So, in addition to book reviews, I LOVE having authors visit my blog with their on thoughts on things like their characters, their research, their stories, and even……..spiders.?! Yep, even spiders. *shivers* Ewww…. Joel M. Andre, a fantastic author and my new favorite horror author, is visiting today and he’s talking about SPIDERS.

Spiders You Might Want to Avoid
When it comes to things that scare people, spiders are certainly some of the more interesting creatures. While they can be the size of a dime, their venom can be potent enough to kill a human. But do you know some of the most toxic ones that could be in your home? Let’s take a moment to explore these remarkable spiders.

Perhaps the most dangerous spider has an evil bite to it. The Brown Recluse or Fiddler Spider is predominantly located in the South. While it can be visually stunning, you will note that a single bite of this spider will cause the flesh around the bite will cause the body to die around the wound. The process is called necrosis. Unless treated, this condition will continue, until death occurs.

But this isn’t the only concern you should have in your home. No, in the basements and sheds of the United States we find the Black Widow. This spider has a less toxic male counterpart whose bite won’t likely send you to your grave. But if the female with the red hour glass should take a bite, you will experience hypertension, nausea, headaches and even death. Thankfully, there are anti-venoms in place for this spider, should you get bit.

Going down the list from the most serious spiders to ones that could be more of a pain than dangerous, we find the Hobo Spider. This little guy lives in the North Western states and can be found along the ground and in basements in the area. While a bite from him will cause painful blisters, the healthy adult will likely experience mild symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, memory loss and possible vision impairment. You will of course want to seek medical attention.
Your next painful bite that could have you become ill is from the grass spider. Haunting the area of the Pacific Northwest, this little monster is can knock you on your feet, but as long as you seek out medical attention, the results shouldn’t be too alarming.

If you should see a mouse spider while you are exploring the great outdoors, you may want to steer clear of them. While they don’t tend to bite humans, they can be provoked into an attack. The best choice will be to simply walk away from them. After all, their lengthy fangs tend to be very painful when they bite. If you do end up being bit, you can experience sweating, shortness of breath and even sudden numbness in your body.

The black house spider and the wolf spider are in the moderate range of danger. While neither will attack unless provoked, you will find that their bite does require first aid. Typically, you will experience muscle discomfort with the bite. Along with that, vomiting and headaches are also very possible.

So are there other spiders you should be concerned about beyond these nasty little creatures? Yes. But if we touched on all the creatures that pass through your home, would you ever sleep. In most, some of the most dangerous ones are there as you sleep at night, softly crawling across your face, considering that lethal injection. Keep that in mind as you sleep well tonight.

***Please note Joel M. Andre is not medically licensed and cannot provide actual recommendations on what to do if a deadly spider bites you. If you have a serious spider bite, you should rush to the hospital and seek medical attention.***

About the Author:

Joel M. Andre was born January 13, 1981. At a young age he was fascinated with the written word. It was at fourteen that Poe blew his mind, and Andre began to dabble with darker poetry.

Between the years of 1999 and 2007 Joel was featured in various poetry anthologies and publications. In 2008 he released his first collection,Pray the Rain Never Ends.

Knowing there was something deeper and darker inside of his soul, Joel decided to take a stab at commercialism. Releasing the dark tongue in cheek, A Death at the North Pole, created a dark world among the death of Kris Kringle. Ultimately providing a tale of redemption.

October of 2008 saw Joel release his second book, Kill 4 Me. A tale in which a woman is haunted by a vengeful spirit through text messages and instant messaging.

Taking some time off and doing a lot of soul searching, Joel took things in a new direction and dabbled in the Fantasy Genre with, The Pentacle of Light. The tale dealing with five major races battling for control of Earth, and the acceptance of their God.

Finally, after missing his detective Lauren Bruni, he released the book The Return in October 2009, this time moving the action from the North Pole and placing it in the small Arizona community he was raised in.
Andre’s latest book is The Black Chronicles: Cry of the Fallen about a dead man who seeks revenge on the woman that tormented him in peaceful Northern Arizona.

Currently, he resides in Chandler, AZ.
You can visit his website at www.joelmandre.info