Dahlia DeWinters – Author – Page 19 – Quirky Heroines, Happy Endings

Blogtoberfest – 5 Classic Horror Stories to Read Online

Welcome! So glad you decided to join me today for Blogtoberfest!

Let’s face it. Sometimes you have a hankering for a good scare, but just don’t have the time to delve into a novel or even turn on a movie. You’re in luck. Here are some scary little bites of story guaranteed to make you check behind the curtains and make sure the back door is secure. Perhaps a baseball bat or even shotgun in the corner wouldn’t be overdoing it.

Please be aware, these are classic horror stories and will most certainly sound familiar, since they’ve been imitated over and over again through the years. Enjoy the language and the creepy atmosphere each writer establishes and you won’t be sorry!

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving – A classic horror story that never loses its spooky touch. Read it here.
The Striding Place by Gertrude Athernon – A man looks for a fried who has been missing since two days earlier. A dreamy and ambiguous story that nonetheless grabs at the senses and holds on. Read it here.
The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs – I’m sure most of us have seen The Simpsons’ parody of this story, but the source material is just as creepy as when I first read it. Sometimes wishes do come true, but in horrible ways. Read it here.
The Morning, the Evening and the Night by Octavia Butler – A wonder drug has horrific consequences. From one of the greats. Read it here.
They Bite by Anthony Boucher – This is a story that I read long ago, in an Alfred Hitchcock anthology, and still stays with me. I have not re-read it…I’ve found it too creepy and unsettling. And now I pass it onto you. Read it here.

There you have it. Five pretty scary stories for a quick burst of fear when you’re feeling quite bored.

Dahlia

Blogtoberfest – Urban Legends – Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine

By Chris C Jones (Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

As part of Blogtoberfest and the season of Halloween in general, it’s always fun to take a look at the urban legends which stay a part of our pop culture. Every state seems to have their own, and some states have more than one. Some of the urban legends have found their way onto as in this case.

The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine is a legend, that, much .like many legends, is steeped in fact. It is, obviously, a gold mine located in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona. As legends will go, there are many stories that circulate around how to find the mine, leading to people actually trying to find it. And, yes, some have perished on their quest for the riches.

A little history: The mine is named after a German immigrant names Jacob Waltz who found it and kept it a secret. Interestingly enough, despite the lack of information we have about it, it might be the most famous “lost mine” legend in American history.

I was tricked into watching an “entertainment program” that I thought was a documentary about the mine. Called Legend of the Superstition Mountains, it resembled a factual program until I found out it was a six season “fakumentary”. Also, it was pretty boring, which is the real crime. I mean, if you’re going to fake something, please, make it interesting.

The film based loosely around this legend is called Dark Mountain, and to be honest, I tried to watch that one too….but wow, a snooze fest it was. I couldn’t finish it.

So there, you are, a taste of the urban legend, the Lost Dutchman’s Mine. If you plan on going to look for it, be sure to bring plenty of water. Arizona’s pretty hot and dry.

Dahlia

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Dutchman%27s_Gold_Mine

Blogtoberfest – Halloween Teapots

Welcome back to BlogtoberFest!

As the weather grows colder in the Northern Hemisphere, the morning (or afternoon) beverage of choice can change, depending on the mood. Sure, I’m a coffee gal at heart, but there’s something about tea, with its .little bags and cute little teapots which make a cold fall morning so much cozier.

What’s that, you say? You don’t have a teapot? Well, reader, you’re in luck. Keep scrolling.

I’ve gathered a few of my favorite spooky-ish teapots along with buy links for your shopping pleasure. Beware, however, most of these teapots are from Etsy and are most likely “one of a kind”. If you see one you like, best jump on it while you can. I made it easy to shop. Click on the link to buy.

Please note: These are NOT affiliate links, nor am I affiliated with the seller in any way. Now go on and enjoy!

Happy shopping and lots of hot tea!

Dahlia

Blogtoberfest – Horror Movie Review – Friend Request

Title: Friend Request

Synopsis: A popular college student graciously accepts a social outcast’s online friend request, but soon finds herself fighting a demonic presence that wants to make her lonely by killing her closest friends.

Genre: Horror

Opinion:

Let’s face it, most of us live online these days, especially those under 30. Between online dating and online classes, people find themselves either at the computer or on their cell phones. People are judged by the number of friends they have on social media or the number of likes they have on a post. Some people pay good money to acquire followers and/or garner even more interest in their online musings.

Okay, you might be saying, it’s a movie review, Dahlia, get to the damn point. All right then. I say all that to say is when we see a post with no likes or a person with a low number of “friends” or “followers”, we assume that means low popularity. And of course, someone with low popularity online is to be pitied and “felt sorry for”

And now we come to the crux of this movie. A popular college student receives a friend request from a girl who doesn’t have any friends. Feeling sorry for her, she “friends” her. The relationship then degenerated into a sort of stalker/stalkee symbiosis, with the popular college student trying to get away from the cloying, smothering of her new “friend”.

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After cutting off the friendship, the girl commits suicide and posts the video on the popular girl’s social media page. This leads to her losing online friends and then DUN DUN DUN, she begins losing friends in real life….TO MURDER MOST FOUL.

Anyhoo, the rest of the movie invovles her tracking down and trying to eliminate the girl’s ghost, who is apparently causing all the trouble. Will she succeed? You’ll have to watch the movie to find out.

All in all, it wasn’t the best horror movie I’ve seen, but I thought the premise was interesting. It is well-acted and well-shot with some disturbing imagery, but I must say the movie does contain an almost paint by the numbers list of horror cliches, including jump scares with stinger chords. Despite these flaws, it’s moderately intriguing and is a good movie to have on in the background.

Grade: B-

BlogtoberFest 2017 – The Days of Halloween

Let’s face it, the holidays start earlier and earlier every year. I saw a six foot light up snowman in Costco at the end of August. Therefore, I see no reason not to begin the celebration of all things spooky, macabre, and scary in the month of October.

You faithful readers of my blog: I thank you. AND you already know what’s going to be happening. Recipes, Top 3 lists, Top 5 lists, spooky songs, movies, books….everything relating to the theme of Halloween and horror. Click over every day to see something new!

So pour yourself a Bloody Mary with bacon garnish and come on along for the ride. We’ve been expecting you.