Happy Summer-ween! We might be a little late to this celebration but just go with it… because Meghan and Stacy are back and joined by Matt Gilbert – an author, movie nerd, and lover of all things spooky. Matt’s new junior novelization of Stranger Things’ first season just released at the beginning of the month and we loved getting to chat with him about that and the other tie-in books he’s published, including Hawkins Horrors: A Collection of Terrifying Tales and the Hawkins Middle School/Hawkins High School Yearbook. Our conversation covers how Matt got started writing licensed television tie-in books for several well-loved franchises (starting with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), the joys and challenges of his writing process, the resurgence of novelizations and how they can be instrumental in encouraging kids to read, and the concept of gateway horror. Matt and Stacy seriously nerd out over movies and snacks, and of course we dig into Matt’s thoughts on Stranger Things, including his hopes and predictions for season 5. Please consider supporting our show at https://www.patreon.com/skullrockbroadcast