It's Hallowe'en......

Hallowe'en is one of our oldest traditions which is believed to have its roots in the Pagan festivals, and more particularly in the Gaelic ritual of Samhain. 

Traditionally observed around the world on the 31st of October, Hallowe'en heralds that special time between the worlds on the eve of the Christian feast day of All Souls.

At this time of year I always try to have a Hallowe'en themed story on the go and this year I am highlighting some really special spooky stories from the publishers, Alma.

After-Supper Ghost Stories by Jerome K Jerome

As they relax after dinner on Christmas Eve, the members of a family and their guests turn to telling ghost stories. These ghoulish accounts range from the melancholy to the macabre, and get increasingly bizarre as the ghosts leap out of the tales and make an appearance in the family’s home. Fact and fiction, the real and unreal collide, until the reader is not sure who is haunting whom.

A masterful work of comic horror, Jerome K. Jerome’s After-Supper Ghost Stories is a witty look at why Christmas Eve is so perfect for ghost stories and why ghosts love the Yuletide season.

Tales of Horror by Edgar Allan Poe

A murderer is forced to reveal his crime by the sound of a beating heart, a mysterious figure wreaks havoc among a party of noblemen during the time of the plague, a grieving lover awakens to find himself clutching a box of his beloved blood-stained teeth, a man is obsessed with the fear of being buried alive – these are only some of the memorable characters and stories included in this volume, which exemplify Poe’s inventiveness and natural talent as a storyteller.

Immensely popular both during and after his lifetime, and a powerful influence on generations of writers and film-makers to this day, Edgar Allan Poe is still counted among the greatest short-story writers of all time and seen as one of the initiators of the detective, horror and science-fiction genres.



The Horror Handbook by Paul Van Loon and Illustrated by Axel Scheffler

What happens to a vampire when he dies? How does somebody become a werewolf? How can you protect yourself from witches? All of these questions and more are answered in this book, which will finally give you all the information you ever wanted to know about ghosts, zombies, monsters and all kinds of creepy-crawly creatures that give us the heebie-jeebies.

Full of tips, anecdotes and trivia – and delightfully illustrated by Axel Scheffler – Paul van Loon’s Horror Handbook is a fun and fascinating reference book for all fans of scary stories and things that go bump in the night.

***Giveaway question *** 

Who or what is your favourite spooky story or spooky character?

Leave your answer in the comments below with a contact email or Twitter address and which book you would like to win.

** UK ONLY **

Jaffa will pick 3 spooky names out of his witches hat on Wednesday 2nd November!!



**Just to add if you have problems commenting than do get in touch with me jaffareadstoo(at) hotmail(dot) co (dot) uk  and I will add your details to the comment list**

Huge thanks to William at Alma Books for generously providing these amazing giveaways.

*** Good Luck ***

~***~

**It's our Fifth Blogoversary**

Jaffa and I are celebrating

Five years ago on the 7th May 2011, Jaffareadstoo was born. It's been a really fun 5 year book trip.


We've posted 1435 blog posts and have been viewed well over a quarter of a million times..


We've hosted countless Author Interviews and been involved in umpteen Blog Tours and have given and received enough books to stock a Small Library..


Jaffareadstoo has been on Literary Adventures all over the world and we have spanned time as efficiently as any Time Traveller..


Jaffa and I have also been involved in the most amazing Book Adventures..


Here's our own little literary adventure for you...

At 13, Rue Therese and Behind Closed Doors, I found A House Divided but soon discovered that The Good Mother would always stop The Daughter's Secret from going Viral and so, I decided to sit quietly with The Girl From Nowhere and we played The Waiting Game and together we made some Dangerous Promises 

It was Quarter Past two in the Afternoon, when I noticed that The Widow was speaking to The Storm Sister and I wondered if sitting in The Liars Chair would be The Last Thing I Remember but then into the room came Solomon Creed who made me write my name in The Red Notebook and told me that my new name was Mrs Engels. I knew then that this was all part of The Killer Plan, and that to learn The Secret By the Lake I would have to become The 3rd Woman to visit The Scottish Prisoner,who was also known as The Jackdaw, and who was A Better Man than The Marble Collector who, it must be said, always had a Disclaimer or two tucked away.

The Mistake I Made was in travelling to The Winter Isles without The Penny Heart which was the price I needed to be able to enter The House on Cold Hill , but I knew that the Three Strange Angels who guarded The Devil's Bridge would be far too busy Sewing the Shadows Together to listen to The Song of the Sea Maid, and when I discovered that I was Surrounded by Water ,and that Dead Star Island was far Beyond the Sea, I realised that arriving there would be The Turning Point and would finally, fulfill my role in The Templar Prophecy 

Out of the Darkness The Vanishing Witch suddenly appeared, and I knew then that there was no Going Back and as night fell I looked closely at The Midnight Sky and Despite the Falling Snow I knew that  Written in My Own Heart's Blood was the final chapter in my  Book of Life

And when, finally, I stood in The House of Frozen Dreams and was given The Silvered Heart, I knew then that We Are all Made of Stars and even though my name was written in the Letters to the Lost, I realised that my life was such a Precious Thing and even though I'd Never Kissed a Man in a Christmas Jumper , this was indeed, The Birthday That Changed Everything

One thing that books have taught me is that the Significance of reading is Elemental and that, by Leaving Time to read, Remarkable Things happen, and even though Time's Echo passes us by so quickly we must always make time for Forgotten Authors


And in the final analysis, always remember to Keep Your Friends Close and listen to The Storyteller, who exists in all of us...

Happy Reading...

Thanks to all the wonderful authors who have graced our pages over the last five years and who continue to bring wonderful stories into the world. 

We couldn't do this without you.

 

As a little thank you for your support I have a Little Bag of Treats for the winner of this giveaway.

Just leave a "Happy Blogoversary" comment below

and Jaffa will pick a name out of his lucky hat on the 14th May.

Closes 18: 00 UK time

~***Good luck***~

Khalil Gibran ~ On Marriage

Today Jaffa and I are celebrating a very special family wedding day 

with my son and his beautiful bride 

....Khalil Gibran On Marriage....

When Almitra spoke again and said, "And what of Marriage, master?"

And he answered saying:

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.

You shall be together when white wings of death scatter your days.

Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness,

And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another but make not a bond of love:

Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.

Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,

Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.

For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.

And stand together, yet not too near together:

For the pillars of the temple stand apart,

And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.