One Upon a Time in the '80s, I was a little bitty kid who would curl up with his grandma in the extra bedroom/laundry room and watch reruns of Dark Shadows on PBS on an old black & white television. That was my first introduction to the mysterious world of the Collins family and their vampire ancestor, Barnabas Collins. 

The Goosebumps franchise will be turning the big 30 this year. So, in other words, I've been reading R.L. Stine's scary tales for over thirty years.  Yes, I feel old just writing that. 

PART OF GOD’S PLAN

Something's wrong with the children. They're murdering classmates, torturing parents, speaking in tongues, drinking human blood, and practicing black magic. Your offspring is on the rise, their blood no longer innocent. There will be casualties, and you may be among them.

Why am I fascinated by The Amityville Horror? I'm aware of all the facts and hoaxes surround the Lutz family's 28-day stay at 112 Ocean Avenue. I know author Jay Anson put his spin on Lutz's claims for his 1977 novel The Amityville Horror. I believe Ed and Lorraine Warren's investigation is questionable? No, I don't believe the ghost boy picture is of John DeFeo. Was George Lutz involved in the occult? Some facts point in that direction. Were George and Kathy Lutz in debt? Yep!

Six or seven years ago, The Walking Dead fans would probably have been excited about another spinoff. Sadly, a lot has happened since The Walking Dead debuted on AMC in 2010, and the fanbase has shrunk to a small number of loyal viewers. The first spinoff, Fear the Walking Dead, had to do a reboot starting with season 4, and while creatively it has improved, the viewership dropped to a record low with the season 6 finale. For some unknown reason, AMC and The Walking Dead's chief content director Scott M. Gimple thought it would be the perfect time to create a third series - The Walking Dead: World Beyond.

Available on AMAZON.

If you're nearing 40, as I am, then more than likely, you grew up reading the Goosebumps books written by R.L. Stine (author of the popular teen Fear Street series). Just in case you don't know what I'm talking about, let me give you a history listen. Goosebumps was a hugely popular children's book series throughout the 1990s. From 1992 to the end of 1997, R.L. Stine published 62 Twilight Zone-like stories that gave every young reader nightmares. Goosebumps quickly became a brand name, starting with the Fox Kids television series that ran for 74 episodes. Spinoff books soon followed, such as Give Yourself Goosebumps, Tales To Give You Goosebumps, and Goosebumps 2000, and a slew of merchandise (bookmarks, games, toys, etc.). As fans became older, they moved on to other things, which resulted in the downfall of the franchise. After a hiatus, R.L. Stine returned to the world of Goosebumps with the spinoff series Horrorland in 2009, followed by two other spinoffs, Most Wanted and SlappyWorld, and two film adaptations, Goosebumps and Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween.

Available on KINDLE, PAPERBACK, and HARDCOVER.

Once upon a time (or otherwise known as my teenage years), I was addicted to horror paperbacks that I would buy at a now-defunct used bookshop. Being a loner, I would carry a paperback either in a jacket or pants pocket, and if I ever had a free moment, I would read my heart out. One of the authors I discovered back then was Ramsey Campbell, the author of The Parasite, The Claw, and The Hungry Moon.  

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Drew has always lived in the shadow of the Hensley Mansion, a sinister southern home up on the hill.

Once you enter, you really never leave and Drew discovered that no once but twice.

The first time she was sixteen-years-old with a group of friends on Hallow's Eve and the second time to get rid of an abusive husband she couldn't escape, but it cost her more than just her freedom.

To make it worse now, Drew Anderson has to relive her time in the Hensley mansion to help demolition constructor Stansley flatten the evil brooding in that house. But little did she know she has to visit for a third time to fulfill the task.

Available on Kindle!

Last week, I finished reading Weeks: Book 2, a post-apocalyptic novel by author Jasyn T. Turley that's been in my possession since October 2020. Yeah, I know I need to work on my procrastination issues. Nevertheless, here I am reviewing it today.

Sissy and Ava Hush are estranged, middle-aged sisters with little in common beyond their upbringing in a peculiar manor in downtown St. John’s. With both parents now dead, the siblings must decide what to do with the old house they’ve inherited. Despite their individual loneliness, neither is willing to change or cede to the other’s intentions. As the sisters discover the house’s dark secrets, the spirits of the past awaken, and strange events envelop them. The Hush sisters must either face these sinister forces together or be forever ripped apart.