31 Days of Halloween!

My horror series, Rabbit in Red, has been called "a love letter to horror movies." If you've read it, you know I love my horror! And every October, I enjoy watching as many horror movies as possible. Don't you?

I was challenged by my local Barnes & Noble to develop a list of 31 horror movies to watch, one a day for October.

The challenge I have: ONLY ONE?

So I'm going to give you a couple of my favorites each day. Additionally, I've asked some friends to help out. My friend Dave runs a movie group on Facebook called The Magnificent Movie Emporium, so I'm going to include a special selection from him, too.

(Want even more? My friend Bryan at Fitz of Horror, the hottest horror movie page on Facebook, is posting favorite movies by the HOUR this month!)

Let's get started. Here are our picks for October 1.

Author Joe Chianakas pick:

URBAN LEGEND

From Rotten Tomatoes: "When a series of strange deaths occurs on campus, beautiful and assertive student Natalie suspects that they are murders based on urban legends. Her classmates, loyal Brenda, ambitious journalism major Paul, and school practical joker Damon, insist the deaths are just coincidences. When Natalie gets too close to discovering how the deaths are connected, she realizes she's the killer's next victim."

Why I like it: It may have poor ratings, but it's fun! What a great way to kick off Halloween horror movies: enjoy a film that incorporates all sorts of creepy and fun urban legends. Plus, Robert Englund as the professor (that's my favorite part)!

Available on: iTunes

Rabbit in Red pick (a movie that's referenced in my series):

THE BABADOOK

This one has a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, and I'd agree with this consensus: The Babadook relies on real horror rather than cheap jump scares -- and boasts a heartfelt, genuinely moving story to boot.

Available on: Netflix, Amazon, iTunes

The Magnificent Movie Emporium pick (join the movie group by clicking the link):

SUSPIRIA

Rotten Tomatoes gives this one a 93%, and here's the consensus: The blood pours freely in Argento's classicSuspiria, a giallo horror as grandiose and glossy as it is gory.

Sounds fun!

Available on: DVD

Come back tomorrow for our next Halloween horror movie picks!

Get Rabbit in Red, the book voted FAVORITE HORROR BOOK OF 2016, today!

Available at Barnes and Noble, online retailers like Amazon, or request a copy from your favorite, local bookstore or library.

You can read it on the app, Tapas!

You can get a signed copy from our Etsy shop.

The audio book is available for those who prefer to listen! Get it on Amazon, Audible, or iTunes!

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The second book in the series, Burn the Rabbit, is available now, too.

Enjoy!

7 Horror Films to Watch While Waiting For Book Two

While we wait for Burn the Rabbit to release on September 15 (RSVP to the online event here!), let's talk about a few horror movies you can watch now while you wait.

Here are 7 (maybe 8 or 9, really) horror films to watch now!

As you know, Rabbit in Red is packed with horror references. (Haven't started Rabbit in Red? Grab a copy on Amazon or request it at your favorite bookstore!) Burn the Rabbit, the second book in the trilogy, will similarly test your horror knowledge, but it does so in new ways--  from fresh riddles to darker challenges. My love letter to the horror genre continues, and the stories of our characters also significantly evolve. This book, more than anything, is about what happens to them.

Still, if you're like me, you enjoy a good horror-binge-a-thon. Here are a few movies available to watch (at the time of this post) that may influence a bit of the terror and fun in book two!

1. The Babadook

Available on Netflix

From IMDB: "A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son's fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her."

2. The 'Burbs

This is horror comedy, but it's possibly my favorite summer movie and horror comedy of all time!

Available on Netflix.

From IMDB: "An overstressed suburbanite and two of his neighbors struggle to prove their paranoid theory that the new family on the block are part of a murderous cult."

3. Hellraiser and Hellbound, Hellraiser II

Available on Netflix

From IMDB: "An unfaithful wife encounters the zombie of her dead lover; demons are pursuing him after he escaped their sadomasochistic underworld."

Available on Netflix

From IMDB: "Kirsty is brought to an institution after the death of her family, where the occult-obsessive head resurrects Julia and unleashes the Cenobites once again."

4. From Dusk Till Dawn

Available on Netflix.

From IMDB: "Two criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek temporary refuge in an establishment populated by vampires, with chaotic results."

5. Candyman

Available on Starz/Encore On-Demand

From IMDB: "The Candyman, a murderous soul with a hook for a hand, is accidentally summoned to reality by a skeptic grad student researching the monster's myth."

6. Alien

I may be disappointed if you haven't seen this one, but I'm adding it because it's always a fun one to rewatch.

Various showings on AMC; check your local listings

From IMDB: "After a space merchant vessel perceives an unknown transmission as distress call, their landing on the source moon finds one of the crew attacked by a mysterious lifeform. Continuing their journey back to Earth with the attacked crew having recovered and the critter deceased, they soon realize that its life cycle has merely begun."

7. The Hills have Eyes

I love both versions. The classic is great-- you can't beat a Wes Craven original! The remake is fun, lots of jumps and scares. It gets no hate from me. 

Available on Showtime On-Demand

From IMDB: "On the way to California, a family has the misfortune to have their car break down in an area closed to the public, and inhabited by violent savages ready to attack."

Available on Showtime On-Demand

From IMDB: "A suburban American family is being stalked by a group of psychotic people who live in the desert, far away from civilization."

So, there's a few to add to your watch-list between now and September 15. There are tons of other allusions in the book, but I won't give away all the fun. Give these movies a watch, and see if you can spot their references in Burn the Rabbit!

The book releases September 15. Say you're "going" to this Facebook event. It's there I'll share the links for the online release as well as give away some prizes!

If you're new to Rabbit in Red, request a copy at your favorite bookstore or order it from Amazon here. It's the perfect time to start following the rabbit.

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