pandora/ipod: "new york state of mind" by billy joel
So I'm in NYC for BEA 2011. I've got meetings and lunches and dinners and cocktails with my editor, publishers, agent, writers, friends... And I'm only here three and a half days.
Yes, it's insane. Yes, there will be photos. And video.
Anyway, today being the 23rd and all, it's time for ANOTHER SIGNED POSSESS ARC GIVEAWAY!!!!! Ready? Let's do this.POSSESS is about something that really scares the crap out of me, namely demonic possession and exorcism. So in order to enter this month's contest, I want to know...
WHAT SCARES YOU?
This time the rules are simple. Comment below and tell me (a) what scares you the most (spiders? alien abduction? clowns?), (b) include a story if you feel like it, and (c) leave your email address.
One entry per comment. One comment per person.
I'll choose one winner for a signed POSSESS ARC and ten runners up who will receive POSSESS swag packs of exorcist charms, bookmarks and temporary tattoos.
Sorry, open to U.S. and Canada residents only!
Contest closes Thursday, May 26th and 9pm PST. Winners announced on Friday!
Can't WAIT to hear what you guys have to say. It might even inspire a scene in POSSESS 2...
I'm going to keep it real and tell you what really scares the bejeezus out of me...BUGS! No lie. It's one of the reasons I didn't do well living in the South. I almost lost my mind with all the creepy crawlies freaking me out and giving me horrible nightmares.
ReplyDeletelionsrrroar@gmail dot com
Okay, I know this sounds weird, but cats scare me. When I was little, I witness a freak accident involving a cat, and now the hairs on my arms raise whenever one is in my prescence. Eek!!
ReplyDeletepamharris1981@yahoo.com
On a I'm-not-so-sure-that-can-ever-happen level it would be Aliens. Sandra Brown say the exist among us... if this is so, then that means they are either blending in and/or the root of our conflict. Both scare me to no end- the fact that 'people' have found us but we haven't found them.
ReplyDeleteOn a realistic level, on what is in front of me daily, is bugs. Yes I know that's pretty normal, but I used to have nightmares that I was a fairy (no joke) and that frogs were boiling me and that swarms of flying insects kept me in the pot by circling my head. Needless to say all send me running.
areadersrecord (at) gmail (dot) com
Usually, I would say ghosts (I have a huge love/hate relationship with them. They scare the hell out of me but I'm fascinated by them at the same time.) but after the severe weather last night I'm going to go with tornadoes- especially when the weatherpeople are on air yelling at each other to take cover and the sirens are going off. It was the stuff my reoccurring nightmares are made of.
ReplyDeleteThere wasn't a tornado in our area - just a microburst/ downdraft wind thing. I feel terrible for everyone that got hit hard by the storms yesterday.
k.kelly.books at gmail.com
I'd really love to read an ARC of Possess!
ReplyDeleteWhat scares me is swimming in dark water. There is something about swimming in a deep lake with weeds touching my ankles that really freaks me out. My logical mind knows there's nothing bigger than a trout down there, but there's some other part of my brain telling me I'm about to get pulled under. The idea of scuba diving in a cave is the scariest thing I can think of, which may be why I'll have to do it someday.
lena(at)lenacoakley(dot)com
What scares me? Dear, God, where to begin! I guess the most scary thing, to me, are spiders. When I was in kindergarten, a "bug keeper" dude came to visit the school, and brought is prized possession--some kind of rare tarantula. Big. Hairy. Black and yellow. Gross. It was sickening to look at--even though I'd never seen one up close before. I knew I hated it. My heart raced. I remember this like it was yesterday.
ReplyDeleteWe kids were all in a big circle on the floor. The bug keeper was in the middle talking about various insects and how they're beneficial. Then brings out this clear Tupperware-looking box, and shows us the spider. It crawls out onto the floor. And begins to come toward me!
I got the hell up, I can tell you! As an adult, I know that I could just squash the thing--but at the time, remember I was 5 for Christ's sake, that thing seemed as big as my head!
I cried.
Still, to this very day, I hate them. I do not brook them to be near me. Any of them. I have an "agreement" with the universe: should a spider come into my home, this is a sign that the spider wished to be killed, and I would be more than happy to oblige the wish. Otherwise, should it wish to live, it must remain outdoors.
God, I hate them. In 400 million years, evolution had not changed them, they are the perfect scaring machine. Anything with more than 6 legs that isn't an encephalopod should not exist. They are "the things shat should not be."
philhall1969@mchsi.com
SPIDERS! *SCREAMS, Runs in other direction, shivers*
ReplyDeleteIt's a long story so you can check it out here: http://starvnrtist.blogspot.com/2011/01/fear.html
YES, that is a real spider and they do get that BIG!
Warning: This is a bit...disgusting for those of you that are squeamish. ;)
ReplyDeleteThe thing that scares me the most...as crazy as this sounds (ok, maybe it's not that crazy) is eyeballs. Not when they are where they are supposed to be, of course, but outside of the skull. When I was in high school I worked at a doctors office part time, I walked up on a guy who was holding his eyeball...I won't go into details, because it makes me nauseated to think about, but ever since then I get anxious or physically ill (depending on the situation) whenever the word eye is mentioned, during a book scene, or a movie. I've actually walked out of movies that've had too many scenes involving eyes. (Going to get my eyes checked=hell)
Amanda
amanda(at)lettersinsideout(dot)com
http://www.lettersinsideout.com
I am most frightened by the prospect of speaking the truth to a person in a position of authority and learning that they have no intention of believing me.
ReplyDelete*shiver*
shelldive (at) gmail (dot) com
I am most frightened by the prospect of earnestly speaking the truth to a person in a position of authority and learning that they have no intention of believing me.
ReplyDelete*shiver*
shelldive (at) gmail (dot) com
Scared of Darkness...Heights.
ReplyDeleteGFC follower
thanks for the giveaway!!!
vidishamun@gmail.com
What scares me the most would probably have to be bugs. I just hate all bugs. They give me the creeps.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway :)
tiffanyinwonderland(at)hotmail(dot)com
ohman... so many fears... so many. probably the thought of someone harming my children would be the biggest one!
ReplyDeleteyou are so generous with your giveaways!
ca5well(at)aol(dot)com
I really don't like insects, but I really really don't like spiders. I recently moved, and I've realized that living in a house in MUCH different than a condo. There is so much more nature that comes inside. In the last week alone, I've killed 5 GIANT spiders.
ReplyDeletegross
Vivien
deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOh God, this is going to sound depressing but the one thing that scares me above everything else is my mother dying. Mostly because she's always talking about it so casually and it freaks me out.
ReplyDeletelivingsun211@yahoo.com
My wife is 6 months pregnant and I fear that my child might be born unhealthy. Not much to elaborate.
ReplyDeleteI just want nothing more than an a healthy child, and the fear of something wrong keeps me up at night. Sure there are tests, blah blah, but we'd have the child regardless. In our opinion there is no benefit to introducing risk via an intrusive test, when we would parent the child regardless.
Seems like a rational fear to me.
Jason.Sheehan@gmail.com
One word: ROBOTS. That look too human. Especially this one at the end of Superman III scared the pants off me when I saw at age 3:
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/YuSsSwg9MXs
That machine turned her into Sharon Osborne.
eleni.alexandraki@gmail.com
Thanks for the giveaway Gretchen!
ReplyDeleteOkay, one of the things that scares me the most that's tangible are clowns. I don't know why, I used to love them, but then I watched an episode of Supernatural where an evil clown was the feature character and now... *shudders* I can't stand them. My roommate had gone out for the night and I was home alone, watching this freaky clown on my little TV. Not a good combination. http://www.cwtv.com/shows/supernatural/episodes/202
Never again.
megan.qualls@gmail.com
Hey Gretchen!! I hate to steal your fear but mine is definitely possession. I watched The Exorcist when i was 14 and i have never been the same. I NEVER watch possession movies now, especially ones based on true storie like The Exorcism of Emily Rose *shudders* It just scares the hell out of me. Thanks for the giveaway!!
ReplyDeleteTristan Bruce
tristan210(at)live(dot)ca
One of the most scary things (that has, unfortunately, been popping up in my nightmares of late) is having a rattlesnake den under my bed. This has not, as far as I know, ever been the case, but good luck telling that to my sleeping subconscious!
ReplyDeletewhatinabox at gmail dot com
You guys are FREAKING ME OUT. :) Keep 'em coming!
ReplyDeleteFYI, all you bugs and spiders people? I AM RIGHT THERE WITH YOU!!!!
ReplyDeleteI am terrified of drowning. I know that seem a bit lame but I've been having nightmares about it recently.... The hubby says I shouldn't keep a glass of water on the nightstand next to my bed cause its subconsciously causing those dreams... Yeah! He's losing it :)haaaa!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting the giveaway!
Diana
lovelygetaway@gmail.com
I know they're not real and all, but I'm terrified of ZOMBIES. Every time I watch a zombie movie, or read a zombie book, I get really fidgety and uncomfortable and then I have zombie nightmares. Seriously. Maybe I need to write a zombie book to get over my fear? :-D
ReplyDeleteLittle children staring at me with unblinking eyes. Chanting may be involved.
ReplyDeletejoshrvogt@gmail.com
Hah well that picture up that is super scary thats for sure. But what scares me the most has to be clowns. I blame my dad who let me watch the Steven King movie "IT" when I was a little kid every since I think clowns are going to take or grab me whenever Im near a storm drain. I cant even look at the clowns that are suppose to be "nice" clowns at fairs I just bolt the other directions lol. So yah clown are freaky and the scariest things ever!!
ReplyDeleteKristen
seeingnightreviews@gmail.com
Mice tend to really scare me...they're so good at scurrying and appearing out of nowhere and being by your feet ugghhgh (We had a few in our house once).
ReplyDeleteAnd I don't quite have a story, but I'm thinking I should really get speedy about the writing I've been doing, etc since Mr World Was Going to End Last Saturday now says it's going to end on my birthday ;-) (I don't actually believe him, I just don't appreciate it being my birthday!)
book.splot [at] gmail [dot] com
Burning to death. It's the thing that'll wake me up with a scream on my lips if I dream about it. Just the thought of my hair catching fire makes me want to dump my head in a bucket of ice water.
ReplyDeleteFire's pretty, but very, very destructive. And painful. Burns hurt like a sonfoabitch, and I can't begin to comprehend the pain and suffering involved in being burned alive.
I'm stopping now, cause I'm shivering. Ugh.
writing.demons@gmail.com
Yay for you being at BEA!
ReplyDeleteI am terrified of snakes. I can't handle the way they move. They shouldn't be able to move that fast if they don't have legs! I can't even eat eel in sushi because of the association. **shudder**
Thanks for the giveaway!
savvyescapades at gmail dot com
Logical fear, or illogical fear?
ReplyDeleteLogically, my greatest fear is something happening to my child. That one's a given.
Illogically... Zombies. Oh dear gods, anything but zombies.
kari(dot)stewart21(at)gmail(dot)com
Aliens scare me because considering how big the universe is I really don't think we are the only ones in it.
ReplyDeleteEmail: marthapao (at) live.com
Spiders. Spiders scare me so much that it takes all my willpower to kill one if there's nobody around to kill it for me.
ReplyDeleteSee, in eighth grade for science class, I had to do a report on poisonous spiders. Learning about poisonous spiders and that some of them LIVED RIGHT UNDER YOUR BED?* didn't help me at all. I was fine about spiders up to that point! Then *BAM* paranoia city.
But good news? The other day I was alone and was going to take a shower, but a giantass spider was in the bathroom. I grabbed the bleach spray bottle and killed it DED. then flushed it down the toilet.
Hee, thanks for the giveaway! I so want to win one of these giveaways for POSSESS--it's one of those books I'm *dying* to get my hands on!
ashelynnsanford AT hotmail DOT com.
Bees, they scare the crap out of me. I was like...9 years old and I had on these kapris with bright flowers printed on them and I was swinging in my back yard. I decided to look down (for no apparent reason) and there was a bee on my pants, so I screamed, jumped off the swing, and landed with a thud on the ground. I ended up with inflamed tissue in both my arms, it hurt like hell for a week.
ReplyDeletepeachandblue2@aol.com
Shadows. That sounds better in my head than it does typed up, but I am absolutely frightened of shadows. In particular those that seem to move on their own--seriously, even in dreams they scare me so badly that I wake up (usually because they're rushing at me). Lately when I've turned off the lights in my room and am getting ready to get into bed, it seems like there's a shadow that clings to my window for a moment--I sleep with my blinds open a little to let sunlight in during the morning--before disappearing. Sometimes I glimpse a shadow in my mirror too--completely true and always when I have the lights turned off.
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, shadows.
theshybookworm(at)yahoo(dot)com
At this point it may have been said a dozen times, but what scares me are dark places where I can't see. I get that ultra creepy feeling something/one is there. I'm sure this is a carry over from my youth, but it still gets me from time to time when I'm in confining places that are abesolutely dark like my basement.... creepy stuff.
ReplyDeleteHmm, well that picture ya posted scares me for one! @.@
ReplyDeleteOkay..what scares me? I guess I don't like bugs. They are so little and can easily get anywhere on you and you wouldn't know it. It's not like a bear. You see a bear, you run from the bear, but bugs...spiders and little tiny crawling things really makes me want to shutter.
I'm actually also kinda scared for this book. But I'm trying to cure my chicken-shitness and thought this would be a great start. Demons aren't exactly happy place fuzzy, so I'm thinking I could have a blast with this book, scaring the crap out of me! Cheers!
Tina G~
cristina.gagnier@yahoo.com
Not knowing what it takes to actually be an adult scares me. I'm nowhere near ready to be a grown-up. First there was high school, then university, then you're free & there's so much pressure to try and make something of yourself in such a short period of time. If I ever do grow up, I can only hope I don't suck at it.
ReplyDeleteLindsay
leroberts.26(at)gmail.com
Thanks for the giveaway!!
ReplyDeleteI am a big scaredycat! Even a tap on the shoulder scares me. The most hilarious moment or scariest moment was in high school. I was in Science class taking a test and was having hiccups. I wasn't aware but my Science teacher went, "Boo!" very loudly and the whole class burst out laughing while I screamed! It was pretty scary! :(
ivykiddo@gmail.com
Open closet doors. I cannot sleep in a room with a closet door that's open. It creeps me out. Even now, as a 30-something grown woman.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the contest, your book sounds really interesting. Will definitely be adding it to my to-read list.
purdueliz@gmail.com
I am scared to death of clowns.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds stupid, and I have no idea why. I never saw IT, my brothers didn't harrass me with clowns until I was a teenager, but my mother dressed me up as a clown for Halloween when I was three or four and I spent the entire night bawling. Asbolutely sobbing my eyes out. My grandmother made me a blanket with a clown on it when I was less than two, and every time my mother put it on the bed, even if I was already asleep when she put it on me, I would end up screaming until she took it away. I don't know why I'm so scared of them, other than the fact that they thoroughly creep me out. Maybe it's the painted faces, maybe it's the obnoxious clothing...I don't know. I even flinch away from them on TV, when they're not demented or wielding weapons or anything.
And, now that I'm old enough that my brothers know I'm not going to break down with shrieking nightmares, they hide clowns in the apartment and joke about getting me a "clenguin"- a clown penguin, because they know I love penguins. They call it shock therapy- I call it trauma. My mom just tries not to laugh.
This is a really interesting contest idea- thanks so much for offering it
~Dot
requiemofrain(at)hotmail(dot)com
What acres me most is, well most everything. Lol. Being kidnapped, being burned alive, plane crashes, tornados. Oddly enough I'm not afraid of ghosts and I have several in my house.
ReplyDeleteMeandmyshelf at gmail dot com
I'm really scared of thunder, it just freaks me out. Also pretty much loud noises in general.
ReplyDeleteYour book sounds great. :)
geckyboz[at]gmail[dot]com
Aside from death, and not the totes adorable Neil Gaiman version of Death, I'm going to have to go with parasites, per Scott Westerfeld's PEEPS. Like tapeworms that have to be wound out of your leg with a skate key or those gnarly threadworms that swish around in your eyes.
ReplyDeleteI once adopted a stray dog that looked like Sir Didymos from Labyrinth, and he slipped his cage the first night and wheedled his way under the covers, and I woke up with rice-globby worms all over my feet, and that is why I haven't eaten thai food in a while.
It's also why I'm not hungry now.
And it has nothing to do with why I want POSESSION so much.
delilahpaints [at] yahoo [dotz] com
I am scared of the dark. And I don't mean tuen the light out and get in the bed dark, I mean the dark where you can't see anything in front of your face and anything, and I mean, ANYTHING can be right in front of you with it's horrible mouth opened and ready to take a bite of your flesh.
ReplyDeleteI investigated at Waverly Hills Sanatorium and one of the moments that I felt pure terror was in the bottom level, the morgue. There was absolutely no light down there and reports of a negative inhuman entity. The four other people I was with decided to switch all lights off and proceed with an evp session. Within two minutes of sitting in this spooky, unforgiving dense blackness, I noticed I could hear something big moving. Big like us. I shifted and noticed a tiny sliver of light coming from underneath a door. As I watched I was horrified to see legs cross back and forth in front of this light. They were coming from inside the room i was in. These legs were only 10 feet away from me.
Needless to say, that has stuck with me. And even though I was never a fan of the dark, in the true depths of blackness, devoid of any light, you may never know what's in there with you.
Amber
ambtst9 at yahoo dot com
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhat a list! Seems like the common thread is slavery...something taking control of you. I am scared of failure, of not making the world better for those I care about. I vote for the ultimate fear being that of a ghost-bug that lives in your eyeballs and incapacitates you by empowering your weaknesses. It lives in beer and is transferred by kissing, so imagine a world where you can't drink and can't kiss your kids. I hate that bug already...but the signed copy of POSSESS should go to the eyeball girl.
ReplyDeleteSo this may seem really weird but the movie Birds freaks the crap out of me! I cannot be in the room if it comes on! Someone talks about it and I get goosebumps *here they go running down my arm* lol
ReplyDeletevalialind(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
What scares me the most?
ReplyDeleteI'm not afraid of demons or ghosts cause they're cool.
But the things that scares me the most are: Nightmares, drowning, hearing voices/things that aren't really there, scary little children singing scary nursery rhymes, zombies, unicorns, roller coasters, thinking that the world is gonna end anytime, graveyards, being followed, and the Grudge.
brittwilliams94@gmail.com
Rene'e Sherman
ReplyDeleteI am afraid of spiders of course. The thing I am really most afraid of is losing my husband in a car accident. I have had several dreams where this happens. I have been with my husband since I was 19 and we have been together 19 years and I watch single people date and realize how lucky I really am.
dolphinrj@comcast.net
Hi my name is Stephanie Kitzmiller,
ReplyDeleteMy biggest fear is never being able to have a child. Me and my husband have been together for 7 years and have been tryin to get pregnant for the past 6. We have tryed so many things and have yet to be successful. I try to keep my hopes up but after so many years and so many disappoinments its really hard sometimes. I know my husband really wants a kid and sometimes I feel like I am letting him down even though he is very understanding and loving about it all. I am a very lucky lady when it comes to the husband department.
tat2dqtee22@yahoo.com
I'm scared of a few things, but especially the dark/being alone at night. My husband works 3rd shift so I'm home alone almost every night. I've had this fear my entire life pretty much. It got worse when I was about 10; we lived in an old house and I had the only bedroom upstairs. Occasionally I would have my lights click on and off while I was sleeping, or hear noises like footsteps walking across my floor (but it was an old house so I figured it was the house settling). Things in my room would mysteriously move. My mom thought I was crazy. One night was laying there, almost asleep when I heard the creaking of footsteps on my floor getting closer and closer. Then I could hear breathing beside me; I held my breath to make sure it wasn't me and when the breathing continued I jumped out of bed and ran downstairs. After that I slept on the couch for a year until we moved away; I refused to go in my room unless it was daytime and even then it freaked me out. After we moved out, my dad confessed that one day he heard voices up in my room. He went upstairs because he thought I left my radio on, but when he got up there it wasn't on and it was completely quiet. Also, the people who moved into our old house had a little girl and she took my old room...a few days after they moved in, she went up to her parents and said "There's a ghost in my room!"
ReplyDeleteSo to this day, I get really anxious being by myself at night. Every noise I hear scares the daylights out of me. I don't think I'll ever get over it, it really traumatized me when I was young. I guess I like to torture myself though; I watch Ghost Hunters all the time before bed and that makes it 10 times harder to sleep!!
Oh darn sorry, forgot to add my email! JamesterCK@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI will have to say spiders. The hairier the scarier. ;p
ReplyDeleteank272(at)live(dot)com
I am TERRIFIED of spiders! They scare the crap out of me, including the smallest ones, and I have to run and get my brother to kill them for me. Thank goodness for him! :)
ReplyDeletespicedice45@gmail.com
I'm horrified of the dark, and being tickled. I imagine getting attacked and killed in the dark, and I feel blind whenever I'm in the dark, maybe I just watch too many horror movies, and as for the tickling, I imagine people ripping my skin off during, it's happened in multiple dreams.
ReplyDeletehalfbloodgoddess[at]aol[dot]com
Truth be told, I'm scared of people touching my hair. It's a phobia I have. You touch it and I freak out and then must go wash it. Don't ask me why. I've always been this way. Clowns are scary too.
ReplyDeleteleahmcclung@gmail.com
Death scares me the most. I'm not sure if it's death itself or if I'm scared it will be painful. Faith tells me it will be peaceful and beautiful, but the logical part of me fights my inner faith. What really happens to your spirit/soul once you enter your afterlife. So, maybe it's not death-- but the unknown??? Geez, I sound creepy, but I'm totally not!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the giveaway! Can't wait to read!!!! kcallegan@wilcoindustrial.com
Things that scare me, swimming in water that I cannot see through, heights combined with darkness, bees in my hair (long story), loss of control, getting a fatal illness, something happening to my children, dealing with the unknown/changes alone, sharks.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
heykiddego (at) gmail (dot) com
To be honest, my greatest fear is anything *god forbid* anything harmful happens to my son (18mo)... I would literally do ANYTHING for little man, and that includes sleeping with spiders, eating scorpion sandwich, kissing a frog, and even sleeping a whole night in a haunted house. Anything! lol a scary story? short and simple - if there every comes a day when my son says 'I hate you' or 'I don't love you' ..:chils:.. scary scary indeed... =)
ReplyDeleteSpadesHigh @ http://SpadesHighReads.blogspot.com
TValeros18 @ gmail [dot] com
Thank you for hosting this giveaway!!!
Snakes and spiders
ReplyDeleteSmrauch(at)gmail(dot)com
I was going to go with spiders, but I think clowns beat them out! I hate clowns! Even the ones that are supposed to be cute and funny. They freak me out. I'm pretty sure it started when my dad made me watch the killer clown movies (because he likes weird shows!) and I have been afraid of them ever since. I cried when we saw them at a haunted house (and that was only a couple of years ago, not when I was little). They are just all around creepy and terrify me to no end.
ReplyDeleteRaychelle
SteeleReviews(AT)gmail(DOT)com