Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Halloween DSDU Blog Hop!




Welcome to the Dark Side DownUnder 2nd Anniversary Halloween Blog Hop!

Yes, it's been two years since the DSDU blog first went live and to celebrate we're holding a fabulous Halloween Blog Hop with heaps of giveaways on offer. Each author in the linky-link below is offering a prize on their own blog PLUS if you leave a comment on each blog in the hop, you're entered for the
Grand Prize of a $30 Amazon Voucher! 

The hop is open from now until 11.59pm 4th November Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time so you have plenty of time to have fun and enter!

Don't forget to leave your email addy with your comment so you can be contacted if you're a winner.



Growing up in the UK, we never really celebrated Halloween. We might have seen the occasional pumpkin head but that was a real novelty and as for trick or treating? I don't think that really registered with me at all until I watched ET and the kids went out on Halloween with the alien covered in a sheet! It wasn't until we moved to Australia fourteen years ago that we got the door knocks and realised that we needed to stock up on chocolates and goodies (um, trouble is those chocolates and goodies never seem to last the night. Anyone else hide behind the sofa and scoff the treats themselves?)


To help celebrate Halloween I'm offering an e-copy of my sexy witch novella, Foretaste of Forever. This was previously published by the Wild Rose Press in 2008 and I've just self-published the book in time for this blog hop :-) No chocolate is consumed by the hero or heroine during the course of this book but there is a lot of smoking hot smexiness!

In addition I'll also send the winner of my giveaway some gorgeous Archangel of Mercy swag! Just leave a comment or share a fave Halloween memory, whether that involves excess indulgence in the candy area or a close encounter with a creature from the Otherworld ~ inquiring minds would love to know!

Erotic Romance - Over 18s Only


Foretaste of Forever

Powerful witch Elyesha finally finds the only man she's ever loved, the man who deserted her countless years before. But Ben is torn between desire and despair when Elyesha, his only love, discovers his retreat. He abandoned her to save her but how can he resist her seductive embrace when she offers him everything his shattered soul craves?

He knows what she wants. But the price is too high. He'll take what she offers for one last night - but as their erotic encounter unfolds so too does the devastating truth.

Happy Halloween!




Halloween Special - 2nd Blogiversary Participants
1. Eleni Konstantine
2. Mel Teshco
3. Nicole Murphy
4. Imogene Nix
5. Christina Phillips aka Christina Ashcroft
6. Amanda Ashby
7. Jenny Schwartz
8. Shona Husk
9. Maree Anderson
10. Kylie Griffin
11. Lilliana Rose
12. Nicole Hurley-Moore
13. Eden Summers
14. Erica Hayes
15. Sandra Harris
16. Keziah Hill
17. S E Gilchrist
18. DSDU

30 comments:

Keziah Hill said...

I have such mixed feelings about Haloween. It doesn't feel right this time of the year. But hey, chocolate!

Jenny Schwartz said...

Chocolate's good any time of year :)

Talking about pumpkin heads reminded me of Wurzel Gummidge, that scarecrow from the TV show who could change his head to think about different things. I think that's an awesome super-power. I wish I could change my brain to tackle different novel-plots :)

Mel Teshco said...

Oh you have people knocking at your door Christina for Halloween! I must be in the 'unhalloweenish' part of Australia LOL

Christina Phillips said...

Keziah, I know exactly what you mean. It's the same for me with Christmas, it's just so wrong for the weather to be so hot and sunny!!!

Christina Phillips said...

Jenny, OMG I'd totally forgotten Wurzel Gummidge used to change his heads!!! I can't get that image out of my mind now. Thank you!!!

Christina Phillips said...

Haha, well to tell the truth Mel, we didn't have anyone knock at the door last year! But the previous couple of years we did and I didn't have any sweets left. The kids totally weren't impressed by the fruit I offered instead :-)

Eleni Konstantine said...

LOL - eating the chocolate, Christina. I actually had to warn my family off the chocolates. Don't want any 'tricks' of eggs flying at the door if there is no chocolate...

Christina Phillips said...

Eleni, there is a bag of fun size chocs in the fridge and it's only just occurred to me they might be for trick or treaters tonight. I was looking forward to stuffing them later too!!!

Lilliana Rose said...

My family never celebrated Halloween, I always thought of it as a US thing. We certainly ate a lot of chocolate around Easter to not worry about wanting more sweets around Halloween!
I'm going to make up a Halloween memory...

Late at night, living on a farm, middle of nowhere, I'm sitting eating chocolates, watching the TV. There's a knock at the door. I jump. A voice calls 'Trick or Treat.' I'm not sure if I want to answer the door...

Now...I think I've stumbled on a start of a short story!

Christina Phillips said...

Lilliana, we used to eat heaps of chocolate at Easter too, and yes growing up the trick or treating at Halloween was always seen as a US tradition.

Love the start of your short story! Ooh, the infinite ways that story could end - it might be Henry Cavill at the door!!!

Amanda Ashby said...

I'm not really into Halloween but I do have 60 Freddo Frogs in the kitchen just in case we get any little ghouls coming by!!!

Christina Phillips said...

60 Freddo Frogs, Amanda! I'm impressed. So you won't be hiding behind the sofa with your stash tonight?!

S E Gilchrist said...

I'm not that keen on Halloween. I'm the old grump that locks the door & turns out the light so the kids go away :). But the chocolate I understand. Its mine, I tell you, all mine!

Christina Phillips said...

You're not alone in that, SE. I have been known to hide and eat the chocolate too!!!

Imogene Nix said...

Chocolates? I wish. Sigh... :)

They don't trick or treat here at all. I don't know anyone who actually does, in the areas where we have lived.

Happy Halloversary!

Christina Phillips said...

Imogene, I think all the kids have grown up round here now! Though my son and his friends just went out, strapping 18 year olds, I think they're having a laugh if they believe anyone will give them chocolate!!!

emmad said...

Halloween isn't celbrated much in NZ though I do remember last year as our first one in town. Thought we might actually get some kids coming round so eagerlly went out and got a stack of chocolate. Got a whopping 2 kids come to the door so had to consume the rest of the chocolate ourselves. Such a shame lol

Christina Phillips said...

LOL enmad! What a shame you had to finish off the chocolate :-) We didn't have any door knockers last night either!

wanda f said...

We have a few trick or treaters here each year for us we love weatcihn scary movies playing tricks on each other and eating lots of candy and junk food .My teenage girls are so each to frighten ahahahaa.

flanagan@mebtel.net

Nicole Hurley-Moore said...

I've never had anyone knocking on my door for Halloween... I kind of feel cheated!

Christina Phillips said...

Hi Wanda! I used to love watching scary movies, but I've become a bit of a wuss lately. They freak me out too much!!!

Christina Phillips said...

Nicole, I know what you mean! I think we only had 2 or maybe 3 years where we had trick or treaters. But even that was a shock because it's just not something I ever grew up with!!!

Natasha D said...

HHmmmmm Another one where my comment didn't 'stick'. Despite my US friends forever telling me I'm deprived I'm happy not to indulge in Halloween although it does give a good basis for creepy stories. Last night my daughter called for me to park my brand new car in the garage because she doesn't approve of unattended children walking the streets and knocking on people's doors. Apparently the kids aren't above egging cars and houses if dissatisfied.

Christina Phillips said...

Hi Natasha, how weird your comment didn't stick last night? So glad you popped back again today! Must have been gremlins in the works last night!!

Gabbie said...

I don't celebrate Halloween either, but when I was about 8 I went trick or treating with my best friend. I was actually a bit disappointed. Our brothers were 2 years older and because they were boys, they were allowed to walk from house to house while me and my friend were driven (it was acreage area)Because of this the boys were in front of us, so when we finished for the night and got home the boys shopping bags were chock full (they even had an unopened box of Roses chocolates!) While ours were empty because everyone had already given their candy away to them! :( And they wouldn't share.

So now I just ignore the doorbell and pretend I'm not home.

Christina Phillips said...

Hi Gabbie! Oh no that was so unfair of your brothers! Though I totally understand the pretending not to be home bit!!!

booklover0226 said...

I live in a condo, so no trick or treaters for me. Now, I don't know how that bowl of chocolate got here. Well, I better not let it go to waste.

Thanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226 at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

Hi, Christina, growing up in the North we didn't see much of Halloween, either. Though the kids in our neighbourhood now know they can come to our place for a scare and a chocolate. :)

Christina Phillips said...

LOL Tracey! Best thing about having no trick or treaters is the left cover chocolate we have to *dispose* of!!!

Christina Phillips said...

Hi Sandy, I was looking forward to some trick or treaters this year because we had two fabulous pumpkin heads with candles inside - perhaps they scared the kids away!!!