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Just Read: CINDER HOUSE by Freya Marske

I’m a huge lover of fairy tale retellings, and scooped up Freya Marske’s CINDER HOUSE the moment I saw it. Marske’s version is a lush, Gothic delight, casting Cinderella as a ghost trapped in haunting her own home with her evil step-mother and step-sisters. There is known magic in Marske’s world, including fairies and sorcerers that push the traditional fairy godmother aspect into a new perspective, and curses cast not only on our heroine but her prince as well. Brushstrokes of queer romance add additional heart to Marske’s version of the story. Overall, a gem.

A slim novella that respects the boundaries of the original tale without diminishing what Marske brings to the retelling, the story doesn't break the rules of its own magic, relishing a tale spun in gossamer and glass slippers.

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Ella is a haunting.

Murdered at sixteen, her ghost is furiously trapped in her father's house, invisible to everyone except her stepmother and stepsisters.

Even when she discovers how to untether herself from her prison, there are limits. She cannot be seen or heard by the living people who surround her. Her family must never learn she is able to leave. And at the stroke of every midnight, she finds herself back on the staircase where she died.

Until she forges a wary friendship with a fairy charm-seller, and makes a bargain for three nights of almost-living freedom. Freedom that means she can finally be seen. Danced with. Touched.

You think you know Ella's story: the ball, the magical shoes, the handsome prince.

You're halfway right, and all-the-way wrong.

CINDER HOUSE is coming from Freya Marske and Tordotcom in October, and available now for preorder!

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June Beach Reads With a Body Count

This article was originally published on BookTrib as part of my Chill Quill series. Read the original article here.

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WITH A VENGEANCE by Riley Sager

(Dutton, June 10)

Anna has lured those responsible for her family’s downfall onto a luxury train from Philadelphia to Chicago, an overnight journey indeed to confront the people who’ve wronged her, get their confessions, and deliver them to the authorities. But Anna’s plan is quickly derailed, forcing her to hunt a killer while protecting the people she hates the most.

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MAKING FRIENDS CAN BE MURDER by Kathleen West

(Berkley, June 10)

It feels like kismet when Sarah Jones gets invited to join a group of women who share her same name. But what starts as a low-stakes meet-up soon turns sinister when another Sarah Jones is found dead, under suspicious circumstances, at the base of the downtown Minneapolis bridge.

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ECSTASY by Ivy Pochoda

(Putnam, June 17)

In this dark horror reimagining of a Greek tragedy, a hedonistic cult teaches a new widow the true price of female freedom. A riveting, darkly poetic, one-sitting read about empowerment, desire, and what happens when women reject the roles set out for them.

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GLASS GIRLS by Danie Shokoohi

(Gillian Flynn Books, June 24)

A former child medium is called home to help protect her niece from possession, forcing a reckoning with the traumas of her past and the magic she left behind, in this darkly captivating debut about family, female autonomy, and the bonds that endure across lifetimes.

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THE EX-GIRLFRIEND MURDER CLUB by Gloria Chao

(June 24)

Three women dating the same man band together to get revenge, but when they discover his body, they’ll need to solve his murder before they go down for it in this laugh-out-loud murder mystery filled with humor and shenanigans.

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Changes at the Parlor

Photo by panyawat auitpol on Unsplash

After some time experimenting with different formats and rhythms and getting my toes in the sand here on Substack, I’ve decided to return to a more traditional monthly newsletter. Think of it as a cozy, regular catch-up—a little literary porch light that flicks on once a month to share what I’ve been working on, what I’m reading, and what’s been living rent-free in my head.

✨ If you’re already subscribed to Substack, good news—you don’t have to do a thing. You’re already on the list and will continue to receive each edition of the new, monthly newsletter straight to your inbox, like always. If you’re looking for the link TO subscribe, try here.

Going forward, I’ll be using this Substack space primarily for:

Thoughts on writing, publishing, and the creative process

Book recommendations and what I’m currently reading

Byline highlights and behind-the-scenes context on articles and essays

Occasional reflections on the weird and wonderful world of storytelling

And other general spookiness!

In short, if you’re here for books, writing, and a peek into the mind of someone who lives and breathes words—you’re in the right place.

Thanks, as always, for reading and being here. I’m excited to continue growing this community of curious, creative readers and writers while also keeping you up-to-date with book news, upcoming events, and special promotions via the newsletter.

Interview: Author CJ Leede Gets Unholy in "American Rapture"

This interview originally ran on Rue Morgue.

From CJ Leede, the author of Maeve Fly, comes AMERICAN RAPTURE a terrifying new novel in which American Gods meets The Last of Us in, an epic, sweeping story about the end of the world as we know it.

This feverish odyssey spotlights Sophie, a “good Catholic girl” amid the sudden onset of a gristly disease that transforms everyone around her into something monstrous. As she journeys through the Midwest’s splintering Americana to escape the contagion, Sophie faces shredded limbs, her strict religious upbringing and the pained dissonance of growing up during the end times.

RUE MORGUE recently had the opportunity to sit down with Leede to chat about AMERICAN RAPTURE – now available from Tor Books.

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What inspired you to set this apocalyptic horror novel in the Midwest and, more specifically, in Wisconsin in particular?

The book really could have been set anywhere in America, but I really love Wisconsin for the fact that it has such a strong and unique cultural identity and frankly, just some of my favorite roadside attractions. I love the Midwest and Wisconsin, and I’m kind of working my way through America one state at a time trying to highlight and showcase what makes this country so special.

Religion and horror have long been intertwined, but Sophie’s journey addresses a very contemporary moment in our society. Were you inspired by previous religious horror novels while writing AMERICAN RAPTURE, and if so, how did you channel them in this work?

I was largely inspired by the ONE BIG BOOK (the Bible), or rather, what I was taught from it as a kid, and honestly, religious horror has historically scared me so much that I’ve mostly stayed away from it. However, I did read Carrie (and reread it), and I think it’s absolutely perfect. I also did the Books in the Freezer podcast and got a big education on religious horror from that, and I love Chuck Tingle’s Camp Damascus, too. I’ve also read a lot of Anne Rice over the years, and her back and forth with Catholicism probably has factored into my work in ways I don’t realize since I’m just such a huge fan of hers.

Without giving too much away, it’s safe to say that AMERICAN RAPTURE ends with a bang. Did you always know that’s how the story would end, or did it come together in pieces as you were writing it?

I always knew what the very last moments would be, but where, exactly, they took place and how the characters got there was a bit more of a journey to find. But I love writing endings; They’re my favorite part. I have so much fun figuring out where it’s going and then, combing back through the book and making everything move right toward that moment very intentionally.

How did the process of writing AMERICAN RAPTURE compare to the process of writing your debut Maeve Fly ?

Maeve clawed her way out of me in no time at all. I plotted the book in two days and then wrote it and did multiple edit rounds in a matter of, like, four months. AMERICAN RAPTURE on the other hand, [had] so many big ideas that I was grappling with. And I started it when I didn’t know how to write anything, so it’s been a journey. It’s taken me ten years on and off to really figure it out.

Are there any specific lines or scenes that stuck with you after you finished writing AMERICAN RAPTURE? Do you have a favorite character or setting from the book?

I added a scene toward the end in which Cleo talks to Sophie and the others in a hotel room about Catholic guilt and the ways in which the ideas we’re taught about sin and our thoughts might affect Sophie throughout her life. It was actually very emotional for me, and I felt it was so vital to write it for myself and, at the same time, very painful. I think every book worth writing should have a cost, and I paid one a lot of times over with this book – and I’d gladly do it all again.

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Just Read: SISTERS BEFORE MISTERS by Amelia Diane Coombs

Sometimes you want to read a book that’s just plain and simple FUN, and this series that follows three estranged sisters—who’ve become ::gasp:: friends—is full of campy shenanigans and sisterly squabbles. Also, there’s a *batshit crazy* character named Lindy! CRAZY AUNT LINDY! She’s a basket case of Jennifer Coolidge vibes and I adore her. (A name like mine isn’t often run across in the wild, so it’s always a bonus when it happen. For example, the last time I saw a Lindy on the page was in Stephen Graham Jones’s Lake Witch trilogy. That Lindy inspired another character’s taxidermy interest of all things, so it goes to show we Lindys are a rare but special breed.)

I stumbled upon the first book in Coombs’s series (Drop Dead Sisters) before its release last year (or earlier this year? TBR flies) and couldn’t wait to get SISTERS BEFORE MISTERS. It was on my Kindle and Marked Complete within twenty-four hours (I have no self-control), and exactly what I needed.

In Drop Dead Sisters Remi, Maeve, and Eliana Finch get the scare of their lives when they accidentally unalive a Bad Guy on a family camping trip…or did they? Maybe the sisters killed the creep, or maybe the escaped criminal lurking around their campground did, but they guy is definitely dead, and when the cops find the body it is not going to look good for the sisters. Is it even murder if it’s self defense, anyway? Shenanigans ensue. One year and one amputated finger of an almost-ex-husband later, in SISTERS BEFORE MISTERS the Finch sisters find themselves solving another murder that they hopefully didn’t commit—and it’s even better than the last time.

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Remi and her sisters, Maeve and Eliana, have a knack for stumbling into murder mysteries. And after a killer family camping trip last year, they’re back together for a Halloween they’ll never forget.

Remi is living her best life in Seattle until Eliana’s husband, Chad, who refused to sign their divorce papers, disappears on the spookiest night of the year. Eliana swears she has no idea where he is, though her obvious motive and weird behavior don’t really weigh in her favor. Nor does the severed finger they find in his house…

Torn between loyalty to her sister and mounting suspicions she can’t ignore, Remi and her boyfriend, Leo, embark on a manhunt to find Chad—or the rest of him. But the further Remi digs into Chad’s movements on Halloween, the more trouble she finds. With a ruthless detective on their tail, threatening texts, a mysterious flash drive, and dubious legal advice from a kooky aunt, the Finch sisters are in over their head. But Remi is determined to prove her sister’s innocent, even though the bloody evidence points right at her.

SISTERS BEFORE MISTERS is coming from Alicia Diane Coombs and Thomas & Mercer in October, and available now for preorder!

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May at the Parlor (+ Signed Books!)

So, May was a blur. How is it already June?

The year kicked off with the Evans women arriving in paperback with the paperback release of BLESS YOUR HEART in March, followed by the US hardcover release of the sequel, ANOTHER FINE MESS, in April—as well as the announcement for DOLLFACE (Feb 2026, Minotaur Books) and HOWL, a new women-in-horror anthology (Nov 2025, Black Spot Books). Book tour started somewhere in there, and I’ve been on the road since—and still am.

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To be clear, I’m not complaining. I’m exhausted, road-worn, and definitely behind in all-things life, but I am also inspired, uplifted, and grateful. From reverse pub crawls in Doylestown, Pennsylvania to hometown visits in Texas and everywhere in between, it has been a tremendous honor—and a ton of fun—to hang out with readers and booksellers across the country. And, if I haven’t been your way yet, I’m not done yet!

Summer travel is winding down before the fall season, but there’s still some tour dates left on the calendar. Come say hi at the Columbus Book Festival in June, join me for a private Moveable Feast Luncheon on Pawley’s Island in July, or simmer in Dark Ink in Doylestown in August! More events are being added to my website as we speak.

Speaking of websites, my annual signed book sale is live NOW! There’s a limited supply of books on-hand, but if there’s a title you’d like my scribble on, get ‘em while they’re hot!

Upcoming: StokerCon is next week in Stamford, CT. This year I’m proud to be nominated both in the First Novel category (BLESS YOUR HEART) and in the anthology category (MOTHER KNOWS BEST). While a select few will take those coveted little haunted houses home, there are no losers in horror this year, as every single book (and other work) on the finalists list is incredible and deserving, and I’m cheering for friends and colleagues in my horror family as we hit the pinnacle of award season on Saturday, June 14th.

In pre-pub news, advance reader copies for HOWL are now available on NetGalley, and early reader reviews have me staggering:

“Such an emotional and gut punching collection.”

“HOWL is such a deep, emotional read… Each story carries the themes of werewolves, female rage, finding your inner strength, pulling the strongest part of you out to avenge yourself and the women who can't protect themselves, being free. This was a hard read for me, but it was worth seeing that at the end of it all we yearn for the same things: Blood, revenge, justice, and freedom.”

“[HOWL is] very raw and brutally honest, untamed and uncensored, with all the beauty and ugliness of womanhood laid bare. Very grateful to read something with so much heart.”

“This anthology is amazing, period.”

“This will be one of my favorite books of this year, easily.”

“This is a stunning anthology of werewolf lore with a feminine twist. Rage, revenge, redemption, and hope are included in these stories by some of the best horror authors out there.”

If you’re a podcaster, reviewer, blogger, book lover, and/or werewolf and would like to chat with myself, co-editor Stephanie, or feature any of the contributors: let me know!

And finally, a little birdie told me there’s going to be a new book announcement soon, and a new excerpt reveal, and these are not for the same book, so, keep your eyes peeled for those! It’s going to be a very busy year.

Until next month…keep your chins up and noses clean—and don’t do anything Ducey wouldn’t do!

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Just Read: HOW BAD THINGS CAN GET by Darcy Coates

Darcy Coates has long been one of my one-click authors. See a new Darcy book? Snatch a new Darcy book. (This goes double, as she also happens to be a wonderful human being!) Luckily, Darcy never keeps readings waiting too long, and so naturally the second HOW BAD THINGS CAN GET hit my inbox (thank you, Poisoned Pen Press), I was in.

Whether she’s writing cozy paranormals (her Gravekeeper series) or simmering Gothics (Gallows Hill, my personal favorite in Coates’s Catalog), Darcy delivers. This woman has range. HOW BAD THINGS CAN GET is Darcy’s take on island horror, Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game” meets Nick Cutter’s The Troop meets…The Wicker Man? While it’s hard to get too into this one without spoilers, dooming a group of influencers on a remote island fits nicely into my recent reading theme of darker side of social media while pushing me firmly back into the wonderful world of horror.

And horror, this is. Her characteristically warm, inviting tone fully intact, Darcy doesn’t pull any punches with the bloodshed in HOW BAD THINGS CAN GET. This one leaves quite the sunburn.

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It was supposed to be the party of the century: miles of idyllic white sand beaches, lush jungle foliage...and a dark legend nobody dreamed might be all too true.

When an online influencer and several hundred of his most loyal fans land on Prosperity Island, the plan is simple: five days of elaborate games, drinking, and suntanned fun.

A week in paradise should have been a welcome respite. The only survivor of an infamous cult, Ruth wants nothing more than to keep her head down and not draw attention. She's spent decades outrunning her blood-soaked childhood, and her identity is a closely held secret.

But then the true history of the island is revealed…along with its sinister connection to Ruth's past. As guests go missing and games turn deadly, Ruth and the rest of the attendees are forced to question whether they've really been invited to paradise...or whether something much darker—and far bloodier—is waiting for them just beyond the bonfire's light.

HOW BAD THINGS CAN GET is coming from Darcy Coates and Poisoned Pen Press in August, and available for preorder!

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Just (Re)Read: BLOOM by Delilah S. Dawson

It’s no secret that I absolutely adore Delilah S. Dawson. She’s a fabulous human, a total badass of a literary pal, and a fiercely unapologetic writer who has an incredible knack for writing stories that peel back layers to expose the bleeding pulp of you—sometimes, as in BLOOM, quite literally.

BLOOM was the first book I ever read by Delilah, and something about now just felt like the perfect time to take another spin through its sickly sweet pages. Sometimes, you need to fall in love in ways that subsume and consume you, quickly and completely and mercilessly, and for that, BLOOM should climb atop your reading stack. It’s a short read, the kind that leaves you staggering (and I devoured it whole…again).

There is a love story here, and one of vengeance, of surrender, of consumption, of art and obsession and ruthlessness and tenderness. BLOOM has all the hallmarks of Dawson’s delicious writing—sharp, visceral prose; a vulnerable, relatable narrator; and a creeping sense of delightful dread that catches you in its jaws before you realize you’ve slipped between its lips—exactly what I imagine what tasting one of Ash’s cupcakes might be like.

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Rosemary meets Ash at the farmers’ market. Ash—precise, pretty, and practically perfect—sells bars of soap in delicate pastel colors, sprinkle-spackled cupcakes stacked on scalloped stands, beeswax candles, jelly jars of honey, and glossy green plants. Ro has never felt this way about another woman; with Ash, she wants to be her and have her in equal measure. But as her obsession with Ash consumes her, she may find she’s not the one doing the devouring…

BLOOM is available from Delilah S. Dawson and Titan Books.

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May Reads That Will Haunt You All Summer

This article was originally published on BookTrib as part of my Chill Quill series. Read the original article here.

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The Night Birds by Christopher Golden

When Charlie and Ruby’s love ended years ago, they never expected to see each other again. Now, Charlie lives aboard a 19th-century freighter half-sunken off the shore of Galveston and Ruby needs his help — but the night birds are already circling in Golden’s gripping, atmospheric novel.

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Feeders by Matt Serafini

When a video depicting the brutal murder of a former classmate leaks online, Kylie Bennington’s curiosity gets the better of her. This darkly satirical supernatural thriller follows a would-be influencer whose dreams of online fame spiral into nightmare territory when she encounters a mysterious and dangerous social media platform.

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Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle

When Konstantin Duhovny discovers he can reunite people with their deceased loved ones through their favorite foods, he thinks his life’s purpose might be to offer closure to grieving strangers. But as his culinary skills catch up with his ambitions, Konstantin is too blind to see the catastrophe looming in the Afterlife in this ghost story about all the ways we hunger.

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Pam Kowolski is a Monster! by Sarah Langan

Twenty-plus years after high school, Janet’s mortal enemy has become America’s manic pixie sweetheart, an online psychic predicting the end of the world. Langan delivers an unabashedly, brutally fun thrill ride in this totally unhinged, absurdly delightful ripper of a novella.

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Never Flinch by Stephen King

A killer on a diabolical revenge mission. A vigilante targeting a feminist celebrity speaker. Twinned narratives converge in a chilling and spectacular conclusion — a feat of storytelling only King could pull off in this wildly fun and outrageously engrossing new novel from horror’s master storyteller.

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Be Mine by Lizzy Barber

When Beth joins wellness group Elixir, she thinks it is the answer to everything. But when she’s warned of the darkness lurking beneath the brand’s gleaming exterior, Beth finds she cannot let go in this story about finding our place in the world today, and where we turn to belong.

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Tell Them You Lied by Laura Leffler

Two New York artists’ tumultuous friendship gets turned on its head when one of them goes missing and the other may be to blame. Leffler’s debut is a taut slow-boiler that will appeal to readers who enjoy alternating timelines and unreliable narrators.

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