My Childhood Fears by Alicia Dean

As most who know me are aware, I am a bit twisted in that I like spooky, creepy stories, slasher movies, and the like. That's correct, I enjoy a good scare. I was that way as a child, although not much scared me. I was known as the brave one, to the point of doing foolish things to prove my bravery. For example... We used to visit my grandparents out in the country where the house was set way back from the road. In the city, my parents kept a watchful eye on us to ensure we didn't come to harm. But, out in the country, they gave us a bit more free reign. Not a lot, but a little. Had they known what I was up to, that freedom would have ended abruptly. And I would most likely have received a just punishment. They never knew, though, and I survived my dangerous and foolish game. I used to play 'chicken' while my siblings watched. When a car was coming, I would stand in the road until it was right upon me, then dash to safety. Granted, these were country folk on country roads and none were going very fast, but it still gave me an adrenalin rush, and my siblings were duly impressed.

Oddly, though, there were four things growing up that I was genuinely terrified of: Sharks, The Grand Canyon, The Wolfman (something about his torturous inability to resist the change, and his creeping around in the foggy forest...),

and The Wicked Witch of the East from The Wizard of Oz. That's not an error, I wasn't afraid of the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, but when the feet of her sister curled up beneath the house, it gave me the heebie jeebies. (Truth be told, it still does).

It's funny that the things I was frightened of were either fictitious or as unlikely as being hit by a meteor. After all, living in Oklahoma, I was probably not going to encounter many sharks. And, I'd only been to visit the Grand Canyon once. And that was when my fear took hold. It was so...huge, so deep, endless and rocky and... Shudder. When my dad leaned back against the rail to snap our picture, my legs shook and my heart jumped into my throat. I could just see him tumbling over the rail and plummeting to the bottom, never to be heard from again. Thankfully, that didn't happen. But, it seriously could have.

So...what are your fears, childhood and otherwise?

Since I love Halloween, it was a pleasure to participate in a Halloween Anthology of 6 stories by 6 authors. My contribution is Scarred, which is more a gothic-style romance than anything creepy. But, the others are a little more chill-inducing.

Six short stories -- some sweet romance, some steamy romance, some suspense. Throw in teen angst, adults behaving badly, and ghostly appearances. What could be more fun? 

Celebrate Halloween this year with MYSTERIES OF THE MACABRE, six brand-new stories by authors who know how to get the pulses racing, one way or another. 

Alicia Dean – SCARRED 
Gothic romance 
Sometimes, the most haunting scars are the ones beneath the skin. 
When Natalie Jayne moved away from her home town ten years earlier, she left behind painful memories, along with Simon, the man she loved. Now, she's back on Halloween night to attend a memorial marking the one-year anniversary of the tragic passing of her childhood friend, Jessica. Rumors that Simon was responsible for Jessica's death unnerve her. Even more disturbing is her unsettling attraction to a masked stranger she meets at the event. Her gift may be the key to unlocking the truth, but will it also lead to heartbreak? 

Alexa Day – THREE, AFTER MIDNIGHT 
Erotic paranormal romance 
Deirdre lost her husband, Cameron, one long-ago Halloween night, but every Halloween night brings the chance to get him back. She just needs to find a man willing to … get between them. Trip seems like a perfect choice. With his hard body and open mind, surely he won’t mind letting Cam borrow him for a night. If he’s into it, they’re in for one mind-blowing reunion. But if he resists, will Cam’s spirit be strong enough to protect her from the man she chose for him? 

Elvy Howard – GRANDMA’S WAY 
General Fiction 
Fifteen-year-old Caroline has one wish—to go to the Halloween dance with beautiful Bobby Ray. Only one person stands in her way—Momma, who forces her to spend time in a smelly, hot attic, sorting and packing her deceased grandmother’s belongings. But the discovery of a shocking secret brings new hope. Will her grandmother's past lead to Caroline’s salvation or downfall? 

Leah St. James – BLOOD MOON 
Suspense/Paranormal 
One Halloween night, a killer terrorized a strip of Virginia beachfront, murdering a dozen young women whose only crime was walking the beach with a lover. Now, fifty years later, book reviewer Ronnie can’t shake the feeling that another has come to take his place. Is her vivid imagination running wild, or are the spirits stirring, warning of approaching danger? 

Renci Denham – THE TIMESHARE TRIP 
Satire/General fiction 
Crystal and Roy never thought they could afford an all-inclusive seven-day trip to the tropics. After all, canned chili dinners and a wine cooler at the quick mart were the highlights of life in the trailer park. So what if the trip Crystal won required a time share presentation? It’s not like their credit would pass anyway. But is the resort everything the web page on the computer said it would be? 

Rohn Federbush – THE FARM STRAY 
General fiction 
The discovery of an abandoned farm in the Michigan countryside triggers a vision of the farmer’s past—or is it more?

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