Unmasking Hidden Horrors
Sunvalley High looks typical—rows of lockers, fluorescent lighting, and students who shuffle from class to class. Some folks say there’s a sense of unease in the hallways. Others dismiss it as teenage imagination. Jake, Max, and Nat feel the strange vibe. They’re curious and share a suspicion that something dark lurks behind the school’s squeaky-clean image. Teachers hand out homework, the cafeteria serves lukewarm lunches, and Principal Pickering strides around with a polite grin. Yet there’s an unspoken tension in the air that you could cut with a plastic knife.
Those three friends listen closely to rumors about shadowy shapes skittering in off-limits wings. They spot the odd flicker of light where none should be. They hear the hush of secret meetings that end abruptly when they pass by. People label them paranoid…they sense they’re onto something. Principal Pickering’s watchful eyes track their every move. Maybe she’s just a dedicated administrator. Maybe she’s more.
Friends in Odd Places
Jake, Max, and Nat aren’t alone. Irvin Ajax—a wild and possibly unhinged occult specialist—jumps into the fray. He slouches around with a scuffed-up coat, dusty books under each arm, and a tendency to speak in half-finished sentences. He grins whenever strange happenings occur. He cracks jokes about spirits swirling in the next dimension. He’s also convinced Lilith, a demon goddess, waits for her chance to cross into our realm.
Principal Pickering’s scheme involves a ceremony bound by ancient symbols, but the details remain murky. Irvin has guessed the big picture: there’s a summoning in progress. That’s a serious matter. Lilith isn’t a mild inconvenience—she’s a primordial force who thrives on chaos. The group races against ticking cosmic gears. Their journey takes them through the school’s locked corridors, the dusty records room, and even the creepy basement where old textbooks gather mold. Every step pulses with the energy of a place preparing to rip open a door best left shut.
A Daring Mission with Surprising Laughter
Witches Gotta Burn! by Rev. Carpenter roars along at full speed—one moment comedic, the next terrifying. Readers witness bungled incantations followed by heart-stopping encounters with eerie apparitions. Jake, Max, and Nat rely on each other’s strengths. Max’s wit keeps morale high. Jake’s unwavering courage pushes them forward. Nat’s precise instincts catch hidden traps. Their synergy feels like a balancing act between genuine fear and clever banter.
Principal Pickering’s unwavering smile hides a dangerous intention. She aligns each phase of the ritual with cunning efficiency—candles placed in exact positions, cryptic runes chiseled into locked rooms, and hush-hush ceremonies that tighten her grip on the school. Irvin deciphers the coded texts. He rifles through references from the Dark Ages. He consults star charts that reveal alignment patterns. He does it all while muttering about mystical energy flows and sipping suspicious potions. The results are epic. The group battles illusions, contends with supernatural beasts, and uncovers wards that fracture around them.
Humor threads through the fear. The characters refuse to cower in a corner. They meet every scare with a wisecrack or a courageous act. It’s a frantic ride that swings between funny and horrifying. Imagine the tension as someone chases a floating tome across a dimly lit library. Picture the silly arguments erupting over who reads a forbidden incantation first. The comedic sparks give readers that momentary relief before the next jolt hits.
The Visionary Behind the Scenes
Rev. Carpenter—a dedicated author and filmmaker—crafted this explosive tale. He spent years writing and directing films, discovering how difficult it can be to secure funding or finalize greenlights. He switched gears. Two years ago, he started adapting his unproduced screenplays into novels. It’s easier to tap into unlimited imagination when only a laptop is involved. He doesn’t wait for boards of producers or committees to approve each concept. He just creates.
Witches Gotta Burn! is his second published novel, following The Invisible Order of Immortal Nobodies. Both form part of the Immortal Nobodies saga, which follows characters determined to protect humanity’s equilibrium. The third installment promises further exploits across various times and places, each featuring individuals who rise against the spread of evil. Rev. Carpenter’s style blends offbeat humor, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and a dash of metaphysical insight. He loves a good supernatural showdown, but he also champions a laugh when danger feels too crushing.
He invites readers to join a realm that shatters the line between normal life and an undercurrent of unfathomable powers. The stakes are massive. A demon goddess is on the verge of crossing over. Three teenagers, along with one bizarre mentor, hold the key to stopping it all. They can’t fail. They may panic. They may make jokes to quell the dread.
Witches Gotta Burn! (ISBN: 979-8-89691-747-2) arrives as a relentless whirlwind of magic, comedy, and courage—and there’s more to come. The Immortal Nobodies saga marches forward. Lilith’s shadow grows, but these scrappy heroes won’t surrender. They unleash everything in their arsenal: spells, bravado, and unshakable loyalty. Readers can buckle up. There’s a ride ahead that might send hearts racing and faces laughing…sometimes at the same moment.
We had the privilege of interviewing the Filmmaker and Author, Rev. Carpenter. Here are excerpts from the interview:
Thank you so much for joining us today! Please introduce yourself and tell us what you do.
My name’s Rev. Carpenter. I’m an author and filmmaker. After many years of writing and directing screenplays and having a stack of screenplays waiting to get made, I decided to make them into novels as it’s a quicker and reasonably easier process. The Invisible Order of Immortal Nobodies and WITCHES GOTTA BURN! are just the first two of many. The first two are also a series of a third book I’m working on now, which involves the stories of the Immortal Nobodies across different times and places but all with the same underlying mission: to combat evil forces and restore balance to humanity.
Please tell us about your journey.
I started writing and directing films about 14 years ago and have experienced a pretty successful career doing so, but getting films budgeted and greenlit takes many years, so about two years ago, I decided to start turning my film ideas into novels as I don’t have to rely on big budgets and hundreds of people to do so, it’s just me and my laptop. Because of this, I now have a constant creative outlet where I can see my films come to life, though it’s now just the reader who’s participating in the creation of the worlds, which is actually more powerful, in my opinion.
What are the strategies that helped you become successful in your journey?
As a screenplay writer and film director, I spent over a decade studying the art of storytelling, and the structure and components that have to go into a story to make it resonate and meaningful. But above all, I’ve been a student of metaphysics and symbology for as long as I can remember, which has helped me incorporate much deeper aspects to my stories, often talking about many theological and philosophical themes.
Any message for our readers
I wrote WITCHES GOTTA BURN! to give the middle finger to all the modern-day institutions trying to make good to be evil and evil to be good. It’s a crazy ride told through the eyes of an eclectic group of individuals who aren’t afraid to stand up to what’s right and fight the forces of evil no matter how powerful and outnumbered they may seem.
Thank you so much, Rev. Carpenter, for giving us your precious time! We wish you all the best for your journey ahead!
