Kampung Kreepy

... a happy and safe Halloween!

Being a writer, I was drawn to the 2026 horror movie Hokum because it revolves around an author. Another bonus is that it stars Adam Scott. I’m fond of Adam Scott in the same way I’m fond of Paul Rudd—they seem like such normal and relatable guys. Scott could be my neighbor or that co-worker who plays pickleball with the boss.  In the movie, Scott’s Ohm Bauman is a successful, but also bitter and hard-drinking, novelist. One reason for his unhappiness may be that he’s haunted by the death of his mother, who died when he was young. He decides to travel to a remote place in Ireland where his parents honeymooned and were happy to scatter their ashes. When he arrives, he overhears the hotel owner telling two kids the story of the local witch. Later, the hotel staff tell Bauman there is a witch in the honeymoon suite. It’s always locked so she can’t escape.  One of the staff goes missing during Bauman’s stay. After the hotel closes for the season, he breaks in with a friend who’s ...

Joss Paper , my collection of horror short stories, will be part of Terrify Your Tablet Oct. 17. This annual one-day event hosted by Horrorsmith Publishing offers a wide selection of dark fantasy, thriller and horror ebooks for free or $0.99.  Don't miss out on the chance to get some scary reads for Halloween! Joss Paper will be free from Oct. 16 through Oct. 18. Click here to check the book out on Amazon. These tales of terror are set in the U.S. and Southeast Asia, featuring creatures from Asian folklore that I grew up with. You’ll meet the toyol , the zombie baby from Southeast Asian myth. One story revolves around the Asian tsunami of Dec. 26, 2004, which was a devastating and horrific disaster that killed almost 228,000 people in 14 countries.  The collection is for you if you like unsettling stories that will creep you out rather than full gore or slasher stuff.  If you do pick up a free copy of Joss Paper , I hope you can leave a review or rating, especially if...

I just watched Pride and Prejudice and Zombies , and enjoyed it much more the second time around.  To be clear, I am a Jane Austen fan. I love her writing and her wit, and I’ve read every one of her six finished novels. I’ve even read the book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies . The movie is based on Seth Grahame-Smith’s 2009 novel parodying Austen’s masterpiece with the addition of the living dead. I enjoyed the book and found it funny and respectful of the original work. I first watched the movie shortly after its release in 2016. At that time, I may have been subconsciously comparing it with prior serious adaptations of Austen’s book. (I like Colin Firth’s Darcy in the 1995 BBC TV series slightly more than Matthew Macfadyen’s version in the 2005 movie also starring Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet.) I must have gotten over my hang-ups when I watched Pride and Prejudice and Zombies for the second time. I could focus on the film as a work in itself, zombies and all. And I foun...

I’m excited to announce the release of The Geomancer’s Apprentice Complete Series box set. This includes all five ebooks in the series, in one handy collection.  For those of you who haven’t read the series, what better way to gear up for Halloween? The books are chock-full of ghosts and monsters, plus fast-paced action and adventure.  If you do buy the collection or read it on Kindle Unlimited, I hope you can leave a review, especially if you enjoyed it! This collection is a separate product from the individual books. Every review or rating on Amazon or another platform helps the box set to gain more visibility and find new readers.  Click here to check out the box set on Amazon. Blurb: Grab the complete Geomancer’s Apprentice series in this box set and dive into a mystical world where monsters are real, and a struggling feng shui consultant and an ex-barista finally find their true calling.  Who knew feng shui would be this dangerous? Junie Soong reaches a new l...

Since discovering an American persimmon tree right in my backyard, I’ve also stumbled upon a delightful piece of Appalachian folklore with which some of you may be familiar.  Did you know a locally grown American persimmon can predict winter weather in your area? The fruit has to be from a local tree so as to mirror local conditions. Cut open a ripe fruit (when it gets soft and mushy) and take out one of its seeds. Slice the seed lengthwise, exposing its white kernel. According to the lore, the kernel’s shape tells you what to expect for winter. If the kernel is shaped like a:     • fork: winter will be mild with light snow     • spoon: expect heavy wet snows where you’ll need your shovel     • knife: winter will be bitterly cold and icy with a biting wind You may want to examine the seeds from the fruit of at least three different trees for more accuracy.  My persimmons aren’t ripe yet, but I’ll certainly be putting the lore to the test. 😄