Today's entry is brought to you by Miranda! Last week I started asking everyone what their favorite Halloween candy is or was. And while I received few opinions, I was fairly surprised by the ones I did get! This surprise may be due to the fact that the responses were so in contrast to *my* favorite candy. I guess I was egotistical enough to assume that my favorite candy to get while Trick or Treating and the reasons why would be everyone else's favorite candy! How wrong I was. An overwhelming majority of people have selected Chocolate and Peanut Butter candies as their favorites!! Reese's Pieces, Peanut Butter Cups, some unexplained chocolate peanut butter carmel concoction... these are the types of treats you all thought were the best and would be the most excited to get when going door to door dressed as goblins! For me personally, my favorites come down to three fun sized bars-- Snickers, Milky Way, or Three Musketeers. When I was younger, there were no better candi...

As the 9-5 job changes by fiscal year (no lie), I find myself searching for different things. Last week was no exception. The task: Find where one purchase book props. Pretty easy task. Of course, since the current incarnation of my 3 week temp job* is only a few months old, I'm still learning. No problem. Amazon has everything, right? Oh yeah. When searching "book prop" under the Office Products category, I get the following suggestions by Amazon. Just in case I didn't mean "book prop" of course**. So tell me: what kind of office would need the iPad case and two axes ? * Longest temp job in history. This month marked my four year anniversary. ** I know what I'm looking for Amazon, thanks. ______ Last.fm hit of the day : Hail Murder by Dark Funeral

Zombie Thur sdays is a weekly feature with guest blogger, Miranda. You can read more about her here . Only a few days now until Halloween!! Does everyone have big plans for this weekend? I know I do! If I had it my way, the actual day of Halloween would be a huge deal this year with parties, movies, and all sorts of fun. However, since Halloween falls on a Sunday, most people seem wary of celebrating because they are too concerned with having to go to work the next day. Thus, it seems most parties are happening Friday or Saturday nights. If you are of this mind and expect to let the actual day pass in quiet contemplation, think again! Sunday night is not only officially Halloween, but it is also the premier of the new AMC television series The Walking Dead! There has been a lot of buzz and hype about this show over the last year, especially the last few months, and I have to say, I am pretty excited about this one! We know all forms of good and bad zombie movies exist in the wor...

It came to my attention that it's National Chocolate Day. This is important because: I'm a girl. I write. I stress. All three are important parts of a chocolate addiction. But, Alicia, why are you telling me this? Because now you can make your own zombie chocolate pops! Credit I know, not the most appealing thing in the world. The detail is pretty cool, but I'd be wary about eating gray chocolate too. Of course, that never stopped me as a kid from eating any colored chocolate I found in those sample buckets in the candy making aisle*. One thing that's awesome about the zombie pop is the detail. The nose is missing. Besides, you know how I love the tack. This goes on the top of that list. Edible tack=awesomeness. (By the way, this entry is done without the aid of caffeine so I apologize for all rambling.) *a hem* But what if I no longer eat chocolate because human tastes that much better? Credit You've recently turned into the living de...

Every Wednesday, YA Highway asks their readership a simple question to answer on your blog. Once you answer, you link your blog in the comments for other readers to hop on board. This is Road Trip Wednesday. Today's question : What's the best book you've read this month? The growing trend is that reading isn't happening lately. I don't know if it's the change of seasons, the start of shiny new television, or a severe case of "too many words." Whatever the reason may be, I've succeeded in reading one book with a second one to be done by month's end. The book I managed to read was The Book Thief. In case you haven't read it, here's the blurb from Barnes and Noble : "It s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. Set during World War II in Germany, this groundbreaking novel is the story of Liesel M...

Confession: I own close to 100 band tees*. Credit The majority of these are in some shade of black. Besides being the color choice of Hot Topic clones everywhere, black is also the T-shirt color of choice for metal bands. The question is why black? In my so-not-professional opinion, it's because WHATEVER BAND NAME thinks they're badass**. They showcase their badassedry by wearing black shirts of their own to complement an influx of (sometimes badly drawn) Technicolor tats. Fans in turn, show their unwavering faith in WHATEVER BAND NAME with a band shirt. Generally in black. Cred Black is versatile and goes great with jeans--the other standard piece to any metal uniform. If you doubt me, walk into a Black Label Society*** show where the colors are black, white (for silkscreen purposes ONLY), and denim. Clubs and other music venues are dark. Wearing a black tee aids in the average concert goer to blend with the night, like a ninja. This is also why if you just go...

It's the Monday before Halloween and as work yet again kicks my ass, let me introduce you to my neighbors across the way and they're Halloween decorations... I'm not sure what's better: the gargoyle or the reaper. Have an awesome Halloween display? Send it to me! _____ Last.fm hit of the day: Horror Movie Baby by The Texas Drag Queen Massacre

While at Rock and Shock on Saturday, Hubby and I met Jack Ketchum.You might not know who this guy is. The only reason I do is because of Hubby. From all accounts, Ketchum writes horror that borders on "graphically violent" side of things. Hubby calls it "unflinching." At any rate, it's a safe bet I'd wet my pants reading his stuff. If you want to learn more about Jack Ketchum, you can here . You'd think if someone is that graphic in their imagination they'd be freaky in real life. That's not the case with this guy. He was down to earth, friendly, and funny. I didn't make an ass out of myself while talking, something I'm chalking up to the fact he writes and I write. He answered the questions both Hubby and I threw at him honestly. He talked about how many drafts he goes through on short stories (two only) and on full-length works (varies per project). Each day, he edits the previous days work before he starts writing new material, s...

Zombie Thur sdays is a weekly feature with guest blogger, Miranda. You can read more about her here . Greetings! We are DAYS away from Halloween! I hope you are all as excited as I am! I also hope you've been enjoying all the zombie goodness, tacky lawn ornaments (who won best comment caption, Alicia?), horrible children costumes, and more. There's more fun to come, so stick with us! Today I'm going to briefly talk about a creature that seems fairly similar to our friend the zombie. In fact, this creature shows up quite frequently in popular culture as well! I am referring to the Ghoul! So what is a ghoul, and how does it compare and contrast to a zombie? Great questions! A ghoul is a mythological/folkloric creature that is said to live in graveyards and other burial grounds and survives by consuming the flesh of the living or the dead (very zombie-ish). In some instances, they are thought to be undead beings, much like a zombie. However, other popular myths classify the...

Every Wednesday, YA Highway asks  their readership a simple question to answer on your blog. Once you  answer, you link your blog in the comments for other readers to hop on  board. This is Road Trip Wednesday. Today's question : Who are your comp titles/authors? For the record, I'm full of dislike on this question. Why? For the following reasons: I always feel inadequate reading things that are similar. I'm sure there's medication this problem. Thinking this hard makes my head hurt. Literally. I'm afraid no one will agree with my comparisons. I know I'm not alone in this. Scanning through the rest of the entries today, a lot of people are saying this is the hardest RTW to date*. The purpose of comp titles is two-fold: it's so the agent/ editor can see where you envision your book and it's also pure marketing. The best example of the latter comes from Erinn's blog today where she describes her book New York Karma which is Nick and Norah...

It's Halloween season and I get how great it is to dress your kid up in cute-ass costumes. I do. I like dressing The White One up too. But! (There's always one, isn't there?) Don't put your child through this. Please. I think the hot dog is the worse costume choice ever. Parents, please tell me why you'd do this. ____ Last.fm hit of the day : Cafes and Bombs by The Other

Happy Monday Lurkdom! I want to apologize for the radio silence last week. The 9 to 5 job was in overdrive which triggered a minor meltdown for  yours truly. I think this week will be better, but send me some calorie-free chocolate anyway just in case. So what's been happening? A lot. Fun stuff, I hope. Saturday was fun. Hubby and I went to New England's annual Rock and Shock Convention in Worcester. Rock and Shock is an almost-three-day horror convention/massive rock show. It was our first time going and the only reason we did was so I could see Fangirl Crush Numero Uno perform. Murderdolls opened for Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie, and all three sets were worth all the fees Ticketmaster forces. I'll talk more about the con later. Anything else going on? Personally, nothing I feel like reporting. *But* there are a lot of contests happening right now. TH Mafi is giving away $100 worth of books and you can enter until tomorrow. Writers' Ally is having a Freaky Wr...

Zombie Thur sdays is a weekly feature with guest blogger, Miranda. You can read more about her here . And how is everyone enjoying their Octobers? Mine has been fantastic so far! I still feel like I'm catching up on all the sleep I lost while attending the Music Box Massacre, and I can't believe the month is already half over. October is a time for mischief, and I will admit that I was off partaking in some debauchery yesterday. So, I apologize for posting Zombie *Thursday* on a Friday. But it's the weekend now, so you all will have more time to view what I am about to share with you! One truth about me is that I have been a vegetarian for almost thirteen years. That is almost as long as I've known Alicia! Kind of scary when I think about it. Obviously veggie living is a large part of my life as I love to eat (and have to eat) constantly, just not meat. And by now you know...clearly... I love the zombies. So imagine how awesome it was to discover (while at Dragon*...

If you've lurked for a while, you know I have this thing about lawn ornaments . They're usually tacky and totally filled of awesome. Halloween is no exception to this, especially since in recent years, we have to outfit every marketable holiday with lawn stuff. Words escape me on this demon clown lawn ornament. Really. I'm hoping you guys will do better. I want you to either caption this picture or explain how it got on this lawn being ridden by an ass. Maybe a prize will be in order for the best*. *Yes, I know I owe CDs. I've been having technology fails and will send them out shortly. I promise. _______ Last.fm hit of the day: Graveyard Tree III by Koffin Kats

Wait, that was Saturday . Since it's a federal holiday, I'm taking a day off from the blogging (even though I'm still at the 9-5 job). Go entertain yourself by reading something in one of these categories: The Life of Little Phantasma . All Things Music . Road Trip Wednesday . Zombies . (It is October, after all.) See you tomorrow!

Hey all, Miranda here! I'm hijacking Slice of the Blog Pie today to bring you a little horror goodness! I'm about to head to a twenty-four hour horror film festival that is held every year at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago. This year they are showing a great lineup of some classic horror films including the original silent Phantom of the Opera , The Raven, Pet Sematary, The Funhouse, Fright Night, and KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE! I'm very excited for this weekend, so I wanted to share with you the awesome trailer from Killer Klowns! Enjoy!

Saying this week sucked hard would be an understatement. I had repeat technology fails, waking nightmares at the 9 to 5 job, and three days of cold rain. There were only two highlights to the week: my 3 year anniversary to Hubby and 90s music references on the Twitters and IRL. With that and the disturbing mashup of Baby Got Back and Rico Suave rolling in my brain, I bring you Four For Friday: Musical 90s Edition!!!* 1. Good Vibrations by Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch.  (It takes a second to start. Patience, grasshopper.)   I'm not sure what was better for middle school Alicia. The beat of the song or the fact there were abs to stare at. 2. Bullet With Butterfly Wings by Smashing Pumpkins. One of the only songs where Billy Corgan's voice doesn't irritate me. Also it's *just* angry enough to sate the rage on those slow-burning days. 3. Black by Pearl Jam. 4. Creep by Radiohead.  Radiohead - New Music - More Music Videos My favoritest song by the...

Zombie Thur sdays is a weekly feature with guest blogger, Miranda. You can read more about her here . "It's the most wonderful time of the year!" And no, I'm not singing about jolly elves in red suits or candy canes and mistletoe. I'm talking about zombies, witches, pumpkins, and everything else that makes October the GREATEST month of the year! But before we get to some spooky fun, I want to wish our hostess Alicia a very Happy Anniversary!! I was lucky enough to be at her wedding three years ago, and it was beautiful. Although, funny side note, they had guests fill out in a book some questions and memories about the day. One question was something about, "what's the best part of the day?" And I cheekily responded, "You getting to see how awesome I look!" But I digress. Happy Anniversary to Alicia and Josh and many happy more in the future! Onto October! This month you can expect a lot more than just your once weekly dose of zombie fun....

Every Wednesday, YA Highway asks their readership a simple question to answer on your blog. Once you answer, you link your blog in the comments for other readers to hop on board. This is Road Trip Wednesday. Today's question : You're packing for a month on a deserted island. What, as a reader and writer, must be in your backpack? I'm kinda old school, so I'm going to assume I got to the island via a three-hour tour *. And believe you me, I can pack a shit-ton for a short trip. Alicia = expert packer. There will be other people on the boat, but due to the tragic storm, The Minnow and everyone was lost with the exception of Yours Truly and the Incredibly Hot Everyman who rescued me from the watery abyss.   The Necessities Sunblock. Let's just say that despite the Southern Italian genes, I fry like I'm Irish**. Hoodie. It gets cold on the water. Gum. I always have at least two packs with me. Lip gloss. Because I'm a girl and with The Incredibly...

In the meantime, check out what's for dinner. If you're a cat, that is. Credit The Stripey and White Ones don't get excited about squirrels. Birds, yes. The random ant that shows up mid-summer, most definitely. They don't care about these furry potents of doom. I'll have to correct that. ______ Last.fm hit of the day : Sick One by Trashlight Vision

So if you blog using Blogger, you've probably noticed the statistics tab. If you don't use it... Blogger has a tab that allows you to see all your stats: hits, top posts, top demographic, who tap dances, etc. Since looking at statistics is higher in priority than cleaning my desk, I check them out a lot. I like to see how I've been found. The best thing is which keywords people use. Like: Obviously if you found me with that search string, we need to talk. Why would you be searching for this? When you hit it on the Googles, you get 13 results, one being mine. I'm not sure what you're trying to figure out, but you're not going to learn it here. While I will agree that the mall does have some import, I'm not going to rank it up there with the sun or the Tower. Trust me on this. I've paid my dues as a mall rat. I've crowded the Galleria when cast members of the original 90210 visited. Social mecca it isn't. That said... Reasons the mall...

SARAH ENNI!!! Sarah commented on Best of September with: "must. read. book. Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one on the planet that hasn't, so I am heartened to see you read it for the first time this month! Unlike you I love sci-fi, but I agree that sometimes it gets a little wonky (I'm looking at you, Carl Sagan) and loses the story. Good to know OSC avoids that."  Even though I only know Sarah through electronic means, I swear I can hear her say "I'm looking at you, Carl Sagan" and maybe pointing her finger too. Sarah, email me at ragdoll29 (at) yahoo (dot) com with your address.

TGIF, Lurkdom. It's a balmy 70-something in Boston with humidity that can make the flattest hair rival that of a French Poodle. A huge-ass rainstorm is on it's way and the sky is this awful dishwater gray. Basically, it's depressing. What better way to get undepressed than to think about the happy. Four Friday: Happiness Edition Giraffes. There's something about their faces that make me smile. Whenever I'm at the zoo, I spend a lot of time watching them. They're pretty and docile and have tiny horns on their heads. Also, I used to have one as an imaginary culprit. Comfy pants. I love snuggling into a pair of oversized lounge pants once I'm down for the count. As most writers I know can attest, nothing is better than being comfortable when working. It actually helps the brain relax too. The Stripey and White Ones. Like you didn't see this coming. They purr, cuddle, and do cute pouncey stuff with random house stuff. The Sun. It's true. Abov...