Fangs and Claws and Spooks - Oh My! - #WriterlyWednesdays 13

I suppose it is very fitting that Writerly Wednesdays 13 is the Wednesday before Halloween :). Today I have decided to talk about a selection of my favourite horror/paranormal novels.

Fangs and Claws and Spooks - Oh My!

So I have been reading horror and paranormal fiction since I was a teenager and it is has produced some of my favourite books. These are the books I go back to and read over and over again and I would like to share them with you today.

Let's start with vampires, because we all know they are my favourite.

The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice

Wittegen Press

$3.98 | £2.98
Amazon | Other

Lestat, ultimate vampire bad boy, has become a rock star and his music has woken Akasha, the original vampire. Now she is killing vampires and humans alike and she wants Lestat for her prince.

I love this book for its complexity. I really enjoy the tale of the twins and the explanation of the origin of vampires along with all the modern day adventures. Where Interview with the Vampire is a rather depressed book, Queen of the Damned is very much not and is an exciting read. It is my favourite of the Vampire Chronicles.

Salem's Lot by Stephen King

Salem's Lot is a small New England town, not really very remarkable until people start hiding away in the dark, emptying the streets during the day.

I've mentioned this book before and my copy of it is so old and battered you can't even read the cover any more. I love the insidious nature of the vampires in this book. They are not suave, sophisticated infiltrators, they are monsters that slowly take over the whole town. They are a disease that spreads from one person to the next until there are barely any people left to confront them.

Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter by Laurell K. Hamilton

Vampires call Anita Blake the Executioner, but now vampires have equal rights she has to do everything via the law. She's seen the victims.

In book 1 a serial killer is targeting vampires and Anita finds herself on the other side of the game as Jean-Claude asks her to find out who it doing it.

I love that the first book is called Guilty Pleasures, because this series is just that for me. The first few books are much more paranormal crime books, but Anita's personal life soon becomes far more important to the series and there is a lot of sex going on with lots of different people. There is a whole preternatural community in these books with shifters, vampires and other monsters. That's the part I love - the complexity of their interactions.

Talking of shifters, my next favourite is all about werewolves.

The Wolf's Hour by Robert R. McCammon

Michael Gallatin is an agent for the British Secret Service during World War II. Originally from Russia his parents were killed by Bolsheviks and he escaped when he was adopted into a pack of werewolves. Now he has to unravel a mysterious German plan called Iron Fist that threatens the D-Day landings.

This is easily my favourite werewolf book. I am reading it again now, actually. I mentioned it back in my werewolf post, but I have no qualms mentioning it again because it is that good :). It is exciting, the characters are engaging and I love the werewolf lore.

Now we're moving on the ghosts, because who doesn't love a good ghost story?

 The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Arthur Kipps is sent to wrap up the estate of Mrs Alice Drablow at Eel Marsh House. Little does he know that his presence will arouse the ghost of The Woman in Black.

This is a brilliant, brilliant ghost story in the traditional vein. It is truly creepy and every version of the story, book, play, tv, film end differently. If you want a book that will leave you sitting with the light on, this is it.

The Fog by Dennis Etchinson

Wittegen Press

$1.99 | £1.49
Amazon | Other

Antonio Bay is about to celebrate it's 100th aniversary. However, the town was built with blood money and those killed for it are coming back to seek their revenge. They are in the fog.

Now this one is actually the novelisation of the movie, The Fog, but it is so well written. I spent ages trying to find it, because, as far as I can tell it's out of print. When a paperback version is £20 you know its not a common book. I actually managed to get my copy for £2 :).

I love the story of The Fog - it is so very, very creepy. Things lurking in thick fog to skewer people with hooks gets me every time. The book is a great read and does justice to the film.

I admit I am a picky reader, many books do not grab me, so when I find some that do I treasure them. These are a few of my favourites. If you haven't read them, I heartily recommend them. If you have, do drop me a comment to tell me what you thought of the ones you have read.

What are your favourite horror/paranormal titles and why?

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The Share a Scare Halloween Blog Hop will run on the 31st October as you would expect, and there is still time to sign up.

Have something a little bit scary to share? All bloggers, authors and artists welcome. Just click the link to see all the details:

Share a Scare - A Halloween Blog Hop

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Authors might also be interested in this blog hop. The Trick-or-Treat blog hop is run by the lovely Patricia Lynne and the idea is to give away free books to trick-or-treaters visiting your blog.

Trick-or-Treat Blog Hop