Guest Post: Author Michelle Harrison talks all things Halloween +++ Win a copy of Unrest! (UK & ROI).

Today I have an awesome Halloween guest post from Michelle Harrison, author of Unrest! Personally, I love all things spooky (if you hadn't figured that out by now!) and I've picked up some great recommendations from this post. I love Michelle's creepy reading recommendations! Also, check out the news of her new book -- how awesome does this witchy tale sound?

Thanks to those lovely people at Simon & Schuster I have three copies of Unrest to give away! To be in with a chance to win, just fill in the Rafflecopter form below.  UK & ROI entrants only! Good luck!

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Unrest by Michelle Harrison

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

Release date: April 26th 2012

Ages: 12+

Seventeen-year-old Elliott hasn’t slept properly for months. Not since the accident that nearly killed him. Sometimes he half-wakes, paralysed, while shadowy figures move around him. Other times he is the one moving around while his body lies asleep on the bed. His doctors say sleep paralysis and out-of-body experiences are harmless - but to Elliott they’re terrifying.

Convinced that his brush with death has attracted the spirit world, Elliott secures a job at a reputedly haunted museum, determined to discover the truth. There, he meets the enigmatic Ophelia. But, as she and Elliott grow closer, Elliott draws new attention from the dead. One night, during an out-of-body experience, Elliott returns to bed to find his body gone. Something is occupying it, something that wants to live again - and it wants Ophelia, too . . .

Guest Post: Michelle Harrison talks all things Halloween.

Photo credit: Charlie Hopkinson

As a fan of all things supernatural, Halloween is one of my favourite times of the year. I love the idea of this magical, mysterious night where the veil between the human world and other realms - such as that of the faeries and of the dead - is believed to be at its thinnest.

In my 13 Treasures trilogy (inspired by faerie folklore) October 31st, or 'Samhain' marks the beginning of the rule of the Unseelie Court during the winter months. Cue a night of dark magic, mischief and mayhem . . . and woe betide any mortals unlucky enough to cross the faeries' path. And so it's with caution, and a faerie-repelling iron nail firmly in my pocket, that I reveal how my Halloweens are usually spent . . .

. . . reading. This year I've put aside Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough. It begins with a witch born on - you've guessed it - Halloween.

. . . recommending my favourite creepy reads: Dark Matter by Michelle Paver, The Everafter by Amy Huntley, Leaving Poppy by Kate Cann, Bad Blood by Rhiannon Lassiter, and pretty much anything by Christopher Pike.

. . . watching as many scary TV shows and films as possible. I've just ordered the American Horror Story DVD box set and I can't wait for it to arrive. I'm also enjoying SWITCH, a new comedy/drama about four witches. So far it seems to be a lighter, British version of the 90s movie The Craft. For classic horror, I don't think you can beat John Carpenter's Halloween.

. . . eating Candy Corn. I discovered this thanks to Dark Parties author Sara Grant. It's not sold in the UK so I've ordered some in from the States. It tastes a bit like fudge, but the ones we had looked like tiny pumpkins. Cute!

. . . wearing the kind of stuff I wish I could wear every day. Last year I was a harpy, complete with bird's nest, eggs and twigs in my hair, black feathered wings and a lacy eye mask. I love any excuse to dress up.

. . . attending events such as the Glastonbury faerie fayre and evening ball. By day the town hall is filled with stalls selling anything and everything to do with faeries, attracting high profile artists including Ed Org, and Brian and Wendy Froud. In the evening the hall transforms into what could be a scene from the Unseelie Court, overflowing with warlocks, fauns . . . and sometimes harpies.

. . . avoiding anything too scary. Despite my love of horror, I have limits. I won't be watching the Woman in Black movie EVER again. I'm still traumatised from seeing it at the cinema. And one thing I'd never do is a ouija board. I believe enough to know I don't want to mess with those things - though it's likely my characters will some day.

. . . imagining I'm a witch. I wear a lot of black, and I have two gorgeous black cats and several spell books (the latter for research, naturally)! I draw the line at a broomstick, though. They're just not hairstyle friendly - I'll stick to driving my Mini.

. . . writing about witches. See a theme developing over this post? Yes. The book I'm currently working on is about four girls on a college trip to a remote tidal island with a history of witchcraft. When three of the group decide to teach the fourth girl a lesson, they unleash something none of them are prepared for.

To find out more about Michelle follow her on twitter: @MHarrison13 

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To be in with a chance to win one of three copies of Unrest by Michelle Harrison just fill in the Rafflecopter entry form below.

Competition is open to readers in the UK and Ireland.

Competition closes November 9th 2012.

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