Everyone is a Critic: My All-Time Favorites – Horror
Posted: October 12, 2026 Filed under: Everyone is a Critic, Horror, Movie Review, Movies, Review | Tags: Everyone is a Critic, From Dusk Till Dawn, horror, Interview with the Vampire, It, Movie Review, Movies, Review, Silver Bullet, The Terminator, Tremors, Writing to be Read Leave a commentThere are some movies that I can watch over and over and never get tired of them because they are so fun to watch. I’m sure certain movies are the same for everyone, in this respect. For “Everyone is a Critic” in 2026, I’d like to talk about my all-time favorites, because if you haven’t seen them, they are worth watching, and if you have, maybe this will remind you how fun they are, and you’ll give one or two another go. I’ve categorized them by the values I find in them, or the reason that I watch them. Many of them, I have watched so many times, I can quote them word for word through many parts. (And, yes, I am old, but they really don’t make them like they used to.)
Now, here, I will share them with you in the hopes that you will get the same enjoyment I have from watching them. For those who have seen the movie, the quotes will bring certain scenes alive in their minds. And if you haven’t seen the movie and you watch it, when you see the scene, you’ll understand why I chose the quotes that I did.
Horror -Scare the pants off me or keep me sitting on the edge of my seat
The Terminator (1984) & The Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991), with Arnold Swartzenheger
Who hasn’t seen these movies?
Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a formidable cyber-villain from the future, sent to kill one Sarah Conner in the first movie, and a formidable cyber-hero sent back to project John Conner from a nearly indestructible cyber-villain in the second.
Cyber-monsters as villains can be pretty scary. If you don’t believe it, watch these two movies and you will.
I have both of these in my personal movie collection.
Favorite Quote (First): “I’ll be Back”
Favorite Quote (Second): “Asta la vista, baby.”
Favorite Scenes (First): The bar scene where the terminator acquires clothes and transportation.
Favorite Scenes (Second): A young John Conner teaches his cyber-protector (Schwartzenegger) slang, so he can appear more human, & the mental institution when Sarah Conner sees John and the terminator get off the elevator.
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), with George Clooney and Quinten Tarantino, Juliette Lewis, and Harvey Keitel
Two outlaw brothers, Seth and Richie Gecko (George Clooney and Quinten Tarantino), highjack a family on vacation in order to get past the roadblocks and make it across the border into Mexico. They end up at a bar off the beaten path, open from dusk till dawn, and filled with vampires.
Very cool special effects for this one as the vampires turn.
I watch this one on Pluto T.V. for free.
Favorite Scene: The snake dance by Santiaco Pandemonium (Selma Hayek)
Favorite Quotes: “I’ve got six little friends and they can all run faster than you can.” Seth Gecko (Clooney)
” I know what’s going on. We got a bunch of fucking vampires out there, trying to get in here and suck our fucking blood. And that’s it. Plain and simple. I don’t want to hear anything about “I don’t believe in vampires,” because I don’t fucking believe in vampires, but I believe in my own two eyes, and what I saw, is fucking vampires. Now, do we all agree that what we are dealing with is vampires?” Seth Gecko (Clooney)
“Did they look like psychos? Is that what they looked like? They were vampires. Psychos do not explode when sunlight hits them, I don’t give a fuck how crazy they are!” – Seth Gecko (Clooney)
” Go home, Kate. I may be a bastard, but I’m not a fucking bastard.” – Seth Gecko (Clooney)
“Attention pussy shoppers! Take advantage of our penny pussy sale! If you buy one piece of pussy at the regular price, you get another piece of pussy of equal or lesser value for only a penny! Try and beat pussy for a penny! If you can find cheaper pussy anywhere else, fuck it!” – Chet Pussy (Cheech Marin)
“Are you such a loser, you can’t tell when you’ve won? The entire state of Texas, along with the F.B.I., are looking for you. Did they find you? No. They couldn’t. You’ve won, Seth. Enjoy it.” – Jacob (Keitel)
Tremors (1990), with Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Finn Carter, Michael Gross, and Reba McIntire
A newly discovered prehistoric underground monster is the villain in this tale, which the characters dub graboids. They are strong and fast as they travel beneath the valley floor hunting by sound rather than sight or smell. And the residents of Perfection, Nevada find themselves trapped at the end of a box canyon and must outsmart them to get past to safety.
All three of the Tremors movies are entertaining, but the first one will always be the best, in my opinion. The others are missing the character of Val, played by Kevin Bacon, and I feel the subsequent movies are missing something due to this fact. This is not to knock them. They continued this series with some clever twists of story line. But the first will always be my favorite.
Favorite Quotes: “Stampede, Earl!” Val McKee (Bacon)
“You will have long blonde hair, big green eyes, world class breasts, ass that won’t quit and legs that go all the way up.” – Val McKee (Bacon)
“I vote for outer space. No way these are local boys.” Earl Bassett (Ward)
“”Broke into the wrong goddamn rec room, didn’t ya, you bastard!” – Bert Gummer (Gross)
“Roger that Burt, and congratulations. Be advised, however, that there are two more, repeat, two more motherhumpers.” – Val McKee (Bacon)
“I think I have a plan. What if we throw a bomb that way, the way we want to go? Then when it goes off, I mean, if it scares them away, we run like goddamn bastards!… Pardon my French.” Rhonda LeBeck (Carter)
“Run for it? Running’s not a plan! Running’s what you do once a plan fails!” – Earl Bassett (Ward)
“Food for five years, a thousand gallons of gas, air filtration, water filtration, Geiger counter. Bomb shelter! Underground… God damn monsters.” – Bert Gummer (Gross)
Silver Bullet (1985), with Corey Haim and Gary Busey
Based on the book, Cycle of the Werewolf, by Stephen King, you can’t go wrong with this movie. Corey Haim plays a crippled boy, Marty Coslaw, who is confronted by the werewolf and now must defend his life with the help of his sister, Jane (Megan Follows), and his Uncle Red (Gary Busey). Not a lot of blood and gore, but a great story line and lots of tension.
I have the book by King, but I watch the movie on Pluto T.V. for free.
Favorite Scene: Fireworks on the bridge & Covered bridge scene when Marty is trapped.
Favorite Quotes: “The last full moon of that Spring came a little more than a month before school let out for Summer vacation. Our town’s long nightmare began that night.” – Older Jane Narrating (Megan Follows)
“From him I’d expect it. Sometimes I think your common sense got paralyzed along with your legs. But from you, Jane – you’re Miss Polly Practical!” – Uncle Red (Busey)
“I understand that my niece and my nephew are sending little love notes to the local minister suggesting he gargle with broken glass or eat a rat-poison omelette!” – Uncle Red (Busey)
“She and Dad are out back lighting the barbeque, yeah, and Jane’s walking around in all these new clothes showing off her tits, acting like no one ever had tits before her.” – Marty Coslaw (Haim)
“I’m a little too old to be playing “Hardy Boys meet Reverend Werewolf!” – Uncle Red (Busey)
IT (1990)), with Richard Thomas, Annette O’Toole, John Ritter, Harry Anderson, Jonathan Brandis, Tim Reid, Dennis Christopher
This is a two-part television mini-series based on the book by Stephen King, sometimes what you don’t see is scarier than what you do, and this monstrous villain can mess with your mind and reveal your deepest fears. In the first part, our heroes face the villain, which takes the form of Pennywise the Clown, among other forms, in 1960, as children, and in the second part, they come back as adults to face the monster once again.
They did a remake in 2017, but my feeling is that this mini-series is far superior.
Favorite Quote: “BEEP BEEP Richie! They ALL float down here. When you’re down here with us, you’ll float too!” – Pennywise the Clown (Tim Curry)
“I’m every nightmare you’ve ever had. I’m your worst dream come true. I’m everything you ever were afraid of.” – IT
“Me? Oh you are priceless, brat! I am eternal, child. I am the eater of worlds, and of children. And you are next!” – IT
“He thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.” – Bill Denbrough (Thomas)
“I think I remember who Pennywise was now. Big white guy… Red nose… Bout 75 feet tall… Mouth full of razor-sharp teeth?” – Eddie Kapsbrak (Christopher)
” I believe in Santa Claus. I believe in the Easter Bunny. I believe in the Tooth Fairy. But I don’t believe in you. This is battery acid. Now, you disappear!” – Eddie Kapsbrak (Christopher)
“Listen, kids. This campfire stuff is fun, it really is, but it doesn’t matter how painstakingly we go over these sewer plans or how many damn flashlights or helmets you’ve got in that box. When the sun comes up, I’m dust, and I would suggest that you follow me and get the hell out of Dodge!” -Richie Toizer (Anderson)
“The biggest mystery is how two hundred and fifty-three settlers just vanished without a trace.” – Young Mike (Marlon Taylor)
“Well, what do you know? It’s the fat boy, the Jew, the sissy, the four eyes, and the poor girl too. Nigger you know how to pick em. It’s the losers club. I have bones to pick with some of you but I’m willing to let go for today. I want him so buzz off.” – Henry Bowers (Michael Cole)
Interview with a Vampire (1994), with Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Christian Slater
Brad Pitt plays Louis, a vampire with a conscience, disillusioned with immortality, who shares his story with a reporter (Christian Slater). He relates the story of how he became a vampire with his maker Lestat (Tom Cruise).
Based on the novel by Anne Rice, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise make the coolest vampires ever, as Louise and Lestat, bringing these characters to life, even in death. And what a story it is.
I catch this one on Pluto T.V. for free.
Favorite Quotes: “In the spring of 1988, I returned to New Orleans, and as soon as I smelled the air, I knew I was home. It was rich, almost sweet, like the scent of jasmine and roses around our old courtyard. I walked the streets, savoring that long lost perfume.” – Louis (Pitt)
“Oh Louis, Louis. Still whining, Louis. Have you heard enough? I’ve had to listen to that for centuries.”- Lestat (Cruise)
“I’m going to give you the choice that I never had.” – Lestat (Cruise)
“I was a newborn vampire, weeping at the beauty of the night.” Louis (Pitt)
“We are predators, whose all-seeing eyes were meant to give them detachment.” – Lestat (Cruise)
“It’s your coffin, my love. Enjoy it. Most of us never get to know what it feels like.” – Lestat (Cruise)
“All I need to find you, Louis, is follow the corpses of rats.” – Lestat (Cruise)
About Author Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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This segment of “Everyone is a Critic” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.
Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories: 20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Roost-Kaye-Lynne-Booth-ebook/dp/B0CL6FPLVJ
Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow: 17 authors bring you 21 magnificent dark tales. Stories of magic, monsters and mayhem. Tales of murder and madness which will make your skin crawl. These are the tales that explore your darkest fears. Read them in the Midnight Garden… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Garden-Where-Tales-Anthology-ebook/dp/B0DJNDQJD3
Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares: 14 authors bring you 16 dark tales that explore your deepest fears. These are the stories which nightmares are made of. Tales of monsters, mayhem, and madness which will make you shiver in the dark. Read them while you burn the Midnight Oil… if you dare. https://books2read.com/Midnight-Oil
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Midnight Oil & “The Boy Who Loved Horses” on Joseph Carrabis
Posted: November 4, 2025 Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, Short Fiction, Stories | Tags: "The Boy Who Loved Horses", Anthology, Dark fiction, horror, Joseph Carrabis, Midnight Anthology Series, Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares Leave a comment
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Announcing the Winners of the WordCrafter “Midnight Oil” Book Blog Tour Giveaway
Posted: November 2, 2025 Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Giveaways, Horror, Paranormal, Short Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Anthology, Dark fiction, Giveaway, horror, Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours 7 Comments
We had a great tour last week for the release of Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares, with guests posts from contributing authors, Christa Planko, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, and Paul Kane, readings from Joseph Carrabis and DL Mullan, and my interview with the author of the winning story in the 2025 WordCrafter Dark Fiction Contest, Denise Aparo. I want to thank all of you for visiting and commenting, and I want to thank our lovely hosts, Michelle Ayon Navajas, Kay Castenada, and Carla Johnson-Hicks.
Now to wrap things up, here are the winners of the Midnight Oil tour giveaway. Below are the three lucky winners of a digital copy of Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares. I don’t know any of these folks, so if you know them, please tell them to contact me at kayebooth@yahoo.com to collect their copy. I’ll be working to contact them all in the meantime.
And the winners are….
(Drumroll please)
- Thomas Stigwikman
- Joni Caggiano
- Dracul Van Helsing
Congratulations to all the winners and thank you all for visiting the tour.
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Midnight Oil & Mario Acevedo on Joseph Carrabis
Posted: November 1, 2025 Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, Short Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Press | Tags: "Villa's Gold", Anthology, Dark fiction, horror, Joseph Carrabis, Mario Acevedo, Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares, WordCrafter Press Leave a commentShare this:
Wrapping Up the WordCrafter “Midnight Oil” Book Blog Tour
Posted: October 31, 2025 Filed under: Anthology, Audio Excerpt, Author Interview, Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Giveaways, Horror, Paranormal, Short Fiction, Stories, Supernatural, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: "The Initiation", "The Vanishing", Dark fiction, Denise Aparo, DL Mullan, horror, Midnight Oil, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours 12 CommentsToday is the last day of the WordCrafter Midnight Oil Book Blog Tour. This week we’ve been celebrating the release of Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares, volume 3 in the Midnight Dark Fiction Anthology Series. We’ve got a great group of contributing authors and you’ve met a few and we’ve shared excerpts from all of their stories.
Today, we’ll finish up by meeting the last of the fourteen contributing authors, and the author of the winning story in the 2025 WordCrafter Dark Fiction Contest, Denise Aparo, and we’ll learn a little about the winning story, “The Vanishing”. But first, let me tempt your literary taste buds with excerpts from “The Price of Beauty” by Rebecca M. Senese, and introduce you contributing author DL Mullan with a reading from her story, “The Initiation”, followed up by an excerpt from Mario Acevedo’s “Villa’s Gold”.
“The Price of Beauty”
Meet Author DL Mullan
DL Mullan holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology.
Her lecture, Spacescapes: Where Photography Ends; Imagination Begins, debuted at the Phoenix Astronomy Society, which then led to her Sally Ride Festival lecture invitations. Her presentation, Bridging the Gap between Technology and Women, won her accolades at a community college’s Student Success Conference. She has been a panelist at speculative fiction, science fiction, and other regional conventions. Her digital exhibition pieces have won awards at convention art shows, as well as garnered her Second Premium at the Arizona State Fair. Currently, Ms. Mullan’s artistic renditions are seen on book covers, blog sites, and various merchandise. As an independent publisher, she uses her technical background to innovate the way she perceives the creative arts.
As a writer, DL Mullan loves to stretch her imagination and the elasticity of genres. She writes complex multigenre stories in digestible and entertaining forms, be it poetry, short fiction, or novels. Her science, history, mythology, and paranormal research background is woven into her writings, especially in Undawnted’s Legacy Universe. Ms. Mullan’s creative endeavors are available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. She is also a record label owner, an electronic musician and award-winning poet.
Be sure to subscribe to her newsletters and follow her on social media. For further information, visit her at www.undawntech.com and www.undawnted.com.
Reading Excerpt from “The Initiation”
“The Initiation”
Meet Author Denise Aparo
Denise Aparo is an author with four published short stories in the horror/supernatural genre in the WordCrafter Midnight Anthologies. Her Midnight and Curses Series stories are written under Denise Aparo and are edited by Kaye Lynn Booth, through WordCrafter Press.
As a native New Englander, she lives with her husband Joe, spending much of her time writing, reading, gardening, making crocheted blankets, and crafting with her grandchildren.
She loves the paranormal historical fiction genre and has recently completed edits on her first novel, a historical fiction titled Crossbows, which will be self-published in the near future.
She has a Master’s Degree in English – Fine Arts/Creative Writing with concentration in Fiction from Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). And a member of five honor societies with leadership recognition.
She is published in several newspapers and magazines—special interest articles, along with poems and short stories that have been published in print and digital format. She is a member of the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association (CAPA) and the author of a WordPress writing blog, The Write Voice.
Denise has three short stories in the horror/supernatural genre in the Midnight Series, through WordPress. These short stories are published under Denise Aparo. The third and last of the Midnight Series, Midnight Oil: Stories To Fuel Your Nightmares. Her story, “The Vanishing”, was the winning story in the 2025 WordCrafter Dark Fiction Contest.
A short story published in another anthology is titled Curses: Chronicles of the Darkness,is titled “The Mohawk Monster: The Curse of the Herkimer Diamond,” a horror/supernatural genre based on curses. This anthology is also edited by author, Kaye Lynne Booth.
Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories: 20 authors created 23 paranormal stories of horror. Creepy tales that give you goosebumps! Her short story is “The Pines.”
Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow: 17 authors crafted 21 eerie horror stories. Her short story is “Jack Moon and the Vanishing Book.”
Interview with Author Denise Aparo
Why do you write? What is your inspiration?
I began journaling from a young age. Writing has always been the best way for me to communicate my emotions. I wrote poems, songs, and stories about my experiences when I was younger. Now I love to write fiction. I weave my characters and stories into authentic history.
I believe my inspiration comes from history, events, myths, and/or legends, from the past. I love to read about American History and then find ‘holes’ in time, where a story is either lacking, or has no account of what had transpired in the past. Then, I fill in the gaps. I insert my characters into the loop-holes of a timeline and create my fictional story either with actual historical people or I will place my own characters.
What is the best piece of writing advice that you have ever received?
Stephen King advised writers to “Rewrite!” Also, to “sit in the chair (or where ever) and just write. Eventually, the story will come.”
Your story, “The Vanishing”, was the winning story in the 2025 WordCrafter Dark Fiction Contest and is now featured in Midnight Oil. Did it surprise you to learn that your story won?
I was definitely surprised! I feel honored to have been chosen this time, amid all of the other very talented authors. I have learned so much from my editor and fellow authors through their stories and interviews.
Would you tell readers a little about “The Vanishing”?
I love to watch YouTube instructional videos about science, science fiction, legends, myths, health/wellness, and medical marvels. I remember a video about an actual syndrome that a few pregnant women have experienced, called The Vanishing Twin Syndrome.
Vanishing Twin Syndrome (VTS) is a miscarriage that causes a pregnancy involving twins to become a pregnancy involving one embryo. It occurs when one of the embryos detected during an ultrasound stops developing and the viable twin is thought to ‘absorb’ its sibling. VTS can’t be treated or prevented.
I found it fascinating and eerie. I did further research on the subject and created questions, such as; what would happen if the viable twin had either memory or sense about the lost twin? What if the cells merged and carried the soul of both newborns—two souls occupying one body? What if the surviving twin had experiences involving the lost twin, or if the twin had an extrasensory perception and actual knowledge about the lost twin—communicating throughout their lives? Lastly, what if the twin, who had not survived, was in control of the body without the knowledge of the surviving twin?
I created a story taking into consideration all of the subject matter in mind and created “The Vanishing.”
You now have had stories featured in all three Midnight anthologies from WordCrafter Press: “The Vanishing” in Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares; “The Pines” in Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Tales; and “Jack Moon and the Vanishing Book” in Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow. Your story, “Mohawk Monster: The Curse of the Herkimer Diamond” is also featured in Curses: Chronicles of Darkness. All of these stories are dark fiction. Are they written by an equally dark mind? (I bet Stephen King hears that one all the time. 😉)
I hope not! However, I believe that I definitely have an imaginative mind! I’ve always been curious, inventive, and love creating things. I love making crafts and crafting stories! My favorite thought when creating a story is “Okay—things are supposed to be this way. But, now, what if?” And, then I write from that point!
Which of these stories was the most difficult to write? Why?
Actually, I have a lot of fun creating stories. I didn’t have too many difficulties with them, but I suppose the one that took me the longest to craft was “The Pines.” It was my first published short story. I agonized over every detail!
I find that the most difficult process in my writing can actually be my plot structure! I love to research and usually have lots of it scribbled onto a page. Then, I need to sort it all out—giving proper measures to the story’s motivation, inciting incident with a crisis, and then crafting my resolution. I usually end up cutting a lot out and then focus on my main objectives. I do a lot of rewriting!
In real life, I am a person who always avoids conflict, at all costs. Therefore, I am always revisiting/rewriting to include more conflict.
You have a new novel which you are planning to release. Is it dark fiction, as well?
Yes, it has dark aspects, but it is countered with light. My novel, Crossbows, is a historical fantasy. (I say fantasy instead of fiction, because I have time travel, a mystical tome, magic, monsters, and creepy legendary characters!)
I have dark antagonists, and very spiritual protagonists. It is definitely a mix in this hero’s journey.
What other outlets do you find for your creativity besides writing?
I crochet blankets for all sizes—couch, beds, lap covers, and make baby blankets. I also crochet doll blankets with shams, and many accessories such as hair ties, scrunchies, key-chains, wristlets, hats, and plan to try making Amigurumi toys this winter.
I have a large craft room over my garage where I do scrapbooking, paint on canvas with acrylics and water-colors, and craft things out of common household items, such as mason jars and wire hangers. I make decorative containers and rag-wreaths, swags, or garlands. Depending on the season I try anything trending.
Where do you hope to see yourself as a writer in ten years?
My dream is to become an experienced and seasoned author, selling stories that will ignite passions and make readers want to read more, know more, and maybe even write their own stories! I hope to become an author who will inspire others.
Please tell my readers how they can find you online, if they’d like to learn more about you and your books. (Include links here.)
My social links are:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/denise.aparo?_
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/deniseaparo/?ref=xav_igxfb
WordPress – https://gravatar.com/tometamer?utm_source=hovercard
“The Vanishing”
“Villa’s Gold”
About Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares
14 authors bring you 16 dark tales that explore your deepest fears. These are the stories which nightmares are made of. Tales of monsters, mayhem, and madness which will make you shiver in the dark. Read them while you burn the Midnight Oil… if you dare.
Contributing authors include Mario Acevedo, Joseph Carrabis, Jon Shannon, Rebecca M. Senesse, DL Mullan, Zack Ellafy, Christa Planko, C.R. Johansson, Kaye Lynne Booth, Robert White, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Chris Barili, Paul Kane, and author of the winning story in the 2025 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest, Denise Aparo.
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/Midnight-Oil
Book Trailer
That wraps up today’s tour stop and it also finishes up the WordCrafter Midnight Oil Book Blog Tour. Thank you all for joining us in sending off volume 3 of the Midnight Dark Fiction Anthology Series, Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares.
The Giveaway
You can follow the links in the tour schedule below to visit any stops that you’ve missed, and be sure to comment at each stop, for a chance to win one of five digital copies WordCrafter Press will be given away in a random drawing following the tour.
Tour Schedule
Day 1– Poetry by Mich, Masticadores Phillipines & Hotel by Masticadores – Christa Planko Guest Post/Excerpt “Sangoma, Zombie Elephants, & Tokoloshe, Oh, My!” & “Cattails”
Day 2 – Writing to be Read – Joseph Carrabis Reading – “Jeremiah”/Excerpt “The Boy Who Loved Horses” & “Them Doore Girls”
Day 3 – Book Places – Roberta Eden Cheadle Guest Post/Excerpt “Darkness Tolls” & “The Snow Globe”
Day 4 – Carla Loves to Read – Paul Kane Guest Post/Excerpt “Inside Out” & “The Stairs”
Day 5 – Writing to be Read – Denise Aparo Interview & DL Mullan Reading/Excerpt “The Price of Beauty”
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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!
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Midnight Oil & DL Mullan on Joseph Carrabis
Posted: October 30, 2025 Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Horror, Paranormal | Tags: "The Initiation", Anthology, Dark fiction, DL Mullan, horror, Joseph Carrabis, Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares, WordCrafter Press 1 CommentShare this:
Day 4 of the WordCrafter “Midnight Oil” Book Blog Tour
Posted: October 30, 2025 Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Book Release, Book Review, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Horror, Paranormal, Review, Short Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: "The Whistling", Anthology, Book Review, Dark fiction, horror, Midnight Anthology Series, Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares, Paul Kane, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 1 CommentFor Day 4 of the WordCrafter Midnight Oil Book Blog Tour, we’re over at Carla Loves to Read with Carla Johnson-Hicks and a lovely review, and a guest post from contributing author, Paul Kane about his story, “The Whistling”, and short video excerpts from Jon Shannon’s “The Stairs” and C.R. Johansson’s “Inside Out”. Join us in celebrating the release of Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares and enter our giveaway by simply leaving a comment to show your support and let me know you were there.
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Midnight Oil & Roberta Eaton Cheadle on Joseph Carrabis
Posted: October 29, 2025 Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, WordCrafter Press | Tags: "Just Desserts", Anthology, Dark fiction, horror, Joseph Carrabis, Midnight Anthology Series, Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, WordCrafter Press 2 Commentshttps://josephcarrabis.com/2025/10/29/roberta-eaton-cheadles-just-desserts-in-midnight-oil/
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Day 3 of the WordCrafter “Midnight Oil” Book Blog Tour
Posted: October 29, 2025 Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Horror, Paranormal, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: "Just Desserts", Dark fiction, horror, Midnight Anthology Series, Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares, Paranormal, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, WordCrafter Press 6 CommentsToday we’re celebrating over at Kay Castenada’s Book Places on Day 3 of the WordCrafter Midnight Oil Book Blog Tour. Kay has a creative guest post from contributing author, Roberta Eaton Cheadle and short video excerpts from her story, “Just Desserts”, as well as Chris Barili’s “The Snow Globe” and Zack Ellafy’s “Darkness Tolls”. Join us in celebrating the release of Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares, and get on the giveaway for a free digital copy, simply by leaving a comment so I know you were there.
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Everyone is a Critic: “Cell” & “1408”
Posted: October 20, 2025 Filed under: Everyone is a Critic, Horror, Movies, Review | Tags: 1408, Cell, Everyone is a Critic, horror, Writing to be Read Leave a commentFor October, I thought I would review two scary movies, both based on Stephen King novels: Cell & 1408. Interestingly enough, both have the same leading actors as well: John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson. But no matter these similarities, they are two very different horror movies. While Cell is King’s very different take on a zombie story, 1408 is more of a paranormal horror story. Both are deserving of a review just in time for Halloween.
Cell
When cell phone frequencies suddenly trigger violent behaviors in their owners, it seems the world has gone mad. While artist Clay Riddell, played by John Cusack, is unaffected because his cell phone battery died at the strategic moment when the electronic pulse was broadcast, along with a few others, those who are affected turn viciously violent against anyone in their vicinity. They aren’t zombies, they are still alive, but they do seem to be mindless, reacting with violence and brutality in response to the signal being broadcast everywhere.
Together with survivors, Tom McCourt, played by Samuel L. Jackson, and Alice Maxwell, a teen who had to kill her affected mother in self-defense, Clay makes his way to his home to determine the fate of his wife and son. It is kill or be killed, as there is no reasoning with those who are affected. When he finds an empty house and a message from his son, he is compelled to carry on alone to find his boy and discover what is really going on.
I read the novel by Stephen King when it first came out, back in 2006, and the movie stuck fairly close to the book, which is one thing I always like about movies based on King novels. I imagine it is because King is one of the few authors with a big enough name to secure some say so in the production of the movie, because I see his influence. Anyway, all that to say, if you liked the book, you will no doubt like the movie. I did on both counts.
1408
This is a horror movie that hits you on a psychological level and leaves you thinking about it long after it ends. This one also sticks fairly close to the original short story of the same title, which appeared in Everything’s Eventual (2002). Also note that the version I saw had the original ending, since they made three different endings for this movie. After reading the descriptions of all three, I’m glad I viewed the original, as it sounds to be the best fit for the story to me, and also the most positive.
John Cusack plays writer Mike Enslin, who is making his living through a series of books about reportedly haunted places, but as a paranormal skeptic, his goal is to refute the reported hauntings. Following an anonymous tip on a postcard from The Dolphin Hotel, which he receives as a challenge when warned off of Room 1408, he goes there and requests that very room. Although the hotel manager, Mr. Olin, played by Samuel L. Jackson, does everything he can to discourage, warning of the room’s history, which is enough to turn away even the most determined of ghost hunters, Mike insists, forces Olin to rent him the room.
Mr. Olin had warned that most occupants don’t even make through the first hour in room 1408, and as Mike Enslin begins to describe the unimpressive room into his recorder, he finds himself haunted by the room’s former occupants, most of whom are now deceased, which raise ear and disgust, and by his own memories, which send him through a gamut of old emotions which still feel raw and exposed, throwing so much at him that he is no longer sure of what is real and what is not, and neither are the viewers.
After an illusion that he has escaped is proved to not be real, it becomes obvious that there is no escape from the evil room 1408 except suicide. Short of that, he is destined to relive the horrors of the last hour over and over for eternity. If you want to know what he chooses, you’ll have to watch the movie or read the story. No spoilers here.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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This segment of “Everyone is a Critic” is sponsored by the Midnight Dark Fiction Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.
Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Tales: https://books2read.com/MidnightRoost
Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow: https://books2read.com/MidnightGardenAnthology
Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares: (Pre-Order): https://books2read.com/Midnight-Oil
