Halloween Spooktacular Giveaway (Part 7)

Once upon a Twilight and Good Choice Reading are teaming up and bringing you some GREAT giveaways, along with some really cool Guest post and interviews from some of our favorite authors. So are you ready to help us celebrate HALLOWEEN? I know we are super excited to share some great books with you all! This event will run from today October 1st until October 31st!

OoOooOoo Today is Part Seven of our Halloween Spooktacular Giveaway!!! Today we have a guest post by Inara Scott, author of Delcroix Academy: The Candidates. Enjoy! 
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Fraidy-Cat
By Inara Scott
I have a confession to make: Halloween scares the pants off me.
Or, to put it another way, I am a fraidy-cat of epic proportions. 
Don’t get me wrong, I love the holiday. Costumes, candy, pumpkins? I say, bring it on. But the rest of it – the scary movies, haunted houses, and ghost stories? Dark nights, spooky music, and witches?
Sorry. I can’t handle any of it.
I think the root cause is this simple problem: I can’t separate real life and make believe. Put me in a corn maze and send a guy with a scythe after me, and I’ll have a heart attack. Seriously. As far as my heart is concerned, he might as well be an honest-to-goodness serial killer.
(Okay, in all fairness, I’ve never encountered a real serial killer, so I can’t be sure that there isn’t some additional level of panic that might ensue.)
Books do the same thing. I start reading a scary story and the world becomes a dark and terrifying place. When I was reading Maggie Steifvater’s Shiver (not exactly a tale of horror, I know), I had intense nightmares about being torn apart by wolves. It was horrible. I could barely finish the book.
Unfortunately, the same principal applies with sad stories. Read a book or movie in which someone’s loved one dies? Forget it. The emotional agony of the story is too strong. No, it obviously isn’t the same as losing my own family, but it makes me IMAGINE losing my own family, and then I experience an emotion that is completely and utterly wretched. Not fun in the least. Definitely not something I’m going to experience willingly.
Because I know this about myself, I channel my reading accordingly. I tried to read The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak, and gave up quickly. Fantastic, life-changing book, and I couldn’t get past page 50. I could see what lay ahead and it was long and painful. Too much for me. But Zusak’s lesser known book, I am the Messenger is one of my all time favorites. Less straight on Nazi death camps and more subtle, life-affirming moments. Perfect.
I like to think this is a strength for me as an author, because my lived experience of make-believe emotions makes for great writing. Unfortunately, it also presents a significant challenge. When I torture my characters (a job qualification for being a writer) I have to experience their pain. When I wrote a novel in which a woman’s mother died, I sobbed for days. I cried the whole time I was writing. Embarrassing when you’re at Starbucks, let me tell you.
But torture I must. It’s my job. I steel myself emotionally and do the dirty work. But when I’m reading for pleasure, it’s not going to be The Kite Runner. Sorry. I’m headed straight for happily ever after.
So this Halloween I’ll be bobbing for apples, walking around the hay maze (in the bright sunlight, thanks!), and drinking lots of pumpkin lattes. But I won’t be watchingNightmare on Elm Street.
What about you? Fraidy-cat like me, or do you actually enjoy being scared?  
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Thank you Inara for taking the time to share some thoughts with us! I think that I am definitely a Fraidy-cat!

For more information on Inara Scott and her book check out the following Links:




And now the giveaway...
Inara Scott was kind enough to supply us with four Delcroix Academy Notebooks. 

Once Upon a Twilight and Good Choice Reading will be giving away A copy of The Candidates and Two Notebooks. Two Different blogs, Two Different giveaways!

That makes SIX WINNERS!

 To ENTER:
  •  Must Answer Inara Scott's Question in Comments
  •  Must be a follower of both blogs - Once Upon a Twilight and Good Choice Reading
  •  Must fill out this FORM

Remember: You have to Fill out the form at Good Choice Reading to double your chances. :0) 
Good Luck!

41 comments:

  1. I really enjoy scary stories, but not the "gross" scary. I like an element of surprise. No fraidy-cat here. Great interview.


    DreamyCowgirl@hotmail.com

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  2. I am a total scaredy cat. I don't read or watch scary things because then I have bad dreams. I do read hard books like The Book Thief and The Kite Runner. Those are my favorite types of books.

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  3. You rock at contests! YAY so excited. thanks for the chance to win!!!!!!

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  4. Oh yeah, cannot handle scary things here. No horror movies or haunted houses for me ;) The book looks great!

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  5. I am an extremely scary person. Yet, I love watching horror movies and reading scary stories.
    mizztuts AT bellsouth DOT net

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  6. I love a good scary story but scary movies are not my thing. I'd have nightmares for weeks.

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  7. I am a total scaredy cat!! I have been to maybe 2 haunted trails in my 60 years and those were at my elementary schools Halloween parties, and was almost scared the life out of me then. I can't even phantom it now!!! I can't watch the scarry movies either, hopefully they are in a book and then I will read them:(

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  8. Scary stories are fine, but not horror movies. The Birds was scary to me; I saw it at the movie theater. I was really scared by Steven King's TV movie about vampires.

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  9. Oh boy =) I love getting scared. I know I'll scream and that fluttering of my heart. It's such an adrenaline rush. My poor 4 yr old son gets dragged through all the haunted houses. I probably shouldn't take him but he actually likes it too. One time when I was watching a scary movie and had a glass of wine in my hand, a scary scene happened. I jumped and my red wine went all over me, the couch and my hubby next to me. Everything was stained :( He said no more drinks for me during any scary movies.

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  10. Love being scared! I watch any scary movie I can get my hands on. Though, I could only watch Paranormal Activity once, and I'm not sure about the 2nd one.

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  11. I love being scared but only knowing that it isn't reality. For instance, I am a sucker for horror films, yet I won't walk in a dark alley by myself because that's real life!

    Stephanie
    2love.stephanie@gmail.com

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  12. Mary D
    (M.A.D.)

    Definitely not a scaredy cat, - unless there is something scary going on. THEN all my bravado goes out the window lol

    So yeah, I guess I AM a scaredy cat after all. And Paranormal Activity completely freaked me out :O brrrrrr

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  13. I'm not a Fraidy-cat but I don't like being scared out my whits either.I watch horror movies and laugh (after a scream) when someone plays a joke on me. But I do get scared from time to time.

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  14. I am a little bit of a scaredy cat. If I watch a scary movie I have to have someone else with me :)
    throuthehaze at gmail dot com

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  15. I love reading really scary books and watching really scary movies. Is something wrong with me? ha

    dorcontest at gmail dot com
    When does this contest end?

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  16. I don't love them, but I'll read & watch a scary story from time to time.

    cc932005 at hotmail dot com

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  17. I love horror movies not the laughable B movies but the true screamers. Halloween, Nightmare on Elm St, Friday the 13th are a few of my favs. In all honesty books are better in the horror genre b/c you can create the fear for yourself increasing the horror 10 fold.

    Have a great weekend.

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  18. Hi,
    I'm a strange one for I love to be scared to death but I'll scream the whole time..My family loves going with me to the haunted houses or haunted corn mazes for they say they have more fun from how I react then by the place itself..
    I have always loved horror in all types..Movies..Books..so on..
    Happy Halloween!
    ^"^

    baby_blackroze@yahoo.com

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  19. Hi,

    I love scarey movies and I like being scared but I don't like anything to gross. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

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  20. Oh trust me if I were in a corn maze being chased by a guy with a scythe, I'd be terrified too. I don't like being scared, to be honest. I can read scary type stories from time to time but I'm not a person who watches scary movies or enjoys visiting scary places like haunted homes or asylums.

    I like reading emotional and powerful books though. There's just somethig so great when all those emotions start flowing through me. The Book Thief is one of the best books I've ever read (so sorry you couldnt finish it!).

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  21. love LOVE being scared. Couldn't keep IT in my bedroom as a teen, it had to be in the hall but it didn't keep me from reading it over and over. The exorcist is still one of my favorite movies :)

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  22. I love to be scared...but as I have gotten older, I am a little less adventurous in that arena! I still like a little fright but not enough to keep me up all night LOL

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  23. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  24. I love scary movies and getting scared until i have to go to bed then i don't love it as much. :)

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  25. I used to get really scared of scary movies but now I absolutely love them! The only two I can't stand to see are Saw and Final Destination but everything else is great. :) Happy Halloween

    lindsaydevine (at) bellsouth (dot) net

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  26. I am scared very easily but I have to say I love it on Halloween. I'll be first in line to go through the haunted mazes.

    romancebookjunkiesdanielle at yahoo dot com

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  27. I'm not a scaredy cat. I enjoy horror stories and movies. Gory doesn't bother me either.

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  28. I'm used to scary things seeing how the family has ghosts that hang around us year round. So Halloween/scary movies/books/haunted houses are just another average day.

    lovemybabysquid@yahoo.com

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  29. I am a totally fraidy cat when it comes to horror movies. I can watch ghost movies (Poltergeist is my alltime favorite), but the blood and gore I just can't do. Even the previews of those movies give me nightmares. The suspense just makes me sick to my stomach so it is just not worth it to me. I don't have any problem reading scary books though, and Dean Koontz is one of my favorite suspense/horror authors.

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  30. I'm a big fraidy cat, but I still like to torture myself with scary movies. I have a weird fascination with zombie movies too and most of the time I keep my eyes half shut!

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  31. I just get too darn scared! I loved scary things when I was younger, but not any more!

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  32. I am a scaredy cat. I get creeped out and can't sleep alone!

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  33. I'm a bit of both! I like haunted houses and mazes where things jump out at you, but I hate being home alone at night during a storm.

    Thanks for the chance!
    Jules
    onebookshy at yahoo dot com

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  34. Total Fraidy cat! Terrified of EVERYTHING. lol thanks for the giveaway :)

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  35. I'm a total scaredy cat! I refuse to read horror novels or watch horror movies or if it's not fully horror, I'll have my light on with my hands over my mouth trying not to shriek.

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    ayareader@hotmail.com

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  36. I HATE being scared and avoid it at all costs! Doesn't really help that I'm scared of some ridiculous things, like birds and squirrels and heights. Once as a kid, my dad offered me $100 to ride a roller coaster that goes backwards and I still wouldn't do it.

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  37. I love being scared! The only problem is that things are not as scary as they used to be. I'm always the brave one of the group doing crazy things and usually making fun of scary movies.

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  38. I hate being scared and movies do it so easily for me. I'm known for watching scary movies in fast forward, with my hands covering my eyes while peeking through my fingers or taking several bathroom breaks during scary parts.
    june111@att.net

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  39. I love being scared, but only when I'm with other people. Then it's fun, but when I'm by myself, I just get really, really freaked out and start convincing myself that someone's gonna pop up out of nowhere and kill me!

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  40. I'm such a fraidy cat!! I like watching scary movies but only if they're on TV or DVD so that I can control the volumene and make it less scary!
    clderwee at gmail dot com

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  41. I absolutely love being scared. It always makes me feel young again. And I always end up giggling once the scare is over with :)

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