I cannot remember a time I did not love Halloween. Growing up in the 60’s the holiday was more steeped in innocence than today’s version so in writing A Harvest and Halloween Handbook I decided to give it a retro style.
A Harvest and Halloween Handbook won a “Hot New Picks in Design” award when I self-published it on Amazon. It is also available on BN.com.
My book was inspired by the untimely death of my brother Brian in October 1987. I was mourning deeply because of his unanticipated departure. I also had 4 young children at home and a dilemma; Halloween had always been a time of fun and celebration for our family. I decided not to skip Halloween but to observe it with a gentler atmosphere; no skeletons or undead that year, it seemed disrespectful. I started decorating with non-macabre themes and eventually the repertoire grew into a volume that needed to be shared with others who love the creativity but not the violence and gore.
I’ve been known to host Halloween carnivals for a couple hundred children and wanted to include ideas for games and activities for all ages. Also from my catering days I had collected and created recipes that have become part of our autumn traditions – you should be treated to them too!
I’ve had the opportunity to publicize and share my peacemaking philosophy and Halloween content on various media sites including BYU SiriusXM Radio 143, US News and World Reports, Good Housekeeping, The Deseret News and newspapers across the country. I’m an artist with an edgy side too so everything is not all sunshine and roses (who wants that at Halloween anyway?) so there are a few traditional surprises too…
If you are looking for new themes and innovative, child-friendly ways to celebrate an old holiday; check out the treats in A Harvest and Halloween Handbook!
So here you have it – fun and frolic minus the fear. We at McMurtry Creative Media wish you a very HAPPY Halloween!