FREE & NEWC Climbs Amazon's Best Sellers Rank

Hello Everyone!

I'm happy to announce that New England Witch Chronicles will be free today (6/30/2012) and tomorrow (7/1/2012) for your Amazon Kindle.  Download your free copy by clicking here

In related news, New England Witch Chronicles is climbing!  It's currently #18 in the Amazon Best Sellers Rank for Teen Romance!  I'm so excited! 

Thanks everyone for your support!  : ) 

Top 15 Horror Movies Of All Time

My brother, Chano, and I were having a discussion the other night about one of our favorite topics… horror movies.  We debated back and forth and created our list of the top fifteen horror movies of all time.  

Warning - there are no appearances of vampires, werewolves, Jason, Freddy Krueger or Pinhead on our list.  However, we did include three zombie films, two British gems, three Stephen King classics and four movies that were made before I was born.  Feel free to comment on our picks or tell us which favorite horror movie of yours was left off!

So, with no further avail, here are our top fifteen horror movies: 

1.    The Night of the Living Dead (1968).  Let’s face it, The Night of the Living Dead, was world changing.  Romero invented the zombie genre (sorry, Voodoo zombies are just not zombies in my book).  Granted, the movie is in black and white and was made on a barely there budget, but no one had ever made a movie like it.  It was revolutionary.  And for that reason, I’ve put it at number one.  Side note:  We have to give a shout out to the 1990 remake (it was actually directed by Tom Savini - and every horror buff knows him).  It’s completely faithful to the original and its nice seeing the story slightly updated and in color.  And it has Tony Todd in it (and let’s face it, everyone loves Candyman).

2.    The Shining (1980).  Pure horror.  That’s what I feel every time I watch this movie.  Jack Nicholson brought crazy to a new level.  Blood pouring out the elevators?  The creepy twins?  The random man in the bear suit?  Chilling.  And I love saying “REDRUM,” in my Danny voice.

3.    The Exorcist (1973).  This one will make you go to church on Sunday.  I’m sure The Exorcist is on many horror movie lists and there’s a reason why.  It’s frightening!  Linda Blair’s performance will make you pee your pants.  Really.

4.    28 Days Later (2002).  OMG fast zombies!  My mom hates fast zombies.  Her rationale is correct - “At least I have a chance with the slow ones.  Who can run that fast?”  This British zombie movie with Cillian Murphy is a heart pounder.  It took the genre to a new level.  We no longer had the peace of mind that we could simply outrun them if they came.  Side note:  We didn’t add the sequel, 28 Weeks Later, but it’s a great film, too. 

5.    Dawn of the Dead (2004).  This remake, in my opinion, is better than the 1978 original.  Its quick paced (again, we have fast zombies) - it starts off running (literally) and doesn’t slow down.  That little girl zombie is terrifying!  The cast is superb - Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames and Ty Burrell (the dad from Modern Family).  Definitely one of my all time favorites.

6.    Pet Sematary (1989).  Before you comment, that is the correct spelling.  I had to double check it twice to make sure.  This Stephen King favorite is a true gem.  At the end of the movie, when little Gage comes…well, I won’t ruin it for those who haven’t seen it.  And if you haven’t seen it, what are you waiting for?  Side Note: We did not include Pet Sematary II.  We all love Edward Furlong, but let’s admit it, Pet Sematary II was garbage. 

7.    Hostel (2005).  I saw this movie at the theater when it first came out.  This was before it caught on and became a huge Hollywood hit.  I don’t particularly like torture films (scratch that, I don’t like torture films), but Eli Roth’s movie was more than that.  It made you think - could this really happen?  Is this really happening?  Hostel is a truly chilling movie that made American backpackers think twice about where they were staying in Europe.  Admit it, you were cheering on Jay Hernandez in that final bathroom scene, weren’t you?

8.    Silence of the Lambs (1991).  Two words: Hannibal Lecter.

9.    The Descent (2005).  The Descent is a small budget British horror film.  The reason I put it on this list, wasn’t the creepy albino creatures, but because of the way the film made me feel.  It’s every claustrophobic’s worst nightmare.  These women crawl through the tiniest of spaces in a cave hundreds of feet below ground.  The way they filmed the movie makes me hyperventilate.  I literally had to pause the movie so I could catch my breath.  If you haven’t seen it, this movie is a definite watch.

10.  Scream (1996).  Before you roll your eyes, remember back when this movie first came out.  Wes Craven killed Drew Barrymore in the first five minutes!  She’s a movie star! It was a new take on the horror film - a parody on the generation that grew up with the 1980’s slasher films.  Not to mention it spawned a million Halloween costumes.   Side note: We omitted all of the sequels.  On purpose.

11.  The Ring (2002).  The Ring was the first time that Americans got a glimpse of the Japanese horror market (The Ring was a remake of the 1998 Japanese horror movie, Ringu).  It was also the first time ghosts moved in that freaky, jerky way.  Countless knockoffs came after, but The Ring was definitely a game changer.

12.  Halloween (1978).  John Carpenter’s classic.  They play it over and over towards the end of October and, without fail, I watch it every time.  Who would have thought a William Shatner mask could be so scary?

13.  The Strangers (2008).  This couple had a rough night.  And what’s different about The Strangers is how it ends.  Very disturbing.

14.  Saw (2004).  Just the first one.  I didn’t bother to see the other 395960038573 that they made after that.  

15.  It (1990).  I have to confess - I’ve never seen this movie.  I know, I know, it’s on the list, but it’s one of my brother’s picks.  And he’s a horror movie pro.  So what he says goes.  Hey, it has a clown in it, right?  It has to be terrifying. 

Moving Right Along

Hello Everyone!  Apologies for not updating in a few weeks - it has been crazy around here.  We're back from vacation, but now I'm in the process of packing because we are moving in two weeks!  Yikes!  And with the baby and finishing the first draft of Wicked Betrayal, I haven't had much time to do anything.

Anyhow, here are some updates:

• New England Witch Chronicles (Book 1) - will be free tomorrow for your Amazon Kindle.  Don't miss this great 24 hour sale.  Be sure to download your copy!
• Conjured (Book 2) - Goodreads.com is hosting a giveaway from now until June 30th.  Enter to win a free paperback copy of Conjured!
• Wicked Betrayal (Book 3) - The first draft is almost finished!  Here's a hint - Alex is collecting some major frequent flier miles!  ; ) 

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter:  @C_Bellingeri