In case you haven’t seen this, I’m a guest on Teri Polen’s terrific Bad Moon Rising series. Check out the spookiest ghost story I’ve heard. Read some of the other guest’s interviews as well. Happy Halloween!!
I’m a big fan of this author’s Amanda series. I haven’t traveled to all the places Amanda has, but after reading the book I feel like I have. They’re so well-researched they could double as travel guides. I follow this author on social media and get to see adorable pics of her fur babies, but if you haven’t met them yet, today is your chance. Welcome Darlene Foster!
Would you rather visit a haunted house or a haunted graveyard?
A haunted graveyard. (Aren’t they all haunted? I mean, they are full of dead people, right?) I love graveyards and spend a lot of time in them. They are outside and easy to escape if things get tense. You can get locked inside a haunted house. Yikes!
What is the spookiest ghost story you’ve ever heard?
The story about a young couple who are making out in a car when they…
Happy Halloween! Here is a great post about the origins of the jack-o’-lantern you will find interesting. Thanks to Aurora Alexander. Enjoy the occasion and stay safe.
Pumpkins with ghoulish faces and illuminated by candles are a sure sign of the Halloween season. The practice of decorating jack-o’-lanterns originated in Ireland, where large turnips and potatoes served as early canvasses. In fact, the name, jack-o’-lantern, comes from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America, home of the pumpkin, and it became an integral part of Halloween festivities.
The Legend of “Stingy Jack”
People have been making jack-o’-lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed “Stingy Jack.” According to the story, Stingy Jack invited theDevilto have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn’t want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack…
I love Halloween. It was so much fun as a kid to dress up and collect goodies. I still remember some of the costumes mom made for me, Little Bo Peep was my favourite. No store-bought costumes! Later, I had fun making costumes for my kids. A snoopy costume for my son was a big hit, as was a cute Little Red Riding Hood for my daughter. As they got older I made Kiss outfits for my son and his three friends. And a Teddy Bear costume for my daughter which she still wears when she goes to schools to teach pottery.
Mom continued making costumes for her grandkids and great-grandkids. She made a clown costume for my daughter that has been handed down over the years and recently her great-great-granddaughter wore it.
Clown costume made by mom
Most of the offices I worked in encouraged us to dress up for Halloween and I always enjoyed that. Here are a couple of my favourite costumes.
Jane Austen
Would you like your fortune told?
A scary pirate
Even the fur babies get to dress up. Here’s my grandpuppy Lola in her Batman costume.
I don’t read scary books (sorry Stephen King) or watch horror movies, although some are probably very well done. The books I write are not too frightening, except for Amanda in Mexico: Ghosts in the Wind which has a few spooky parts. But nothing that would keep kids up at night.
Here is a short excerpt.
Amanda stood in front of a door the map showed as the Santos Display Room.
“What’s in here?”
Along with Caleb and a couple of other students, she entered the dimly-lit room containing glass cabinets filled with pictures and statues of various saints. A sign explained how the families in Spanish America always kept a shrine to a saint in their homes. The shrine often held Milagros, tiny silver shapes attached to statues of the saints. There were legs for people who couldn’t walk, eyes for those who had bad eyesight and animal figures to wish a farmer a productive year with his flock.
Amanda was fascinated as she peered through the glass at small objects stuck on the figures.
She looked up and gasped. At the end of the narrow room stood a life-sized skeleton of a woman riding in a wooden cart. Amanda, heart beating, crept closer to the scary figure wearing a scraggly white wig and a long dark robe. She carried a scythe in one hand and a globe in the other. On the wall beside the figure, a plaque told of Doña Sebastiana, the female saint of death, or Santa Muerte. During the Holy Week procession at Easter, this female Grim Reaper was rolled out in her death cart and transported through the town. Parents would point her out and tell the children if they did not behave, Doña Sebastiana would come for them.
Amanda gulped and peered more closely at the horrible figure. She couldn’t understand why parents would want to scare their children like that.
‘Imagine the nightmares!’ Amanda thought.
Just then, everything went black. Something brushed Amanda’s shoulder. She froze.
“Caleb,” she whispered. “Is that you?” There was no answer. A cold breeze passed over her.
If you are looking for something to read or to read with the young children in your life, you might want to check it out.
I’m back from a fabulous time in Canada just in time for Halloween. So it’s fitting that Amanda in New Mexico – Ghosts in the Wind is featured on Teri Polen’s Bad Moon Rising blog today. Check out what I think my spirit animal is.
Today’s author brings a book (a whole series!) for the younger crowd. I think her spirit animal describes her perfectly, and these questions may have sparked ideas for two more books. Welcome Darlene Foster!
Would you rather boogie down to Monster Mash or get your groove on to Thriller?
Although Thriller is a great song, I prefer dancing to Monster Mash. It’s from my youth and makes me think of high school dances and all the fun we had. Whenever I hear it, especially around Halloween, I always bop around the house, much to hubby’s embarrassment. I love the line, “Tell them Boris sent you.”
Would you rather be abducted by aliens or a serial killer?
Aliens for sure. They wouldn’t be quite as scary, at least I don’t think so. I imagine they would be friendly and not want to do me harm. They would probably just want to…
Just in time for Halloween, I am part of Teri Polen´s Bad Moon Rising series. I hope you have your costume ready, candies bought and pumpkin carved. If not, That´s OK. Just have a pumpkin spiced latte, sit back and enjoy the post! Happy Halloween!!
Today’s guest is the author of a wonderful series of children’s books. Readers call them ‘delightful armchair travel’ and a ‘fantastic adventure’. As a bonus – they’re educational! Amanda in New Mexico touches on the supernatural, and that’s the book Darlene Foster shares with us today. She also tells a Ouija board story that will send tingles down your spine. Welcome Darlene!
You’re in a horror movie. Are you the final person, the first to die, the comic relief, the skeptic, the smart one, or the killer?
I would be the comic relief. I’m usually the first one to crack a joke when things are tense. This can be annoying to some people who think it is no laughing matter.
Have you ever played with a Ouija board?
My aunt and I played with one when we were children. I didn’t think anything of it at the time. I do…
To celebrate the one year launch of Amanda in Mexico-Ghosts in the Wind and just in time for Halloween, I am giving away a copy. Your choice of a print or digital copy if you live in Canada, US or the UK. If you live anywhere else, the prize will be a digital copy. Simply fill in the Rafflecopter form below. The contest is from September 30th to October 7th, 2018.
Amanda Ross is on a school trip to Taos, New Mexico with several of her fellow creative students. Join Amanda, Cleo and their funny friend, Caleb, as they visit an ancient and beautiful landscape where a traditional hacienda, an ancient pueblo, and a haunted and spooky hotel all hold secrets to a wild and violent past. Does Cleo really see ghosts? Can Amanda escape the eerie wind that follows her everywhere? Perhaps the Day of the Dead will reveal the mysteries of Taos in this latest adventure of Amanda’s travels.
This is what one reviewer had to say about Amanda in New Mexico.
Amanda in New Mexico: Ghosts in the Wind finds student Amanda Ross on a school trip in Taos, New Mexico. While there, her classmate Cleo thinks she sees ghosts. Amanda feels anxious too, sensing that something or someone is watching her. An engaging adventure ensues during their visit to the Land of Enchantment in this sixth book in the fun and educational series for early middle-grade readers. 5/5 Literary Soiree
To celebrate Halloween, I am a guest on Teri Polen´s Bad Moon Rising Blog Event. Please do check it out, read an excerpt from Amanda in New Mexico: Ghosts in the Wind and leave a comment if you wish. Happy Halloween everyone!!
I’m always excited when a children’s book is featured during Bad Moon Rising – it’s important that the little guys not be left out. I’m thrilled to have Darlene Foster back with the newest addition to her Amanda Travels series, released earlier this month. She’s also hosting a giveaway on her blog – make sure to enter!
Thank you, Teri, for the opportunity to participate in Bad Moon Rising. It has been a month of fascinating posts.
Amanda Ross is on a school trip to Taos, New Mexico with several of her fellow creative students. She shares a room with Cleo, an anxious classmate who insists she sees ghosts. Although Amanda is determined to prove there is no such thing, she can’t seem to shake the feeling that something or someone is watching her.
Join Amanda, Cleo and their funny friend, Caleb as they visit a rugged and beautiful landscape…
It’s Halloween and children in many parts of the world are excited. Kids love dressing up and becoming someone or something else for a day. Many adults enjoy Halloween too. I loved Halloween as a child and later enjoyed creating costumes for my kids. We often dressed up for Halloween in the offices I worked in which was fun.
Although typically a North American holiday, other parts of the world now celebrate Halloween as well.
When we were in Italy last year at this time, we noticed Halloween themes in the bakeries.
Here in Spain, our young friend is all ready for a Halloween party in her dark angel costume.
When I was in Provence this summer I went for a walk at dusk and came upon this house. I was convinced it was haunted. What do you think? It would make a great setting for a story, don´t you think?
I don’t usually watch horror movies or read scary books but I enjoy a slightly scary mystery. I´ll let you in on a secret, there will be ghosts in Amanda’s adventure in New Mexico.
Darlene Foster's Blog 