13 Questions with Annette Curtis Klause

Bio:

Annette Curtis Klause was born in England and came to the U.S. as a teenager bringing her warped imagination with her. She has published four novels and several short stories in an attempt to rid herself of her demons. Apparently it's not working, so she'll just have to keep on writing.

Web Site:
http://www.childrensbookguild.org/klause.htm

1) what's your book about?
I'm working on two novels right now, but none are close enough to print for me to talk about--but be prepared for more weird romance and some very strange sisters. I do have a short story in an anthology coming out from Candlewick next year. The collection is called Sideshow: Ten Original Tales of Freaks, Illusionists, and Other Matters Odd and Magical. My story is "The Mummy's Daughter". and if you have read my book Freaks, Alive, on the Inside! you'll guess who she's related to.



2) favorite Halloween candy?
Skull Pops


3) favorite spooky novel?
Ghost Story by Peter Straub or Waking the Moon by Elizabeth Hand. I'd say anything by H.P. Lovecraft, except he wrote short stories mostly.


4) fangs or fur?
Fur


5) Monster Mash, Thriller, or The Time Warp?
Time Warp


6) cape or no cape?
It depends what's under it.

7) Bela Lugosi or Gary Oldman?
Geez--how can a girl choose?


8) Trick or Treat?
Trick


9) favorite costume?
My Bat Fairy costume I made from an old pink bridesmaid dress and lots of black felt.


10) favorite scary movie or television show?
Suspiria directed by Dario Argento and released in 1977.


A newcomer to a fancy ballet academy gradually comes to realize that the staff of the school are actually a coven of witches bent on chaos and destruction
It's totally surreal and visually disorienting with some great shocks. The psychedelic soundtrack is amazing and the incredibly tacky wallpaper in the spooky old school is one of the scariest parts of the movie. LOL


11) what really scares you? (like spiders or the dark or whatever)


Wow! So much scares me. I am a total coward. That's why I write books, so I can be vicariously brave. I think what scares me the most right now is a certain candidate for Vice President. Spiders I'm cool with, though.



12) what’s your favorite way to spend Halloween night?

Well, if I can't go to a rip roaring costume party with a loud punk band, then I like to be dressed as a ghoul, standing by my front door, next to the Victorian Child's coffin I bought on eBay, holding a witches cauldron full of candy in my arms, a skeletal hand emerging from the pot. I whip open the the front door growling as soon as someone knocks and I count how many children fall backwards off my steps. Yah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!


13) what’s the scariest thing that ever happened to you?

In college, one of my overly-trusting house mates made friends with a guy who turned out to be nuts. We didn't want him visiting the house because he was creepy and violent. I remember one night after he had taken irrational offense at something someone at the house had said. He came to the house and stood on the street outside, screaming that he was going to kill us. We didn't know if he had a weapon or not, so we locked the doors and crouched by the windows peering out, hoping he wouldn't find a way in. He wouldn't leave and kept on screaming threats and finally someone called the police. It was like being in a mad slasher movie.