My Favorite Holiday
By Dawn Eastman
By Dawn Eastman
Halloween. Ghosts. Witches. Pumpkins. Costumes. I love it
all. Even now, in the midst of summer, I’m already looking forward to
Halloween. It’s my favorite holiday because, for our family, it’s all about fun.
There’s no pressure with Halloween. You can dress up, or not. You can decorate,
or not. There is no required large meal to be cooked and cleaned up. No
shopping – except for candy, which really doesn’t count.
Autumn is my favorite season and so Halloween celebrations
are an excuse to do all those great fall activities like going to an apple
orchard, or a pumpkin patch. I drag my family to the local Living History
museum every year for trick or treating in the old-fashioned town and horse and
buggy rides through the spooky woods. We have popcorn and cider and listen to
ghost stories. We roast marshmallows over a bonfire. As my kids get older, I’m
worried I may have to borrow some neighbor kids just to have an excuse to go
back every year.
The lead-up to the end of October is even better if there is
a gloomy, stormy day so that I can read a good ghost story or gothic novel
while lightning and thunder rage outside. The
Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is a great modern gothic. Debra
Harkness’s All Souls Trilogy is wonderful and the first one, A Discovery of Witches, takes place in
the month leading up to Halloween. Katherine Howe’s Physic Book of Deliverance Dane is another witchy favorite.
On Halloween, I love to see the little kids come to the door
with their princess and superhero costumes.
But even more, I love to see the big kids who are trying to hold on to
childhood for one more year. On his first Halloween, my son spent the evening
in shocked delight that every house he went to gave him candy. Now, he walks
the neighborhood with his younger sister who generously shares her loot.
When we moved to Iowa, we had to get used to the different
customs of our adopted state. For one thing, our city does its trick or
treating on October 30th. Growing up in Michigan, October 30th was
known as devil’s night, and only the tricksters were out roaming the streets.
In Iowa, the kids have to tell a joke in order to get the candy. This is a
tradition that I still am not used to and often the older kids demand I listen
to their joke before they will accept my candy, which tends to take the shine
off the exchange for me.
Be Careful What You Witch For, the second book in the Family
Fortune Mystery series begins on Halloween night. In the woods. At Midnight.
With a bonfire. Hope to see you there…
What Halloween traditions do you enjoy? Do you have any
favorite spooky books? I’d love to hear about it the comments!
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Leave a comment answering Dawn's questions about Halloween traditions and favorite spooky books for a chance to win a copy of Be Careful What You Witch For no later than 11:59 pm EST Monday, July 7, 20014. Be sure to leave an e-mail address so that I am able to contact you should random.org choose your comment!
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Review
Be Careful What You Witch For by Dawn Eastman
The Second Family Fortune Mystery
In Be Careful What you Witch For author Dawn Eastman brings us back to the spiritualistic community of Crystal haven, Michigan. This, the second book of the Family Fortune Mystery series, opens in the midst of Fall Fun Fest. Clyde's friend Diana is in charge of the festival and has included a Wiccan Samhain ceremony to this year's schedule of events. After Clyde sees "something" in the flames a member of the circle collapses in what seems to be a severe allergic reaction. Was it merely an accident? No.
Dawn Eastman deftly handles her characters keeping them grounded (albeit kooky at times) personable (although annoying at times), and interesting. We want to spend time with these characters and learn more about them. I especially love how she's developing the romance between Clyde and Mac. Their major obstacle from Pall in the Family has been removed, yet we know issues will abound. However, we are able to see the deep concern and, can we say love, that Mac has for her. Eastman is able to keep it sweet, but not saccharine, actions are concerned, but not controlling; all in all an adult relationship handled with aplomb.
I loved this second entry in the Family Fortune Mystery series. It is interesting to see that even in a spiritualistic community, not everyone is accepting of Wiccans. We see prejudice and the unfortunate tendency of mankind to distrust and hate what is different and unknown. Even our protagonist falls into this trap with one of the new characters. Yet the subject matter is treated with respect and knowledge. Dawn Eastman gives us a realistic look into a paranormal world and I'm delighted to follow where she leads.
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Leave a comment answering Dawn's questions about Halloween traditions and favorite spooky books for a chance to win a copy of Be Careful What You Witch For no later than 11:59 pm EST Monday, July 7, 20014. Be sure to leave an e-mail address so that I am able to contact you should random.org choose your comment!
*****************************************************************************
Review
Be Careful What You Witch For by Dawn Eastman
The Second Family Fortune Mystery
In Be Careful What you Witch For author Dawn Eastman brings us back to the spiritualistic community of Crystal haven, Michigan. This, the second book of the Family Fortune Mystery series, opens in the midst of Fall Fun Fest. Clyde's friend Diana is in charge of the festival and has included a Wiccan Samhain ceremony to this year's schedule of events. After Clyde sees "something" in the flames a member of the circle collapses in what seems to be a severe allergic reaction. Was it merely an accident? No.
Dawn Eastman deftly handles her characters keeping them grounded (albeit kooky at times) personable (although annoying at times), and interesting. We want to spend time with these characters and learn more about them. I especially love how she's developing the romance between Clyde and Mac. Their major obstacle from Pall in the Family has been removed, yet we know issues will abound. However, we are able to see the deep concern and, can we say love, that Mac has for her. Eastman is able to keep it sweet, but not saccharine, actions are concerned, but not controlling; all in all an adult relationship handled with aplomb.
I loved this second entry in the Family Fortune Mystery series. It is interesting to see that even in a spiritualistic community, not everyone is accepting of Wiccans. We see prejudice and the unfortunate tendency of mankind to distrust and hate what is different and unknown. Even our protagonist falls into this trap with one of the new characters. Yet the subject matter is treated with respect and knowledge. Dawn Eastman gives us a realistic look into a paranormal world and I'm delighted to follow where she leads.
This sounds like a very interesting book. We don't have any real Halloween traditions here. My sons have outgrown trick or treating. Maybe this year we will have to start a new Halloween tradition.
ReplyDeleteAngie Young
angiey1974@hotmail.com
thelittlereadingcabin.blogspot.com
Your book sounds captivating and special. We used to dress up the kids and now we dress up the grandkids who love this experience. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI don't really read "spooky" books because I'm a 'fraidy cat! But, E.J. Copperman has a Haunted Guesthouse cozy mystery series that I do enjoy. :)
ReplyDeleteAs for Halloween traditions, I recently found out that Cadbury makes "Screme" eggs around Halloween. The Cadbury creme eggs are my favorite treat in my Easter basket, so now I treat myself to these Halloween-themed candies, too. :)
Ohhh I'll have to look for those Cadbury Scremes!
DeleteI love Halloween too, except for a while there I didn't. My brother had someone throw a full can of soda at his face, from a close range. It cut open his face from the bottom of his nose to his lip. Stitches and anger aside, it took a while for me to disconnect that from the holiday. Now that I have 3 wee ones, it makes it fun once again. I have always loved to watch the movie "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" with my friends. My kids are not old enough to handle it yet. I can't wait for that day! We go trick or treating, but to people that we know and love. It just doesn't have the same appeal anymore when you have to check for all the opened candy, unwrapped items, etc. So, we stick with what and who we know.
ReplyDeleteIt's truly sad that it's not what it was when we were young.
DeleteTwo things stand out about Halloween when I was young. 1-It seemed to always rain so we had to wear our yellow slickers over our costumes. 2-We lived out of town and had only one neighbor we could visit. Slim pickings.
ReplyDeletelibbydodd at comcast dot net
lol, I often had to wear a winter coat over my costume!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWe gave a party every year till my mom passed away, now we just pass out treats to the grandkids :) kathambre@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteThank you Kathy for yet another great review! We don't do much for the Halloween holiday, but, like you, autumn is my fave time of the year. Just the thoughts of leaves changing, pumpkin patches, sweaters being worn for the chilly evenings...it's all good!
ReplyDeleteSandy at sxygrndma48@yahoo.com
I'm glad you liked my review-in the current heat I can't wait for fall!
DeleteHalloween was never a holiday I was permitted to participate in, as a child......
ReplyDeleteeven as I got older, the idea of dressing up in a costume never appealed to me.....
hope I can still enter the giveaway....
cyn209 at juno dot com
Of course you may still enter! I'm sorry you never got to dress up-sometimes it's fun to become someone else for a while.
DeleteI like to decorate cookies for Halloween. And read a couple Halloween themed cozies.
ReplyDeletesuefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
My favorite tradition was always dressing up in a costume and going trick-or-treating. I went with either my best friend since kindergarten and her little brother or the three kids of my mom's best friend of 20+ years. Trick-or-treating is a thing of the past for me now, but I still dress up to pass out candy. :) robbfan141729@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely my favorite holiday (even beating out Christmas) and I dress up every year. Last year as a rodeo clown. My department knows it and we have- Halloween party every year! I make my ghosts in the graveyard cake. Just wish it could be the safe & fun time that I remember from my childhood.
ReplyDeleteWow-even beating out Christmas!
DeleteNo special traditions, although I like to give out candy to trick and treaters. I don't like very many spooky books, although I read the Fourth Realm Trilogy by Johnathan Twelve Hawks, that pretty much scared the stuffing out of me.
ReplyDeletekaye.killgore@comcast.net
Thank you for hosting! I loved reading all the great comments about Halloween!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Kaye! Random.org chose your comment to win. Be on the lookout for an e-mail from me. Thanks everyone for commenting and I hope you continue to visit here.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, and I love the guest post, too! Kathy, you're right on target with your observations on Mac and Clyde's relationship; it's one of the things I really liked about the novel.
ReplyDelete