TOTBT DAY 31: Happy Halloween

HAPPY HALLOWEEEN! The countdown is finally over! The Trick-or Treat blog tour was a a huge sucess and i want to thank everyone who participated! I had so much fun, and you guys made everything possible! For this last day i finally got my pictures off facebook-so i am going to share what i was last year! I was the Cheshire Cat from alice in Wonderland!! p.s. How cute are those socks???

I loved Being the Cheshire Cat!!

here is a full Body Costume

Here is my face makeup

Hope your halloween is Purrrrfect!!! Have a very fun eventful night and stay safe!!!!! xoxoxxo,Rachel

TOTBT Day 28: Lauren Oliver

Today we have Wonderful Lauren Oliver!!! She is author of the debut novel Before i fall, which i can not wait to read!! She is going to share with us her very special Halloween Treat! Enjoy!
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My name is Lauren Oliver, and I am a Halloween Grynch.
(Hiiii, Lauren Oliver.)
Okay, so for real, here’s the thing: When I was little, I loved Halloween. Probably all kids do, although I liked the holiday apart from its promise of bags and bags full of candy (my sister had the sweet tooth in the family, and because she was older and bigger, she usually confiscated all the good stuff as soon as we got home, anyway).
So yeah, the candy was besides the point. I loved Halloween because I loved the costumes.
When I was younger I dressed up as many things: a gypsy (pictures show me grinning, radiantly happy, with about a pound of black eye shadow smeared across my cheeks, as apparently my seven-year-old self believed that the primary mark of a gypsy was a fondness for avoiding baths altogether); a fairy; a pirate; a princess (of course); an octopus (a costume recycled from a school play, as my mother was of the waste not, want not generation); a chef; an acrobat.
They were real costumes—they allowed me to be someone else. It was like getting to play a game of make-believe with the whole world. For one night the world rewarded me for playing make-believe, instead of just telling me to do my homework or sit down for dinner, or any of the things that happened on the other 364 days a year that would rudely interrupt my play time.
But sadly, as I got older, Halloween lost its appeal. The costumes started to become not about transformation, but about the reveal: wear the shortest, tightest, sexiest outfit you can find, throw on a pair of cat ears, and voila! Sexy cat.
Railing against the kind of flaunting girls do, and are expected to do, on Halloween isn’t new, so I won’t go all fem-bot about it. But honestly, I have never at any point aspired to be or fantasized about being a slutty cat, a slutty nurse, or a slutty policewoman. There might be guys who fantasize about sexually experimental felines, of course, but dressing up for someone else isn’t fun, at least not for me. It reminds me of school portrait day and lame formal events and other boring things.
That’s why in recent years I’ve opted out of Halloween altogether. The fun, the magic, the mystery were gone.
But this year I’ve decided to get back in the game. And though you won’t find me rocking out in an octopus costume or smearing any of my precious black Mac eye shadow my cheeks, you won’t find me wearing a pair of cat ears, either.
Instead, I’ll be going down the mask road. I’m attending my first-ever masquerade, and while a fancy, glittery mask and a black-tie ball gown doesn’t exactly count as a real costume—it doesn’t allow me to pretend to be someone else, specifically—it will at least be a break from the ordinary. It will be fun and new and different and special; for one night, I’ll get to be something other, and better, than just the plain old, same old self.
Which I guess, come to think of it, is what makes Halloween so special—and why even a pair of cat ears and a miniskirt can sometimes do the trick.
So…happy Halloween! (Meow.)
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I am seriously blushing right now! I was the Cheshire Cat last year for halloween! It wasnt Slutty but it was not kid-friendly! But i totally agree! It is so much fun to dress up as someone new once a year! i love it! And OMG we are so simmilar, because tommorrow night im going to a mascarade ball too!(except it's for a 16th birthday party) I made myself a feather mask to wear with heels and a gorgeous dress! Thanks for sharing Lauren!

TOTBT Day 28: Costume!

Hey Girlies! Today i was going to show you what i was last year for halloween! I was the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland! I was super cute with these fun thigh high pink socks and pink whiskers! But facebook is being way stupid and delted all my photos!! so sad! Anyways this year for halloween i might be Tinkerbelle!! But anyhow i found this really fun channel-Kandee Jhonson-that does all of these fun halloween looks: Michael Jackson, queen of hearts, Snow white,geisha, and barbie! You should definately check it out for some fun makeup tuturials!!! xoxoxox Rachel

TOTBT Day 27: Linda Gerber

Today we have Wonderful Linda Gerber! Linda Gerber has written the Amazing "Death by" series, and you should definately check them out! She is sharing with us her Spooky Story!
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The House on the Lane
When I was a kid, my friends and I used to go trick-or-treating in each other's neighborhoods to maximize the candy haul. We would go out early, hit one neighborhood after the other, dumping the candy at home between so people wouldn't know how much we had already gotten. (Some of the moms would see our empty bags and say, "Oh! You're just starting out" and throw in another couple of little candy bars. They wouldn't do that if our bags were overflowing!) We also knew who passed out the best candy (none of that cheap "child's mix" Dots and Pixie Stix and DumDums. No Way! We wanted CHOCOLATE.) The VanWagenens lived in my friend Susannah's neighborhood and every year, they passed out full-sized candy bars, so of course they were a prime destination.
When I was in seventh grade, we hadn't yet gotten to the VanWagenen's house when the designated trick-or-treat time was coming to an end. We really wanted those full-sized candy bars. The thing was, from where we were, all the way over on Apple, there was no way we were going to make it to the VanWagenen's before the official end of Halloween... unless we took the short cut down Old Willow Lane.
Now the thing about Old Willow was that it was the one road in Oak Hills that had no street lights. I don't even remember if it was paved. We never went up there because we were afraid of the one and only dark house on the lane. By the looks of it (which we would only ever have seen in the daylight since none of us had ever been crazy enough to go up there at night) the house had been around long before the rest of Oak Hills was ever dreamed of. Now, none of us had ever seen who lived in the house, but rumors said that an old woman lived up there... an old woman who only came out after dark, who could make your stomach turn to ice by just looking at you. We never actually said the words witch or haunted, but they were always there - unspoken warnings that went along with the stories.
Which left us with a dilemma. The only way we were going to reach Oak Lane and those candy bars was to go down Old Willow. Were we really going to let some rumors and shadows keep us from getting what we wanted?
Now that I look back, I'm sure that each one of us on our own would probably have decided we had enough candy and that nothing the VanWagenens were handing out could possibly be worth passing the old woman's house in the dark, but there with the group, none of us were going to admit we were scared. None of us were going to back down. So that's how we found ourselves that Halloween, arms linked, laughing too loud in a show of false bravado as we skipped down the lane. We couldn't have gone more than about twenty feet when the clouds that had been just wisps like ghosts all night suddenly bulked up and banded together in front of the moon so that the little light we might have had was suddenly gone. And it was darker than dark. We should have turned around right then. We didn't.
Our laughter faded as we drew closer to where the house crouched behind an overgrown yard and a crumbling stone wall. All the windows were dark. I wondered if anyone even lived there. Maybe the old woman was just a myth. Maybe no one had ever seen her. Maybe-
We were right in front of the house when we heard the scream. At least that's what I thought it was. The sound started out low, like the throaty growl of a tomcat and then rose in pitch and volume until I thought it would split my brain right in two. For a full ten seconds, not one of us moved except to stare at each other, like we wanted to make sure everyone heard the unearthly sound. It wasn't just imagination. Then we looked wildly around us. Where had the sound come from? Or, more to the point, which way should we run to get away from it?
Cate grabbed my arm and pointed to the house. It had looked vacant - abandoned, even - just moments before, but now I could clearly see a dim, yellowish light in one of the windows, and the shape of something - the old woman, maybe - passing in front of it, moving in those fast, jerking motions like in that Dracula movie with Gary Oldman in it (we had watched it on the sly at one of our slumber parties - we weren't supposed to, because it was rated 'R'.) I could swear I saw the front door open, though I couldn't be sure. And then we heard the scream again. The hairs on the back of my neck actually itched, they stood up so stiffly.
We ran, screaming so loud that we drowned out the other keening. We didn't stop until we reached the safety of the street lamps' glow on Oak Street. By then, not one of us were thinking about chocolate. I had dropped my trick-or-treat bag somewhere along the way, but I had been so scared, I couldn't remember exactly when I had let it go. Instead of the VanWagenen's house, we all ran for Susannah's, where we called our parents and pleaded with them to come pick us up.
To this day I don't know what it was we heard that night. I don't know if an old woman lived in that house. I don't know if she was watching us as we tried to cut down her lane. I don't know if there was really a light in the window or if the door remained open or closed. All I know is that I never dared set foot on Old Willow Lane again.
And that my trick-or-treating days were over.
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Linda- that is crazy i dont know what i would have done! Oh my that just chilled my spine reading abuot your crazy adventure! thanks for sharing!!!! You can Check out her Website HERE

xoxox, Rachel

TOTBT Day 26: Tom Dolby

Today we have fantastic Tom Dolby! He is author of New YA book-Secret Society! He gladly accepted to do a quick 5-minute halloween interview with me! Enjoy!

ME: Favorite halloween Memory?
Tom: Having a haunted house in my parents' garage every Halloween when I was in middle school.

ME: Favorite halloween Candy?
Tom: I've always been partial to Skittles.

Me: What was your best Halloween Costume?
Tom: In college, I went as Andy Warhol, complete with camera.

Me: Favorite Scary book/Movie?
Tom: Rosemary's Baby.

Me: Scariest moment of your life?
Tom: Probably my first NY appearance for my first book, back when I was 23! It's gotten a lot easier (even fun!) since then.

Me: What are you doing this halloween?
Tom: Probably buying a Halloween costume for the dog and staying in and working on the next installment of Secret Society!

Thanks Tom! That was awesome! I love skittles and haunted houses too! Okay not the haunted houses part!!!!

TOTBT Day 23: Rhonda Stapelton

Today we have lovely Rhonda Stapelton here to share her creepy halloween activities. Rhonda is debut author of Stupid Cupid coming this December, which i have heard great reviews of! I cant wait for this one! Enjoy!!!
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I'm a scaredy cat. Anyone who has been around me knows that if I watch a scary movie, I'm usually going to spend the rest of the evening paying for it--meaning I'm lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, and hearing every creak and groan in the house as a portent of impending doom.

But even though I know this about myself, something in me still seeks out the dark, spooky, and mysterious during the Halloween season. I think it's the thrill of experiencing fear, the adrenaline rush I get from getting all freaked out in a mostly "safe" way (knowing I won't be maimed, skinned like a deer, or whatever). Kind of like how roller coaster junkies must always be trying for that new and better rush. Hm. Also kind of like crack junkies, but that's a whole other scary post.

Anyway, here are three Halloween-related activities from my past that totally creeped me out:

--a guided ghost tour. I went with the manpanion a few years ago on a bus tour of several haunted locales in the Cleveland area. On the tour, we heard the stories about a psycho man who killed and buried a family in their own barn; a guy who hung himself from the rafters of a warehouse; and a haunted inn with a creepy cave underneath its floors. The manpanion thought it would be funny to grab my shoulder in that dark cavern beneath the inn. I'm pretty sure I jumped 10 feet out of my skin. He's lucky I didn't crack him one.

--Silence of the Lambs. I was in high school, and some friends and I got together to watch this movie one Halloween. It totally freaked me out. Hannibal Lector was super-duper creepy! And the way he said "Clarice"...*shudder*. I still have issues watching this movie. Plus, dude...the whole skinning chicks thing was just way over-the-top.

--the Ghost Run. In Louisville, they have a ghost run, which means you get in your car and follow clues throughout what feels like all of rural Kentucky, going from one haunted house to the next. My friends and I decided we wanted to do it one year. Well, it was all fun and games until I FREAKING GOT US LOST. In the middle of nowhere. That was horridly scary--all I saw around me were big fields and a whole lotta nothin'. Plus, it didn't help that my family's car window broke and was stuck down. So we were freezing our buns off in pitch black cold, trying to find our way home. And I hit someone's mailbox trying to turn around and lost a hubcap to the car. Fun night!

So, what about you? Do you like to celebrate Halloween by getting the pants scared off you? What have you done that's really been creeptacular?
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Oh my getting lost in a ghost run would be scary! I have never been to one, but it sounds like a lot of fun, except the getting lost part of course! Thanks for sharing Rhonda!!! Make sure to check out her website HERE

TOTBT Day 23: Lindsey Leavitt

Day 23: Today we have awesome author Lindsey Leavitt! She is author of Princess for Hire coming soon! (I'm super excited for this one!) Anyways she is going to do a guest post about "when are you too old to trick or treat?" Enjoy!!!
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WHEN ARE YOU TOO OLD TO TRICK OR TREAT?
I remember the day well. I’d had the idea on the bus ride home from school and gone straight to my mother’s closest to get to work. I found an old wool skirt, a cable-knit V-neck, and shoes so practical they bored librarians. I finished the look with some pigtail braids and my glasses. Classic school girl.
I hadn’t planned out a costume that year because, at thirteen, I thought dressing up was kids stuff. That was until my friend told me her rich neighbors were passing out KING SIZED candy bars for Halloween. Twenty houses would bring in enough loot to send me into a sugar coma.
Of course, my mom got mad when she saw my make-shift costume. OF course she told me I couldn’t hit the streets. Of course I ended up sneaking a few Snickers from the candy bowl set out to give to other kids. And, of course, kids from my class, kids MY AGE, showed up to trick or treat. Ah, the cruel irony.
This injustice was so great I have since dedicated my life (or maybe just his blog post) to educating teens on how to avoid such a sad fate. I’ve outlined three battle tactics below that I pray serve you well. Go forth and conquer and if you have any extra Junior Mints, send them my way.
1. Latch onto a large group of kids
It helps if these are younger kids—say around 7-10. This age is ideal because they aren’t weighed down by little toddlers tripping up the porch steps, and you don’t stick out too much size-wise. Linger a little when they knock, then get your bag in there without making eye-contact with the candy giver. No need to say trick or treat—your voice is only going to draw attention to your age. Masks are also a good idea, particularly if you have facial hair.
2. Steal a baby
When my first little girl was about six months old, a friend asked me to go trick or treating with her older kids. This was back when I still liked pretending my kids were dolls, so I put her in this cute little ladybug get up and off we went. At first, I would hang back on the curb and let the other kids do their thing. But no one could see how cute my baby was that way, so I had to go to the door and receive my well-earned compliments. Thing is, when they told me how cute my kid is, they also offered up candy. Huh. Pretty soon, I’d pulled out a little baggy I kept in my diaper bag and join the trick or treaters. My child needed the experience! And all that candy for baby, who ate nothing but milk and mashed carrots, needed to be eaten by someone?
You see what I’m saying? Get a baby. If you’re good, you can bring your own bag and DOUBLE THE LOOT. Can’t find a baby, a doll will do IF you find the right costume. Don’t get greedy and pretend you have twins, though.
And finally, perhaps my favorite…
3. Be a horse butt
Or a dragon butt. Any kind of butt will do, really. As long as the person in front of you in any two-person costume is younger, you’re golden. People often give the butt more candy, actually, because who doesn’t pity a butt?
Just make sure the kid in front of you isn’t having any digestive problems.
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Oh my i was laughing out loud the whole time! I love the baby idea!!!! Also i am glad Lindsey is using this post to enlighten us 16 year old's who cant trick-or-treat this year! I might steal one of her tactics!!!

Thank you so much Lindsey for this hilarious post! You can check out her blog HERE!!!!
xoxoxo
Rachel

P.s.- im taking the act tommorrow! wish me luck!

TOTBT Day 22: Chelsea from The Page Flipper

Day 22: Today we have a guest blog post from Chealsea! Chealsea is author of the wonderful blog The Page Flipper. She is sharing a ghost story with us today! Enjoy!!!!
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We used to live in this medium-sized, normal-looking white house. It was a nice find because of the huge backyard it had, surrounded by a thick forest. We ventured in there a few times when we were kids, hobbling over trees and trying to find our way back, looking for interesting stones on the floor. The forest was always this magical, mystical place to us, but the ironic thing is that all you had to do to find mystical was to stay indoors. Here's why.

Alarm clocks would go off at random times of the night, none of them set. We'd buy new clocks very often, replace the batteries, shut the dang things off entirely, but every single one of them did the same thing.We used to have this black cat named Sly, and he got hit by a car and, later, died. My brother came to us one day and said he saw a translucent black ghostcat. Thinking he was kidding, I ignored him.

We had this very heavy, thick front door (as most front doors are), that was closed completely. No wind. It was a non-stormy night. But the door somehow flew open, hit the other side of the wall, and slammed shut. By itself.

My mom was sitting downstairs and she saw a little boy, whom she thought was my brother, walking in the hall. She followed him into the bathroom, but no one was there. My brother was sleeping in his bed. Shortly after that, every item that was sitting on the back of the toilet and on the counter was flung onto the floor.

I woke up one night and saw a man sitting in our rocking chair, head resting on his arm and watching us sleep. He had longish brown hair and a bullet strap going across his body (I had no idea what it was back then, I just remember it vividly. I was probably 9 years old.) I closed my eyes really hard, scared, and when I opened them no one was there. My mom had said she'd seen our rocking chair moving by itself.

Eventually, we moved out of that house. Funny thing is, though, the person who moved in called us one day. "Some weird stuff has been happening in this house. Do you think there were ever ghosts in here?""Ha", we say. Yes.

She told us she hired a paranormal investigator and he confirmed the house was filled with Caspers. She started telling us some of her stories, and you know what she saw? A translucent black cat. Sorry for doubting you, Ryan.
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OMG!!! Creepy!!!! Wow that is so Scary!!! I would die, if i saw a translucent black cat,!!!

Thanks for sharing your awsome Story Chelsea! I loved it!! You can check out her blog HERE!!

Also make sure to enter my Spooky Contest!

TOTBT Day 21: Melissa Walker

Day 21: Today we have the Fabulous author Melissa Walker! Melissa is author of Lovestruck Summer and Violet On The Runway Series. Today she is Defending Candy Corn in a verry cute Video! Enjoy



Okay After watching this video i flipped! I mean amazing author Melissa Walker was thanking me! Me! Oh my hahaha!

But i totallly agree-Why would anyone bash Candy Corn? Why? Its deliciously sweet and yummy! I just dont understand! I am so craving some know!!(want to know something funny--I have to eat candy corn from the white tips to the orange! i know im wierd)

So thank you Melissa for that wonderful Vlog! I loved it! Make sure to check out the maker of Candy Corn HERE or HERE. Also Melissa's Blog HERE!! Also if Youtube is acting Stupid heres the link!!!
xoxoxxox
Rachel

TOTBT Day 20: History of Candy Corn

Day 20: Melissa Walker was fabulous enough to give me a link to this awsome article from her Site I HEART DAILY, her co-worker Anne Ichikawa wrote this very cute article! Enjoy this very intresting and fun Tidbit!

Though his name may not be familiar to you, George Renninger is a man whom we, as a society, owe a lot to. He invented candy corn. That’s right: CANDY CORN!
Unfortunately, not much is known about George, except that he invented candy corn while working at Wunderlee Candy Company in the 1880s. There is no historical documentation of how he exactly gave birth to the delicious, kernel shaped, tri-colored confection, but sufficed to say, we are all happy he did. In the 1900s, the Goelitz Candy Company (now known as Jelly Belly) started mass producing candy corn. (I suspect that George did not profit as much as he should have from his invention, but let’s not think about that for now.) Today, 8.3 billion kernels of candy corn are sold every year.


On this Halloween day, we will eat our fun size Snickers, chomp on some Twix and digest handfuls of M&Ms, but none of these treats hold a candle to dear ole candy corn.
George, wherever you are, we raise our glasses to you to say: Happy Halloween!



I give myh Personal thanks to George, because Candy Corn is one of MY favorite Halloween treats! I dont know what i would do without it!

TOTBT Day 19: ReaderGirl Reviews

Today we have the lovely ReaderGirl Reviews to share a review about Blood and Chocolate! Make sure to check out her blog here
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Product Description From Amazon:In Blood and Chocolate, Annette Curtis Klause does for werewolves whatAnne Rice has done for vampires.Sixteen-year-old Vivian Gandillon is trying to fit in to her new homein the suburbs. But trying to act "normal" isn't always easy, sinceVivian and her family are werewolves. It's glorious to have the powerto change, and Vivian is a beautiful loup-garou with all the youngwolves howling for her. But she wants no part of her squabbling pack,left leaderless by her father's recent death.Then Vivian falls in love with a human, a meat-boy. If she revealsherself, will he relish the magic of her dual nature? When a brutalmurder threatens the pack's survival, Vivian's divided loyalties arefurther strained. What is she really--human or beast?

My Review:From the moment I picked up Blood and Chocolate I was hooked. Ofcourse, I’m a huge fan of the supernatural in general, so maybe it wasan easy sell, but I thought it was awesome from the get go.Of course there were a few things I didn’t love along the way, but asa whole I actually really liked it. It ends diffrently from the moviefor those of you who’ve seen that, and it’s actually quite a bitsadder that I thought the movie was, but still really good.I actually watched the movie first so I have a bit of a soft spot forthe movie version, but it was really interesting to read the book because there’s so much extra stuff in the book that gets left out orchanged in the movie.Vivian’s cousins are always kind of entertainingto read about (Specially when picturing they guys from the movie….e_e;;) and I actually liked Gabriel soooo much better in the book!Annette did a great job with the writing and description wise it wasspot on. Definitely worth the read and if you’re a werewolf fan,you’ll love it!xoxoxoRG
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Wow! I really want to read that now! I saw this at my library and was about to pick it up, but then i decided i was too much of a wuss for this! Awsome Review Thanks! You can also win this book on her blog!!!

You can also Win the FEAR STREET CONTEST, here on my blog!! Enter enter enter!!!

TOTBT Day 18: Disney Villians

Hey girls! So sorry again that it is this late in the day! But i had a ton of homework. haha actually i still do, but im taking a break :). Okay so i love disney, and in honor of TOTBT i will list my Favorite disney villinas because ,hey, they can be scary at some times!!!

Cruella De Vil- From 101 dalmations. Ms. De Vil has to be my all time favorite! With her fur-loving evilness and two-toned hair, what is not to love??

Captain Hook- From Peter Pan. Captain Hookalways gave me nightmares as a little kid, but i also thought he was kindof funny at the same time with his hook!


Hades- From Hercules. The dark world brother, with the creepy haircut yeah.....

Jafar-From Aladin. His smooth talking voice and wierd cape/dress thing always gave me shivers!!


Queen of Hearts- So cute! i mean she gets upset about Everything!!! Plus the Cheshire Cat!!! How cool is he!!!

Clayton from Tarzan- Oh man, over the summer my i had my dance recital, and the theme this year was Tarzan. And guess what?? i got to be Clayton!!!! how cool is that! It was super fun to play a gorilla loving-jane obsessed, Clayton.

So these are some of my favorite Disney Villians, what are yours????

P.S. Please Please Please Enter my Contest!

Dau 17: Spooky Video

Hey girly's! Hope your weekend is going spooktasstic. Today i had to take the PSAT and go to a college fair! This video is from so you think you can dance! Its one of my favorite group dances and fits our halloween theme perfectly! Enjoy!

TOTBT Day 16: Wicked Cupcakes

Day 16: Cupcakes!
Hey girls! I made these last year for a party and they were wonderful! You think they would be hard, but they were super easy and Delicious! (You can even use cake mix from a box) And look how cute they look! I got rave revies from everyone!

*One tip is made their faces(Green Frosting) with an ice cream scooper to get that perfect circle like in the picture* Enjoy and make sure to tell me how yours turn out! xoxoxo

Ingredients
Cupcakes:
1 1/2 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cups prune juice
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
4-ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 drop food coloring (green), optional
Chocolate wafer cookies
Licorice strips
Toasted coconut
Small candies
Special equipment: 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with paper liners


Directions
For the cupcakes: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F. Set liners in muffin cups.

Put the chocolate and prune juice in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave on low power, stirring occasionally, until completely melted.
Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg and yolk with an electric hand mixer at high speed until slightly thick and lemon colored, about 3 minutes. Slowly add buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until thoroughly combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.

Divide the batter among muffin tins, filling them 1/2 of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcakes comes out clean and the tops spring back when pressed gently, about 25 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the tin on a rack for 10 minutes then remove from the tin and cool completely.

For the frosting: Beat the butter, peanut butter, and cream cheese in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and milk mixing until the frosting is smooth. Add food coloring as desired. Refrigerate the frosting until firm.

To decorate the cakes: For the witches hat, score a circle in the middle of a cupcake. Cut a deep cone-like shape with a knife held at an angle. Rotate the cupcake to complete the circle and remove the center. Repeat with all the cupcakes. Generously scoop or pipe enough frosting into the center of each cupcake to fill the hole and to come over the cake to make a face. Top with a chocolate wafer cookie. Put a dot of frosting in the middle of the wafer cookie and invert the cone shaped piece of cake on top to make a witches hat. Use skinny licorice, toasted coconut or cereal flakes for hair and candies for eyes and/or nose. Refrigerate for up to 30 minutes before serving.

Hope you guys like this recipie! They are super yummy!!

TOTBT Day 15: Jessica-Eat Sleep and Dance

Day 15! Wow! We are halfway through our trick-or-treat blog tour, and the month of october! I hope you all like the tour so far! But anyways today we have Jessica from EAT SLEEP AND DANCE here to give us a review on TuTu Deadly!!! Enjoy!

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Ha-ha this novel is so cute! I'm trying to get into the Halloween spirit so I thought I would read a mystery. I really didn't expect much from this book and I actually thought it would be pretty bad but it was amazing! I get really mad when mystery novels have random things happen just to make it more interesting. I'm not saying this was predictable. Not at all! I love novels that have twists and turns and this definitely did. My favorite parts were with the dance moms. I dance, and so I get what jenny thought of some of the stereo typical stage moms. I loved the description of how people danced and acted it was really realistic for me. I could picture my dance studio and some people in it while reading it. My only complaint is the cover. I personally like photographed covers and I personally love the title but some of my friends just shook their heads or laughed at me when I took it out to read. Looking for more Natalie m Roberts? Here next book is called tapping out and the third is Pointe and shoot. I recommend this novel especially if you like mysteries and if you dance I think you'll laugh at the characters realness just like me.

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Thanks jessica for that awsome review! I cant Wait to read that book! You can visit her Blog HERE!

ALSO ENTER THE FEAR STREET CONTEST HERE!

TOTBT Day 14: Devoured Review

Devoured by Amanda Marrow...

Megan’s twin sister Remy died in an accident nine years ago, and she’s been haunting her ever since. Knowing how crazy that sounds, Megan keeps this secret to herself and tries to lead a normal life. But when she takes a summer job at Land of Enchantment to keep an eye on her new boyfriend and his lovesick best friend, Samantha, she meets fellow employee Luke who can see Remy, too. Things get even twistier because Megan’s new friend Ari is sporting a massive crush on Luke, who seems to be developing a massive crush on Megan…making for a love triangle that’s positively possessed. Megan wants to keep her distance from Luke, but when Remy’s visions get crazy violent; she knows she needs his help. Because someone’s definitely in danger...the only question is who?

Oh!My! Thats all i have to say! I really do need to research books more often because this one blew me away! DEVOURED is a very fun-creepy sort of read! Her sisters ghost, Remy, brings the creepy element, while the disney element is fun! Throughout the novel Devoured has a Snow White theme. I loved the classic elements like the talking mirror, poisined apple, and witch! All of these elements have a modern spin on them though! I was scared to death by some of these elements!

The setting worked really well too! Megan works at the Land of Enchantment theme park, which you think wouldnt be scary, but is actually very haunting! The Characters were a riot! My favorite was her BFF, who is a very loud and knows Megan too well. Megan's New Friend Ari is way creepy, she has these impossible mood swings that i would be affraid of. Everthing about DEVOURED was perfectly good! It had the right amount of Scare Factor with a hint of love, and self discovery! (Although i'm a big wimp, so it actually might not be that scary) A great read for halloween with Ghosts and Creepy talking mirrors! Check it out!

P.S.- isnt the Cover Crazy Fabulous????

4/5 Suns

TOTBT Day 12: Author Guest Post- Tera Lynn Childs

Today on our Trick-Or-Treat Blog tour we have a very special Guest Post from Tera Lynn Childs. Tera is author of Oh My Gods and Goddess Boot Camp. She is also working on a new upcomming Novel, Forgive My Fins comming out June 2010! Can't Wait! Today she will be tellin us about her Tramatic Costume experience. Enjoy!
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When I was growing up, my mom always made my Halloween costumes. She'd been a theatre costume designer, so they were usually pretty awesome. One year I was a patchwork puppy dog made out of all different colors of fake fur. Once I was a Jack-In-The-Box, complete with clown outfit and big cardboard box (my dad contributed that part). Usually everything was awesome, but when I was seven years old I had the most traumatizing costume experience of my life.

I had all the old hardcover Disney cartoon books and I was completely in love with Cinderella. I wanted to be Cinderella, more than anything. I wanted the fairy godmother and the pumpkin coach and the mice who sang to me and, most of all, the Prince Charming. So, that year, I told my mom I wanted to be Cinderella for Halloween. She opened to the page where Cinderella's fairy godmother has just magically turned her dirty rags into a beautiful gown and said, “No problem.”

She recreated that dress perfectly! From the poufy sleeves to the princess waist to the big, full skirt. I was so ecstatic to go out in our neighborhood and rake in the treats worthy of a Disney princess. Only no one recognized me. With nearly every door that opened, someone said, “Oh, are you a fairy?” or “What kind of fairy are you?” or “And who are you tonight?” I was mortified. Couldn't they see I was Cinderella??? The costume was perfect, they should have known!

I have no conclusion to this story other than I am obviously still, twenty-five years later, annoyed by that night. I guess the moral is, if some adorable kid shows up on your step this Halloween with eager anticipation in their eyes, make sure you take the time to properly guess their costume.

What about you? Have you ever had any Halloween costume disasters or traumas? Do share (so I know I'm not alone).
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Oh my tera thats horrible! I remember a couple of years ago when i was the mad hatter from alice in wonderland,and know one knew who i was! It was awful! Although i think it is safe to say that just because i had a crazy hat and striped tights, it was okay that no one knew who i was! hahah

Thank you so much Tera for that AWSOME post! So much fun! Make sure to check out Tera's Website HERE, and her new book, FORGIVE MY FINS comming 2010!

*P.S.-there is stil time to enterthe FEAR STREET contest!*

TOTBT Day 11: Megan-Simply Books

Today we have a very special blogger! Its Megan from Simply Books! She was so sweet to participate in my Trick-Or-Treat Blog tour, and i think you will love her post today about the Best and Worst Scary Movies! Enjoy! *side note-Enter the FEAR STREET contest HERE!*
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The Best and Worst Scary Movies

I absolutely love Halloween. The costumes, the candy, and even the scariness. I know most people don't like being scared, but I love it. Whether it's watching a scary movie or going to a haunted attraction, it's always a ton of fun for me. So I thought I would share my favorite (and least favorite) scary movies for fans of the horror genre.

Rose Red
This is actually a mini-series written by Stephen King (and it was not a book). When I first saw this when I was about 10, it completely freaked me out. I watched it again about a year ago (when I was 16) and it didn't scare me as much. For one, the special effects weren't that good and since I already knew everything that happened, it's hard to be scared. But it's still an awesome movie. Rose Red is about a mansion (with the same name) that is about to be knocked down, but is believed to have paranormal activity. So a group of psychics go in and learn about the house. And what's really creepy is that the house is alive, and plays tricks on the people (hallways that led to rooms suddenly just are a dead end).

The Uninvited
This movie might be catagorized as a thriller, but I still thought it was scary. It was released recently and is about a girl whose mother is killed in a fire, but thinks that her father's new girlfriend was behind it all. It has a really creepy twist that completely catches you off-guard, but if you go back and re-watch the movie, you can find hints of foreshadowing.

Disturbia
I love this movie! For one, it has Shia Labeouf. It also has humor, a creepy murderer, and a really good running-from-the-killer scene. I saw this in the theater, and everyone was screaming at the end. If you want to be scared, definitely watch Disturbia.

One Missed Call
This is probably the worst horror movie ever made. I saw this in the movie theater, and it was total waste of money. It was so dumb and not scary, it was ridiculous. I kind of blocked the movie from my mind, but it's about people who get a call on their cell phone and then die. There was no plot, and some parts I was actually laughing out loud.

The Fog
This was another scary movie that was so dumb, it was funny. It has Tom Welling (Smallville) in it, but that's it's only redeeming quality. It's about, you guessed it, fog that begins overtaking a town and just killing people. Yes, the fog killed people. It was just not-scary at all. But if you want a comedy, this will probably work.

The Strangers
In this movie, a couple is attacked in their house by three crazy, mask wearing murderers. The masks were creepy, but I didn't get why they were killing people. Plus, the couple were really stupid and do the opposite of what any nornal person would do in this situation. You know what I'm talking about. It just wasn't good horror movie material.

So if you're a fan of horror movies, I hope this list helps you pick the good and weed out the bad. Happy Halloween!-
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WoW! Such a great list! Since i am such a scardie cat i really dont watch scary movies, but i did see disturbia, and i LOVED that one too! Proably because it all wasnt about Scary stuff! Also you want to know something funny. I went and saw Prom night with my friend and we had to walk out, because we were so scared! After ten minutes we went back in! It wasnt even a scary movie, but we were terrified!

Thanks Megan for that post! It was awsome!!!!!!!!You can check out her Blog HERE!
ALSO MAKE SURE TO ENTER THE FEAR STREET CONTEST!

TOTBT DAY 10: Need Review

Hey girls! Today i have a review for Need! This book came out a while ago, but i just barely got to reading it! It's all about pixies, and how very halloween is that?

Need by Carrie Jones...

Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal.
Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara.

When I picked up need all I knew about it was it was about pixies and everyone around the blog-o-sphere was raving about how awesome it was and excited they were for the next novel-Captivate! Since it is Halloween month here at Sunshine Edition I decided to give it a try, and it didn’t disappoint.I expected NEED to be about Tinkerbelle kind of pixies, you know the cute one that helps people fly? Boy was I wrong!

NEED was fast paced and jam packed with action. I loved how the novel started out as Zara (Love the Name) was moving in with her grandmother, because she was in a state of depression. She is the new girl at school, and I adored watching her make friends and struggle to be a strong independent girl! You know how in some books, it is so obvious who is the wrong guy, and which one is right? In need I totally couldn’t tell! I mean I loved both the main guy characters! Ian was this outgoing club officer, while Nick was the mysterious bad boy. I won’t give anything away, but I was so SURPRISED at the end!

I also loved the whole plot of Pixies gone bad. There was just one surprise after the other by the end I was almost jumping out of my bed; I didn’t know what was going to happen next. Defiantly a fun read that I wouldn’t normally pick up! Can't wait to read CAPTIVATE!

3/5 Suns

P.S.-there is still time to enter the FEAR STREET CONTEST!*

TOTBT Day 9:Author Interview with Kristina Springer

Today is my very first author interview for the trick or treat blog tour! I was so thrilled and excited to interview Kristina Springer author of THE ESPRESSOLOGIST! I Can not wait to read her new book, so this interview was especially fun! Enjoy!

THE ESPRESSOLOGIST: What’s your drink of choice?Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy.Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life.Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie.Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane’s Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee. Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She’s the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right?With overtones of Jane Austen’s Emma and brimming with humor and heart, this sweet, frothy debut will be savored by readers.

ME: Firstly, thank you so much for Participating in Sunshine Edition's First Trick-Or-Treat blog tour. What was your inspiration for the Espressologist?

KS:I'm a HUGE coffee fan and spend tons of time in coffee shops. One day I was sitting in Starbucks people watching and it hit me that I could sorta tell what they were going to order. I thought it might be fun to write a book about Espressology and detail this kind of information. Then I thought no, write a book about a Batista who matchmakes based on this information and call her the Espressologist.

ME: Can you relate to any of the characters in the Espressologist?

KS: Definitely! Me and my main character Jane share some similarities (except she is far cooler and funnier than me!

ME: Okay i have to ask, where is your favorite place to write, is it a coffeshop?

KS: I do ALL of my writing in coffeeshops! I have four kids ages 6 and under so my house is LOUD. I wrote all of The Espressologist from the same table at my local Starbucks.

ME: When was the moment, when you knew you wanted to be a writer?

KS:Freshman year in college. But I didn't know that I wanted to be a young adult fiction writer until about five years ago.

ME: I know you went through a couple cover's before your current one(Which i love and is my favorite), how did that process go, and do you judge a book by its cover?

KS:The whole cover thing is usually out of the author's hands. Pretty much my publisher just showed me each cover. They made some changes on their end to get to the final cover and I agree with you-- it's my favorite!I do tend to judge a book by it's cover which I know is so bad! Just recently I had been putting off reading a book that I received as a gift because the cover was blah. I finally started it last week and LOVED it! Sometimes bad covers happen to good books.

ME: Favorite Past halloween costume?

KS: I liked dressing up as a princess as a kid.

ME: Scariest moment of your life?

KS:After having baby #4 last summer I took all of the kids out by myself for the first time (oldest was 5 then). When we came home I quickly realized our house had been robbed and it was terrifying trying to get everyone out of there fast and call the police. I didn't know if there was still someone in there. It's scary when you're one person and you have a lot of little people to protect. ( ME: That is TERRIFYING, I dont know what i would have done!)

ME: What is your favorite Halloween Treat?

KS: Peanut butter cup

ME: Favorite Scary book?

KS: Any old Stephen King stuff (not fantasy though-- I'm not a fantasy fan). I especially like Desperation.

ME: What will you be doing this halloween ?

KS: Taking the kiddos trick-or-treating!

Thank you again Kristina for the awesome Interview! I had so much fun! Make sure to read THE ESPRESSOLOGIST comming out October 27, 2009. Also you can Check out Kristina's WEBSITE!

TOTBT Day 8: Secret Society Prize Pack!

Hey girls! Today I just wanted to let you know about a very cool contest!Tom Dolby is hosting a Secret Society Teen ambassador Contest and 15 luck winners will recieve a Seccret Society prize pack!

Http://www.tomdolby.com/blog/?p=296

The kit Includes...

• “The Initiates were given what looked like tattoos at the nape of their necks.” A set of 15 temporary ankh tattoos for you and 14 Initiates. Give them out wisely!

• “Anastasia took a sip of her martini, leaving a dark red lipstick print on her glass.” Your ticket to gorgeous lips and cheeks, TheBalm’s Stainiac Beauty Queen tinted gel blush (”a hint of tint for the lips and cheeks”)! A $15 value! (TheBalm is a fabulous makeup brand launched by my friend Marissa Shipman and sold nationwide at Sephora.)

• “A card was included with the package that simply read, ‘With compliments.’” A one-of-a-kind vintage New York postcard signed by Tom — use it as a bookmark!

• “Patch and Nick used to play this game in class, where they would pass notes.” One beautiful, retro-styled Field Notes mini-notebook, perfect for writing down secrets! At the Bradford Trust, we’re crazy about these little notebooks. Normally, three are $10!

• “Lauren started to open it, but Emily stopped her.” Last, but not least: a secret initiation tool — here’s a hint: it’s sealed with an ankh!

(Doesnt that sound AMAZING!! 15 People will win that prize Pack!! OH MY!)

Once you get your kit, go initiate your friends into the world of Secret Society! Loan them your copy, or better yet, tell them to pick up one of their own. For a chance to win more, see the instructions below about the tattoos!

Dont miss out on this special oppertunity! The official Home page is HERE! GOOD LUCK!

P.S. Check back tommorrow for a special Aurhor interview! Also there is still time to enter The FEAR STREET CONTEST!

TOTBT Day 7- Melanie-Melanies Musings

Today's Guest Post is by Melanie, from Melanies Musings! She is going to share her Costume Story! Enjoy!

If you think like me, when you picture a kid dressing up on their first Halloween you think about a kid about six, maybe seven, years old. If the person is a girl, she may be dressed up as a ballerina or her favorite popstar. If the person's a boy, he's most likely dressed as his favorite super hero or sports player. What I never pictured was a fourteen year old girl dressed as a pirate. Yet that's exactly what happened to me last year.

As a young child, I never had much interest in Halloween. To me, it was a rather scary day when it was better to stay inside in order to keep away from the odd things that tended to pop out of nowhere at school. I always thought it would be fun to dress up, though, so when I got invited to a fall festival by friends, I was more than excited to go.

I knew exactly what I wanted to go as: A pirate! However, this was two days before the festival, and there was no way I was going to spend a large amount of money on an outfit I'd be wearing for only a few hours. Whenever I'm put on a deadline, my creativity and imagination comes out, so I went to work.

First, I took a pair of pants that I've had for a year or so. I had grown a couple inches, so they were at that odd stage where they were too short to be pants, yet too long to be capris. With a pair of scissors, I roughed the bottom of the legs up a bit. I already knew what shoes I would be wearing, a pair of boots that my dad had termed, "roach stompers." I employed the help of my mother, and she lent me a purple scarf to wrap around my head.

By the time I had gotten that much together, it was the day of the festival. It was crunch time. I went to a local thrift store for help. There I found a bunch of Halloween attire, and one was a shirt that would definitely work. From there, I went to Walmart and picked up the crowning pieces. I picked up a lovely plastic sword which my friends and I fenced with during the night, an eyepatch, and a clip-on earring. That earring would end up cutting off the circulation in my ear all night.

The night turned out to be a blast, and I was able to assemble my outfit for $3.50. Not too shabby, huh? Now my only question is, what should I do this year?

WOW Melanie, i wish i could find a costume for under 5$ Thanks for sharing, and make sure to visit Melanies blog HERE.

P.S. Dont forget to enter the FEAR STREET CONTEST!(i only have 1 entry so far :(

*Also i want to hear what was your Best Costume Steal???*

TOTBT Day 6: PUMPKINS

Hey Girls! So today is all about pumpkins! One of my favorite Hallowen Activities is carving Pumpkins. Now i was going to do a step by step , but then i decided most of you already know how to carve a pumkin. So here are some great tips...

• Draw your design on the pumpkin with a water-based marker beforehand. Mistakes are erased easily with a damp sponge.

-Dip your pattern in Oil or water to make the pattern curve to the pumpkin for easy carving.

• Cut the lid at an angle so the outside diameter is larger than the inside.This prevents the top from falling into the pumpkin when it shrinks.

• Scoop out seeds and stringy flesh with an ice cream scooper.

• Use an X-Acto knife for details and the tip of a potato peeler to make small circles and curves.

• Reattach a section that is accidentally removed by using a toothpick to pin it back in place.

• To prolong the life of the jack-o'-lantern, seal in moisture by coating all cut surfaces with petroleum jelly or vegetable oil, or cover it with a damp towel when not on display.

I hope those tips will help you in your future pumpkin carvings! I know now i will for sure use toothpicks to re-attach!(i always mess mine up) Also i am always looking for free stencils online,so i thought i would share some of my favorites with you! Most of them are disney, but some are scary!

http://www.hersheys.com/trickortreats/activities/stencils.asp

http://www.cartoonjr.com/pumpkin-stencils-disney-pumpkin-carving-patterns/

http://www.huggieshappybaby.com/tools/games/pumpkinstencils.aspx

http://family.go.com/holidays/pkg-pumpkin-templates/

I hope this helped! Good luck and Happy Pumpkin carving!

TOTBT Day 5: Jessica-Chick Lit Teens

Jessica from Chick-Lit Teens is here today to share her...
Top 5 literary characters/things that give her chills! Enjoy!

October means Halloween, the Day of the Dead, All Hallows Eve – any way you spin it it’s a celebration of all the things that go bump in the night. From zombies to vampires everything fantastical is celebrated for one month. Which, of course, has me thinking about all of the wonderful paranormal creatures in YA, and so I give you (in no particular order), five literary people, places, and things that give me the chills:

1.The Tree of All Souls from The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
In all honesty, the entirety of the Winterlands and its inhabitants frightened me to some extent, but The Tree of All Souls, specifically, creeped me out. The concept of the tree was awesome and even reading it I found it cool. However, I can’t deny that it definitely has the horror-move-factor going on.

2. Daughters of the Moon by Lynne Ewing
This is one of the few (if only) books I’ve returned without finishing. The reason: I was too darn scared to read it! I like reading at night, right before bed, and the first two chapters of this book had me scared out of my wits. I love the story idea, but stalkers in dark alley ways? Eeek!

3.The stalker (sorry, no spoilers here) from Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Stolarz
You may have noticed a pattern here – I don’t do well with stalkers. Nope, not one bit. This book was a bit less terrifying than Daughters of the Moon, but I still wouldn’t want to be caught reading it after dark.

4. The possessed doll from Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender
Don’t get me wrong, I love dolls, I really do. I had my own porcelain dolls growing up, but this doll was freaking scary! I’m sorry but I draw the line at possessed dolls with the power to take over little girls.

5. The Poppy Warriors from Rebel Angels and The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
I know, I know, I already mentioned these books once, but, in my defense, Libba Bray is good at creeping me out. I wouldn’t say that it’s the Poppy Warriors in particular that really creep me out, though they do have their moments, mostly it’s their castle. Now, I don’t want to give too much away, but if you’ve read the book you know what I mean. Creepy!

Oh Man Jessica i am with you! All of those items would give me chills too! Stalkers' and possessed dolls... I think ill pass! Thanks for sharing your AWSOME list with us! Make sure to check out Jessica's Blog- Chick lit teen HERE!

Also there is still time to enter the FEAR STREET CONTEST!

TOTBT Day 4: CONTEST TIME!!

~CONTEST TIME~
YAY! The very first contest of my trick-or-treat blog tour!!!!

The lovely Katie from Sophistikatied Reviews is giving away THREE books in the Fear Street series. The three books are Goodnight kiss,The Second horror, and The Secret Bedroom.

Goodnight Kiss-A summer at the beach turns into a nightmare when Matt realizes that his girlfriend, April, and his best friend, Todd, have turned into vampires.

The Secret Horror-Enjoying the attentions of three beautiful neighbors, Brandt McCloy is unaware that his new house has a grisly past and that the ghost of Cally Frasier intends to destroy Brandt and everyone close to him.

The Secret Bedroom-A mysterious spirit is lurking above Lea's bedroom waiting to escape and seek vengeance on-the past. Can Lea stop this and prevent evil from spreading through the community of Shady side?.

Rules to be entered:

-You must be a follower to enter!
-You must leave a comment with a valid email address. If you aren't comfortable leaving your email in a comment, email me your entry at sunshineedition132(at)yahoo(dot)com
-Please include all entries in one comment.

Extra entries:
+1 Linking to your Sidebar or somewhere else(only once)
+1 comment on one of my Trick-Or-Treat Post's
+2Follow Katie's Blog HERE
+5 Post about this contest in an actual post
(Link please)

This contest will be closed October 31, 2009 (or until i have at least 25 entries)!! Make sure to leave your email address so i have a way of contacting you! Good luck!
xoxox
Rachel

TOTBT Day 3: Katie from Sophistikatied Reviews

Day 3: Yay Katie from Sophistikatied Revies has joined us today for a ghost post! Here is her crazy-awsome Ghost story she wrote! Enjoy, and make sure to check out her blog here.

Well, this is just perfect.

The car was destroyed. There was almost nothing left to it except for a thick cloud of smoke and sharp shards of glass. I groaned, resisting the urge to throw myself down in the middle of the street.

Why not? My dad was going to kill me anyway.

I wasn’t even entirely sure of what had happened. One second I had been driving smoothly, singing along obnoxiously to a Taylor Swift song, and the next, I was toppling down into a deep ditch. Fortunately for me, I was able to pull myself up out of the car- which had landed on it’s side- without a scratch.

If only I could say the same for the car. My father’s car- that I had taken without permission. Oh, I was so dead.

It was just like a scary movie. I was stuck in the middle of nowhere- no car, no service on my cell phone, not even a damn jacket to keep myself warm. I was expecting a werewolf to jump out and eat my face off. If a zombie didn’t get to me first.

I began walking. I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew that I had to find some semblance of civilization so I could call my big brother to come pick me up. But how long would it take for me to actually come across something? I had driven down this road before, and until you reached town, there were absolutely no houses or businesses.

But then .. what was that light up ahead? I was fairly positive that there weren’t any streetlights or cross lights around here. Was I imagining it?

No, I couldn‘t be because as I got closer, I heard the sounds of busy chatter. Civilization! Score!

I could see it now; it sat not too far from where I was now. Where had it come from? It certainly hadn’t been there before, otherwise I would’ve remembered it. But I couldn’t find the willpower to be suspicious. I could see the faint traces of people through the open windows, and my entire body racked with relief.

When I approached the building, I inhaled the sugary sweet aroma of freshly baked cakes. My mouth watered as I gripped the doorknob, yanking the door open. Hopefully there were a few stray dollar bills in my pocket. Whatever was creating that delicious smell, I wanted some!

The jingle of the door alerted my presence. A few heads turned in my direction, but at the same time, a few heads lowered. It was odd, but I ignored it, walking briskly to the front where a counter separated me from what looked like a kitchen. I sat down on a stool and waited for service.

A woman emerged from the side, her back facing me.

“What can I help you with, sweet pea?” she asked in a scratchy voice, never turning around. I looked around at tables, trying to discover what this place was. A bar? A bakery? There wasn’t a sign out front.

“Um, do you have a phone I could possibly use? I wrecked my car a few miles down.”

She laughed, hollow and deep. It didn’t sound like it would come from her, considering the sickly sweet talking voice she had. She still didn’t turn around. “Sorry, sweet pea. We don’t have any use for telephones on this side.”

I raised my eyebrow. “You’re not that far from town,” I commented. She laughed again.

“Sure we are,” she said. She half-turned, exposing the milky white skin of her neck. I stretched to get a better look, but she remained still as stone, her long fingers curling into fists at her sides. “You’re quite some distance away from real life, sweet pea.”

I frowned at her words, but didn’t answer. I sighed, swiveling the stool around and standing up to leave. I opened my mouth to thank her for her non-help, when she turned around.

My hand flew to my mouth to stifle my screams. Her face was grotesque- eyeballs missing from the sockets, lip hanging half-way off of her jaw, and nose abnormally dislocated. I immediately moved backwards, scrambling to reach the door, when I saw the rest of the customers raise their heads. They were just as- if not, more- disfigured than the woman in front of me. Though none of them had eyes, I could feel their stares burning against my skin, and I knew I had to get out.

They were beginning to stand as I pushed open the door and started to sprint. My adrenaline kicked in, and I had never moved so fast in my life. I was too frightened to turn my head to see if they were following me. I had seen quite a few zombie movies where they moved faster than humans, and I wasn’t taking any chances.

Faster, faster, faster. I have to run faster. I have to-

My entire body collided into something hard, sending me toppling to the ground. I groaned as I scrambled to my feet, whipping my head around for any possible threats. I sighed in relief when I saw the culprit was a large sign welcoming me into the town.

Town? This wasn’t a town. It was an isolated area.

I continued to read the sign, pausing when my eyes landed on a small group of pictures. In large block letters read the scripture ‘In Loving Memory’, followed by a list of names. I was about to turn around and keep running when I accidentally glanced at one of the pictures.

Her picture- the woman with no eyes. And as I searched terrifyingly at the rest of the portraits, some of the faces became recognizable, though they all had eyeballs in the pictures. It was them. These people had just been in that building. These people were dead.

I was so horrified and frightened that I wanted to cry, but I knew I had to get out of here. I knew I had to run and keep myself safe. I’ve seen too many scary movies where dumb broads wander around the scene of the monstrosities, and always end up getting hacked to pieces in the end.

So I ran. I ran for what seemed like hours. I ran until my legs felt like weights on my torso, and I literally couldn’t move them anymore. There was smoke fogging the air, and I knew I wasn’t too far from where my car had crashed.

The car! I could go take shelter in the car until daylight. It didn’t seem likely that it would explode, and if I was lucky, those creatures- or whatever the hell they were- were allergic to daylight. I could only hope.

I crawled back down into the ditch, pulling my shirt above my nose so I wouldn’t inhale the fumes. I was about to nestle myself against the hood, when something bright red in the car caught my eye. My shirt. My bright red t-shirt, that I was currently wearing. But .. how?

I cupped my hand around the window, and looked inside.

This time, I didn’t try to muffle my scream.

Laying lifeless, pale and bloody across the steering wheel, was me. I jumped up, my screams of horror still coming out in breathless bouts. This wasn’t possible. This wasn’t happening. How could I be in the car if I was right here? I was right here, I was alive!

Feeling desperate, I extended my arm and reached inside the small crack of the window. I touched my body’s shoulder, shaking it forcefully. Nothing. I wasn’t breathing. With force, I shoved against the shoulder and it slumped back into the seat.

This time when I cupped my hands around the window, I saw something that sealed my fate. I ignored the sudden fingers probing at my back, and the groans of the bodies that were increasing dramatically up behind me. The body inside of the car, my body, was void of eyeballs. My usual bright green eyes- gone. Gone. Just like any chance I had of getting out of this.

The hands behind me yanked me backwards, and I was swallowed in the sea of eyeless souls.

Oh, I was so dead.

OOh i still have shivers running up my spine! Thanks Katie for sharing with us! And make sure to come check back tommorrow for a special givaway from Katie as well!

Halloween 29 Days :)
xoxoxo
rachel

Trick-Or-treat Blog tour: Day 2-Hunger Games Review

the Hunger Games by Suzanne Colllins...

Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives.
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

The Hunger Games is perfect for my Trick-or-treat blog tour! I mean its the survival of the fittest! I loved this book! I got it last night at the library, and i never put it down! I immediately fell in love with the characters in this future world! Katniss is strong and independent while Peeta(i'm saying it like perter but without the r) is this strong baker boy! Yumm! Throughout the novel i can fell their struggle and taste their pain. I thought i would be more disturbed by all the killings, but its done in a very different way. Not a kind or nice way but not a blood bath either. I almost want the other contenders to die, because i want Katniss and Peeta to stay alive so badly. Also the plot of the story is just amazing, i dont even know how Suzanne does it. I cant wait to read the second book!

4/5 suns

Trick-Or-Treat Blog Tour Begins:Day 1

I am so excited to have this blog tour! I have a lot of really cool authors and bloggers sharring everything halloweeny! This whole month will be filled with everything from stories to interviews to giveaways, and i cant wait to share it with you all! Everyother day will be a "Guest Ghost" A.K.A- blogger/author. And then all the other days will be filled by with your own truly, Moi! Cant wait! For today's post i just wanted to let you know about one of my favorite halloween memories...

I was about six years old, and I was going to be a princess fairy for Halloween. My mom made my costume and I was as pink as ever! I had the little leotard, the sparkled tutu and my fairy wings and wand. I went out trick-or-treating with my little pumpkin brother and mom and dad. After a long hour of successful trick-or-treating I was getting to the last house. It had a cute little scarecrow by the door, with a pumpkin on its head. I went up the porch and was about to ring the doorbell when all of a sudden the scarecrow moved, and yelled boo. Obviously that teenager didn’t understand you don’t scare little kids. But anyways I was so scared I screamed and backed up and fell off the porch onto the grass. (it was only foot) As a was crying because of my ripped tights and skinned knee, a boy the same age as me dressed up as Spiderman came up and said, "Don’t be sad little princess, you can have my tootsie pop"

This is one of my first halloween memories. Every time i went out trick -or-treating since then i always thought of my little Spiderman and how he offered me a totisie pop even though i had ten billion in my bag. I never even got his name, but i love the fact that halloween can not only be scary but sweet! Happy halloween.... In 30 days :)