Published June 2, 2023 by Macfarlane Lantern Publishing

A cynical twentysomething must confront her unconventional family’s dark secrets in this fiery, irreverent horror novel from the author of Such Sharp Teeth and Cackle.

Nobody has a “normal” family, but Vesper Wright’s is truly…something else. Vesper left home at eighteen and never looked back—mostly because she was told that leaving the staunchly religious community she grew up in meant she couldn’t return. But then an envelope arrives on her doorstep.

Inside is an invitation to the wedding of Vesper’s beloved cousin Rosie. It’s to be hosted at the family farm. Have they made an exception to the rule? It wouldn’t be the first time Vesper’s been given special treatment. Is the invite a sweet gesture? An olive branch? A trap? Doesn’t matter. Something inside her insists she go to the wedding. Even if it means returning to the toxic environment she escaped. Even if it means reuniting with her mother, Constance, a former horror film star and forever ice queen.

When Vesper’s homecoming exhumes a terrifying secret, she’s forced to reckon with her family’s beliefs and her own crisis of faith in this deliciously sinister novel that explores the way family ties can bind us as we struggle to find our place in the world.

As a fairly recent newcomer in the horror scene, Rachel Harrison made her debut with The Return in 2020. The subsequent releases of Cackle in 2021, and 2022's Such Sharp Teeth and Bad Dolls have made it abundantly clear that she doesn't plan on slowing down anytime soon. Zombies, witches, werewolves, possessed dolls, and magic 8-balls have all been story fodder so it only seems natural that her next step would be Black Sheep's cult.

Having left her intensely religious family and community, Vesper is attempting—with questionable results—to make it on her own. The night she's fired from her waitressing job, she discovers an envelope at her door containing an invitation to the wedding of her cousin and childhood best friend, Rosie, to Brody, the only guy she ever loved. When Vesper left the church six years ago, she was told she would essentially be dead to them and could never return. Understandably stunned and unsure of who sent the missive or their motives, she makes the decision to go to the wedding, mostly out of spite for the couple. 

Going back home is a perplexing experience for Vesper. Not only does she have to grapple with her emotions about the marriage and the couple, but she also has to confront her unconventional family and community. Her cold disapproving mother is a scream queen idol that never showed her affection. Her father, whom she adored, abandoned her at a young age when all she wanted was someone to love her. Being home, she is confronted again with these things, as well as her skepticism about religion and her disdain for the seemingly mindless religious devotion of those around her.  

While there's no denying given the subject matter that horror is Harrison's genre, her stories lean heavily on a first-person narrative as they navigate complex relationships and emotional trauma. Black Sheep is no different. Harrison renounces the superficial female archetype and instead constructs strong, memorable, and relatable protagonists. Her characters are refreshingly raw and authentic. Unrestrained and sometimes even ugly, we gain a front-row seat to their motivations, perspectives, and, most significantly, their apprehensions and insecurities. If Vesper's irreverence and quick wit doesn't instantly charm you, hang in there; building genuine characters takes time.

Along with her protagonist being so well-fleshed, Harrison creates an uneasy atmosphere that gets more and more ominous, even if you aren't yet quite sure why. As Vesper revisits her childhood home and reconnects with her past, she can't help but notice the stark distinction between the memories of her youth and the present. Through a mix of humorous and sobering observations, she slowly pieces together the truth about her family and the place she once called home. She is forced to confront the ugliness of her past which ultimately leaves her with a frightening sense of clarity and understanding. Once all the pieces lock into place, you can't help but rally around Vesper before it all comes crashing down. 

Having previously described Harrison's Such Sharp Teeth as "cozy horror", I would say that this entry is equally approachable for those that like their horror spooky but not too dark. However, seasoned horror enthusiasts may find the time spent on character development, the slow start, and the minimal blood and guts too mild. Although I enjoyed reading Black Sheep, I must admit that I was hoping for some unforeseen revelations or turns in Harrison's story. If you plan on reading Black Sheep when it's released, I would highly recommend going in blind, which is why this review is relatively vague. Even though I predicted the twist, I don't want to ruin the experience for readers who may not.   

With the ability to take clichéd tropes that have been used countless times before and infuse them with fresh and invigorating energy, I can't wait to see what subject Harrison tackles next. Overall, Harrison's newest horror entry Black Sheep is a compelling and entertaining read—a delightfully diabolical contemporary horror and another win for Rachel Harrison.

Published June 2, 2023 by Macfarlane Lantern Publishing

A village abandons all they knew in search of water.

A man covets the last roses of summer and pays the price in blood.

Two young monsters seek a peaceful life by the seaside.

A scorching prophecy threatens to destroy all that a princess holds dear.

Once upon a time stories travelled from place to place on the tongues of merchants and thieves and kings alike. Around a crackling bonfire beneath a sky that never grew dark they were shared, and traded, and altered, until every corner of the globe had their own collection of tales.

In the spirit of these age-old stories comes Once Upon a Summer , a seasonal anthology of folk and fairy tales from 15 authors across the globe. It covers everything from summer romances to eco-terror to seaside ghost stories, and features both intriguing twists on classic tales and exciting original stories.

The second of four planned seasonal anthologies from Macfarlane Lantern Publishing, Once Upon a Summer is sure to have a story for just about everyone. Grab your copy in time for the solstice today!

Inside this

The I Scream Van by Caroline Logan

What Big Geese You Have by Adie Hart

The Forest at the End of the World by Josie Jaffrey

It Is Written by S. Markem

These Burning Bones by Laila Amado

Vespertine by Elanna Bellows

The Last Roses of Summer by Kate Longstone

Love, Pride, Virtue and Fate by Bharat Krishnan

Juniper and the Upside Down Well by Ella Holmes

Love in the Time of Volcanoes by Jake Curran-Pipe

Bluebeard’s Beach House by Jenna Smithwick

The Knucker of Lyminster by Katherine Shaw

Summer Dreams by R. A. Gerritse

The Witches of Dogtown by A. J. Van Belle

Contract with a Mermaid by M. J. Weatherall

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My love for fairytale retellings is no secret here. Having previously read, Once Upon a Winter (You can read my review here.), I was excited to dive into the summer. I wasn't able to spend as much time with this anthology as I wanted but I did jump in on a couple of the stories. What I read, I loved! Most are cute and fluffy, while a few are dark, which is exactly what I wanted. 

Bluebeard’s Beach House by Jenna Smithwick was the story I most wanted to read, given its' darker origin story. Bluebeard, or La barbe bleue,  was written down by Charles Perrault—who also authored Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Little Red Riding Hood. The story begins with a wealthy nobleman wanting to remarry after the death of his SIX previous wives. Red flag much? Of course, it is, which is why after much debate (mostly due to his ugly blue beard and NOT the dead wives), one of the daughters of a neighbor agrees to marry him,  He leaves, but before he does, he gives his new wife the keys to all his treasures. Strangely, given all that he is giving her free access to, she is forbidden, upon severe punishment, to open one particular closet. While he's away she has her sister and family over for a party and her curiosity gets the best of her. When she enters the closet, she finds the previous six wives' bodies laying there! She drops the key in the blood on the floor, and no matter what she tries, she can't get the blood off. When the husband arrives home, seeing the blood on the key and knowing what she saw, he is going to kill her. She asks for one last prayer with her sister, Anne. After stalling, she goes downstairs to her fate, but right before she's killed, her brothers show up and stab Bluebeard to death. She inherits the estate and remarries, giving her a happily ever after...hopefully.

**Spoilers ahead**

In Smithwick's story, the new wife Josephine, is preparing in full 50s housewife magazine style for a dinner party. The magazines came from wife #2, Danielle. In her version of the story, Henry, our clean-shaven Bluebeard, is a little less rich, and the dinner party is to charm prospective partners. Josephine wonders if wife #2, felt the way she feels having to live up to Henry's expectations of his first wife. She has a certain amount of resigned jealousy seeing their portraits hanging still from their place of honor at the top of the stairs. She feels inadequate in the face of his previous marriages and under constant disapproval from Henry. Thinking she sees the portrait move, she drops the glass she's holding, a wedding gift of Henry and Mary's, and cuts herself in the process of cleaning the shards up. Pleading illness, Henry goes alone to the party but warns her not to rummage in the attic. After a ghostly vision of Mary urging her to give in to temptation, Josephine grabs the key and heads upstairs. The first thing she experiences is the smell, and there are weird skittering and scratching sounds, there's blood on the neck of a dress, and are those...feet? She stumbles over a dollhouse, a complete miniature of the house she's in, and inside the attic room, there are two dolls—Mary and Danielle. Blood from her cut hand gets on the white dresses of the dolls and she knows Henry will know she's been in the attic. She calls her sister in panic, who comes over. Henry arrives home and threatens her, Anne smacks him with a cast iron pan, and Josephine locks him in the attic, and sets the place on fire. Her happy ending comes with building a new house on the land, one that is airy and comfortable, and while there may be a new love interest there, it's not dependent on a man. 

This was such a great story! The buildup of tension and the creepy atmosphere were perfect! I loved the changes that Smithwick made to the classic story: the ghostly visitations/visions that Josephine had of the two previous wives, how they are actually warning her, and how Josephine, in the end, releases them from the house. Even though there aren't bloody bodies laying in a closet, I thought that the dollhouse was a very effective way of linking back to the origin stories. I especially loved the twist at the end of Josephine's little girl playing with the dollhouse, saying that Daddy is being mean, and how Josephine picks up the doll that looks like Henry, puts him in the attic, and shuts the door. This is exactly how you take a fairytale and give it a contemporary twist. 

Be sure to go back and check out the other stops on the tour! 

 Get ready to pad your TBR, here are just a few of June's new releases! 

If you've missed the previous lists (January, February, March, April, May), you can still check those out. And if you are looking for what's still to come, you can see the whole list for 2023 here.

If you have a book releasing this year and want to get on the list, click here and I'll get you added!

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Maeve Fly by C.J. Leede

Expected publication: June 6, 2023 by Tor Nightfire

By day, Maeve Fly works at the happiest place in the world as every child’s favorite ice princess.

By the neon night glow of the Sunset Strip, Maeve haunts the dive bars with a drink in one hand and a book in the other, imitating her misanthropic literary heroes.

But when Gideon Green - her best friend’s brother - moves to town, he awakens something dangerous within her, and the world she knows suddenly shifts beneath her feet.

Untethered, Maeve ditches her discontented act and tries on a new persona. A bolder, bloodier one, inspired by the pages of American Psycho. Step aside Patrick Bateman, it’s Maeve’s turn with the knife.

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All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby

Expected publication: June 6, 2023 by Flatiron Books

Titus Crowne is the first Black sheriff in the history of Charon County. A former FBI agent and security expert, Titus came home to take care of his father and look out for his troubled younger brother. He ran for Sheriff to make a difference, especially in the Black community, which has so often been treated unfairly by the police.

But a year to the day after his election, a school shooting rocks the town. A beloved teacher is killed by a former student, and as Titus attempts to deescalate and get the boy to surrender, his deputies fire a fatal shot.

In the investigation, it becomes clear that the student they shot had been abused by the dead teacher, as well as by unidentified perpetrators. The trail leads to buried bodies—and secrets. While Titus tries to track down a killer hiding in plain sight, while balancing daily duties like protecting Confederate pride marchers, he must face what it means to be a Black man wearing a police uniform in the American South.

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Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca

Expected Publication: June 6, 2023 by CLASH Books

An insidious darkness threatens to devastate a rural New England village when occult forces are conjured and when bigotry is left unrestrained.

After a recent string of disappearances in a small Connecticut town, a grieving widower with a grim secret is drawn into a dangerous ritual of dark magic by a powerful and mysterious older gentleman named Heart Crowley. Meanwhile, a member of local law enforcement tasked with uncovering the culprit responsible for the bizarre disappearances soon begins to learn of a current of unbridled hatred simmering beneath the guise of the town’s idyllic community—a hatred that will eventually burst and forever change the lives of those who once found peace in the quiet town of Henley’s Edge.

From the Bram Stoker Award®-nominated author of the viral sensation, Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, Everything the Darkness Eats is a haunting supernatural thriller from a new and exciting voice in genre fiction.

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Hymns From The Dirt by Joshua Marsella

Expected publication: June 13, 2023 by Cold Hands Press

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Suffer the Darkness by Yolanda Sfetsos

Expected publication: June 18, 2023 by DarkLit Press

Kae Roscoe's daughter went missing in the woods sixteen months ago but when she returns, she's not the same person. She hardly speaks, doesn't eat, responds with extreme violence, and things get worse when she's released from the hospital. There's definitely something very different about Molly, and her reappearance is making strange things happen to everyone around her.

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Open House by Nico Bell

Expected publication: June 15, 2023 by PsychoToxin Press

Caleb is a Realtor on his way to becoming a self-made millionaire. He has worked hard to leave his troubled youth in the rearview mirror. Enter a mysterious woman with her own wicked agenda. She shows up at his open house asking all the right questions, but something feels off. Before Caleb can pinpoint what it is, he finds himself locked in the home and at her mercy. To be set free, he must battle his inner demons, but Caleb isn't as innocent as he looks. The deadly truth will come out and someone is going to pay.

Night's Edge by Liz Kerin

Expected publication: June 20, 2023 by Tor Nightfire

Liz Kerin’s Night’s Edge is a sun-drenched novel about the darkest secrets we hide and how monstrous we can be to the ones we love most.

Having a mom like Izzy meant Mia had to grow up fast. No extracurriculars, no inviting friends over, and definitely no dating. The most important Tell no one of Izzy’s hunger – the kind only blood can satisfy.

But Mia is in her twenties now and longs for a life of her own. One where she doesn’t have to worry about anyone discovering their terrible secret, or breathing down her neck. When Mia meets rebellious musician Jade she dares to hope she’s found a way to leave her home – and her mom – behind.

It just might be Mia’s only chance of getting out alive.

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The Wicked Unseen by Gigi Griffis

Expected publication: June 20, 2023 by Underlined

The new girl in town is having trouble fitting into a community that believes there's a secret Satanic cult conducting rituals in the woods. When her crush goes missing, she starts to wonder if the town's obsession with evil isn't covering up something far worse. Perfect for fans of Fear Street!

To say sixteen-year-old Audre doesn't fit in would be the understatement of the century. She's a city kid who's found herself in a rural town. The only girl at school who'd rather kiss a girl than a boy. Not to mention that the whole town believes there's a secret Satanic cult conducting rituals in the nearby woods--and Audre is a born skeptic.

When the preacher's daughter and Audre's secret crush, Elle, goes missing on Halloween weekend, the town is quick to point fingers--in Audre's direction. While they harass Audre's family for being newcomers and nonbelievers, Audre realizes she might be the only person here who can find her friend.

The deeper she goes, though, the weirder it gets. What happened to Elle--and is the evil this town is hiding really what Audre thinks it is?

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Those We Drown by Amy Goldsmith

Expected publication: June 27, 2023 by Delacorte Press 

An ocean-drenched, atmospheric horror debut! Liv's best friend disappears on their first night aboard their dream semester-at-sea program—but is he really sick, like everyone says, or is something darker lurking beneath the water?

It should have been the trip of a lifetime.

When Liv lands an all-expenses-paid opportunity to study aboard luxury cruise ship The Eos for a semester, she can’t believe her luck. Especially since it will offer her the chance to spend time with Will, her ex–best friend, who’s barely spoken to her since the night their friendship changed forever.

But as soon as she steps on board, Liv realizes just how far in over her head she is. With Will, with the rest of the Seamester students—including the brittle and beautiful Constantine, who may be hiding his own ties to The Eos—and most of all, with the Sirens, three glamorous and mysterious influencers who seem to have the run of the ship.

Liv quickly discovers that the only reason she was invited to join the trip is because another girl disappeared shortly after enrolling—and no one seems to know what happened to her. When further disappearances rock the ship and strange creatures begin haunting Liv's dreams, she wonders: Is The Eos hiding a dark secret in its watery depths?

The truth will come at a price . . . only, how much is Liv willing to pay?

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Published August 30, 2022 by Entangled: Teen

Some shadows protect you…others will kill you in this dazzling new fantasy series from award-winning author Abigail Owen.

Everything about my life is a lie. As a hidden twin princess, born second, I have only one purpose—to sacrifice my life for my sister if death comes for her. I’ve been living under the guise of a poor, obscure girl of no standing, slipping into the palace and into the role of the true princess when danger is present.

Now the queen is dead and the ageless King Eidolon has sent my sister a gift—an eerily familiar gift—and a proposal to wed. I don’t trust him, so I do what I was born to do and secretly take her place on the eve of the coronation. Which is why, when a figure made of shadow kidnaps the new queen, he gets me by mistake.

As I try to escape, all the lies start to unravel. And not just my lies. The Shadowraith who took me has secrets of his own. He struggles to contain the shadows he wields—other faces, identities that threaten my very life.

Winter is at the walls. Darkness is looming. And the only way to save my sister and our dominion is to kill Eidolon…and the Shadowraith who has stolen my heart.

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Young adult fantasy can be very hit or miss for me so I started The Liar's Crown with a little trepidation. As it turns out, I had nothing to be hesitant about. Classic tropes, magic, a little romance with a little spice, and a well-built fantasy world made this one a fun read. 

Meren is an interesting protagonist. Since birth, she's been trained to be a copy of her sister, the real princess. She's had all the training to talk like her, act like her, and take her place should danger arise. It's kinda a bum deal, but Meren takes it very seriously. She doesn't whine about her station or her sister for that matter. It's just the way things are. When their grandmother dies, her sister is set to take the throne. Of course, danger may be present at the coronation, so Meren is put in place to keep her sister, and the real queen to be, safe. Before any of that can occur, Meren is stolen away by Reven to supposedly protect her from getting in the clutches of Eiolodon, a tyrant and enemy of the crown. 

Reven didn't quite know what he was in store for. Meren is witty, full of sass, and not at all what he was expecting the meek princess to be. Their banter is perfect and what an adventure they have set themselves on the road for! Reven's the perfect tortured love interest, a little dangerous, but trying to do the right thing. All's not what it seems for him as well, and some days he's barely holding it together. Moral gray love interests can be exciting if done right and Reven is as broody and dark as they come. 

While Owen didn't do anything to reinvent the YA fantasy genre, the world-building is top-notch and the magical elements were distinctive. You can easily engross yourself in the story without getting distracted by things that just don't make sense. The characters were entertaining, apart and together, and gave just enough steam without completely losing the adventure of things. The Liar's Crown is a solid, young adult fantasy that I'd recommend for fans of the genre. 

Published  April 21, 2023 by Amazon Digital Services

Be true to yourself and stand up for what's right. Michael, Tim, Dominic, and Logan are four buddies in the suburban town of Fairmont, Texas. Their lives are turned upside down when a demonic entity begins to terrorize their families and all of Fairmont as a whole. Logan knows that he is gay, but has to deal with his family that go to a hate-fueled church led by Johnny Cumberland, otherwise known as Johnny Gospel. The four friends must band together through thick and thin to stand up in the face of evil and hatred. Days and years may come and go, but one thing remains the same. When you're at your lowest you shouldnt be afraid to admit you need help. And don't forget, that we can get by with a little help from our friends. Thanks, Joe Cocker.

Read now

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What attracted you to the genre(s) you write in?

So, I was never opposed to Horror, but I did not consume it very often for most of my life. That was mostly because it scared the crap out of me, and I was more of a comedy guy. Fast forward to when I checked out of rehab and started the long road to recovery. I think you can see where I'm going with this. I found my next fix and horror has been giving me chills and thrills ever since.

What part of writing do you consider a chore?

Formatting, omg. I love writing and I even love editing. But formatting books is a special kind of hell.

Where were you when you first thought "I need to write this story?"

For Chasing Demons I was at work. The song, You Are My Sunshine, came into my head and I thought of some twisted things that could happen with that in a story. I thought of that and other experiences that I would love to relate in a long form story. That got me to put some words down on a page and the rest of the novel followed behind.

Did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

Yes, I started to take it more seriously, and developed different habits that help me to stay productive.

What's your favorite "bad review" that you've gotten?  

I'm not exactly lighting the world on fire with my number of reviews yet. I do have a 2 star review that I liked because while she says that the story wasn't for her, but she explained why others might like it.  Here is a small excerpt...

"I highly recommend that people read this one for themselves and not base their decision on my personal opinion."

What comes first for you - the plot or the characters?

It depends. I would say that I usually get the plot first and fill in the characters afterwards, but there have definitely been times that I had a character come to mind that I just had to base a story off of.

Do you have any writing superstitions?

I tend to want to drink out of the same coffee cup while writing. It wouldn't be the end of the world for me if I used another, but I will go out of my way to go get the same one even of there is another one closer.

Is there a word you find yourself using too often when writing?

I can't think of one specifically  but I do get stuck in patterns of using a word. When going back over and editing I will notice that there was a section where I used the same word numerous times and have to change a few to avoid sounding repetitive. 

A lot of authors have a soundtrack while writing. Are there any songs you had on repeat? 

I was in like the top .01% or something of listeners for Brandon Boone last year on Spotify. You know what, I think I just found something else for that superstition question, lol! His music never has any vocals which is a must for me while writing and none of the melodies are ever jarring which could also throw me out of a groove. Highly recommend!

Do you have a favorite line that you've written? What is it and why do you like it?

One doesn't jump to mind but I do have a funny story about my opening line of The Bunker. I have had an obsessive love of bacon since I was a child. It was to the point that I would jokingly ask for bacon at Christmas time and actually end up getting the precooked bacon to eat while opening presents. My sister read the first line, "The smell of bacon roused me from my sleep," and brought it to my attention that my love of bacon had even made its way into my fiction. I never made the connection but thought that it was a funny coincidence.

What is something about the genre that annoys you?

Hmmm... that's a tough one. My mind first goes more to the perception of the genre than the genre itself. People hear Horror and recoil in disgust or blame it for tragedies. The sad part it is usually the same people who would not want to fund mental health initiatives or regulate guns in a responsible manner. Sadly, that's just the world we live in.

What advice would you like to pass on to aspiring writers that is unconventional but true?

Set goals for rejections. This is some wisdom that I was lucky enough to catch from Hailey Piper on Twitter and it's done wonders for my acceptance rate. More rejections, more acceptances! It also takes a bit of the sting out of rejections at times because you can add that tally mark toward your rejection goal for the year. It helps you realize that even your failures are progress that are moving you in the right direction.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Wake up and do it early in a space that you can be alone. After reading On Writing by Stephen King I made my own writing space as he suggests. That and waking up before the kids are going and I'm not exhausted from work already have done wonders for my productivity.

Do you have a WIP? If so, can you tell us anything about it?

I've been working on a lot of short stories lately to network and expand my publishing profile. My main WIP that I need to get back on is my next book that is about Los Hermanos trailer park and those dirty bloodsucking vampires that are skulking within.

Would you and your main character get along?

If I was the same age as him and his friends, then absolutely. If I were still my own age and was his father or uncle, then definitely not! At least he would have me worried sick if thay were the case. 

Killing off characters your readers love - Risky or necessary?

I am currently wearing a shirt that I had custom made to taunt my wife. It has a typewriter in the center and says, "Killing all your favorite characters." I think that answers the question. Its definitely necessary in my opinion. If you can build such a close bond in your readers and then rip that away in a way that makes sense and hurts deeply. I think that's something really special.

Did any of your characters surprise you while you were writing?

Nancy starts off as the owner of a local horror-themed store called Nancy's Dream & Scream. Her character character development surprised me later in the book, but I will leave that as a surprise for the readers!

Which of your characters was your favorite to write and why?

Johnny Gospel. He is a devious, hypocritical, sorry excuse of a pastor. I loved being able to get into that twisted mindset and just play around with ideas.

You've watched a movie 50 times and you still aren't tired of it. What movie is it?

Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back. I actually watched it every night one summer in middle school. Its laid back, hilarious, and just the kind of comfort movie I needed at that time. Snootchie Boochies!

Which animal (real or fictional) would you say is your spirit animal and why?

Capybaras. They are so chill that they let all sorts of other species just hitch a ride on their back. I can relate!

Would you rather live in a haunted mansion or a cottage surrounded by fairytale creatures?

Haunted mansion, with tons of ghost hunting equipment.

What would you say is your weirdest writing quirk?

I didn't even really tell anyone when I published my first book. I've always had trouble talking about myself, but the more I grow in confidence the more I feel comfortable sharing my work with friends and family.

Using only emojis, sum up your book.

👻🎸⛪️🔪🩸

You've just gone Trick or Treating.

What do you hope is in your bag? 

What do you pawn off on your kids/SO/random stranger?

Butterfinger for my bag, Whoppers for anyone elses.

What is in your internet search history (researching for your book) that you would want someone to wipe if you were under suspicion from the police?

Where can someone get shot without killing them? How long can you live with a leg ripped off? What are the laws behind escaped mental patients?

You wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare. What was it?

If i actually wake up from it then probably falling. The falling ones always make me jump awake.

What cliched tattoo would your main character have?

Either a Michael Myers tattoo or a bass guitar in honor of his band The Forgotten Souls.

What movie completely scarred you as a child?

Scream. I remember watching it then trying to fall asleep in the living room. Suddenly the coats on the rack in the hallways looked eerily similar to Ghostface making his way over to me.

What's the strangest thing a fan (or other author)  has said to you?

Nothing really stands out. Heres to many strange comments by fans and authors in the future!

If animals could talk, which one would be the rudest?

Wasps. They're jerks.

Your main character is at the hardware store. What do they buy?

Probably a chainsaw because he is a horror junkie and he knows that he has to be prepared for the stuff that is going down in Fairmont!

You're riding through the desert on a horse with no name. What are you going to call it?

If I name it then I can't keep singing the song! But if I had to, I would name it Mr. Ed, so that when I started hallucinating that he was talking to me I wouldn't freak out!

If you were bitten and changed, would you want it to be by a vampire or a werewolf?

Vampires are immortal, and I think it would be pretty epic to be one of The Lost Boys.

What are your SM links? Can we follow you and pretend we're besties? 

@cd_kester on Twitter and @cdkester on Instagram. Absolutely!

Thanks so much for participating in the Author Spotlight! Anything you'd like to add?

My books just released on Godless.com where there is a bunch of great indie horror to grab at low prices. You can get both of my books and my audiobook there for $2.50! They are all also available on Amazon.

C. D. Kester is an author of fiction who does most of his work in the horror genre. He lives in Kingwood, Texas with his wife and two children. Kester recently published his first full length novel, Chasing Demons. He also has published a novella titled The Bunker. He has had many stories published in anthologies, ezines, and read in podcasts and on YouTube videos. You can see his work at cdkester.wordpress.com and follow on Twitter @cd_kester (https://twitter.com/CD_Kester) / Instagram @cdkester (https://www.instagram.com/cdkester)

Published January 17, 2023 by Berkley

Grady Hendrix takes on the haunted house in a thrilling new novel that explores the way your past—and your family—can haunt you like nothing else.

When Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter with her ex and fly to Charleston. She doesn’t want to deal with her family home, stuffed to the rafters with the remnants of her father’s academic career and her mother’s lifelong obsession with puppets and dolls. She doesn’t want to learn how to live without the two people who knew and loved her best in the world.

Most of all, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another, and resents her success. Unfortunately, she’ll need his help to get the house ready for sale because it’ll take more than some new paint on the walls and clearing out a lifetime of memories to get this place on the market.

But some houses don’t want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them…

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Grady Hendrix twists childhood imagination in the most demented way possible in this hilarious but unnerving romp that has to be his best novel yet. It's campy. It's creepy. It's just plain delightful.

Louise and her younger brother Mark have so much emotional debris to shift through after the unexpected death of both their parents—to say nothing of the decades of accumulated stuff (like creepy puppets and dolls). Character growth was not shirked throughout the novel and the two main characters had a lot of developing to do. So much, at times, I couldn't stand either of the jerks.  Unlikeable character redemption arcs are always tricky, but Hendrix pulled it off. 

Hendrix takes a long time setting up his characters and the scene. The weirdness doesn't start immediately, and even when it does, it can be rationalized. Given what we know of the sibling's relationship, it's not surprising at all that Louise thinks her jackass brother is trying to freak her out. You have to be in this for the long haul as Hendrix spends a lot of time on the sibling's relationship.

Oh buddy, though, when it all starts happening, watch out. I did get this one as an audiobook, which was especially horrific since the narrators did the voices too. I had a hard time not looking like a crazy person listening to this at work. I laughed many times at the characters or just the insaneness of it all. In other scenes, I cringed, and I'm sure I made all kinds of faces during a few of the later scenes. In the middle of it all, there's still that weird humor that Hendrix is noted for and is my favorite kind: dark! Squirrel Baby Jesus was dear to my heart and had me giggling insanely to myself and yet still cringing!  If Christopher Moore decided to write horror, I think his brainchild would end up in the realm of How to Sell a Haunted House. 

After what felt like the final showdown of the book, I was excited to see that I was only 2/3rds through. I thought "What could possibly come after this?"...and then I found out. Honestly, I was too busy enjoying the ride to bother trying to figure out where things were going. It's not often a book comes along that can completely immerse me in the world. Would I recommend this book? Hell, yeah. It's not going to be for everyone. If you like your horror fast and dirty, you're probably going to despise the amount of time waiting for something to happen. If you don't mind the build-up and back-story family drama, you're going to love it.