The Origins of Halloween ~ #Halloween2023 #Halloween

The month of October conjures up images of turning leaves, hayrides, pumpkins, scarecrows, black cats, and of course Halloween decorations.  I love learning about the origin of the holidays we celebrate, and as an author of ghost stories, Halloween is one of my favorites.  So I did a bit of (admittedly rudimentary) research to discover some of the reasons we dress up and try to scare each other on October 31^st.

Originally known as All Hallows’ Eve, Halloween is linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain.  This last day of autumn was considered the time of year when the barrier between the paranormal and physical worlds grew thin. 

The Christian holiday of All Saints’ Day (All Hallows) also influenced Halloween.  It was said that the souls awaiting release on November 1^st had one last night to extract revenge on their enemies before leaving the earth.  Cautious Christians would disguise themselves with masks to avoid recognition.

The custom of carving pumpkins originated from a Samhain practice of remembering souls with turnip lanterns.  Trick-or-treating can be traced back to “souling”, a medieval practice which involved the poor and hungry travelling door-to-door and offering to pray for the dead in return for food.

My favorite Halloween tradition is visiting haunted houses (well, staged haunted houses for entertainment...I do visit actual haunted houses as much as possible at any time during the year.  And an abandoned sanatorium for TB patients...see that post here!) 

If you like spooky reads, I hope you'll check out some of my ghost mystery romantic suspense novels at the following links:  The Haunting of Hillwood Farm, Ghost Moon, Gull Harbor, and Silver Lake.  Happy Halloween and Happy Haunted Reading!

In Need of Spooky Reads? Visit the virtual Spooktacular Halloween Reads Book Fair!! #books #halloween #halloween2023

As you can probably tell from my novels, I'm a huge fan of ghost stories! I enjoy reading haunting mysteries as well as writing them, so I'm always looking for recommendations in this niche, as well as other eerie, chilling, and atmospheric reads! The virtual Spooktacular Halloween Reads Book Fair has nearly 40 titles that fit the bill, and I'm thrilled that six of my titles are featured...my latest release Ghost Moon, #1 Amazon and B&N Bestseller Gull Harbor, RONE Award Winner The Haunting of Hillwood Farm, A Top 3 Read of 2016 Haunted Souls,  and #1 Amazon Bestseller Silver Lake all involve ghost mysteries, and my award-winning YA title Divine Fall is a paranormal romance revolving around a fallen angel, a quest for revenge, and forbidden first love. There are 29 additional spooky titles to check out in the fair, in lots of different genres:  romance, cozy mystery, horror, YA, NA, thrillers...something for all lovers of spooky intrigue!

My subgenre is "Paranormal Romantic Suspense"...ghost mysteries mixed with steamy romance (although The Haunting of Hillwood Farm is what is called 'closed door' in terms of the romance heat level).

So if you are in need of some Halloween reads, visit the virtual Spooktacular Halloween Reads Book Fair from the comfort of home...many of the books are on sale or free!  And if you enjoy spooky suspense that sends a chill up your spine countered by hot chemistry and happily-ever-afters, my books are for you!  The link below 🠋 takes you to the fair...Happy Haunted Reading!👻🕮👻

Why We Fear the #13 & #Fridaythe13th ~ #FridayMorning #Superstitions #Friday13th #FridayFeeling

I embraced the number 13 long ago, since it is the date of my birth...and my birthday has often fallen on Friday the 13th (it did this year ~ January!)  I do sometimes wonder if being born on the 13th has anything to do with my love of all things spooky, though.  Most of my novels incorporate some type of supernatural suspense, whether it's a mystery surrounding a haunting (HAUNTED SOULS, GULL HARBOR, THE HAUNTING OF HILLWOOD FARM, GHOST MOON, and SILVER LAKE) or a quest for revenge undertaken by the world's last half-angel (DIVINE FALL).

Some of my most popular posts discuss the reasons behind our superstitions.  This one delves deeper into the number 13 - while I consider it a lucky number for myself, many people don't!

A fear of the number 13 is known as Triskaidekaphobia.  I actually once worked in a building that lacked a 13th floor.  To me, this made little sense...did the people on the 14th floor not realize they were actually on the 13th floor?  Still, the button in the elevator did not exist.  Why does the number 13 get such a bad rap, anyway?

Some reasons stem from various religions.  In Christianity, for example, 13 people sat down to The Last Supper: Jesus Christ and 12 disciples.  The last to sit down, the 13th, was Judas Iscariot, who would betray Jesus. 

da Vinci's The Last Supper - Judas (fourth head from left) in the only one with
an elbow on the table, his face is shadowed, and he is clutching a bag

According to Norse legends, the 13th (uninvited) guest to arrive at a banquet of the gods was Loki, who then killed another god and set in motion a series of tragedies.

Historically, condemned people climbed 13 steps to the gallows.

A coven was traditionally made up of 13 witches.

In the deck of tarot cards, XIII is the card of death - a pale horse and rider.

Apollo 13 was the only unsuccessful mission to the moon; the oxygen tank exploded, putting the lives of the astronauts at risk.


Finally, 12 is considered a perfect and magical number in many disciplines and traditions.  There are 12 months, 12 zodiac signs, 12 days of Christmas, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Christ, 12 principal Olympian gods of the pantheon...the list goes on and on.  It follows, then, in some people's minds, that to add a number to 12 would make it unlucky.

That Friday the 13th is particularly scary may be the result of Friday's connection with executions.  The Crucifixion took place on a Friday, which was the day of the week executions were generally carried out in Rome.  America also has a history of holding executions on Fridays; thus, a day that combines two "unlucky" features becomes even more ominous. 

I find the reasoning fascinating, but I still like the number 13, and Friday the 13th doesn't bother me a bit.  But I also have black cats, and we cross paths all day long.  But of course, I have my good luck rituals as well...I have to pick up every penny I see on the ground!

I may pick up a few extra today, just to be safe.  Have a happy Friday the 13th, and grab one of my steamy romance + ghost stories for a page-turning Spooky Season read (or listen) that will both heat you up and send shivers down your spine!

FB Takeover Party ~ Friday Fun! #readingcommunity #books #fridayreads #giftcard #giveaways #Halloween

I'm excited to be doing a takeover of fellow Paranormal Romance Author Kerry Blaisdall's Facebook Group, Kerry's Kindred Spirits, tomorrow, Friday Oct. 6th!  What's a takeover?  Basically, I get to host a fun virtual party for both my fans and members of the group for the day, with gift card and book giveaways, fun questions and games, and opportunities to make new friends and find new reads!  And it's a chance to celebrate spooky season...Halloween is almost here!

To join the fun, join the FB Group here: Kerry's Kindred Spirits

We ride at dawn 😂 noon EST!! But visit anytime this weekend, I won't close the contests and giveaways until Sunday evening!