Welcome to my home on the web. You may have noted the mountains in the banner are the misty Blue Ridge of North Carolina. Did you know time traveling Highlanders live there? Read about them in the Highland Gardens series. Curious about the big cat? Florida panther~from the Crimson Storm paranormal novel, Sea Panther.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Trick or Treat: Haunted Open House Giveaway Blog Hop

October 23-30 2013

 

Halloween is almost here. Yay!


I love all things fantasy and paranormal. Things that go bump in the night. Faeries and brownies. Vampires, shape shifters, and zombies. Oh, yeah!

In celebration of the season, I'm participating in the Haunted Open House Giveaway Blog Hop: hosted by paranormal author Nancy Gideon. So join us for a week-long Halloween party!

Hop along with us. Gift prizes along the way. I'm gifting a $10 Starbucks e-gift card to one lucky commenter.  Sound good? Read on down to the bottom of this post to learn how to get your name into the garden hat.



 
Shit. Late for work again.

The early morning California sun blinded. Sylvia slid into the cracked leather seat of her red MGB midget and her short black skirt rode up her thighs. With a sigh, she inserted the key into the ignition.

"Please start."

Click, click, click, click, click, vroom.

"Yes!"

She pulled out of the driveway and headed for the city.

With one hand on the wheel, she scratched the raised bite mark near the vein on her wrist and shuddered. That too familiar prickly sensation of eight tiny phantom legs crawled over her skin. Revulsion chills crept down her spine. She despised spiders.

Breathe, Sylvia. Breathe. She inhaled air deep into her lungs.
 
Entering the freeway, she zipped across the lanes to the left and sped with the traffic. Holy shit! Her worst nightmare crawled across the dashboard. She grabbed a used tissue from the passenger seat garbage pile and squashed the damn creepy crawly.

Her thigh itched like crazy. She swallowed hard and glanced down. A black widow skittered across her leg. Sylvia spun the wheel.

The crunch of metal was the final sound. She'd never be late for work again.
 
 
*  *  *
 
 
Hope you liked that wee bit of Halloween flash fiction. Now for the giveaway...
 
Giveaway: $10 Starbucks e-gift certificate. Leave a comment on this post with the answer to two questions. 1) What is your favorite Halloween costume? 2) What  type of spider was in Sylvia's car? Be sure to include your email addy. Feeling shy? Email Dawn Marie at Dawn at DawnMarieHamilton dot com. Only comments answering both questions and including an email addy will be considered. One name will be pulled out of the garden hat on Halloween, Thursday October 31.
 
 
~Dawn Marie


 Please check out the other participating blogs...






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36 comments:

  1. Holly LetsonOctober 23, 2013 at 2:05 AM

    1) What is your favorite Halloween costume? witch or hippie
    2) What type of spider was in Sylvia's car? black widow
    Be sure to include your email addy: bookaholicholly at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn Marie HamilronOctober 23, 2013 at 9:05 AM

      Hey, Holly! Thanks for dropping by. I often dressed as a hippie when I was younger. :) I plan to dress as a Goth witch on Halloween for when the kids come to the house to trick or treat.

      Delete
  2. Ana MorganOctober 23, 2013 at 9:08 AM

    My favorite costume was a princess.
    Black widow spider.
    sgmorg@wcta.net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn Marie HamilronOctober 23, 2013 at 9:14 AM

      Hi, Ana! Thanks for visiting. I have to admit, I never dressed up as a princess. I was always partial to the Disney villains. :) I chuckle whenever I visit my great nieces. They have special princess closets with all their princess outfits.

      Delete
  3. UnknownOctober 23, 2013 at 11:12 AM

    Hi Dawn! Loved you flash fiction and reference to the grandnieces! Emma is the newest Disney Princess this year ~ cute! Jake is dressing up as Jhimself: ake and the Neverland Pirates!
    Favorite costume: A playboy Bunny!
    Spider: Black widow
    lois.hamilton@verizon.net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn Marie HamilronOctober 23, 2013 at 11:28 AM

      Hey, Lois! Glad you stopped by. Playboy Bunny? Hmmm. Seems to ring a bell. :) I'll be looking for Jake and Emma's costume pictures on FB.

      Delete
  4. Laura WestOctober 23, 2013 at 5:54 PM

    1. There are so many costumes to name, but I will say a witch just because there is so much room to be creative with it.
    2. A black Widow!

    Sinister.Laura@yahoo.ca

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn Marie HamilronOctober 24, 2013 at 7:28 AM

      Hi, Laura! I'm doing a witch costume this year. :) Thanks for visiting during the hop.

      Delete
  5. Susan FrancesOctober 23, 2013 at 8:09 PM

    My favorite costume was one I saw made from a cardboard box. A little boy came to my door and he told me, "Look, I'm a cellphone." It was pure genius. He made little circles not only with the numbers 0-9 on them but he included the alphabet A-Z in the circles along with a power button, on/off button, and the navigation keys. It made an indelible impression on me.

    A black widow crawled up Sylvia's leg -- yihikes!!
    susan_francesny[at]hotmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn Marie HamilronOctober 24, 2013 at 7:33 AM

      Hello, Susan! I love it. So creative. :) I once went to a party where a guy showed up as a school bus. He'd used a refrigerator box, painted it like a bus, and added lights. Even flashing lights. His girlfriend was dressed as a private school student. It was great. So much fun! Thanks for dropping in for the hop.

      Delete
  6. bn100October 23, 2013 at 10:50 PM

    1. Harry Potter.
    2. black widow

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn Marie HamilronOctober 24, 2013 at 7:40 AM

      Hi, bn100! Harry Potter? That sounds like fun. My favorite part would be the wand. Magical! Thanks for visiting.

      Delete
  7. VideoclimberOctober 24, 2013 at 2:50 AM

    A skeleton
    A black widow

    videoclimber(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn Marie HamilronOctober 24, 2013 at 7:42 AM

      Hello, Tia! The black and white skeleton costumes are great in the dark. They give me the shivers. Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete
  8. jessie2247October 24, 2013 at 11:09 AM

    My favorite Halloween costume has to be from 2 years ago. My boyfriend and I went dressed as Clark Kent and Lois Lane. No one know who we were until he unbuttoned his shirt to reveal the Superman shirt underneath!
    There was a black widow in her car. Super creepy. I hate spiders.
    Thanks for your giveaway!
    i_love_books at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn Marie HamilronOctober 24, 2013 at 1:33 PM

      Hi, Jessie! Incognito--Clark and Lois. That sounds like fun. Thanks for hopping over.

      Delete
  9. JeanMPOctober 24, 2013 at 12:02 PM

    Favorite costume gothic vampiress.
    Black Widow spider
    Thanks for the giveaway.
    skpetal at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn Marie HamilronOctober 24, 2013 at 1:39 PM

      Oh, that sounds like fun, Jean! There is a lot you could do with it. I'm thinking Morticia from the original TV version of the Addams family, only more vampy. Thanks for dropping in for the hop.

      Delete
  10. KatBOctober 24, 2013 at 12:57 PM

    Anything vintage - always wanted to go as a flapper.
    A black widow. EEEEK.
    hepkittenink @ gmail . com :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn Marie HamilronOctober 24, 2013 at 1:41 PM

      I really like the flapper idea, Kristen. I was dressed as a flapper for a dance recital when I was a kid. Love the clothes from that period. Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete
  11. MeghanOctober 26, 2013 at 1:25 AM

    1. One year I was barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen. I thought it was hilarious! I stuffed my shirt with a pillow, walked around barefoot and carried around a rolling pin.
    2. A black widow which is very, very scary!
    mestith at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn Marie HamilronOctober 26, 2013 at 7:43 AM

      Hey Meghan. Very creative. I like it. Thanks for visiting.

      Delete
  12. sablelexiOctober 26, 2013 at 10:48 AM

    My favorite Halloween costume is a Goth Vampire, cause being pale with dark hair it was an easy fit.

    the spider was a black widow.
    jlynettes @ hotmail . com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn Marie HamilronOctober 26, 2013 at 11:18 AM

      Hello, Sablelexi! As a paranormal writer, I love the Goth Vampire thing. Tomorrow's Sneak Peek excerpt is about a Goth Vampire. :) Thanks for flying in for the Halloween Hop.

      Delete
  13. UnknownOctober 27, 2013 at 4:10 PM

    Every Halloween, a bunch of us go to the midnight showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show -- I usually dress up as Magenta.
    Thanks for the amazing giveaway!
    elizabeth @ bookattict . com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownOctober 27, 2013 at 4:11 PM

      Oops! Forgot: Black Widow.

      Delete
    2. Dawn Marie HamilronOctober 28, 2013 at 7:17 AM

      Hi, Book Attict! The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a great time. Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete
  14. Megan ParsonsOctober 27, 2013 at 11:36 PM

    Favorite costume: Belle of beauty in the beast!
    The spider is a Black Widow. Seen my first one this summer and freaked me out!
    makeighleekyleigh at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn Marie HamilronOctober 28, 2013 at 7:19 AM

      Hey, Megan! I've never scene a black widow for real. Creepy. I shiver just thinking about it. Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete
  15. NatashaOctober 28, 2013 at 3:18 AM

    Favorite Costume: A black cat when I was little.
    The spider is a Black Widow.
    Thanks for the chance to win and Happy Halloween!
    natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn Marie HamilronOctober 28, 2013 at 7:22 AM

      Hello, Natasha! A black cat sounds cute. Thanks for visiting.

      Delete
  16. Linda KishOctober 29, 2013 at 9:19 PM

    I liked my flapper costume best of all.
    There was a black widow in the car.
    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn Marie HamilronOctober 30, 2013 at 8:27 AM

      Hi, Linda! A flapper costume sounds sexy. :) Thanks for stopping by for the hop.

      Delete
  17. amanda whitleyOctober 30, 2013 at 10:30 PM

    favorite costume is army woman and black widow spider

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dawn Marie HamilronOctober 31, 2013 at 8:12 AM

      Hi, Amanda. An army woman sounds comfortable. Thanks for stopping by for the hop.

      Delete
  18. Dawn Marie HamilronOctober 31, 2013 at 10:22 AM

    Congratulations to Holly Letson. Watch your email for a $10 Starbucks e-gift certificate.

    ReplyDelete

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