Horror – It’s Not Just for Halloween!

Hi everyone,

As loyal blog readers know by now, I divide my time between writing romance and horror. (Yes, I know it’s an unusual combination, but I go with it.) My horror stories tend to be based in psychological terrors rather than blood and gore. They’re set in a wide range of seasons and settings, and my characters run the gamut from small children to mentally fragile suburban housewives. 

I like reading and writing suspenseful tales, and I got to thinking – why does it seem that horror stories and scary movies are only out in the fall?

Yes, we all know that October is “horror month” because of Halloween, but there are plenty of spooky things going on the rest of the year.  Readers and writers of horror fiction know that a good horror story is just as scary on a warm June day as it is at midnight on Halloween. (Remember, JAWS took place in the summer, and a haunted house can be terrifying on a rainy March afternoon…)

 

So to celebrate the horror season early (If the Christmas stuff can come out in July, I can write about horror in September, right? Where’s the Krampus?), I’m featuring all things speculative during the months of September and October. My blogs will touch on my standalone horror fiction (including a new story!), anthologies, paranormal romances, (including vampires and shifters), writing horror, movies and… whatever else pops into my devious mind.

Let’s start this journey with my latest horror short, Kropsy's Curse!

Late one Halloween night, two young boys venture into a secluded graveyard in the hopes of conjuring up a spirit. Although Kyle is skeptical and would rather be home eating candy and watching horror movies, he reluctantly goes along with Jerry’s plan. He doesn’t believe Ouija boards work—until this one starts spelling out a message…

This Halloween-themed 1500-word short story is a cautionary tale about playing with a Ouija board in a graveyard. It's only $.99 on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Kropsys-Curse-Kelli-Wilkins-ebook/dp/B014IAH848/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1440681198&sr=1-1

Here’s a mini-excerpt:

“Where is it?” Kyle whispered.

“Over there.” Jerry swung his orange plastic flashlight to the left. “Why are you whispering? It’s just a graveyard. Ain’t no body here,” he joked, then laughed. “Come on.” Jerry hoisted his black backpack over his shoulder. “Hurry up. It’s almost midnight.”

Kyle’s sneakers slipped on the dewy grass as he followed Jerry down the last hill in the cemetery. He paused and glanced around. The moon appeared as a slit in the night sky. Dark clouds floated out of its way, and a sliver of pale yellow mixed with the blue-black night. Something made a noise off to his right, and he jumped. Maybe they should go home. This didn’t seem like fun anymore.

Kyle watched Jerry head deeper into the graveyard. He wanted to call out to him, tell him his plan was ridiculous, it would never work, they shouldn’t have snuck out and come here. Halloween night should be spent trick-or-treating, watching monster movies, and eating candy—not creeping around in an abandoned graveyard and trying to talk to a dead man.

I hope you’ll check it out!  I welcome feedback and questions from readers and other writers. What subgenre of horror do you like to read (or write)? Zombies, shifters, werewolves (Dog Soldiers, anyone?), vamps, hunters (hello Grimm & Supernatural), Halloween-themed horror, ghosts, possessions, serial killers, creepy monsters….

Drop me a line and let me know!

 
I’ll be sharing more next week, and until then…

“Unpleasant Dreams”!

Kelli