It’s funny–as a horror writer, I always get the question, “what are your plans for Halloween?” The answer usually surprises people–NOTHING.

Halloween comes at the end of four to six weeks of celebrating fall, horror writers events, writing scary stories, cocktailing it up at an old cemetery, decorating like crazy, at least one weekend-long short film festival, reverse trick-or-treating at the day job, prepping the Fall issue of 34 Orchard, and eating too much candy. It’s a month crammed with FUN…and when the actual day arrives? I’m done. We don’t get trick-or-treaters where we live, so Halloween is a blessed day of rest.

Today, I’m going to watch some of my old favorites: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (1973), Chernobyl Diaries (2013), The Blair Witch Project (1999), The Forest (2016), The Uninvited (2009) and Lake Mungo (2008), among others. And maybe I’ll lay in bed and READ! …and, of course, I’ll have cake. No holiday is complete without cake.

From our house to yours … Happy Halloween!