023-09-29
https://redlagoe.com/impulses-of-a-necrotic-heart
The heart rots with every trauma and every wrongdoing, and if we’re not careful the necrosis invades. It has spread across these fifteen tales of horror, ranging from sci-fi to supernatural, psychological to body horror. None of which are for the faint of heart.
Cold, Black & Infinite: Stories of the Horrific & Strange
Todd Keisling
PA Chapter
Cemetery Dance Publications
2023-09-26
https://www.cemeterydance.com/coldblackinfiniteKeisling
Down here in the dark lies a vast and twisted landscape where the wicked, wistful, and profane coalesce. This is where the lonely and lost face their demons, where anxious paranoias are made manifest, and where mundane evil wears a human face. For readers, the sixteen stories found within Cold, Black, & Infinite serve as a harrowing glimpse into the nightmarish imagination of Todd Keisling, Bram Stoker Award®-nominated author of Devil’s Creek and Scanlines.
Pre-Approved for Haunting
Patrick Barb
Keylight Books
2023-09-26
https://turnerbookstore.com/products/pre-approved-for-haunting
In this new collection, Patrick Barb explores themes of family found and lost, media consumption and the dangers of runaway nostalgia, the supernatural in our lives, and the impact of violence in both the long- and short-term.
Crawling: A Horror Anthology
Cat Benstead, editor
New South Wales Chapter
Hear Us Scream Press
2023-09-23
https://www.hearusscream.com/store/p/physical-preorder-crawling-a-horror-anthology
Prepare to witness grotesque metamorphoses that distort the human form, blurring the lines between flesh and monstrosity. This anthology dares to push the boundaries of the body-horror genre, immersing you in a world of dread and dreadfulness, delivering an unparalleled reading experience that will linger in your nightmares. With: Elecia Page, Danny Shaw, A.E. Santana, Elou Carroll, E.J. Bramble, Chloe Spencer, Caroline Barnard-Smith, A.R.C Mitra, Katharine Pollock, Tinamarie Cox, Kourtnea Hogan, Samantha Arthurs, August Blaine, Centauri.
Ascent of a Vengeful Woman
Ashon Ruffins
Dreadful Times Press
2023-09-22
http://www.DreadfulTimesPress.com
The town of Dalyville’s history of wickedness is catching up with its residents as an evil force that simmers beneath the surface boils over with blood-thirsty intent. The past never dies. It festers. It cultivates in pain, waiting to rear its ugly head and inflict suffering, terror, and vengeance, bringing everyone around it to their knees.
On the Subject of Blackberries
Stephanie M. Wytovich
PA Chapter
Raw Dog Screaming Press
2023-09-21
https://rawdogscreaming.com/books/on-the-subject-of-blackberries
On the Subject of Blackberries is a poetry collection that meditates on female rage, postpartum depression, compulsion, and intrusive thinking. Inspired by Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and under the influence of found poetry and bibliomancy, Wytovich harnesses the occult power of her imagery and words and aligns it with a new, more vulnerable, darkness.
October Screams: A Halloween Anthology
Kenneth W. Cain, editor
Maryland Chapter
Kangas Kahn Publishing
2023-09-19
https://kkpublish.com/
October Screams brings you twenty-seven tales of the greatest holiday of all, Halloween! Featuring stories from authors like Brian Keene and Richard Chizmar, Kealan Patrick Burke, Steve Rasnic Tem, and many others.
Hollow
Davide Tarsitano
DT Author
2023-09-19
https://www.dtarsitano.com/
The world of Peter Hanson, emerging true crime writer, is about to fall apart. His parents have been found dead in their bed. The case is quickly closed as an accident, despite the doubts of the homicide investigator in charge of the case. Peter realizes that sanity and logic have very little to do with the events unfolding. A dark force is at play: an ancient and insatiable evil that feeds off negative human emotion is on the hunt for a new prey.
Never Whistle at Night
Shane Hawk Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
Penguin Random House
2023-09-19
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/707468/never-whistle-at-night-by-shane-hawk-and-theodore-c-van-alst-jr-editors/
Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night: it can cause evil spirits to appear—and even follow you home. These wholly original and shiver-inducing tales introduce readers to ghosts, curses, hauntings, monstrous creatures, complex family legacies, desperate deeds, and chilling acts of revenge.
A Thin Veil of the Cosmos
Thomas Michael Thomas
Florida South West Chapter
Insomniac Cat Publications
2023-09-16
http://www.thomasmichaelthomas.com
An occult curious, small-town goth teen, Abagail Gibson, stumbles upon an obscure book that enables her to send her voice across the universe and connect with intelligent life.
The Caretaker
Cass Clarke
Hear Us Scream Press
2023-09-15
https://www.hearusscream.com/store/p/physical-preorder-the-caretaker-by-cass-clarke
Cara, an exhausted ICU nurse, reluctantly finds herself sifting through her deceased mother’s house, a task she never anticipated. While doing so, she unexpectedly uncovers her mother’s hidden secrets, including a mysterious haunted hospice bed. In a bid to confront these eerie revelations, she enlists the help of her loyal cousin Dylan and her enigmatic ex-girlfriend Beth, unwittingly leading them all into a nightmarish ordeal.
Darkest Days and Haunted Ways
Ashley Dioses
Los Angeles Chapter
Jackanapes Press
2023-09-13
https://www.jackanapespress.com/product/darkest-days-and-haunted-ways
Darkest Days and Haunted Ways is a collection of horror poetry that focuses on psychological horrors and terrors of the mind.
Girl, Incorrupted: a love-horror story
Megan Bledsoe
Arched Brow Books
2023-09-12
https://meganbledsoe.com/girl-incorrupted/
While trying to become the kind of girl her boyfriend says he’d marry, college senior Daphne James entangles herself with the local vaudeville star, an incorrupt corpse who thinks that Daphne can help reanimate her body. A love-horror story.
Never Wake: An Anthology of Dream Horror
Kenneth W. Cain and Tim Meyer, editors
PA Chapter
Crystal Lake Publishing
2023-09-08
https://www.crystallakepub.com/product/never-wake-an-anthology-of-dream-horror/
Where do we go when we dream? Since the beginning of time, people have argued the meaning of dreams. Are they symbolic visions that hold great meaning and personal significance? Are they portals into other worlds? Or are they just a series of random events our mind shows us when we fall asleep? Whatever the case, this much is true—the mind can be a scary place to venture, even for a few hours.
There’s No Way I’d Die First
Lisa Springer
New York Chapter
Delacorte Press
2023-09-05
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/714580/theres-no-way-id-die-first-by-lisa-springer
A spine-tingling contemporary horror-comedy novel that follows a scary-movie buff as she hosts an elaborate Halloween bash but soon finds the festivities upended when she and her guests are forced to test their survival skills in a deadly game.
The Eerie Brothers and The Witches of Autumn
Sheldon Higdon
Pittsburgh Chapter
Scary Dairy Press, LLC
2023-09-04
http://www.sheldonhigdon.com
Twin brothers, Horace and Edgar Eerie, must travel back to 1692, Salem, to stop Hex, a judge and powerful witch, from entering the present world. He’s after the Four Seasons, totems that hold the seeds to the seasons, and once obtained, he’ll control all magic, the Hidden Ones, humans, and Mother Nature. However, dark family secrets are revealed, and they could destroy the brothers’ family, friends, and their future before they make it back home.
Who Haunts You
Mark Wheaton
Off Limits Press
2023-09-02
https://www.offlimitspress.com/mark-wheaton
High school senior Rebecca “Bex” Koeltl is just trying to make it to graduation. But when her fellow seniors begin dying in seemingly unrelated incidents, Bex uncovers disturbing connections between their deaths, including that the teens believed they were haunted by long-dead relatives their own family members swear never existed. After Bex is visited by a malevolent specter of her own, she realizes she has to get the bottom of this horror before she’s its next victim.
Vampire Dentist
Christine J. Whitlock
Ontario Chapter
The Elite Lizzard Publishing Co.
2023-09-01
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CH3Q5HWK
Meet Dr. Moe Lars, a struggling young dentist with dreams as vast as the night sky, confined to a dilapidated warehouse as a last-ditch effort by his devoted Auntie Mae Lars. His unconventional journey from the bottom of his class to the heart of dental darkness results in a clinic quite unlike any other; one bustling with fanged patients and unconventional procedures.
Nightmares
Sandra Becerril, editor
Gauntlet Press
2023-08-31
https://www.gauntletpress.com/product/nightmares-an-anthology/
Sandra Becerril, the most renowned horror writer out of Mexico, brings together for the first time three Hollywood masters and legends of the genre, with thought-provoking introductions each author wrote to their stories.
The Foot Doctor
A.J. Spencer
Psychotoxin Press
2023-08-29
https://www.amazon.com/Foot-Doctor-J-Spencer/dp/B0CGL9T5VB
Gambling addict and criminal Chris Hawthorne gets injured on a job gone wrong and crosses paths with a doctor that has a grotesque hobby.
The Dead Shall Rise: Zombie Zombie Zombie
Jay Wilburn, Armand Rosamilia, and Erin Louis
Crystal Lake Publishing
2023-08-25
https://getbook.at/DarkTide10
They’re coming to get you, Brave Reader. Crystal Lake’s Dark Tide series will continue soon with more tales after this installment spotlighting three authors’ tales of the undead.
A Shadow of Your Former Self
Amy Grech
NY Chapter
Alien Buddha Press
2023-08-20
https://www.crimsonscreams.com
A collection of poetry and prose that “… takes us on an excursion of life through the eyes of a New Yorker, from 2020’s forced isolation and displacement, through facets of personal loss, to the devastating impact of guns on our lives …” – Linda D. Addison
Shallow Waters, Vol. 9
Joe Mynhardt, editor
Crystal Lake Publishing
2023-08-17
https://getbook.at/SWaters9
With 19 dark fiction and horror tales diving beneath the surface of life, death, and the mystery that lies beneath.
Bride of the Tornado
James Kennedy
Chicago Chapter
Quirk Books
2023-08-15
https://jameskennedy.com/books/
Every generation, a small midwestern town comes under attack by sentient tornadoes, and the only defense is a strange boy known only as the tornado killer. A high school girl finds herself drawn to the tornado killer, and she discovers the unnatural connections between them. But the adults are hiding a secret about the origin of the tornadoes and the true nature of the tornado killer—and our heroine must outrun the primeval power that binds them all before it can claim her.
Curse Of The Barrens: An Ameri-Scares Novel
David Simms
VA Chapter
Crossroad Press
2023-08-01
https://www.amazon.com/Ameri-Scares-New-Jersey-Curse-Barrens/dp/1951510143
The legend of the Jersey Devil takes a wild turn in the newest installment of HWA legend Elizabeth Massie‘s AMERI-SCARES series. Dominic Riley moves to the outskirts of the Pine Barrens where he meets a friend whose family harbors dark secrets, ones that could have monstrous, devastating effects on the town. This tale tackles bullying, acceptance, and dysfunctional families in a frightening story for middle grade and teen readers.
Shadows on Glass and Other Stories
Jamie Lackey
Pittsburgh Chapter
2023-07-28
https://www.jamielackey.com/shadows-on-glass-and-other-stories/
Shadows on Glass and Other Stories collects 45 fantasy stories, including three previously unpublished tales. Set in worlds only a few steps removed from our own, pushing at the border between the real and the imaginary, Jamie Lackeydeftly leads readers down paths just twisted enough to get lost on. From sentient stuffed animals to haunted terpsitones to friendly toasts, this whimsical and unsettling collection of weird little stories contains something for everyone.
Monsters Are Real
V.L. Jones
2023-06-28
https://www.amazon.com/Monsters-Are-Real-Collection-Jones/dp/B0C9SNDRLM
You will love these stories if you love cryptids, monsters, and urban legends. Monsters Are Real is a collection of stories about things that lurk in the darkness, waiting.
Bloofer
Cathleen Allyn Conway
London Chapter
Broken Sleep Books
2023-05-31
https://www.brokensleepbooks.com/product-page/cathleen-allyn-conway-bloofer
Bloofer is an intoxicating mix of the playful macabre and elements of dark academia. Conway’s illicit obsessions creep through like the full moon on a cloudy night: Bram Stoker, Plath in thrall to the occult, dark alleyways and haunted libraries. Bloofer hides razorblades between the pages that give a keen edge to this thrilling and mischievous collection of poems that disarm you with humour before they bite you.
Now on to other forms of spooky entertaining media!!! So grab your popcorn and cider/soda and sit here with the latest and scariest!
DVD
BOOGEYMAN—Tuesday, October 10. Rated PG-13. This film, based on the Stephen King story, concerns a grieving father, his two teenage daughters, and the monster his new patient has brought into their lives. Produced by Shawn Levy (STRANGER THINGS), it stars Sophie Thatcher and Vivien Lyra Blair.
The Exorcist movie is out and this looks to be a good one! Following that is Saw X & the Nun 2, A Haunting in Venice, Talk to me. You have a lot to choose from. The above selections were from the Horror Writers Association October newsletter. For those who are brave enough, then feel free to peruse those titles and/ or catch a horror flick or two!
Blessings, Spiderwitch
P.S. Have a sweet tooth? Of course you do. It’s October. I have already been through a package of candy corn myself. Read on how to make your own herbal goodness candy.
This recipe is two-fold, a little aromatic coffee brewing and a little candy boiling. Combined, they come together to form a delicious and unique herbal lollipop treat!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons ground coffee
½ teaspoon cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) bark
½ teaspoon fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed
½ teaspoon cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) flower bud
8-12 ounces hot water
1 cup sugar
½ cup raw organic honey
Directions
- Using a french press, add 2 tablespoons of ground coffee
- Add in the cinnamon, fennel, and cloves; you can use either ground or whole dried spices for this recipe since they are going to be filtered out. However, do give your fennel seeds a little crush to release those volatile oils for an extra kick!
- Add in 8 – 12 ounces of hot water to your french press, water amount depends on how strong you’d like your brew to be.
- Brew coffee mixture for about 5 minutes. Plunge and pour your coffee into a cup.
- Reserve this coffee liquid for the lollipops.
- The next step is creating the herbal lollipop mixture.
- Using a large pot, (this is important because your liquid is going to bubble and rise quite a bit) clip a candy thermometer to the inside of the pot.
- Place the sugar, coffee liquid, and honey into the pot and cook on medium heat to watch your candy creation form.
- Stir and watch your mixture boil until it reaches 300 degrees, which is considered a hard crack. This takes about 20 minutes.
- Once the desired temperature is reached, carefully pour the hot liquid into a large measuring cup. This will allow you to pour with more precision into the silicone lollipop molds.
- Working as quickly as possible, fill the silicone molds before the candy hardens.
- This next step is more of a housekeeping tip, but it’s an important one. Quickly clean your pots and supplies. HOT, hot, soapy water works well. Sometimes I have to boil water on the stove to get out some of the remaining candy that gets stuck to my supplies. It’s a little bit of a messy clean-up, but nothing a little soap and hot water can’t fix.
- The lollipops will harden in the silicone molds. When they are no longer warm to the touch, they are ready!
- Gently peel them out of the molds to reveal delicious Halloween herbal lollipops.
To Use:
These would be perfect for a Halloween carving party. A unique treat that you typically are not going to find in the candy aisle at the stores. If you’re not serving them at a function, store any leftover lollipops in an airtight container in the fridge. These get pretty sticky, use parchment paper to keep them from touching and sticking together.
