October Scaries
October 1, 2026
October Scaries
By Maggie Toussaint
Don’t look now, but Halloween has become a big business. It’s easy to buy costumes and props in most big stores. In our county we have people who go all out for Halloween, and their homes become a nightly attraction. As for me, I usually buy a pumpkin and call it good. I don’t want cackling soundtracks, giant spider webs, or tombstones in my yard. They aren’t for me. I just don’t want to go there.
But plenty of others love it. And I appreciate that they respect my tastes as well as embrace theirs. It is this variety of choices that we all love, and most of us are okay with that. But the word “scary” is, well, it’s just plain scary.
Whether scary is used as a noun or a verb, the definition varies by person and life experiences. For instance, I knew at an early age that any roller coaster ride billed as “the most exciting and scary roller coaster on the planet” wasn’t for me. However, I thought I could handle a gentle-looking Ferris wheel, but that turned out to be a big mistake. Years later, I learned that I have vertigo, which explains why a Ferris wheel is scary to me. Once I achieve a certain height and get hit with a swaying motion, I lose my horizon…and my breakfast.
Horror films or books are a road-too-far for me. Nightmare city, in fact. And those high-action books with a lot of violence scare me. I don’t want to fill my mind with gruesome images of a world like that. Reading is my pleasure, my escape, and my happy place.
Speaking of scary, there’s a whole assemblage of supernatural beings portrayed in books, some sparkly, some mean, some good, some bad, some just flat out misbehaving. I enjoy reading about such things as long as they aren’t too frightening or outrageous. For me, supernatural light is a very good reading fit.
As it happens, my writing style reflects that personal taste in “light paranormal.” I have written a sleuth who has dream snippets of a recently deceased person’s life. I’ve written about energy vampires who can steal or give energy to others. And now, in my October 13th release, MANCINI BLUE, my cozy sleuth reads human auras and energy laid down on objects.
Those paranormal subjects don’t scare me, but some readers have different reactions to my light paranormal. Some love it and want more. Some say they were very scared. (And those were reactions to the same story.) It’s hard to please everyone, so I fall back to pleasing myself. I suspect all authors do that, which is why there’s so much variety in how scary a book might be.
What level of scary is right for you? Leave a comment and be entered into a drawing for GONE AND DONE IT, book one in my Dreamwalker series. The book is available in digital and print format. The winner will be randomly selected and announced next Tuesday. I’ll post the winner’s name in the comments and reach out via email.
Want to learn more about our author Maggie Toussaint? Visit her WEBSITE.
While you’re here, check out our October giveaway, with books up for grabs from Maggie and Cheryl Hollon. To enter the contest, please CLICK HERE.
Posted in Let's Talk, with Maggie Toussaint • Tags: Halloween, Maggie Toussaint, Mancini Blue, October Scaries, paranormal cozy | 25 Comments
Honestly, Maggie, there’s so much scary going on in the real world right now that I choose to escape with books that make me forget about all of it, at least for the hours in which I’m lost within the pages.
I totally get what you are saying, Lois. Our family has one news junkie and one escapist. You can guess which one I am. Getting lost in pages is my favorite treat. I sometimes call it resting my feet because I like being very comfy when I’m reading. I hope your October isn’t too scary, although we will be deluged with election ads…
Hi, I don’t like to read books or watch movies that are scary, scary for me is when it is overly scary, I just dont do good with scary things I would rather read books or watch movies that are very , very light on scary things and happenings. Nowadays there are way too many scary and awful things happening so I will stick to good thoughts and nice sites.
I hear you, Alicia! I feel the same way.
My “scary level” is zero 🤩 I have never ever liked to be scared. And I’m with you, Maggie, in that reading is for my pleasure and enjoyment, not to get scared, so I do not read anything scary or violent… No, thank you. There’s plenty more out there to read without dealing with that kind of stuff!
Bird of a feather, Maria!
Cozy mystery is the level I like. Thank you for the chance. Deborah
Glad that my kind of cozies suit you, Deborah!
Hello! Very mildly scary stuff is the level I can tolerate. Examples include writings of Edgar Allan Poe, & television shows include The Addams Family. Happy October! 🙂
I loved watching the Addams Family. In fact, we have a bush at church that I have nicknamed Cousin Itt. for the most part, I can read Poe and not get too scared. But that one about the Tell-tale heart got to me and I had nightmares about a heart under the floors for a bit. But this is like the too-may-toe vs too-mah-toe conversation. As long as we all find out lane, that it what makes the world go around! Thanks for stopping in.
I enjoy scary, Cozy mysteries. I like good witches and familiars. So, I guess I like mildly scary books.
I think this is what is so wonderful about the reading community. We each like what we like. And it’s okay to like the opposite kinds of stories. In addition to cozies, I still read romances, science fiction, urban fantasy, and straight out fantasy. Oh and space operas–they have a bit of all those genres.Thanks for sharing your preferences, Dianne!
I want a low level of scariness in my readings. Intrigue, twists, adventure, but not too much horror!
Hi Anne, Welcome to Booklover’s Bench. I’m glad that we have crossed paths! I’m cool with a low level of scariness. But in all fairness, one scary movie I watched had no horror, but after the infamous line of “I see dead people,” that movie kept building and building until we all realized that the main character was not a living one. And then I felt really bad for the little kid.
After reading a number of scary books, I now prefer ones that are mildly scary.
I have often wondered if scary is something for the younger generations? I know I used to love action movies with the big chase scenes and stuff blowing up. Now, I don’t want that so much as a story I can really sink into. So I’m with you, Mary. Lightly scary is okay, but that’s my limit these days.
I don’t like very scary books.
I am hearing an echoing theme here in the comments, Diana. I suppose I should have guessed that in a Venn diagram, the circles of cozy readers don’t have much overlap with the readers of scary stuff. That means we’ve all found what we need!
I totally agree with you in that I’m not a fan of horror or dark paranormal. Your books are the right degree of light paranormal for me. Otherwise, these days I’m more into fantasy for my escapist reading. I don’t want to be scared. The real world out there is scary enough already.
Yes. The real world is a bit much to take some of the time. I try to spend as little time in it as is possible! Some of that is due to being an introvert, and the rest is due to having so many personal interests. I don’t have much time left over for the real world. Thanks for your comment.
Agree the real world is scary! I prefer mild horror more spooky than scary!
I love how you know what you like. My guy pulled up a show for us to watch and part of it was all about clowns. I have a bad reaction to clowns now, though I’m not sure I ever really “got” them. But that’s okay because there are people that don’t get cozies either. It is nice that we have the choice to read the types of stories that appeal to us. Thanks for stopping by, Jess!
I used to read a lot of thrillers and horror when I was younger, but found I don’t like those any more. Now I like cozy (maybe slightly spooky) mysteries around Halloween. Something with cute fairies or nice ghosts is OK.
Helen, those are exactly the types of books I love to read. And I read thrillers, even started a Stephen King book once, but that was the first book ever that i had to put down. Just too much for my vivid imagination. Thanks for stopping by!
My winner is Jess D! Congratulations, Jess. I will email you for your choice of format.