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Book Review: A Prisoner of Dreamland and Other Oneiric Terrors by Garrett Boatman

Title: A Prisoner of Dreamland and Other Oneiric Terrors

Author: Garrett Boatman

Release date: Unsure – though up for Preorder on Weird House Press’ website

*Huge thank to Garrett for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*

I’m a huge fan of everything that Weird House Press releases; phenomenal books with amazing art to a rabid fanbase of readers. It is very cool to see them stay the course, with limited signed editions and all that jazz. Saying that, much like Severed Press, I’ve found them to be frustrating for readers in that you never really know an actual release date, nor does the book get loaded onto Goodreads in advance, etc. etc. The stuff readers long to know, are rarely delivered well in advance, or in a timely manner, and I’ve often wondered if that shoots these releases in the foot.

I digress.

What I will say, is that hot off the heels of devouring Jason Parent’s fantastic collection from Weird Press last year, when Garrett reached out to me about this one, I jumped all over it. For those who don’t know, Garrett is the author of ‘Stage Fright,’ a prominent Paperback From Hell, and the ‘Floaters’ zombie novel, which I’ve seen people rave about.

Wanting to dive into this, I waited until I was flying out to a convention, where I devoured it (and coincidentally, a new Jason Parent collection) on the flight there.

What I liked: With every story within jumping off from dreams and how they play a pivotal role within, I was worried that the stories would begin to feel far too similar, too repetitive over and over, but thankfully, Boatman gives us enough variation to make the order of them flow smoothly and enjoyably.

No matter the length, some ranging from a dozen pages, up to a full on novella length, Boatman does a wonderful job of setting the stage, introducing the characters and then delivering some truly frightful chills.

Highlights for me were;

‘A Cure for Insomnia’ – in this story, a sister struggles with the death of her own sister. Because of this, she can’t sleep, that is, until she procures a mysterious powder from the local Apothecary, and her dreams begin to feel all too real.

‘Somniphobia’ – perhaps the shortest story in the collection is also one of the most terrifying short stories you’ll ever read. We arrive to find a woman, on a bus, in Bolivia. Suddenly, the bus crashes and goes into a ravine. Those who survive soon wish they hadn’t, as soul eaters descend and begin to devour.

‘Every Kid in Town’ – in this one, Boatman has us listen in, as a cop interviews an old man about events that happened when he was a kid. Mysteriously, all the kids in town begin to have the same dream, see their own Doppelgangers, and with those, some go missing, only to return not as themselves. This one was tight, unnerving, and begging to become a feature-length movie.

‘Mad Art’ – in this quick slab of terror, heinous murders have begun, and surprisingly, each scene has been painted – before even happening – by a man in an institution. The detective assigned to the case, tries to figure out how it happens, and soon we see the demonic beast that awakens each night in the artist’s dreams.

Over and over again, Boatman deftly gives us a solid story that infuses it with dreams directly forcing the stories narrative into new and exciting places.

What I didn’t like: While the repetition of dreams as a theme didn’t become tiresome, I would say that knowing dreams would play a role some how kind of dulled the impact of those dreams by the last few stories. I think I was able to limit my potential frustration by reading a novel and another collection at the same time, but I’m not totally sure if it would be smart to plow through these stories all in a singular, uninterrupted sitting.

Why you should buy this: Currently the signed and lettered deluxe hardcover is available for purchase, so if you’re a huge collector, or a massive fan of Garrett’s, definitely get on this. For those who’ll be waiting for the Kindle or Paperback edition, what you’ll find is a seasoned, masterful storyteller who pulls no punches and who delivers some phenomenal stories. You’ll even get a good smattering of Lovecraft-inspired/related stories, for those who love the Great Old One’s within that Cosmic Horror world.

A fantastic collection, and a must-read for short-story fans, Boatman continues Weird House Press’ run of hit collections.

5/5

Link to Weird House Press shop;

A Prisoner of Dreamland and Other Oneiric Terrors

Book Review: The Ascent by Ronald Malfi

Title: The Ascent

Author: Ronald Malfi

Release date: January 1st, 2010

Over the last number of years, I’ve read a number of Ronald Malfi’s books, but the one book that seemed most obvious of his that I’d read, I’d left floundering on my Kindle TBR. I LOVE wilderness books, mountain-based books, and that’s exactly what his novel, ‘The Ascent,’ is. I was so elated to see him mention ‘Into Thin Air’ in the afterword, as that novel from Krakauer remains an all-time fav (even with it being non-fiction) and the pacing and frenetic energy within this one felt like it had been ripped from those pages.

What I liked: Tim was a superstar in the art world, a sought-after sculptor, who seemed to have it all – talent, success, and the woman of his dreams. But after her death, he’s lost his ability to create art and wants to die.

Malfi opens the book up with just that, Tim somehow surviving a caving fall, lead to safety by the ghost of his dead wife. Shattered, he drinks himself stupid daily, until an old acquaintance appears and challenges him to join in in Nepal, in search of a place nobody has ever found, nor seen before.

From there, Malfi takes us on a edge-of-your-seat thrill ride, high up in the mountains of Nepal. The old acquaintance, Andrew, has assembled a rag-tag group of folks to come on the climb with Tim and himself. Each one is slowly introduced throughout the middle section, and, as this is a mountain climbing book, some don’t make it far, accidents occur, Sherpa’s refuse to continue on, and all the while, Malfi dangles the carrot of this mythical location in front of the readers faces. I was hooked. I wanted to know what was there. Why didn’t people manage to climb there? And why was Tim’s dead wife continuing to appear in fleeting glimpses.

Malfi is a masterful storyteller, and that is on full display here. Between pacing, character development and using the environment as a pseudo-antagonist, his ability to create classic stories is showcased and when we get to the very bitter end, all is revealed and shit hits the fan. Of every aspect of this novel, the final chaotic moments are perhaps the most fun, and most nerve-wracking.

I’ll also mention, though not a true epilogue, the final section acts as one, and it was wonderful to see what happens after the big, climatic moment. Often books end with a bang and then done, but not in this case, and I think that really worked to humanize Tim, and his experience even more.

What I didn’t like: If you’re unwilling to suspend belief at all, some parts are potentially going to drive you batty. The most glaring is this random group of people seemingly scaling an impenetrably mountain area with little to no obvious experience. Though Tim himself, is a climber, this is still an extreme undertaking. As well, there’s a moment where impossibly, someone seems to survive an un-survivable fall and returns. But if they didn’t return, where would the fun in that be?

Why you should buy this: Even fourteen years ago, Malfi was showing everyone why he’s one of the best ever, if not of all time, and ‘The Ascent’ is a phenomenal undertaking. As much a story of internal battles as it is external difficulties, we see the lengths characters will go to overcome personal issues, physical set backs and psychological trauma, in an attempt to achieve something they hope will be remembered forever. Or at least see something no one else has ever seen.

Malfi delivers a pulse-pounding novel, one that is a perfect example of why he’s a must-read author.

5/5

Book Review: The Vast by Matt Wildasin

Title: The Vast

Author: Matt Wildasin

Release date: May 24th, 2024

*Huge thanks to Matt for sending me a digital copy of this one!*

Over the last few years, I’ve read a number of Wildasin’s works and have grown to really enjoy the way he tells his stories. That’s always one thing I love about reading as widely as possible – discovering so many unique voices and cadences, so many ways of crafting prose and creating a story. Wildasin infuses his work with a world-weary drawl, a sense that just under the surface, things are tense, and with this one, ‘The Vast,’ it may very well be the most suffocating story he’s created yet.

What I liked: The authors note beforehand lays out what to expect. Real life’s not been easy for Wildasin and this book reflects just that. We then get thrown into the deep end, a man wakes in a room, a room he never wanted to return to, but is there regardless, and from that point on, the story details his fight to survive.

Wildasin has done a remarkable job of fictionalizing anxiety and depression. Of showcasing the internal fight many of us battle between our brains and what our eyes see. Our main character wants to live, but he doesn’t. He wants to do everything that it takes to put hardship behind, but he doesn’t know how and with each new setback, he feels the crushing weight of failure and darkness.

It’s a harrowing read, one that will connect with each reader in unique, individual ways, and one that chases hope. That was what kept me plugging away – the potential for hope that seemingly shines through the black.

The ending highlights that and I think, in this case, was a great way to wrap things up.

What I didn’t like: While the book reads with emotional context, one difficulty I had was the inability to tangible ground this somewhere. As the story unfolds (mostly within a mental context) there isn’t anything to solidly state “this is where the character is” and makes it tough to determine what events are real, if any, and what we should expect out of the environment and the characters.

Why you should buy this: Books that tackle mental health so specifically head-on can often be a tough sell, as many readers are looking for escape from their own struggles, but Wildasin turns that on its head and offers us a book that alludes to the mental health struggle while throwing the reader into a strange world where people from his past return in various forms. This one is heavy, but a heaviness that makes for a solid, engaging read.

4/5

Book Review: Cold Snap by Lindy Ryan

Title: Cold Snap

Author: Lindy Ryan

Release date: October 15th, 2024

*Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC of this one!*

How much do I sound like a broken record, when I mention that I love books that are set in the snow and involve creatures? Have you heard me say that before? If you haven’t, this must be the first review of mine that you’ve read! Because that’s every other book I read and every other book I write, ha!

And for those reasons, that’s precisely why I jumped at requesting this one on Netgalley and was super excited when I was actually approved! I’ve not read much of Lindy’s work, so I was looking forward to seeing what she’d conjured for this story of loss, coldness and isolation.

What I liked: The story follows Christine, and her fifteen-year-old son following the unexpected death of her husband, as they head to an isolated cabin. Her husband had booked the cabin for them for Christmas, prior to his death and Christine decides that they should still go there, and try to put some distance between them and the death and the house that no longer feels like home.

Ryan does a solid job of setting up the sorrow the duo feels, the trauma response Christine is having and just how remote and isolated the cabin is. She also sets up the guilt that Christine has coupled with the divide growing between her and her son perfectly. Christine believes her son hates her, and that he wished she’d died instead. And because of that, Christine plays the last moment of her husband’s life – before he slipped and fell from their roof – over and over in her head.

It takes a bit for the creature to appear, and when it does, Ryan takes a maybe it’s real, maybe it’s not approach. It makes for a very unnerving shadow aspect, one that you look forward to seeing again, and when the ending arrives, the true machination of its why is horribly revealed.

What I didn’t like: I’m firmly in the minority category on this one, but this novella says its for fans of The Babadook, and I actually didn’t mind the kid in that movie. I’m probably one of only a dozen in the world who can say that. So, when this story was linked to that one, I knew there’d be a similar aspect and in this case, it’s the fifteen-year-old. And while I didn’t mind that kid, the teenager here drove me bonkers with his constant grunts and non-responses. I know that it how many of them are – literally – but it made this reader scratch there head over why it needed to be so excessive.

As well, the ‘is she-isn’t she’ losing her mind aspect became a distraction quickly. Often it left me confused and wondering if something was actually happening or if Christine was imagining it, but not in a good way. In a way that had me constantly having to go back and reread the section previous, which completely reduced the propulsive story Ryan was trying to deliver.

And lastly, with this being marketed as a creature-feature, the actually page count featuring the creature was excruciatingly low, even considering this novella wasn’t a large page count to begin with.

Why you should buy this: Overall, I had fun with this one, but struggled to connect with it and have it hit home with me and I think part of that was the inability for the book to make up its mind whether it was a pure trauma response and grief exploration, or if it was, in fact, a creature-feature set in a snowy, isolated location. Ryan’s writing was great throughout, but the story didn’t feel as fleshed out as I was hoping for.

If you’re looking for a quick, solid blast of winter misery, this’ll be right up your alley.

3/5

Book Review: Errant Roots by Sonora Taylor

Title: Errant Roots

Author: Sonora Taylor

Release date: October 15th, 2024

*Huge thanks to RDSP for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*

If you’ve not seen, I’m a huge fan of Sonora’s work and I’m always excited to see her continued ascension within the writing world. I was first introduced to her work with her excellent ‘Without Condition,’ and from there, she’s continued to decimate her readers with a unique blend of emotions and chills.

When this novella was announced, I was over the moon, and given that we’ve already been blessed with a collection from Sonora earlier this year, I was filled to the brim with excitement over what she’d conjured with this one!

What I liked: The story follows Deirdre, a young woman who has just discovered she’s pregnant. She’s got a tentative relationship with her mom, she isn’t sure if Tom, the father of the child is husband material, and she has next to no relationship with her extended family. The pregnancy wasn’t planned, but when she reveals the news to her mom, she’s not only surprised her mom is excited, but also that her mom insists her and Tom take a trip out to Deirdre’s grandmother’s home and meet her extended family.

Taylor plays it relatively safe to this point, and you can see where this is going from a mile away, but it’s that anticipation that Sonora uses perfectly to absolutely coat this story with dread and tension. This is the long trip down a driveway where the crazy folks live in every movie. We know the family has something going on, we know something horrible is about to happen, and even when it does happen, you shake your head in disbelief that it’s ACTUALLY happening.

Sonora does a spot on job of laying out the why, the lore, the history and the reactions of those who know and who don’t are great, giving it an authentic feeling.

The ending is a satisfying fade-to-black moment.

What I didn’t like: Well, obviously, some folks are going to be annoyed that the story is, at least on the surface, a fairly straight-forward story. But if they can look past the ‘I know what’s going to happen,’ and let the atmosphere Sonora’s created take over, they’ll fall head over heels over the depravity that arrives.

As well, I wasn’t really on board with the format of the afterword. I assume it has to do with the series aspect of the RDSP release of these novella’s, but I’m not positive about that.

Why you should buy this: Sonora has carved out a fantastic style all of her own, where the characters feel real, the dirt gets between your toes and the emotions drive deep into the readers soul. Sonora’s delivered a fantastic novella here, one that long-time fans of hers will be giddy about and new readers will snap up her bibliography upon conclusion. A really great read from one of my fav authors.

5/5

Grab the book direct from RDSP here;

Errant Roots

Amazon link here;

Book Review: Mountain Fast by S.J. Shank

Title: Mountain Fast

Author: S.J. Shank

Release date: June 24th, 2024

Honestly, I thought this book was released last year, so it kind of stumped me when I saw it actually only came out in June of this year. I think part of it was maybe I’d seen the cover reveal earlier and just kind of assumed it was a book out? Who knows. Or, it could very well be that I’ve lost some semblance of how time operates. Either way, I snagged this book back in July and when I saw Tim McGregor raving about it, I knew I needed to bump it up the TBR and get on it. Even better – I saw Shank was Canadian and voila, Steve is all over this one.

From the vibe/atmosphere of the cover, the synopsis and the fact Tim was raving about it, I knew I was in for a historical type piece of fiction that would be dread-filled and eerie. Double that up with this being Shanks debut novel and I knew he’d be swinging for the fences.

What I liked: The story follows András, a messenger, who has a letter to deliver to a commander. It is Hungary, late 1400’s, and Religion plays a large role in everyone’s lives, but also the fear of death, sin and the unknown.

He accompanies a group of soldiers heading to Kuszkol, a remote mountain fortress that was abandoned sixty years prior, but has been used by soldiers recently, as a lookout for foreign troops marching towards them. But, mysteriously, the fortress has gone silent and so, a group sets out to make contact. At first, András is there to say goodbye to his deceased wife’s younger brother, Pal, who is joining the group. But he is then told to go along, deliver his letter and continue with his job.

It’s here that Shank really ramps things up. First at the approach, and then upon arrival. Throughout, we get growing tension between the men, a darkening of light around the edges of the prose and as we arrive and we discover the horses, Shank dims the light a bit more, drops the temperature and prepares to deliver his worst.

This feels exactly what a lot of the older storylines within Hellboy/BPRD was like. Remote settings, seclusion, horrible weather, and the always lingering notion that something sinister lurks around every corner.

But Shank doesn’t just deliver us a haunted, abandoned mountain fortress. No, we get a personal haunting story, a look at PTSD in the so-called ‘dark ages’ and what happens when something imagined just very well might be real.

What I didn’t like: I will say, based on setting and narrative necessity, there are a lot of slower, glacial-paced parts. It works to ramp up the grit and dirt that Shank is conjuring, but these moments do pause the flow and reduce some of the unnerving moments a touch. I found, when these moments hit, to just keep pushing onwards and they past soon enough, but if you require non-stop action, this one might be a miss for you.

As well, this is prime historical-horror fiction, so if that’s not usually your jam, I can’t see this one changing that.

Why you should buy this: If you like your horror to be the kind that makes you feel unwashed, frostbitten and starving to death with the hunger growing after each and every chapter, look no further. Shank’s delivered a dark, unforgiving story about remoteness, soullessness and the ache of losing a loved one, no matter how complicated that relationship ultimately was. And for a debut novel, this was really well done.

4/5

Book Review: Bad River by Ken Brosky

Title: Bad River

Author: Ken Brosky

Release date: July 31st, 2024

*Huge thanks to Ken for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*

Man, am I ever a sucker for a creature-in-the-woods story! I could be CLOSED for reviews permanently and if someone messaged me to see if I’d take a look at their upcoming CinW’s book, I’d be like ‘HELL TO THE YES!’ and off we’d go. As many of you know, to me, there is NOTHING and I repeat NOTHING more terrifying than something lurking in the darkness of the trees and with ‘Bad River,’ Brosky utilizes that aspect to magnify the situation a thousand-fold, and does so with gusto.

What I liked: The story is broken into two seemingly unrelated aspects that merge together perfectly. The first follows young farmer, Eli. His father has died, leaving him to run the farm – and somehow manage the overwhelming amount of debt left behind – by himself. His normal order of operations have started to come undone – the company that usually brings him calves hasn’t in months – and now they’re weeks behind in delivering hay. As if that’s not enough, he’s grown apart from his friends, his joys in life and now, it appears as though something has emerged from the forest and killed one of his cows.

The other aspect of this, is the discovery of dead animals and a few humans. A wildlife researcher is called in and, at first, Mackenzie isn’t so sure what they’re dealing with, but she’s certain it involves the disease she’s been focused on, a central nervous system wasting that takes over the animals brain and slowly erodes everything.

When the two cross paths and both begin to realize that it might be something more than a random black bear or a rogue wolf, they work together to try and discover what it is, all while Eli focuses on saving the farm and a massive storm begins to head directly towards them.

Brosky quickly introduces us to the main players and the secondary ones, having us feel like we’ve known these folks our entire lives right away. It makes us care for them and root for them as the shit hits the fan and the blood begins to spill. We also get introduced to the area, which gives us a great sense of the ‘where’ as the storm arrives and the river threatens to breach its banks. The inclusion of the local folklore sets things up nicely and when we get to a particular scene where Mackenzie’s phone pings as trail cams send her images is particularly unnerving and highlights the hold Brosky has on the reader.

The ending was spot on and gave us closure across almost every question Brosky had introduced. The singular few not answered are, in the epilogue, and in this case it is spot on and doesn’t feel forced.

What I didn’t like: Remaining spoiler free here, I didn’t fully see the connection between our massive beast and an apparition. It makes sense, don’t get me wrong, but for me, I just didn’t understand the ‘why’ of it and that connection. Sounds ridiculously vague, I know, but in order to not ruin anything, that’s all I can say!

Why you should buy this: Fans of wilderness, small town horror are in for a treat and, if you’re like me and what I said WAAAAAAAY back up at the top there, this is a really well done, and frantically paced CitW’s story.

Brosky has hit a home run here!

5/5

When I Look… Hardcovers!

Hey all! Long time since I’ve done a real update, so wanted to do a quick one!

Most of my updates are currently being done on my Patreon (Patreon.com/SteveStred – come join, only $5/US per month! Giveaways, updates, writing stuff etc. etc.!) but as you may know, I have a new book out – ‘When I Look At the Sky, All I See Are Stars,’ and I wanted to let you know the hardcover with the alternate artwork from Kristina at Truborn is now live!

It is currently available on Amazon US, Amazon UK and Barnes and Noble. Amazon Canada still hasn’t adjusted the price – so Canadian pals PLEASE DON’T ORDER the hardcover from Amazon Canada. It would actually be cheaper to order it from Amazon US and pay the $7 shipping charge, than buy it on Amazon Canada!

Links –

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/When-Look-Sky-All-Stars/dp/199026039X/

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Look-Sky-All-Stars/dp/199026039X/

B & N – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-i-look-at-the-sky-all-i-see-are-stars-steve-stred/1144407329?ean=9781990260391

A Universal link to find it on Amazon is here – mybook.to/whenilook

Anyways, keeping this short and sweet! Thank you all for your continued support!

Book Review: Drowning in the Drink by Radar DeBoard

Title: Drowning in the Drink

Author: Radar DeBoard

Release date: July 23rd, 2024

*Huge thanks to Radar for sending me a digital copy of this one!*

Over the last few years, I’ve connected with Radar, initially because he was a ravenous reader and reviewer. Recently, he’s started to release his own work and when I saw him put out a call asking for reviewers to try and get more eyes on his most recent release, I reached out.

I wasn’t sure at all what I was getting into, but I knew three things. The first was that it was dealing with alcoholism. The second was that it was about dealing with grief and continuing on. And the third was that it was a short read, print length listed at 78 pages.

Outside of Mark Matthew’s fantastic work detailing addiction issues, I’ve not read much work specifically focused on alcoholism (though, I myself did tackle it in my novella, ‘Wagon Buddy’) so I was keen to dive in and see what Radar offered.

What I liked: The story opens with a mother, struggling to make ends meet and support herself and her son, when a black gunk unknowingly infects her. Soon, the voices begin and the only way to drown them out is to drink. And then drink some more. And then more and then more, until the only thing she can do is drink.

Radar sets this up well, showing her rapid deterioration as the voices increase and her drinking follows. It estranges her from her son, who believes she’s just a useless drunk. But Radar also makes us readers question whether those voices are actually there. Is this a case of the character being so drunk they hear voices? Or is it that the character hears these voices, making them drink? It’s a tactic akin to what Gran did in her claustrophobic ‘Come Closer,’ but instead of us wondering if there’s a haunting like in that novel, in this case we question the reasoning behind the addiction.

Soon, the story switches to the son, who is now dealing with grief, and his own infection. He soon finds that the only way to drown out the voices is to drink, and a new understanding of what his mom was going through dawns on him. This is noted even more when he connects with Angelica, another infected person. At first they simply talk, before it moves into a relationship and they try to support each other. It was another unique look at how those deep into the addiction life, often connect with another addict, but neither knows how to dig themselves out. It was heartbreaking to watch them both continue to deteriorate, but Radar handles it with nothing but professionalism throughout.

The ending worked well to show how the power of positive thinking and hope can sometimes be all someone needs to make a change and rid themselves of negativity. It also spoke to recovery and the struggles those who don’t want to be around the thing they were addicted to face.

What I didn’t like: It’s very minor, but I wasn’t totally sold on the reaction of a parent at a funeral. I want to remain vague, to prevent spoilers, but there’d been no indication previously they were even aware of the deceased significant other and they reacted almost comically. Saying that – sometimes those harboring deep guilt need to find someone to push that blame onto, taking some of it from themselves – and I think this was maybe what DeBoard was doing.

Why you should buy this: This one is dark, sad and though seemingly a never-ending cavalcade of bleakness, also cathartic. There’s a light that leads the reader along, this potential of hope and you desperately turn the pages begging Radar to turn that light on and bring some joy into the world he’s created. Though only 78 pages, we get a story that spans several years and ultimately one that asks a lot of questions – both within the book, but also moral questions – and let’s the reader decide what the answers are. This was a fantastic read and one that I’ll admit really surprised me with the depth displayed here.

5/5

Speaking Up: My DarkLit Experience

I’m just seeing that it looks as though DarkLit Press is pulling all the books & closing up shop. It doesn’t surprise me with the number of authors who pulled their books – myself included – and I very well might’ve been the first one whose book had been published (a few pulled them when the new crew took over before publication) and out in the wider world, when the rights were requested to be returned.

But, behind the scenes I’ve already seen screenshots labelling me as the ‘trouble maker,’ and the reason this is happening. Which, if you know me and have even a passing idea of what’s gone on behind the scenes, you’ll know that is furthest from the truth. I try really hard to support everyone, cheer everyone on, and have helped with the Ladies of Horror Fiction Writers Grant (how I miss that!) and trying to get the Canadian Horror Writers Association up and running.

So, for full disclosure (which is something that wasn’t given to us authors when they took over, even though the term was used multiple times in their responses and posts) I wanted to share the reasons why I decided to pull my book, as well as things that are red flags for fellow authors when signing on with a publishing company. If you’re a publisher and I’m being added to a list to not work with because I’m speaking out, by all means, add me. I probably don’t want to be working with you either. I’ve been around long enough (though not as long as many of you!) that I remember the ChiZine fiasco, the Silver Shamrock fallout and a few others as well. I’ve also seen and heard that some fellow former DarkLit authors are scared of speaking out and any repercussions they might face. I’m hoping that if I share my experience that’ll help them see that they can share – if they want to.

Because I’m wanting to make this simple and not long winded – I’ll be bullet pointing things as many people are TLDR these days and I’ve already written three paragraphs!

– I signed on with DarkLit last year, to first publish my novella, When I Look… with a June 24th, 2024, release date. Initially, this was purely for ebook, audiobook & paperback. I had a standard royalty deal, no advance, and at the time no hardcover was in the works. This was brokered by Andrew. I also sent a list of people who would receive physical ARC’s and digital ARC’s. Andrew indicated he also had a list of folks who would receive it and it would go on Netgalley, but no discounted 99c preorder pricing would be done this time.

– DarkLit had an Instagram group chat of its authors, where we would support each other, cheer each other on and Andrew would often post things for our attention and/or our benefit – promo opportunities, free software for images, royalty/license free images etc. We’d also post cover artist’s art, in case authors were looking for covers and/or cover art sales.

– Not long after preorders for When I Look… opened, in December, 2023, Andrew and I agreed to also do a hardcover edition with a bonus novelette. Andrew contacted Kristina at Truborn for a premade she had, and it was acquired in early 2024.

– In January/February, Andrew began to go radio silent – on the chat, for emails and DMs. At the time, I was trying to finish arranging advance copies for a book box and neither me or the organizer were receiving any replies.

– It was during this time that many of the DarkLit authors signed on with Alec Frankel for film/TV representation.

– Not long after, Andrew shared that he’d be stepping aside, and a new group helmed by Caitlin Marceau would be taking over. Authors were informed they could keep their books with DarkLit, as nothing would be changing, or they could pull their books. At the time, my novella was with Locus and Publisher’s Weekly for potential review, and with two different studios for potential development. I reached out to a dozen people whose opinions I trust to ask what they thought and what I should do. Against the advice of all of them (shame on me), I decided to keep the book with DarkLit and forge forward. We’d been told repeatedly that nothing had changed, that the new group had full access to everything and that everything that was planned was going forward.

– In April, while I was in Halifax at a work conference, I approved the hardcover wrap proof and the interior hardcover formatting.

– Around this time, I’d also signed on for my novel, 456 Blatchford Drive, to be published with DarkLit in 2025.

– Linda Jones was brought on board to narrate the audiobook – which she absolutely killed in bringing the book to life, FYI – and the books did appear in the book box.

– Around that time, the IG chat was scuttled, to make for a Discord group. We were told to fill out forms – such as social media post requests, payments and meeting requests. In hindsight this should’ve been a big red flag, especially as they began to tell us that emails wouldn’t be replied to, that Discord was the preferred form of communication. I questioned why they needed any of that, as we’d filled it out when we signed our contracts.

– A number of us authors were given the runaround about receiving our contracted author copies. In the contract, each author would receive 10 copies with the ability to purchase more if needed. (I never did receive any). We were told to fill out a form, which we did, but still there was no follow up or acknowledgement of receiving the request. I know of one author (whose permission I haven’t received to name so I won’t) who was wondering up to the last minute if the book order he’d placed would arrive in time for a book signing.

– My book was put on Netgalley as discussed, but no advance copies were sent out to readers. Instead, it was offered on the Facebook page Books of Horror Freview, which was disappointing as this wasn’t something I was ever made aware of until after the fact. I ended up emailing digital ARC’s to those who I’d already discussed that with.

– I had arranged for a book launch at a local bookstore here, which was unfortunately cancelled as no books were ordered and no reply to the owner’s email happened. A few days before it was supposed to happen, Caitlin messaged me on Discord to suggest something could still be arranged, but at that point there was no way to promote it in time.

– The lead up to my book release was exactly the same as when I self-publish a book through my Black Void Publishing imprint – in that I was really the only one posting about it. DarkLit had five posts about the book, all from accepting my collaboration when I posted on IG or when they retweeted my posts on Twitter/X. They posted a reel they made about the book, once on their own. The promo train I’d expected to see never appeared, even after I filled out the social media post request.

– I will readily admit to being blinded by the brightness. My novella was garnering movie interest (a director and their partner are attached to adapt and are currently pitching it to a specific studio, but that’s all I can publicly say), I had awesome cover art, a Publishers Weekly review, a mention in Publishers Weekly when DarkLit joined forces with Alec, Linda Jones narrating my book etc. etc. etc. I was still wanting to believe all was above board. But the weekend before pub date came, things shifted.

– First, I was informed that no hardcover would be released for pub date. Instead, they’d consider releasing it as a one-year anniversary release edition.

– I had a dozen people message me to ask if DarkLit was still releasing the book, as they weren’t posting about it.

– I then began to have some DM’s asking about reports/royalty payments and if I knew anything about the Kickstarter. Full disclosure again – my only involvement with the Kickstarter was blurbing two of the books and approving a digital copy of When I Look… to be included for backers. But the reports/royalty stuff had me concerned.

– DarkLit had been known to post sales/preorder numbers. So and so has hit 1000 preorders! So and so has sold 2000 copies etc etc. From when my book went up for preorder, I asked monthly either through DM or emails for updates on the preorder numbers. As of writing this – on August 6th, 2024 – I’ve never been shown a single report, nor given any numbers.

– During the weekend before launch, I had a number of DarkLit authors reach out asking how my experience had been, and I was forthcoming. They shared lack of royalty payments, having to chase down being paid for royalties or even receiving a report, and this was both prior to and after the leadership/ownership take over.

– On that weekend as well, Austrian Spencer reached out to me, asking if I was aware that Yolanda Sfetsos had been asked to pay for editing and covers on the books she’d pulled. Yolanda had been very vocal before leaving the Discord about asking for royalty/sales reports and what was happening with her books. I appreciated Yolanda asking those questions, as they were the same questions that I had. Austrian told me about a blog post he was putting together detailing the issues he was having with his contract being honored and being paid what he was owed for editing. (Full disclosure – I have named Yolanda specifically here, because DarkLit then went and posted publicly some of the screenshots of DarkLit and Yolanda’s emails discussing their issues.)

– Which brings me to the lack of disclosure issues that ultimately forced my hand.

– On June 24th, 2024, my novella was released. Everyone celebrated, it made it to number 5 on Amazon’s Hot New Release Occult Horror chart – which is insane considering how extreme it is – but I also didn’t expect to go number 1, as Tremblay had released his novel a few days prior, as had DiLouie, so the big guns were out.

– Unfortunately, there had been a paperback issue, noted by Ingram and KDP back in November, that prevented the preordered paperbacks from being approved and shipped and instead, everyone who had preordered a paperback received an email stating that they’d be given an updated time once it was known for it to ship. This had not been fixed and wasn’t fixed until coming to light on release date.

– It was at this time, that I learned the new group from DarkLit allegedly did not have access to DarkLit’s accounts. They also claimed to have no access to ACX – the audiobook account – and had only gained access to KDP (Amazon’s publishing page) on May 25th. So, they had no way of seeing any numbers prior to May 25th, according to Caitlin. Initially, we were told that they had no numbers prior to March 1st, but this then shifted to May 25th. Why those dates changed, I’m not sure.

– DarkLit authors began to question how royalties would be paid for books sold prior to that date, if they don’t have access to those numbers. No answer came. I questioned how royalties would be paid to myself or Linda for the audiobook if they had no access to the account and couldn’t get reports. No answer came.

– Linda requested the contract be cancelled on her end, and it was Andrew who approved the cancellation. I can’t speak to whether DarkLit has now gotten access to that account currently, but as of six weeks ago, they still claimed to not have access.

– On the Discord page, I posted my frustrations and requested my rights back and the rights to 456 Blatchford. The failure to disclose so much by Caitlin and the new group ultimately forced my hand. We’d been led to believe that they had full access, but in reality, this was later claimed to not be the case. May 25th onward was when they claimed they could access most things and for the most part that was just website/social media accounts, not the bank accounts for payouts etc.

– Austrian Spencer posted his blog post about dealing with DarkLit. It detailed Yolanda’s payment requests, which was never a contractual stipulation. Caitlin and DarkLit had also decided to renege on the editing services provided by Austrian.

– This resulted in Caitlin and DarkLit posting the screenshots of the email conversation with Yolanda, which put a very bad taste in a lot of our mouths (not just DarkLit authors, but the wider horror community).

– I was told on Discord that 76 copies of When I Look… had been mailed to various Influencers, but six weeks later, I’ve yet to see anyone post about them, nor any indication that they were actually sent. I asked on Discord about why I wasn’t told they were going to be sent, or even why I wasn’t told, but never received an answer.

– During this Discord chat, where I was venting my frustrations, Caitlin claimed that they themselves were also missing back royalty reports/payments and information regarding their own book.

– Book publishing is a business. It became apparent to a number of us that the “full disclosure” Caitlin repeatedly claimed to have been providing was never given to us as authors and without further prodding, we never would’ve received it.

– I was given the rights back to 456, When I Look… for the ebook, paperback, hardcover and audiobook, as well as the cover rights usage. I have now managed to get the ebook and paperback republished and have approved the hardcover. I am working on the audiobook. Truborn stepped aside from working directly with DarkLit as an imprint.

– With the rights reverting to me, DarkLit no longer had the rights to publish the book nor sell it. It was confirmed to be deleted from KDP, as was the paperback, but the paperback was still showing on Amazon and Ingram.

– On July 16th, 2024, I had a virtual meeting with Alec Frankel to confirm that we were still onboard to work together, and we agreed to continue on. He updated me on the forward motion of the novella being adapted, which was very exciting and big reason I wanted to get this book back into the world.

– Through my Black Void imprint the paperback now live. I posted, asking people to buy my edition, not the DarkLit edition. Caitlin almost immediately messaged me and requested I change the wording. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have. As within Caitlin’s own reply to me and in previous messages, they claim to have no data prior to May 25th. I can’t see any way that I’ll ever be paid for the royalties owed by them, as they don’t have data for it (or won’t share it).

– Caitlin also informed me that Ingram states the book was never published through them, though I have had two different bookstores now confirm to me that they could order the book directly from Ingram, both of which did. Additionally, it was originally suggested by Caitlin that maybe they ordered the books through Andrew, which was both not the case, nor should be an option, because, as far as we’ve all been told, Andrew stopped being a part of DarkLit back in April.

– This was then changed to another story: that Amazon and Ingram pre-printed a bunch of the books in expectation of people wanting to buy them. While this does happen, and others have confirmed with me that it has happened to them, I was also told it was pulled from KDP and was never released through Ingram, so I’m left shaking my head.

– Caitlin suggested that if I didn’t want DarkLit to be selling the books through Amazon or elsewhere, they could greatly discount the book so people would buy it on the cheap – also reducing my royalty portion (and a book they have no legal right to sell) or I could buy all of the stock that was printed and use them as author copies, which is something I will 100% NOT be doing, nor should I ever be expected to do that.

– As of right now, that is where I’ve left things.

I am beyond frustrated with this situation. It’s a situation I never foresaw nor one I could’ve predicted, even as others did. I never wanted any of this and it saddens me that so many other authors have had their books become homeless as they’ve pulled their rights or as DarkLit has ceased publishing. What’s to happen with Hedone? I for one have no insight into that, but I’d be very, very cautious dealing with them, considering so many authors are still fighting for royalties from DarkLit and the same person/group is heading that.

As I said at the top, I post this for other authors to hopefully become aware of red flags and things that should make them question what’s happening. I wish I would’ve spoken up sooner and taken action sooner.

And some of you will read this and say to yourself, “But this seems all administrative, and not that big of a deal.” You don’t understand publishing. Except for the writing of the book, the rest of the process from thereon out is administrative. It’s product production, marketing, and paperwork. It may seem glamorous when you see the new, exciting book out, but outside of the writing, it’s tedious, monotonous, bone-grinding administration. And in this case, it was administrative failure after failure after failure.

For those who’ve pulled their books or had their books become homeless, I am here to help in whatever way I can, and I know a number of resources are there, as are more coming in the next weeks and months to help get the word out about your books.

And now that I’ve shared this, I can get back to writing, as for the last six weeks, most of my writing time has been consumed with emailing, formatting, cover art approving, proof reviewing and more emailing, to get the new editions up and going!