Do you dress up for Halloween? Its a fun day and I enjoy seeing all the little kids dressed up in their favorite superhero, Transformer and princess costumes as they parade around the neighborhood. The little ones take it all so seriously and they look at you as if they aren't sure you are going to give them that candy you have in the bowl.

We live in what I call Beavercleaverville. It's a small village type neighborhood tucked into a sprawling metropolis. Many of the neighbors do elaborate decorations and have very cool haunted houses. I'm lucky if I remember to put the fall wreath on the door, and to tell my husband to buy candy. But I enjoy the festivities just the same. This year Halloween falls on a Saturday so there's a pretty good chance we'll be invited to more than one party.

And that's my problem. I'm not big on dressing up in costumes. I like them, but only when other people wear them. I've been this way since I was a little kid. I never wanted those store bought costumes my kids adored. Put a rain hat, rain coat and galoshes on me and call me the Morton Salt Girl and I was a happy kid. (That was a rainy Halloween, and man did I rake in the candy. My dad took me around with his umbrella, but we only saw one other kid doing the same.) The crazy thing is, I don't know why I'm that way. I love the way costumes look, and the idea of masking one's identity. But I don't like wearing them. If I do anything it's something like a sweatshirt with a giant P and I blacken my eye so that I'm a black-eyed pea. Or a t-shirt with a small box of cereal velcroed to it and a knife stuck in the box, so that I'm a cereal-killer. And one of my favorites, a witch's hat and black clothes.

My friend Shannon was gnome last year. It was hilarious. My friend Deb was Elvis down to the wig, jumpsuit, white shoes and dark glasses. She also did the coolest Medussa costume ever. I wore black.

So I'm curious about several things. Do you like to wear costumes? What are some of your favorites now, and from when you were a kid? Do your kids like dressing up? (My oldest is into it, but it depends on the situation when it comes to my youngest.) What do you think will be some of the popular costumes this year? What will you be wearing?

And I'd like to know your thoughts about my new cover. Consider it my treat, no tricks, for you! I LOVE IT! TAKE ME IF YOU DARE is a Feb. 2010 release. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Take Me If You Dare Cover