#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: Celebrating Halfway to Halloween with Elizabeth Broadbent

Today I have a special giveaway to celebrate that we are Halfway to Halloween (give or take a few days). Author on the rise, Elizabeth Broadbent has offered 2 finished copies of her book, Ink Vine: A Gothic Sapphic Novella to 2 lucky winners. Not only will I have more about Broadbent and her book below, but I also asked her to be a part of my Why I Love Horror series to share her connection to the genre as well. More on that below, first here are the rules for the giveaway:

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 the previous giveaway. Our winner was Mike from North Canton [OH] Public Library. Now on to today's giveaway.

As I mentioned above, over on RA for All I am celebrating Halfway to Halloween with a Why I Love Horror essay by Elizabeth Broadbent author of Ink Vine: A Gothic Sapphic Novella. And here on the #HorrorForLibraries giveaway, I have 2, finished copies provided by the author that will be sent out to 2 winners!

First, more about this book from Goodreads:

Sometimes, you just pick your poison and pray. Bisexual stripper Emmy has lived her whole life in a small Southern town with a few Listen to your mama; don’t kiss girls; and stay the hell out of the swamp. Sick of all three, she sneaks under the dark tree-canopy behind her family trailer, where she meets Zara—mysterious, elusive, tattooed Zara, the first girl she dares to kiss. 

But the small-town South hates a woman who dares to dance instead of plucking chickens for minimum wage, and as Emmy’s life falls apart, her relationship with Zara grows more tangled and bizarre. Zara’s offering something beautiful. But while Emmy’s slowly strangling, its price may be more than she’s willing to pay.

Shifting between the green-bright cypress cathedral and the dreamland of a dance club, Broadbent’s unforgettably-voiced debut confronts the brutal realities of poverty in the South, with a sapphic tale both sultry and sinister, gritty and gothic.

"Elizabeth Broadbent combines a steamy love story with important observations about desperation, fear, and acceptance. Ink Vine, with its elements of dark fantasy and botanical horror, reminded me of True Blood!"-Christi Nogle, author of the Bram Stoker Award winning first novel Beulah

Three Words That Describe This Book: strong sense of place, atmospheric, strong first person narration

This is a great example of a 21st Century Southern Gothic that will appeal to a wide audience. It is scary, fast paced, and immersive, but ultimately, it is full of love.

Check out more from Broadbent and why she loves horror on the main blog. 

Thanks to the author for providing these copies for me to giveaway.

Enter now and you are entered going forward. Good luck!

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: Dead Girl, Driving and Other Devastations by Carina Bissett

Today I have a a finished copy of a new collection by an up and coming author, a woman who helped us with StokerCon when it was in Denver, a book I am happy to report is perfect for all library collections. More details below but first, the rules on 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 the previous giveaway. Our winner was Sonya from Ela Area [IL] Public Library. Now on to today's giveaway.

Dead Girl, Driving and Other Devasations by Carina Bissett is a great author to introduce to your patrons because this debut collection covers a wide swath of dark speculative fiction. From Goodreads:

“Ravishing flights of fantasy.”—Priya Sharma, Shirley Jackson Award-winning author of All the Fabulous Beasts and Ormeshadow"

Carina Bissett’s collection is a thing of wonder and beauty. It is a true representation of Carina whimsical, visceral, lovely, and fierce. You can hear women’s voices screaming while roses fall from their lips. Dead Girl, Driving and Other Devastations is a triumph.”—Mercedes M. Yardley, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Little Dead Red

In this powerful debut, Carina Bissett explores the liminal spaces between the magical and the mundane, horror and humor, fairy tales and fabulism. A young woman discovers apotheosis at the intersection of her cross-cultural heritage. A simulacrum rebels against her coding to create a new universe of her own making. A poison assassin tears the world apart in the relentless pursuit of her true love—the one person alive who can destroy her. Dead Girl, Driving and Other Devastations erases expectations, forging new trails on the map of contemporary fiction. Includes an introduction by Julie C. Day, author of Uncommon Miracles and The Rampant.

“Carina Bissett is one of my favorite speculative authors writing today—magic and myth, horror and revenge, wonder and hope. Her stories are original, lyrical, and haunting—Shirley Jackson mixed with Ursula LeGuin and a dash of Neil Gaiman. An amazing collection of stories.” —Richard Thomas, author of Spontaneous Human Combustion, a Bram Stoker Award finalist

This is a finished copy courtesy of the author. 

Enter now and you are entered going forward.

Good luck.

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: Midwestern Gothic by Scott Thomas

Today I have an ARC of a June release that I gave a STAR to in the April 2024 issue of Library Journal. Details below but first, the rules on 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 the previous giveaway. Our winner was Jennifer from Grand Prairie Library System [TX]. Jennifer had been in the giveaway pool since almost the beginning-- just shy of 4 years! Now on to today's giveaway.

Midwestern Gothic 

by Scott Thomas

Three Things That Describe This Book: strong sense of place, palpable dread, book within a book frame  

Draft Review: In this collection of 4 novellas, Thomas brilliant presents a volume that is not only dripping with overwhelming dread on every page, but also serves as a proof of concept for the Midwest Gothic itself. The novellas, all set in the fictional town of Blantonville, Kansas, are framed in some way by the works of his most famous characters, the authors from Kill Creek. The book within a book frame adds interest to the stories whether readers are familiar with the source material or not, while also allowing the author to explore different writing styles and subgenres across the volume. From Cosmic Horror to Folk Horror, a twist on the summer camp Slasher to a Hitchcockian psychological nightmare, each single sitting read stands alone as a fully realized, unnerving tale, expertly merging compelling storylines and fascinating characters.. However, it is the place that shines here, as Thomas presents the idea of the haunted land itself, the place of our American nightmares, illustrating that it is the vast, wide open prairie, not a crumbling mansion, which will turn against the characters and provoke terror in the reader. An immersive, chilling, and unsettling read that will put Blantonville on the Horror map right next to Castle Rock. 

Verdict: A must buy title that updates the enduringly popular Gothic from a new perspective, like Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia or The Hollow Kind by Andy Davidson while also adding depth to the horror uniting Thomas’ literary universe similar to Goblin and Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman. 

Thank you to Inkshares for the ARC but please note, it says it will by out in April but it has been pushed to June so you still have time to order a copy for your shelves.

Remember, enter once and you are entered going forward. I have 2 copies of the upcoming Paul Tremblay, the July SGJ, and more, including some new voices and even a YA. All coming soon. You will want to be in it to win it!

Good luck this week!

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: My Darling Dreadful Things

Today I have an ARC of a May release that is a MUST BUT for all libraries. Details below but first, the rules on 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 the previous giveaway. Our winner was Corey from Eastham [MA] Library. Now on to today's giveaway.

My Darling Dreadful Things is out May 14th from Poisoned Pen Press an imprint of Sourcebooks. From Goodreads:

In a world where the dead can wake and walk among us, what is truly real?

Roos Beckman has a spirit companion only she can see. Ruth—strange, corpse-like, and dead for centuries—is the only good thing in Roos’ life, which is filled with sordid backroom séances organized by her mother. That is, until wealthy young widow Agnes Knoop attends one of these séances and asks Roos to come live with her at the crumbling estate she inherited upon the death of her husband. The manor is unsettling, but the attraction between Roos and Agnes is palpable. So how does someone end up dead? 

Roos is caught red-handed, but she claims a spirit is the culprit. Doctor Montague, a psychologist tasked with finding out whether Roos can be considered mentally fit to stand trial, suspects she’s created an elaborate fantasy to protect her from what really happened. But Roos knows spirits are real; she's loved one of them. She'll have to prove her innocence and her sanity, or lose everything.

Poisoned Pen Press is a must read imprint of Sourcebooks that focuses on mysteries both real and supernatural. Their biggest author is Darcy Coates, as if you needed more than my word to tell you that you need to pay attention to them. These are books for your fans of Jennifer McMahon and Simone St. James-- which are A LOT of your readers.

So first, I was primed to trust the publisher when they sent me this ARC. But then I read more about its author, a native of the Netherlands. She writes queer gothic, and scary stuff. You can read more about her here.

This book delivers for all of your readers who like chills but not terror. As a result, it is a title that will appeal to so many of your readers. Get it on order now, but also take a moment to enter the giveaway. Enter once and you are entered going forward.

Thank you Sourcebooks for this ARC.

Good luck.

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: No One is Safe by Philip Fracassi

Today I have an ARC of a collection that recently gave a STAR review to in Booklist; a small press title by a Big 5 author. Details below but first, the rules on 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 the previous giveaway. Our winner was Kelsey from Pima County [AZ[ Library System. Now on to today's giveaway.

I have a full post from earlier this week with a whole bunch more information about Philip Fracassi's upcoming story collection. Click here for all of that, but here is the draft review. 

STAR 
No One is Safe: A Story Collection
By Philip Fracassi
Apr. 2024. 264p. Lethe, paper, $23 (9781590216040).

March 15, 2024 (Booklist).

Fracassi (Boys in the Valley and Gothic), reminds readers that he is not only a rising star as a Horror novelist, but also as a master of the short story, with his latest collection of 14 stories that center on fascinating characters and range in tone from unsettling to absolutely terrifying. The first story, “The Wish,” brilliantly sets the uneasy tone for the entire collection, a tale of a birthday wish with horrific consequences. Fracassi goes on to utilize his remarkable imagination and stunning range to invoke fear in speculative, thought provoking, stories that explore topics such as AI, alien life, Hollywood, a bestselling book, a haunted house as the narrator of its own killing spree, and so much more. However, it is how each story works in tandem– crafting a unique and captivating world, hooking readers immediately, holding their undivided attention, and resolving in a satisfying way that also begs them to turn the page and read just one more– that is most remarkable here. A must read from cover-to-cover for all Horror fans, especially those who enjoy the immersive, original story telling found in collections such as Spin A Black Yarn by Malerman or Breakable Things by Khaw. 

Three Words That Describe This Book: intensely unsettling, captivating, original

Get in on this ARC. As I say above-- it is a MUST read from cover-to-cover. I kept waiting for a story to fall flat. I am still waiting. Also THAT COVER!!!! 

Again, go to this post by me on the main blog for a lot more information including some spoiler free story notes.

Quick note about this specific copy that I am giving away though, only 13 stories are listed in the TOC, but there are 14 inside. They know about the mistake and are fixing it.

Thanks to Lethe Press for the ARC.

Good luck to all who have or will enter.

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: A Finished Hardcover of Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina

Today I have a finished hardcover of a book I recently reviewed in Booklist; a hotly anticipated second book by an author whose first book was a library hit. Details below but first, the rules on 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 the previous giveaway. Our winner was Jennifer from Forsyth County [NC] Public Library. Now on to today's giveaway.

Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina Apr. 2024. 384p. Berkley, $28 (9780593546888); e-book (9780593546901). First published March 1, 2024 (Booklist).

Medina (Sisters of the Lost Nation) returns with another mystery encased in supernatural mythology, set on a Louisiana Reservation. Noemi, 38, is starting to see a future for herself when her boyfriend is unexpectedly killed. Louie, the uncle who helped to raise her, until the age of 5, returns for the annual Pow-Wow just as Noemi is receiving the terrible news, returning him to the summer of 1986 when a series of deaths led to the unraveling of his life. Told from both Louie and Noemi’s point of view, the story moves fluidly between past and present, enhancing the unease and layering the dread allowing readers to feel the reverberations of both horrible secrets and reservation life over time. However, despite the pain and fear, ultimately, there is a celebration of life at the novel's core. A great choice for fans of Mystery-Horror hybrids which offer a compelling, character focused story that entertains without shying away from a direct portrayal of the generational trauma experienced by marginalized people such as White Horse by Wurth or Children of Chicago by Pelayo.

Three Words That Describe This Book: dual time frames, generational trauma, character centered

Click into the full post to get more detailed appeal info and extra readalikes. 

This finished hard cover copy was sent to me by Berkley. The release date is April 16th. The winner can add this book directly to their collections after this date. Or use it as a prize for summer reading. Most of the book is set over a fateful summer. Either way, enter now to win this and you are entered going forward.

And thank you to Berkley for the book.

Good luck!

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: Two Tenebrous Press ARCs

Today I have one of my 2-fer giveaways courtesy of Tenebrous Press. Two books going to one winner. Details below but first, the rules on 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 the previous giveaway. Our winner was Vanessa from Wheaton [IL] Public Library. Now on to today's giveaway.

I have been featuring ARCs from Tenebrous Press since they started publishing. Some of those titles have gone on to be nominated for major awards as well. I always enjoy highlighting their inclusive, original, and well presented work for library workers. I know it is harder to add titles by independent presses at some libraries, but my hope is that by having me highlight these titles, you can use it as an argument for taking a chance.

Today I have 2 more titles for one winner.

The first is a finished book what you can add to your collections ASAP,  2-fer itself:

SPLIT SCREAM has a new home at Tenebrous Press! Editor Alex Ebenstein brings his acclaimed split-novelette series back for a fourth round featuring: 

 Nonsense Words by D. Matthew Urban 

An aging professor of ancient history strikes up a friendship with her new colleague, Dr. Paul Duncan, a scholar of undecipherable inscriptions. As she finds herself drawn into Dr. Duncan's life—his brilliant wife and mystical daughters, frightened students and uncanny associates—darker forces behind his research emerge, plunging her into a nightmare of mythical absurdity and ritualistic death. Dark academia meets cosmic horror in Nonsense Words, where the incomprehensible is granted a conjured form—but too much imagination can be a dangerous thing. If the cosmos is nonsense, merely a divine or demonic joke, will she live to have the last laugh, or will she die a punchline? 

Bone Light by Holly Lyn Walrath 

An icy surf batters Bone Light as its beacon calls to weary souls at sea. This edifice built of bone and wretchedness sits atop a cursed rock, surrounded by death, watched over by the ghosts of light-keepers past. Their records tell of the inhospitable environment, but it is Mary Long’s writings that show the heart. Misfortune necessitates the arrival of her dear Ida, laying bear to the obstacles that shaped their history—a husband and taboo among them. These log entries illuminate Mary’s world—the banality, the heartbreak, the magic. In Bone Light, a beacon of death might finally be the thing to give life to a long-denied romance. 

Cover art by Evangeline Gallagher. 

Interior illustrations by Echo Echo.

This is the fourth book in the series and serves as an awesome introduction to emerging voices.

The  second book is quite an exciting announcement. It is Tenebrous Press' first foray in to publishing a novel! It is set to come out on May 30th and will be heavily promoted at StokerCon:

From the Belly by Emmett Nahil

The whaling vessel Merciful has just made its strangest catch yet: a massive whale containing a still-living man secreted within its stomach lining. Sailor Isaiah Chase is tasked with keeping the enigmatic man alive.

As their relationship grows, a series of accidents, injuries and deaths quickly befall the ship and its crew. Isaiah is plagued by strangely prophetic dreams, even as the crew continues their endless quest for whale oil under the command of an increasingly unhinged captain.

As events spiral further out of control, the mysterious man confesses what Isaiah has begun to suspect: the crew of The Merciful has fallen into a cycle of punishment for their greed and destruction. Isaiah must confront the sea's vengeance made flesh, and choose between this new, strange love and the fate of the ship itself. 

I don't know how you can read that summary and not be excited about this book. 

Thanks to Tenebrous Press for the books. Please consider adding them both to your collections.

Enter now to be entered going forward because I have some HUGE Summer releases in the giveaway queue.

Good luck! 

The Summer Scares 2024 Programming Guide is ALIVE!

 

 

Click here to access the full guide

One of the best parts of the Summer Scares program is the annual Programming Guide created by Konrad Stump and his team at the Springfield-Greene County Library District in Springfield, Missouri.

Starting yesterday, you can access this guide for Free. There is a page for each book just like this one for Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison.

There is also an article by Library Advisory Council member, Jocelyn Codner about using Summer Scares in Academic Libraries. And more, all accessible here for free.

This is also the perfect time to remind you that there are Programming Guides available for every year since 2020 available at the Summer Scares Resources Archive here.

However, the most important reminder is that all of this bounty of books, programming ideas, readalikes, discussion questions, and more can be used anytime of year and in any year. We create a new guide, for the 9 new titles each year, but the information is useful all year long. The 2020 guide has 9 vetted titles with readalikes and discussion questions and program idea just as the guides for 2021, 2022, 2023, and now 2024 do. 

Use them all, at any time, to help Horror readers of any age. Our info in a past guide still work today. And let us know if you need help at anytime by emailing libraries at horror dot org.

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: Ghost Camera by Darcy Coates

Today I have an ARC from a USA Today Bestselling Author and Library Patron Favorite (she's also the sweetest human). Details below but first, the rules on 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 the previous giveaway. Our winner was Michael from Oak Park [IL] Public Library. Now on to today's giveaway.

Darcy Coates is one of the most popular novelists in Australia and since Poisoned Pen Press have been releasing them here in American she is among the most popular Horror authors here as well. Her next American release is Ghost Camera coming July 30th. It is a collection featuring the novella that gives the book it's title and new stories.

From NetGalley where this titles is at the top of the most requested books list (as of 2/28 at 4:30 pm central at least):

When Jenine finds an abandoned polaroid camera, she playfully snaps a photo without a second thought. But there's something wrong with the image: a ghostly figure stands in the background, watching her.

Fixated on her.

Moving one step closer with every picture she takes. Desperate, Jenine shares her secret with her best friend, Bree. Together they realize the camera captures unsettling impressions of the dead. But now the ghosts seem to be following the two friends. And with each new photo taken, a terrible danger grows ever clearer… 

DISCOVER CHILLING NEW BONUS STORIES, INCLUDING:

• A woman survives a plane crash in a remote arctic tundra, accompanied only by a stranger who seems fixated on something moving through the blinding snow. 

• A house stands empty. Hungry. Waiting for the children drawn to it like moths to a flame. 

• A woman finds a shoebox filled with old VHS tapes. They have a note attached: "Don't watch. You'll regret it." And more!

Thanks to Sourcebooks and their awesome library marketing team, I have an ARC to giveaway to one of you. 

Enter now and you are entered going forward.

And reminder, if it has been more than 4 weeks from when you won, you are also eligible to reenter. 

Good Luck! 

2023 Bram Stoker Awards Final Ballot Announced

 

Click here to enter the website for the awards

The official nominees for the 2023 Bram Stoker Awards® are now live. You can see the press release here or over on RA for All where I have added direct links to my reviews where applicable.

You need to update your horror collection? Want to get some displays or lists up to take advantage of the huge boom and interest in Horror? All you need is the Bram Stoker Awards® website. You can use that to see a database of every single nominee and winner all with one click here. [Well and here, of course.] 

Use the entire homepage to identify critically acclaimed authors and titles of Horror for all ages. Consider adding the anthologies, collections, and novels from the last few years to your collections as well.

One of the best things about the Bram Stoker Awards® is the process that is involved to get to the nominees. Each category has a jury made up of all levels of HWA members, each jury has a chair and an alt chair, and all members have a portal to recommend titles. It is a hybrid nomination process ensuring a diverse (in every way) mix of options on the ballot. Only Lifetime and Active members can vote but everyone has a say up to the vote.

Also jurors are limited to 2 years on a jury before they have to cycle off and either stop or go to another category, meaning, the categories don't get stuck in a rut. I just finished my second year as Jury Chair for Middle Grade and am very happy with our 5 finalists. I am awaiting my assignment for next year; it is still a mystery but I have been notified it is coming soon.

Sadie Hartmann-- a nominee in Nonfiction this year herself-- had this great interview with the Bram Stoker committee a few years ago where they explain the entire process, including the fact that the awards are not for BEST books, but rather award for SUPERIOR ACHIEVEMENT. I love that distinction as well. We used that distinction throughout our deliberation process for the MG jury this year. Click here to read that interview.

 I wish all genre awards were this transparent. But alas, I can only control the awards with which I am affiliated. See the full nominee list here or on RA for All (with links to my reviews where applicable).

I am going to have some hard choices in a few categories when my ballot arrives later this week.

2024 Splatterpunk Awards Nominees Announced

Due to the fact that I am traveling (see tomorrow's post on RA for All), there is no #HorrorForLibraries Giveaway today, but I do still have a great post for those of you who expect something new here each Thursday. It is the full list of the 2024 Splatterpunk Awards nominees which were released earlier this week.

Click here to read all about it.

And remember, awards lists are one of my favorite RA Resources, and you can click here to learn more through my ongoing series, "Using Awards Lists As a RA Tool." 

Click here to see all the nominees

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones

Today I have an ARC from a book that I I called "a gift" in the January 2024 issue of Library Journal; a title that along with the first two books in the trilogy will be read for generations; a trilogy destined to become a classic ala The Stand by King. Details below but first, the rules on 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 the previous giveaway. Our winner was Kristin from Flat River [MI] Community Library. Now on to today's giveaway.

I am giving away another copy of The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones in honor of the title landing on the Hall of Fame on the March 2024 LibraryReads list. Unlike the last giveaway of this title, this copy is not signed, but also unlike the last giveaway, this is a proper ARC so it is formatted like a book.

Click here for my draft review or see below:

Three Words That Describe This Book: heartbreakingly beautiful, thought provoking, perfect ending

 This book is destined to become an epic Horror classic ala The Stand, read for generations to come. I also dare you not to cry at the end. Can't do it.

Draft Review: It’s October, 2023. Four years have passed since the Dark Mills South Massacre and eight years since the Lake Massacre both which sent Jade to prison. Now, thanks to her best friend Lethe, she is back as the high school history teacher just as Proofrock is about to face another massacre, its most devastating and deadly night yet. This Halloween, will be Proofrock’s final stand against the secrets that have been hidden under the pristine waters of the lake at the center of this cursed town for generations. Readers will get wrapped up in the action, as the bodies pile up, but it will be Jade who leads them through as she comes to terms with traumas both personal and historical, relies on her knowledge of slashers, and learns to trust herself and her renewed connection to her Native heritage. It is the perfect conclusion to this story of ghosts and monsters, both real and supernatural and of secrets that must finally be brought to the surface. A story masterfully told, allowing every detail to matter, but most of all one that provides a final girl to cherish, the angel its center, the one who believes it is all worth saving.

Verdict: Jones has given the world a gift, an epic tale for the ages, one that is both a violent, high octane slasher and a frank, thought provoking indictment of America, past and present. For any reader but especially those who love when Horror stays true to its genre roots while always striving to let readers see themselves and their reality in its terror such as written by Due, Moreno-Garcia, and Tremblay.

You know you want to win this one. Enter today and you are entered going forward.

After clearing out a lot of names back in October, the roster of people in the running to win is building back up again. Get yourself entered. There is a VERY busy season of great Horror coming your way in the coming months. You do not want to miss out.

Good luck. 

Summer Scares 2024 Title Announcement

In celebration of National Library Lover’s Day, the Horror Writers Association (HWA), in partnership with United for Libraries, Book Riot, Booklist, and NoveList®, a division of EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO), is delighted to announce the sixth annual Summer Scares reading list, which includes titles selected by a panel of authors and library workers and is designed to promote Horror as a great reading option for all ages, during any time of the year.

This year, Summer Scares welcomes author Clay McLeod Chapman as the 2024 spokesperson. “Our bookshelves are getting haunted this summer!” exclaims Chapman. “Every last one of the books selected for this year's Summer Scares is a beautiful little nightmare just waiting for the right reader to come along and crack it open. The outright honor of amassing this awesome roster of authors cannot be overstated. I love each and every last one of these books and I can't wait to shout about how terrifying they are all summer long.”

Each year, three titles are selected in each of three categories: Adult, Young Adult, and Middle Grade. For 2024 those selected titles are:

Adult Selections:

Jackal by Erin E. Adams (Bantam, 2022)

Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison (Berkley, 2022)

This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno (MCD x FSG Originals, 2021)

Young Adult Selections:

• 
  

All These Bodies by Kendare Blake (Quill Tree Books 2011)

Dead Flip by Sara Farizan (Algonquin Young Readers, 2022)

#MurderTrending by Gretchen McNeil (Hyperion, 2018)

Middle Grade Selections: 

Ophie’s Ghosts by Justina Ireland (Balzer + Bray, 2021)

The Nest by Kenneth Oppel (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2015)

My Aunt Is A Monster by Reimena Yee (Random House Graphic, 2022) 

The goal of Summer Scares is to introduce Horror titles to school and public library workers in order to help them start conversations with readers that will extend beyond the books from each list and promote reading for years to come. In addition to the annual list of recommended titles, the Summer Scares Programming Guide, created each year by the Springfield-Greene County (MO) Library–and free for libraries anywhere to access, is back with the tools libraries need to connect with their patrons. 

“The 2024 guide is packed with ideas that library workers can use to engage their communities with these great titles, whether they're putting up book displays, hosting author events, or planning an entire Summer Scares program series,” states Konrad Stump, co-creator of the programming guide. The guide will be available beginning March 1, 2024 on the Summer Scares Resource page at http://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/p/summer-scares.html

Along with the guide, the Summer Scares committee will work with both the recommended list authors and Horror authors from all over the country to provide free programming to libraries. Any library looking to host horror-themed events anytime of year is encouraged to email libraries@horror.org to get started.

Once again, Summer Scares will be included as part of iRead, a summer reading program that is used by libraries in the United States and across the globe by the Department of Defense for libraries on military bases. “While there is nothing scary about Summer Reading, there is no better time than summer to scare up some great books. iREAD is thrilled (and chilled!) to partner once again with Summer Scares to introduce Horror titles to school and public library workers in order to help them start conversations with readers that perfectly align with our mission to bridge the summer gap while inspiring literacy and life-long learning,” shares iREAD Content and Development Manager Becca Boland.

Booklist is helping to kick off Summer Scares 2024 in March with a series of three, free webinars with this year’s featured authors in conversation with the committee members: 

• Monday, March 11, 2024, at 4pm Eastern, featuring our Middle Grade authors and moderated by Sarah Hunter (register here)
• Thursday, March 21, 2024, at 2pm Eastern, featuring our Young Adult authors and moderated by Yaika Sabat (register here)
• Monday March 25, 2024, at 2pm Eastern, featuring our Adult authors and moderated by Clay McLeod Chapman (register here)

Each webinar lasts one hour. Anyone may register to participate for free at https://www.booklistonline.com/webinars. Recordings will be available for on-demand viewing after the live events at https://www.booklistonline.com/webinars-archive.

All are welcome to join the Summer Scares committee and featured authors at the HWA’s Librarians’ Day, taking place in person on May 31, 2024, in San Diego as part of StokerConⓇ. Details at: https://www.stokercon2024.com. 

The HWA is a non-profit organization of writers and publishing professionals and the oldest organization dedicated to the Horror/Dark Fiction genre. One of the HWA’s missions is to foster an appreciation of reading through extensive programming and partnerships with libraries, schools, and literacy-based organizations.

The 2024 Summer Scares program committee consists of author Clay McLeod Chapman, HWA Library Committee Co-Chairs Becky Spratford and Konrad Stump, as well as Academic Librarian Carolyn Ciesla, Book Riot Editor and YA specialist Kelly Jensen, Booklist Editor and Middle Grade specialist Julia Smith,  and Manager of Readers Services at NoveList Yaika Sabat

For more information about the Summer Scares reading program, including committee member bios and how to obtain promotional materials and schedule events with the authors/committee members, please visit The Summer Scares Resource Page (http://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/p/summer-scares.html)(http://raforallhorror.blogspot.com/p/summer-scares.html) or email HWA Library Committee Co-Chairs Becky Spratford and Konrad Stump at libraries@horror.org.

#HorrorForLibraries Giveaway: Forgotten Sisters by Cynthia Pelayo

Today I have an early ARC from a book that I gave a star to in the January 2024 issue of Library Journal. Details below but first, the rules on 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 the previous giveaway. Our winner was Nanci from Hopkinton [MA] Public Library. Now on to today's giveaway.

Forgotten Sisters by Cynthia Pelayo is the third book in her linked series set in Chicago, framed by fairy tales and fables. While the books are linked, you do not have to read them in order to understand what is going on because each is its own story as well. 

Forgotten Sisters is also Pelayo's first book in the series to be with a major publisher-- Thomas & Mercer. So this one will have even bigger buzz and distribution. But good news, it is also the best in the series so far-- and I have loved all of them. Click here and here for my reviews of the first two titles.

Here is my draft review:

Three Words That Describe This Book: pervasive unease, strong sense of place, gorgeous prose that enhances the story.

Draft Review: Early in Pelayo’s novel Anna remarks, to the listeners of her podcast about the haunted history of Chicago, that all good ghost stories are based in fact. Anna knows this all too well as she and her sister Jennie live alone in a meticulously maintained, but clearly haunted, historic home on the banks of the Chicago River. The same river that took the lives of their parents in a tragic accident, the same river where the bodies of missing young men have been turning up with alarming frequency, but also the same river that has been her comfort since childhood, alongside her Gradmother’s copy of the Little Mermaid fairy tale. But as Anna struggles to keep the house and its ghosts happy and watch after her sister, who is suffering from troubling spells and wanders the banks of the river each night, detectives also come knocking with questions about the bodies, Jennie, and Anna’s new boyfriend. Overflowing with as much love as anguish, as much hope as death, a compelling mystery told with gorgeous prose that mimics the rhythmic flow of the river itself and sympathetic, complicated characters that feel as if they will materialize off the page, this is a haunted house story unlike any readers have encountered, one that will strike fear, while it also eulogizes the ghosts of a city, no longer to be forgotten.

Verdict: Marked by its pervasive unease and riveting storyline, Pelayo has given readers another can’t miss entry in her Chicago Saga. For fans of ghost stories that mine memory, fairy tales, and/or mystery resulting in immersive, heartbreakingly beautiful stories such as those written by Simone St. James, Jennifer McMahon, and Helen Oyoyemi.

Today, I am giving away the ARC I read for review. This is a VERY early ARC. I got it in June at ALA Annual. 

Good luck!