The 40 But 10: Gavin Dillinger & Stephen Kozeniewski

 

I've pulled together 40ish questions - some bookish, some silly - and have asked authors to limit themselves to answering only 10 of them. That way, it keeps the interviews fresh and connectable for all of us!

Today we are joined by Gavin Dillinger & Stephen Kozeniewski.  Gavin Dillinger is an author based out of Nashville. He is the author of AN EXPLORATION OF EXISTENTIAL INDIFFERENCE IN A VOID OF CONFIDENCE (OR GOOD BOY: A NOVEL), a horror-comedy that has been called "a book." His most recent novel, LOONEY! (co-written with Stephen Kozeniewski), continues in the vein of GOOD BOY with unhinged hyperviolence and over the top characters, while digging into deeper societal questions about patriotism and personal identity.  And Stephen Kozeniewski (pronounced "causin' ooze key") is a Splatterpunk Award-winning author and two-time World Horror Grossout Contest champion. His published work has also been nominated for the Voice Arts and Indie Horror Book Awards, among other honors. He lives in Pennsylvania with his fiancée and their two cats above a fanciful balloon studio. 

NOTE: In keeping with the sillier side of the book, Stephen and Gavin decided it might be funny to answer these questions as each other, so Stephen’s answers were written by Gavin, and vice versa.

 ….I swear, they like each other really.

  

Why do you write?

Gavin Dillinger: I’m not supposed to talk about this, but I receive a number of transmissions via my dental implants from various…well, let’s just call them “entities.” Toth, the Eater of Worlds, broadcasts from deep space via a network of connected wormholes known as the Route of Depravity. He’s been dictating a manifesto to me that I’m supposed to keep absolutely, 100% clandestine and…oops. I meant to say…a beloved English teacher encouraged me to write.

 

Do you have any hidden talents?

Gavin Dillinger: Well, I don’t know if it’s hidden, per se, because I’m very public about it, but the answer is erotic self-portraiture. What I really like to do is just grease up my hair, hang a bright neon-orange background, and just go to town. Just absolutely go to town on that shutter button. You’ve probably seen some of my work online? 

Stephen Kozeniewski: It’s impressive. He has a certain je naus se quois to his performance. That’s a French phrase. You use it when you don’t know how to describe something. I find it very useful when speaking to my proctologist.

 

What’s the most useless skill you possess?

 Stephen Kozeniewski: French. Outside of my proctology appointments, I never use it.

 

What’s something that’s true about you but no one believes?

Stephen Kozeniewski: I am fluent in French, and if you visit me at a con or proctology appointment, I will speak French with you.

 

What’s your kryptonite as a writer?

Gavin Dillinger: Oh, man, just, you know, going it alone. If I don’t have a co-author to keep me on track and to do all the editing and, frankly, most of the work, I am just useless. Yeah, I mean, that’s my secret shame.

Stephen Kozeniewski: I thought carrying Wile E. Young through Perfectly Fine House was difficult, but ho boy! At least that man has seen a book before. I genuinely wonder if Gavin knows what a word is. When I call him, usually to do wellness checks, he just grunts into the phone. If it wasn’t for the community service requirements of my parole, I never would have done this book with him.

 

What genres won’t you read?

Gavin Dillinger: I refuse to read non-fiction. Like, what, am I, back in school? I pick up a book because I’m supposed to be learning? About the real world? Nah, screw that, man. Come to think of it, I’m not too keen on fiction, either. The main thing I like to read is billboard advertising copy. Lie to me, but I know you’re lying to me, that’s the key.

 

What’s the single best line you’ve ever read?

Stephen Kozeniewski: I recently purchased an omnibus of Family Guy scripts. I’ve long appreciated the show and its dialogues. Reading Quagmire’s catchphrase in print moved me to tears. I could feel the emotion and frustration of his solitude, yearning for companionship but plagued by excess, all rolled into a single “giggity.” I cried.

  

You have to choose an animal or cartoon character that best represents you. Which is it and why

Stephen Kozeniewski: Quagmire. You know why.

  

What is under your bed?

Gavin Dillinger: Poopy poopy diapers. I just throw them under there. Saves a ton on plumbing and the water bill. Still haven’t filled up the space yet, so I figure I’m good to go for a while yet, as long as I don’t answer the door when the super knocks.

 

What’s the one thing you wish you knew when you were younger?

 Stephen Kozeniewski: Condoms prevent diseases.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Purchase your copy here!

When beloved cartoon characters come crawling out of her TV, army recruiter Gabriella Harman expects a zany romp instead of the hellish nightmare that follows.

One night, haunted by her memories of Iraq, Gabriella downs a stomachful of pills and booze. When her favorite cartoon characters, the Kooky Toons, start crawling out of the TV, she assumes she is hallucinating.

But soon Gabriella finds herself locked in a battle of wits and wills with Herman Hyrax, the world-famous, wise-cracking mascot of the Kooky Korporation. Herman is more than just a stinker, though. He may be a monster, a demon, a god, or something entirely more unwholesome.

Is Gabriella’s descent into a world of cartoonish violence and psychological torment real? Or has she simply gone…

LOONEY!?

Page 69 Test: Ursula Major

Disclaimer: The Page 69 Test is not mine. It has been around since 2007, asking authors to compare page 69 against the meat of the actual story it is a part of. I loved the whole idea of it and so I'm stealing it specifically to showcase small press titles - novels, novellas, short story collections, the works! So until the founder of The Page 69 Test calls a cease and desist, let's do this thing....

In this installment of Page 69, 

we put B. Robert Conklin's Ursula Major to the test.

Set up page 69 for us

The novel is narrated in the form of a memoir by Jeremy Hilary Jones as an adult trying to come to terms with traumatic events of his childhood involving his younger sister, Ursula, or Ursie for short. This page begins Chapter 10, which is about one-fourth through the novel, and follows an episode detailing the kids’ father’s infidelity. The father had taken Jeremy and Ursie “on the road” with him as a traveling salesman throughout Ohio, using them as cute, little props (at ages 8 and 4) to help convince brides-to-be to place his assortment of fine china on their bridal registry. For a week, they had been living out of their car and washing up at gas station restrooms or roadside rest stops, so when a single woman, Evita, whose husband had recently died, invites them to stay for supper and a clean bed, all three jump at the chance. That night, Jeremy and Ursie hear what sounds like two adults “jumping on the bed,” like the monkeys out of the storybook. They’re too young to know about sex, of course, but after their father ships them back home on a bus so he can stay with the young woman, they blurt out her name, violating their pledge of secrecy. This chapter opens with the notion that “all is forgiven” upon their father’s return home.

 

What Ursula Major is about

Set in small-town Appalachia, Ursula Major recounts the efforts Jeremy makes to keep his younger sister “safe” through the tumultuous 70s and early 80s as their parents’ marriage slowly falls apart. Throughout this time period, brother and sister navigate the perils of their youth together, escaping one predicament only to end up in another one even worse. Part of their problem is their irresponsible parents: a deadbeat father who eventually abandons the family for a life of adventure in Alaska, and a mother who has “found religion,” including a snake-handling sect across the Ohio River in West Virginia that the children find both enchanting and threatening. Small, seemingly insignificant episodes, a couple of which involve charitable hospice and prison visits where their mother leaves her kids to their own devices, start to add up in a cause-effect relationship. Events take on more sinister tones, from Ursie’s abduction by a family acquaintance to the sexual assault on their caregiver by an entitled teen. Through it all, Jeremy adopts a positive outlook, trying his best to spin hopefulness out of danger and despair. What gives the novel a psychological edge is that the episodes are framed by the adult Jeremy trying to make sense of his past as he separates fact from fantasy with the guidance of a Millennial therapist who attempts to keep him grounded in reality.

 

Do you think this page gives our readers an accurate sense of what the book is about? Does it align itself the book’s theme?

Yes, I think this page provides a good sense of the novel’s themes in several ways. First is the theme of forgiveness. At the top of page 69, it may seem “all is forgiven” regarding the father’s transgressions, but within a couple of pages, hidden tensions are on the verge of exploding. These occur during such seemingly docile activities as family game nights, where Jeremy and Ursie’s mother accuses their father of cheating, even during Scrabble, as they assault each other with vicious four-letter words. The reference to the “hedge” is how the father takes out his anger by clipping the bushes that border their front yard little by little until nothing is left but a series of short sticks. The idea of forgiveness crops up again as the mother’s spirituality leads her to forgive her daughter’s kidnapper. And it’s clear that Jeremy, by the end of the novel, is seeking forgiveness for the guilt he feels at not having been able to prevent traumatic events that were out of his control. The mother’s attempt to curb the father’s roaming instincts will come to naught, as he will begin roaming farther and farther afield, leaving his family behind. This sense of abandonment and estrangement is another dominant theme in the novel. Jeremy’s nerdiness and day-dreaminess are also a recurring motif, as he Is bullied quite often, especially as he enters his gangly, awkward teens. Yet he tends to put on a happy face, even during the most notorious encounters, turning tables on his tormentors with gentlemanly politeness. The unfinished line at the end of the page hints at the room he shares with his sister. Yet it isn’t just a room but a life, as the hardships they endure as kids, which ultimately prompt them to plot revenge against their caregiver’s assailant, lead to a lifelong bond. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 10

All was forgiven—or seemed to be. In any case, nothing more was ever said of Evita.

Our father began working second shift in a manufacturing plant as a furnace operator. Our mother thought it best that he work somewhere stationary, as a means of curbing his instinct to roam. It helped that he was supervised at work and had to stay in one place. Their battles seemed fewer. At least, it was too cold for Dad to work on the hedge.

I couldn’t imagine what a furnace operator actually did, since it seemed our furnace worked automatically, with minor adjustments to a thermostat. When I asked my father, he wasn’t very forthcoming. “Turn knobs and watch a dial,” is all I was able to get from him as a job description. It didn’t sound very exciting.

My sister still had one more year to go before kindergarten while I attended third grade. At lunch, I sat with a couple of outcast classmates in the cafeteria—we were what you might refer to as a larval stage of nerd—but rarely spoke with anyone or raised my hand in class. I preferred to doodle in the margins of my notebook or stare out the window at a small courtyard of snow-covered benches beneath the prickly arms of hawthorns. Birds stayed alive eating the berries, and my doodles turned into comic strips with crudely drawn robins that had missed the fall migration.

My main interaction with kids on the bus was as a scapegoat for ear flicking from the seat behind. There was a girl—Melinda Ruiz—who sat next to me until the older kids made fun of us and tried to force our heads together into a kiss. After that, she changed seats and never sat next to me again.

My refuge was at home in the small bedroom I shared with

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A native Ohioan, B. Robert Conklin (he, him, his) lives, writes, and works, not necessarily in this order, in Columbus, where he and his spouse nurture the ambitions of their three Gen-Z kids, who seem determined to take less-traveled paths of their own. In support of loved ones, he is an advocate for trans rights, eating-disorder recovery, and autism awareness.

 His stories have appeared in Blue Moon Literary & Art Review, THAT Literary Magazine, and Kestrel, as well as various ezines. With a teaching background in language and literature, he has also co-authored a college composition textbook to help emerging writers connect with their world. His first two novels placed as back-to-back suspense-genre finalists in the National Indie Excellence® Awards. In a different medium, he is determined to keep posting original cartoons to his Tumblr blog until his followers beg him to stop.

You can out more here: 

Kindle book   |    Paperback    |   Books2Read    |   Goodreads   |    FB author    |    Instagram    |    X      |      Tumblr

The Audio Series: Monsters and Other Tales of Humanity

 

We're happy to help Meerkat Press support the release of their latest title Monsters and Other Tales of Humanity by Carla E. Dash. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today, Carla E. Dash joins us and reads an excerpt from her upcoming collection Monsters and Other Tales of Humanity. Our audio series "The Authors Read. We Listen." was originally hatched in a NYC club during BEA back in 2012. It's a fun little series, where authors record themselves reading an excerpt from their own novels, in their own voices, the way their stories were meant to be heard.

Carla lives in Braintree, MA with her husband, children, and cats. She teaches middle schoolers, procrastinates via video games and anime, and occasionally buckles down and writes. 

Releases July 8, 2025

Collection | Horror | Dark Fantasy

Click on the soundlink below to hear Carla reading a snippet from her collection.

 

TNBBC · Excerpt from Monsters and Other Tales of Humanity

Revealing both how terrifying and how heroic individuals can be when untethered from relationships, Monsters and Other Tales of Humanity portrays the ways people cope with loneliness. A woman is haunted by Death, who progressively resembles her drowned fiancé. A child seeks beauty in a handsome stranger’s greenhouse and holds out hope for a savior. A woman’s husband is murdered by police, and her monstrous children enact a bloody revenge. A negligent mail carrier believes stars are disappearing from the sky, heralding the annihilation of the universe. A video game character’s dissonance with the actions he must perform precipitates a choice that could destroy his world. Speculative and lyrical, these stories explore the human need for connection and how the lack of ties warps lives. 

Purchase your copy here: Meerkat Press | Bookshop.org | Amazon

The 40 But 10: Nico Bell

 

I've pulled together 40ish questions - some bookish, some silly - and have asked authors to limit themselves to answering only 10 of them. That way, it keeps the interviews fresh and connectable for all of us!

Today we are joined by Nico Bell. Nico is the author of Food Fright and Static Screams. She is also the Editor-in-Chief for Mad Axe Media, as well as co-editor for anthologies such as Mine: A Body Autonomy Anthology and Publishers Weekly BookLife Best of 2024 Food Fright: A Diet Riot Anthology. When she isn’t writing, she’s playing with her dog, Egg. You can find her here: website   |   tiktok   |   Insta

What’s something that’s true about you but no one believes? 

I have a BS in Biomedical Engineering. It’s kinda weird when people ask me if I went to school for writing and that’s my answer (I did go back to school and earned an MFA in Writing). They’re like “No you didn’t” LOL. It was one of those things where my parents influenced me to turn from a creative field to a scientific one. I totally understand the reasoning, and I was only seventeen when I started college, so I look back and realize I didn’t really have the agency to speak up for myself. Still, it’s a huge regret, probably one of the biggest I have.

What’s your kryptonite as a writer? 

Self-doubt. I don’t want to fail, so I don’t start writing. It’s a really weird dynamic, and even though I’ve been in this industry for close to fifteen years, I still must force myself to sit at my computer and get words on a page. I wish I could say it has gotten easier over the years, but it hasn’t. Tight deadlines help, but overall, it’s certainly my kryptonite.

If you met your characters in real life, what would you say to them? 

I’m so sorry.

If you could cast your characters in a movie, which actors would play them and why? 

Nothing would make me happier in the book world than for This Cruise Sucks to be made into a movie and for Paul F. Thompkins to play the squid. He’s an incredible comedian, and if anyone could pull off a killer Cephalopoda it’s 100% him. I’ll be waiting for Netflix’s call.

What genres won’t you read? 

I’ve stopped reading fantasy books. I don’t have anything against them, but I used to do book reviews for Publishers Weekly, and they gradually switched from horror books to exclusively giving me fantasy to read. For two years, I basically only read 500+ word fantasy, so now, I tend to pick other genres.

What’s the single best line you’ve ever read? 

“Torture is torture and humiliation is humiliation only when you choose to suffer.” It’s from Chuck Palahniuk’s book Choke, which is the first book I read from him and he quickly became my favorite author. The quotes is surrounded by a bit of a, um, unsavory moment, but the line has really stuck with me. Sometimes, I believe it to be true. There are choices in life to help some situations be bearably, and sometimes, the choice is out of our hands, but it’s a provocative sentence (in my opinion) that is worth exploring.

What’s on your literary bucket list? 

I’d like to travel to the Bram Stoker festival in Dublin so I can be with other vampires. . . Oh, I mean, so I can enjoy being around people who love the story of Dracula.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve given/received as a gift? 

My husband, son, and I do an “ugly” Christmas ornament exchange every year. The weirdest one I got was this creepy antique/vintage clown head attached to a busted-up conch shell with little legs hanging down from it. I’m one hundred percent sure its eyes followed me around for the whole season. A lot of the weirdest things I’ve given or received come from that exchange, and I’m pretty sure most of them are haunted.

What’s the one thing you wish you knew when you were younger? 

All bodies are beautiful. They’re all worthy of love and respect, and anyone who doesn’t see value in that is a fucking asshole. If someone doesn’t like your body, it’s their problem, not yours. The idea that only one body type is beautiful is rooted in racism, ableism, queerphobia, and transphobia, to say the least. It isn’t just about fat bodies getting bullied. The world doesn’t always respect people with disabilities, people from other cultures, limb differences, skin conditions . . . the list goes on and one, and some people will always see those bodies in a negative light. Don’t let that stop you from living your best existence. In fact, the thing that pisses those bullies off the most is when you are out enjoying yourself. I wish I knew that as a child when the first time a boy called me fat. I was in third grade. I wish I knew that every single day of my life. Maybe I wouldn’t have developed an eating disorder (or maybe I still would have). The wish I could tell my younger self is how much I’ll grow to love myself, to overcome the hate, and to flourish. I even co-edited a fat-positive horror anthology called Diet Riot: A Fatterpunk Anthology which earned the Publishers Weekly BookLife Best of 2024. Basically, I’d tell myself “fat” isn’t a bad word. It’s three little letters, and it’s going to be hard to learn to accept yourself as is, but don’t give up. It’s coming.

What scares you the most? 

The complete destruction of democracy, the end of the world as we know it because of climate change, when the truth is so clear and so many decide it’s a lie, and spiders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Out July 15th!

What has eight arms, two tentacles, and one gnarly appetite . . .? A Vampire Squid.

While enjoying a much-needed cruise vacation, Nora and her friend Tori spend their days downing endless umbrella cocktails and their nights rockin’ out to gnarly bands—mainly Vampire Weekend. The 24-hour buffet is constantly calling their names, but unfortunately, something answers the call—a giant squid with an appetite for cruise passengers.

But Nora and Tori have other problems. Their status as BFFs is hanging on by bikini thread, and this vacay should have given them time to repair it. But no. Of course, an annoying monstrous creature from the depths of the dark ocean just had to rise up to the surface, feast on terrified humans, and ruin their girl bonding time.

Thanks a lot, Captain Sucky.

But maybe, this is the very crisis that will bring the two friends together, or maybe, the women will learn that a blood-sucking cephalopod is too great a foe, even against the power of friendship.

The 40 But 10: Shannon Jade

 

I've pulled together 40ish questions - some bookish, some silly - and have asked authors to limit themselves to answering only 10 of them. That way, it keeps the interviews fresh and connectable for all of us!

Today we are joined by Shannon Jade. Shannon is an author and environmental scientist who believes in the real-world magic of storytelling. She is the author of A Song for the Earth, Seashells for Stories, Way Back When, Rainbow, and more, as well as having worked on books for several major publishers, including Rebel Girls and Wiley. Today, Shannon mostly writes adult fiction and poetry projects with a hopeful environmental focus, aiming to make the world a better, greener, and kinder place.

Why do you write?

My books centre the power of hope, particularly with regard to climate and environmental issues. I write because I want to share that hope with others, and I want to encourage readers to be a part of positive climate action going forward.

What made you start writing?

I’ve been writing since I was five years old, when I insisted on putting my self-illustrated rendition of an Australian animal Olympics picture book on the pre-primary bookshelves. From the moment I knew what an author was, I knew that was what I wanted to be. I’ve been writing ever since!

What do you do when you’re not writing?

When I’m not writing, I love making art and music, or else you’ll find me spending time with family somewhere in nature, ideally with a nice cup of tea.

What’s the best money you’ve ever spent as a writer?

Does an investment in a creative writing degree count? Before moving on to environmental science, I studied writing and publishing at university, and I learned a lot, not only about the industry, but also about the stories I wanted to tell.

Describe your book in three words.

Hopeful. Lyrical. Environmental.

What is your favorite book from childhood?

I remember reading all the Magic Faraway Tree books and loving them. I read them again a few years ago and loved them just as much!

What genres won’t you read?

I read across a lot of genres and categories, but I like my stories fun and/or hopeful. I just can’t read horror, thriller, or crime fiction!

What’s on your literary bucket list?

I’ve ticked off a lot of literary bucket-list items: reading a book over 800 pages, reading a book in another language, publishing a book of my own … In the future, I’d love to be someone’s favourite author, or to write their favourite book.

Do you read the reviews of your books or do you stay far far away from them, and why?

I know I probably shouldn’t read reviews, but I’m nosy, so I read them all! I’ve had some lovely reviews that have stuck with me and really empowered me as a writer, so I also try to keep this in mind and leave kind, encouraging reviews for other writers. We’re all in this together!

What’s the one thing you wish you knew when you were younger?

I wish I’d known just how many wonderful days were still ahead of me. I’ve had some challenges to face in my time, but younger me would be so very excited by the good things in my life today. I wish I could tell her that there would so much light in the darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soon, I swear it,

my simple words will spell

a song for the earth.

The wide, wild world is made of wonder, but as climate change reinvents the landscape, rich ecosystems are under threat. On a journey through Earth’s major biomes, January learns the plight of the planet. Armed with the power of a voice made for poetry, she turns her lyrics into a call for action. Is it enough to write a song for the earth and ask the world to sing along? 

 

Purchase Links:  Amazon   |    Barnes & Noble   |    Kobo   |    Bookshop.org   |    Apple Books

What I Read in June

 Nah. Not a stellar reading month for me. Even though I had off for a week of vacation, I just didn't get a lot of reading done. And it didn't help that some of the books I read were kind of meh and probably should have been DNFd but DNFing is hard so I plowed through them when I didn't really feel motivated to do it. 

The good news is that for mostly every meh read I completed, there was a really amazing read to make up for it. So my reading wins/loses were kind of up and down all month, like the weather... so....

Let's see which ones were passes and which ones were badasses!

The Wolf Wants Answers by Joshua Mohr

This book showed up just in time for its release this week!

Book 2 of Joshua Mohr's Viking Punk trilogy is just as badass and ball smashing as the first and now I'm dying for the final installation.

In The Wolf Wants Answers, we're following Saint as he heads out on the road with Trick and their band when they are intercepted by a group of masked thugs demanding a debt be paid. And zip tied between them is a woman who shares a dark and complicated past with Saint.

We lean in with our chin in our hands, elbows on table, as Saint takes us back to his release from prison, his search for his guitar and the woman who raised him, and how he first stumbles across Cassidy, an eyebrowless relator who is tired of being mistreated by Tonys.

Strap in for a punk rock adventure that takes us through a haunted waterpark, abandoned real estate properties, and some pretty gnarly torture scenes involving a chicken shawarma.

It's all hitter-quitters and nine balls in socks and failing to be a touch careful. And you should get on this because you can never have enough Mohr in your life.

When The Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi

Cool concept, strange execution.

This book was cute but kind of bland. It was like snacking on the left overs of a charcuterie board... it tasted ok but wasn't really as satisfying as you had hoped.

The moon turns to cheese and the world is completely baffled. And we are riding the wave of confusion through a 300 paged collection of mostly isolated, individual reactions and experiences as everyone begins to deal with the reality of it.

There's a story for each day of the lunar cycle. And within those stories, we are treated to the perspectives of the President, NASA and some of its astronauts, a jerky billionaire, some old retired dudes in a diner, an author whose flopped book release is now front and center and selling like hotcakes, a priest and his congregants, two feuding brothers who own cheese shops on the same street, and more. Soooo many more.

I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. A tongue-in-cheek sci-fi story of a catastrophic astrological event that left me wanting.

Something tells me this was probably not the best book for a first time Scalzi reader to pick up. Maybe it can only go up from here?

All That Dies in April by Mariana Travacio

Hot damn... this book hits!

A haunting and deeply moving novel about a woman who, after years of feeling trapped in a drought-stricken village, embarks on a journey in search of a better life. Behind her, unwilling to abandon the land steeped in the memories of their ancestors, her husband follows—accompanied only by a donkey and the unearthed bones of his parents.

In brief, alternating chapters, Lina and Relicario lead us through their separate, solitary odysseys—across treacherous mountains, through fleeting acts of kindness and sudden bursts of violence. Each carries the weight of longing, seeking the one thing that calls to them most.

A breathtaking tale of love, longing, and the restless pull of wanderlust—where taking a leap of faith means venturing into the unknown, carried only by the quiet pulse of possibility.

All the stars. Hypnotic. Heartwrenching. Hallowed. Just... holy wow.

Bind Me Tighter Still by Lara Ehrlich

I had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to them. Sirens? A boardwalk attraction? The premise had so much potential. I wasn't expecting extreme body horror or super gory violence—Red Hen Press doesn’t lean that way—but I was hoping for something more than what this book ultimately delivered.

Ceto was a siren, luring fishermen to their doom alongside her sisters, always ravenous, never satisfied—until she decides she’s done. She severs her tail, steps onto land, and marries the first man she meets. After bearing his child, she abandons that life too, eventually finding herself back by the ocean, breathing new life into a fading roadside attraction on the boardwalk.

The novel explores themes of feminism, trauma, bodily autonomy, and the lasting effects of harsh mothering. It has all the right ingredients for a compelling mermaid story, but the execution falters. The descriptions of Sirenland—the space where the sirens performed and lived—were difficult to visualize, and the flashbacks to Ceto’s past were scattered throughout the story in a way that disrupted the flow. Despite its intriguing premise, the story never fully came together for me.

I'm loving the mermaid fiction wave we're riding right now, but I wouldn’t be in a hurry to add this one to your collection. But who knows, maybe it will resonate with you!

Playing Wolf by Zuzana Rihova

Oooh, this was one of my most anticipated books of the year. The cover and description were an instant win—but the execution, unfortunately, fell short.

A husband and wife move to a quiet village with their young son, hoping to mend the fractures in their marriage. But from the moment they arrive, an unsettling presence lingers in the shadows. The villagers are less than welcoming, and something prowls outside their cottage at night, watching. No matter how much they try to shake it, an eerie wrongness clings to them—and when they return from a night at the pub to find their son missing, they realize just how deep that wrongness runs.

Drenched in folkloric dread and fairytalesque unease, I was hoping for The Country Will Bring Us No Peace—but what I got felt more akin to Lost in the Garden, The Woodkin, or A Carnival of Atrocities, which received mediocre review from me. It promised fire but delivered only smoking coals. So agonizingly close… yet frustratingly far.

All the best parts were packed into the last quarter of the book. A stronger balance would have made this a standout read.

The Empire of Dirt by Francesca Manfredi

Man, June has been more #meh than #wow so far and I'm starting to really question my choice in books lol...

This one was a total impulse buy—the cover and jacket copy caught my attention instantly. I had a feeling it might not deliver, especially after skimming a few reviews beforehand, but I took the plunge anyway.

Three generations of women live together in the so-called "blind house," named for its windowless front-facing wall. Twelve-year-old Valentina longs for a normal childhood, but normal isn’t in the cards—especially when, on the night of her first period, a crack in her bedroom wall begins to bleed. Their home is a magnet for bizarre phenomena: overrun by infestations of frogs, flies, and locusts. The neighbors whisper about witches, while Valentina’s grandmother insists it's the weight of an old family curse.

Either way, Valentina refuses to heed her grandmother’s pleas for prayer. Instead, she nurses a growing resentment toward her mother—trapped in a relationship where neither seems able to reach the other. Her solace comes in fleeting escapes: the steady presence of her best friend Ilaria, the tentative spark with Marco, and the few, stolen moments with her estranged father.

The Empire of Dirt spends most of its time on the shifting insecurities of adolescence and the complexities of familial bonds, while barely skimming the surface of the paranormal intrigue that made its synopsis so compelling.

It was fine, and I’m fine with that. If you’re more drawn to the coming-of-age elements than the eerie undertones, this might be exactly what you’re looking for.

How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold

Ooooh, this book was an absolute blast—I devoured it! The best part? I went in with zero expectations, and it completely blew me away.

A deceased writer assembles a carefully chosen group of people at his mansion—each with a unique connection to him. The promise of an inheritance draws them in, but once inside, they realize they’re not beneficiaries —they’re contestants in a deadly game of survival.

Think escape room meets Clue meets Disney’s Monster House —only the house isn’t just haunted, it’s hungry. Solve the riddles to move through each room or someone dies. Horribly. Their sacrifice feeds the house. And in the end, only one walks away—with everything.

Eerily reminiscent of Wendig's recently released Staircase in the Woods, the 'players' quickly realize the only way out is through, and each riddle unearths a secret so damning, they’d sooner lie, betray, or kill than confess.

It was deliciously campy and entertaining—light on scares but wound so tight with tension that putting it down wasn’t an option. This was exactly the book I needed after the streak I’d been on.

You’re going to read it, right?! Tell me you're running out to buy it when it releases in July...! Trust me, you don’t want to sleep on this one.

The Swimmers by Marian Womack

I’d been circling this book for ages in bookstores and finally snatched it up when I stumbled across a used copy. Something about it made me hesitate to pay full price, and in hindsight, I’m glad I trusted that instinct.

The concept is really compelling: Earth has been decimated by a mysterious cataclysm known as the Green Winter, and only the elite in the Upper Settlement—a sleek, man-made ring orbiting the planet—enjoy any semblance of comfort. Below, the surface-dwellers claw out a brutal existence amid an ecosystem that’s turned vicious. Forests don’t just grow—they hunt, encroaching on isolated settlements and swallowing them whole. The resentment between those grounded on Earth and those floating above bubbles beneath the surface and when Pearl—our main character—is matched with a ringer, she starts digging into the polished myths and quiet omissions that shield the Upper Settlement.

While the setup had serious potential, the execution felt like someone dropped the ball, kicked it into a ravine, and then forgot why they were playing. The story threw around labels like swimmers, beanies, techies, and storytellers and I kept thinking, any minute now they’ll explain things but—nope. Nothing. Just vibes and confusion. By the end, I assumed the author hoped we’d just nod along like it all made perfect sense.

The story never quite lived up to its ambitious worldbuilding. And it dragged, even as I tried to power through the pages. Then again, maybe the real problem was me—trying to focus on a mediocre dystopia while surrounded by sun, surf, and boardwalk ice cream. So sure, ok maybe the book had some stiff competition.

If you are on the fence with this one like I was... go ahead and pass. You're not missing anything, I promise.

The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre by Philip Fracassi

Who says slashers are just for teens and twenty-somethings in remote cabins? And why did we have to wait so long to realize that a retirement home could be the perfect setting for a slasher romp? With a cast of silver-haired sleuths, nosy neighbors, and more gossip than a high school cafeteria, The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre is an absolute riot.

Our sleuthing dream team, Rose and Miller, may not be official, but their not-a-couple chemistry positively zings. Add in a retirement home where gossip travels faster than a Life Alert signal, and you’ve got all the makings of a deliciously twisted whodunit. Because really, what else are the residents of Autumn Springs supposed to do—knit and wait to die peacefully?

Things take a turn for the fabulously fatal when one of their closest friends turns up dead in her bathtub with a suspiciously snapped neck and a broken hip.

What follows is a gleefully macabre whodunit, light on gore but the slasher spirit is alive and stabbing. I flew through it, donning my own detective hat as Rose and her friends raced to uncover the killer in an attempt to stem the growing pile of corpses that would make Jason Voorhees proud.

Forget Werther’s Originals—these seniors are serving deadly originality. They came for the early bird special… and stayed for the serial killer.

And yes, I’m humbly confessing that I only just realized the book cover depicts the slasher’s arm wielding a knife—not a bizarre rock formation in the desert. Don’t judge me. Or do. I earned it.

Subdivision by J Robert Lennon

It’s been way too long since I read J. Robert Lennon and wow, I forgot how eerie and off-kilter his writing is. This book simmers with tension, like something’s slightly...wrong. But in the best possible way. And there’s a kind of low-key magic that's humming just beneath every sentence.

What’s it about? Exactly what you think—and absolutely not. Reality starts to warp, and you won’t even notice until you’re too deep to get out.

Think Jesse Ball, Helen Phillips, Jac Jemc... and yet somehow entirely its own strange, singular thing. It’ll rattle around in your brain, distort your expectations, and you’ll love every disorienting second of it.

Do yourself a favor: put it on your radar!!

Looney! by Stephen Kozeniewski and Gavin Dillinger

Oh no. Oh no no no no no! Oh maaan. This one just wasn’t for me. I made it about 100 pages in before I had to tap out.

I’ve adored Stephen’s past work—Braineater Jones and The Perfectly Fine House are both absolute gems, and I recommend them to anyone who’ll listen. But this one felt like it got body-snatched. Was it the co-author? A cursed manuscript? Some unholy genre mash that defies the natural order? I don’t know. The voice felt off, like it had been diluted or pulled in too many directions.

I kept thinking, “I can’t do this for 300 more pages" and eventually I just noped out.

And it pains me to say it because I adore Stephen and love featuring him on my blog. I had such high hopes—Roger Rabbit meets horror? Yes, please. But it just didn’t click for me.

I wanted to love it. I really did. And the publisher even sent me a pretty print copy for review. I feel like I owe someone an apology fruit basket. Instead, I’m crawling into my little reader's remorse cave for some quiet reflection (and maybe snacks).