Hey Besties!

Coming to you live from Joshua Tree where no reading is happening! We’re here for a show (Afghan Whigs) tonight at Pappy and Harriet’s and definitely enjoying all the desert things. We went for a brief hike this morning and then had late brunch, which is why this is a little late today. Alas, let’s catch up on books!

I finished Cleopatra this week and LOVED IT so much. In fact, I think it’s surpassed When We Were Brilliant as my favorite book of the year. It was masterful and exactly what I hoped it would be! I’ll be back soon with a video dedicated specifically to Cleopatra, likely for paid subscribers only. 5⭐️s

I also finished The Woman and Her Stars, which finally motivated me to finish my Women in STEM blog post. I really enjoy Haw’s character development. She has a knack for crafting a compelling character and story arc without frills. It’s clean with no romance and very period-driven. 4.25⭐️

I finally picked up Lonesome Dove again and was surprised at how easy it was to dive back into the story after having last read it months ago. My goal is to finish this behemoth by the end of summer!

Lastly, I started A Far Flung Life on audio, and to be honest I’m not sure about it yet. It’s well written, but I can already tell it’s going to be SLOW and very character-driven, which is not what I’m in the mood for right now. I owe the publisher a review, but I’m not sure it’s the right time for me to read this. We shall see if I continue it vs return to it later. 

As voted on by YOU, the BBFL, my Fable Book Club, is currently deciding between several East Coast summer reads. I’m really eager to see what they select. It’s neck-and-neck between the Beatriz Williams and Elin Hilderbrand books. I was in the mood for a popcorn read, something low stakes that will get the book club chatting. 

I also posted my first-ever paid subscriber-only content this week, and it's the first of MANY new things I'll be sharing exclusively to paid subs. This week was a review of the film Nuremberg along with a few reading suggestions to accompany the film. While I know times are hard, if you've ever wanted to support me and my content this is the perfect way to do that! I appreciate you!

ICYMI

• 55 Women in STEM Historical Fiction Books

• Women in STEM IG Infographic

• The Hired Man book review

• Unveiling the latest in my Portland Leather Goods collection

Hear It Hear First:

There are SO many things coming soon, so be sure to subscribe to the newsletter and Youtube. I'll be sharing my first ever paid product: over 300 TBR Jar Prompts perfect for historical fiction lovers. I'm also finalizing a reading vlog/review of Yesteryear. Lastly, the June newsletter is already in the works, full of great finds and a look ahead at July historical fiction releases.

Thanks for all your support, my friends! Until next time, happy reading!

xoxo

c

I've been diving deep into some urban legends for research on something special. Most times, urban legends start from a truth before embellishment and fabrication make the tale more sinister than it originated. But let's be real, as horror fans, we live for the scary details that are added in. We chase that thrill of possibly summoning Bloody Mary in front of a mirror, or exploring a supposedly haunted house.

Below, you can find some urban legend horror books that will hopefully scratch that urban legend itch you have. Next week I will feature some Cryptic/Creature Feature Urban Legends :D

The graphic novels Bad Dreams In The Night and Let Me In Your Window by Adam Ellis both feature beautiful artwork with amazing, scary stories. Many of these stories feature urban legends and tales of folklore.

Jack O' Dander by Priya Sharma

This short story follows a family are not only impacted by their choices, but also by a mysterious urban legend.

Killer on The Road/The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones

Both of these novels play on common urban legends. Killer on The Road deals with the legend of a serial killer on the road picking up hitchhikers. The Babysitter Lives centers around the babysitter receives a call/knock on the door urban legend. Both are great books and I love that they are featured together.

Daphne by Josh Malerman

Did you ever play "The Game" back in school. Oops... sorry just made you lose it. This book is very similar to The Game. The urban legend named Daphne comes to life when you think of her. The more you think of her, the higher chance she will come and kill you...better stop thinking of her or else...you may be next.

Schrader's Chord by Scott Leeds

Ahh the good ole cursed object. Schrader's Chord follows a man who inherits a supposed cursed record from his recently deceased father. Legend has it that all four records are played at the same time, the listener will open a gate to the land of the dead...

Narcissus by Adam Godfrey

After hearing about a subterranean pool that's rumored to be the one by which Narcissus once wasted away by, a group of college kids learn the hard way that legends can be true.

A few on my tbr

Books Of Blood by Clive Barker

Scanlines by Todd Keisling

Maggie's Grave by David Sodergren

The House On Abigail Lane by Kealan Patrick Burke

What are some of your favorite Urban Legends?

It's time to wrap up The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight and kick off Go Eat Worms.

WRAP UP

The Scarecrow Walks At Midnight had some creepy scarecrows that came to life. I loved the building dread showcased in this one. I actually don't remember this one as a kid and don't think I read it, so getting to read it now was a pure delight.

In case you missed it, here are some readalikes that feature some farms and creepy scarecrows.

1. Do scarecrows scare you?

2. What part of farm life would you love? Hate?

KICK OFF

And now on to book #21 Go Eat Worms

My fourth grade class went and saw How To Eat Fried Worms in theater, so I'm surprised I never read this one! Worms are gross. They're slimy and squirmy. I'm sure this book grossed out a ton of kids back in the day.

Synopsis:

Obsessed with worms? That's putting it mildly. Todd is so fascinated with worms, he keeps a worm farm in his basement! Most of all, Todd loves torturing his sister and her best friend with worms. Dropping them in their hair. Down their backs.
Until one day, after cutting a worm in half, Todd notices something strange. The rest of the worms seems to be staring at him! Suddenly worms start showing up in the worst places for Todd. In his bed. In his homework. Even in his spaghetti!
What's a worm lover to do when his own worms are starting to gross him out?

Hello my froomies and lovelies!

It has been bit! Things are finally slowing down with school ending (Cue HSM 2) and I've been taking things slowly. When a chapter comes to a close, it's so easy to be wrapped up in keeping busy as well as mourning the routine, that you kinda forget to be a human.

Or a fae in my case.

So I'm keeping with the schedule that I set in the last post, but allowing myself the time to breathe this month.

Plus, I need to prep for all my TBR in June for Pride month!!!

Current reads:

Heir of Prophecy by Analeigh Sbrana

Oathbound by Tracey Deonn

I Accidentally Locked Down a Witch by Jessica Cage!

Every Sunday, I post a walking reading recap over on Instagram where I take my blue heeler Link out for a walk and completely yap about all the books I’ve read that week. 🐾📚

Those videos are usually very chaotic, very unfiltered, and very much me trying to summarize eight books before Link decides we need to investigate every leaf in the neighborhood.

But because those recaps are more high-level first impressions, I wanted this space to be where I share the slightly longer thoughts. The books that surprised me, frustrated me, emotionally damaged me, made me laugh, or completely consumed my brain for a few days.

And this week’s reading lineup somehow included:
✨ cruise ship wedding chaos
🎯 dark romantic suspense
🌊 cozy coastal small towns
🏳️‍🌈 queer found family
⚔️ treasure hunts and Midwest chaos
💍 emotionally obsessed historical romance husbands
🐉 monster girl fantasy romance
🕵️‍♂️ aggressively unserious gay spies
📖 banned books and historical yearning

Let's dive right in!

The Shippers

This definitely was not my favorite romance of the year, but I still ended up having a pretty good time with it.

The setup is pure romcom chaos: after Jojo’s estranged best friend Cooper crashes her wedding and convinces her not to marry her fiancé, she decides the solution to her life choices is reconnecting with the guy who gave her her first kiss during her sister’s cruise ship wedding.

And honestly? Jojo stressed me OUT 😂 She was messy, impulsive, and missed painfully obvious emotional cues constantly. There were multiple moments where I wanted to lovingly grab her shoulders and yell “PLEASE CONNECT THE DOTS.”

But despite that, the chemistry between her and Cooper genuinely worked for me. Their relationship felt believable in that very specific “we’ve known each other forever and know exactly how to annoy one another” way. The emotional intimacy ended up carrying the romance more than anything else, and I appreciated that this didn’t feel overly polished or manufactured. It was awkward and messy and occasionally frustrating, but still cute.

The Final Target

Nora Roberts really reminded me why she’s considered such a legend in romantic suspense.

This follows Arden, an author rebuilding her life while a stalker’s obsession with her becomes increasingly dangerous and psychologically unsettling. And while I expected suspense, I genuinely did not expect this book to get as dark as it did at certain points. Definitely check content warnings going in.

But the tension throughout this was SO well done. Roberts slowly escalates the danger in a way that keeps this constant unease simmering underneath the story.

And I genuinely need to scream about the audiobook narration for a second because January LaVoy absolutely crushed this performance. This was technically a single narrator audiobook, but there were multiple moments where I forgot it wasn’t full cast because every single character felt distinct and fully realized.

Dolly All the Time

This book felt like sitting on a wraparound porch in coastal New England while drinking coffee and gossiping with your neighbors.

It follows a single mom navigating complicated family dynamics, romance, small-town drama, and the lingering feeling of trying to figure out where exactly you fit into your own life.

This had fake dating, lovable neighbors, rich family chaos, and all the cozy emotional warmth I wanted from it. The relationships throughout the story were honestly my favorite part because even when characters frustrated each other, there was still so much underlying love and comfort woven into the dynamics.

Very much a “curl up under a blanket” kind of read.

This Must Be the Place

This YA sapphic romance ended up surprising me in the best way.

Louisa inherits a queer bar from her great-uncle and becomes determined to save it from being demolished while uncovering pieces of his hidden history and legacy along the way.

What I appreciated most here was how much the story focused on grief, identity, community, and preserving queer spaces. The emotional core of the book felt far stronger than just the romance itself, and I really loved the conversations surrounding found family and the importance of protecting places where people feel safe and seen.

Berserkers

This book genuinely feels like the kind of chaotic adventure movie I would’ve obsessed over as a kid.

A group of friends in small-town Minnesota go searching for hidden treasure after learning one of them is moving away, and naturally the entire thing spirals into weird local legends, historical mysteries, and nonstop chaos.

This absolutely has The Goonies energy everyone keeps comparing it to. Fast pacing, treasure hunts, cinematic action, quirky town vibes… it fully commits to the adventure movie atmosphere.

I did struggle a little with the narration style and some of the exaggerated Midwest stereotypes after a while, but underneath all the chaos there’s actually a pretty emotional story about friendship, growing up, and fearing the loss of the people and places that ground you.

The Dove and the Rogue

Marriage of convenience historical romance where the emotionally unavailable rake accidentally becomes obsessively devoted to his wife almost immediately? Yeah. Inject that directly into my bloodstream.

Jenny proposes a practical marriage to David in order to maintain her independence and help secure her sister’s inheritance. The arrangement is supposed to be simple: marry, spend one night together, then separate and continue living independently.

Unfortunately for David, he immediately ruins the plan by falling completely in love with his wife.

The chemistry here was fantastic. Sweet, emotional, spicy, and ridiculously bingeable. And I loved that despite David’s reputation, he genuinely respected Jenny’s independence and ambitions instead of trying to change her.

Reformed rakes who are embarrassingly obsessed with their wives will continue working on me every single time.

A Curse of Beasts and Magic

This reminded me exactly why Jeaniene Frost works so well for me as a fantasy romance writer.

Raine is secretly struggling with a terrifying creature living inside her that feeds on pain. After a violent encounter exposes her to a hidden supernatural world, she’s forced into an uneasy alliance with Remy, a powerful Warden tasked with helping her control the beast within her.

And yes… this is basically a Beauty and the Beast retelling where Beauty is the beast.

The worldbuilding honestly surprised me in a really good way. Hidden realms, magical politics, supernatural hierarchies, monsters, romance tension… it balanced all of those elements without ever feeling overwhelming.

Also the audiobook narration was excellent and made Raine feel incredibly emotionally immediate as a character.

The Tuxedo Society

This book is genuinely absurd and I mean that affectionately.

A struggling actor turned scented candle salesman gets recruited into a secret society of glamorous gay spies trying to stop political conspiracies and save the world.

And honestly? The SECOND you stop asking questions and fully commit to the chaos, this becomes such a fun time.

This book feels like James Bond, The Naked Gun, Knives Out, and a fever dream all smashed together. It’s campy, self-aware, wildly over-the-top, and constantly escalating into more ridiculous situations.

Not every joke landed for me and there are definitely moments where the narration spirals into tangents, but overall this just felt like pure entertainment.

Behind Five Willows

June Hur truly never misses for me.

Set in 1700s Korea during a period of censorship and banned literature, this Pride & Prejudice re-telling follows Haewon as she secretly helps circulate outlawed books through an underground bookshop while slowly falling for nobleman Yu Seojun.

And first of all: THE YEARNING.

This book is absolutely overflowing with restrained emotional tension in the best possible way. Every interaction somehow felt emotionally loaded because of everything left unsaid between them.

But beyond the romance, what really hit me was the theme surrounding censorship and preserving stories. Watching characters risk everything because they believe knowledge matters felt incredibly timely and emotionally impactful.

And that’s a wrap for this week’s reading adventures!

As always, let me know which of these you’ve read (or which one you’re adding to your TBR immediately).

Happy Sunday, mis internet amigxs!

I'm thrilled to announce that we'll be chatting with Natalia Hernandez, author of our May book club selection, Asiri and the Amaru on Monday, June 1st at 8:00 PM EST. The Zoom invite is below!

If you're wondering why I didn't say our chat was in lieu of weekly sprints, it's because sprints have been moved to a monthly schedule as I work on some other initiatives. Our schedule now is the second Monday of the month, meaning our next official Discord sprint session is Monday, June 8th at 8:00 PM EST.

Be on the lookout for future announcements and changes to our Bien Leidos schedule coming up very soon.

If you have questions for Natalia, there is a thread on Discord open through May 31st for you to drop our questions.

As always, the chat link below is for Bien Leidos Bindery members only. DO NOT SHARE THIS LINK WITH OTHERS:

Topic: Bien Leidos Author Chat: Natalia Hernandez
Time: Jun 1, 2026 08:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88089763992?pwd=Oeo6GjJqKbrPKXBsNFC9HU9bNp3yI0.1

Meeting chat link
https://us06web.zoom.us/launch/jc/88089763992

Meeting ID: 880 8976 3992
Passcode: 211986

One tap mobile
+13052241968,,88089763992#,,,,*211986# US
+16469313860,,88089763992#,,,,*211986# US

Join by SIP
• 88089763992@zoomcrc.com

Join instructions
https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/88089763992/invitations?signature=T8xWsPtz99mPwQrn8VgQbPb3C32GTZLk-0wvEG-4Bfw

I just wanted to share that all of you who are preordering the ebook of What Feeds Below right now- you’re all MVPs! We are the number one overall most popular preorder in Kobo right now AND we are an Amazon Top Release!

So many people have told me that hitting a best seller list as an indie is incredibly difficult- but difficult is not impossible. I believe in the possibility of this book, and of this community!

I don’t know when the $3.99 ebook sale ends, so I would grab it now, while it’s hot!!

amazing to see What Feeds Below, the first book from this imprint! At number one in so many categories!!!

Thank you so much to everyone who has already preordered.

The last time I checked the numbers, we were at 303. Our goal is 1,000! Since over 2,000 of you follow me here, I know some of you haven’t preordered yet! (See, mom! I CAN math!)

Hoping that this $3.99 ebook sale might convince those of you who haven’t had a chance to preorder yet! You can grab it anywhere ebooks are sold!

I’ve seen a lot of reviews (did I mention we currently have over 400 reviews on Netgalley with an average 5⭐️!) say they can’t wait to own a physical copy! Don’t wait until the book comes out before you grab it!

I will keep saying it: preordering is one of the best things we can do as literary citizens! Preorders can completely change the trajectory of a book and could change an author’s life. The goal at Boozhoo Books is to give our author’s THE BEST LAUNCH!

If you have already preordered, drop a comment below to let other members know why you ordered early!

Thank you to early readers and reviewers who are hyping this book up! Tatiana and I appreciate you so much!

It’s almost June, and that means it’s time to pick our next book club read! I wanted to give us three fun and fresh options, so I’ve been keeping a close eye on new fantasy releases and have picked three that snagged my attention. Like many of you, I read Veronica Roth as a teenager and am very intrigued by her new adult fantasy release 👀 Sunyi Dean is the author of one of my favorite fantasy standalones, The Book Eaters, and I’m confident that her latest release will be just as good! And of course, we’ve read R.J. Barker together in the past (remember The Bone Ships?). His newest release is bound to be incredible!

Voting will close on Tuesday, May 26th and our June pick/giveaway winner will be announced on the 27th (which also happens to my birthday heyooo) ☺️ Can’t wait to see what we settle on!!

Seek the Traitor’s Son by Veronica Roth

Elegy Ahn did not ask for destiny to find her. She is happy with her life as a soldier, defending her small country from the Talusar, a powerful nation who worships a deadly Fever. A fever that blesses half of its victims with mysterious gifts. But then she’s summoned to hear a prophecy—her, and the most ruthless of Talusar generals, Rava Vidar. Brought face to face, they learn that one of them will lead their people to victory over the other… but they don’t know which. And at the center of both of their fates: a man. A man that, Elegy is told, she will fall in love with. In just one day, Elegy’s old life—her job, her purpose, and her future—is over. She and Rava are destined to collide, with the fate of their nations hanging in the balance. And when they do, only one will be left standing. Elegy intends to make sure it’s her.

The Girl with a Thousand Faces by Sunyi Dean

When Mercy Chan washes up on the shores of Hong Kong with no family, no money, and no memories, the only refuge she finds is the infamous, ghost-infested slum of Kowloon Walled City. Since then, she has rebuilt her life, working for the local triad as a ghost talker and dealing with the angry and bitter spirits who haunt the district. The filthy gutters and cramped alleyways of Kowloon have become her home. But the past Mercy can’t remember isn’t done with her. An unusually powerful ghost has infested Kowloon’s waterways, drowning innocents and threatening the district. It claims to know Mercy—and secrets from her past that are best left forgotten. As Mercy is drawn into a deadly cat-and-mouse game with this malignant spirit, she begins to realize that the monster she fights within these walls may well be one of her own making.

Mortedant’s Peril by R.J. Barker

Irody Hasp is a Mortedant, a cleric tasked with reading the last thoughts of the dead—though no one thanks him for it. No Mortedant is popular, but Irody is scarcely tolerated even by the other members of his own guild, and rarely selected for anything but the lowliest of jobs. This impoverished existence would be dismal enough—but after reading the corpse of a low-level records keeper, Irody’s troubles quickly multiply when his own apprentice is murdered, and all fingers point to him as a suspect. The only way to save his own skin is to find the real culprit himself, an investigation that quickly attracts powerful enemies with few scruples, and draws him into a plot that threatens the entire corrupt yet wondrous city he calls home.

Sickos we got a few quickies to cover in this one and lots of pictures that have the words I am lacking as I write this (my morning White Monster is still kicking in).

DA SALE

First, you're not gonna get a better deal than the $3.99 Kindle sale on A Complement of Scoundrels by S.V. Lockwood.

That's unless of course you signed up for the Sicko tier in time and are going to get the free, early digital copy, or if you did the same thing but as a Mega Sicko and will have a physical copy in your hands soon. Barring that, if you still haven't pre-ordered it and you read books with your eyeballs on a Kindle screen, wtf are you waiting for?! All the Fall 2026 Bindery titles are on this sale so go nutso.

ISA BUNDLE

We're also doing a bundle campaign thingy for A Complement of Scoundrels to reward the folk that have pre-ordered it. Again, me write bad, pictures good:

Here's the form you can submit that pre-order/TBR adding proof to: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeVh-GIdB26YXOY-jzxGXJR1dh7GEzTJFRKNx4A5feUlQxZZg/viewform

BOOK CLUB FOR JUNE STUFF

The lovable crazies in our the Discord put me under a queer siege and the only way they'd lift it is if I had one of the clubs be super gay for Pride Month. I've got 12 books to vote on for the Fiction Sickos based on all their amazing recommendations. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to do that but it's probably going to be a multi-phased vote.

The History Sickos will be voting between the following:

Carthage Must Be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of an Ancient Civilization by Richard Miles

America, América: A New History of the New World by Greg Grandin

And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic by Randy Shilts

A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea by Masaji Ishikawa

Those votes will be up later today, and to be in all that join the Discord and be a Sicko plus subscriber.

DICTATOR MODE

As per usual, when I concede something to the proletariat it usually means I'm atoning for or scheming up a dictatorial power play. In this case it's picking the History Sickos book for July ahead of time, which is going to be Not Built in a Day: How Slavery Made the Roman Empire by Emma Southon. So, go ahead and pre-order that, or, get it if you're in the UK because it's out already as "Servus".

I took the final pass of Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night: Another Halloween Horror Anthology and placed a BIG order. It's always a bit scary around this time. Early reviews start to come in (which I'm trying to stay away from) and all the other pieces fall into place. I'll be sending some copies to those who are part of the upcoming Bookstagram Tour, as well as writing and sending a press release out.

I am also starting to edit the stories that will be in Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night: A Yuletide Horror Anthology releasing THIS November AND I am starting to contact potential authors for the next anthology.

I am going on a day trip tomorrow to do some research for the Woods Bay series, and I just finished my outline for book 2!

BOOKS
Tea You At the Altar by Rebecca Thorne
Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister
Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle
The Dorians by Nick Cutter

Currently reading: The Secret Lives of Zombie Wives by Barbara Truelove and I'll Watch Your Baby by Neena Viel.

SHOWS
NEW
24 in 24
Widows Bay
Euphoria

FILMS - I'm on LetterBoxd - horrormaven13
Mother May I - A big of a let down
Lee Cronin's The Mummy
The Tingler
The House at the Edge of the Woods

Rewatches that I'm enjoying as I pretend to live in the late 90s/early 00s.

TV
Daria
Twin Peaks
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The X-Files
Law and Order: SVU
The Hills

FILMS
The Swan Princess
The Terminator
Fly Away Home

That's all for this week! I hope you get some time to read and watch and relax. Oh and I started a new Instagram for my personal nerdom. If you're interested my handle is: stephanieisspooky

xoxo

Spooky Girl

Books I really thought I was going to love… but didn’t 😭

The Shield of Sparrows
I listened to the dramatized version on Hoopla, and it was okay. A solid romantasy, but nothing spectacular to me.

People were foaming at the mouth for this book on Tiktok!!! It's a good book for sure, but idk it just didn't connect with me.

The middle dragged a lot, and it honestly felt like the author kind of forgot the plot. It read like a slice-of-life anime for about 100 pages instead of the heart-pounding, tension-filled, corrupt political system, plot-driven romantasy I was expecting.

I’m on book two now (on audio), and it’s decent… but yeah.

Just Our Luck
This one just didn’t do it for me at all. It felt unrealistic, it dragged, and I ended up skimming the last 100 pages.

I didn’t really like the MMC, he came off as mean and even though the beginning had potential, the story lacked real tension.

Heat of the Everflame
Okay… books 1 and 2? AMAZING.

If you want high-stakes, crazy plot, slow-burn romantasy, this was IT. I was obsessed. Blown away.

Then book 3…

The author flattened all the characters. Our FMC is insanely powerful, but then she allows a man to literally spit in her face??? No, like that's literally a scene.

She can wipe out entire continents, but she lets herself get bullied constantly. It just didn’t make sense.

And the plot?? The solution is RIGHT THERE, but the characters can’t see it. It made me question their intelligence, honestly.

Not to mention, the MMC turned into a sappy, love-sick puppy instead of the powerful prince we got before.

Hated it.

Plated Prisoner series
I made it to book 4… and yeah, it was time to wrap it up.

Looking back at my Goodreads reviews actually makes me laugh, because by book 3 I was already like “I don’t know about this…” and by book 4 I was DONE.

The pacing slowed to a complete halt while the FMC processed her trauma. And I understand the themes, feminine rage, how patriarchy hurts everyone, but it was so heavy-handed.

It wasn’t woven into the story. It took over the story.

At a certain point, I was like… where is the plot? Where is the action?

It felt less like high-stakes fantasy and more like a very long trauma-healing narrative with magic in the background.

Fate of the Sun King
This series gave everything but the kitchen sink.

What started as high-fae fantasy somehow turned into a space odyssey… like there are literally aliens involved.

The first book was so good, and then slowly but surely… we lost the plot.

It started to feel like those old CW shows where anything goes by the end. Like… Dan Humphrey and Blair Waldorf dating.

Just chaos 😭

I really wanted to love these… but yeah.

Hi everyone and welcome back to another author interview! This week I'm joined by the Hash Slinger Slasher... oops I mean the AMAZING Brian McAuley. McAuley is a super talented author who loves exploring horror through slashers. He's written Curse Of The Reaper, Candy Cain Kills, Candy Cain Kills Again, and Breathe In, Bleed Out.

Let's dive in and AXE some questions. (Sorry, my slasher puns will be the death of me.)

1. I always like to use my first question as a chance for you to introduce yourself! Tell us as little or as much as you want.

Oh hello! Brian McAuley here. I'm a USA Today Bestselling author of horror novels and a WGA screenwriter who has written everything from Lifetime movies to sitcom reboots. Born and raised in the Garden State, but now slowly melting in the Arizona desert, where I'm screenwriting professor at ASU.

2. You're the author of several books, i.e Curse Of The Reaper and Breathe In, Bleed Out, and I love that all your books are slashers in their own unique way. What keeps drawing you back to the slasher genre?

There's something about the structure and tropes of a slasher that just feels like a warm blanket to me. As a writer, I have a lot of fun crafting those elaborate death set pieces where you know a character is about to die, but you're not quite sure how it's going to unfold. 

3. To follow up question two, are there any other subgenres of horror that you want to dabble in one day? Or does the slasher genre forever hold your heart?

So far, I've been most interested in exploring different subgenres through a slasher lens. CURSE OF THE REAPER is rooted in psychological horror, CANDY CAIN KILLS and its sequel are religious horror, BREATHE IN, BLEED OUT dips a toe into cults and folk legends, and my upcoming book FAIRLY BAD WAYS TO DIE plays with the fantasy genre by virtue of being set at a Renaissance Faire.

4. Out of all your books, do you have a favorite? What about one that was harder to write? 

CURSE OF THE REAPER was the hardest to write because it was my first attempt at writing a novel, ever. For that same reason, it remains my favorite. I lived with those characters for years in screenplay form before I adapted the story into a book, so I'll always be grateful to Howard Browning for helping me expand my artistic horizons.

5. I saw your most recent announcement about your newest work, Fairly Bad Ways to Die, which is a slasher involving a plague doctor at a renaissance festival (HELL YEAH! I absolutely love Plague Doctors so this makes my day). Care to tell us a little more about it? 

This book focuses on a band of college students who have been performing at their local Renaissance Faire for years, waiting for their big break. Unfortunately, that opportunity arrives the same year as a mysterious killer who's dispatching patrons with medieval brutality. It was incredibly fun to write because of the world building and large cast of colorful characters. One thing I can promise is that the title is no false promise.

6. Are you working on/plotting anything else at the moment?

I'm presently doing a final polish on what I hope will be my first YA horror novel. You'll be shocked to hear that it's a slasher, but I can't say anything more at the moment, so stay tuned!

7. What have been some of your favorite horror reads from this year? 

Speaking of slashers, I loved FATALLY YOURS by Jessica Lacy. On the non-slasher front, BAT EATER AND OTHER NAMES FOR CORA ZENG by Kylie Lee Baker blew me away. I got a sneak peek at Hailey Piper's upcoming THIS MOVIE DOESN'T END THE WAY WE WANT and had such a fun time with it.

8. Any backlist titles you've been loving lately?

I've been catching up on David Sodergren's catalog of absolute mayhem. GUILLOTINE by Delilah S. Dawson recently left me hungry to read more of her work.  

9. Have you seen any good horror movies lately? I swear there are so many coming out soon that I'm dying to see (Obsession, Hokum, The Backrooms, Passenger)

I'm still thinking about OBSESSION nearly a week later. That one really got under my skin in the best way. I just rewatched KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE for an upcoming Instagram Live with Point Horror Book Club. That movie only gets better with age.

10. Do you have any writing rituals or routines that help you get in the writing headspace?

I'm primarily a morning writer, so a big pot of black coffee is absolutely necessary. If I've still got energy after my teaching day, I'll bring my laptop to my favorite local brewery, pop a movie soundtrack playlist into my ears, and have an IPA-fueled writing session in the evening.

Use the below space to list any socials and author websites you would like to share.

@BrianMcWriter / www.brianmcwriter.com

Thank you again, Brian, for your amazing answers and time!

Welcome back to Case Files! This week gave me some great reads—from continuing our Read Herring Book Club pick for May, to finally reading the 2012 smash hit Gone Girl (and watching the movie).

PS, did you know you can now get a personalized book rec from me? Just visit my Bindery homepage and click the “Get a Rec” button in the top right corner.

Let’s get into the clues and evidence . . .

This week’s reads:

• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (finished): I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would, considering I already knew the big, mid-book twist. It’s psychologically sharp and deliciously tense, the audiobook is well-performed, and the movie is spot-on (probably because Flynn herself wrote the screenplay).

• Murder Most Delicious by Danielle Postel-Vinay (finished): This cozy murder mystery will make you want to fly to Paris immédiatement. The mystery is solid, but I actually most enjoyed the descriptions of the French neighborhood and its close-knit community. Look out for a Cluesletter interview with Danielle on Tuesday! 😊

• The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley (currently reading): Witty and fun! Really enjoying Roger Sheringham and his compatriots. The mystery is delightfully perplexing and the story moves along at a decent pace. This is for our Read Herring Book Club.

• Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann (currently reading): I’m making myself read this before seeing The Sheep Detectives! I loved the sequel, Big Bad Wool (for which I interviewed author Leonie Swann), so it’s no surprise I’m enjoying the sheep’s escapades in this first installment. The audio is delightful and infused with Irish charm.

This week’s book mail:

• That Which Feeds Us by Keala Kendall (out now): A supernatural thriller set at a luxury resort in Hawaii, with themes of colonialism, horror, and the true cost of paradise.

• Murder by Design by Lee Goldberg (out Jun 1): A new series starring a brilliant (but rude) insurance investigator and a struggling actor hired to keep him in line.

Yours mysteriously,

Manon