Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Midnight Review


I've been asked to host Vivian on her Midnight Hours tour. I am posting a review of this well-written thriller.

I like thrillers and anything that borders on the psychological really intrigues me. Midnight Hours is well written and kept me intrigued all the way to the end. Just when I think it is one person, I got fooled into believing it was someone else. The reasons for Midnight's "calling in life" become apparent as the reader reaches the end of the story. Vivian has a way of weaving a tale and making the reader want more. This is a highly recommended story for those who enjoy getting inside the mind of a serial killer.

Vivian is not only a writer but she is a publisher, my publisher. Over the past few months I have been getting to know her first online and then when I met her for the whirlwind weekend of the Decatur Book Festival. She is an author of several middle grade novels for reluctant readers (Case of the Missing Coach and The Base Stealers Club) and a newly released historical novel, Prairie Dog Cowboy.




Born to Raymond and Dolly Gilbert July 28, 1943, Vivian followed her father as he transferred from military base to military base from Randolph AFB, Texas to Loring AFB, Maine. During her school years, Vivian, always a reader and story teller, discovered a love of writing.

She wrote her first poetry in third grade. By the time she was in junior high, she wrote stories and knew that some day she would write a book.

After marrying Robert Zabel, she became the mother of three children, the grandmother of ten, and the great-grandmother of four, so far. All the time telling and writing.

She now has three juvenile books written under the name V. Gilbert Zabel and under the name Vivian Gilbert Zabel a mystery/suspense novel, a collection of short stories with Holly Jahangiri, and an anthology of poetry with seven other poets.




Product Details
Hardcover: 228 pages
Publisher: 4RV Publishing LLC (June 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0979751330
ISBN-13: 978-0979751332
Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds

Ordering may be done at 4RV's site or through Amazon or check your local book store for a copy.



CONTEST INFORMATION:

There will be a prize offered: Prize: $25 gift certificate from Amazon.com

Rules:
1. Each person who comments on a blog stop receives one entry.
For example, if a person leaves a comment ( or more) on four blog stops, he has four entries. (one entry per blog tour stop)

2. A purchase of Midnight Hours from the 4RV Bookstore, or from the author, receives fifteen (15) entries.

Books must be bought directly from the author or from the publisher.

A person may have entries from a purchase and from leaving comments.

3. The final step in the contest: Each person with entries must send an email to president@4rvpublishingllc.com with the answer to the following question:
What time does Midnight appear on the game site to chat with Martin?

November 5, a random drawing will be held using a program online to choose a winner. I will notify the winner by email and will post the result on my blogs at Vivian's site and Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap.



Please remember to put your email address in the comment and send the answer to the question in #3 to Vivian in order to be eligible for the contest. No email addy equals disqualification. See you all in the postings - E :)

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Spooky Blog Tour for Searching For A Starry Night and The Witch Tree


Christine Verstraete is the author of Searching For A Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery and The Witch Tree, a spooky ebook

She loves writing, collecting miniatures, and reading, with Halloween a favorite.

Why Halloween?

I enjoy reading scary stories and it's even more to decorate for Halloween. While I enjoy the real-life decorations and a good scare as much as anyone, I especially like decorating in miniature. All kinds of things you can dream up.


Tell us about your story, The Witch Tree. Where did the idea come from?

I can tell it's spring out here in Wisconsin when the red-winged blackbirds appear. We'll get hundreds sitting in the trees, swinging on the cattails. They flock in hundreds, then do the same in fall, until they suddenly disappear, flying off to wherever they go until next spring. It's a screeching, noisy, eerie mass.

Have you written other books with paranormal or supernatural elements?

My middle grade book, Searching For A Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery, from Quake/Echelon Press, has some spooky elements and a creepy family legend. Sam and her friend, Lita, are staying at her great aunt's old Victorian while they search for a missing miniature replica of Van Gogh's famous painting, Starry Night. They're working in an old shed that Aunt Hilda once used as her painting studio, and where a family barn burned down, inspiring the family legend. Plus, Sam tends to like to tease Lita, who is kind of skittish about ghosts.

Do you have a website and/or blog where readers may learn more about you and your works?

Readers are welcome to stop by my website, http://cverstraete.com and also see some of the miniatures I collect. I also am featuring various Halloween miniatures at my blog, Candid Canine.
Bonus: Visit my blog for a Scavenger Hunt this week and a chance to win some Halloween miniatures and a pdf copy of "The Witch Tree." See question at end.

What's your favorite horror novel?
I have several favorites, Salem's Lot, Dracula, Pet Sematery...


Anything else you'd like to say to our readers?
Visit Candid Canine this week for details on how to follow my Spooky Scavenger Hunt.





Jimmy Grayson thinks he's found utopia - a new house, a nice porch to relax on... and then THEY came.... Day by day, they arrive by the dozens, the hundreds, their beady eyes, watching, waiting. Jimmy fears for his sanity.
How will it end?
Who will survive?
Will it be him-or them?



Scavanger Hunt Contest and Rules:

Searching For A Starry Night & Witch Tree Scavenger Hunt!

Enjoy reading some excerpts from Searching For A Starry Night, A Miniature Art Mystery and from the spooky ebook, The Witch Tree . Learn more about both books and even scarier, learn a little more about author Christine Verstraete at each blog stop.




Scavenger Hunt Clue 2:
The door opens, creepy music plays
A hand reaches out, a voice says, Stay!


Bonus! Halloween Treats!

No trick! Take a chance to win a PDF copy of "The Witch Tree" or some handmade Halloween miniatures for your desk or wherever by following the blog tour.

How to Play

1. Go to each stop on the blog tour. Each stop ends with a Scavenger Hunt Clue. The clue refers to a page on Christine's website at http://cverstraete.com. Only a few specific pages are involved.

2. Look for the mini pumpkin on the page corresponding to each question. Find the pages at http://cverstraete.com.

3. Email Christine the list of all 6 places you found the pumpkins, and their corresponding numbers - plus your full mailing address (US Only) - to chrisATcverstraete.com (replace AT with @)

Contest ends Nov. 8, 2008. All 6 answers and numbers must be included. Two winners to be chosen; one will receive a spooky miniatures set by mail and the other will receive a Witch Tree ebook by email.

Have fun! Boo!


Saturday, October 25, 2008

Midnight schedule update

I am posting the new Midnight Hours virtual book tour update (since it just changed a couple of days ago and I've not had a chance to do so).

Oct. 26 Holly Jahangiri http://blog.jahangiri.us/

Oct. 27 Brian L. Porter http://tinyurl.com/4qa4tw
Lee Lofland, The Graveyard Shift http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress

Oct. 28 Karen Syed http://karensyed.blogspot.com
Joyce Anthony http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/blog

Oct. 29 Elysabeth Eldering http://elysabethsstories.blogspot.com
Joyce Anthony http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/blog

Oct. 30 Joyce Anthony http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/blog and
Jean Henry Mead http://advicefromeditors.blogspot.com

Oct. 31 Aidana WillowRaven http://coverchatter.blogspot.com
Joyce Anthony http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/blog

Nov. 1 Crystalee Calderwood http://crystaleecalderwood.blogspot.com

Nov. 2 Vivian Zabel http://vzabel.multiply.com/journal and http://VivianZabel.blogspot.com

Midnight schedule update

I am posting the new Midnight Hours virtual book tour update (since it just changed a couple of days ago and I've not had a chance to do so).

Oct. 26
Holly Jahangiri

Oct. 27
Brian L. Porter
and
Lee Lofland, The Graveyard Shift

Oct. 28
Karen Syed
and
Joyce Anthony - day 1

Oct. 29
Elysabeth Eldering
and
Joyce Anthony - day 2

Oct. 30
Jean Henry Mead
and
Joyce Anthony - day 3

Oct. 31
Aidana WillowRaven
Joyce Anthony - day 4

Nov. 1
Crystalee Calderwood

Nov. 2
Vivian Zabel's multiply blog
and Vivian's Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap blog

Thursday, October 23, 2008

SCWW Conference time is here

It's that time of year again. I will be heading to the beach (Myrtle) for the SCWW Muse Writer's conference. I will be attending as a volunteer again this year (I can't afford the conference plus the hotel and travel, so volunteer status it is). Maybe when my series takes off the group will ask me to be a guest speaker (I can hope, can't I?).

This weekend is also state competition which I will miss again. But I will be there in spirit and hoping that they do well.

Updates from the conference upon my return. See you all in the postings. E :)

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Midnight is Coming!


My publisher, Vivian, is touring her mystery/thriller book Midnight Hours starting Sunday. The following is the tour schedule and prize information.

Oct. 26 Holly Jahangiri

Oct. 27 Brian L. Porter
and Patty @ TAL and Patty @ TAL

Oct. 28 Karen Syed
and Joyce Anthony day 1

Oct. 29 Elysabeth Eldering
and Joyce Anthony day 2

Oct. 30 Jean Henry Mead
and Joyce Anthony day 3

Oct. 31 Aidana WillowRaven
and Joyce Anthony day 4

Nov. 1 Crystalee Calderwood
and Lee Lofland, The Graveyard Shift

Nov. 2 Vivian Zabel on Multiply and Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap for the wrap up of the tour.


There will be a prize offered: Prize: $25 gift certificate from Amazon.com

Rules:
1. Each person who comments on a blog stop receives one entry.
For example, if a person leaves a comment ( or more) on four blog stops, he has four entries. (one entry per blog tour stop)

2. A purchase of Midnight Hours from the 4RV Bookstore, or from the author, receives fifteen (15) entries.

Books must be bought directly from the author or from the publisher.

A person may have entries from a purchase and from leaving comments.

3. The final step in the contest: Each person with entries must send an email to president@4rvpublishingll.com with the answer to the following question:
What time does Midnight appear on the game site to chat with Martin?

November 5, a random drawing will be held using a program online to choose a winner. I will notify the winner by email and will post the result on my blogs at Vivian's site and Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap.


Please remember to put your email address in the comment in order to be eligible for the contest. No email addy equals disqualification. See you all in the postings - E :)

Monday, October 20, 2008

Stacy Gooch Anderson interview

I had the opportunity to interview Stacy about her writing and her book, The Santa Letters. Following are her answers.


What writing project are you currently working on?
I have a couple I am working on. They all are listed on my author website. The two that are closest to being done though are As A Beacon Light, Talk to Me, Sweetheart and The Inmate Letters which is the companion book to The Santa Letters. The first chapter of that is on The Santa Letters website.


What inspires you most as a writer?
Everyday life and everyday people. I see ordinary people who do extraordinary things as they find a way to get through life one day at a time and that inspires me. I watch people who, in a world filled with so many negative things, find a way to hang onto the positive and count their many blessings and help others to do the same - and that inspires me. I witness those who, despite the many challenges placed before them, follow in their Savior's footsteps keeping their focus singularly on eternal goals and that inspires me too.

Describe part of the research process it took to write a certain manuscript.
For The Santa Letters, it was important for me to get it just right and truly understand the mission and life of the Savior so I read and studied the New testament and another book by James Tallmadge called Jesus The Christ. I then took that information and in a non-threatening and non- offensive way (I hope) wrote it into the letters in language that was as simple as could possibly be while putting all the emotion and respect His life deserves into them.

Where do you get most of your ideas?
From real life and real people and the emotions they inspire. Anything that brings a tear to my eye or making me go hummmmm I think makes a good story. Anything that connects one human to another in a good and positive way I think makes a good story.

Describe your typical writing schedule.
This summer has been a bit chaotic as my siblings and I have parched through my mom's things and gotten her home ready to sell but on a normal day, I get up and get myself ready for the day, hit the computer for a couple of hours, have lunch and then get my housework done before the kids get home form school and I'm off to soccer and hockey practices and school functions. If a story line is really pounding at my skull, I'll go back to it late at night when it's quiet and do some more and find every other moment in-between to get it down.

As a child, what were your favorite books to read?
Anything I could get my hands on. In St. Louis, the Bookmobile lady knew me by name. I'd walk out of there with as many books as she would let me carry home and I'd have them all read by the next week when it would be back. When I was in 5th grade I read The Witch of Blackbird Pond and I still love that one. In seventh grade I read Johnny Trumain and still love that one! And as a junior in highschool, I read The Scarlet Letter and to this day it's one of my favorites.....

What books influenced you most of all when you were growing up?
I loved anything historical, that made me think or gave me a good feeling as I closed the book. My dad always surrounded me with good literature and spent a LOT of money on books. All six siblings inherited a collection that was important to them. One got his Franklin Mint leather bound collection, one his Zane Gray collection (my dad grew up in Arizona where Zane Gray is huge), another his church doctrine collection, my sister has his children's classics collection and my youngest brother has his and my mother's scriptures. I inherited his complete Harvard Classics collection. So as you can see, reading was of paramount importance in our family and a well rounded reading education was even more important.

What inspired you the most to write The Santa Letters?
Right after my father died, I found out that two of my sons had been in a sexually abusive situation. Since the perpetrators were wards of the state and under the care of a foster father who is lacking at best, the state knowing its liability came after us to take our children trying to scare us into silence. After spending an exorbitant amount on legal and counseling bills, there was no money for Christmas. I needed however, to find a way to heal my family and bring peace into my home again. I decided upon letters from Santa reminding us of the many blessings we still had. A friend finding out what we were doing, later challenged me to write the story insisting that it was one that needed to be told. Two years later......

What writers' how-to books do you have on your bookshelf, and which one is your favorite?
The Dictionary, my Thesaurus, Comedy Writing Secrets, the AP styleguide to name a few. Probably my reference books because if I read too many "how too" books, I subconsciously adopt someone else's voice rather than staying true to my own. But I do like the educational value of them so I read them when I'm not in the middle of writing projects.

Share one tip you would like to give about writing a book with a holiday theme.
Don't be afraid to write what is in your heart and stay true to the real meaning of Christmas. It is after all about the birth of a Savior - the greatest gift ever given on any Christmas day! There was a time when we didn't try to pretend that this wasn't a religious holiday. Unfortunately, in recent times however, it has become heresy to admit that Christianity has anything to do with Christmas. The thing that I have found out during this process is that people are starving to find a way to return to simple truths and return to those simple meanings. The commercialization of the season has become overwhelming to them and they long for the peace and tranquility a season celebrating a Savior's birth was meant to give.

Review of The Santa Letters

It took me about three nights of reading, about an hour or so each night to read The Santa Letters by Stacy Gooch Anderson. This is a very spirtual story yet compelling and so true to Christians everywhere. If you are looking for a reminder of the lessons taught by Christ, this is a must read. I will tell you that I did cry many times during my reading.

The Santa Letters is warming to the core and teaches valuable life lessons we should all make part of our daily lives. The story will inspire you to strive to become more Christ-like and to overall be a better person.

For ordering information, check out the posting about Stacy Gooch Anderson to see where available.

Introducing Stacy Gooch Anderson

“The Santa Letters”

by Stacy Gooch Anderson



You can visit www.thesantaletters.org to learn more about the author and the book. To find out more about this story and where it is going nationally, please contact Mr. Kim Garvey, the author’s national publicist at ComsMgt@aol.com.

STACY'S BIO:

Stacy Gooch Anderson moved often during her growing up years living in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, St. Louis, and finally ended up in Salt Lake City, where she currently resides with her husband and four sons. She is the oldest of six children.

She attended the University of Utah before turning her focus to raising her family. She never abandoned her love of writing, however, and later returned to her roots as a journalist and won several awards through the Society of Professional Journalists for her feature writing and investigative skills.

She began her public speaking career at age eighteen when she was asked to speak at an event with a local TV personality and a nationally renown author. It was then that she found her voice, her ability to tell stories and draw visual analogies that uplifted and inspired those she publicly shared her skills with.

She is currently a corporate trainer for new writers at her company and spends her extra time publicly speaking and teaching. She is also an advocate for crime victims and acts as a voice for children in difficult situations and raises money and awareness for cancer research.

She enjoys reading, learning, anything creative and soaking in the sunshine with her friends and family. She readily admits however, that her greatest source of joy and pride is her husband and four sons who even on dark cloudy days, bring extraordinarily bright rays of sunshine into her life.


To purchase this book, contact any area store or order online at www.cedarfort.com or by calling any of the telephone numbers listed below.


Media review copies are available by calling (801) 489-4084. You may also contact CFI’s publicist, Bevan Olsen, or Mr. Kim Garvey, her national PR spokesman, to book author appearances, interviews or to obtain further information. Mr. Olsen may be reached at bolsen@cedarfort.com, by calling the number listed above, or by mail at 2373 W 700 S, Springville, UT 84663. Mr. Garvey may be contacted by emailing ComsMgt@aol.com or by mail at 4815 West Sunnyside Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85304.


Visit our website at www.cedarfort.com for Books That Make a Difference.



PREVIOUS REVIEWS:
“Stacy Anderson’s The Santa Letters is storytelling at its best in the finest tradition of American literature. Her wrenching, lucid insight into to the human condition makes it impossible to read this book unmoved bringing us close as we can ever get to another person’s heart and soul through the written word. This eloquent an honestly told remembrance allows the reader to not only witness her story – but live it. A true Christmas classic for now and generations to come.” - Craig L. Clyde, Emmy winning screenwriter and director


“Stacy G. Anderson delivers a true holiday gem that will be passed on from one generation to the next. In the tradition of such classics as Christmas Jars and The Christmas Box, The Santa Letters is a story you will find yourself thinking about long after you’ve finished the last page. Funny, touching and inspiring. A definite Christmas winner!” – J. Scott Savage, author of the national young adult fantasy series Farworld


“The Santa Letters will touch your heart bringing you closer to the Savior. A timeless story that is certain to become a classic.“ - Michele Ashman Bell, author of A Candle in the Window, Perfect Timing and A Modest Proposal.


"I am writing you upon having finished reading The Santa Letters. It is indeed a powerful, thought provoking and potentially life altering work. It is a simple story with a compound message. It is true that we lose our way year to year as we lose sight of meaning and the things that really matter. The Santa Letters effectively and poignantly reminds us of those things. It is a journey that everyone who celebrates Christmas should visit. And, it is an awakening for anyone who has experienced loss. An element of the story; "pass it forward" was particularly meaningful and appreciated and 'Santa's' Survival Kit for the New Year' inspired. Thank you for sharing this touching & meaningful story." - Libby Brien, Producer/Director Flicker Fusion, Inc.


“The Santa Letters” by Stacy Gooch Anderson, 200 pages, hardback, will be available on Amazon.com August 1, at most national book retail chains and bookstores this fall, by telephone at 1-800-sky-book or on-line at www.cedarfort.com

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Updates on everything

I told you all I was being a bad host for virtual book tours. I am supposed to be hosting Stacy Gooch Anderson on the 20th (tomorrow) with a review of The Santa Letters and an interview. For more on her book tour, you will have to check her blog out for a listing of places to follow. The list is extensive and the tour has been going on for a while apparently.

Next week, I'll be hosting two virtual book tours, one for Chris Verstraete and Search for a Starry Night on Tuesday (I think this will be fun since she has it set up as a scavanger hunt from stop to stop) and one for Vivian Zabel and Midnight Hours. I need to finish reading Midnight Hours so I can post a review for Vivian. Fear not, it won't take too long to read and get that written. Vivian is offering a one prize deal for her tour, so check for details next week.

Band update: We have finished our regular season of competitions. This past Saturday was upper state (online there had been 26 bands listed to compete but when we arrived only 19 in the program). To get to state, a band has to be in the top 6 from upper state and top 6 from lower state - so there are supposed to be 12 bands competing for the title of best in the state. We hosted a competition on the first week, did a competition the next week, and two the following week. Saturday was upper state and we placed 4th out of the 19 bands that competed. This is pretty good considering we only competed in three actual competitions during this season. It seems that they keep cutting our competitions shorter and shorter. Before you know it, we will host a competition and then the next week will be upper state - but hope not - that would be hard on the kids not having the opportunity to go up against schools in regular competitions and see what they need to work on. It's been a crazy season but we survived.

Next weekend, I will miss the state competition but my ears and eyes will let me know what happens. I may post some pictures of the season but just haven't had time of late.

I'll be attending the SCWW Writer's conference in Myrtle Beach again this year (Oct. 24 - 26th) and am so looking forward to this. With one book in the series of 50 published and the second on its way, I'm hoping that soon I can be on panel discussions or do workshops at book festivals and things like the SCWW conference. I can hope for the fame some way some day.

Be on the lookout for more updates as I get them - see you all in the postings - E :)

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Halloweeny Tag (Childish or Childhood Games)

Holly (clink on Title to find the original posting) has tagged me again (must be because the JGDS is hosting her on another Trockle tour this week and we are tying everything into Halloween which is just 26 days away. So I will play and try to have fun and tag some people this go round.


Here are the rules: One person is "It" - that'd be me. The rest of y'all - RUN!! If I tag you (as in, reach out through the monitor and grab you by the arm, or visit your blog and say "You're IT!" or somehow suck you in and get you to read this post), you're IT! YOU, in turn, must answer the questions below, then go tag as many people as you can. You can repost these rules, or point to this blog entry for explanations. If you're feeling super-creative this morning, you can even post your answer in video form, on YouTube! Or in audio form! Phone it in to Utterli.com! Or...oh, just play, okay? Then come back here and post a link to your reply. That's important - post a link here so we can all see what you did when it was your turn to be "It." I mean, you could just take your marbles and go home, like the kid who says, "This is stupid. I don't wanna BE 'It' again. I'm going home. What a bunch o' losers." But then good luck finding anyone to go trick-or-treating with at the end of the month.

1) What were your favorite games to play when you were a kid? Do you remember the rules? Share them here (bored kids grounded from video games will thank you):

Games - we played games? I played school and made my brothers endure lesson after lesson of whatever I could figure out was good school material. Of course, reading was always a requirement. Card games came early from my parents - we learned how to play spades but not many people really know how to nowadays. The rules vary from region to region I think. I know my parents taught us 2-handed spades, 3-handed spades and of course 4-handed spades which is played as partners. I have tried teaching my kids to play spades but they don't get it.

The object of the game is to take as many "tricks" as you can. You have to first bid or guess how many tricks you think you can take (Aces are always good bets to take tricks and if you have the Kings, Queens and maybe the Jacks to back them up, those are pretty much good calls, especially in 2-handed spades but be careful not to count on all those as tricks if you have an abundance of one suit; it's very possible your opponent has none or very few in that suit and will "trump" your high cards with a spade). Once you count how many tricks you think you can take, you write that guess down and then play out the hand. If you just make what you guessed you would make you get a 0 added behind the number you guessed (let's say you think you can take 5 tricks and your opponent says he can take 7 tricks and you make 5 exactly, then your opponent has made 8 (because there are 13 tricks available - in 2-handed and 4-handed spades; in 3-handed spades there are 17 tricks availble - you take out the 2 of clubs and shuffle and distribute the remaining 51 cards between the three people playing (51 divided by 3 = 17)). So in this example, you would score 50 and your opponent would score 71. You keep playing hands until you reach a set "winner's" score or until you become tired and bored with the game. The highest score wins.

2) Did you go trick-or-treating when you were a kid? What was your favorite costume ever?

I remember going trick-or-treating with my brothers and friends but don't remember any of my costumes.

3) How old is "too old" to go trick-or-treating?

If you are a kid at heart, you are never too old to go trick-or-treating.

4) Do you remember any silly or gross songs or rhymes from your childhood (like, "Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts")? Share them with us!

The only one that comes to mind is "Found a Peanut" or the "Bumble Bee" song

(both are too long to post the words to - Found a peanut, it was rotten, ate it anyway, got sick, died and went to heaven, - I don't remember all the verses and the bumble bee song - I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee, Ouch, he stung me; I'm squashing up a baby bumble bee, ...; and again don't remember any more words or verses - but you can always look them up somewhere. I'm sure that one version that shows up will have the words I learned.

5) What is your favorite Halloween memory?

Halloween memory? I'm supposed to remember stuff from over 30 years ago? Oy vey. I don't really have any favorite memories. Maybe that is because nothing stands out as memorable. I can't even remember my costumes let alone my favorite Halloween Memory.

6) What goodies do you hope to find in your treat bag this Halloween?

With band season upon us and my kids teenagers, they don't go trick-or-treating. If their father is off and he feels like taking them to the neighborhoods that still participate in trick-or-treating, he will take them but usually there are no treats or not many by the time they get home. So I don't expect any tricks or treats this year.

Okay, YOUR TURN!! You're IT!

I'm tagging Chai (http://raindropsays.blogspot.com/), Janelle (http://janelledakota.blogspot.com/), Mary Ann (http://thebrokentree.blogspot.com/), Henri the Ghost (http://henritheghost.blogspot.com/), and Cassie (http://cassielitton.blogspot.com/) - I know that is only 5 but that is all I can think of right now. So if you are reading my blog and feel inclined to participate, consider yourself tagged and leave a comment if you take the tag and run with it posting your link so I can go read your meme. Have fun with it and keep the tag going.

(This tag is in conjunction with Holly's Trockle Trick-or-Treat tour which I'm hosting on my other blog - http://jgdsseries.blogspot.com later this week. Trockle is a created monster - the monster under the bed to be exact - who has all kinds of funky features (he is orange and bumpy like a basketball, has one eye, three fingers with long pointed, green colored fingernails) and with whom we are going to have fun. So stop by the different host stops and see what kind of tricks or treats we may have for you.

TROCKLE TOUR SCHEDULE:

October 5:
Joyce Anthony @ Books and Authors
http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/blog/

October 6:
Joyce Anthony @ Books and Authors
http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/blog/

October 7:
Janet @ Janet’s Book Nook
http://www.sheneedstoknow.com/booknook

October 8:
Kimberly @ All About Kimberly
http://www.allaboutkimberly.com

October 9:
Jen (Pantheistic Mom) @ My Terrene Reality
http://terrenereality.blogspot.com

October 10:
Elysabeth Eldering @ the Junior Geography Detective Squad
http://jgdsseries.blogspot.com/

October 11:
Ron Berry @ The Surreal Writer
http://unwriter1.wordpress.com/

October 12:
Lynne Thompson @ La Vida Es Un Sueno
http://suenogrande.blogspot.com/

October 13:
Wrap-up by Holly Jahangiri and Jordan M. Vinyard
http://blog.jahangiri.us

There Will Be Prizes!