MonsterFest 2011 - Demons

Demons have always scared me. Not that I believe they truly exist, but give me a horror book or movie that has demons in it and it’s guaranteed that I’ll have trouble sleeping. They’re invisible, wicked, and capable of possessing one’s body. I’m getting the heebie jeebies just writing this. It really began when someone gave me a copy of William Peter Blatty’s THE EXORCIST when I was in high school. I read the novel three times, disgusted and engrossed by the horror of demonic possession. 

As an adult, I’m still fascinated by demons. Movies like PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, PARANORMAL ENTITY, and THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE give me my demonic fix. I turn away, pause the movie, shrink in my seat, and toss and turn at night worried that a demon will creep up on me. There’s a price to pay for two hours of spine-chilling entertainment. So far I've been safe. Objects don’t randomly move around me, the only time it’s cold is if the a/c is cranked up, and I haven’t been possessed yet (although people who’ve seen me having a bad day might disagree with this). 

Since there's plenty of folklore about demons, this is a simple list of their attributes.

• They're disembodied spirits.
• They're malevolent.
• They're attracted to people's negative energy and vulnerabilities such as grief, unconsciousness, and depression. 
• Numerous religions have a variety of demons and their own take on them.
• They're strong and persistent, which is why their evil goes to the extent of possessing people's bodies.

Here are some links to learn more about demons:
Wikipedia page
Demons A-Z
Demons @ True Ghost Tales
How to Get Rid of Demons

This is a pretty fun--and scary--blogest. If you want to join, the guidelines are on Sommer Leigh's blog.

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I had two giveaways that ended last night.

Sara won a signed copy of Danielle Joseph's PURE RED.

Krispy won a signed copy of Michelle Hopkin's THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER.

Congratulations, ladies. 

I'll be doing more giveaways in the future. I already reached my 2011 reading goal of 150 books, and I said I would do an international giveaway with three winners once I reached this goal. But I'm going to postpone that giveaway until late November since I upped my goal to 175, and also because I have some other giveaways lined up. This month and through early November I plan on giving away Robert Kroese's MERCURY RISES, Hilary Wagner's THE WHITE ASSASSIN, and Helen Landalf's FLYAWAY. So, be on the lookout for these books.