Horror and Other Scary Stuff by Ann Evans

Wander around any supermarket at the moment and you'll be bumping into witch, ghost, skeleton and pumpkin costumes as Halloween approaches. And they seem to get better every year. Couldn't help but smile at a skeleton outfit I saw the other day that had a moving jaw and talked.

Now that my kids are all grown up, Halloween isn't something I usually bother with, although this time last year, Rob who I work with at his Tysall's Photography Studio, was asked if he could take some family shots at the customer's house. No problem... until we got there, and the guy met us at the door, all dressed up as Dracula, and soon informed us that actually he was a real vampire. We hoped he was joking!
After the photo-shoot we came away giggling like a couple of kids, and still looking over our shoulders as we headed to the car. Still, it provided a nice little scenario for a horror story should one be needed.

Although I love writing stories that send shivers up the readers' spines, I'm not so good at reading them myself, and couldn't finish reading a favourite author's novel – Barbara Erskine's House of Echos because it was too frightening! And can't bring myself to watch horror on TV at any price – not even with a big cushion to hide behind.

Oddly enough however, my latest book has a vampire theme. It's The Uninvited, published by Astraea Press as an ebook. And about a month ago Celeste – a time slip thriller came out as an ebook and paperback – and that has a particularly unpleasant ghost in it. And a short while before that came Nightmare – a horror story for Badger Learning!

Heck! I feel a bit hypocritical now.

I wonder who else writes on a theme that scares them to death?
Well for the sake of writing an almost topical blog, I've picked out a few terrifying books that sadly I don't think I'll ever be brave enough to read or watch. How many of them are your cup of tea?

The Silence of the Lambs seems to be on TV from time to time, and I race through the programme listings in case I accidentally hit play and I have to see any of it.
I know - I'm such a wimp.

It's the same with Stephen King's IT. That clown is just the most terrifying character. Can't watch the film, and can't read the book - yet I love many of       Stephen King's books.

       

Nooo! Can't watch this, although I've interviewed and been to lunch with the man behind the leather mask, Gunnar Hansen, and he's really nice. He's also an author of non fiction books. One being Islands At The Edge of Time.

I'm reliably informed that people will recognise this image from the horror films Saw.  But not for all the tea in China would you get me watching it. 

So, am I on my own in being a wimp in not being able to cope with books and films which are too terrifying, even though I write thrillers and horror stories? Perhaps its the fact that if you haven't written it yourself you haven't got the control over what happens.

Happy spooky Halloween to everyone when it comes.

Please visit my website: www.annevansbooks.co.uk

New books: Nightmare (Badger Learning) a Teen Read III book. http://www.badgerlearning.co.uk/ecommerce/search/nightmare.aspx

A sinister vampire theme to this YA book.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Uninvited-Ann-Evans-ebook/dp/B00O2I9084/

A time slip thriller set in Coventry.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Celeste-Ann-Evans-ebook/dp/B00KQ8XIGE/