Halloween Roundup - 8 - Slayers of a Certain Age

[Donna, Chief Inspector]

Team Challenge
September 2023- November 30, 2023

Please take some time and choose a team name and your first monster. Let me know once you have decided.

Team
✔️Gail
✔️Lori
✔️Teddie

Links
Team SS: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
Q&A
Monster Depository (check-in)
Scoreboard
Collectible
Feedback

Rules
🧛Each monster has specific chains that need to be completed.
Examples:
1. Create a chain of 3 using titles consecutively (ABC)
-All the Light We Cannot See
-Becoming Mrs. Lewis
-Catching Fire
2. Create a chain of 3 with "dog" in the titles
-Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
-The Dog Stars
-Hot Dog Girl
🧛One person should NOT complete a whole chain by themselves. This is a team challenge. However, if a monster has multiple chains and a slower reader can only/want to only read for 1 or 2 chains (they must read at least one), then the other two faster readers on the team can complete the other chains between the two of them.
🧛You may choose which creature to capture first but you MUST complete it BEFORE starting a new creature.
🧛You may use or drop articles: A, An, The
🧛If you somehow manage to incorporate a Formal Buddy Read book into a chain, you will earn 2 bonus points. See the buddy read folder for the current book. They are also listed in the spreadsheet dropdown list (when your team has a thread & spreadsheet assigned to them).
🧛Books should be a minimum of 140 pages
🧛Reading the monthly Group Read book for a task will earn you 2 bonus points.

Scoring
You will get 3 points for every completed book (9 per completed chain) PLUS page points.

[Donna, Chief Inspector]

Monster List

Frankenstein
Mummy
Witch
Vampire
Zombie
Ghost
Werewolf

[Teddie]

Team Overview / Status

ON THE HUNT FOR:



CAPTURED:

[Teddie]

Hi Gail & Lori! Happy to be part of the team :)

I couldn't resist after seeing knitting as one of your interests Lori - knitters unite! I live in Buffalo, NY and just sent my youngest off to college in DC - so excited for her. I read a little bit of everything, though fantasy, mystery, and scifi are my first loves.

[Teddie]

Do you ladies have any ideas for a team name?

hunter focused
Supernatural Slayers
The WinchestHERs
Mystery Inc. (from sccoby doo fame)
The Buffy Brigade

trio focus
Triavenator (3 hunters in latin)
Van Helsing Triad

team 8 focus
Sweet Huit

Do these spark any other ideas - or something totally different? :)

[Gail]

Hi Teddie! Nice to meet you. I think my favorite choices from your list are the ones under hunter focused. I like all four of them but if I had to rank them I would go with:
1. Mystery Inc.
2. Supernatural Slayers
3. The Buffy Brigade
4. The WinchestHERS

I can go with any of them. Looking forward to reading with you ladies!

[Teddie]

Of the hunter options you ranked, I like Supernatural Slayers - covers all manner of beasties.

Or maybe, Slayers of a Certain Age - lol. Our experience makes us just as deadly :)

[Gail]

Ohhh….. I like both of those ideas. I think I might be leaning towards Slayers of a Certain Age.

[Teddie]

If Lori likes that, I say we use Slayers of a Certain Age too :)

[Teddie]

Ok with both of you if we let Donna know we're going to be called:
Slayers of a Certain Age?

Which monster do you want to go after first?
1. Frankenstein
2. Mummy
3. Witch
4. Vampire
5. Zombie
6. Ghost
7. Werewolf

If we can't decide (or don't really have a preference) I nominate Gail to roll a die to pick our first target for us :) https://rollthedice.online/en/cdice/7...

[Donna, Chief Inspector]

Or if you don't make a decision by the time I am done handing out tasks you get Frankenstein...

[Donna, Chief Inspector]

Technically Frankenstein is not the name of this monster. It is the last name of his creator. He was created by Victor Frankenstein out of multiple corpses. He is 8 feet tall and proportionally large. His features are hideous as well with dull, watery eyes and yellow skin. Most people are scared of him and hate him on sight. He gave up hope of ever being accepted by humans. Then he decided that he had a right to happiness and Victor was to blame. He demanded that Victor create a female companion for him. Victor started to comply but had second thoughts. This angered him and he started killing people that Victor loved.

To catch Frankenstein complete the following tasks:

Arm 1: Create a chain of 3 using titles with a common word (all titles have "Dark" in them)
Arm 2: Create a chain of 3 using books with "CORPSE" in the title or series
Leg 1: Create a chain of 3 books with a monstrous character (your interpretation)
Leg 2: Create a chain of 3 using books with black covers (minimum 50%)

[Teddie]

TARGET: Frankenstein
link to tracking sheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

To catch Frankenstein complete the following tasks:

Arm 1: Create a chain of 3 using titles with a common word. Word is: star
Gail: The Christmas Star: A Love Story | 9.28.23
Lori: An Amish Christmas Star | 9.6.23
Teddie: Agent to the Stars | 9.6.23

Arm 2: Create a chain of 3 using books with "CORPSE" in the title or series
Gail: Pretty Corpse | 9.26.23
Lori: Raining Men and Corpses 9.27.23
Teddie: Pretty Corpse | 9.4.23

Leg 1: Create a chain of 3 books with a monstrous character (your interpretation)
Gail: Creep | 9.25.23
Lori: Dead and Gone | 9.10.23
Teddie: Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers | 9.1.23

Leg 2: Create a chain of 3 using books with black covers (minimum 50%)
Gail: Smoke and Steel | 9.4.23
Lori: Stolen | 9.28.23
Teddie: Shorefall | 9.11.23

[Teddie]

I'm going to do Dark Witch for the dark task. I had zero books on my TBR with corpse in the title or series - lol, but I think I'll do either C is for Corpse or Three Bedrooms, One Corpse for that. (although I may try to find a 300+ option here for at least 2 points.)

I'll probably go with Shorefall for the black cover. Not sure about the monstrous character one yet.

Unless I'm missing something, I'm not really seeing any way to use the group read A Day In August for any of Frankenstein's task - maybe a Buddy Read will come up.

[Donna, Chief Inspector]

No, but I know at least one task that it could be used for later. You just didn't choose that monster.

[Donna, Chief Inspector]

Clarifying Arm 1: Dark was an example. You may use any word except words like A, An, The, And, Or

[Teddie]

Donna wrote: "No, but I know at least one task that it could be used for later. You just didn't choose that monster."

I figured :)

Could the 3 of us decide to do an official buddy read? Just curious.

And thanks for the word clarification on Arm 1 - I guess I read that too quickly!

[Donna, Chief Inspector]

This is Halloween Roundup so the bonus points are for the TCF Group Reads. I don't think there is an "Official Buddy Read" in TCF. In HOB, we have formal buddy reads and that is what we call the ones run by a Mod.

[Teddie]

Donna wrote: "This is Halloween Roundup so the bonus points are for the TCF Group Reads. I don't think there is an "Official Buddy Read" in TCF. In HOB, we have formal buddy reads and that is what we call the on..."

Gotcha - ok - thanks!

[Donna, Chief Inspector]

If you are asking, can the 3 of you read the same book for a chain, for instance, the corpse task above? Sure.

[Teddie]

@Lori & @Gail: ok, we don't need to use the word "dark" for task arm 1. Are there other words you have in upcoming books you want to use?

A few words I have coming up are:
night
wing
spell
real
star
peace
beautiful
door

[Teddie]

Donna wrote: "If you are asking, can the 3 of you read the same book for a chain, for instance, the corpse task above? Sure."

No, I was asking @ Buddy Reads, like could we create a Buddy Read for the extra points - then all read it. But as TCF doesn't have any official Buddy Reads, that question is moot :)

[Teddie]

Wow, there are a LOT of cozy mysteries with corpse in the title :)

[Donna, Chief Inspector]

Ever heard the saying "Ask and you shall receive"? Well, I had a question about Buddy Reads earlier. After some thought and some consultation with other mods, I have decided to give you the same bonus points for an informal buddy read as the TCF Group Read. Here are the rules:

*Your buddy must be on your team
*You may do a buddy read of 2 or 3 (as you have teams of 3)
*The book must fit one of your tasks, of course

To sign up for an informal buddy read click Here and a thread will be set up for you. This option will be added to the Group Read bonus dropdown in your spreadsheets shortly.

[Teddie]

Yay! You rock Donna :)

[Donna, Chief Inspector]

I'm not gonna ask how you made blood drip from your names. I know it was Teddie who did it. I'm telling you it is creepy... LOL!

[Teddie]

Haha - the Nosifer font - comes in handy now and then :)

[Lori]

Hi

Teddie! Wow! You are on it!!! You can keep us going!!

Lori is good with Slayers of a Certain Age. Awesome name!

[Gail]

Teddie wrote: "@Lori & @Gail: ok, we don't need to use the word "dark" for task arm 1. Are there other words you have in upcoming books you want to use?

A few words I have coming up are:
night
wing
spell
real
st..."

Hi!
I have a book with the word tonight but i guess that would not count? It has to be night?

Here are my current words:
Creep
Mom
Hour
Vanishing
One
Girl
House
Guest
Smoke
Wife
Perfect
Days
Lie

I can look for others when we come up with a word.

[Gail]

Ok here is what I am going to read:

Arm 1: Create a chain of 3 using titles with a common word : "Star": The Christmas Star: A Love Story

Arm 2: Create a chain of 3 using books with "CORPSE" in the title or series Pretty Corpse

Leg 1: Create a chain of 3 books with a monstrous character (your interpretation): Creep

Leg 2: Create a chain of 3 using books with black covers (minimum 50%)

[Teddie]

Hola all! :)

I was going to do Three Bedrooms, One Corpse for the corpse chain, but how about I do Pretty Corpse and we make it a buddy read for extra points?

If you are up for that, for the common word chain task I could do :

- one : Three Bedrooms, One Corpse
- house: A House with Good Bones

Lori, would "one" or "house" work for you wrt common word in title? Or do you have suggestions?

[Gail]

Hi!

I would love to do a buddy read with you. . When would you like to start?

[Lori]

Hi Teddie:

Excuse me for being so slow. I would love to do the buddy read with both you and Gail and Pretty Corpse looks good to me. Let me know when we can start.

I have a question....If I use a book with a black cover can I use it for more than that one task or is it one book per task?

[Lori]

This is what I think I will be doing:

Arm 1: Create a chain of 3 using titles with a common word : Have to pick a word first

Arm 2: Create a chain of 3 using books with "CORPSE" in the title or series Pretty Corpse....Can we all use Pretty Corpse if we do it as a buddy read?

Leg 1: Create a chain of 3 books with a monstrous character (your interpretation): My monstrous character will be a vampire.


For leg 2: I will do Stolen by Lucy Christopher

[Lori]

I am going to check on the books I have planned and will see if one or house works for me....and I will give a couple others I know will for sure.

[Lori]

I have a book coming up that has both house and one....I only need one book right?

[Lori]

Oh boy the words have to be in the titles.....here area few I have:

Tree
Christmas
Snow
Queer
Gender
Boy
Lawn
Star
Dead
Grave

We only need one book each is that correct?

[Lori]

I see that Teddie and I have Star in common. Gail do you have anything with Star?

[Gail]

Ok - I have found a book with Star in the Title - The Christmas Star: A Love Story. Are we all set?

[Lori]

Yes Gail! I am reading An Amish Christmas Star....3 books in one...it looks good.

[Teddie]

Awesome! I'll do Agent to the Stars for my star book.

I can probably start Pretty Corpse as early as tomorrow - I'll get us set up with a Buddy Read to start by Monday, if that works?

[Teddie]

Here's our Pretty Corpse buddy read thread: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Looks like a few others are doing Buddy reads for this challenge too :)
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Gail]

Hi Teddie,

Thanks for setting up the buddy read thread. Yes, Monday is perfect for me! Happy Reading!

[Lori]

Hey Teddie:

Awesome! thanks for setting up the thread. Monday works great....today. I just finished something. Happy Labor Day and happy reading.

[Teddie]

Happy Labor Day! Hope you both had some fun reading time today :)

I posted to our buddy read thread, just to get us going. No rush at all. I just had a bunch of books from the library that I have been waiting for months for (eBooks), all come ready to borrow at once. I pushed delivery on a few, but now am trying to see how I can get some of the shiny happy titles I just got to work with all these monster and spider web tasks - not very likely - lol.

[Lori]

Sadly I could get a copy of Pretty Corpse so I am looking for another book with corpse in the title.

My monstrous character will likely be a shifter or vampire.

[Gail]

I completed Smoke and Steel and posted on the spreadsheet.

[Lori]

For monstrous character I am reading:
Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

For the corpse read I am reading:
Raining Men and Corpses by Anne R. Tan

Taking husband to a doctor appointment so should get a bit of reading done while waiting for him. Warning: I am getting another manuscript to edit some time this week or early next.

[Teddie]

Hi Ladies! Hope you both are having a good September so far :)

I finished Shorefall and updated message 13.

On another note, I went to the library yesterday and got a book on Icelandic Mittens - thinking to try to do a few pairs as Christmas presents this year :)

[Gail]

Hi Teddie,

Just read your message. I am talking to Lori. She says that she can't do any color like fair isle. She says she does her mittens on two straight needles and same with hats. She is currently knitting an afghan. She is on square 4 of 49. As for reading she will be putting in Dead and Gone tonight and I am finishing Creep tomorrow. Talk soon:)