Good evening! Or morning, depending on when you read this.
On June 11th, I had the pleasure of recording an episode of Skull Sessions with Dan Henk. I had a great conversation and when the episode is available, I will post the link!
Coming soon: The first short story related to The Broken Heart. I’ll be sending out a newsletter with the link so if you don’t want to miss out, sign up for my newsletter. Just go to the main page, scroll down, enter your information and you’ll be set.
BOOK REVIEW TIME:
Veiled by Jeff Strand
A story of boy meets girl except… the girl seems a bit off. After what appears to be a chance meeting, Nate begins dating Alice. The sex is great, she’s funny, but… what is she hiding? Quite a bit, as it turns out.
Strand infuses this story with humor which I always appreciate and the twists are pretty great. I’ll be picking up more of his work.
Find it here: https://a.co/d/aOr0ogm
The Stradivarius by Rae Knowles
I had the pleasure of meeting Rae at StokerCon and she’s pretty darn cool. And I was lucky enough to get an autographed copy!
Mae’s life was turned upside down by the murder of her father as well as the theft of one of his most prized possessions: his Stradivarius. Fast forward a few years and things seem to be looking up. Mae has a new husband and they move back to the house where the murder occurred. But things aren’t what they seem.
Rae perfectly blends atmospheric horror (with some almost gothic vibes), psychological uncertainty (with plenty of gaslighting), and lays out a mystery that kept me reading until the end. I also very much enjoyed her trans character Ollie who might be my new favorite.
Get your copy here: https://a.co/d/aH8GsgK
In the Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Mario Machado
A friend gifted this to me a year or so ago and I just got around to reading it. I’ll be honest, I’m a bit sad that it took me this long! Talk about a page turner.
This memoir is gripping from the first page. Carmen, a queer woman, recounts moments from her life, most specifically those pertaining to a college relationship. At first, the relationship seems wonderful, Carmen’s partner appears kind, caring, if not a bit… brooding. Through her beautifully written prose, she guides us through the changing relationship, showing us the dark side of same sex coupledom that people don’t like to talk about. Lesbians deal with domestic abuse too. She had my stomach in knots the entire time. I know I’ve often thought when hearing about abuse like this, “Why don’t they just leave?” but a monster very rarely shows their true colors right away. They’re insidious, intrenching themselves into your life and psyche before the switch flips.
Get it here: https://a.co/d/5qsW8Ep
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