19 October 2011



Haunted Halloween 2011
Guest post by Sara Grant, author of Dark Parties


I have an over-active imagination. It’s a perk if you’re a writer but in the wee hours of the night, it’s a definite liability. I’ve spent many-a-night with eyes held painfully wide open, waiting for my bedroom door to creak open and a ghost, demon or serial killer to appear. When I was fourteen, I didn’t sleep for two days after I watched Poltergeist. I was sure the tree outside my window might come to life or that horribly creepy clown might have found its way into the eves, which served as my closet, and strangle me with its oversized mitts.
I don’t often watch scary movies anymore because at 3:22 in the morning, I can still convince myself that Freddie, Jason, Cujo and Norman Bates have formed a posse and are coming after me. It’s irrational, um, yeah, I know, but I’m not at my rational best after midnight.
    So it may seem completely counterintuitive when I tell you that I love graveyards. Graveyards of sorts are featured in both Dark Parties and my next novel, scheduled for publication in 2013. Maybe it’s the storyteller in me that sees a gazillion stories lurking among the heart-felt epitaphs and the weather-worn statues. Or maybe it’s the eerie peace that surprises you like fog on a hilly country road or some connection with eternity. I have no idea. Maybe a high-priced shrink will decipher this for me one day.
    When I lived in Indianapolis, Indiana, I used to write at Crown Hill Cemetery. With more than 185,000 graves dating back as far as 1864, it’s the third largest cemetery in the US not owned by the government. I would spread a blanket near James Whitcomb Riley’s grave and write until I was over taken by ants or the sun began to set. Riley’s gravesite sits on the highest points of the city and offers a stunning view. I was inspired by the sights but also the feeling of being surrounded by stories, all those souls whispering their tales. I never found it spooky or scary – but I also never visited after dark.
James Whitcomb Riley is a Hoosier poet best known for his poem “Little Orphant Annie” (www.poetry-archive.com/r/little_orphant_annie.html). It’s a perfect poem for Halloween with its refrain of ‘An’ the Gobble-uns ‘ll git you Ef you Don’t watch out!’
So my suggestion for this Halloween…visit your nearest graveyard. Be respectful. Be reverent. And listen for voices from the past.
    Happy Halloween to the living and those returning for the night….



Currently available from Little, Brown!

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Neva has been trapped since birth. She was born and raised under the Protectosphere, in an isolated nation ruled by fear, lies, and xenophobia. A shield "protects" them from the outside world, but also locks the citizens inside. But there's nothing left on the outside, ever since the world collapsed from violent warfare. Or so the government says...

Neva and her best friend Sanna believe the government is lying and stage a "dark party" to recruit members for their underground rebellion. But as Neva begins to uncover the truth, she realizes she must question everything she's ever known, including the people she loves the most.


Order Dark Parties Online:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

About Sara Grant

Sara Grant grew up in a small Indiana. She graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, with degrees in journalism and psychology, and later she earned a master’s degree in creative and life writing Goldsmiths College, University of London. Sara now works as a senior commissioning editor for Working Partners, a London-based company creating series fiction for children. Dark Parties is her first young adult novel.

Find Sara Online:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook



Enter to win a copy of DARK PARTIES!!!


Rules and now to enter:

You must be at least 13 years old to enter.
To enter, please fill out the form provided below.
Giveaway open US Only, sorry!!
Giveaway ends: November 2nd, 2011





Don't forget to stop by and check out who Jessica is featuring today for Haunted Halloween!

REMINDER: *If you are interested in the COMMENT CONTEST, remember to include your email address with your comment for an extra entry.
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A HUGE thank you goes out to Sara for today's post! Thanks so much for stopping by! Another HUGE thank you goes out to Little, Brown for the book provided in this giveaway.

*I am not compensated at all for any of the links within this page.

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20 comments:

  1. That movie made me so freaked out the first time I seen it too! That was a LONG time ago LOL :)

    Amanda
    hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ooh haven't heard of this book, yet it looks familiar!

    jessica(DOT)agreatread(AT)gmail(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yea me,too! I can't sleep if I see a scary movie. I've seen this book around. Thanks for the giveaway! :)

    Email: osnapitzAngiex3(AT)aol(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love the cover on this one! Great post. Thanks for the chance at a great giveaway!
    veltara(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm so excited to read this one. Sounds like an epic tale!

    Vivien
    deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  6. *shudder* I avoid graveyards at all costs.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love cemeteries! I think they are calming and beautiful. I do some of my best thinking in cemeteries! Glad to know I'm not the only one who hates scary movies and loves a good cemetery.

    AmethystDaydreams at zoho dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I started to watch Poltergeist but it was not my kind of movie. I haven't visited any cemeteries well except for a funeral they just make me too sad.

    spyblue78(at)gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love cemeteries too! I grew up next to one and the winding lanes were perfect for walking the dogs. Plus no traffic and the dogs loved all the wilderness smells. This probably desensitized me to them but I think I'd still avoid after dark :) Thanks for the lovely post and giveaway!

    efender1(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Mary DeBorde
    zenrei57 (at) hotmail dot com

    Same here. As much as I enjoyed Poltergeist - I was nervous around the tv set for days lol :O

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love graveyards... The older the better, too. There are a lot of stories there and the whisper of eternity.
    chiri_chan29330@yahoo.com

    -Nichole

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hmm, may have to place ahold on Poltergeist for this year's Halloween movie... :)

    liedermadchen(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Graveyards give me the willies! I'm glad that you find them peaceful though. I've never been to one after dark either!

    Brandi
    bgilvaja87(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  14. I can only watch scary movies in the day because I have the same fears of Freddy and Jason coming after me:)

    bchild5 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  15. When Dark Parties was first released, I just was not sure about it. Then the more and more I heard about it the more intriguing it became. I would love to read it and I thank you so much for the wonderful post and giveaway opportunity.

    dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  16. I like graveyards too. At least when it's still light out. They do have a sense of peacefulness that can't be found anywhere else, but once the sun goes down, it's a whole different story and I don't hang out in them at all.

    Nikki(at)wickedawesomebooks(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  17. I don't think I've read a book where xenophobia comes into play.
    tlabunski ((**gmail**))
    Pabkins @ Mission to Read

    ReplyDelete
  18. I've heard nothing but amazing things about this book, so thank you for sharing this insightful and delightful post, as well as the chance to win a copy of this. :)

    Suz @ A Soul Unsung
    susanhaugland@att.net

    ReplyDelete
  19. Another awesome post!

    ashleysbookshelf at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete

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