CHICAGO (CBS)– A writer who’s been scaring young children for twenty years, is now trying to terrify adults with his latest novel. WBBM’s Regine Schlesinger reports.

R.L. Stine the author of the Goosebumps series has been called the Stephen King of children’s literature. He said his writing started with joke books and then one day his editor asked him to write a scary story for kids.

“It was a number one bestseller. I said wait a minute I’ve never gotten close to a best seller before. I said wait what’s going on. I did a second one, another best seller. I realized I stumbled on something kids liked. They liked to be scared,” he explained.

Since then Stine has written anywhere from 6 to 12 books per year, for two decades, in a series called Goosebumps.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Regine Schlesinger Reports

Stine said, “That word is perfect for what I want to do. I didn’t really want to scare little kids that badly. I wanted something that was scary and funny at the same time. It’s also a funny word.”

Now like Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, Stine has written a book for adults, a horror novel called Red Rain.

“My readers have grown up, the original readers. And I thought I’d try to grow up with them.”

Stine described Red Rain as an old fashioned horror story.

“Horror novels are a way for adults to relive their childhood fears. And reading horror is sort of a way to be a child again,” he said.

Author R.L. Stine is still giving goosebumps to children and now adults.