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 ...



 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, June), 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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 At the End of Every Day by Arianna Reiche 

Expected publication: July 4, 2023 by Atria Books


In this haunting debut novel—perfect for fans of Iain Reid, Jeff VanderMeer, and Julia Armfield—a loyal employee at a collapsing theme park questions the recent death of a celebrity visitor, the arrival of strange new guests, her boyfriend’s erratic behavior, and ultimately her own sanity.


Delphi has spent years working at a vast and iconic theme park in California after fleeing her childhood trauma in her rural hometown. But after the disturbing death of a beloved Hollywood starlet on the park grounds, Delphi is tasked with shuttering The Park for good.


Meanwhile, two siblings with ties to The Park exchange letters, trying to understand why people who work there have been disappearing. Before long, they learn that there’s a reason no one is meant to see behind The Park’s curtain.

What happens when The Park empties out? And what happens when Delphi, who seems remarkably at one with The Park, is finally forced to leave?

At once a novel about the uncanny valley, death cults, optical illusions, and the enduring power of fantasy, Reiche’s debut is a mind-bending teacup ride through an eerily familiar landscape, where the key to it all is what happens At the End of Every Day.






A Good House for Children by Kate Collins 

Expected Publication: July 4, 2023 by Mariner Books


Once upon a time Orla a woman, a painter, a lover.

Now she is a mother and a wife, and when her husband Nick suggests that their city apartment has grown too small for their lives, she agrees, in part because she does agree, and in part because she is too tired to think about what she really does want. She agrees again when Nick announces with pride that he has found an antiquated Georgian house on the Dorset cliffs—a good house for children, he says, tons of space and gorgeous grounds.

But as the family settles into the mansion—Nick absent all week, commuting to the city for work—Orla finds herself unsettled. She hears voices when no one is around; doors open and close on their own; and her son Sam, who has not spoken in six months, seems to have made an imaginary friend whose motives Orla does not trust.

Four decades earlier, Lydia moves into the same house as a live-in nanny to a grieving family. Lydia, too, becomes aware of intangible presences in the large house, and she, like Orla four decades later, becomes increasingly fearful for the safety of the children in her care. But no one in either woman’s life believes the stories that seem fanciful, the stuff of magic and mayhem, sprung from the imaginations of hysterical women who spend too much time in the company of children.

Are both families careening towards tragedy? Are Orla and Lydia seeing things that aren’t there? What secrets is the house hiding?

A feminist gothic tale perfectly suited for the current moment, A Good House for Children combines an atmospheric mystery with resonant themes of motherhood, madness, and the value of a woman’s work.






Love the Sinner by Mo Moshaty


Expected publication: July 5, 2023 by Brigids Gate Press, LLC

According to Dante, a sin is the misdirection of love - the human will, or essentially, the direction of our beings. Love the Sinner is an examination of just how those sins can kaleidoscope into horrific consequences creating a distorted and deadly landscape. These stories stand stark before you in full glaring misstep and macabre to show the human psyche in all its twisted reality.


From grief and its rage to medical meddling to ensure a new world order to bloody revenge within a quantum leap, these stories seek to solidify one absolute man is the scariest monster.





Whisperwood by Alex Woodroe

Expected publication: July 11, 2023 by Flame Tree Presss

A journey into the wild woods with a character who just needs a break—and the terrible things that stare back at her.

When curious nomad Anna hears about Whisperwood, a town that’s not on any maps, that nobody goes to, and nobody comes from, she sees an opportunity to hide from her violent witch-hunting ex.

But not everything is peaceful in the isolated community. A vanishing town, a gruesome funeral rite, an emergency field surgery—these surprises and more test Anna's resolve.

Prevented from leaving the frontier settlement by folk magic she doesn’t understand, Anna lends helping hands everywhere she can, but quickly finds that investigating the forest too closely could end up being the last thing she does.



Burn the Negative by Josh Winning

Expected publication: July 11, 2023 by G.P. Putnam's Sons

In this incendiary mash-up of horror and suspense, a notorious slasher film is remade…and the curse that haunted it is reawakened.

Arriving in L.A. to visit the set of a new streaming horror series, journalist Laura Warren witnesses a man jumping from a bridge, landing right behind her car. Here we go, she thinks. It’s started. Because the series she’s reporting on is a remake of a ’90s horror flick. A cursed ’90s horror flick, which she starred in as a child—and has been running from her whole life.

In The Guesthouse, Laura played the little girl with the terrifying gift to tell people how the Needle Man would kill them. When eight of the cast and crew died in ways that eerily mirrored the movie’s on-screen deaths, the film became a cult classic—and ruined her life. Leaving it behind, Laura changed her name and her accent, dyed her hair, and moved across the Atlantic. But some scripts don’t want to stay buried.

Now, as the body count rises again, Laura finds herself on the run with her aspiring actress sister and a jaded psychic, hoping to end the curse once and for all—and to stay out of the Needle Man’s lethal reach.




The Beast You Are by Paul Tremblay

Expected publication: July 11, 2023 by William Morrow



A haunting collection of short fiction from the bestselling author of  The Pallbearers Club ,  A Head Full of Ghosts , and  The Cabin at the End of the World. Paul Tremblay has won widespread acclaim for illuminating the dark horrors of the mind in novels and stories that push the boundaries of storytelling itself. The fifteen pieces in this brilliant collection,  The Beast You Are , are all monsters of a kind, ready to loudly (and lovingly) smash through your head and into your heart. In “The Dead Thing,” a middle-schooler struggles to deal with the aftermath of her parents’ substance addictions and split. One day, her little brother claims he found a shoebox with “the dead thing” inside. He won’t show it to her and he won’t let the box out of his sight. In “The Last Conversation,” a person wakes in a sterile, white room and begins to receive instructions via intercom from a woman named Anne. When they are finally allowed to leave the room to complete a task, what they find is as shocking as it is heartbreaking. The title novella, “The Beast You Are,” is a mini epic in which the destinies and secrets of a village, a dog, and a cat are intertwined with a giant monster that returns to wreak havoc every thirty years. A masterpiece of literary horror and psychological suspense,  The Beast You Are  is a fearlessly imagined collection from one of the most electrifying and innovative writers working today.






The After-death of Caroline Rand by Catherine Cavendish

Expected publication: July 11, 2023 by Flame Tree Press

A chilling, dark fantasy, in the slipstream of Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.'


At a weekend house-party at ancient Canonbury Manor, Alli is caught between fantasy and reality, past and present, in the life of Caroline Rand, a famous singer from the late Sixties, who reportedly killed herself in that house. Alli soon learns that evil infests the once-holy building. A sinister cabal controls it, as it has for centuries. Before long, her fate will be sealed, and she will learn about her role in the after-death of Caroline Rand.


It begins with a chilling "Welcome to The Columbine, Miss Sinclair. You are expected."


Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia 

Expected publication: July 18, 2023 by Del Rey

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and Mexican Gothic comes a fabulous meld of Mexican horror movies and Nazi occultism: a dark thriller about the curse that haunts a legendary lost film--and awakens one woman's hidden powers.


Montserrat has always been overlooked. She’s a talented sound editor, but she’s left out of the boys’ club running the film industry in ’90s Mexico City. And she’s all but invisible to her best friend, Tristán, a charming if faded soap opera star, though she’s been in love with him since childhood.


Then Tristán discovers his new neighbor is the cult horror director Abel Urueta, and the legendary auteur claims he can change their lives—even if his tale of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds like sheer fantasy. The magic film was never finished, which is why, Urueta swears, his career vanished overnight. He is cursed.


Now the director wants Montserrat and Tristán to help him shoot the missing scene and lift the curse . . . but Montserrat soon notices a dark presence following her, and Tristán begins seeing the ghost of his ex-girlfriend.


As they work together to unravel the mystery of the film and the obscure occultist who once roamed their city, Montserrat and Tristán may find that sorcerers and magic are not only the stuff of movies.


A Guide to the Dark by Meriam Metoui

Expected publication: July 18, 2023 by Henry Holt

You can check out of Room 9, but you can never leave.


The Haunting of Hill House meets Nina LaCour in this paranormal mystery YA about the ghosts we carry with us.


Something is building, simmering just out of reach.


The room is watching. But Mira and Layla don't know this yet. When the two best friends are stranded on their spring break college tour road trip, they find themselves at the Wildwood Motel, located in the middle of nowhere, Indiana. Mira can't shake the feeling that there is something wrong and rotten about their room. Inside, she's haunted by nightmares of her dead brother. When she wakes up, he's still there.


Layla doesn't see him. Or notice anything suspicious about Room 9. The place may be a little run down, but it has a certain charm she can’t wait to capture on camera. If Layla is being honest, she’s too preoccupied with confusing feelings for Mira to see much else. But when they learn eight people died in that same room, they realize there must be a connection between the deaths and the unexplainable things that keep happening inside it. They just have to find the connection before Mira becomes the ninth.

Readers won't be able to put down this tender thriller that includes over thirty interior black and white photos by the author!


Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

Expected publication: July 18, 2023 by Tor Nightfire


A searing and earnest horror debut about the demons the queer community faces in America, the price of keeping secrets, and finding the courage to burn it all down.


They’ll scare you straight to hell.


Welcome to Neverton, Montana: home to a God-fearing community with a heart of gold.


Nestled high up in the mountains is Camp Damascus, the self-proclaimed “most effective” gay conversion camp in the country. Here, a life free from sin awaits. But the secret behind that success is anything but holy.


They Lurk by Ronald Malfi

Expected publication: July 18, 2023 by Titan Books

This collection contains 4 novellas by one of dark fiction's finest writers.

Novellas include:


Skullbelly


When three teenagers disappear in the redwood forest of the Pacific northwest, private detective John Jeffers is hired by the families to find out why the local police seem to be covering things up. Jeffers travels to the shore town of Coastal Green to investigate...and learns of a terrible secret in the process...


The Separation


In an effort to help an old friend through the breakup of his marriage, psychotherapist Marcus Llewellyn arrives in Germany to find up-and-coming prizefighter Charlie Pronovella in a state of such deep depression, he takes his old friend on as a client. But soon Marcus's faith in his own abilities to help Charlie comes into question when Charlie's behavior grows increasingly bizarre. Is Charlie suffering from a nervous breakdown, or are otherworldly forces at work?


The Stranger


It happened outside a motel in rural Florida…


A strange thing, a peculiar thing. At first, David thought it was simply a mistake—the stranger who sat behind the wheel of David’s own car in the parking lot of the roadside motel. Had the man gotten into the wrong car? Was he lost? Hurt? But when the doors are locked from the inside and a gun is set on the dashboard, David realizes this was no mistake.


And that was when the insanity started…


After the Fade


It was a typical evening at a local Annapolis tavern, until a girl walked in, collapsed and died.


The cause of her death was anything but natural. Something had latched itself to the base of her skull. Some type of creature unlike anything seen before.


And it didn't arrive alone.


Now, the patrons of The Fulcrum are trapped, held prisoner within the tavern's walls by monstrous things that flit across the night sky, trying to find their way in.





Her Little Flowers by Shannon Morgan

Expected publication: July 25, 2023 by Kensington


Francine Thwaite has lived all her fifty-five years in her family’s ancestral home, a rambling Elizabethan manor in England’s Lake District. No other living soul resides there, but Francine isn’t alone. There are ghosts in Thwaite Manor, harmless and familiar. Most beloved is Bree, the mischievous ghost girl who has been Francine’s companion since childhood.


When Francine’s estranged sister, Madeleine, returns to the manor after years away, she brings with her a story that threatens everything Francine has always believed. It is a tale of cruelty and desperation, of terror and unbearable heartache. And as Francine learns more about the darkness in her family’s past—and the role she may have played in it—she realizes that confronting the truth may mean losing what she holds most dear.



The Woman in the Castello by Kelsey James

Expected publication: July 25, 2023 by A John Scognamiglio Book


In this beguiling midcentury historical fiction novel set in 1960s Italy, an ambitious American actress and single mother snags the starring role in a mysterious horror movie shooting on location in a crumbling medieval castle outside Rome...


Readers who enjoy the moody gothic allure of Kate Morton and Silvia Moreno-Garcia or the immersive settings of Lucinda Riley and Fiona Davis will be enthralled by Kelsey James' spellbinding web of intriguing mystery, family secrets, forbidden love, and midcentury Italian flair.


Rome, 1965: Aspiring actress Silvia Whitford arrives at Rome's famed Cinecitta Studios from Los Angeles, ready for her big break and a taste of la dolce vita. Instead, she learns that the movie in which she was cast has been canceled. Desperate for money, Silvia has only one choice: seek out the Italian aunt she has never met.


Gabriella Conti lives in a crumbling castello on the edge of a volcanic lake. Silvia's mother refuses to explain the rift that drove the sisters apart, but Silvia is fascinated by Gabriella, a once-famous actress who still radiates charisma. And the eerie castle inspires Silvia's second chance when it becomes the location for a new horror movie, aptly named The Revenge of the Lake Witch--and she lands a starring role.


Silvia immerses herself in the part of an ingenue tormented by the ghost of her beautiful, seductive ancestor. But when Gabriella abruptly vanishes, the movie's make-believe terrors seep into reality. No one else on set seems to share Silvia's suspicions. Yet as she delves into Gabriella's disappearance, she triggers a chain of events that illuminate dark secrets in the past--and a growing menace in the present . . .


Cruel Angels Past Sundown by Hailey Piper

Expected publication: July 25, 2023 by Death's Head Press

TNew Mexico Territory, 1882: She comes to the Klein ranch at sunset, a strange naked pregnant woman dragging a cavalry saber. Annette Klein and her husband have built peace between their marriage and secret relations beyond, but their serenity dies in bloodshed tonight through a cannibalistic demon and a mad preacher.


Annette barely escapes the bloodbath to the nearby town of Low’ s Bend, where she might find safety with a shotgun-toting barkeep, two no-nonsense boarding room ladies, and the gunslinging bounty hunter who’ s captured Annette’ s heart.


But hell is at her heels. If she’ s going to survive until dawn, she’ ll have to forget everything she knows about peace and mercy, and face a hollow malevolence more ancient and ruthless than she’ s ever imagined.


I'm Having Regrets by Caitlin Marceau

Expected publication: July 28, 2023 *update coming September 2023*


I'm Having Regrets follows the story of Madeleine, a recently widowed mother of two, who's desperate to put her life back together in the wake of a tragic fire. Despite her sister's concerns, Madeleine finds herself seeking comfort at a local support group for the bereaved that's run by a religious group known as Our Lady of Porete. While she's hesitant to attend their week-long retreat with the rest of the congregation, her increasingly strained homelife convinces her to go. With her two children and sister in tow, Madeleine heads out into the middle of nowhere to discover who she really is and what the group's intentions with her and her family really are. I'm Having Regrets looks at the dark side of community and what happens when we're unable to make peace with the things we've done to survive.


Published June 2, 2023 by Macfarlane Lantern Publishing A cynical twentysomething must confront her unconventional family’s dark secrets in...


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 resultsto 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 o...





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


Add to Goodreads
 

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 ...



 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.






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.






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.






Hymns From The Dirt by Joshua Marsella

Expected publication: June 13, 2023 by Cold Hands Press







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.



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.







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?


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?



Published  August 30, 2022 by Entangled: Teen Some shadows protect you…others will kill you in this dazzling new fantasy series from award-w...


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 Log...


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.

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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)