This is Halloween !
Spooky Season has Arrived.
It’s October! Which means the spooky season is in full swing and you better believe that I’m celebrating with spooky decorations and a non-stop marathon of the scariest movies.
It’s no secret that Halloween is my favorite holiday. And even though I live the spooky season all year long this is the month that I get to pull out all of the stops. We have our Beetlejuice doorway going, zombie hands reaching up from the ground, and skeletons all around. I don’t know who is more excited to go shopping for costumes, me or my kids.
We’ll just call it a draw.
I have to say that it’s been a while since we’ve last talked. I’ve been busy balancing a few different writing projects on top of family time and the day job, so life has been a bit hectic to say the least. The good news is that the hard work is paying off because FAMILY MATTERS is complete and the first batch of books is currently at the printers. It’s taken a little longer than I hoped but it’s been worth it.
To celebrate the spooky season I also have some good news. My comic book series MORSELS is coming back in 2026 with a bit of a facelift and it’s going to be scarier than ever. MORSELS Presents is going to be four digest-sized, individually wrapped horror stories so scary that they’ll leave you screaming for more! What’s even more exciting is that each issue will be complete before it’s campaign launches that way once the campaign ends the books will be sent to the printer and then sent out to backers after that.
As of right now I’ve only done a soft reveal of the project with a big announcement and reveal coming in just a few weeks. So, let’s just keep this between you and me for right now.
I’m also doing something a little different this time around by offering rewards for the pre-launch sign-up, which you can find at the link below. Some probably know, and others may not, that the first few days of a campaign are the most vital, and I want to find a way to thank all of those first day backers with some awesome goodies. That’s why the more sign-ups we get the more rewards I’ll add on to all physical backers in the first 24-hours.
Click Here for the MORSELS Presents Pre-launch Page!
Okay, enough about me. Let’s talk about some scary books written by some amazing people because stories are meant to be shared.
Book Recommendations
Books I’ve read:
8114
By Joshua Hull
8114 is a terrifying horror novel investigating the mysterious death of a high school friend through an embattled podcast and hallucinatory hauntings at the abandoned house of his childhood.
After returning to his hometown, Paul, the beleaguered host of a small-time podcast, discovers a longtime friend committed suicide in the dilapidated ruins of Paul’s childhood home. Desperate to find answers, Paul interviews friends and locals hoping to find closure. He finds himself in a chilling downward spiral of his memories and the land he grew up on. Has his past caught up with him or is there something far more sinister at play?
Joshua Hull, screenwriter of Glorious, brings an edge of horror film expertise to this story of small-town haunting, trauma, and grief that just won’t let go. 8114 roots out the rot of a small town’s past and unravels the memories we must face to survive the present.
Thoughts: 8114 is the debut novel by Josua Hull, and holy shit, what a debut it was. Hull has woven such a beautiful and terrifying tale that will chill readers to the bone. One of my favorite aspects of the book are the sections with Paul’s podcast that are woven throughout the novel. It gives the book a found-footage feel to the storytelling without ever wearing out its welcome. If I had any critique to give it would be that the book isn’t long enough. There are some characters that Hull introduces us too that deserved more room to breath.
If you’ve read this book, what did you think? Did 8114 hit all of the right notes for you? And if you haven’t read it, click on the link below and treat yourself to this wonderful novel debut by Joshua Hull. And go watch Glorious on Shudder. You’ won’t regret it!
Haunted Girl
By Jamie Nash
Everyone thought the infamous exorcism was fiction. But when Summer learns the girl who was possessed was her mother, the evil returns…
It was the infamous exorcism behind every book and movie. The secret they buried? Evil never dies — and it just found Summer’s family.
Summer just wanted to finish senior year quietly — prom, graduation, one last summer at home. But when a trembling stranger confronts her on the front step — wild-eyed, reeking of fear — and seizes her arm with a single warning, “It’s coming. It’s coming for everyone,” her world cracks open.
Looking for answers, Summer stumbles onto a forgotten podcast chronicling the real story behind the exorcism — not the Hollywood version, but what actually happened. The voice behind the mic seems unhinged, obsessed… but he’s the only one who seems to know what’s really going on. And maybe the only one who believes her.
Shadows move where they shouldn’t. Doors close themselves — softly, like someone’s trying not to wake the house. Her little brother speaks in voices that aren’t his. And in the corners, something small and hunched watches, waiting. Her family is changing — distant one day, violent the next, like something is crawling under their skin. The thing they thought was cast out isn’t gone. It’s back. And it’s not just haunting them — it’s taking them. One by one.
Thoughts: Holy Cow! Jamie Nash’s Haunted Girl is a propulsive horror novel that goes from zero to 60 in about 2.4 paragraphs and doesn’t stop until the end. It’s obvious that Nash has a deep love for the exorcism sub-genre and quite the knack for turning some of the most common tropes on their head. It was cuddling up with your favorite warm, comfy blanket and then having it promptly ripped off, taking away any sense of safety from the monsters in the dark. My only gripe is that sometimes it felt as though I was doing the Universal lot tour in the DeLorean going almost 88 miles per hour. Of course, we’re going to see everything with a bit of whiplash along the way. I wish we got a little more time to get to know some of our characters and the world they live in.
Overall, I had a great time with Nash’s Haunted Girl and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next. If you’re read the Haunted Girl let me know what you think below. If not, I highly recommend treating yourself to this book. Just beware because this one is sure to get under your skin.
Currently Reading:
Why I love Horror: Essays on Horror Literature
By Becky Siegel
A captivating anthology and heartfelt tribute to the horror genre featuring essays from several of the most celebrated contemporary horror writers including, Grady Hendrix, Paul Tremblay, Stephen Graham Jones, Josh Malerman, Victor LaValle, Tananarive Due, and Rachel Harrison.
For twenty-five years, Becky Siegel Spratford has worked as a librarian in Reader Advisory, training library workers all over the world on how to engage their patrons and readers, and to use her place as a horror expert and critic to get the word out to others; to bring even more readers into the horror fold.
Why I Love Horror is a love letter to the horror genre from many of the most influential and bestselling authors in the industry.
Thoughts: Coming soon…
TBR Pile:
- Play Nice
By Rachel Harrison
- Angel Down
By Daniel Kraus
- Coffin Moon
By Keith Rosson
And on that note, we have reached the end of this post. It felt good getting words on the page and catching up with all of you. I’d love to hear what you’re all reading or watching for the month of October. I’m also open to any recommendations you might have for horror books or movies. The comment section is open to all and I’d love to talk scary stuff with all of you.
Also, you may get a post or two from me this month as a special treat, or a special type of torture, depending on how you like my writing. I have a few ideas for some essays that I think are perfect for the Halloween season that I’d love to share.
Thanks again for reading and thanks for supporting me in all that I do. It means the world to me!
Pleasant Nightmares!
J.
Can’t wait for Morsels!