Why I Love Halloween by Madeline Dyer: Snarkology Halloween Hop & Giveaway 2015

So, I’m delighted to be taking part in the Snarkology Halloween Hop this year!  For my blog post as part of this tour, I thought I’d talk a little about why the writer in me loves Halloween, and I’m running my very own giveaway right from this page (see below). Plus, there’s also the big Halloween Giveaway too (details are also below).

As you might have guessed, it’s the spookiness of this occasion that really appeals to me as a writer. I’m not one for dressing up as a zombie and trick or treating. My ideal kind of Halloween night would be sitting at home with a nice cup of tea and a good ghost story that will scare me.

It’s strange. I’m not one for horror–I never have been and I’m not sure I ever will be. But there’s something about Halloween and the spookiness that it brings that I just love. And at this time of year, I always find myself writing stories that are slightly scarier (in a Halloween sense) than my usual plots.

I’ve been working on a new dystopian novel for quite a while now, but in the weeks leading up to Halloween I found myself wanting to work on something new; specifically, a ghost story. I’ve never written a ghost story, but at the moment I’m loving it. And, I have to wonder if I’m loving it because of the time of year.

I do tend to be a seasonal writer. My scarier stuff is written in the Autumn. And I’ve noticed my darker books (psychologically dark and/or violent) tend to be written in the winter–or June/July. Not sure about June/July. But in the late summer, I tend to write more light-hearted stuff. And in the spring I always seem to go for urban fantasy. This pattern has been emerging for quite a few years now, and I’m so fascinated by it.

So, yes, that’s why I like this time of year–it allows me to write something a little scarier. But the scary stuff still has to seem real and believable to me. It needs to be eerie.

And I suppose “eeriness” is what I associate with Halloween. It’s a time where the veils between the different worlds are at their thinnest, when beings can appear on Earth–and I love love love pumpkins and the idea of fire as a way to ward off these supernatural and paranormal creatures.

Madeline Dyer is the author of UNTAMED (Prizm Books, May 2015) , a dark YA dystopian novel about addiction, loyalty and artificiality.

A Little Giveaway

So, I thought long and hard about what I could giveaway on this occasion, and the prize I’m currently offering is: a signed UNTAMED postcard, along with two blank postcards for your own use. One of the reasons that I just love postcards (particularly signed postcards) is that they’re pretty easy to store, and look great pinned up on a wall. Plus, they can also be used… as postcards! And, with this giveaway, I’m offering three postcards, one of which is signed, so you could keep one, pin one on your wall, and send one to a friend.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And make sure you also follow the Halloween Hop to the other blogs–you can win more prizes there too! Here’s a list of everyone participating:

And now for the Big Giveaway….

Thank you so much for joining me as part of the Snarkology Halloween Hop!