Book excerpt: Tabitha Peterson is doing her best to avoid taking life too seriously, and her punk aesthetic and unwillingness to settle down are proof that she's not interested in conforming to traditional idea of adulting. She's spent the last decade after dropping out of college hopping all over the US and now, back in her hometown, Tabitha is working as a barista and taking any job she can to pay the bills. When she notices that the Haunted Halloween Hike is auditioning for actors to spook unsuspecting patrons, Tabitha knows she's just the right person for the gig. The Haunted Halloween Hike at Ty Treadwell's Family Fun Park has been a treasured annual institution in small-town Cape Coral, FL for over thirty years. Every October, Donnie Treadwell dusts off his swamp creature costume to spook hikers in the woods behind his uncles' kitschy theme park, just like he's done ever since he was a teenager. Donnie loves everything to do with horror, and for him, every day is Halloween. Unfortunately, his obsession with collecting creepy memorabilia and constructing spooky costumes sometimes makes him feel isolated in his small town. When lively Tabitha Peterson applies to work the Haunted Hike, Donnie is relieved to finally find someone to share his enthusiasm for all things Halloween. Tabitha is also surprised to be taken by such a normal guy like Donnie, and they become fast friends as they enthusiastically share their scary fandoms. With every night of scaring hikers in the haunted woods behind Ty Treadwell's, Tabitha and Donnie grow a little bit closer and a little more infatuated with one another. It's all Halloween fun and games until Donnie's uncle announces that he'll be selling Ty Treadwell's to an investor if Donnie isn't interested in taking over the reins. With the realization that this will be the last year for the Halloween Hike, Donnie decides that it's time for him to grow up and face his fears. If Donnie can't admit his feelings for Tabitha and take the plunge and accept his uncle's business proposal, he'll lose out on the one thing he loves more than Halloween.