In the Bannerman household (yes, that is my name... kind of), there was no TV, radio, or phone conversations. Luckily, as the youngest, it did not affect me much. In fact, it did not affect me at all. My brothers and sister, who were teenagers, surely felt it was a bigger deal, given the top-secret transistor radio and the 45-record player hidden under my sister’s bed so she could listen to Shaun Cassidy records. She would force me to watch her giggle and swoon over him. Ugh, that hair.

I was complicit but sneaking around to watch Benny Hill did not do much for me. My brothers and sister thought it was hilarious. TV did not mean anything to me until I started going to my friend Robert Taylor’s house down the street on Beaver Street. Yes, I grew up on Beaver Street, and I have heard all the jokes.

Robert’s mother did not care if we watched TV, so we stayed up late. That is when my life changed—Comedy Court, baby! How do two hours of The Three Stooges change one’s life? Stick with me; we are just in the beginning. There are lots of words left, so follow your guide. Trust me, you do not want to get lost in these halls.

After the Stooges, they showed Classic Universal Monster movies: Frankenstein, The Wolfman, The Mummy, and The Invisible Man. Dude, it was like the first time I heard The Beatles. It was monumental, and many years later, here I am writing horror books. I am known for writing extreme theological horror, often described as psychological torture. Nothing in my main body of work is meant for the faint-hearted, especially not children.

Today, kids are spoiled with CGI and do not know what it is like to be truly scared. They start with The Evil Dead. Our generation? We were lucky if our parents let us watch The Great Pumpkin. The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock fueled my imagination, along with my best friends, the Universal Monsters.

I wanted to write something for a younger audience—something a few steps above Goosebumps and a few steps below Scream. I aim to do it in true Bannerman fashion. Named after a Slayer song, we join thirteen paranormal investigators in Iowa. This is a ghost story unlike any you have read, tinged with theological fear and a dead-end twist you will never forget.

Spooky Books Titles now available

Boston https://horrorink.square.site/product/boston-bannerman-ya-readers-13-audio/39?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false   In "Boston," a reporter sets out to uncover the secret recipes behind a famous deli in Boston that keeps lines out the door. What begins as a simple investigation quickly turns bizarre when he encounters a gum-smacking receptionist, who seems more like a clown, and a bunch of men with the same last name. Despite his best efforts, the reporter finds no records of the recipes. As he delves deeper, the true nature of the deli's secret starts to emerge, putting him in grave danger. If he’s not careful, he might end up "on the road" in a way he never expected. This puzzling short story by acclaimed horror author Jake Bannerman is the first installment in the "Sick Cities" collection, written for young adult readers aged 13 and up. With his trademark Dead End Twist, Bannerman will keep readers guessing until the end. (short story available in ebook or audio )

Ghost of Salem https://horrorink.square.site/product/ghost-of-salem-digital-ebook/46?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false

"The Ghost of Salem" is a riveting paranormal thriller set in the eerie town of Salem, where history and the supernatural intertwine. The story follows Todd, a skeptical journalist, who joins a ghost hunt led by The Ghost Geeks, a group of local paranormal investigators who recently skyrocketed to fame with a Netflix deal.

Todd, despite his disbelief in the supernatural, is drawn into the investigation by the promise of a good story. He finds himself in a decrepit, century-old house, two towns over from his office, with a distasteful expression as he navigates through rooms filled with the stale scent of dust and mildew.

The ghost hunters lead the way through dark hallways and rooms with their flashlights, calling out to the spirits they claim haunt the residence. The atmosphere in the basement, with its creaky, warped wooden stairs, feels like a scene straight out of a John Carpenter film.

As they turn a corner, the hunters' gadgets suddenly go haywire. Todd watches in stunned silence as a shadowy figure crosses the threshold of a distant room in the basement. Acting on impulse, he pulls out a hidden .22 and fires at the apparition. The scream that follows is otherworldly, echoing eerily before the "ghost" hits the ground with a thump.