Good morning, dear readers, and it’s great to be able to welcome you again. We’re coming up on the New Year, and I thought, rather than trying to scare the pants off of you again, I’d give a shout-out to those other sites who went the extra mile to help us get seen. I know, it’s a stretch, but as I’m unlikely to be posting again until the middle of February, this seems a thing to do.

For those unfamiliar, there is a mechanism on WordPress called the “pingback.” This is where another site requests permission to link or place material from our site on theirs, and it’s quite an honor. It helps us grow our audience, as people we would otherwise never see are reading their favorite site, come across us, and follow the link to see what we’re about. This is a selfless act on their part, as nothing happens to connect our audience with their sites. So this morning I shall attempt to remedy that oversight with links to the sites that have found us up to their standards over the past year or so. While I’m handing out Christmas cheer, I’ll also promote cool sites of commentors. Please, friends of the Web, visit these sites and inspect their wares. You may just discover a new guilty pleasure!

Millerwiller didn’t actually ping us, but he (I presume) has joined us in our comment sections, and displays a pretty nice site. He writes horror and sci-fi stories, and is very much worth spending time with if you’re a fan of either.

Firewater65 is a gentleman we like around here for his sharp wit and insightful comments. He’s a lad who’s been around and seen a lot, and his blog is a long-running commentary on (mostly) pop-culture and anything else that catches his roving eye. Can’t recommend his site enough.

Bring your Own Brain is a site with a lot of depth that asks for a lot of intelligence from its readers. It deals with meditation and motivation, and includes chapters from the author’s book in progress titled, what else, Bring your Own Brain. A deep well; bring SCUBA gear…

The Mindful Migraine is primarily a motivational blog by a young Australian woman who has overcome the sort of migraine that mimics a stroke and lands you in the hospital from time to time. There’s a lot there if you feel the need for a bit of self-help.

Birthing the Essence of Horror is exactly what it says on the tin. In operation since 2009, this is an ongoing discussion of the horror genre by someone who meets all my standards for an authority. Curious about things that go bump in the night? You may find your answers here.

Tentaclii is a blog that concerns itself exclusively with the works of H.P. Lovecraft. This is not only the go-to reference for all things Lovecraft, but includes a compendium of over 300 links to other sites devoted to the Master of Cosmic Horror. Have an itch in that area? This is where to scratch it.

Un Blog en Engles is basically a blog about everything. It’s written by a native Spanish-speaker, but don’t be scared; as the title suggests, it’s in English.

Surprised by Joy is a blog about life by a woman who’s had her ups and downs, made her own way, and lived by her own rules. Not about horror, not about writing, but very much inspiring.

L. Marie Wood is an award winning author of everything horror. This is her blog. What else do you need to know?

Finally, Austin Ghosts is the site of a business that organizes party tours of the haunted sites of Austin, Texas. I’ve never been to Austin, and obviously have never taken their tour, but they were kind enough to mention one of our articles on their site, and I’m here to return the much-appreciated favor. If you’re in the area, check them out and book a tour. I can’t speak to the presence of ghosts, but I’ll bet you’ll see some spirits along the way!

And those are the sites who made us feel welcome over this last year. I sincerely hope my little promo brings them some new viewers, and that everyone reading us or them has a wonderful Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year. Happy Holidays, everyone, from your favorite fearmongers!