Terror Tuesday: More Bad Horror Movies

It’s time for another Terror Tuesday and another dip into the 50 movies of Pure Terror pack. After a rocky start, things actually begin to pick up.

#1 The Amazing Transparent Man. As the title indicates, another invisible man type movie and not all that bad. A 1960 release with a mad scientist turning a safecracker invisible with unexpected results.

#2 Hands of Steel. 1986. Oh, boy. There’s a difference in bad movies from the 50s and bad movies from the 80s, one even a splash of nudity can’t save, and this film points it out. Totally worthless piece of celluloid with a killer cyborg. Made it through about 15 minutes and gave up. Dreadful. Skip this one.

#3 The Manster. 1962 Japanese, and a pretty good little movie. An American reporter in Japan runs into the obligatory mad scientist who brings out the monster in him. They say two heads are better than one, but not when the second one grows out of your neck and makes you start killing people.

#4 Blood Sabbath. 1972. Anthony Geary before he became Luke on General Hospital and still couldn’t act. But lots of naked dancing witches and gratuitous swinging breasts, so I’m going to recommend this one.

#5 The Devil’s Nightmare 1971. Whoa, hot naked lesbian scene from this time period? Never saw this on the Friday night late show as a kid. Actually, after an opening scene I could have done without, this is not a bad movie about a tour group being forced to stay the night at a castle that just happens to have a sexy succubus. Hey, it happens. Death and nudity ensue.

#6 The Sadist. 1963 (also known as Sweet Baby Charlie and Profile of Terror). This is one of those movies that makes the 50 pack set worth the 11 bucks you pay for it. Not really horror but a suspenseful gem of a movie that is tense, well written and well acted. The lead psychopath (based on teenage killer Charles Starkweather), who looks a lot like Michael Pollard in the Star Trek episode, Miri, delivers a frighteningly convincing performance of a loony tune, who, with his psychotic girlfriend, terrorize a trio who have the unfortunate luck to break down on the way to a baseball game. You seriously don’t know who is going to live through the movie. Highly recommend this one.

#7 Terror Creatures from the Grave. 1965. Another mysterious castle with evil mojo movie, starring early horror B queen Barbara Steele. A pretty good flick loosely based on an Edgar Allen Poe tale, though I am not sure which one. By this time you certainly have more than your money’s worth for this set.

#8 Keep My Grave Open. 1976. Just when things were looking up along comes this snoozer. Poor writing, acting, filming and just one long borefest. Obvious what is going on very early on and the ending is idiotic.

My name is Chloe Everson…and I kick demon ass…
THE CHLOE FILES by Howard Hopkins
In the tradition of Sookie Stackhouse and Buffy, The Vampire Slayer…
In paperback from http://www.bn.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/

The Killing Kind on Sale for Cyber Monday from Book Depository

My December hardcover Lance Howard Western release, The Killing Kind, is on sale at Book Depository with free world wide shipping. Supplies are very limited at the sale price and once they are gone BD does not restock. This is my 32nd Western for the Black Horse Western line from Robert Hale, Ltd. From the back cover:

Jim Bartlett thought he could put his former life behind him and forge a new one as small Texas ranch owner but he was wrong—dead wrong.

Because someone from his past has followed him and is systematically and permanently trying to destroy that new life piece by piece.

And now with his friends and the woman he loves threatened by a man who knows no remorse and no boundaries, he finds himself in a desperate struggle not only to escape his past but hold onto his very life.

Please click the link to order.

(http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780709090618/The-Killing-Kind)

The Avenger: The Justice, Inc. Files Scheduled for March

The Avenger: The Justice, Inc. Files, the second volume of new short stories from Moonstone based on the 1940s pulp hero , has been given a March, 2011 release date. I have written a brand new tale, Vegeance, Inc. for this vo. as well as a series of six vignettes, each based on one of The Avenger's aides, for the special edition hardcovers and am co-edite with Moonstone's EIC, Joe Gentile. We have some great tales coming up in both this vol. and vol 3, and I present the softfcover and hardcover covers to #2. For those unfamiliar with Richard Henry Benson, read on.

In September of 1939 one of the most unique and compelling characters ever created for a pulp magazine burst onto the newsstands. Pulp fiction house Street & Smith, finding themselves eager to recapture the sales magic of their bellwether characters, Doc Savage and The Shadow, appointed Business Manager Henry W. Ralston and editor John L. Nanovic to the job of developing a new breed of crime-fighter, one who not only espoused the high moral standards of the archetypical hero, but one whom also possessed a burning motivation for embarking on a life of danger and adventure. In turn they called upon their best talent, Lester Dent (Doc Savage) and Walter B. Gibson (The Shadow), to bang around ideas for this new hero, who would combine the best qualities of their own creations.

This hero was Richard Henry Benson, The Avenger.

The Avenger did indeed merge the best traits of Doc Savage—a public figure of easy access to the oppressed, a headquarters filled with magical gadgets, quirky assistants—and The Shadow—a grim presence driven by base urges, intrigue and suspense in the dubious worlds of politics and big business, and a frightening demeanor that struck terror into the hearts of the guilty. But he was something more than an amalgam of hero parts, something that reached beyond the trappings of pulp magazine fiction. In many ways, he is the blueprint for the brooding dark heroes of today, especially the tragedy-driven types such as The Batman.

Richard Henry Benson was infused with an everyman motivational realism that Street & Smith hoped would strike a chord with readers. Unlike Doc Savage and The Shadow, Benson suffered, and suffered horribly. After his wife and daughter vanish on a plane heading to Montreal he undergoes a psychogenic shock that turns his hair white and paralyzes the muscles of his face so that he could mold them into any shape he choses. His face is like a mask from the grave, immobile, chilling. Only his gray eyes, like ice in a polar dawn, hint at the deadly desire he carries to rid the world of all criminals like the ones who took his family from him.

The first novel, Justice, Inc., establishes the grim tone for the series, and features the introduction of The Avenger's first two aides, Scots pessimist Fergus MacMurdie and giant, moon-faced engineer Algernon Heathcote Smith (Smitty). The second novel, The Yellow Hoard, adds the diminutive Nellie Gray, and the third, The Sky Walker, black members Josh and Rosabel Newton, solidifying the team until the 13th adventure, Murder on Wheels, when Cole Wilson joins the crew.

The Avenger is identified not only by his immobile face and white hair, but by the many trappings included in the series: his three-buildings-thrown-into-one-headquarters on Bleek Street, myriad gadgets, death-defying escapes and the turn-about technique he used to vanquish his adversaries; his weapons Mike & Ike (a small tubelike gun and needle-sharp knife he straps to each calf), and his constant grief and remoteness
The adventures alternate between Doc Savage-like romps to Shadow-like organized crime tales.

Although The Avenger ran under the Doc Savage Kenneth Robeson house name, the adventures were not written by Lester Dent. Veteran science fiction/horror/mystery scribe Paul Ernst (1899-1985) was tapped to write the series. Although somewhat reluctant to commit to a pulp character series, Ernst relented once Street & Smith cut him a deal he could not refuse; namely, a healthy $750-per-book paycheck and ready-made plots. He wrote the entire 24-issue run and breathed magic into the series, which unfortunately met cancellation in 1942 at the hands of the war paper shortage. After the initial 24 issues, the character was shunted to the back of Clues Magazine and The Shadow for six short stories penned by Emile Tepperman.

Despite its short lifespan, The Avenger has proved to be one of the most unique and enduring of the pulp characters, so much so that 30 years later, after reprinting in paperback, Warner Paperback Library continued the novels for another 12 adventures, written by sci-fi writer Ron Goulart. The initial novel, Justice, Inc. ranks as one of the best pulp origins ever developed, as well as one of the most progressive, introducing the first black couple to fight as equals alongside the hero.

Terror Tuesday: Bad Horror Movies

It’s time for another Terror Tuesday and with the holiday fast approaching the little demons will have a few days off from school…the prefect time to get that cauldron bubbling for Jimmy or Janie Stew and save yourself a bundle on Christmas gifts…

Please take a moment to check out Margaret Marr’s wonderful review of my kids’ horror series’ 3rd book, The Nightmare Club: The Willow Witch, over at the Nights & Weekends review site. http://www.nightsandweekends.com/articles/10/NW1000448.php Margaret is a superb reviewer and writer. It’s also the perfect time to order copies (see Amazon link at the left side of this blog or on my website at http://www.howardhopkins.com/) of all three Nightmare Club books for stocking stuffers for your little readers, ages 8 and up…assuming you don’t use them in the stew…

Ahem, anyway, I recently took a chance on purchasing the 50 Pure Terror movies DVD set. Priced at only $11, holding 50 movies, if you even get one decent flick the set pays for itself. These sets, covering horror, mystery, sci fi, are put out by Mill Creek and include many obscure public domain movies, domestic and foreign. The quality is often poor as far as transfers go, some being full presentations, others obviously snipped of naughtier bits and probably taken by VCR off a TV broadcast. Sound varies, usually on the low, sometimes muffled, side. But you get what you pay for and these are great for lazy weekend evenings with a bowl of popcorn, if mostly for the groan value. However, since some sets includes classics like House on Haunted Hill and Carnival of Souls, you find some hidden pearls in the raw oysters.

This week I viewed—using the term loosely, as I did not make it through a couple—the first six.

#1 Crucible of Horror. Misnomer. British, low budget, not bad, till the end screws it. A wife and daughter (whose bum flashes probably make the film worth watching) plan to do away with an abusive husband/father, then are tormented by his body showing up in odd places at inopportune times--is he a ghost? Zombie? A 1970 flick.

#2 Double Exposure. 1983. NOT horror. Nekkid girls, serial killer bait, murderer who photographs his victims, bad, bad, bad...couldn’t wait for it to end. Weird seeing James Stacey (who was by this time a multiple amputee due to a horrendous motorcycle accident in which he was hit by a drunk driver) and Pamela Hensley (Princess Monja in Doc Savage or Matt Houston’s sidekick) in such a bad movie, using bad words. Joanna Pettet gets out the knockers, but can’t save this awful film.

#3 Horror Rises from the Grave (Tomb). 1973 Hot witch nudity was cut for some reason, so this movie has little redeeming value. Dubbed, French, picture jiggers, typical spirits possess not-so-happy-campers searching for treasure tale. Make it 3/4 through, gave up. The jerky editing probably ruined this more than anything.

#4 The Dungeon of Harrow. 1962. Five minutes of a toy ship bashing against a rock that might have been in somebody’s bathtub was enough for me. Fakest looking lightning ever. The Count de Sade keeps his wife locked in a dungeon below his castle. Lucky her; she didn't have to watch this movie. God-awful

#5 Werewolf of Washington. 1973 Aww, man...Dean Stockwell turns into a nasty werepoodle. Sooo bad. At one point the werewolf is actually licking a phone booth in which a young woman is trapped. I think. Or maybe lifting his leg on it. Who knows? A complete waste of time.

#6 They Saved Hitler’s Brain. Oh, no, they di’n’t! Oh, yes, they did! Well, actually they saved his whole freakin’ head, which makes funny faces. Note to scriptwriters: if you want to invoke watcher empathy…do not kill both lead characters off in the first 20 minutes and give us two new ones. Really. Note to movie makers: don’t play lounge music in chase scenes. Nazis in a non-existent Central American country have Hitler’s living head and want to rule the world. Actually, kind of an accident movie…it’s bad, but you keep watching.

Obviously, part of the fun of sets like these is watching to see just how bad some of these movies are. I am looking forward to new low levels of horrible. Coincidentally, I now appreciate Halle Berry’s Catwoman a whole lot more…

My name is Chloe Everson…and I kick demon ass…
THE CHLOE FILES by Howard Hopkins
In the tradition of Sookie Stackhouse and Buffy, The Vampire Slayer…In paperback from http://www.bn.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/

Chloe's Log...

I don’t know how much longer I can hold up. I tell everyone I’m strong--Sturdevant, Arly, my damn cat; hell, I tell myself that. Over and over. But I can’t seem to make myself believe it. Because this thing coming is so terrible, so…frightening I don’t think anything on earth can stop it. Certainly not an aging dancer from New Salem, Maine. And still I have to try.

I’ve faced Hell. I’ve faced demons and the ghost of a pissed-off actor. I’ve faced nearly losing Arly to a crazed witch and I’ve faced dying. But I don’t know if I can face what’s coming. I tell myself am strong, but it’s a lie. I’m just a woman who’s too stubborn to back off, to give up. I’ve lost nearly everything I care about in my life and no Hell-spawned creepy crawly is going to take away the things I have now if I can stop it.

But I can’t stop everything. No matter what that enigma Lansing and her 600-year-old degenerate monkey say. No, I’m not losing it—yet. The monkey gets his point across.

Dammit! Even now I feel the darkness approaching, corrupting the sea and the air, burrowing into the souls of everyone in this god-forsaken town. I smell its rotted breath searing in my nostrils and feel it burning in my eyes. I hear it scratching at the corners of my mind.

Evil’s coming. The war between darkness and light. The veil between the living and the dead has been pierced and I’m too stupid to run. Too dumb to hide. Not strong, not brave, just determined and willful.

But I can’t help shuddering, can’t stop my heart from pounding and still the blood surging through my veins. There are worse things than death. I’m about to find out what they are. I know this. I feel it.

All I can say is—bring it on!

My name is Chloe Everson…and I kick demon ass…
THE CHLOE FILES by Howard Hopkins
In paperback from http://www.bn.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/

Western Wednesday: The Peacemaker

The Western includes a number of staples: the gunslinger, the trusty horse, the bad saloon gal with a heart of gold and the shootout at High Noon. But without The Colt Peacemaker those shootouts would have been pretty boring.

The Colt Peacemaker is as big a part of most “shoot ‘em ups” as any of the aforementioned Western trappings, perhaps more so. Also known as the Single Action Army, it was a single action revolver holding six rounds. The Frontier model’s ammunition could be used in some Winchester rifles, making bullet buying in horse operas a much easier task. Designed for the US Calvary by Colt, this .45 caliber was adopted in 1973 and was the pistol of the Wild West. The famed British Adventurer T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) had a fondness for this gun as well.

There was an 11 incher with a 5 ½ inch barrel and a 13’ with a 7 ½ barrel. Single action referred to the behavior of the trigger, wherein the hammer had to be cocked before each shot; the trigger performed only one action, releasing that hammer. Which is why you see cowboys “fanning” the hammer in shootouts and explains the palm calluses—we hope. Normally one chamber was left empty so the hammer didn’t fall by accident and blow off a foot or some other needed body part, especially when riding.

But the Colt Peacemaker was the gun of the old west and Westerns. You might see a Scofield or Smith & Wesson, but neither come close to the mystique and lore of this particular firearm.

My name is Chloe Everson…and I kick demon ass…
THE CHLOE FILES by Howard Hopkins
In the tradition of Sookie Stackhouse and Buffy, The Vampire Slayer…
In paperback from http://www.bn.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/

Terror Tuesday: If Dreams are Dust…

The world without fantasy and the supernatural is a pretty dull and bleak place. Yet, while I am skilled enough at producing fantasy, in my head and in my writing, I have been strangely left out of the supernatural encounters others claim to experience. And when something does happen, a strange scent in the hallway dead of night, a peculiar sound or glimpse of moving darkness at the corner of my eye, it is all too easy for me to find the logical explanation and pass it off as something totally ordinary. I find it hard ignore the skeptic within me and just accept the fact it might be a ghost or something reaching out from behind the veil.

Perhaps it is because too often in the past the fantasy has become the mundane, the disappointment when the magic I felt within was revealed to be just a trick of the light, the man behind the curtain, by those whose ulterior motives or ambivalent needs invaded my dreams. Or perhaps it’s because too often the mind believes what it wants to believe, is fully capable of mistaking the real for the surreal, conjuring phantasms of distraction to help us escape the reality of being just another ant mindlessly aiding the colony. What if nothing is real except our petty human greed and selfishness? No ghosts, no love, no…magic.

What if we all just are…then aren’t? What if everything is just a lie because the truth is too ugly to behold?

That would be a tragic waste of living, would it not?

Skeptic that I am, I want to believe in the things unseen, the gossamer threads of essence that draw certain people together, the transcending love that allows a spirit to return from the beyond for a last embrace, that the things started in life merely continue and grow after death. That witches appear in bright moonlight nights, that angels burst from the ashes of despair, that a chubby guy in a sleigh brings joy once a year, that the Lucky Charms Leprechaun makes every bite of life magically delicious.

That there is magic. Somewhere. Waiting to open up and flood the heart with a reason and worth and wonder.

Is the supernatural real? I don’t know. But I do know that without the belief, the chance, that it might be…the world is a dark ride and scarcely worth the fare…

What do you think?

My name is Chloe Everson…and I kick demon ass…
THE CHLOE FILES by Howard Hopkins
In the tradition of Sookie Stackhouse and Buffy, The Vampire Slayer…
In paperback from www.bn.com and www.amazon.com

Western Wednesday: Top Western Hero Nominations

Since I’ve already hit heroes and monsters, I thought I’d focus on Western heroes for Western Wednesday. They sat tall in the saddle, arrived at the nick of time and high noon was just another day at the office. These are some personal favorites:

The Lone Ranger…the Masked Rider of the Plains, a western hero if ever there was one. He stood for truth, justice and the Western Way. He rode through pulp, radio, TV and movie alike.

Cheyenne. Square jawed Clint Walker, wandering around the West getting into everybody’s business…standing up for the good, kickin’ the bad and pluggin’ the ugly. One tough hombre.

Brisco County, Jr. So what if he talks to his horse and the horse talks back? He kept Miss Dixie safe and bedded and kicked some serious John Bly britches.

James West…a hero just for being able to zip those pants…Part cowboy, part secret agent full time Lothario…ah, life in the wild west was good…

Marshal Matt Dillon…no list would be complete without the big guy who brought meaning to the phrase, “get the hell out of Dodge!” And he put up with Miss Kitty, that’s gotta count for something.

Jonah Hex…he’s a hero…sorta…well, depending on which version you read and where you draw your moral line…

Johnny Madrid…from Lancer, he of the studded pants and fast guns. He was cool in a cowboy hat.

The Ghost Rider…before he rode a motorcycle, the western Ghost Rider on a ghost horse came out of the late 60s Marvel Comics…short-lived, and sadly so.

There are tons more. The Western was rich with heroes, so let me know your favorites.

My name is Chloe Everson…and I kick demon ass…
THE CHLOE FILES by Howard Hopkins
In the tradition of Sookie Stackhouse and Buffy, The Vampire Slayer…
In paperback from http://www.bn.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/

Terror Tuesday: Top Monster Nominations

Since I did the top hero list I figured I’d add my nominations for the most influential monsters for Terror Tuesday. These are the monsters I think had the most influence on the horror genre, plus a couple personal favorites, in no particular order.

Dracula is obvious. Bram Stoker’s classic tale started the whole modern vampire thing. Without Dracula we probably wouldn’t have sparkly Edwards…wait, is that a good thing?

Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde…the quintessential split personality/monster within. Huge influence on the genre.

The Wolfman…brought werewolves back to the mainstream. He was a furry nasty, but we felt sorry for Larry Talbot.

Frankenstein. Another obvious include, whether the Mary Shelly original or the Karloff incarnation.

The Mummy. The shambling bandage kind.

Creature from the Black Lagoon…the king fish of amphibian monsters.

The Zombie…no specific zombie, but the one from Kolchak: The Night Stalker works as my personal favorite.

The Witch…but crone or hottie…they’ll put a spell on you…

The Ghost…in any of its spooky haunting forms…

The Invisible Man…more a human monster than supernatural, but I think he belongs on the list.
So, what monsters belong here that I missed? Which are your favorites?

My name is Chloe Everson…and I kick demon ass…
THE CHLOE FILES by Howard Hopkins
In the tradition of Sookie Stackhouse and Buffy, The Vampire Slayer…
In paperback from http://www.bn.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/

Most Influential Fictional Hero Nominations

Like the begats of Genesis, certain heroes or superheroes are more responsible than others in the evolution of the form. Some of these heroes are well-known for their influence, not just on other heroes but on much of popular fantasy entertainment, while some are not quite as embedded into the lexicon. These archetypes set the tone and the trend, blazed the trail. The following are some of my choices for the trunk of the heroic family tree. I am sure I will miss some, so opinions and suggestions are encouraged.

I am tempted to start with Sherlock Holmes, though many would consider him more a mystery prototype. However, reading his chronicled adventures one finds not only are his mental gymnastics heroic, but so is his physical prowess, something often overlooked in movie renditions of the Great Detective. His influence on the fictional hero is undeniable. Being a superhero is not solely about strength and tossing cars around. It goes deeper than that and Holmes may have planted some seeds in the genre as well as the mystery genus.

Zorro. Johnston McCulley’s quintessential swashbuckling hero, created in 1919 and first appearing in The Curse of Capistrano, set the pace of swashbuckling, black-garbed defenders of justice. Without Zorro, we might not have Batman, as Batman’s creator has cited Don Diego de la Vega as an influence.

Lee Falk’s The Phantom was likely the bellwether for the costumed superhero. Though not technically super-powered, The Ghost Who Walks, as he was dubbed, was and still is a presence in the adventure/hero comic genre. The secret Skull Cave, identity…both staples of the form.

Doc Savage. First appearing in 1933 in the novel The Man of Bronze, Doc Savage was a bronze giant with incredible strength and mental ability, whom the author admits was “part Sherlock Holmes”. Without Doc Savage, though he is not a household name, there would likely have been no Superman. His influence on that character as well as others as diverse as James Bond and Star Trek has been well documented, so I won’t restate it all here. Doc Savage was arguably the superhero mold that cast an escapist art form.

Superman. The choice is pretty obvious. He started the comic book explosion and gave birth to an industry. Nearly every super person in tights owes him something, and if not him then they owe the next choice: Batman.

If Superman is the father of modern superheroes, Batman in the uncle. The uncle with issues. While Batman owes much to Zorro and another vengeful pulp hero, The Shadow, there’s no denying his place in the milieu. His detection skills likely harkens back to Holmes, as well.

Then there’s the little brother: Spider-man. Spider-man is largely responsibly for the angst-ridden character-driven heroes we have today. Created in the early sixties by Marvel Comics’ godfather Stan Lee, Spider-man made us care about more than just the hero saving lives—he made us care about the person behind the hero and how a hero overcame everyday problems and frets still to save the day.

So who are your choices? Who belongs on your list of most influential fictional heroes?

My name is Chloe Everson…and I kick demon ass…
THE CHLOE FILES by Howard Hopkins
In the tradition of Sookie Stackhouse and Buffy, The Vampire Slayer…
In paperback from http://www.bn.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/

Going Holmes Again…

It is with a feeling of great honor, pride and not a little responsibility I have been placed at the editing helm of the new Sherlock Holmes short story anthology from Moonstone, Sherlock Holmes: The Crossovers Casebook. I was brought into it originally by award-winning writer and Holmes expert Martin Powell (check out his excellent Scarlet in Gaslight from Moonstone) and not without a bit of trepidation. After all, Sherlock Holmes has quite the history and fanbase—all of whom possess Mr. Holmes’ deductive powers when it comes to Sher-lore.

First order of business was to contact the writers, then name the unnamed anthology and present the brilliant cover art that will adorn the volume. Now, deep into editing the authors’ tales, I find myself in awe of some of the major talent writing for this volume and their depth of Holmesian knowledge and affection.

Simply put, this anthology is going to rock! These authors love the character and have put their all into these stories. The volume’s theme is “crossovers”, pairing the Great Detective with some of fiction and history’s outstanding and unique characters. My own tale teams him with Calamity Jane but other tales match him with the Great and Powerful OZ, Colonel Richard Henry Savage (the inspiration for pulp hero Doc Savage), Houdini and more than a mind-blowing surprise or two. I know readers will enjoy devouring it as much as I am editing it.

Look for updates here as the project nears publication.

My name is Chloe Everson…and I kick demon ass…
THE CHLOE FILES by Howard Hopkins
In the tradition of Sookie Stackhouse and Buffy, The Vampire Slayer…
In paperback from http://www.bn.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/

Haunted November

Well, Monster Month is over with Halloween and I find melancholy setting in, as it does each year at this time. I don’t like November (or January) and its bleakness and promise of winter here in Maine. The leaves browning, drifting away, bare trees and shortening days…reminders of a lost summer and how dreams can sometimes be built upon quicksand. It’s a time to think about things that might have been, shattered promises and longings for the carefree times of blazing hot days and spooky October hopes. November is the haunted month.

Even Halloween had something lost this year, because things can change suddenly, slip away in a heartbeat. Traditions alter as childhood gives way to adolescence, and the Headless Horsemen with their blazing pumpkins fade in the misty November morning.

What was, can never be again, except in imaginings and memories; what will be is yet to be determined. Take control and make your heart’s desires live in the colorful brightness of December. For with the waning thoughts of November comes rebirth and renewal. New lives, new chances. Reflections warm in winter’s chill. Soul dreams have the chance to become the dreamer’s will.

Let the ghosts of your November vanish with the month’s end, never to haunt you again.

My name is Chloe Everson…and I kick demon ass…
THE CHLOE FILES by Howard Hopkins
In the tradition of Sookie Stackhouse and Buffy, The Vampire Slayer…
In paperback from www.bn.com and www.amazon.com