If you can't tell, I'm a bit of a party pooper/stick-in-the-mud (I rock at Never Have I Ever).  And I've always been that way!  Case in point: I really don't like Halloween.  It's not for any religious or moral reasons—I've just never been much for dressing up.  Even as a little kid.  As a mom, I've dreaded the expense and stress of Halloween costumes, the over-consumption of candy (rest assured, though, that I've always been stoic about doing my mom duty by picking the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Twix bars out of my kids' buckets after they go to sleep), and the whole tromping through the neighborhood to take kids trick-or-treating thing.  It's just not me, you know?  

All that being said, I do still enjoy a spooky story now and again.  The older I get, the wimpier I get, so I've set aside the Stephen King books I consumed as a teen in favor of tales that are more Gothic and subtly scary—the kind that send a delicious tingle down my spine but don't give me nightmares.  I much prefer ghosts haunting creepy old houses to brain-slurping zombies, blood-sucking vampires, soul-stealing demons, and other freak-me-out ghouls.  Haunting is the vibe I usually veer toward instead of scary.  So, which authors are my go-to for shivery stories?  I thought you'd never ask!  I've listed ten of my favorites below for today's Halloween Freebie Top Ten Tuesday list.

Do you want to join the spooky TTT party?  Of course you do!  Flit on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.  Bonus:  Jana's list today is super fun.

1.  Kate Morton

Favorite of hers:  The Secret Keeper   

2.  Riley Sager

Favorite of his:  Lock Every Door

3.  Simone St. James

Favorite of hers:  The Sun-Down Motel

4.  Carol Goodman

Favorite of hers:  The Widow's House

5.  Jennifer McMahon

Favorite of hers:  The Invited

6.  Gilly Macmillan

Favorite of hers:  What She Knew

7.  Emily Carpenter

Favorite of hers:  Until the Day I Die

8.  Blake Crouch

Favorite of his:  Dark Matter

9.  Eve Chase

Favorite of hers:  The Daughters of Fox Cote Manor

10.  Maureen Johnson

Favorite of hers:  The Shades of London series 

There you have it, ten of of my favorite writers of haunting stories.  What about you?  Are you into scary stories?  Who are your go-to authors for haunting/creepy books?  Are you a Halloween lover, hater, or something in between?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!