R.H. Gründ's Blog
September 15, 2025
INFLUENCE Update!
The last month has been crazy with promoting my upcoming fourth novel, INFLUENCE! All the promises to update this blog mean nothing, ha.
INFLUENCE is a standalone horror novel that blends elements of ROOM OF CLOTH and SIMULACRUM--it's leaner, but I think just as intense as those two books.
Anyone interested in getting an ARC copy can register using this link: https://forms.gle/ewWh4LVbaofeVfW47
The registration window is open until September 22nd! After that, ARCs will still be available through Booksprout and BookSirens.
As I prepare to launch INFLUENCE on November 1st, I'm also still plugging away at my other WIP! Hoping that gets a spring release if I work hard enough. :' )
INFLUENCE is a standalone horror novel that blends elements of ROOM OF CLOTH and SIMULACRUM--it's leaner, but I think just as intense as those two books.
Anyone interested in getting an ARC copy can register using this link: https://forms.gle/ewWh4LVbaofeVfW47
The registration window is open until September 22nd! After that, ARCs will still be available through Booksprout and BookSirens.
As I prepare to launch INFLUENCE on November 1st, I'm also still plugging away at my other WIP! Hoping that gets a spring release if I work hard enough. :' )
November 13, 2024
Catching up on reading and THE DEMON review!
In addition to cutting back on added sugars, I'm trying to seriously rehabilitate my reading!
I swung back around to Hubert Selby's THE DEMON, which I've been reading for a few months, and finally finished it! See my review below:
"Hubert Selby's THE DEMON (1976) explores territory familiar to the rest of his oeuvre. Although protagonist Harry White, a young executive, has an exterior life far removed from the inner-city bowels of the addicts and laborers of LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN (1964) and REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (1978), Harry is besieged internally by a similar "demon" that drives him--seemingly out of his control--to self-destruction.
"The novel maintains a powerful momentum for the most part, chronicling the life of "Harry the Lover" as he struggles to reconcile his casual sexual exploits with his ambitions to rise among the ranks of the rich and powerful. The novel reaches a chilling climax once Harry's unchecked nymphomania begins eroding his business ventures and eventually his marriage--his shame and anxiety, so powerful as to cause convulsions, are palpable even to the reader. This section brought to my mind Steve McQueen's harrowing (and highly recommended) film SHAME (2011).
"The tension deflates somewhat as Harry sublimates his demon in other ways, and as rich as Harry's interiority is, his wife Linda receives only flashes of the same treatment. Nonetheless, THE DEMON reflects powerfully Selby's gift to excavate the darkest depths of the soul and contend with the grotesque consequences. "
Hoping to cross out some horror books next! Stay tuned! (And get some writing done . . . juggling two WIPs, say what??)
I swung back around to Hubert Selby's THE DEMON, which I've been reading for a few months, and finally finished it! See my review below:
"Hubert Selby's THE DEMON (1976) explores territory familiar to the rest of his oeuvre. Although protagonist Harry White, a young executive, has an exterior life far removed from the inner-city bowels of the addicts and laborers of LAST EXIT TO BROOKLYN (1964) and REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (1978), Harry is besieged internally by a similar "demon" that drives him--seemingly out of his control--to self-destruction.
"The novel maintains a powerful momentum for the most part, chronicling the life of "Harry the Lover" as he struggles to reconcile his casual sexual exploits with his ambitions to rise among the ranks of the rich and powerful. The novel reaches a chilling climax once Harry's unchecked nymphomania begins eroding his business ventures and eventually his marriage--his shame and anxiety, so powerful as to cause convulsions, are palpable even to the reader. This section brought to my mind Steve McQueen's harrowing (and highly recommended) film SHAME (2011).
"The tension deflates somewhat as Harry sublimates his demon in other ways, and as rich as Harry's interiority is, his wife Linda receives only flashes of the same treatment. Nonetheless, THE DEMON reflects powerfully Selby's gift to excavate the darkest depths of the soul and contend with the grotesque consequences. "
Hoping to cross out some horror books next! Stay tuned! (And get some writing done . . . juggling two WIPs, say what??)
April 20, 2024
Introduction
Hello! I realized lately I've been slacking when it comes to engagement here on Goodreads--I'd like to rectify that! I'm very active on the usual social media suspects like Instagram and TikTok, but extending engagement to Goodreads would help not only with exposure, but also diversifying content.
For those who don't know me, I am a self-published horror writer. My preference for my own books is literary horror, but I'm interested in dabbling in different genres/subgenres in the future (for example, my second novel, SIMULACRUM, is something of a mystery-horror hybrid). I also read very widely, tackling literary, horror, thriller, classics, and anything that sparks my interest. I listen to non-fiction audibooks semi-regularly and tend to gravitate towards physics, sociology/anthropology, and history.
I see this blog being a great space for providing insights into my writing process, sharing thoughts on current reads, and reflecting on my publishing experience. Let me know what you'd like to see here!
For those who don't know me, I am a self-published horror writer. My preference for my own books is literary horror, but I'm interested in dabbling in different genres/subgenres in the future (for example, my second novel, SIMULACRUM, is something of a mystery-horror hybrid). I also read very widely, tackling literary, horror, thriller, classics, and anything that sparks my interest. I listen to non-fiction audibooks semi-regularly and tend to gravitate towards physics, sociology/anthropology, and history.
I see this blog being a great space for providing insights into my writing process, sharing thoughts on current reads, and reflecting on my publishing experience. Let me know what you'd like to see here!
