Friday, October 28, 2016

HALLOWEEN at the BEGONIA HOUSE!

Welcome to the Character Costume Party!


Hurray! Time to swap scary stories. Fairday and her friends invite you to explore the shadowy halls and cobb-webby corners of the infamous Begonia House. You'll find spooky tales and hidden secrets within its crumbling walls. Keep your wits and remember...

Fear not the unexpected.
FAIRDAY, MARCUS (AKA Brocket the Rocket), and LIZZY!
We're so excited you've come for tricks and treats! In three rooms of the Begonia House, you'll find a character waiting to tell you a story. Thanks to the authors who contributed and their characters who came for the fun. Mwahahaha! ~ DMS 

  

Want to devour CANDY and STORIES this HALLOWEEN?

Grab some goodies at TRICK-OR-REATERS! After all, there's more to Halloween than sweets! The stories bring the magic. So, hop on your broomstick and fly over. Download the flyer and invite your friends!

Ready for a story? To your right, you'll find the parlor. A room that was once filled with roses, until a gypsy's curse soured its sweetness...

My little sister, Margo, has invited Little Blue Bus to tell us a story that's scary and sweet! Follow the path of roses into the parlor and enjoy!
LITTLE BLUE BUS VS. MUMMY TRUCK  
A bonus tale of vroom and doom by Anika Denise, author of MONSTER TRUCKS (HarperCollins /ISBN: 9780062345226)

This is the tale 
of a bus, brave and true.
She's zippy! And peppy!

 (And a cute shade of blue.)

By day, she totes kids
to the park and the zoo.

By night, she fights
MONSTER TRUCKS
covered in goo!




Well... can you guess WHO? 

It's the LITTLE BLUE BUS!
She's revved up and ready!
So fasten your seat belts,
and hold the wheel steady.

On a dark stormy night,
a lightning bolt flashes,
as a new Monster Truck
rises up from the ashes.

It's MUMMY TRUCK, moaning.
His tires are tattered.
His mirrors are broken.
His ball bearings battered.


Down a lonesome roadway,
Mummy Truck RIDES.
Mummy Truck WAITS.
Mummy Truck HIDES.

He lurks in a tunnel,
a diesel of DOOM!
Awaiting fresh metal
to haul to his tomb.

With a flash of his headlights
and a sinister grin,
he lets his hook fly...
and reels her back in.


That mean MUMMY TRUCK!
He's zapped all her zoom!
Punctured her pep!
Vanquished her VROOM! 
Can anyone save her?
Yes!

How 'bout YOU?
Can you give her a boost?
A jolt and a JUMP?
Help our LITTLE BLUE BUS...
to get over the hump?
Okay!
Just say...
Vroom, vroom!

Louder!
VROOM, VROOM!!

One more time!
VROOM, VROOM, VROOM!!!

Pedal to medal.

Rubber to burn.
Hugging the side rail
in a dangerous turn—

our LITTLE BLUE BUS
is huffing and chugging.
Her tires are smokin'!
She's pulling and tugging!

VROOM, VROOM, VROOM! 

You did it!
She's free!
The tow rope has snapped.
You buried that mummy.
His evil's been zapped!

Now clap, clap, clap!
And take a victory lap.

Drawing Activity Prompt!
After the read aloud, ask children to draw MUMMY TRUCK, using details they heard in the story, and their imaginations, to create an all-new, original Monster Trucks character!

Visit the Little Crooked Cottage for some more treats today!




Up the staircase, turn left down the hall. Pass the crooked portraits hung on the wall. You'll find Thurston's study open for show. The velvet drapes closed, the light low. Joshua's here with a new tale to spin. Hold on to your pants and let's begin!



JOSHUA AND THE STORM MASTER:
A HALLOWEEN LIGHTNING ROAD ADVENTURE



The wind whipped up and shot cold air right through my thin costumed cloak. No way would I wear a bulky coat over my cool archer outfit. At least my feet were warm in my boots. I adjusted the bow Leandro gave me when I’d escaped as a slave from the world of Nostos. Fashioned for his lost son, my half-brother, Leandro had passed it on to me. Except here on Earth, plastic arrows filled my quiver. This was trick-or-treating not life-or-death.

And dang, it wasn’t supposed to be this cold on Halloween! But I was in Massachusetts now, living with Charlie’s family since they moved here from France–and since my grandfather disappeared. But tonight was for fun stuff not sad stuff and sleep was far away. Nighttime was the worst when my old life crept inside my head … and thoughts of Bo Chez.

I shivered and walked faster to keep up with Charlie. Not fair he had super long legs. Also unlike me, he was all warm in a heavy, white robe over sweatpants and a sweater. He adjusted his gold crown and shook his wooden lightning bolt. “No one dare mess with Zeus, king of the gods!

“Or Charlie, king of the goobers.” I jabbed his shoulder.

Non! That’s you, Joshua, freezing in that outfit.” He jabbed me back with a laugh, adjusting his white wig and fake beard.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I said, dragging him toward our next neighborhood. Blustery wind swirled leaves around us and the clouds blocked out the moon, casting us in shadows, our flashlights pitiful twin spots of light. The cemetery rose up fast, between houses. I suddenly realized all the other kids had moved on. We were alone.

Lightning flashed, freezing us both in place. Charlie looked down at me, his mouth a wide ‘O’ in his thin face. Twice lightning had stolen us to another world. Not again. Not tonight. Not after losing so much.

“Come on,” I said, sprinting toward the next block where the safety of streetlights glowed and kids ran about.

He took off with me but then lightning flashed so bright, I ran right into a tree. Thunder boomed. Wind shrieked, sucking me up in a tunnel of mad gusts. Dead leaves slapped me. I stumbled, dizzy, when lightning bolt struck a tombstone. With an ear-splitting wail it cracked in two. Marble smashed down. Smoke filled the air. The bitter smell of burnt stone and decayed leaves invaded my nose.

Through the smoke a figure appeared. Then another.

Mon dieu!” Charlie grabbed my arm, his hair and eyes wild. We ran toward the Halloween crowd. Lightning flashed twice more, forcing our feet to fly. Soon we pushed through a throng of monsters, skeletons, pirates, and witches. Kids from school called out but we kept moving, my heart hammering in my chest unable to explain who–or what–just appeared.

Charlie and I’d had enough adventures down the Lightning Road to last a lifetime. And we both knew who could be after us. As the Oracle who could give powers back to the powerless–and very real–Greek Olympians of Nostos, I was wanted by many–especially Zeus.

“The lightning’s gone,” I said, not answering him and moving on, but Charlie yanked me back. His eyebrows arched inward with a nervous twitch and he tugged on his wig, tilting his crown askew. The streetlight shot dark shadows under his wide eyes.

“If it was a real storm it would still be lightning out,” he said, peering up at the clear starry sky. “You did see them.”

I couldn’t deny it. My brain scrambled with what to do and hoping so badly that a Child Collector was not here to steal us again. 

A group of princesses screamed with fun as a mummy pretended to stalk them. Just past the kids a hulking shape moved by the edge of the woods. Something with red eyes. They glowed like coals. I blinked and they disappeared. A cadmean beast? Those giant fire-breathing foxes couldn’t be here!

Charlie let go of me. “Where do we go?”

“To get my lightning orb!”

We took off again. This time to Charlie’s house to grab the one weapon Bo Chez had left behind. As a great Storm Master from Nostos, he’d earned the lightning orb in training as an elite soldier of Zeus before he deserted to Earth.

Ghosts and wizards and fiery pumpkins whizzed in a blur all around us. A glance over my shoulder revealed a towering figure lumbering along. A tail flicked. Horns rose from a lion’s face. A cretan beast! How many other beasts were after us? No one would even notice them on Halloween!

“Charlie,” I gripped his robe. “They’re after us!

We dropped our bags and raced through the trick-or-treaters. The houses ended. We’d made a circle right back to the cemetery. No choice but to go through. It was the shortest route to Charlie’s house.

A dark shadow crossed the moon, this time growing larger. It was coming for us!

Caw. Caw.

A korax from Nostos!

The giant raven dove for us. On its back sat a boy, his white hair like fire in the moonlight. He threw his hand in the air. Hail fell, pounding us. 

Charlie tripped over a fallen tombstone. I dragged him into a stone archway when the boy threw out his other hand whipping up a tornado. It spun to life imprisoning us in its vortex. I bashed up against the wind walls but couldn’t bust through. Charlie and I shuddered together as the monster bird headed right for us.

The korax dropped fast but its wing tilted in landing. The boy slid to one side. He held on by fistfuls of feathers as he zoomed toward us trying to pull himself up. He almost made it when the bird flapped its wings.

“By the gods!” the boy cried out then fell. He crashed on an angel statue, bounced off and landed hard beside us. The tornado whirled away. Charlie and I took off but not before the boy swept the air with his hands.

Flash! Flash!

Lightning whizzed by, striking stone. Bits of rock bit us as we dashed back and forth between tombstones. The boy stood, screamed in agony, and fell on his side. Freedom! But then the cadmean beast leapt over our heads and landed before us, blasting its fiery breath in the air. Its red eyes burned into mine. From behind the trees the cretan beast raced up, shaking its mighty mane with a roar.

Nowhere to run now.

The cadmean beast panted faster, its snout quivering. The cretan beast chimed in with snorting bellows while the korax snapped its beak, fixing its beady electric green eyes on me.

“Call off your beasts and we’ll help you,” I said to the boy.

Charlie looked at me like I was crazy. “We will?”

The boy threw a shaky hand up. It crackled with lightning, but I stood my ground. He dropped his hand and inhaled sharply as if in great pain and nodded, his leg twisted beneath him. “Stand down.” The beasts sat back on their haunches while the korax preened its black feathers.

Charlie and I knelt beside the boy. He was older than me by a couple of years, fifteen or so. “You need a brace,” I said.

He tried to speak but his face crinkled in pain and he lay back on the ground, his gray cloak popping open to reveal a Lightning Road transport belt. No way was I going back to his world with that again. The cold ground seeped through my pants, adding to my chill.

“Get a long flat piece of wood to make a brace and some vines from those trees,” I said to Charlie, pointing to the woods. He shuffled backwards, shaking his head. There was no Grand Tree from Nostos to help us here. We had to help ourselves–and this kid.

“Trust me,” I said.

He looked from me to the boy then nodded and ran to the woods.

“Who are you and why are you here?” I said, gently straightening out the boy’s leg. He moaned, and tossed his white hair back across his shoulders, his thin, angled face pinched with agony. The beasts pawed the ground but he waved a hand at them and they relaxed.

“A Storm Master in training. This was my first travel mission using my powers.”

“To bring me back?”

He froze and held my gaze. “To kill you.”

Charlie returned with all we needed and I busied myself tying the board snug to the boy’s leg. He bit his lip, gasping, but when I was through he muttered a thank you. “How do you know how to do all this?”

“The Wild Childs taught me survival when I lived in the Wilds Lands.”

He grasped my arm, his face full of questions. “You lived with the Wild Childs? What was it like to be free amongst them in the trees?”

“Like having a family I’d never had.”

He smiled softly. If he weren’t here to kill me, I might like this kid. “Family is everything.”

Charlie helped me lean the kid against a tombstone, his face protesting every bit of it.

“Zeus sent you to get rid of me, I mean …the Oracle, because he doesn’t want the other Olympians to get back their powers, right?”

“Zeus rules all and always will!” The boy’s nostrils flared and he clenched his fists. In the shaft of moonlight, his green-blue eyes glowered at me.

Mon dieu! Joshua just helped you,” Charlie burst out. “Be cool, storm-boy.”

“My name is Galen,” he said in a tired voice, letting the anger go. “Who are you, in that ridiculous outfit?”

“Zeus, of course.” Charlie drew out the fake lightning bolt from his robe’s pocket.

The boy frowned, rising up on his elbows. “That’s not Zeus. He’s a giant with black hair and wears a gray cloak. His hands could crush your head. Everyone fears him!”

The beasts inched forward with their master’s renewed anger and I held Charlie back. We could make our own graves here tonight. I didn’t want to.

“Why do you care so much, Galen?” I asked, changing the subject, eager to save ourselves from being munched on … or breathed on wrong.

He collapsed. “Because Zeus is my father.”

Charlie dragged off his wig and crown at this news and we darted looks at each other.

Zeus’s kid!

“He sent his own son?”

Oui! To do his dirty work.” Charlie huffed.

“I would do it gladly!” Galen said, stabbing a finger at Charlie. “Zeus adopted me when I was young. Saved me from wild beasts and certain death! If I complete this mission I earn my lightning orb and serve in my father’s service. Get it?”

He closed his eyes, the effort of his words too much. The cretan beast moaned and the cadmean beast grunted as if they understood.

I got it. I’d grown up without a father. Mine was somewhere on Nostos. I may never find him or my lost brother I’d never met, but I could help this kid get back to his family–even if he was my enemy.

I urged Charlie to help Galen up. “Go home. Tell your father you killed me in battle. Tell him … that’s how you broke your leg. And you made your own brace.”

He considered that, looking at us and his beast army then sighed. “I cannot lie to my father but I will say I found you and put you in your place for now, so to speak.” His mouth twisted up in a resigned smile. “But I need a token.” The korax shook its feathers and squawked as if this plot was a bad idea. The beasts paced around us in agreement, snorting and chuffing, their breaths exploding in the autumn air.

I drew the bow from my shoulder. “Take this.”

Charlie gasped. “Non, mon ami! Leandro gave you that.”

“It’s the only thing I have from Nostos to give.”

Except the lightning orb. It had been Bo Chez’s. I touched the pendant under my shirt. Or the picture of my mother and brother. No one would get either of them from me except over my dead body. 

I placed the bow in Galen’s hand. He rubbed a finger over the name engraved in its arc. “Evander. Who is this?”

“Leandro’s son. He’s been lost to him for years. Leandro gave it to me. He’s a good friend. I’ve used it to fight on Nostos. Your father will know it’s mine.”

Galen slung it over his shoulder then waved to the beasts. They lined up beside him.

He hobbled to the korax. “Help me up, Joshua?” His words came in gasps of pain. It was the first time he’d said my name. His whole world knew my name and with that thought, I understood they’d never stop seeking me–even in death. I could kill Zeus’s son now, but I knew what it was like to lose family. Besides, the beasts would most likely kill me and Charlie if I did.

Charlie and I helped Galen up onto the massive bird, careful of his leg. The raven ruffled its black gleaming feathers, a familiar rotten stench rising from it. “Hold on tight now,” I said. “There’s not much space on the Lightning Road.”

“And there’s nowhere to go but the Great Beyond if you fall off,” Galen said, with a grim smile. “My bird will carry me home, and the other beasts will run ahead of me.”

The wind whistled through the bare trees. Fog crept through the graveyard, slinking cold over our feet. Galen looked down at us. The korax clicked its beak urging him on his way as Charlie tugged on my cloak doing the same.

“Thank you,” Galen said with a bow. “Twice tonight I’ve said that and twice tonight I’ve tried to kill you, and am now in your debt. I must honor that.” He patted the bow.

“I will return this to you. In another time. After that, we shall be enemies again.”

“No,” I said.

He raised an eyebrow at me.

“Forget me, Galen. And don’t come back. I will forget you–and Nostos.”

He peered down at me, snowy white hair shimmering in the moonlight. “You belong there. You can never forget family.”

He raised his fist in the air, the moonlight shining bright on it. In that moment his cloak and sleeve slipped down his arm. A dark birthmark blazed sharp on his fair skin. An arrow! He pressed a finger to his belt. “May the gods be with you until we meet again!”

“Wait!” I lunged for him but he and his beasts flashed away in the sky on the Lightning Road. Daggers of light struck the air and the wind roared, flattening us on the ground. Then all was quiet.

“Come back, Galen,” I whispered into wet leaves and twigs.

Charlie hauled me up in the rolling fog. “You okay?”

The moon glowed soft. The wind fell to a gentle breeze. Laughter from far away trick-or-treaters floated on the air. It was as if this night had never happened.

I shivered. I would never be okay. Not until I found Galen again. His arrow, that white hair, those blue-green eyes. And most of all–his honor. There was only one person who could have all of these things. Leandro’s son.

“He’s my brother.”

A half-brother who’d come to kill me. By the gods!

And now my half-brother had his father’s bow, meant for him all along.

Evander.

Charlie clutched my arm with wonder and we stared at the sky. Nostos was up there waiting for me. My brother was right. I could never forget family. I would find him again no matter what–or who–I had to face.

Visit Joshua's blog for more treats!
Find more books by Donna Galanti 








Climb the spiral staircase up to the top. The room to the right is your next stop. There's covered furniture and a wardrobe with surprises. Reach in and grab your disguises! Pete and Weasel have a story to share, it's a bit scary, so do beware!




Halloween in Hadleyville

Halloween in Hadleyville isn’t like Halloween anyplace else. It’s all about the cemetery and an old swamp curse that keeps most kids in on this night. Me and Weasel wouldn’t be out, but the Whisper Circle has it that Paula Teener, the town baker, is frying up fresh doughnuts and the Wartgob sisters are giving out pumpkin shakes. It’s a most excellent sugar-high night, and we aren’t missing it for nothing. So I grab one of Aunt Lizzie’s flashlights and bike to Weasel’s.


When I get there, he comes down the front steps wearing a long while coat, the sleeves rolled up and the bottom dragging in the dirt.


“What’s that?” I point at the weird thing he has on.


“My dad’s lab coat. What’s wrong with it?”




“Kind of dorky. What are you supposed to be?”


He pushes his glasses higher on his nose and rolls his eyes. “Try scientist.” He looks me up and down. “What are you?”
“I’m a king.” I touch my crown and hold up my sword and shield.

“Right,” he says and starts down the street.
I catch up. “I hate it when you give me that look.”

He doesn’t answer me. I know he’s bent on snagging those doughnuts and shakes, then making it back to his house. The sun’s sliding lower by the second. There’s still light to see, but the shadows are getting long and the kids we pass are walking fast. They glance over their shoulders and stay clumped together, clutching their Trick- or-Treat bags. Nobody wants to be out when everything goes really dark.

We get to the corner and cross Cemetery Lane to be on the other side as far away from the iron fenced graveyard as we can get. At the curb, Weasel trips on the lab coat and sprawls on the sidewalk, his glasses skittering right down the gutter and into the drain.

“No!” He lunges after them. Without his glasses, Weasel can’t see more than an inch in front of him.

I switch on the flashlight and peer into the drain. I can see the glasses, but I can’t fish them out--even with a stick.

“Look,” I get to my feet, “let’s go to Paula’s and ask her for a long-handled fork. That way we can snag us some doughnuts anyway.” I glance up as the last sunlight flickers across the sidewalk and the October night turns icy and black. Hadlyville has three street lights, but none of them are on Cemetery Lane.

With Weasel holding onto my sleeve, I walk as fast as I can, the beam from my flashlight showing me the way. Weasel stumbles, but keeps up.

And then we hear it--a brittle noise.

“Clack. Clackety.”

We freeze and Weasel squeezes my arm so tight my hand goes numb.

“We should make a run for it,” Weasel whispers.

“No way. You can’t see a thing. Hold on, just ease up on the grip, okay?” I speed up as much as I can with Weasel stumbling beside me.

“Clack. Clack. Clackety.” More rattling sounds come from behind us and closer than before.
 
Aunt Lizzie told me about the curse, about how three Hadleyville witches got into a terrible fight over who was the head witch in town. They hurled spells until the swamp water came to a boil. That’s when the alligators got riled and worked a few spells of their own. They turned the witches into headstones and set them in the old graveyard. The only time they’re free to roam is All Hallows Eve after sunset. Their bones rise up out of the stones and they clack their way around Hadleyville, making sure nobody enjoys Trick or Treating. Even the alligators stay deep in the swamp.

The clacking sound is getting closer. I’m out of breath. Weasel’s gasping for air and we haven’t reached the end of Cemetery Lane yet.

Those doughnuts and pumpkin shakes are not worth this.

I have to do something. What? Magic? I let that idea go because every time I work a spell I screw up and cause more trouble. I’m really trying to be a better wizard, but under this kind of pressure that’s not happening.

I whirl to face whatever’s behind us and . . .

I’m leaving Pete and Weasel in a predicament. What’s creeping up behind Pete and Weasel? If it’s the skeletal remains of those nasty witches, will Pete work a spell? If he does, is he going to cause another major disaster?

The best guess as to what’s following these two and what happens next, wins a digital copy of Alligators Overhead.  

Find more books by C.Lee Mckenzie

*Enter the rafflecopter giveaway below for a chance to win a digital copy of The Great Time Lock Disaster!

We hope you had fun at our party! Here's a spinetingler from my mom to send you off... HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Hello everyone! Fairday asked me to tell you my story about the Ouija board incident that I experienced with my older sister, Isabel. When we were young, we decided to have a secret party one cold afternoon in October, right around Halloween time. We turned out the lights, pulled down the shades to set the scene, and she dressed up in an old cloak that we found in the attic. We pulled out the Ouija board and set it up next to this fascinating crystal ball that was held by a rusty claw. Isabel is four years older than I am, and I always believed every word she ever said. So, given that, I was convinced that it really was a crystal ball, and that she actually did find it in the graveyard near our house. We lit a candle and began to play. We asked the board all sorts of gossipy things, nonsensical and mystical, and then the phone rang. Isabel went out to answer it, leaving me alone in the room. I sat there for a few minutes in silence, watching the glass ball glimmer in the candlelight. It was very still for a moment, and then suddenly the shades flew up, and a breeze blew back my hair. At that same moment, a piece of the crystal ball splintered and cracked off, then flew across the room. It's one of the craziest moments I can remember. To this day, Isabel still thinks I'm making it all up. I'm not sure who we were communicating with, but what I experienced that day happened just the way I told you! ~ Pru

Bobbing for books!

Enter the rafflecopter giveaway to win all 6 prizes:
Signed hardcover of THE SECRET FILES OF FAIRDAY MORROW & A Mystery Book Box from the DMS

Signed edition of MONSTER TRUCKS & (6) MONSTER TRUCK Trading Cards

Paperback edition of JOSHUA AND THE LIGHTNING ROAD

Digital copy of THE GREAT TIME LOCK DISASTER
a Rafflecopter giveaway

77 comments:

  1. Oh what fun. Plenty of treats here - thank you all so much.
    VROOM, VROOM.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Beep, beep! *Waves* Glad we crossed paths at the party! -Anika

      Delete
    2. EC- Glad you enjoyed the treats! :) ~The Morrows

      Delete
  2. Hi Jess and DMS and all - amazing range of stories and ideas ... ghouls and ghosts ... I do love the illustrations - they are brilliant .. cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Hilary- So happy you enjoyed the stories and ideas. We enjoyed all the illustrations too! ~The Morrows

      Delete
  3. why such a short post, dear, today? :PP

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dezmond- Lol! It may be our longest post ever. ~The Morrows

      Delete
  4. I'm super excited to be a part of Begonia House today! What fun Halloweeny stories. Joshua had fun too :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We are so happy to have you and Joshua join in the fun, Donna! Thanks for being a part of the spooktacular. ~The Morrows

      Delete
  5. Wow, now there was something for everyone today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pat- We hope everyone had fun! ~The Morrows

      Delete
  6. What a brilliant post today, you are spoiling us.

    Now clap, clap, clap!
    And take a victory lap.

    Happy Halloween to one and all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Halloween was busy, busy, so I'm just getting back here to say, thanks for stopping by, Barbara! Clap, clap! Beep, beep! *waves* xo Anika

      Delete
    2. Barbara- Thanks for the applause! How fun! Hope you had a Happy Halloween! ~The Morrows

      Delete
  7. What a cute activity for Mummy Truck! Great giveaway too. I already have my copy so I won't enter, but good luck to those who do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you enjoyed it! I have such fun seeing what kids come up with for Mummy Truck! Thanks, Kelly!

      Delete
    2. Kelly- Glad you enjoyed the activity for Mummy Truck! Thanks for stopping by. ~The Morrows

      Delete
  8. This has been the most fun start to a Friday in ages! Thanks for the incredible stories :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meradeth- Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed the festivities. ~The Morrows

      Delete
  9. Thank you for such a spooktacular post. I hadn't realised I'd be in for such a (trick or) treat.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tracy- We are so thrilled you enjoyed the post and the treats. ~The Morrows

      Delete
  10. Jess and Steph know how to throw a real Halloween Party! Great to be a part of all the fun, I mean spookiness!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lee- We were so happy to have you join us for the spooky events! :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  11. Lee's was my favorite. Thankfully I can see more than a few inches without my glasses. Monster Trucks was amazing though. I really got into saving mommy truck. This was a fun Halloween party and I really enjoyed the twists and turns. I believe you 100% Pru. Sometimes spirit reacts strongly when called up. Sometimes even when not.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sheena-Kay- Thanks for visiting. We are thrilled that you enjoyed the stories and had fun with the Halloween stories! So true spirits can be very strong. :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  12. Such a fun post. I liked the Monster Trucks. My son would have loved that a couple of years ago. I also liked Alligators on the ceiling. Thanks for putting this all together. So awesome.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Heidi. Halloween at Begonia House was spooktacular this year!

      Delete
    2. Heidi- Thanks for reading the stories and stopping in! So nice to hear from you. :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  13. I think I've gotten some ideas for how to end that short story. I should ask for help more often!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lee- Glad you are getting some good ideas! :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  14. What a party. I haven't read all of these, but have both of Lee's books, so I won't enter the giveaway. Good luck to all because they're great stories.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Beverly- Thanks for stopping! Glad you enjoyed the fun.:) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  15. I may not celebrate Halloween myself and I may not have read all these novels, but I definitely was feeling the creepy vibe here! I liked the tour of the house where we were welcomed into the parlor and the creepy poetry toward the beginning especially :3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Olivia-Savannah- Thanks for joining in the fun. Glad you enjoyed the tour of the house and that the creepy poetry put you in the mood for the stories. :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  16. What an adorable Halloween celebration! Thanks to Anika, Donna, and Lee for the great poem and stories. Readers really got a TREAT today! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Lexa! It was super fun to write a story just for Stephanie and Jessica's awesome blog. It even gave me ideas for book 3!

      Delete
    2. Vroom, vroom, thanks for joining us, Lexa!

      Delete
    3. Lexa- We are thrilled that you enjoyed the treats here this week! :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  17. I would go bobbing for books. The alligator one sounds like something my boys would love.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lisa- Bobbing for books is tons of fun! Thanks for visiting. :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  18. This was a lot of fun and the illustrations were awesome. I adored the Monster Trucks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you enjoyed it! Vroom, vroom!

      Delete
    2. Kimba- Thanks for visiting. Glad you enjoyed the fun! :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  19. I love those illustrations!! I hope you have a good Halloween :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Optimistic Existentialist- Thanks for stopping in. Hope you had a Happy Halloween too! :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  20. Replies
    1. Thanks, Armchair Squid! :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  21. What a fun post, have a wonderful Halloween!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope you had a Happy Halloween too, Marcia! :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  22. Oh my! What fun. And isn't that the truth about the cold weather always interfering with the costumes.
    Thanks for throwing the party.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I always tried for being a bear with lots of fur.

      Delete
    2. Costumes that incorporate the temperatures are always a big hit for us. :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  23. What fun post !! Have a wonderful Halloween !!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Happy Halloween everyone! Always a fun spooky time at the Begonia House! Thanks again Jess and Stephanie for having me (and Joshua) back to visit!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Donna- Hope you Halloween was happy Thanks for being a part of the spooky event at the Begonia House. :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  25. This post is a TREAT! So much fun reading about these books -- and love the pictures! I know two little boys who absolutely must have Monster Trucks (vroom and doom... lol! So cute!) Thank you for sharing all these titles! Happy Halloween, ladies <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much! hope your Halloween was spooky fun!

      Delete
    2. Hooray! Halloween at Begonia House was spooktacular fun!

      Delete
    3. A Belle's Tale- Thanks for stopping in and being a part of the fun! :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  26. I am will working on options for the next chapter in Joshua's tale. My favorite are the illustrations and the poem, oh and the Ouija board tale. Happy Halloween! It's looking like rain here in the Bay area. stay dry wherever you are.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brenda, I can't wait to see what you come up with! So fun! Happy Halloween!

      Delete
    2. Brenda- Luckily Halloween was dry- but we had rain and snow leading up to it! Thanks for stopping in for the spooktacular stories. :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  27. This costume party put me in the Halloween spirit! I even dug out my witch hat.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've got my Malificent costume on! It's my fave :) (see here: http://bit.ly/2fnUb0s)

      Delete
    2. Lee- Isn't it fun getting in the mood for Halloween. Thanks for being a part of Halloween at the Begonia House! :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  28. Great idea--great post! I ran out of time so will have to come back later to finish...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Valerie- Glad you enjoyed the fun and we can understand it takes a while to digest all of these spooky tales. :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  29. Ah, I didn't know I'll find lots of treats here in your page. Great! The story with an adventurous trio piques my interest. Kinda reminds me of my fave HP series.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lux- So happy you enjoyed the treats! Lot of stories to enjoy. :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  30. Great illustrations and I am working hard to try and not think about treats, lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Brandi- Glad you enjoyed all the illustrations. Hope you were able to resist the treats! :) ~Stephanie and Jess

      Delete
  31. Lots of fun treats here for Halloween!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by and commenting. We love to hear your thoughts! We had to turn on comment moderation due to a high volume of spam. Fairday's Blog is no longer accepting awards. We appreciate all the nominations that we have received and are honored to have been mentioned! Happy Reading!

Twitter Bird Gadget Twitter Bird Gadget