Special Halloween treat from Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson!

 You're in for a real treat! 
The authors of The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow 
are here with a short story and scary interview! *trembles* 
Enter the giveaway through the Rafflecopter! 
 And visit them on their blog at http://thesecretdmsfilesoffairdaymorrow.blogspot.com/

FERRY BLACKWELL STRIKES AGAIN

“No way!” Georgie exclaimed. “Mom told you to stop making up stories.”
“It's true. I saw Ferry Blackwell,” Macy said. “He had a head like a melon.”
“You did not. Get your stuff and let’s go. We’re gonna be late.” Georgie walked out the door, and Macy followed, wishing her big brother would believe her this time. She did like to make up stories and their mom had asked her to knock it off, but this wasn’t a story. She had spotted Ferry Blackwell, she was sure of it.

 ***

Shifting from one foot to the other, Macy stared down the school driveway. All the buses had left; everyone was gone. Georgie was late. She had tried to call him on her cell phone, but there was no answer. Her mom was at work, but Macy knew interrupting her would guarantee a whole evening of arguing. Slipping the phone into her back pocket, she decided to walk home.

As the pavement twisted and turned she found herself thinking about Ferry Blackwell again. Last week she had started reading a book about the history of her town, Devilsville. It hadn’t been very interesting, except for one phrase, which was handwritten on page thirty-three. It said: In the woods of Devilsville, you’re sure to find a gory thrill. When the bakerman wants to eat, hide your hands and cover your feet. With a head melon-sized and fire burning in his eyes, he’ll harvest your fingers and your toes, then hide the rest so no one knows. Murdered by an angry town, he swore revenge when they shot him down. So watch your children, but never tell- if Ferry Blackwell comes back from hell. 

Macy knew the words by heart. She had looked through a few other books, but found nothing else about Ferry Blackwell. Then, the other day, she saw him. There had been an odd rustling behind the bushes in her backyard, and when she went over to investigate, someone was there. It looked like a man, but with a huge head. He had flashed a mad, toothy grin at her, and then disappeared. Her mother had come running out when she heard Macy’s rants of terror.

“Macy! What did I tell you about scaring people with your stories?” her mother had yelled. Macy knew that no one was ever going to believe her, and why should they? After all, she did have a long history of making things up, which had opened more than one can of worms for her parents to deal with. Things like, Ginny Wader, in the third grade, refusing to touch door handles ever again or Georgie wearing a helmet wherever he went for a year. The list was long, she mused. Her thoughts were suddenly cut short. Just ahead, at the bottom of the hill, a school bus was stopped in the middle of the road. Macy cautiously walked up to it and climbed the steps. Other than the backpacks strewn about on the seats it appeared empty.

“Hello?” she asked quietly. “Is anyone here?” Macy slowly made her way down the aisle. Midway, something caught her eye and when she turned to get a closer look, her mouth dropped open in horror. On the seat to her left was a bloody pile of shoes and socks, and what looked like fingernails tossed into the gruesome heap.

BANG! Something hit the side of the bus. “What was that?” she whispered. BANG! Again, the bus shook and teetered. Macy reacted fast. She ran up the aisle and grabbed the door handle. Just as it was about to latch, long fingers pried it back open. Two red, veined eyes zeroed in on their target. Terror forced the air out of her lungs, and she screamed.

***

Macy was flat on her back when she woke. She was chained to the floor, and her feet were bare. A painful stinging in her fingers and toes sliced through her body. Where was she? What had happened?
“Who else is here?” she questioned the darkness.
“Shhhh,” a panicked voice ordered.
“Who’s there?” she said again.
“Stop talking, you idiot. He’ll hear you.” It was a terrified sounding boy.
“Why’s it so dark?” Macy continued. She had no intention of shutting up.
“I think we’re in a basement,” another voice chimed in.
Suddenly it dawned on her where they must be. It had to be the abandoned house on Hull Street. She and Georgie would come here when things around the house got too serious. It was their hiding spot, and she knew it well. Even the moldy, abandoned smells were familiar. “How many people are here?” she asked.
"I’m here, Marcus Beltane,” came a nervous voice.
“Me too, I’m Jen Andrews.”
The voices started to pick up, “Justin Deluca, Melanie Grism...” There seemed to be about ten kids sitting in the dark with her; all scared, and all, she was certain, without their fingernails and toenails. 
 The creaking of a door silenced the murmuring. A light flickered on, cutting through the blackness. Macy squinted her eyes open a bit and stared up at the ceiling, watching as a shadow with an enormous melon shaped head moved across the room. Its heavy footfalls came to a halt. Suddenly, a cackling voice bellowed out, “Looky here, girls and boys, forget your mommies and your toys. The fun and games will soon begin; to scare me back is how you win. But should you lose, you’ll pay a price, your fingers and toes I’ll surly dice. Just try to leave! It won’t do you well. For I’m back from hell. I’m the Bakerman, Ferry Blackwell.” His howling laugh sounded insane, like a hyena calling out to its prey. He did an odd little jig. Then, in an instant, he was gone.
“Okay, this is really happening,” Macy said, more to herself than anyone else. She took a deep breath, then continued, “He said something about winning, didn’t he?"

“Yeah, he said, to scare me back is how you win,” a trembling voice squeaked. “He also said that he was a bakerman. What’s he going to do? Cook us into bread or something?”
“I think that’s exactly what he’s going to do,” Macy responded, remembering what she had read. “But, it sounds like if we scare him back, we win. Which, I guess, means we get to live.” 
“How are we supposed to scare him? He’s a demon who makes bread out of kids’ fingers and toes. I mean, what’s scarier than that?” Macy recognized the voice of Jen Andrews.
“I know, but...” Her mind was whirring. Then, it hit her. She remembered the cell phone in her pocket. The door opened. Macy threw caution to the wind and whispered just audibly, “I have a plan.”

***

 Her heart thudded in her chest as a shadow moved into the room. “So kiddies, who’s it going to be? Who wants to be the first to try to scare me?” His voice sounded crazy. 
Macy mustered up all of her strength and called out, “I’ll go first, you don’t scare me. You’re going to be caught any minute.” She kept her breathing even as Ferry Blackwell loomed above her, searching her face with his terrifying eyes. He was so close that she could smell his putrid, stinking breath.

“You wait and see! I’ll show you just how scary I can be!” He pulled her up by her hair and dragged her to a chopping block in the center of the room. Grabbing her left arm, he slapped her hand down on it.
She focused her mind on the weight in her back pocket, hoping beyond hope she hadn’t been knocked out for more than thirty minutes. The reminder alarm on her phone had been set to go off at exactly 4PM, and it had to be about that time. Macy glared up at Ferry Blackwell and said, “Everyone in town already knows where we are. Kids today have GPS trackers implanted in our bodies that tells our parents exactly where we are at all times. You’ll see, the town’s people will be here any moment to shoot you down and send you back to hell, Ferry Blackwell.”
He looked bemused, as he replied, “Clever girl! You know my name! Now, let’s begin our little game. Terribly funny to think you’ll be saved- when for a century, fingers and toes I’ve craved!” He raised a sharp blade above his head, poised to strike. Macy squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself. Please go off alarm, she prayed, believing that this would, at the very least, buy her more time. As if on cue, a loud beeping blared out from her pocket. Ferry leered at her, unsure. Just then, in a brilliant moment of pure luck, another cell phone rang out, perhaps a concerned parent. Another one went off with a mechanical jingle. The timing couldn’t have been better. Suddenly, there was a frantic banging on a door. The demon spun around wildly, looking terrified. “No, no, not to hell. Hide, I must and never tell,” he bellowed and dropped the blade. It landed with a clink just as Ferry Blackwell shot into the air and burst into flames, disappearing in a black puff of smoke.
No one breathed. Somewhere above, Georgie’s worried voice called out, “Macy, are you in here?”

INTERVIEW WITH FERRY BLACKWELL

Cate: What do you love most about Halloween?
Ferry Blackwell: Halloween's a joke, that's what I say! It’s better in hell on that boring day. I can't even scare, so there's nothing to win- the people want horror and are likely to sin. I'd rather lay low and bide my time, when the moment's right, I'll get what's mine. 

Cate: Do you have a favorite memory of a Halloween past?
Ferry Blackwell: There was this one time, now let me see- I remember a Halloween treat that I baked just for me. I'd gathered my wits, then sought the ingredients, hoping to find a few fresh, young deviants. Mostly I needed fingers and toes, so I snatched them right up, despite all their woes. I sliced and diced, and baked my bread, even shared it graciously with those not yet dead. 

Cate: Have you ever had an unusual experience you can't explain?
Ferry Blackwell: I am an unusual experience you can't explain! You won't see me coming, and then you'll know pain. (Stands up, does a quick jig, then sits down again- grinning). 

Cate: What frightens you the most?
Ferry Blackwell: The time I told you about the treat, that Halloween was not so sweet. You see, though the bread did taste grand, the people found me, guns in hand. I was scared when they shot me down, but I swore I'd be back to haunt their town. Now here I am, as you can tell- Ferry Blackwell's back from hell! (Cackling laugh) 

Cate: Ever gone on a ghost tour? Or ghost hunting on your own?
Ferry Blackwell: Bah! Ghosts are for babies! They can't even speak. Nothing scary about them, they're flimsy and weak.

Cate: Any favorite Halloween recipes you'd care to share?
Ferry Blackwell: Lookie here! I'll grant your wish- Toe Finger Bread's my signature dish! It's so scrumptious, you'll surely agree. Next time I bake it, I shall slice some for thee.

Ferry Blackwell: Now that's the end, I've had enough. Talking to people can really be tuff. I’ve something in mind if you like a good scare- enter to win, but remember, beware! Mwahahaha…

Ferry's Toe and Finger Bread

Fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter Ferry Blackwell's giveaway for your chance to win a mysterious spooky book prize pack!  (Open to US and International)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jessica Haight

Jessica Haight is a true New Englander, with a deep desire to be near the ocean and a love of the four seasons. She enjoys drawing while standing up and cultivating magic in her garden. She easily floats away in the pages of a good story and is still waiting for her owl from Hogwarts.

Jessica lives in Connecticut with her charming fiancé, James; their dog, Jack; their cat, Bill; and a very entitled bunny named Alice.

Stephanie Robinson

Stephanie Robinson lives with her husband in a quiet town, though it is not as quaint as Ashpot. After teaching fifth grade for almost fifteen years, she is now enjoying her role as a school media specialist. One of the many benefits of her job is that she learns something new every day.

When Stephanie isn't isn’t working, she spends her time creating stories, getting lost in books, and traveling to new places.

Short Synopsis

The Begonia House keeps its secrets. Everyone knows that. Everyone, that is, except for clever eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow, whose family has just moved in. Being the Senior Investigator in the Detective Mystery Squad, more commonly known as the DMS, she’s ready to uncover the mysteries hidden within the strange manor. As the investigation gears up and the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place, the DMS enters into a world where anything is possible, and the danger is most definitely real. Follow along with Fairday and her friends, as spooky meets lovely in this twisting tale of dark secrets and hidden pasts.

Middle Grade Book Blog: Fairday's Blog 

YA/ Adult Book Blog: Author Tracker 

DMS website: fairdaysfiles.com 

Scheduled to hit bookstores everywhere in December of 2015! Brought to you by Krista Vitola at Delacorte/ Random House

Jessica Haight and Stephanie Robinson brought some Halloween goodies!

Cate: Welcome to the Halloween madness, Jess and Stephanie! Can you share a bit about yourselves?

Jess: I was born in CT and grew up in Southbury. I am an only child, and thus had some pretty fascinating games that I created when I was a kid. One of my favorite past-times involved my grandmother’s fancy perfume bottles. She had the most amazing collection- every color, shape, and size you can think of. I can’t exactly recall the details of the actual game, however, I know that each one represented a person in a royal court. The green bottle with the crystal top was the queen, and there was a really cool orange and cream colored tall pitcher that was the king. My parents told me that I would sit, sometimes for hours, just mumbling and moving the pieces around in front of the picture window. Today, I am 38 and live in New Fairfield, CT with my wonderful fiancé, James, my dog, Jack, and cat, Bill. I still live in a dream world, only now I move words around, while mumbling quietly to myself.

 

Stephanie: I was born and raised in Connecticut and lived in Ohio for a few years of my early childhood. I loved playing outside and reading as a child. Climbing trees was a favorite pastime- though now I am scared of heights. I am currently a 5th grade teacher and live with my husband in a quiet town in Connecticut, though not as quaint as Ashpot. When I am not working, I spend my time writing, reading, and traveling.

Cate: Very cool, Jess! You sound a lot like me as a kid, Stephanie.

What do you love most about Halloween?

Jess: Everything creatively spooky! I just love it all- carving a Jack O’ Lantern, the candy, and I especially enjoy the truly inspired costumes.  : )  

Stephanie: Candy! I love candy- especially chocolate. It is so nice to have an assortment to choose from on Halloween. I also think it is great to see all of the festive decorations everyone puts up.

Cate: Do you have a favorite memory of a Halloween past?

Jess: My favorite Halloween pasts all included the really well put together parties, where everyone really gets into it, and showing up without an original costume isn’t even an option!

Stephanie: When I was growing up there was always a big Halloween event at my elementary school. There were dangling donuts, cake walks, a haunted house, and all kinds of Halloween contests and activities.  Of course, there was candy, waxed fangs, and lots lot creepy music.  Everyone would wear their costumes and walk the halls of the school participating in various activities. I looked forward to it all year!

Cate: Have you ever had an unusual experience you couldn’t explain?

Jess: My spookiest memory is when I was about 9 years old. My stepsister, Lisa, had this ancient looking crystal ball that had a rusted metal bird claw attached to it. It was one of the most bizarre things I have yet to come across, and I have no idea where she actually found it, but (since she was about 8 years older and loved to scare the pants off of me) she told me that she found it in a graveyard, on top of an old gravestone. One Halloween night, she set up her bedroom with candles and put on a black cloak with a hood, and then invited me in. She whipped out the Ougi board and we set ourselves in position to play. It was fun- I remember she was playing the Thriller Album by Michael Jackson, and then the phone rang. This was way back in the day when phones were actually attached to a cord and usually found in the kitchen. She got up and went to answer it. I sat in the room, watching the flickering candles and staring at the creepy crystal ball. And, in an instant, the shades all flipped up and a breeze blew through the bedroom. Then, just as the door slammed shut, a piece of the crystal ball chipped off and flew across the room. Scared me half to death, and I ran out as quickly as I could. True story!  : ) Creepy, no?

Stephanie: A few years ago I had an experience that left me feeling very unsettled. I was in my house alone and all of a sudden my grandmother (who had passed away 5 years earlier) was there and she was talking to me and giving me advice. It only lasted for about a minute, but I could see her vividly and hear her loud and clear. I called my mom afterward and told her about the whole experience. It made me emotional and I even cried a little. Nothing like that has happened since.

Cate: I love that so many people have had weird experiences! What frightens you the most?

Jess: Truly, I think the scariest thing is the feeling of being afraid, or watching someone else who is afraid. The Dementors from Harry Potter are quite terrifying, especially when it’s not in their nature to feel compassion or reason- that is the scariest thing of all- an opponent not capable of understanding these two very important qualities.

Stephanie: My imagination! I used to live in a house out in the woods and would imagine people (zombies) under my deck as I would race up the stairs so they couldn’t grab my ankles. The craziest part was- I was never afraid being in the house at night alone. Just those stairs and what I imagined to be hiding beneath them. 

Cate: Ever gone on a ghost tour? Or ghost hunting on your own?

Jess: Ah yes, a passion of mine, actually. My very favorite haunt is the blue house on Main Street in Newtown, CT. The story is fascinating, and I have been dying to get a glimpse inside it for years. We will be clueing our readers in on some of the interesting history about this spooky house during the month of October on Fairday’s Blog! 

Stephanie: I have never been on an actual ghost tour, but during high school and college my friends and I visited many old cemeteries and places around Connecticut with ghostly lore.  We would scare ourselves silly each and every time!

Cate: Any favorite Halloween recipes you’d care to share?

Jess: No one wants me to cook. That would be the scariest thing of all! For me, it’s all about those treat size candy bars- Reeses, Snickers, Nestle Crunch- YUM! (Kept in the freezer or fridge to add a little more chill to the treat.)  

Stephanie: I don’t do any cooking or baking. I think if my husband saw me cooking he would actually be afraid that I was possessed. Still, at this time of year I love all the creative cupcakes and cookies decorated to look like spiders, pumpkins, and ghosts!

Cate: Too funny! Tell us about your latest release, and where readers can find it online.

Jessica and Stephanie: 

Fear not the unexpected.

The Begonia House keeps its secrets. Everyone knows that. Everyone that is, except for clever eleven-year-old Fairday Morrow, whose family has just moved in. Being the Senior Investigator in the Detective Mystery Squad, more commonly known as the DMS, she’s ready to uncover the mysteries hidden within the strange manor. As the investigation gears up and the pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place, the DMS enters into a world where anything is possible, and the danger is most definitely real. Follow along with Fairday and her friends, as “spooky” meets “lovely” in this twisting tale of dark secrets and hidden pasts.

We decided to pursue the traditional route for publishing The Secret DMS Files of Fairday Morrow. Although we both love writing, we work other jobs to pay our bills. We understand that self-publishing and marketing your own work is a full-time job, and at the moment we don’t feel we have the time to devote to publishing ourselves. We are lucky enough to be working with a wonderful agent and hopefully we will find an editor to publish our book.

Others can learn more about us at our blog, website, fan facebook page, and our twitter account. Right now The Secret DMS Files of Fairday Morrow isn’t available for purchase. We do however sponsor giveaways on our blog and we are also willing to send a copy of our book to fans who are interested in reading Fairday’s story.

Cate: Love the premise. And your artwork! Care to share a blurb or excerpt?

Jessica and Stephanie:  Excerpt from Chapter 5 of The Secret DMS Files of Fairday Morrow

Fairday did not sleep well her first night in the Begonia House. She had tossed and turned in the giant, wooden bed for a long time with her eyes wide open, listening to the amplified sounds of her new surroundings. The old house clanged and groaned restlessly, as the wild, whistling wind wrestled the old willow tree in the bright moonlight outside her bedroom window. Its twisted limbs banged into one another, casting monstrous looking shadows all along the walls. At one point, she thought she had heard the mysterious bagpipe music again and sat straight up in bed, anxiously grabbing the high-powered flashlight, which she had strategically positioned under her pillow. Fairday shined the luminescent high beam all around her room and over the long maroon drapes, (which did give the appearance that someone or something terrifying was hiding behind them, but Fairday had sneaked over, forcefully yanked them back, and shoved the flashlight into the empty space behind them so many times that she had to convince herself to stop obsessing over it). Each time she invoked the power of the flashlight and illuminated the room, it proved to be completely void of all intruders, except, of course, for herself.

Cate: What inspired you to write about the theme?

Jess: The initial story was partially created by my grandfather. When I was a kid, I stayed with my grandparents for a while and they lived in a spooky house in Ridgefield, CT. Sometimes it sounded like someone was walking around upstairs when there was no one up there, and my grandfather used to tell me it was Ruby Begonia clomping around in her high-heeled sneakers. I spent years trying to catch her, but never did. Ruby’s story took shape as I grew up. When I was in my twenties, I wrote the children’s poem, Ruby Begonia and the High-Heeled Sneakers. One day, I thought how cool it would be to turn the poem into a chapter book and the name, Fairday Morrow popped into my head. I thought to ask my best friend and book buddy, Stephanie Robinson, if she wanted to co-author it with me, and happily she agreed. Stephanie and I both love books; we love to read and talk about the stories. So, we started writing and talking about Fairday and the adventures of the DMS.

Stephanie: After Jess asked me to work with her on changing her poem into a story the ideas began emerging from all over the place. We would meet, talk, brainstorm, and dissect each other’s ideas. Each time one of us shared something we would spark new ideas in the other person. Some of the elements of Fairday’s story have appeared in my dreams and others have happened in my everyday life.

Cate: Anything else you’d like to share?

Jess & Stephanie: Thank you so much for hosting us on your wonderful blog! And, thanks to all our readers for their support! Remember…fear not the unexpected!

Cate: Woo hoo! Stephanie and Jess have a giveaway!

Jess & Stephanie: 1 signed paperback edition of The Secret DMS Files of Fairday Morrow

Cate: A wickedly wonderful treat! Don’t forget to leave your email address when you comment!

Thanks for sharing in the Halloween fun, Jess and Stephanie! Have a spooktacular Halloween.

Your story reminded me of a song relating to the unexplained and mysterious. It seemed appropriate for the occasion. Enjoy!