Horror for Libraries Giveaway 120: The Salt Grows Heavy and Agony's Lodestone

This week I have 2 titles for 1 winner. One is a hotly anticipated novella that I gave a STAR in LJ and the other a new voice, from an emerging small press, that is getting a lot of praise. Details below, but first, here is how you enter:

1. You need to be affiliated with an American public library. My rationale behind that is that I will be encouraging you to read these books and share them with patrons. While many of them are advanced reader copies that you cannot add to your collections, if you get the chance to read them, my hope is that you will consider ordering a copy for your library and give away the ARC away as a prize or pass it on to a fellow staff member.
2. If you are interested in being included in any giveaway at any time, you must email me at zombiegrl75 [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line "#HorrorForLibraries." In the body of the email all you have to say is that you want to be entered and the name of your library.
3. Each entry will be considered for EVERY giveaway. Meaning you enter once, and you are entered until you win. I will randomly draw a winner on Fridays sometime after 5pm central. But only entries received by 5pm each week will be considered for that week. I use Random.org and have a member of my family witness the "draw"based off your number in the Google Sheet.
4. If you win, you are ineligible to win again for 4 weeks; you will have to re-enter after that time to be considered [I have a list of who has won, when, and what title]. However, if you do not win, you carry over into the next week. There is NO NEED to reenter.

Click here to see giveaway #119. Our 2 winners were Juliana from New Lennox [IL] Public Library and Brenda from Westlake Porter [OH] Public Library Now to this week's giveaway.

First a book I already told you about in the April 2023 issue of Library Journal, where I gave it a STAR. The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw. This book is definitely Horror, but I need to tell you, it also has one of the most beautiful endings to a book I have ever read, in any genre. I am still thinking about it.

Here is the link and text of my review.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Visceral, Reclaiming a Myth, Lush 

Draft Review: What if the Little Mermaid laid eggs and her hatched children’s hunger laid waste to her prince’s land? Khaw’s latest novella tackles this question head on with a brutally visceral but seductive opening sequence. The mermaid, done being held captive and rendered mute by her husband, meets up with the only survivor, a plague doctor, to move on. They quickly come upon a band of children gleefully hunting one of their own at the direction of their keepers, “The Saints,” three adult cult leaders who rebuild the near-death child with parts taken from themselves. Told in three sections, each satisfyingly complete as its own story, ending with a cliffhanger, this compelling tale features strong world building, innovative uses of body horror tropes, lush language, and a captivatingly direct narration, as it takes protagonists and readers on a journey to contemplate what it means to be “saved.”

Verdict: With this brilliantly constructed tale that consciously takes on a well known story and violently breaks it open to reveal a heartfelt core, Khaw cements their status as a must read author. For fans of sinister, thought provoking, horrific retellings of western classics by marginalized voices like those written by Helen Oyoyemi and Ahmed Saadawi.

I will also have an interview with Khaw in the July 2023 issue of Library Journal which features my cover story-- the Horror Genre review.

Thanks to Nightfire for the ARC to give away. The book comes out next month.

I also like to pair hotly anticipated titles with ones you may not be aware of and since Khaw's book is a novella (and slim), I am going to add another title to the package. This one is from up and coming publisher Tenebrous Press. I have been impressed with their range of titles, and I think libraries should consider adding them. I will also be meeting the owners at StokerCon, (even the one who lives in Romania is coming), and I hope to have some more formal partnerships in the future. But in the meantime, here is the post they did for me last October, to introduce themselves to libraries.

The specific ARC I am giving away is Agony's Lodestone by Laura Keating. It came out on April 14th and is getting a lot of praise from readers. Here is the publisher's summary:

A grave could be visited. Ashes could be scattered. But simply vanishing? That ripped a hole in the world the size of a life, and through that hole sighed a terrible wind repeating a single note: 

Gone. 

For years, Aggie had forgotten the real Joanne, the way her sister had laughed, fought, been. But now that the videotape made her real again—no matter how many times the recording changed, no matter how terrifying the flickering images—it was all Aggie wanted. To trade the Gone for the One. She owed Joanne that much. To say she was sorry. That it had been her fault.

It had been all their faults.

One winner will get both advance copies.  

Remember, if you enter once you are entered going forward. 

Good luck!

Big News for the Summer Scares Authors Panels

I can finally announce this! 

In past years, the Summer Scares committee has hosted panel discussions with the authors-- one panel per age group-- and we posted them on the HWA You Tube channel for free.

This year, however, we have coordinated with our Summer Scares partner, Booklist to take advantage of their robust, regularly scheduled, FREE webinars, and have scheduled all 3 panels to be offered live with easy, free on-demand access.

The first one features the Middle Grade authors and is Friday, May 12 at 1 pm CT. Julia Smith, from Booklist and our Summer Scares MG expert will be moderating.

By working with Booklist for these webinars we can now give the Summer Scares program a larger reach. The webinar announcements will end up on the radar of thousands of library workers. We also have gotten more buy in from the publishers than we ever have before, again, because they trust Booklist webinars. And we can take advantage of the archiving of past programs which Booklist does so well. Library workers already know to go to that archived webinars page to look for training of any kind, on demand, and for free.

Sign up for the MG panel today with this link. Or pass it on to your YS staff. The YA panel will be later in May and the Adult in early June. I will announce them all on both blogs just as I am doing this MG announcement today.

I will also add the link to the archived webinar after it happen to the Summer Scares Resources page. And those Summer Scares pages get archived as well here. Which means, not only can you watch this year's panels after they happen at this link, but also, you can still easily access those old YouTube discussions at this link.

I hope you join us!

Summer Scares Middle-Grade Panel  

Date & Time: May 12, 2023 01:00 PM CT

Description: Gather ‘round the campfire for a spine-tingling discussion of this year’s middle-grade horror selections for the Summer Scares Reading Program, a program designed for libraries by the Horror Writers Association, in partnership with United for Libraries, Book Riot, and Booklist. Books for Youth senior editor Julia Smith will gab with Summer Scares authors Katherine Arden (SMALL SPACES), K. G. Campbell (A SMALL ZOMBIE PROBLEM), and Dan SaSuWeh Jones (LIVING GHOSTS & MISCHIEVOUS MONSTERS) about all things horror and why scary stories belong on children’s shelves, both at home and at the library. This free, one-hour webinar will take place on Friday, May 12th at 1 pm CT / 2 pm ET. Register now, or the banshees will haunt you forever. 

Click here to register-- FOR FREE-- now!

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway 119: 2 FINISHED Copies of a New Story Collection

This week I have 2 FINISHED copies of a brand new story collection that is from one of my most trusted small presses and has praise from Gwendolyn Kiste. Details below, but first, here is how to enter:

1. You need to be affiliated with an American public library. My rationale behind that is that I will be encouraging you to read these books and share them with patrons. While many of them are advanced reader copies that you cannot add to your collections, if you get the chance to read them, my hope is that you will consider ordering a copy for your library and give away the ARC away as a prize or pass it on to a fellow staff member.
2. If you are interested in being included in any giveaway at any time, you must email me at zombiegrl75 [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line "#HorrorForLibraries." In the body of the email all you have to say is that you want to be entered and the name of your library.
3. Each entry will be considered for EVERY giveaway. Meaning you enter once, and you are entered until you win. I will randomly draw a winner on Fridays sometime after 5pm central. But only entries received by 5pm each week will be considered for that week. I use Random.org and have a member of my family witness the "draw"based off your number in the Google Sheet.
4. If you win, you are ineligible to win again for 4 weeks; you will have to re-enter after that time to be considered [I have a list of who has won, when, and what title]. However, if you do not win, you carry over into the next week. There is NO NEED to reenter.

Click here to see giveaway #118. Our 2 winners were Chris from Hardwood Creek [MN] Library and Kelly from Boston [MA] Public Library. Now to this week's giveaway.

This week I have TWO FINISHED COPIES of Constellations of Ruin: Stories by Andrew S. Fuller. Why the capitalization? Because, I normally give away ARCs which you cannot add to your collections. This book however, I highly suggest you  add if you win, and consider ordering is you don't. Here is the back cover copy including praise from Gwendolyn Kiste:

An octopus chosen for a secret mission; generations march through a mycelial tunnel in space; spirits visit a post-apocalyptic fishing village; houses revel when no one is home; a lifetime of seeing invisible monsters; the world begins granting unspoken wishes—these are only a few of the encounters in Constellations of Ruin. In this short story collection, Andrew S. Fuller explores growth and loss, survival and resistance, on a tour from lost neighborhoods to cursed cities to strange futures. Each tale contains wonder and horror, crafted in a stirring and unforgettable manner. 

“The 26 diverting speculative shorts of Fuller’s collection prove entirely transporting.”—Publishers Weekly 

“These strange and heady tales will take you into worlds of dreams and nightmares, carrying you along with vivid and immersive prose that will take hold of you and not let you go. Put this collection at the top of your reading list.”—Gwendolyn Kiste, three-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Rust Maidens and Reluctant Immortals

And here is more about the author as well:

Andrew S. Fuller writes stories that have appeared in magazines, anthologies, comics, and short films, and his debut fiction collection Constellations of Ruin coming April 2023. Since 1999, he has served as Editor of Three-Lobed Burning Eye magazine, publishing stories by many authors. He grew up Nebraska and other places, climbing trees and reading books, dabbling in archery and metal music, and now lives in Portland, Oregon with his spouse and pets, not far from rivers and forests and a few extinct(?) volcanoes. Find him online at andrewsfuller.com, and on social media as @andrewsfuller.

As I mentioned above, JournalStone/Trepidatio is one of my most trusted independent publishers. They put out books by a huge range of authors, including NYT bestsellers. Their books stand up to multiple checkouts. And, most importantly, their editors have an eye for talent. 

Get on the Fuller bandwagon now by entering this week's giveaway.

Please note, these books will come directly from the author as soon as he receives his author copies. The book is coming out this week. I will send your addresses to the author after confirming with you. 

I am asking you, the winners, to add these to your collections and get them into your horror reader's hands. And if you are not the winner, consider visiting their website and ordering one (or other books by JournalStone/Trepidatio) for your collection.

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway 118: 2 copies of No One Will Come Back For Us: Stories

This week I have 2 copies of an excellent dark speculative collection by an up and coming author courtesy of one of my favorite independent Horror presses, one you will be hearing more about in the coming days. Details below, but first, here is how to enter:

1. You need to be affiliated with an American public library. My rationale behind that is that I will be encouraging you to read these books and share them with patrons. While many of them are advanced reader copies that you cannot add to your collections, if you get the chance to read them, my hope is that you will consider ordering a copy for your library and give away the ARC away as a prize or pass it on to a fellow staff member.
2. If you are interested in being included in any giveaway at any time, you must email me at zombiegrl75 [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject line "#HorrorForLibraries." In the body of the email all you have to say is that you want to be entered and the name of your library.
3. Each entry will be considered for EVERY giveaway. Meaning you enter once, and you are entered until you win. I will randomly draw a winner on Fridays sometime after 5pm central. But only entries received by 5pm each week will be considered for that week. I use Random.org and have a member of my family witness the "draw"based off your number in the Google Sheet.
4. If you win, you are ineligible to win again for 4 weeks; you will have to re-enter after that time to be considered [I have a list of who has won, when, and what title]. However, if you do not win, you carry over into the next week. There is NO NEED to reenter.

Click here to see giveaway #117. Our 2 winners were Kevin from Ruth Hughes Memorial District Library [MI] and Christina from Thayer Public Library [MA]. Now to this week's giveaway.

My April 2023 Horror Review Column is now live [you  can access it all on the general blog here] and in that column I have a glowing review of No One Will Come Back for Us: Stories by Premee Mohamed:

Three Words That Describe This Book: confident, full spectrum of dark speculative, reclaiming Lovecraft 

Draft Review: Mohamed’s debut collection contains 17 stories that span the entirety of today’s dark speculative landscape and present a vision of its emerging future. Many of tales use a Lovecraftian frame, set in the author’s “real gods” universe, exploring the well trod cosmic concepts of hopelessness and fear with a fresh vision, often incorporating parent-child relationships such as in the Pushcart Prize nominated story “Willing” featuring a farmer and his beloved younger daughter who is summoned by the gods to be sacrificed and the eco-Horror tinged “The Evaluator,” presenting a possessed child in a landscape where the old gods have been destroyed by pollution. No matter the plot or setting, however, each story is marked by a strong narrative voice, confident world building, and an unease that seeps into every corner. leaving readers unsettled but also looking at their world from a new perspective. 

Verdict: Introducing an exciting new voice, this collection will be enjoyed by fans of Cassandra Khaw and Lucy Snyder, but more importantly, it presents another stellar collection by Undertow Publications, making the independent publisher a not to miss player in the Horror marketplace.

This is an author you need to know about now. Thank you to Undertow Publications for sending me 2 advanced copies of this collection to give away to 2 of you. 

Enter once and you are entered going forward. I have some HUGE authors coming to the giveaway including Daniel Kraus, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Isabel Cañas, Clay McLeod Chapman, Paul Tremblay and MORE! Don't miss out. Enter today. 

Good luck!