Countdown to Halloween 2026 Day 25: The Rocking Chair by Edgar J. Hyde

I think The Rocking Chair has to be one of my favorite books in the Creepers series. The fourteenth book finds Isaac Noel seeing a mysterious old man in a rocking chair on the front porch of the house across the street. He starts showing the kid headlines of disasters that are about to happen in Greensville. The old man eventually introduces himself as a ghost named Leon (a hint of who he really is) and says that he used to be the editor of the local newspaper. He tells Isaac that the ghost of the town founder, Ronald Greensville, is behind the disasters. It's up to the boy to help stop him.

Plenty of creepy scenes with a great twist ending (unless you figure out the early clue, which I did). One of the better books in the series and highly recommended.

Note: This book includes the first chapter of Soul Harvest by Edger J. Hyde, which is the thirteenth book in the Creepers series (yes, that's the previous book).

Front Cover of The Rocking Chair by Edgar J. Hyde

Back Cover of The Rocking Chair by Edgar J. Hyde

Countdown to Halloween 2026 Day 23: The Wishing Well by Edgar J. Hyde

The local Dollar Tree had three more books in the Creepers series a few weeks. I bought the first ten last year and posted about them then. The Wishing Well by Edgar J. Hyde is the eleventh book in the series. Aiden Walker and his parents just moved to the Waterwheel Farm. Already, he feels like an outsider, and he feels worse when he gets bullied on the first day at his new school. He finds a like-new well on the new farm and starts wishing ill on his tormentors. Bad things start happening to the bullies. Only Aiden can see the like-new well since others like his new friend, Jacob, and his parents only see an old well.

Before long, the vengeful ghost of a long dead witch named Spite reveals herself to Aiden. She has the ability to control water and ice. She wants revenge on the town that put her in the well. It's up to Aiden and his new older friend, Stephen, to stop her.

Fast paced with some good moments. There were some spelling and grammar errors, which makes me wonder if there was a proofreader. I still highly recommend reading it and gave it an A- overall.

Front Cover of The Wishing Well by Edgar J. Hyde

Back Cover of The Wishing Well by Edgar J. Hyde

Countdown to Halloween 2026 Day 22: Ghost Face Punch and Spooky D Mystery Flavor

Fanta celebrated the 30th anniversary of the original Scream movie this Halloween season by releasing Ghost Face Punch as part of their Haunted Universe. I picked up a couple of bottles at the local Dollar General. I enjoyed the mixed berry flavor but not enough to buy a case of the cans. I didn't pick up any of the other flavors in the Fanta's Haunted Universe series because the only one I could find was cases of the Orange Fanta with the jack-o-lantern scarecrow cans.

Fanta Ghost Face Punch Bottle Label

Sunny D came out with Spooky D Mystery Flavor this year. It was available in big jugs and mini bottles. I got a case of the mini bottles at the local Walmart's because they didn't stock the big jugs. To me, the mystery flavor tastes like Starbursts, which was okay the first few bottles. I like the cute ghost and haunted house on the label.

Spooky D Mystery Flavor Mini Bottle Label

Spooky D Mystery Flavor Mini Bottle

Countdown to Halloween 2026 Day 21: Elvira Enjoys Monster Cereals

It's Women Wednesday again and here are three ai images of Elvira enjoying bowls of monster cereals while wearing costumes inspired by them. I can't remember which Facebook group I got them from (I think they were in a couple of the Elvira ones). If you want credit, then make a comment.

First up, the Mistress of the Dark is enjoying Boo Berry while dressing up as the ghost:

Elvira Enjoying Boo Berry Cereal

Here's Elvira eating Count Chocula cereal while wearing a dress inspired by the chocolate-craving vampire (this one is my favorite):

Elvira Enjoying Count Chocula Cereal

Finally, here's Elvira enjoying Franken Berry while wearing a dress inspired by the monster:

Elvira Enjoying Franken Berry Cereal

Countdown to Halloween 2026 Day 16: Jim Henson's Boo Berry 2026

General Mills brought back the collaboration with Jim Henson for this year's monster cereals (yep, they are Muppets again). The Jim Henson's Boo Berry was actually the last one I picked up at the local Walmart's last month.

Front of Jim Henson's Boo Berry Cereal Box from General Mills

The back of the box has a Monster Maker where you can create your own Boo Berry Muppet (yeah, you have to cut the pieces out).

Back of Jim Henson's Boo Berry Cereal Box from General Mills

Sadly, there is still no toy prize inside the box.

Countdown to Halloween 2026 Day 8: Eternally Yours

Eternally Yours is a new CBS tv series that premieres Thursday, October 8. The sitcom follows a vampire couple that has been married for five hundred years struggling to accept their daughter's human boyfriend. Since I'm a big fan of Ghosts, I will be watching this tonight.

Ad for Eternally Yours on CBS

 

Monster Monday: The Deadman #1

DC Comics released The Deadman last week. Here is the official summary:

"The Deadman enters the Next Level! In the millisecond following his murder, the soul of shifty circus aerialist Boston Brand was commandeered by the goddess Rama Kushna, who deputized the erstwhile performer’s ghost with a sacred spectral assignment: the Custodian of All Souls! Now Brand floats — begrudgingly — through this bluegreen purgatory we call Earth, upholding the Laws of Spiritual Math and protecting humanity from evil — even if they can’t see or hear him. Open up to this new era of DC’s most lively deceased superhero — the Deadman — in a story about life, death, and everything in between… replete with paranormal activity, possessions, and a profusion of other poignant peculiarities."

Cover of The Deadman #1 from DC Comics

Monster Monday: Megaghost Volume 2 #2

Dark Horse Comics and Albatross Funnybooks released Megaghost volume 2 #2 last week. Here is the official summary:

"A perfect sunny afternoon turns into a nightmare of endless night when the sinister supervillain ultraghoul invites some special guests to visit the haunted hamlet of Dunwich Heights: nosferatons, space vampires from the Dark Side of the Moon! These sci-fi fiends are out to conquer the world, and only junior occultist martin magus and the supernatural giant robot megaghost can stop them… if the intergalactic vampire bat kaiju Drakulaar doesn’t suck them dry first! And how are teen occult detective Joanna Dee and the nefarious nethergods connected to all of this?"

Cover of Megaghost Volume 2 #2 from Dark Horse Comics and Albatross Funnybooks

Monster Monday: Hellboy in Love: Black Eyes One-Shot

Dark Horse Comics released Hellboy in Love: Black Eyes one-shot last week. The cover is by Alex Nieto and the script is by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden. Here is the official summary:

"A cozy visit with retired B.P.R.D agents Archie and Margaret takes a chilly turn when Hellboy and Anastasia investigate the local ghost, whose once only legendary wails have been disturbing their quaint village with more and more urgency."

Cover of Hellboy in Love: Black Eyes One-Shot from Dark Horse Comics

Monster Monday: Estuary: A Ghost Story

Oni Press released Estuary: A Ghost Story last week. I could have posted this yesterday as a Supernatural Sunday. Here is the official summary:

"Atop a rocky cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean sits the Mission at Arbues Point, a 400-year-old Spanish mission made infamous as one of California’s oldest and most haunted historical sites. But beneath its crumbling, tourist-trap facade, a reclusive nun has spent decades within the Mission’s walls, honing her prayers and practice in pursuit of a secret long-buried beneath the majesty of the chapel, and under the dark waves of the tidal estuary below. When marine archaeologist Maris Cristobal accepts the nun’s offer to begun excavating a fabled shipwreck lying in wait beneath the Mission’s turbulent waters, she’ll soon discover that the sins of past and present are about to wash together into a harrowing surge of a vengeance that can no longer be contained..."

Cover of Estuary: A Ghost Story from Oni Press

Monster Monday: MegaGhost Volume 2 #1

Dark Horse Comics and Albatross Funnybooks released MegaGhost volume 2 #1 last week. This is the first issue in a four-part mini-series. Here is the official summary:

"Young scholar of the strange Martin Magus and the supernatural giant robot MegaGhost defend the city of Dunwich Heights against the threat of the Occult Kaiju. But a new menace looms, for the sinister necromancer known as Ultraghoul has made a deal with the Nethergods, dark powers from another dimension, to give him the power to defeat his arcane archenemy for once and for all!"

Cover of MegaGhost Volume 2 #1 from Dark Horse Comics and Albatross Funnybooks

Countdown to Halloween 2025 Day 27: Monster Cereals 2025

This year's Monster Cereals celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Jim Henson's Company by having the trio looking like Muppets. Our local Walmart's actually had some family size boxes stocked in early September then received a whole pallet of them in early October. I didn't grab any of the early ones because it was just too soon for me. I did grab all three Monster Cereals, but I have only finished Count Chocula and Franken Berry. I'm about halfway through Boo Berry. The back of the boxes features various Muppet monsters and can be connected together to make one large piece.

Front of Monster Cereals 2025 Boxes

Front of Count Chocula 2025 Box

Front of Franken Berry 2025 Box

Backs of Count Chocula and Franken Berry 2025 Boxes

Countdown to Halloween 2025 Day 17: Mirror, Mirror by Edgar J. Hyde

Mirror, Mirror is the tenth and final stand alone book in the Creepers series. The Molina family finds an antique mirror for their new home when seven-year-old Sophie finds an old wind-up music box with a dancing ballerina that she must have. Her parents are quick to cave in while her older sisters, Maya and Dani, could care less. The store owner tells them that the mirror and music box both came from the same estate. Later at home, Sophie plays the music box and soon sees a young ghost named Sara in the mirror. She tells her sisters, who don't believe her until they also see the ghost. Their mother's sister, Camila, comes for a visit and brings them a puppy, which Sophie names Sweetie. She has to watch the three girls while their parents attend a fundraiser. Sweetie goes missing and ends up with Sara in the mirror. It's up to Maya and Dani to uncover the ghost's past and set things right. This is more of a sad book than a scary one for me. I found myself wanting to see what happens next. Overall, I give this an A+ and highly recommend it if you enjoy sad ghost stories. Includes the first two chapters of Doctor Death.

Front Cover of Mirror, Mirror by Edgar J. Hyde

Back Cover of Mirror, Mirror by Edgar J. Hyde

Countdown to Halloween 2025 Day 12: The Gravedigger by Edgar J. Hyde

The sixth stand alone book in the Creepers series is The Gravedigger by Edgar J. Hyde. The Price family includes father Andrew, son Jamie and daughter Paula. Their ghostly friends include Count Vania, who faints at the sight of blood, and Wolfie, a werewolf that's afraid of his own reflection. Their other ghostly friends include Mummy, who trips over his own bandages, and Lex Killon, a headless ghost that was on the Titanic that spits out saltwater when he tries to talk. The Price family and the ghosts recently moved to a house in the center of a graveyard. Ebenezer Krim is the graveyard gardener that planned on buying the house. He pays a visit and accuses Paula of knocking over twenty-three gravestones the night before. She lets it slip that it was actually Mummy that did it. Krim teams up with a sinister ghost named the Gravedigger, who was a former employee of the graveyard. I thought the friendly four ghosts was going make this a silly book. Instead, it was actually good with a nice mix of humor and scares. My only complaint was that it was too short at 104 pages. Overall, I give it an A-.

Front Cover of The Gravedigger by Edgar J. Hyde

Back Cover of The Gravedigger by Edgar J. Hyde

Countdown to Halloween 2025 Day 11: Ghost Writer by Edgar J. Hyde

Ghost Writer by Edgar J. Hyde is the fifth book in the Creepers series. Charlie, Kate and Neil are teens that move into a haunted house with their parents. Charlie is writing stories for the school paper when he notices additional writing in his notebook. He also starts having a recurring dream about dying in a bricked-up room. Charlie is the first to see the ghost before his younger siblings also see him. The trio starts investigating past deaths and disappearances, which leads to a murderer that is a demonic cult leader. Very scary moments in this one and the best book in the series so far. Overall, I give it an A+ and highly recommend it.

Front Cover of Ghost Writer by Edgar J. Hyde

Back Cover of Ghost Writer by Edgar J. Hyde

Countdown to Halloween 2025 Day 10: The Golden Goblet by Edgar J. Hyde

Mixing humor with ghosts, demons and witches, The Golden Goblet by Edgar J. Hyde is the fourth book in the Creepers series. Shona MacDonnell is a thirteen-year-old girl born in Scotland but lives in Washington, D.C. with her parents. Granny MacDonnell is her grandmother that still lives in Scotland and visits Shona in her dreams. Granny informs her in a dream that she is dying after suffering from a stroke. Shona is introduced to good ghosts and demons before finding out that she is next in line to be the clan's witch. She is told about the Golden Goblet and the Secret Memory contained within it. The family moves to Scotland due to her dad's job and to be closer to Granny. Shona then meets the bad ghosts and demons in a dream. They tell her of their plans for the Golden Goblet and how their descendant is going to use to rule the world. The second half of the book is better than the first. I give it a solid B mostly because Edgar J. Hyde is mentioned in the Epilogue.

Front Cover of The Golden Goblet by Edgar J. Hyde

Back Cover of The Golden Goblet by Edgar J. Hyde

Countdown to Halloween 2025 Day 9: Pen Pals by Edgar J. Hyde

The third book in the Creepers series is Pen Pals by Edgar J. Hyde. Olivia, Natasha, Marcie and Ellis are four teen friends. Strange things starts happening when Olivia gets a note passed to her and Ellis starts distancing herself from the others. A ghost girl from the early 1800s shows herself to Olivia and tries to warn her of danger. There is a nice scene involving the girls attending a Halloween costume party. A short read at 104 pages with some interesting scares. However, the ending felt rushed to me. Overall, I still give this young adult horror book a B+. Includes the first chapter of The Piano.

Front Cover of Pen Pals by Edgar J. Hyde

Back Cover of Pen Pals by Edgar J. Hyde

Countdown to Halloween 2025 Day 7: Stage Fright by Edgar J. Hyde

The second stand alone book in the Creepers series is Stage Fright . There are some really scary parts as three teen girls (Jo, Melissa and Jenny) uncover the mysterious secret about the school play in which the trio are playing three evil witches. Luckily for them, they also have some help from the play writer's ghost. Overall, I give this one a A- and highly recommend it.

Front Cover of Stage Fright by Edgar J. Hyde

Back Cover of Stage Fright by Edgar J. Hyde

Countdown to Halloween 2025 Day 6: The Piano by Edgar J. Hyde

I picked up ten books of the Creepers series by Edgar J. Hyde at the local Dollar Tree last month. Each stand alone book was $1.25 and are 125 pages long. The first book of the series is The Piano, which I read last night since it was a quick read. The story is basically about a family of four buying a possessed piano. This was more suspenseful than scary, but I still had fun reading it. Overall, I gave it a B+ for the ending alone.

Front Cover of The Piano by Edgar J. Hyde

Back Cover of The Piano by Edgar J. Hyde

Women Wednesday: Zatanna #1 and #2

Zatanna #1 came out last month and #2 came out today. I decided to read both of them today and they are both pretty good. The first issue introduces us to some of her crew for her new magic show including Adam. The ghost of the actress known only as the Lady White is also introduced.

Cover of Zatanna #1 from DC Comics

Showtime from Zatanna #1 from DC Comics

The cover of Zatanna shows her with Blue Devil, who also appears inside along with Bobo the Detective Chimp and Madame Xanadu. We also find out that the Lady White and the being known as Adam has ties to Brother Night. I can't wait to read the next issue to see where this series goes.

Cover of Zatanna #2 from DC Comics