My favourite month of the year is finally here and I am absolutely living for it!!
The falling leaves, hats & scarves, hot cocoa, pumpkin spiced & gingerbread lattes, oranges, reds, yellows, and golds, horror movies, myths & legends, Hocus Pocus.
October brings me so much joy. Despite being a Springtime baby there's something about the Autumn vibes that fills my soul right up to the top until it's bubbling over.
My love of October probably stems right back to being a child... One of my younger brothers was born on Halloween (we used to think he was a demon!) and every year mum would decorate the house for his birthday parties. She'd go all out, spending hours using cotton, tissue paper, and black and white bin liners to create huge webs across the ceiling and giant balloon filled spiders. It was magical, and I love my mum so much for doing it. We'd all dress up and play games. It was the spookiest and best time of the year.
(Few shots of aforementioned brother-demon)
So, with October finally here and Halloween approaching I am asking all of my family, friends, and followers to send me themes and prompts for an October Writing Challenge where I'll take said comments and create poems and short stories to post on my blog.
If you have any suggestions please do get in touch!
As far as spooky writing goes, you can find my novella, The Willow, here - This story began life as a short story for Halloween back in 2019, and I loved the town I'd created so much that I used it as a prequel to my 2020 debut novel, Welcome to Denver Falls.
Here's what a few reviewers have had to say about it...
Speaking of spooky reads, you may have seen on my social media that I am working on my own Vampire adventure series. The Board of Vourdoulakas: Blood Oath follows seventeen year old vampire, Paige Varleigh, as she trains to become an assassin for the ancient race that governs her world.
Part of her training means Paige must part take in a primordial ritual, a blood oath, binding her and her victims together. One way or another, blood must be spilt, and should an assassin fail in their duties their own life shall be taken in place to bring about order and balance.
So, when Paige discovers the identity of her latest target and realises she simply cannot carry out the act it is her own life on the line in the race against time for survival. Check out the below extract from chapter one.
I cannot say for sure when I'll finish this book, or the sequels Blood Promise and Blood Ties (working titles), as I am still working on Hollow Wood and will also need to spend a good deal of 2023 focussing on the long overdue second book in the Denver Falls Saga.
However, this is very much a passion project of mine. Inspired by my love of Buffy, Twilight, Vampire Diaries, and Vampire Academy. It's something fun to work on in between other projects and who knows how far I'll take it but I know you can expect to see this story in some form in the coming year or so.
What's your favourite thing about October?
Are you a lover of Halloween too?
And if so, who/what is your favourite spooky character? I can't wait to hear your answers!