Kiki’s October Haunted Places Contest

Burying Point - Salem, MA 

It is funny, but even with Halloween being one of my favorite holidays and the fact that I write paranormal stories year round, those created Haunted Houses set up all over the place this time of year are just not my thing at all!  However, real haunted houses or places, I am not so sure about.  I recently went on a two and a half hour Haunted Footprints tour of Salem, MA one night this summer.  While I didn't encounter any ghosts, my camera says other wise as you can see above.  And, when I was young, there was this abandoned house in the woods behind my own home that I often explored during the day.  By the looks of the place, it could have easily been haunted.  I have often wondered if the house is still standing.  It would be cool to go back there now, and at night.  So, of course it is no surprise that I used it as a setting in one of my stories.

Excerpt from “The Stone Hex” in the Mystic Stones Anthology:

“Having come to the end of the trail she followed, Rachael paused where

the full green of the tree line gave way to an open expanse of land. The remains of a field, long unattended, rolled out before her until the sun-drenched colors of the landscape took on the blackness of shadow. From where she stood it seemed as if the long-abandoned house had burned the earth with its mere presence. The symmetry of the two-story square made it appear intimidating, despite it’s aged wood and cracking paint, as if the house was smirking at her in a domineering stance. Furthermore, the large fallen tree whose weight the house now sustained seemed an elaboration of contorted fingers grappling for possession of the sky itself. Dead twigs of brown held onto its foundation as if paying homage to their master.

Once she left the protection of the trees, the house, black with the soot of

neglect, chilled her even as the sun burned upon her shoulders. Nevertheless,

this was how the house had greeted her for years. As a few clouds rolled in

muting the sun, the light-play of shadows gave the illusion of specters in the

windows.

Alone with this house, Rachael always realized how far she had come

from civilization; nonetheless, she still reveled in her solitude. She had left far

behind the small fall of water in the woods just beyond her backyard that always enticed her to sit and the upward curve of the stream that always lured her up the hill. Pulling up onto the creaking porch from the bare ground where steps must have once been, she stepped gingerly.

She squeezed her body into the house beside the ancient heavy door with

rusted hinges and walked into the living room as if she owned the place. The

sun filtering through the filthy windows furthered the anomaly of the eerie feel of an aged room. It never ceased to amaze her how time took its toll. She started up the stairs walking with her hand on the wall never quite trusting the wobbly banister or the middle of the warped stairs. Her hand grazed over an upturned seam of the yellowing wallpaper right where an old red flower bled across it.”

So, in the spirit of Halloween and Haunted Places everywhere, I wanted to hold a contest during the month of Halloween.  All you have to do is send an email to howell [dot] kiki [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line “Haunted House Contest Entry” before midnight on Oct. 30^th, 2010  In the body of the email  you can either (a) share a brief account of a time you visited a real haunted place (regardless of whether you encountered any paranormal activity or not), or (b) tell me whether you like those created haunted houses or not sharing where the scariest one is.  Easy!  If you are reading this on a blog, then share the same information in the comments section for an additional entry – just please include your email address so I can contact you if you win.

Then, Sunday Oct. 31, I will pick the winners.  One winner will be picked randomly just for emailing or commenting on a blog, One winner will be picked out of those who were brave enough to enter those created haunted houses this time of year, and one winner will be chosen for sharing a real haunted place story with me.  I am reserving the right to choose extra winners as well based upon my reactions to the emails and comments. I mean it is Halloween, one just never knows what will happen *laughs evilly*

Winners will be contacted by email and announced on various blogs, etc.

Winners will be able to chose one ebook in PDF format from my available stories.  Eligible book titles are listed below. For book blurbs, reviews, lists of paranormal creatures and erotic content warnings for each please visit my website, www.kikihowell.com

Mystic Stones Anthology

The Witches Beast Novella

The Healing Spell and Other Stories Anthology

Rituals Novella

A Modern Day Witch Hunt Short Novel

A Questionable Hero Novella

The Sorcerer’s Songs Novella

Check out Just Another ParaNormal Halloween Anthology, available now through http://www.mojocastle.com/ It includes my story, "Samhain's Visitor"