Books and... Video games?

Let’s take a break from discussing books and talk about video games! Since "Shiver and Fears" is on a break this year, I’ve created a new video segment on social media focused on playing video games. Sometimes, my friends and I come together to play a variety of online games. While we often play on Roblox, we explore other games as well.

One game we really enjoy is *TOGETHER*, which was introduced to us by the founder of J.U.S.T. Got Game. However, it’s not the only game in our lineup. We also play games like Scribbl.io, Gartic Phone, and Dress to Impress, among others. The tricky part is that we need to keep the content kid-friendly since we’re creating videos for a younger audience. Some members of our group struggle with maintaining a child-appropriate rating.

We recently finished a video where we tackled a maze of levels. Some levels required a lot of time and teamwork, while others were quite simple—we just made them more challenging for fun!

If you're a video gamer, check out the games we've played! And hey, don’t forget to leave a comment. I see a lot of views, but I’d love to hear from the audience as well. Share your thoughts, and we’ll respond—don’t worry! ✌✌

Last minute Blog

 Ok so we just got finished republishing all 7 Magical Times books. #8 is on it's way now. What's it about? A.J. and C.J. have to figure out why Ian's friends have deserted him. This series is getting really good. Magical Times isn't just about boys learning magical powers, it's also about learning life's twists and turns and how sometimes magic isn't the answer, but it can help.

For those of you who may not like thriller stories, which I hear alot, you might like a fantasy series instead!

New Year, New Book

I bet you're wondering why it's taken nearly 17 days to start the blog of 2025. Things have been runningon a complicated edge at the moment. Not in a bad way though.

So here's what the news is. Shiver and Fears is on a break, but monsters Boo, Bling Bing, and Nettspend are still at the go. Their creators seemed to have ditched them and now they don't have much of a place to be. A comic of Boo and his earlier friends have a comic that's been viewed over 100 times. Will Nettspend and Bling bing get a chance? Maybe not. I mean, they aren't given much attention from their creators, and I have other things to do.

Which comes to what is going on here with the books, Magical Times is making it's reappearance as a new book. Now, this is taking a lot of process, mostly because the manuscripts were lost. Luckily all were found and were ready for publishing. Then I had to create one cover template for each book to be published in.

 Then, after each book has gotten matched with it cover, now come the easy (but still complicated ) part. Working with a new publishing company is always hard to do. But it promises good things for these books. 

For example, My books are now being sold at Walmart! Now I've stated this before, but it was always a bit of luck that got them there. 

Now that i work with this new publishing area, they can get Magical Times books is locations a lot more noticable.

Now, let's talk about distributors. So it turns out there is a busy that wants my work in store, but the process will cost. Not much of a problem, BUT it'll take a lot of work to get it done. This means, merch will have to be processed, books will have to be collected, and promotions will have to be made.

So that's all that's been happening with books, let's talk about videos...

STOP!

I decided to save that for later, that's a whole other story to tell!

Shiver and Fears blog of 2024

For those of you following along with these blogs, you’re probably already aware of what’s been happening. You’ve seen the videos, the shorts, and the social media posts. But if I just left it at that, there wouldn’t really be a blog.

So, you might be wondering why there hasn’t been a blog until now. Well, let me fill you in: YouTube is the culprit! Not the most satisfying explanation, right? You see, YouTube has been mysteriously losing views ever since the decline of The Fairly OddParents. Live videos just haven’t been the same since. This situation led to a flurry of activities, including several live streams and a short film focusing on games.

But there’s more to the story! Have you heard of the new book, *Trapped in the Cursed Painting*? It’s finally published! 

I’m not exactly sure when the project kicked off, but December was all-consuming. One big reason it took so long? The cover illustration. That’s often the leading reason behind publishing delays. I helped create the cover, because let’s face it—AI isn’t always up to the task of capturing the right vision!

Once the cover was sorted out, it was time to dive into writing the book. It proved to be quite the challenge. The story centers around a girl interacting with a painting, but I hit a few snags. How can someone casually chat with a painting in a hotel? Why was she even there? And how did she stumble upon the painting? So many plot points to cover in just 20 chapters!

You’re probably curious about how the story unfolds. Well, you’ll just have to pick up a copy to find out!

This project took me all through December to complete, with the final touches happening just before December 20th. However, it didn’t officially hit the shelves until Christmas Day.

But that’s not all that’s been going on! We had only 20 Christmas cards to send out, yet over 70 people on our list. So, we spent the entire holiday season emailing, texting, and posting e-cards to everyone who didn’t receive a physical card.

Oh, and let’s not forget about one of the most important parts of Christmas: gift wrapping! I had to shop for 10 people while ensuring everything arrived on time. As we stand today, there’s just one last gift left. Will she ever get it? Probably not until next year... or, wait! That’s tomorrow!

Christmas always keeps the Shiver and Fears team busy! However, we’re about to hit pause for the upcoming year. Tomorrow, Shiver and Fears will take a break and transition to "Magical Times." These previously published books will be re-released with fresh covers, and exciting new titles are on the horizon.

Will there be a blog site dedicated to this? Not really. 

For now, I wish you all a Happy New Fear! It’s a phrase we fondly say each year. I hope you enjoy our books, stories, and posts! Don’t think we’ll be disappearing forever... We’ll see you next year!

Video and Photos This Season

So it's been adventure this November.

Let me explain this video. So very rarely, my friends and I play a round of JackBox. This is a small load of games to play on devices. There are a few to pick from. One we played was Quiplash. The best way for me to explain it is to imagine a game of Apples to Apples BUT everyone makes their own answers AND everyone gets points.

When it comes to this game, I keep my answers pretty simple. I'll have to show you how well these games go on YouTube... That is if the other players can calm down enough and not be so dirty with their choice of words.

Meanwhile, another thing that happened is the preparation for Christmas. I was working on a video on TikTok and made an interesting picture...

This is a re-creation of my book "A Creepier Christmas" This wasn't made for the books, BUT it looks pretty good! I do want to re-create a lot of Shiver and Fears covers. Some aren't good and with this new cover design, I want to go back and fix others. (Just a thought) Anyway, there's a lot getting done before the finish of 2024. And I got to get it done now. 

The new book was supposed to be done forever a go, but because of the search of an artist is so difficult, it may have to be delayed. But keep with us. You'll love it!

 

Youtube Bannings

My most popular video just got banned on Sunday afternoon. I don't know if you’ve seen it, but it was a fairly odd scene from "The Fairly OddParents" where Poof sees his parents for the first time. 

That video was my most popular upload ever, even more so than any trailers or Disney-related shorts. It’s the reason I gained 1,500 followers, but now it has been banned due to copyright issues. 

Isn't it crazy how long a video can be up before it gets blocked by YouTube? It had been available throughout the entire fall season, and only now has it had to be deleted. This situation seems even crazier than when I received a notice for using my own songs in my videos.

Who knows what will happen now that the video is gone? It was still getting tons of views, and I believe it contributed to the popularity of my other videos. With 1,500 followers, I'm sure there will be another video that they will like.

The Madeline video seems to be popular; it's consistently in the top three most-watched videos every day. However, I'm still trying to figure out the best time to post my videos. According to the information I’ve received, my peak viewing times are typically in the middle of the day and mostly on weekends.

Well, who knows what will happen to this blog now that the video is posted. But one thing is for sure, YouTube is very particular about what videos can be posted, Even when most of the time they don't catch it right away.

Share Your Scare

 Shiver and Fears always has something set for Halloween. This year we are giving a way a smart watch. This is the last chance to win this watch for this is our first gift given to give a way. I'm sure you are wondering how to enter this contest... WHY ARE YOU NOT VISITING MY WEBSITE???

Fine, fine. You want to know?

 First of all you have to take a picture of Halloween decor. That means a piece of decoration that represents Halloween. You can find this in a store, a neighborhood, or make it yourself. Film it or take a picture. 

Then you post the picture on your profile. This includes Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and Youtube. After you post it, you have to tag Shiver and Fears. If you don't, then I'll never be able to see it. 

That simple! Now there are a few do not rules. Like:

DO NOT repost a video made from another profile.

DO NOT use filters and Special effects

DO NOT post anything PG. (You know, ADULT EYES ONLY)

DO NOT post more than one entry.

Sound easy right? Because it is! And yes, If you win, you will receive a smartwatch. But remember, turn it in before Halloween night!! You got time!