How superstitious are you? Would you walk under a ladder? Open an umbrella in the house?
What about urban legends? Would you pick up a hitchhiker on a deserted road? Stand in front of a mirror and invoke the name of Bloody Mary?
Yesterday was the release day for VERY SUPERSTITIOUS, a Month9Books charity anthology benefiting SPCA International, with stories based on urban legends, myths, tribal tales, and superstitions from around the world. The contributing authors are all YA authors: Shannon Delany, Jackie Morse Kessler, Stephanie Kuehnert, Jennifer Knight, Marianne Mancusi, Michelle E. Reed, Pab Sungenis, and me.
My story takes on the Bloody Mary legend. I have to admit I’m very superstitious about looking in a mirror in a dark room. It’s a habit ingrained from childhood when I was absolutely convinced that a vengeful spirit would claw my eyes out if I looked in the mirror in the middle of the night (and accidentally said her name three times).
In celebration of the release, I’m giving away a Kindle edition of VERY SUPERSTITIOUS. If you’d like to win, simply comment on this post and tell me what YOU’RE superstitious about! (Edited: I suppose I should give an end date, huh? How about one week from now — 10/23.)
For a much BIGGER giveaway, visit Cassandra Lost in Books where you can enter a Raffecopter giveaway for an e-copy of each author’s work and a physical copy of Very Superstitious.
I have never been very superstitious but my sister is. I opened an umbrella in her house a couple of years ago and she freaked out ๐
I already read them all! Great collection of stories from some talented writers.
I wish I could say I’m not superstitious, but I do find myself in that arena sometimes – my known beliefs fighting against what might or could be. Then I find myself saying, “Okay, I’ll cross my legs the other way just in case.”
I’m not at all superstitious, or I very much am, depending on how you look at it.
I really don’t believe in any of it, but I still find myself considering a penny that I found a “lucky” one, wearing team colors when my favorite teams are playing (’cause it does help them win), knocking on wood, crossing my fingers, feeling uncomfortable around open umbrellas indoors, and going along with a host of other little quirky superstitions.
But it’s all complete bunk. Unless it’s not… (knock on wood)
And I wish you much luck and cross my fingers that the anthology does great! It’s for an awesome charity. ๐
I’m medium superstitious.
This blog post made me giggle because I just received a phone call from my third grader’s teacher. Apparently he’s been telling the legend of Bloody Mary and terrifying his classmates. Oops on the storyteller gene!
I’m way more superstitious than I like to admit. Not that I really believe all that superstitious nonsense is real, mind you, but, you know…what if? Can’t hurt to cover your bases. *knocks wood* ๐
I had a folklore professor who always used to say “superstitions are what other people believe, not what you yourself believe.” My biggest superstition is probably that I refuse to even touch an Ouija or spirit board. I’ve known and interviewed too many people from all sorts of walks of life who have experienced horrific things while using them.
As a kid, I was also fearful of the Bloody Mary thing. I remember standing in front of the mirror tempting fate. I never could make myself say it three times, though. I also didn’t step on the crack of the sidewalk. And, later, I heard that if you didn’t lift your feet when you went over the train track you’d be dateless forever. I spent a lot of time lifting my feet before quitting. Hmmmm. Maybe that explains my current dateless situation. I need to start lifting my feet up when I go over the train track. ::problem solved::
Just the mere MENTION of Bloody Mary is enough to terrify me. I remember so many rainy childhood afternoons with my brothers and cousins, spent daring each other to go into the bathroom with the door locked and all lights out. I don’t think we ever got to chanting her name for a second time before someone freaked and bailed! (Usually yours truly.) This story collection sounds amazing!
I was superstitious when I was a kid, but I kind of lost it in adulthood. Which is good, since I have a black cat ๐
Wow, Georgia McBride did a really nice job with this one. The premise is cool, the cover is great, and the authors are STARS!! I’m not superstitious, but you won’t catch me saying Bloody Mary’s name 3 times in a mirror either – no need to court trouble. ๐
(I can’t read Kindle, so leave me out of the raffle.)
I wouldn’t say I’m very superstitious, but I’m easily scared. There’s a difference, right? ๐ Though, when I was a kid, the Bloody Mary game gave me chills – that and the whole “light as a feather stiff as a board” thing too.
Good for you, Dianne! I don’t think I’m superstitious about many things at all. But I won’t pick up a hitchhiker unless I feel super impressed…:)
OK, so I’m not superstitious at all and in my “yoot” I would make it a habit, a habit I say, to deliberately walk under ladders for no other reason than to say poo poo to the superstitious naysayers…
And then I saw some people playing with an Ouija board…
Now, all bets are off…. THERE’S SOMEONE BEHIND ME…. me or you?
ME!!!!
AArrrgggghhh….
(burp)
Oh, how fun! I’m not actually superstitious, at all. Is that sad? Back in high school we had a “ghost” in our auditorium. We called him Fred. If anything unexplained happened, we blamed it on Fred. But there was always an explanation.
hi miss dianne! wow! my kinda stories. i love scary stuff. for me i don’t have superstitions but for sure i believe in ghosts. my uncle told us if youre coming home from a funeral walk backwards a little and spin around 3 times and the ghost of the dead person wont follow you cause ghosts could only walk in a straight line. how weird is that! ack!
…hugs from lenny
I don’t think of myself as superstitious, but you won’t catch me walking under a ladder. Something or someone might fall on me. I also won’t pick up a hitchhiker. Don’t want to take any chances!
Hi Dianne .. I can imagine your intrigue with the Mary Queen of Scots story .. I’m not that superstitious being born on the 13th .. and having had lots of connections with the 13th – I tend to look on it as lucky…
I see a lucky lady has won .. congratulations to you both – Hilary