If you haven’t read their books yet (No shaming. We don’t go hatin’ in the House!), here’s a fantastical op to get to know them, and their latest tasty literary treats. Put faces to names. Visit their sites (Tell them Nancy sent you!). I’ve hung them on the rack with my annual Haunted Open House Q&A so you can learn their secrets, then head to the Library to check them out on the shelves!
Introducing some of my favorite writer grrrrrlfriends . . .
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NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious Golden Heart®, a Rebecca, two Holt Medallions, a RITA®, and a Daphne du Maurier, and she has received stellar reviews from dozens of publications including starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and the Library Journal.
Carmen Fox
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Carmen lives in the south of England with her beloved tea maker and a stuffed sheep called Fergus. An avid reader since childhood, she caught the writing bug when her Nana asked her to write a story. She also has a law degree, studied physics for a few years, dabbled in marketing and human resources, and speaks native-level German and fluent Geek. Her preferred niches of geekdom are tabletop games, comics, sci-fi and fantasy.
She writes about smart women with sassitude, about pretty cool guys too, and will chase that plot twist, no matter how elusive.
Expect to be kept guessing.
Suzanne Johnson
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Suzanne Johnson is the author of the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series from Tor Books. She is also the author of a holiday short, CHRISTMAS IN DOGTOWN.
Writing as Susannah Sandlin, she is the author of the multiple award-winning Penton Vampire Legacy paranormal romance series, the standalone paranormal romance STORM FORCE, and The Collectors romantic thriller series. She also is the author of a short paranormal story, CHENOIRE.
A longtime New Orleans resident, Suzanne is a veteran journalist with more than fifty national awards in writing and editing nonfiction for higher education, including the Robert S. Sibley Award for the best university magazine in the U.S. and Canada, for the Rice University magazine.
Suzanne is an active member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and is a member of the Southern Magic, Kiss of Death, and Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapters of RWA.
Suzanne : Well (says Mr. Scrooge), I turn out all my outdoor lights, keep the music/TV turned low, and pretend to not be at home. This unfortunate habit was formed when I lived in New Orleans’ central city and I realized all the trick-or-treaters were uncostumed and holding out pillowcases demanding goodies. I never actually SAW a weapon, but one can’t be sure in NOLA these days.
Luna (Britt) : I used to always go trick-or-treating as a child because I loved dressing up, but as an adult, I just dress up and cosplay whenever I want! So for Halloween, I just eat lots of chocolate and watch Hocus Pocus!
Luna (Yajaira) : I didn’t before, but now that two of my three kids are old enough to really enjoy Halloween, I’ve started making their costumes. I made an Elsa dress and a Star-Lord costume this year. The (fake) red leather jacket I had to buy. I’m that good at sewing. LOL!
Carmen : Halloween isn’t a huge celebration in Germany or the UK, but it’s gaining in popularity. We like to make Halloween-themed food and play games with the kids by blindfolding them and then ask them to place their hands in bowls containing a few choice items. Did you know that peeled lychees feel like eyeballs? And firm pasta in tomato sauce like tendons? The kids love it.
Donnell : Not since I’ve grown up. Now I run from door to door as Trick-or-Treaters don’t know which of my doors is my front door (I have a side door off the garage). The good news is I get my workout and don’t get to eat all the candy.
Terri : When my kids were young, we used to go out and I would dress in costume too!
Laurie : Not really. We used to Trick or Treat as kids, and if I'm at home on Halloween, I put on my scary Halloween sound effects cd and blast it out the windows for the Trick or Treaters, but I don't usually decorate the house or anything.
Nancy : Might sound silly, but Beetlejuice and Ghostbuster still scare me.
Suzanne : The original Halloween movie with Jamie Lee Curtis as the babysitter and Michael Myers in the hockey mask. I saw a midnight showing of it and came home alone to my apartment in the wee hours . . . located about two miles from a hospital for the criminally insane. My hands shook as I tried to unlock my door!
Luna (Britt) : The first scary book I remember was Cujo by Stephen King when I was 11 or 12. I didn’t sleep that night! But now that I watch Supernatural, I just grab the salt when the light go off ; )
Luna (Yajaira) : Pan’s Labyrinth by Guillermo de Toro still gives me the heebie jeebies. And not even because of the scary stuff.
Carmen: Jurassic Park terrified me. But the movie that scared me most was the original King Kong. I was about ten when I saw it, and I had nightmares for months.
Donnell : I’m a natural born chicken. Dark Shadows (don’t laugh) and Scream Scream Again (and I did).
Terri : The Exorcist – Halloween – but the worst Event Horizon. Evenwith the lights on I’ve never been able to watch it all the way through!
Laurie : OMG, the original Halloween! People had told me the entire plot, but after seeing it, I couldn't sleep for two weeks without checking under the bed first. Maybe that was also because it was the first time I'd ever been living entirely on my own. No family, no roomies, just me in my own apartment.
Nancy : Invisibility. What a way to be, while traveling everywhere.
Suzanne : It varies from day to day. Today, I’d like to be a wizard with a powerful want so I could zap some of the folks at my day job. Just joking . . . sort of.
Luna (Britt) : I’d love to be able to teleport. Saves so much time, and I can be with anyone I want, whenever I want. My first paranormal love was, unsurprisingly, vampires. In middle school, I was half convinced I was one. (Then again, I was also convinced I was a mermaid . . .)
Luna (Yajaira) : Ohhh, this is my favorite question! I would be a vampire, of course! My first book boyfriend when I was in Jr. High was a vampire. Being able to teleport would be so awesome!
Carmen : A genie. I wouldn’t like being locked in a bottle (unless it’s my favoritetipple), but the whole whooshing around like pure energy and granting wishes is pretty cool. If I can’t be a genie I’d settle for being Santa Claus (or, if I’m feeling grumpy, the Grinch).
Donnell : The invisible man – I’m not big on drinking blood or having to shave every full moon.
Terri : I want to fly . . . I’ve wanted that power forever!
Laurie : I'd like to be able to fly. For a paranormal creature, being an angel would be cool.
Nancy : Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, which is why I do not buy them . . . they would never make it to the kids.
Suzanne :Those pastel orange marshmallow circus peanuts. I can’t explain it. I don’t even like marshmallows, but I could suck down a wholebag of those things like a Hoover.
Luna(Britt) : I’m always a sucker for Twix or Reese’s Peanut Butter cups (best when frozen!).
Luna (Yajaira) : Chooooooocolate! (Though Banana Laffy Taffy is also a favorite.)
Carmen : Anything that isn’t chocolate. I’m allergic. : (
Donnell : Candy corn (darn it!). It’s like crack to me!
Terri : Kit-Kats, Milk Duds, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups . . . mmmmmmmm!
Laurie : Caramel apples. Or Butterfinger candy bars.
Nancy : Hmmm . . . I always wanted to be Sleeping Beauty’s castle. So pretty!
Luna (Britt) : Probably Belle. It’s my dream to one day have bookcases with sliding ladders!
Luna (Yajaira) : Maria from The Book of Life.
Carmen : Goofy, perhaps. Sometimes it feels like I blunder through life, but I try to be good.
Donnell : To my kids’ chagrin, The Little Mermaid. Loved it, sang it, watched it until they said “No more, Mom. You’re 38!”
Terri : Resemble? LOL – Mrs. Potts! One I’d most like to be? Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent!
Laurie : Probably the mid-sized one of the fairy godmothers in Sleeping Beauty.
Nancy : A tornado. They come around North Carolina once in a while. Mother Nature can be scary!
Suzanne : Most politicians—irrespective of party affiliation.
Luna(Britt) : I’m not a fan of horror movies, but what really scares me is when the internet goes out. I’m serious! I’m cool for like ten minutes, then I start panicking.
Luna (Yajaira) : I’m bad at watching horror movies. They give me nightmare for days! I’m also scared of big rollercoasters.
Carmen : My loved ones dying. Nothing scares me more than that.
Donnell : Prejudice and intolerance – it’s so dangerous.
Terri : I’m terrified of tornados . . . and watching Event Horizon!
Laurie : Republican Presidential candidates.
Nancy : I spotted an extraterrestrial light in the night sky in New Hampshire. It was up higher than a plane, like a satellite. But did not orbit in a straight line like one. Hubby also saw it, so it wasn’t my imagination.
Suzanne : Yes, a couple of times. My house in New Orleans had honest-to-God cold spots in it, and I once saw a semi-transparent image of a teenage boy. Never saw him again and I wasn’t ever able to tie him to the house, but the house was more than a century old, so there could have been one. He wasn’t at all threatening.
Luna (Britt) : Yes, actually! I love to go to this old, very haunted town in Florida, St. Augustine with my parents and best friend. We go on our own ghost hunts alone, and have caughtsome EVPs on recording several times.
Luna (Yajaira) : During my high school years, I used to get all these weird vibes whenever I visited certain place, like hearing noises and getting chills. Not so much anymore. I’m glad, because I’m a scaredy cat now that I’m older!
Carmen : No, but I’ve been frightened many times, because my mind likes to play tricks on me. Shadows become people, or the clatter of my keys turn into a murder dog pursuing me. Sometimes I wonder where I find the courage to leave the house.
Donnell : My paper shredder likes to take off without me. I think I need to call an electrician.
Terri : A number of them and a good number of them in Scotland and England. Strange things – walking into walls that used to be doors (in medieval England),feeling a hand on my shoulder in Eileen Donan Castle when no one was there. And being unable to stand in front of a wall in Glamis Castle – where it turns out that three men were sealed up alive and left to die . . . and more!
Laurie : A few. The most recent happened this spring when I was at New Grange, an ancient sacred site in Ireland. I stepped into the middle of a circle of oblong, flat-topped stones that resembled a bunch of backless stone ottomans. I stood there for a few seconds, and then my left hand started to tingle to the point that it was almost vibrating. A very powerful place.
Nancy : I took three years of dance lessons and I think I wore my sailor costume one year. My mom made it!
Suzanne : I was a simple child. I had a white sheet with holes cut out for my arms and head, and a Casper the Friendly Ghost plastic mask that strapped on with elastic. What can I say? It was a simpler time.
Luna (Britt) : I think I dressed up more times as a witch than anything else. I was never into the scary part of Halloween, so it was fun to play like I was someone else with fantastical powers.
Luna (Yajaira) : We usually made our own. When I was 16 and my mom bought me a cool all-black gothic outfit at Hot Topic for a play I was in, I used it for Halloween that year and dressed up as a vampire. It was my first real costume, and it was so awesome!
Donnell : I was a skeleton.
Terri : It’s strange, I remember that I went trick-or-treating every year,usually with sisters/brother or friends and yet I don’t remember a single costume! Maybe they were so bad, I’ve blocked it out!
Laurie : An aardvark. The costume had a long snout, ears, and a sort of dark-mustard colored sweatshirt and sweat pants, which of course I padded out. I must have been around 13, and there is a picture of me somewhere.
As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike, and she is ever so grateful for the opportunity to carry on that tradition. She currently has two series with St. Martin’s Press: The Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. She lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of almost 30 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.
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Carmen lives in the south of England with her beloved tea maker and a stuffed sheep called Fergus. An avid reader since childhood, she caught the writing bug when her Nana asked her to write a story. She also has a law degree, studied physics for a few years, dabbled in marketing and human resources, and speaks native-level German and fluent Geek. Her preferred niches of geekdom are tabletop games, comics, sci-fi and fantasy.
She writes about smart women with sassitude, about pretty cool guys too, and will chase that plot twist, no matter how elusive.
Expect to be kept guessing.
Follow @Suzanne_Johnson
Suzanne Johnson is the author of the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series from Tor Books. She is also the author of a holiday short, CHRISTMAS IN DOGTOWN.
Writing as Susannah Sandlin, she is the author of the multiple award-winning Penton Vampire Legacy paranormal romance series, the standalone paranormal romance STORM FORCE, and The Collectors romantic thriller series. She also is the author of a short paranormal story, CHENOIRE.
A longtime New Orleans resident, Suzanne is a veteran journalist with more than fifty national awards in writing and editing nonfiction for higher education, including the Robert S. Sibley Award for the best university magazine in the U.S. and Canada, for the Rice University magazine.
Suzanne is an active member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and is a member of the Southern Magic, Kiss of Death, and Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapters of RWA.
Terri Brisbin
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In her previous lives, Terri Brisbin has lived in ancient Egypt and medieval Scotland, but in this one she’s stuck in the wilds of southern New Jersey with a hubby (wonderful one!) and kids (three adorable and finally grown sons!). When not living the life of a glamorous romance author or suffering through deadline-binges-o-writing-mania, she spends some of her time as a dental hygienist.
Terri’s had more than 34 historical and paranormal romance novels, novellas and short stories published since 1998 by Berkley, Harlequin, Kensington and soon NAL – in 25 languages in 20 countries! And there are a bunch more swirling around inside her brain, just waiting to be written.
Follow @Terri_Brisbin
In her previous lives, Terri Brisbin has lived in ancient Egypt and medieval Scotland, but in this one she’s stuck in the wilds of southern New Jersey with a hubby (wonderful one!) and kids (three adorable and finally grown sons!). When not living the life of a glamorous romance author or suffering through deadline-binges-o-writing-mania, she spends some of her time as a dental hygienist.
Terri’s had more than 34 historical and paranormal romance novels, novellas and short stories published since 1998 by Berkley, Harlequin, Kensington and soon NAL – in 25 languages in 20 countries! And there are a bunch more swirling around inside her brain, just waiting to be written.
Laurie Carroll-Kuna
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Apparently, I have a split personality. When I’m writing contemporary paranormal romances, I’m Laurie C. Kuna. When I turn my pen to historical paranormal romances, I answer to the name Laurie Carroll. If I’ve got my editor’s hat on, just call me Laurie.
I’ve been a reader since I was four and a writer since not long after that. I love words and the creative process, and it’s my hope that readers will enjoy my efforts to entertain them via those words, as I have been entertained by hundreds of authors throughout my life.
I taught English in a public high school for 29 years before retiring and use that knowledge not only to write my own stories but as a free-lance line editor. I also enjoy public speaking, and have given speeches and workshops in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, often on my two favorite subjects–grammar and swearing. I’ve even had the privilege of twice speaking at the Romance Writers of New Zealand conference in Auckland, New Zealand. This time on American English.
Apparently, I have a split personality. When I’m writing contemporary paranormal romances, I’m Laurie C. Kuna. When I turn my pen to historical paranormal romances, I answer to the name Laurie Carroll. If I’ve got my editor’s hat on, just call me Laurie.
I’ve been a reader since I was four and a writer since not long after that. I love words and the creative process, and it’s my hope that readers will enjoy my efforts to entertain them via those words, as I have been entertained by hundreds of authors throughout my life.
I taught English in a public high school for 29 years before retiring and use that knowledge not only to write my own stories but as a free-lance line editor. I also enjoy public speaking, and have given speeches and workshops in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, often on my two favorite subjects–grammar and swearing. I’ve even had the privilege of twice speaking at the Romance Writers of New Zealand conference in Auckland, New Zealand. This time on American English.
Donnell Ann Bell
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Before Donnell Ann Bell was published in fiction, she paid her dues in the Unpublished World, finaling in or winning numerous Romance Writers of America® chapter competitions, including Colorado Romance Writers, Duel on the Delta, Gothic Romance Writers, The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, The Linda Howard Award of Excellence, among others. In multi-genre competitions, Donnell won first place in The Sandy writing competition for Crested Butte Writers and first place in Pikes Peak Writers’ Paul Gillette writing competition.
She is extremely proud to be listed as a two-time Golden Heart® finalist for RWA’s® highest competition. These particular nominations would lead to the publication of The Past Came Hunting and Deadly Recall.
Donnell Ann Bell is as at home in nonfiction as she is in fiction. She has worked for a weekly business publication and a monthly parenting magazine, but prefers her fictional writing compared to writing about stock portfolios or treating diaper rash. She has a background in court reporting, has worked with kids and engineers, and has volunteered for law enforcement and other organizations. Raised in New Mexico’s Land of Enchantment, Donnell has called the state of Colorado home for the past twenty-eight years.
Luna Quinn
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Before Donnell Ann Bell was published in fiction, she paid her dues in the Unpublished World, finaling in or winning numerous Romance Writers of America® chapter competitions, including Colorado Romance Writers, Duel on the Delta, Gothic Romance Writers, The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, The Linda Howard Award of Excellence, among others. In multi-genre competitions, Donnell won first place in The Sandy writing competition for Crested Butte Writers and first place in Pikes Peak Writers’ Paul Gillette writing competition.
She is extremely proud to be listed as a two-time Golden Heart® finalist for RWA’s® highest competition. These particular nominations would lead to the publication of The Past Came Hunting and Deadly Recall.
Donnell Ann Bell is as at home in nonfiction as she is in fiction. She has worked for a weekly business publication and a monthly parenting magazine, but prefers her fictional writing compared to writing about stock portfolios or treating diaper rash. She has a background in court reporting, has worked with kids and engineers, and has volunteered for law enforcement and other organizations. Raised in New Mexico’s Land of Enchantment, Donnell has called the state of Colorado home for the past twenty-eight years.
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Follow @LunaQuinnAuthor
Luna Quinn is the pseudonym for co-writers Yajaira Diaz and Brittany Marczak. They began writing together by chance in 2012, and clicked instantly. With ideas to last them the rest of their lives, they work night and day to write the dark, sexy stories they want to read.
Yajaira Diaz fell madly in love with everything supernatural from the age of twelve, her first love being vampires (of course). Her first attempts at writing began in middle school where she wrote poetry to her crushes, and then paranormal romance as an adult. Yajaira has worked in a long list of boring jobs; from mortgage, to homeowners insurance, to admin assistant, and then everything in between. Now she’s a stay at home mom of three living in Southern California.
Brittany Marczak lives in Western Pennsylvania and has been writing chocolate-fueled love stories for as long as she can remember. She graduated from Stetson University in 2012 with a BA in English, and minors in creative writing and digital arts. Two months later, she got her first real job with Entangled Publishing, and has loved every minute of it.
Nancy Lee Badger
Follow @LunaQuinnAuthor
Luna Quinn is the pseudonym for co-writers Yajaira Diaz and Brittany Marczak. They began writing together by chance in 2012, and clicked instantly. With ideas to last them the rest of their lives, they work night and day to write the dark, sexy stories they want to read.
Yajaira Diaz fell madly in love with everything supernatural from the age of twelve, her first love being vampires (of course). Her first attempts at writing began in middle school where she wrote poetry to her crushes, and then paranormal romance as an adult. Yajaira has worked in a long list of boring jobs; from mortgage, to homeowners insurance, to admin assistant, and then everything in between. Now she’s a stay at home mom of three living in Southern California.
Brittany Marczak lives in Western Pennsylvania and has been writing chocolate-fueled love stories for as long as she can remember. She graduated from Stetson University in 2012 with a BA in English, and minors in creative writing and digital arts. Two months later, she got her first real job with Entangled Publishing, and has loved every minute of it.
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This award-winning, multi-published Author grew up in Huntington, New York.
Nancy attended college, married her college sweetheart, and raised two sons in a small town in the shadow of the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
She volunteers at the NH Highland Games, and was an EMT and volunteer firefighter for a small NH town. After nearly a decade as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher for the State of NH 9-1-1 service, Nancy moved to North Carolina where she writes full-time.
She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, the Celtic Heart Romance Writers, and the Triangle Area Freelancers.
Darynda : Scary movies! I have to watch a plethora of scary and scary-ish movies the entire month of October. Among them are Sleepy Hollow and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Nancy : I always put out pumpkins. Since my sons are now 30 and 34, I am just happy to give out candy to the neighbor kids.
Follow @NLBadger
This award-winning, multi-published Author grew up in Huntington, New York.
Nancy attended college, married her college sweetheart, and raised two sons in a small town in the shadow of the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
She volunteers at the NH Highland Games, and was an EMT and volunteer firefighter for a small NH town. After nearly a decade as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher for the State of NH 9-1-1 service, Nancy moved to North Carolina where she writes full-time.
She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, the Celtic Heart Romance Writers, and the Triangle Area Freelancers.
Prepare to be SHOCKED! ASTOUNDED! AMUSED! and ENTERTAINED! by my HOH Guest Q&A . . . Here we go!
Do you have any Halloween traditions?
Darynda : Scary movies! I have to watch a plethora of scary and scary-ish movies the entire month of October. Among them are Sleepy Hollow and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Nancy : I always put out pumpkins. Since my sons are now 30 and 34, I am just happy to give out candy to the neighbor kids.
Suzanne : Well (says Mr. Scrooge), I turn out all my outdoor lights, keep the music/TV turned low, and pretend to not be at home. This unfortunate habit was formed when I lived in New Orleans’ central city and I realized all the trick-or-treaters were uncostumed and holding out pillowcases demanding goodies. I never actually SAW a weapon, but one can’t be sure in NOLA these days.
Luna (Britt) : I used to always go trick-or-treating as a child because I loved dressing up, but as an adult, I just dress up and cosplay whenever I want! So for Halloween, I just eat lots of chocolate and watch Hocus Pocus!
Luna (Yajaira) : I didn’t before, but now that two of my three kids are old enough to really enjoy Halloween, I’ve started making their costumes. I made an Elsa dress and a Star-Lord costume this year. The (fake) red leather jacket I had to buy. I’m that good at sewing. LOL!
Carmen : Halloween isn’t a huge celebration in Germany or the UK, but it’s gaining in popularity. We like to make Halloween-themed food and play games with the kids by blindfolding them and then ask them to place their hands in bowls containing a few choice items. Did you know that peeled lychees feel like eyeballs? And firm pasta in tomato sauce like tendons? The kids love it.
Donnell : Not since I’ve grown up. Now I run from door to door as Trick-or-Treaters don’t know which of my doors is my front door (I have a side door off the garage). The good news is I get my workout and don’t get to eat all the candy.
Terri : When my kids were young, we used to go out and I would dress in costume too!
Laurie : Not really. We used to Trick or Treat as kids, and if I'm at home on Halloween, I put on my scary Halloween sound effects cd and blast it out the windows for the Trick or Treaters, but I don't usually decorate the house or anything.
What book or movie made you afraid to turn off the lights?Darynda : Halloween! I was in middle school when my mother took me to see the first Halloween in the theater. Couldn’t sleep in my room for three months.
Nancy : Might sound silly, but Beetlejuice and Ghostbuster still scare me.
Suzanne : The original Halloween movie with Jamie Lee Curtis as the babysitter and Michael Myers in the hockey mask. I saw a midnight showing of it and came home alone to my apartment in the wee hours . . . located about two miles from a hospital for the criminally insane. My hands shook as I tried to unlock my door!
Luna (Britt) : The first scary book I remember was Cujo by Stephen King when I was 11 or 12. I didn’t sleep that night! But now that I watch Supernatural, I just grab the salt when the light go off ; )
Luna (Yajaira) : Pan’s Labyrinth by Guillermo de Toro still gives me the heebie jeebies. And not even because of the scary stuff.
Carmen: Jurassic Park terrified me. But the movie that scared me most was the original King Kong. I was about ten when I saw it, and I had nightmares for months.
Donnell : I’m a natural born chicken. Dark Shadows (don’t laugh) and Scream Scream Again (and I did).
Terri : The Exorcist – Halloween – but the worst Event Horizon. Evenwith the lights on I’ve never been able to watch it all the way through!
Laurie : OMG, the original Halloween! People had told me the entire plot, but after seeing it, I couldn't sleep for two weeks without checking under the bed first. Maybe that was also because it was the first time I'd ever been living entirely on my own. No family, no roomies, just me in my own apartment.
What supernatural power would you choose or paranormal creature would you be?Darynda : So many! I think I would choose either invincibility or vampirism. Blood doesn’t bother me. Much.
Nancy : Invisibility. What a way to be, while traveling everywhere.
Suzanne : It varies from day to day. Today, I’d like to be a wizard with a powerful want so I could zap some of the folks at my day job. Just joking . . . sort of.
Luna (Britt) : I’d love to be able to teleport. Saves so much time, and I can be with anyone I want, whenever I want. My first paranormal love was, unsurprisingly, vampires. In middle school, I was half convinced I was one. (Then again, I was also convinced I was a mermaid . . .)
Luna (Yajaira) : Ohhh, this is my favorite question! I would be a vampire, of course! My first book boyfriend when I was in Jr. High was a vampire. Being able to teleport would be so awesome!
Carmen : A genie. I wouldn’t like being locked in a bottle (unless it’s my favoritetipple), but the whole whooshing around like pure energy and granting wishes is pretty cool. If I can’t be a genie I’d settle for being Santa Claus (or, if I’m feeling grumpy, the Grinch).
Donnell : The invisible man – I’m not big on drinking blood or having to shave every full moon.
Terri : I want to fly . . . I’ve wanted that power forever!
Laurie : I'd like to be able to fly. For a paranormal creature, being an angel would be cool.
What’s your favorite Trick-or-Treat candy?Darynda : Probably candy corn. Its’s the only time of year I eat it.
Nancy : Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, which is why I do not buy them . . . they would never make it to the kids.
Suzanne :Those pastel orange marshmallow circus peanuts. I can’t explain it. I don’t even like marshmallows, but I could suck down a wholebag of those things like a Hoover.
Luna(Britt) : I’m always a sucker for Twix or Reese’s Peanut Butter cups (best when frozen!).
Luna (Yajaira) : Chooooooocolate! (Though Banana Laffy Taffy is also a favorite.)
Carmen : Anything that isn’t chocolate. I’m allergic. : (
Donnell : Candy corn (darn it!). It’s like crack to me!
Terri : Kit-Kats, Milk Duds, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups . . . mmmmmmmm!
Laurie : Caramel apples. Or Butterfinger candy bars.
What fairytale of Disney character do you most resemble?Darynda : Remember Cogsworth? The clock in Beauty and the Beast? Yeah.
Nancy : Hmmm . . . I always wanted to be Sleeping Beauty’s castle. So pretty!
Luna (Britt) : Probably Belle. It’s my dream to one day have bookcases with sliding ladders!
Luna (Yajaira) : Maria from The Book of Life.
Carmen : Goofy, perhaps. Sometimes it feels like I blunder through life, but I try to be good.
Donnell : To my kids’ chagrin, The Little Mermaid. Loved it, sang it, watched it until they said “No more, Mom. You’re 38!”
Terri : Resemble? LOL – Mrs. Potts! One I’d most like to be? Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent!
Laurie : Probably the mid-sized one of the fairy godmothers in Sleeping Beauty.
What are you scared of?Darynda : Not living up to my potential.
Nancy : A tornado. They come around North Carolina once in a while. Mother Nature can be scary!
Suzanne : Most politicians—irrespective of party affiliation.
Luna(Britt) : I’m not a fan of horror movies, but what really scares me is when the internet goes out. I’m serious! I’m cool for like ten minutes, then I start panicking.
Luna (Yajaira) : I’m bad at watching horror movies. They give me nightmare for days! I’m also scared of big rollercoasters.
Carmen : My loved ones dying. Nothing scares me more than that.
Donnell : Prejudice and intolerance – it’s so dangerous.
Terri : I’m terrified of tornados . . . and watching Event Horizon!
Laurie : Republican Presidential candidates.
Have you ever had a paranormal experience?Darynda : Yes, but I’m skeptical of it.
Nancy : I spotted an extraterrestrial light in the night sky in New Hampshire. It was up higher than a plane, like a satellite. But did not orbit in a straight line like one. Hubby also saw it, so it wasn’t my imagination.
Suzanne : Yes, a couple of times. My house in New Orleans had honest-to-God cold spots in it, and I once saw a semi-transparent image of a teenage boy. Never saw him again and I wasn’t ever able to tie him to the house, but the house was more than a century old, so there could have been one. He wasn’t at all threatening.
Luna (Britt) : Yes, actually! I love to go to this old, very haunted town in Florida, St. Augustine with my parents and best friend. We go on our own ghost hunts alone, and have caughtsome EVPs on recording several times.
Luna (Yajaira) : During my high school years, I used to get all these weird vibes whenever I visited certain place, like hearing noises and getting chills. Not so much anymore. I’m glad, because I’m a scaredy cat now that I’m older!
Carmen : No, but I’ve been frightened many times, because my mind likes to play tricks on me. Shadows become people, or the clatter of my keys turn into a murder dog pursuing me. Sometimes I wonder where I find the courage to leave the house.
Donnell : My paper shredder likes to take off without me. I think I need to call an electrician.
Terri : A number of them and a good number of them in Scotland and England. Strange things – walking into walls that used to be doors (in medieval England),feeling a hand on my shoulder in Eileen Donan Castle when no one was there. And being unable to stand in front of a wall in Glamis Castle – where it turns out that three men were sealed up alive and left to die . . . and more!
Laurie : A few. The most recent happened this spring when I was at New Grange, an ancient sacred site in Ireland. I stepped into the middle of a circle of oblong, flat-topped stones that resembled a bunch of backless stone ottomans. I stood there for a few seconds, and then my left hand started to tingle to the point that it was almost vibrating. A very powerful place.
What was your favorite Halloween costume and how old were you?Darynda : My favorite was one I had to throw together myself. We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, so buying costumes was not something we did. I honestly believe the lack of funds made me more creative as a kid. It forces one to use one’s imagination. I was in the third grade and went as a masked cowgirl. No idea why.
Nancy : I took three years of dance lessons and I think I wore my sailor costume one year. My mom made it!
Suzanne : I was a simple child. I had a white sheet with holes cut out for my arms and head, and a Casper the Friendly Ghost plastic mask that strapped on with elastic. What can I say? It was a simpler time.
Luna (Britt) : I think I dressed up more times as a witch than anything else. I was never into the scary part of Halloween, so it was fun to play like I was someone else with fantastical powers.
Luna (Yajaira) : We usually made our own. When I was 16 and my mom bought me a cool all-black gothic outfit at Hot Topic for a play I was in, I used it for Halloween that year and dressed up as a vampire. It was my first real costume, and it was so awesome!
Donnell : I was a skeleton.
Terri : It’s strange, I remember that I went trick-or-treating every year,usually with sisters/brother or friends and yet I don’t remember a single costume! Maybe they were so bad, I’ve blocked it out!
Laurie : An aardvark. The costume had a long snout, ears, and a sort of dark-mustard colored sweatshirt and sweat pants, which of course I padded out. I must have been around 13, and there is a picture of me somewhere.
Let’s see how well you were listening . . . Can you identify these ghoulish creatures as three of our authors above?
