What’s your most memorable Halloween experience?

My most memorable Halloween was growing up in the '90s, running from house to house with my trusty pumpkin pail in hand. The night always ended at my grandma’s house, where the porch light glowed warm and welcoming. She’d have a pot of her famous 'goblin stew' bubbling on the stove—homemade and magical, just like the night itself. It felt like stepping into a storybook every year.

Tell us why you would make it to the end of a horror movie.

I’d make it to the end of a horror movie by staying calm under pressure, using my graduate degree in psychology to outthink the killer, and relying on my extensive knowledge of horror tropes to avoid all the classic mistakes. I know when to run, when to hide, and—most importantly—never to say 'I’ll be right back.'

What would you do with the unlucky $13,000?

With the unlucky $13,000, I’d finally bring my spooky dream home to life—think antique candelabras, gothic wallpaper, shelves of oddities, and just the right amount of creaking floorboards. It would be a haunted haven worthy of year-round Halloween.

Who is your real-life hero who you would want to survive a horror movie with?

My real-life hero is my cat Princess—she lived to 20 and outlasted every creature of my childhood. If anyone could survive a horror movie with me, it’s her—nine lives and then some.