Category Archives: Trick or Zombie Treat

The Reaper’s Maze and Other Halloween Treats

On my Substack, Time Zone Weird, I released my first subscriber-exclusive story, a horror novelette titled “The Reaper’s Maze.” The story follows five troublemaking teens who go trick-or-treating on Halloween night. At one house, a neighbor dressed as the Grim Reaper invites them to traverse a cornstalk maze in his backyard. Amid the twists and turns of the haunting maze, the teens discover the neighbor is more than he appears, and his Grim Reaper costume may not be a costume at all…

Continue reading

Visceral vs. Cerebral Horror

As a child I was terrified of horror movies and avoided watching them. Two of my favorite movies were Jurassic Park and Independence Day, and while they were not directly horror, there were certain scenes in each film that I had to close my eyes during because I was so terrified. (They were when the raptors popped out and when they showed the alien body in the Area 51 base). Though I avoided explicit horror, I enjoyed spooky movies and TV shows intended for children, such as Disney’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark?. I liked PG horror because it was merely spooky and creepy, not outright terrifying. The first true horror movie I remember seeing was Scream, which came out in 1996 when I was ten years old. Though that movie was meant to be somewhat comedic, the Ghostface mask nevertheless remained burned in my mind and gave me nightmares for months after.

Continue reading

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals 2020

For a limited time, discounted deals are available for several of my books.

Story Addict, my collection of 27 short stories will be on sale for $0.99 as an ebook from Black Friday through Cyber Monday (December 1).

A paperback version of Story Addict is now available for $14.99.

A paperback version of my humorous Halloween horror novel, Trick or Zombie Treat is also now available for $15.99.

Finally, Death by Self-Driving Car, my latest mini-collection of sci-fi short stories is on sale in ebook form for $0.99 from Black Friday through Cyber Monday.

The True Story of the Witch from Trick or Zombie Treat

kaniff-mill

If you read my Halloween-themed kids vs. monsters novel, Trick or Zombie Treat, then you might remember the character of the witch. Trick or treaters go to her house, and when they eat her “special” homemade candy, they magically transform into real-life versions of their costumes. What you may not know is that the character of the witch, Jane Kaniff, was based on a real person. Continue reading

Stranger Things and Trick or Zombie Treat

stranger-things-tzt

Like just about everyone else on the internet, I LOVED the new Netflix series, Stranger Things. It reminded me of some of my favorite movies from the 1980s like The Goonies, Stand By Me, E.T., AlienClose Encounters of The Third Kind, and more. The show was also heavily influenced by the books of Stephen King. Beyond that, there was another, more recent book that Stranger Things reminded me of: my own. Continue reading

Top 10 Movie Influences for Trick or Zombie Treat

The_Goonies

My novel Trick or Zombie Treat is difficult to categorize. It can be for middle grade readers, young adults, and adults. It has horror, comedy, science fiction, fantasy, action, adventure, and drama. The characters include ghosts, zombies, vampires, werewolves, dinosaurs, basketball players, pop singers, and more. Maybe the best way to give a feel for what my book is like is to list the movies that influenced it. So without further adieu… Continue reading

Trick or Zombie Treat: Excerpt 2

TZT-050518-MAIN

My new Halloween-themed novel, Trick or Zombie Treat is available on Amazon. You can always read a free sample of the beginning of the book there. But the story starts a bit slow, so I decided to post an excerpt from the middle of the book, once the action and horror has heated up. Continue reading

Trick or Zombie Treat: Excerpt

TZT-TZBarry050518

My Halloween-themed YA/horror/comedy/sci-fi/fantasy/action/adventure novel, Trick or Zombie Treat is now available on Amazon. It’s about five boys who go trick or treating on Halloween and magically turn into actual versions of their costumes. Read below for a sample of the first four chapters. Continue reading

TRICK OR ZOMBIE TREAT: A Humorous Halloween Horror Novel

TZT-050518-MAIN

Like many writers, I have a list of hundreds of half-baked ideas that I hope to one day turn into full-fledged stories. One such idea was kids on Halloween transforming into actual versions of their costumes. Last September, I decided to write it as a short story, hoping to finish in time for Halloween.

Cut to one year and 66,000 words later, and my short story is now a full-length novel. Continue reading