Happy Halloween

Anyone who knows me is quite aware of my love of horror movies. My oldest son Tigger loves them too. While he's more of a ghost and slasher fan, my preferred horror tastes lean towards zombies and aliens. With Halloween a few days away, I figured I'd post my favorite horror movies. 

10. Here Comes the Devil (2013)

This quietly disturbing movie bothered me for days after I watched it. The Mexican horror flick is raw and quiet. The evil's normalcy makes everything all too believable.

9. Aliens (1986)

The first one is a classic, but the second one scared me more. There were more aliens, Ripley being a bigger badass, a child in jeopardy, and a group of tough Marines. Even after all these years, Aliens remains an exciting action horror film.

8. Dawn of the Dead (1979)

The first horror movie my brother and I ever watched. The grittiness of the original still gets under my skin. Besides, when the zombie apocalypse happens, who wouldn't want to hang out at the mall?

7. Night of the Creeps (1986)

I enjoy campy horror. This one has sorority girls in danger, a crazy slasher, and zombies. Despite the humor, the idea of alien slugs flying into your mouth, laying eggs in your brain, and turning you into a zombie just freaks me out.

6. [REC] (2007)

Spanish horror movies always leave me happy. This one was a great twist on possession, zombies, and found footage. I really like how the outbreak was related to demon possession rather than a virus. The film's realistic acting and setup makes the movie more terrifying. [REC]2 was really good too while [REC]3 had fantastic gore. I found the final [REC] a disappointment though.

5. Evil Dead 2 (1987)

I still remember driving around Los Angeles when this movie was about to be released and hearing the commercial on the radio. The mother's evil voice scared the shit out of me. The movie was even scarier, plus campy as hell. Evil Dead 2 contains an outstanding performance by Bruce Campbell.

4. Return of the Living Dead (1985)

Campy horror is still horror and this movie gave me the creeps. Zombies that can't be killed are bad enough, but these zombies are extra gooey gross. The sequel was even more awesome for taking place in suburbia. Plus the kid with braces made for a terrifying zombie.

3. The Thing (1982)

Halloween is a great slasher film, but for me John Carpenter's most frightening flick is this alien themed horror. Kurt Russell is immensely likable as he faces paranoia in a camp in Antarctica where anyone might be the monster. The special effects are truly gross and far superior to the CGI used today.

2. Evil Dead (1981)

I saw this movie in junior high with my best buddy Quasar. She thought it was campy fun. I was scared shitless. The OTT effects still creep me out. The 2014 remake was bloody gross, but not nearly as scary. I also missed Ash.

1. Exorcist (1973)

Everyone knows this movie, so there's no need explaining why it's terrifying. I had nightmares from the TV commercials with Regan crab walking down the stairs.

Memorable mentions:

You're Next (2011) - a slasher flick that surprised me in a good way.

Shaun of the Dead (2004) - it's both zombie gross and genuinely funny.

It Follows (2014) - a slow burning and scarily creative movie.

Fulci's Zombie (1979) - despite the horrible acting and writing, the movie is brutally entertaining.

Sinister (2012) - Going into this movie without knowing if the bad guy was a slasher or something supernatural, I was shocked by the effective film.

The Dead (2010) - a low budget zombie flick set in an African country that left me thinking about the outcome for days.

Event Horizon (1997) - a great haunted spaceship flick.

Tremors (1990) - campy fun with the hippy dad from Family Ties packing heat.

Lost Boys (1987) - a teen fave of mine that still holds up after over 25 years.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) - paranoia is a powerful tool in horror movies and this one uses the technique just right.

Poltergeist (1982) - the normalcy of the family made the horror so much more effective.

Right or Wrong

I'm back from my fifth signing this year. Sassy in Savannah had a huge reader turnout with so many great authors. I spent half of my time playing fangirl. I finally met Aurora Rose Reynolds and TM Frazier and now have signed copies from them. I didn't get as many pictures as usual, but the place was a madhouse. The organizers did an outstanding job bringing readers out, even during poor weather.

On the way to Savannah, we encountered car trouble. What started as a pain turned into a blessing. I met two wonderful people who helped me with the car. The wife Wanda is a retired journalist and aspiring writer. She's also a woman of Christ, so I was immediately comforted by their help.

The boys enjoyed the trip, but they're happy to be nearly done with traveling. I don't know what I was thinking by agreeing to three signings in a six week period. Fortunately, the last one is in nearby Cincinnati. Plus, my tablemate is Aimie Grey and we'll hook up with Shyla Colt for dinner.

For 2016, I'm planning fewer signings. While I enjoy traveling and meeting authors and readers, the signings take a lot of time and focus away from writing. This year, I'll likely only publish seven books. Since my goal is to write more books each year, something has to give. So far, I've signed up for three signings and I'm on the waiting list for a fourth. It's always possible I might be lured to attend something additional especially if the location is nearby and I have friends signed up.

With all the traveling, I'm behind on Live Wire. Luckily, the last week I've hit a writing groove. I likely won't make the late October release date, but it shouldn't be too much longer. I still plan to get another Bijou book out this year and one from Dakota.

Roo turned 12 in Savannah. My baby is nearly as tall as Sally and me. He has a ways to go before he'll catch up to his big bros though.

Pooh continues to do well at the residential facility. He's currently being prepped to move into a house with one of his roommates. I know this will be a big transition for him, but we hope the move will be his last for a long time.

My faith has been bolstered by the last two years as Pooh struggled then improved. I realized I'd neglected my Christian fantasy books, but finally focused a little money on marketing them. While Angelic Redemption will never be my moneymaking series, I've gained a few fans for the books. I can't express how exciting it is to have people asking when the next Dakota book will be released. Yes, I feel more pressure now, but I love all my books from all my pen names. Though Sally and Miranda enjoy the Dakota books, I'm thrilled to share the AR series will new people.

What I learned from attending these signings is how to mellow out and roll with each experience. I also met so many different authors writing so many different books. Indie publishing has opened the door to such a great variety of voices. In Savannah alone, I met several authors who write in my sub-genre that I'd never heard of and now I'm checking out their books. Even enjoying a large number of author friends, I've barely scratched the surface of the indie publishing revolution.

I better get back to Live Wire, so I'll sign up with the legendary George Strait singing one of my fave country songs.