Monday, October 10, 2011

Halloween and Bookplates!

It's October! My favorite month of the year! I'm about 30 minutes from some of the most scenic mountain drives in the world, and the fall colors are stunning! The weather is perfect, and since Halloween is my favorite holiday, there isn't a better time of year!

I usually spend the month eating way more candy than I should, and watching super scary movies that make me not want to go to the basement alone. One of my favorites is the original Halloween movie. I don't think there's a scarier crazy serial killer than Michael Myers. The knife, no talking, and the way he just tilts his head... *shivers* I also love the spooky factor of Sleepy Hollow with Johnny Depp. Since I love Halloween so much, we have a few traditions:

We always carve pumpkins.


And we attempt to dress up our dog. He never gets as excited about this as I do. I think the bat costume is super cute.


Halloween is a REALLY popular holiday in Utah. We actually have some of the best haunted houses in the nation, though I've only been to one. It was a harrowing experience during college in the Park City Haunted Mine that involved a crazy (no really, he might have actually been insane) man dressed as the Albino from The Princess Bride. He followed me around the mine for 45 minutes petting my hair. I know you think I'm kidding. I'm not. Luckily, my boyfriend/now husband was there to rescue me just in time to take me to the cage with the chainsaw guy, who might have been even more insane than the Princess Bride dude.

I vowed to never go to a haunted house again, but then while I was in London, I made the mistake of not doing research about the London Dungeon before going inside. Once there, I realized I was in over my head and tried to escape. I was ushered back inside by a 7 foot tall revenant who gave me a horrific smile and suggested I enjoy my time in the dungeon. After that traumatic event, I had the sense to avoid the Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tussauds.

This year, October coincides with me writing the first draft of book 2 in the Emblem of Eternity series! Halloween and Easter are the two best times of year to write because they're the two best times of year for candy...trust me, I'm an author, so I know. There's no better motivation to finish a chapter than fresh mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

So, I want to know some of your Halloween traditions? And it comes with a prize! Comment before October 17th and three random people will get a signed bookmark and, since I just got them and love all three designs, you'll also get a signed bookplate that's personalized just for you. You can check out the bookplates below. Also, be sure to note what happens when you try to take a photo at midnight with horrible lighting. Oh well, at least it gives you an idea of how they look. :)


Feel free to share this post with your friends too! Happy haunting!

17 comments:

  1. LOVE the bookplates, Ang!!! And your signature rocks! Um, I'm gonna need an email detailing where you got those made (please!!). And I love that your fave horror movie is the original Halloween--that's mine, too! I seriously think no matter my age, Michael Myers will always scare me!

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  2. This is great stuff. The countdown is on and yor book will be out very soon so the book plates are spot on.

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  3. WOW!! love the bookplates .They look so gorgeous !
    and your dog looks so cute <3 <3 :D :D

    starlight023(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  4. Those are so great! We're big into pumpkin patch and pumpkin festivals around here. We go to several in our city and neighboring ones. It makes for excellent picture opportunities :)

    Heather
    Blameitonthefullmoon.blogspot.com

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  5. Great bookplates! My favourite is the one with the flower.

    Halloween is my favourite holiday. It never felt like Halloween when I was younger because I grew up in the Caribbean. There would be parties here and there, but it just doesn't feel right with sun, sand and palm trees. Halloween needs the ambience of autumn. Plus I have a parent that refused to have anything to do with Halloween and would usually end up watching Hocus Pocus, which I did enjoy. Because of that, when I'm not going anywhere I watch movies that match the occasion. This year I'm thinking, Tim Burton marathon.

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  6. hi Angie-did.
    i cant wait for your book cousin that would be so cool to have a book and say i really know the author she my cousin. my favorite movie for halloween is hocus pocus or casper or charle brown the great pumpkin. well i love dressing up and decorating.
    from your cousin katie-did simmons

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  7. Thanks, Jamie! I agree, Michael Myers is SO creepy! And I'll send you an email about the bookplates. :)

    Thank you Angela and Ifrah! I'm glad you like the bookplates...and my dog! :) He makes a cute bat. I still need to find him a costume for this year.

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  8. Pumpkin patch festivals sound so much fun, Heather! I've always wanted to go to a pumpkin patch and pick my pumpkin, but never have. We usually just get them at the store. We'll have to go to a pumpkin patch this year.

    I like the flower too, Petra. :) I agree, autumn weather definitely makes it feel more like Halloween. But growing up in the Caribbean would be fun too! It's so beautiful there. Hocus Pocus was one of my favorite Halloween movies! I haven't seen it in the longest time! I need to watch it again. A Tim Burton marathon would be fun too!

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  9. Thanks for commenting Katie-did! hehehe! I don't think I've called you that nickname for years! You'll have to come to the book launch party on December 7th in Salt Lake if you can. It will be tons of fun and Colten and Tash will be here for it too. :) I remember watching Casper! That was a good movie. Your family always has the cutest costumes too! Love ya lots!

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  10. carving pumpkins is a must for halloween. i loved going trick or treating. we always went to our neighbor hood. grandma and pa Corbett's then grandma and pa Johnson's, and last fridale hieghts. it was so much candy. we had to give some to my dad of course. i remember ur dad on stilts scaring the kids in the dark at ur house and grandpa and pa Corbett's.
    love ur pictures and post. pippin looks so cute all dressed up. your cousin Brenda

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  11. We always do the fancy pumpkin carving kits. They are just so much fun! I also like to play scary music in my garage with the door cracked open. I also have a Darth Vader sensor that goes off when people walk by. It does the Darth Vader breathing... Hot apple cider and glazed doughnuts are a must!!!!

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  12. FALL IS SO BEAUTIFUL IN UTAH! Throw in Halloween and yes, October is awesome.

    I really like the bookplates Ang. I bet it is so fun for you to get these fun little things leading up to the release of Eternal Starling! Making the reality of your dream come true all that sweeter. :)

    I have never watched Halloween, tried to, but it freaked me out. We stick to watching the disney Halloween cartoons. You know the old ones with the ghost in the mansion and such.

    Have a great weekend. :)
    Jennifer

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  13. Angela! those bookplates are wicked cool! I so want one of each...no I'm not greedy or anything :)

    Our Halloween traditions include carving pumpkins that we get from our local corn maze and pumpkin patch :) we always go there and have a great day/night. Halloween Me and the kids get dressed up and go trick or treating *nods* I get more than they do LOL then I watch super scary movies...in the dark...all lights out *shivers*

    :) Heather / SupaGurl Books

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  14. Marsha-Pumpkin carving kits are so fun and I bet the Darth Vader breathing scares a lot of people! Now I'm craving glazed doughnuts! :)

    You haven't seen Halloween, Jen??? I don't blame you. I didn't watch it until I was like 22. :) They filmed the 4th and 5th Halloween movies in Utah and shot some scenes by the state capitol. I get freaked out every time I drive by at night and think about it. In college, one of the girls in my dorm told us about a Disney movie that terrified her as a kid called The Watcher in the Woods. We didn't believe her so everyone on our floor watched it one night and were screaming like toddlers. Good times. :) I'm glad you like the bookplates! :)

    Thank you, Heather! :) I'm happy they turned out so well! Oooo! I love corn mazes! And it's awesome you dress up and get candy too! LOL! I love that! Also, super scary movies in the dark are the best! :)

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  15. awesome carving skills I'd like to learn such amazing ability XD

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  16. Wow really professional looking pumpkins! And all the bookplates are looking great though I also would have to say the one with the flower is my favourite!

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  17. Hy Angela.
    I recommend blog and your book in my library http://biblioteca-prafuita.blogspot.com/
    You think you can do yourself a recommendation to my blog in your list, blogroll?
    Thanks

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