Maria Giakoumatos The Horror of Her Life

Maria Giakoumatos The Horror of Her Life

The first Horror Film I remember watching 

This one is tough because I’d always catch glimpses of stuff I should’ve have been watching when I was a kid because my father is a pro channel surfer. Granted my family never was big on horror, I remember my dad landed on Scary Movie 2 during dinner while I was slowly eating my vegetables (rather, trying to find a way to throw them away without anyone noticing).

It was the scene where Anna Faris was fighting that black cat, and at first I was like, “What the heck is this?” But then my dad started laughing, and then I laughed, too. I hadn’t seen anything like it before, but he unfortunately changed the channel at the next commercial break, and it wasn’t until almost 10 years later that I rewatched the movie and recognized the scene. Other than that, I can’t recall the first horror movie I watched all the way through that wasn’t geared for kids. Unless you count Return to Oz, because holy heck that movie was creepy.

The Greatest Horror Book of All Time

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. She was a badass, for starters, and I believe Frankenstein did more for horror and sci-fi than possibly any other book in its genres. Especially for its time, its commentary on scientific advancements and taking accountability of our actions was well done and still relevant today. Not to mention the “monster” being the one looking for love might have been one of the first takes on the whole “maybe the humans are the monsters after all” theme. 

The Greatest Horror Film of all time 

I’m torn between two.

The Exorcist. No demonic possession movie can touch it. It’s a masterpiece. I wouldn’t say it’s my #1 favorite movie, but it’s up there and it’s definitely one that I think is the best in the genre. It has everything a good horror movie should have. Scary images that stay in your head, gross-out factor, and an overall feeling of dread and doom. 

Rosemary’s Baby is my other choice. The story is so well done in that you don’t know until the very end if this poor woman is really pregnant with a monster or if she’s just confused. Everyone is so horrible to her. I don’t know how men feel watching it, but pregnancy is enough to freak me out. But to be pregnant AND feel like something is horribly wrong and no one will listen to you? Which is still so unfortunately real, I’m pretty sure every woman I know has gone to the doctor complaining of pain and having it dismissed as period cramps.

THE MOST UNDERRATED HORROR FILM OF ALL TIME

Under the Shadow. It’s so intense, so raw, and so genuinely terrifying. You got the supernatural horror aspect, but it also takes place during the Iran-Iraq war, so you got the realistic horror of losing your home and family to missiles. I enjoy watching international films, and I feel like most international horror you can easily access is from Europe or East Asia – and don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for Korean and Japanese horror, but it’s refreshing to see horror rooted in Islamic faith.

THE FILM THAT SCARED ME THE MOST

The Fourth Kind. I’d like to preface this by saying it was my first found-footage film, so when they were all like, “This is a true story,” my dumbass believed it. And it’s about alien invasion. So I’m watching this movie thinking I’m watching actual footage of people being abducted and tortured by aliens. Naturally, I’m terrified. Aliens will always be way scarier to me than ghosts or demons – if they have the technology to get here, I have no way to defend myself against whatever weapons they have, I have no knowledge of how they think to even try reasoning with them. And now this film is saying they have footage of alien abduction? Why aren’t we talking about this, why isn’t this on the news? 

Oh. Because it’s not real. 

I felt a little silly that I fell for it, but I guess Blair Witch had the same effect when it first came out. Now I love found-footage horror.

THE BOOK I AM WORKING ON NEXT

Crimson Requiem, the fourth and final book in my Infernal Symphony series! The third book, Nocturne’s Embrace, is currently in the editing phase. While you wait for the release, please check out the 2^nd book, Adagio for the Fallen, now available in print and eBook. Audiobook coming soon! And if you haven’t read the first book yet, Midnight Waltz, that’s a good starting point. If you are looking for a modern gothic horror story with angels, demons, secret cults, then look no further! 

Adagio for the Fallen (The Infernal Symphony Book 2) by Maria Giakoumatos 

Come find me on the other side….

Sixteen-year-old Luke Reed’s father disappeared three days ago when his paranormal investigation crew was last seen searching for a portal to another spiritual realm in an abandoned church.

When Luke and his friends search for the portal, they discover Lunaris, a realm much like our own but with a dark twist—it’s ruled by a cunning devil, King Lysander. Lost in this strange world, Luke turns to the king to help him find his father. The cost? Luke must first return Lysander’s brother, Zalem Mavro, back to the palace.

Yet nothing is as it seems, and Luke, trapped in a whirlwind of Satanic rituals and political uprising, is torn between saving his father and protecting Zalem from Lysander’s demonic wrath…. But can he protect his soul from the mysterious entity haunting his nightmares?

EVOLVED PUBLISHING PRESENTS a dark, thrilling tale in the second book of the “Infernal Symphony” series of horror/dark paranormal fantasy novels.

Maria Giakoumatos

Maria Giakoumatos has been interested in all things spooky since she was too small to ride the fun roller coasters in amusement parks. She probably would have become a paranormal investigator if she wasn’t afraid of the dark, so she settled for just writing about spirits. Her family often took her to church as a child, so that may explain some things.

When she isn’t writing her wacky stories, Maria spends her free time playing piano, video games, watching horror movies, and exploring spooky locations. She currently lives in Renton, Washington, with her partner and little parrot named Rowley.

WEBSITE LINKS

Website: https://authorbloodymaria.wordpress.com/ 

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariagiakoumatosauthor

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B07BSKWVY4

Amazon link to Adagio for the Fallen with blurb: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DB1VRTJ6?ref_=dbs_p_pwh_rwt_cpsb_cl_1&storeType=ebooks