Category Archives: fortnight of fright

Fortnight of Fright: Halloween Movies with Abigail

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FoF2014

Hey there! Today we have Abigail telling us all about her favorite Halloween movies! I looove the Corpse Bride but have never seen Over the Garden Wall. I will be adding that to my list for sure! Have you seen these movies? What do you think? Head over to Amy & Brittany’s blogs to see who they have featured today! Don’t forget, we are hosting wonderful bloggers & authors for two whole weeks with recipes, book recommendations and a lot more awesome!

This month, to prepare for Halloween (because of course this whole month is about the wonderful autumn holiday) I’ve been watching weird, comedy and Halloween-like movies. I am not a horror fan, I just don’t handle it well. So for me these films are a good compromise for wanting to watch Halloween-esque stuff. Also because I had a strange childhood I didn’t see a lot of films that most people have seen, so this gave me a good excuse to catch up on all Tim Burton’s work. 😉 But without further ado, here is the first part of my list.

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Shaun of the Dead: I’d heard a lot about this film, and I decided to finally sit down and watch it after my brother-in-law told me how much he loved it. Shaun of the Dead is everything you would hope from a British comedy that makes fun of zombies. Shaun spends the first part of the film hilariously unaware that the world is going to hell around him. The ending didn’t really go where I thought it would, but I still enjoyed the film overall. I would give it 3 stars on a 5 star scale. Continue reading →

Fortnight of Fright: Apple Tart Recipe With Kritika

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FoF2014

Hi friends! Today we have Kritika sharing a DELICIOUS fall recipe with you all! It is FINALLY starting to feel like fall out here in New England (what took you so long, Mother Nature?!) so I can’t wait to delve in and make me this tart! YUM! After your mouth finishes watering head over to Amy & Brittany’s blogs to see who they have featured today! Don’t forget, we are hosting wonderful bloggers & authors for two whole weeks with recipes, book recommendations and a lot more awesome!

I just moved from California to Michigan for grad school this year, so it’s been so much fun to experience my first actual fall. I’d never gone apple picking or had apple cider with fresh warm donuts before (California is more of a strawberry/cherry/blueberry picking kind of place), so of course when I went apple picking for the first time I got a little too excited and ended up with waaaaaaaaay too many apples!

Whenever I have too much of an ingredient in my kitchen, my solution is always to bake something with it. I ended up making apple streusel muffins, apple jam, and even some apple grilled cheeses (which were surprisingly good!!) but my favorite recipe is this French apple tart recipe. I made two of them  because I loved the taste so much!

This recipe is adapted from this Williams Sonoma Apple Tart recipe, but I used store-bought pie crust instead of making my own tart dough because 1) I’m too lazy and 2) grad student budget doesn’t have room for buying fancy things like tart pans XD

Ingredients

1 9″ pie crust

Frangipane filling (sweet almond paste)

3/4 cup blanched almonds, lightly toasted

1/3 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Apple filling

2.5 Apples, cored, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp apricot preserves (for glaze)

Recipe

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

2) Use a food processor to blend the almonds, 1/3 cup sugar and the salt until the almonds are finely ground. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and melted butter and blend until you have a thick paste

3) Pour the frangipane into the pie shell and smooth it out with a spatula/spoon

4) Toss the apple slices in the lemon juice. Place the first layer of apples on top of the frangipane in a spiral.

5) Keep adding layers of apples until you’ve covered the whole tart or run out of apple slices!

6) Sprinkle 1 tbsp of sugar over everything and stick the tart in the oven for 1 hour.

7) Once the tart is cooled, warm up the apricot preserves until they’re syrupy and brush them onto the apples

I thought this pie was delicious, I hope you enjoy it 😀

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Fortnight of Fright: Favorite Episodes of Lore by Kathleen

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FoF2014

Today is fun for me because my good friend Kathleen is here to post about one of my favorite podcasts which is run by someone I think is pretty swell! Kathleen is here to tell us all about her favorite episodes of the podcast Lore. I have spoken about Lore before because I looove it. Those of you into history will enjoy it and those of you into the somewhat creepy history will LOVE it. I really don’t think it is too scary for those of you who don’t enjoy horror, however. So read on about what Kathleen has to say, go listen to Aaron’s soothing voice tell you some nice stories and then head over to Amy & Brittany’s blogs to see who they have featured today! Don’t forget, we are hosting wonderful bloggers & authors for two whole weeks with recipes, book recommendations and a lot more awesome!

lore

Have you heard of the podcast LORE yet? No? Well go and correct that immediately! The podcast LORE is created and hosted by Aaron Mahnke and focuses on lore throughout history and true crime. I was first introduced to LORE by the lovely Alyssa, and I’m so happy I gave it a shot because it’s my favorite podcast out there. LORE was created in March of 2015 and Aaron has been producing biweekly episodes ever since. Not only does Aaron do the LORE podcast, but there is also an Amazon Prime TV show that’s available starting on 10/13 and he has multiple books coming out soon. (All of which I’m VERY excited for!) Continue reading →

Fortnight of Fright: Spooky Podcasts With Maggie

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FoF2014

We have Maggie from Macarons & Paperbacks telling us all about her favorite spooky podcasts. I loooove podcasts and some of these are my favorites, but others I haven’t listened to before! Check out what Maggie has to say and then  head over to Amy & Brittany’s blogs to see who they have featured today! Don’t forget, we are hosting wonderful bloggers & authors for two whole weeks with recipes, book recommendations and a lot more awesome!

I love listening to podcasts. I find that it’s a great way to fill up my time when I’m on my work commute or doing housework and I don’t feel like listening to an audiobook or putting on music. The podcasts I listen to tend to be of the historical or true crime persuasion, and some of them can get pretty spooky (especially when they’re about real life events). If you’ve visited my blog, macarons & paperbacks, you may know that I identify with Catherine Morland from Northanger Abbey: we both like to indulge in scary stories, specifically at night so our imaginations can get the best of us.

Here is a list of some spooky podcasts that have kept me up at night (and have given me the heebie-jeebies even in broad daylight). Since I’m a Classics lover (if you couldn’t tell from my Northanger Abbey reference), I’ve also included some narrations of my favorite gothic short stories. Let’s me honest: no one does scary better than Edgar Allan Poe 😉

Stuff You Missed in History ClassStuff You Missed in History Class – “The Hinterkaifek Farm”

Let’s start off with a mild one; although it’s about a gruesome unsolved family murder so I don’t know if that can be considered mild. Tracy and Holly host the SYMIHC podcast, where they “teach” about a variety of interesting topics and events throughout history. Usually they focus on topics such as war battles, royalty, and important figures in STEM fields, but sometimes, especially this time of year, they cover unsolved murders. One of the first SYMIHC episodes I listened to was this “History Mysteries Double Feature”, and it really creeped me out (but also made me become a regular listener to the podcast). The first part of the episode is about a couple that vanished on their honeymoon, and the second part, the really creepy part, is about a family that was murdered by someone who may have been hiding in their farmhouse for weeks or months. Have fun sleeping after listening to that story… Continue reading →

Fortnight of Fright: Witchy Films & Morning Brews from Cassie

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I have one of my faaaavorite people on the blog today! Cassie from Rants and Raves of a Bibliophile! Cassie is here today to talk about two of my favorite things….witchy films and DRANKS!! Take a look at what we have going on today and don’t forget to head over to Amy & Brittany’s blogs to see who they have featured today! Don’t forget, we are hosting wonderful bloggers & authors for two whole weeks with recipes, book recommendations and a lot more awesome!

witchy brews

Hi Everyone! It’s finally autumn and Halloween is just around the corner…EEEK. I’m ecstatically happy to be part of Fortnight of Fright this year. In this post, I have paired two of my favorite beverages with my most cherished films: Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic. I love witchy movies, and these two films hold a special place in my witch-loving heart. So I present to you the pairing of my favorite films with two amazing drinks that you can sip during a breakfast or brunch movie marathon.

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First up, I have Hocus Pocus paired with the Hallowed Ground Latte. This sacred coffee will open your eyes to another glorious morning. Sip this sweet coffee while you watch the Sanderson Sisters run amok around my favorite witch city: Salem, Massachusetts.

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Ingredients and directions:
Brew some coffee and pour it into your favorite Halloween mug. Add steamed milk or sweet creamer. Top it off with some whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon. Continue reading →

Fortnight of Fright: Flash Fiction From Danielle E. Shipley & Tirzah Duncan

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FoF2014

Hi, friends! Today we have Danielle E. Shipley, author of the Wilderhark Tales novellas and the novel Inspired (see her other features on my blog here and here). Also contributing is Tirzah Duncan, writer of novels, short stories and poetry. They are here to share some truly awesome flash fiction to help us celebrate Fortnight of Fright this year. I have always been a fan of Danielle’s work and after reading this post I am sure that you will want to read more from her and Ms. Duncan for sure. Take a gander below and don’t forget to head over to Amy & Brittany’s blogs to see who they have featured today! Don’t forget, we are hosting wonderful bloggers & authors for two whole weeks with recipes, book recommendations and a lot more awesome!

Once upon an October years ago, there transpired what might only be described as a supernatural occurrence: A total stranger became my best friend.

Since then, fellow wordsmith Tirzah Duncan and I have gone on to engage in all sorts of uncanny behavior – from getting sucked into the spirit world of the characters in our joint custody, to writing the opening and closing acts of paranormal collection “Beyond the Wail: 12 Grave Stories of Love and Loss”, to our most recent collaboration: “The Dark Siren” – a co-authored short story for the “Arcane Arts Anthology”, in which a world-weary skeleton teams up with a child’s soul to stop life from going all-too-literally to hell.

Just for 2017’s Fortnight of Fright, and illustrated with creepy findings from my related Pinterest board, here are two new pieces of flash fiction featuring the “Dark Siren”s protagonists and their shadowy pasts. Continue reading →

Fortnight of Fright (6)

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Wow. I can’t believe we are doing this for a SIXTH year in a row! B (blog and Twitter), Ame (blog and Twitter) and I try and host this two week feature where we celebrate all things Autumn and (if you want) HALLOWEEN!

I am basically just going to copy the same blurb I have for years cause 1. I am lazy and 2. It’s the pertinent info that ya need….SO for those of you who have no idea what I am talking about (hello, and welcome!) Fortnight of Fright is a time in which we host and share different posts related to Autumn and Halloween! We work with you guys and sometimes amazing authors to showcase some creepy books, interviews, movies, and SO MUCH MOAR! There is no limit on what you can post about! Do you have a signature Halloween or Autumn cocktail recipe? Pinterest board filled with DIY decorations? A book recommendation for those of us who love to be scared? We want it all!! JOIN US!!

Sign ups will be open from 9/11-9/22 and you will be notified the following week to confirm your post topic, and so on. We are going to ask that all posts get to us the week of 10/9 as we will be hosting you during the event which runs from 10/17-10/31! As always, the more the merrier, so scroll on down to our Google Doc and sign up to help us out!

Wondering what we had going on from years past? Check it out:

Fortnight of Fright: Book Recommendations by Anna

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Hi, friends! Today we have Anna from A Literary Potion with some great spooky book recommendations! Take a look at what she has to offer and head over to Amy & Brittany’s blogs to see who they have featured today! Don’t forget, we are hosting wonderful bloggers & authors for two whole weeks with recipes, book recommendations and a lot more awesome!

October is the perfect time to curl up under a blanket with a hot chocolate to read a spooky book that will keep you awake into the small hours. I am a huge scaredy-cat, but by the time Hallowe’en comes back around, I have managed to convince myself to be brave and read a scary story. I’ve picked out three of my favourite books with spooky characters; a ghost, a vampire, and a long dead Welsh king.

Leaving Poppy by Kate Cann
Leaving Poppy by Kate Cann
This book genuinely terrified me the first time I read it. It is one of those perfect books where the fear just slowly creeps up on you. It plays on the fears we all have, creaking floorboards and out-of-place smells. The eponymous Poppy is a manipulative character but also very suggestable; she is one of the creepiest characters I have read about. The plot is not very fast-paced, but it works so well at building the fear and suspense. Kate Cann is one of my favourite authors, and so underappreciated.

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Blood Sinister by Celia Rees
Blood Sinister by Celia Rees
This is one of the best vampire stories I have ever read. The author has created a book with a similar chilling feel to the king of vampire books, Dracula. It is written from two viewpoints, in the present day and in the Victorian times, and the vampire crosses both time periods. It is so realistically written, no dramatic scenes, just a slow process of realisation of what is actually happening. If you want a slow building vampire book, look no further.

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The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
This book was slow to start off with but it got its claws into me and didn’t let go. I loved all the characters, especially Ronan. The friendship between the five main characters is one of my favourite things about this book, I love reading books about characters with strong friendships. The plot is mystical and magical, a perfect Hallowe’en book without the scares. It has a lovely, autumnal feel about it, the book is basically the equivalent of being cosy and warm in front of a log fire.

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{Anna A Literary Potion}
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Fortnight of Fright: A Walk With Jack the Ripper by Kathleen

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Hi, friends! Today we have Kathleen sharing a London tour about Jack the Ripper! I LOVE the mystery surrounding Jack the Ripper, so this was so fun to read! Take a look at what she has to offer and head over to Amy & Brittany’s blogs to see who they have featured today! Don’t forget, we are hosting wonderful bloggers & authors for two whole weeks with recipes, book recommendations and a lot more awesome!

I love fall. I love everything about it, the cool weather, the leaves changing, Halloween, and anything and everything creepy. Fall allows me to let my “freak” flag fly and not have people question or look at me oddly when I say I love forensics and serial killers. I’m not a fan of serial killers, I just find them fascinating and want to know more about how they think and why they do what they do. I’ve been known to spend a whole day researching them.

One of the killers I’m most fascinated by is Jack the Ripper. The fact that this case was never solved makes me even more intrigued. I’ve read so much about him and watched multiple documentaries about the murders, the evidence gathered, and whom they think did it. However, the thing I enjoyed the most was the two Jack the Ripper walks I did while I was in London.

The first time I went was with college in 2009. I studied abroad in London for a month and the classes I took were criminology and sociology courses. When I was told that going on the walk would be part of our class I was ecstatic.  I got to trace the possible steps Jack took and get credit for it. When I went back again in 2013, I took my mom on a different Jack the Ripper walking tour (from a different company). Both walks were similar, so I’m just going to merge them when I talk about them. Continue reading →

Fortnight of Fright: Book Review by Joannamarie

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Hi, friends! Today we have Joannamarie from Wet Noses and Books with a great book review! Take a look at what she has to offer and head over to Amy & Brittany’s blogs to see who they have featured today! Don’t forget, we are hosting wonderful bloggers & authors for two whole weeks with recipes, book recommendations and a lot more awesome!

28954022Release Date: October 4th, 2016

Read: September 30th, 2016 – October 5th, 2016

Publisher: Aladdin

Series: Beyond Baylor, #1

Format: Kindle eBook, 320 pages

Source: NetGalley
*I received a free digital copy in exchange for my honest review*

(It does not change my opinion of the book whatsoever.)

 

**I’d like to personally thank the Publisher as well as NetGalley for allowing me to receive this ARC- Thank You! J

Goodreads Description:

“A boy and his ghostly twin sister work together to pass messages from the beyond in this funny paranormal debut.

There are a few things you should know about Baylor Bosco: He’s thirteen-years-old, he has a twin sister, and he really does NOT like ghosts…which is problematic because he’s a medium and sees ghosts everywhere.

Oh, and his twin sister, Kristina? She’s a ghost too.

They’ve been working as a pair for years, expertly relaying messages from ghosts to their still-living loved ones. Baylor’s even managed to come up with an introductory phrase—one that he has to use far too often.

But when a strange ghost shows up close to Halloween, a grown man, covered in a sheet, with only his black leather shoes showing from the bottom, Baylor starts to wonder if something else has taken notice of him. And when his sister goes missing, somehow ghost-napped, he’s forced to figure out the truth about the Sheet Man and his sister’s disappearance, all without his usual ghostly ambassador.”

Continue reading →