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The place in the road where zombies,wolves, ghosts,vampires, and monsters roam and Halloween is celebrated.
Monday, October 5, 2026
Sunday, October 4, 2026
Day 4: Something Wicked Fall #countdowntoHalloween2026 #readathon
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| photo credit |
Every year my friend, Michelle (I like that name 😉) hosts the "Something Wicked Fall: Castle Macabre" all October. This includes a readathon, and loads of Halloween themed books and graphics. I am pretty sure it is not too late to join in or at very least checkout her blog. There is always something lurking among the pages there. BOO!
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Day 3: Three Shades Called Horace by Jinx James #giveaway #CountdowntoHalloween
About the book:
Fame is a curse—and on the Isle of Man, that’s literal.
Max Dalvert is a romantic at heart with a very simple plan: become a knight and avoid anything involving the word “viral.” But when he’s thrust into the mystical fog of the Isle of Man, he discovers that saving the girl means saving the “craziest paranormal show on earth.”
Pansy Peony and her witch mother have a hit on their hands with The SuperMoon Show, a viral sensation featuring three famous (and hilariously opinionated) ghosts. But where there’s a massive audience, there’s a shark. Ruthless media mogul Rollo Mansell wants the show for his global empire, and he doesn’t care who—or what—he has to crush to get the contract.
Now, Max must navigate a gauntlet of hitmen, corrupt empires, and a voodoo queen who didn’t sign up for this corporate circus. In a world of witchcraft, modern magic, and supernatural suspense, Max is about to learn that true serendipity is just a fancy word for narrowly avoiding a public disaster.
Q: Your new edition of your novel, Three Shades Called Horace, is set on the
mystical Isle of Man, but you live in Tasmania. How does living at the edge of
the known world; influence your writing?
A: There’s a distinct atmospheric magic to living on a rugged island like Tasmania.
When you are surrounded by untamed wilderness and the vast ocean, the line
between reality and the supernatural feels a little thinner. Even though Three Shades
Called Horace takes place on the opposite side of the globe on the Isle of Man, that
sense of island isolation and mystical fog felt entirely familiar to me. It allows me to
lean into both the eerie dread and the dark comedy of being stranded with things that
go bump in the night.
Q: Three Shades Called Horace blends paranormal thrills with corporate satire
and sharp comedy. What inspired you to mash up these genres?
A: I’ve always believed that the terrifying and the ridiculous go hand in hand. Think
about it—if a real ghost showed up on live television today, a media mogul wouldn't
run away screaming; they’d try to monetize it and make it go viral! I wanted to explore
that corporate absurdity. Giving a psychic medium a hit TV show featuring three
hilariously opinionated, ghosts felt like the perfect canvas to poke fun at modern media
culture while still delivering a high-stakes, fast-paced thriller.
Q: Where do you get your inspiration for your ghosts and supernatural
elements? Are any of them based on real experiences?
A: Absolutely! I actually spent about a year living in a haunted house in a place called
Pratt’s Bottom, in Kent, England. The house was built on top of an old Roman burial
ground, and sometimes the energy there got incredibly heavy and bad. But we also
had a resident house ghost we called Fred.
Fred was a bit of a character—he actually took a massive liking to my partner, who is
Irish. We later found out that before Fred passed away, he had a wonderful Irish
nurse, so he clearly retained a fondness for the Irish accent and presence even in the
afterlife! Living with that mix of heavy, ancient history and a quirky house ghost with
personal preferences is exactly what inspired the tone of Three Shades Called
Horace. I love exploring how the paranormal can be simultaneously unsettling,
historic, and yet completely normal, in a funny kind of way.
Q. How did you choose the three ghost characters who play such a big role in
Three Shades Called Horace?
A: I chose Horace Walpole, who is the first to appear to Pansy, because I enjoyed his
novel Otranto, the first-ever gothic novel to be published, and his 18th century gothic
revival house was the inspiration for the look-alike house that the ghosts inhabit on
The Isle of Man.
I also enjoy reading the classics, Socrates, Suetonius, and other ancient great men of
letters. Poet and satirist Horace Flaccus is up there with the best of them, plus he had
a wicked sense of humor.
Horace Silver is one of my all-time favorite jazz musicians and composers. When I
read his autobiography “Let’s Get to the Nitty Gritty”
I discovered his family originated in Cape Verde (another island story) and that he had
a keen interest in spiritualism. So, another personal choice to complete the trio. Sadly,
he died in 2014.
Q: Tell us a bit about your free reader magnet short story, and how it connects
to your main release.
A: The free short story follows a top fashion model named Silvia who accepts a
mysterious assignment at a secluded mansion, only to find her passion for dance
twisting into a feverish supernatural obsession. While Three Shades Called
Horace leans heavily into dark humor and corporate satire, this short story explores
pure gothic suspense and atmospheric tension. I wanted to give readers a bite-sized,
high-stakes introduction to how I handle supernatural threats before throwing them into the comedic rollercoaster of the main novel.
Thank you for visiting and talking about your book.
To find the author:
Bestselling dark humor fiction author Jinx James was born in the UK and lives in Australia. He
has worked in music and advertising, and has always been fascinated by charisma, satire, and
what makes people laugh He used to write comedy sketches for a well-known Australian TV and
film star, but that was after he was in the music game, as a performer. Later came writing and
producing music for advertising, and for big events like the Sydney Olympics. All that time he
was trying his hand at writing fiction, mostly humorous. Eventually it became his new way of
living while having fun. He writes under two author names. As Jinx James his dark humor draws
on his life in show business. As dog lover Kit James, his Mutt to Megastar series features Elliott,
a rescue dog who becomes a TV star.
Giveaway:
The House on Via Magliocco
by Jinx James
Genre: Supernatural Dark Fantasy
To be beautiful forever. Would you turn down that offer?
A mesmerizing one-hour dark fantasy short read.
Silvia is a top fashion model who lives for the spotlight, but the camera's love is fleeting. When
she’s offered a mysterious assignment at the secluded House on Via Magliocco, it feels like the
ultimate canvas for her creativity and passion for dance.
But inspiration quickly twists into a feverish obsession.
As the mansion's haunting music bleeds from her dreams into her waking life, Silvia realizes she
hasn't just accepted a job—she has stepped into a beautiful trap. The house demands a
performance, the wealthy owner demands perfection, and the price of eternal beauty might
just be her soul.
Get this exclusive supernatural short story delivered directly to your inbox.
Get it FREE Here!
Friday, October 2, 2026
Day 2: Zombie Zoo by Melanie Abed #giveaway #zombies #spotlight #CountdowntoHalloween2026
Adventures in Tub (Felix & Ninja, Book 1)
Upper Middle Grade
Date Published: 09-15-2026
Publisher: Oculus Print
Two orphan loners. One supernatural plague. When wood-eating zombies
threaten their island, mismatched investigators Felix and Ninja must combine
science and instinct to save Spinachi-before they're next.
ZOMBIE ZOO is Book 1 in a five-book middle grade adventure series for readers ages 8-13, blending paranormal mystery, zombies, unlikely friendship, and STEAM-powered problem-solving.
When 13-year-old aspiring naturalist Felix Fizzystyxx discovers that
orphans at Wayward Amok Orphanage are transforming into wood-eating zombies,
his quiet tree-fort observations are no longer enough. Someone has
deliberately unleashed a strange plague on Tub's island town of Spinachi-and
they're still out there.
To find a cure, Felix must team up with Ninja, a shadow-dwelling orphan who trusts her instincts and never backs down. Intense and razor-sharp, she notices what others overlook and lives up to her name as the island's most mysterious sleuth. With their eccentric mentor Doc Brunne compromised and the town's water supply contaminated by a glowing bioluminescent substance, the two mismatched investigators must combine scientific observation with sharp intuition to stop the outbreak before their island home is devoured.
Set on the fictional island of Tub, this fast-paced, humorous adventure
naturally weaves in STEAM concepts-biology, chemistry, bioluminescence, water
systems, pattern recognition, and the scientific method-within an
age-appropriate supernatural mystery. Themes include unlikely friendship,
identity, trust across differences, courage, and finding your voice when
adults won't listen.
Featuring diverse protagonists, quirky humor, spooky-but-fun scares, and strong female and male leads. ZOMBIE ZOO is ideal for reluctant readers and fans of Max Brallier's The Last Kids on Earth, B.B. Alston's Amari and the Night Brothers, and Goosebumps. Comprehensive educator resources-including discussion guides, vocabulary lists, STEAM extension activities, and printable maps-support classroom use, library programming, book clubs, and make this title ideal for cross-curricular lessons bridging ELA, STEAM, and SEL.
About the Author
Melanie Abed is a behavioral expert turned story weaver. She believes
dragons are real but hiding, and finds thunderstorms equally delightful and
terrifying. A tea-loving bookworm, she champions young minds and writes to
help kids discover their superpowers are real.
Contact Links
Instagram: @byMelanieAbed
Purchase Links
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Day 1: Frighteningly Delightful : The Countdown Has Begun! #countdowntoHalloween2026
I will be around sometime for a comment treat on your blogs too. If you want to join and see other Halloween enthusiast, go here to the OFFICIAL COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN BLOG
Happy Hauntings.
~Crypt Keeper, Michelle
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
ORANGE ALERT. It's Time! #Cryptopen #Halloween #CountdowntoHalloween2026
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| My Dad a few eons ago. He loved Halloween! |
Hey Crypt Keepers and Halloween enthusiast. BOO... (cackles)
I am back this year for a full month of HALLOWEEN. I have relocated to England temporarily and it will be fun to see how this country celebrates all things spooky(ish).
So, join me as I present books, games, music, and fun. If you have known me for a while, you know I do not like the gory part of Halloween but that doesn't mean I won't come see what you have in store.
Thanks to Dex once again for hosting us. Maybe someday I might want to come host again but, in the meantime, I will just hop along in our semi-daily to daily post. Let's go!
Thursday, September 24, 2026
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