R.L. Stine Series Debuts Online and On Shelves

Posted on July 31, 2000

Parachute Publishing and HarperCollins Children's Books have joined forces to present the first new series in six years from children's horror author, R.L. Stine. The Nightmare Room, the new series, is both a book series and online experience. The website for the new series designed by Headbone Interactive, will be an interactive site where readers will be able to interact with each other and the author. Each week kids will be able to read a new weekly installment of, Dead of Night, written by R.L. Stine exclusively for the website.

``The Nightmare Room takes my work to another level,'' said Stine. ``The stories are more personal, more real. And the Website give me a way to get closer to my readers than ever before.''

The launch of the program begins with nightmareroom.com going live on August 1, 2000. The first two books: The Nightmare Room No.1: Don't Forget Me (Avon Paperbacks; $3.99; Ages 10 up) and The Nightmare Room NO. 2: Locker 13 (Avon Paperbacks; $3.99; Ages 10 up) will follow in September 2000. Ten titles are schedule to be published bi-monthly thereafter.

Available only on the Web, the original story Dead of Night, by R.L. Stine, will be published in 13 weekly installments leading up to the grand finale to be published on Halloween. The website will also have exclusive monthly chat sessions with Stine, information on each edition of The Nightmare Room and sample chapters. Young readers will have an opportunity to exchange ideas on the series, play games, visit bulletin boards, email newsletters, write and post their own stories through chat rooms.