“This funny and fresh take on a classic tale manages to comment on gender roles, racial disparities, and white privilege all while creeping me all the way out. So good.”—Zakiya Dalila Harris, author of The Other Black Girl Steel Magnolias meets Dracula in this New York Times best-selling horror novel about a women's book club that must do battle with a mysterious newcomer to their small Southern town. Bonus features: • Reading group guide for book clubs • Hand-drawn map of Mt. Pleasant • Annotated true-crime reading list by Grady Hendrix • And more! Patricia Campbell’s life has never felt smaller. Her husband is a workaholic, her teenage kids have their own lives, her senile mother-in-law needs constant care, and she’s always a step behind on her endless to-do list. The only thing keeping her sane is her book club, a close-knit group of Charleston women united by their love of true crime. At these meetings they’re as likely to talk about the Manson family as they are about their own families. One evening after book club, Patricia is viciously attacked by an elderly neighbor, bringing the neighbor's handsome nephew, James Harris, into her life. James is well traveled and well read, and he makes Patricia feel things she hasn’t felt in years. But when children on the other side of town go missing, their deaths written off by local police, Patricia has reason to believe James Harris is more of a Bundy than a Brad Pitt. The real problem? James is a monster of a different kind—and Patricia has already invited him in. Little by little, James will insinuate himself into Patricia’s life and try to take everything she took for granted—including the book club—but she won’t surrender without a fight in this blood-soaked tale of neighborly kindness gone wrong.

The Ultimate List of Must-Read Horror Curious readers and fans of monsters and the macabre, get ready to bulk up your TBR piles! Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann has curated the best selection of modern horror books, including plenty of deep cuts. Indulge your heart’s darkest desires to be terrified, unsettled, disgusted, and heartbroken with stories that span everything from paranormal hauntings and creepy death cults to small-town terrors and apocalyptic disasters. Each recommendation includes a full synopsis as well as a quick overview of the book’s themes, style, and tone so you can narrow down your next read at a glance. Featuring a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Josh Malerman and five brand-new essays from rising voices in the genre, this illustrated reader’s guide is perfect for anyone who dares to delve into the dark.

Like the zombies, ghouls, and vampires which inhabit many of its books, the popularity of horror fiction is unstoppable. Even if you don’t happen to be a fan yourself, you won’t be “scared” to advise readers on finding their next great fright thanks to the astute guidance provided by horror expert Spratford in her updated guide. This definitive resource for library workers at any level of experience or familiarity with horror fiction details the state of the genre right now, including its appeal factors and key authors, assisting readers in getting up to speed quickly; presents ten annotated lists of suggested titles, all published since 2000, each with a short introduction providing historical context; delves into horror movies, TV shows, podcasts, and other formats; and offers abundant marketing advice, programming options, and pointers on additional resources.

The South is often perceived as a haunted place in its region's literature, one that is strange, deviant, or "queer." The peculiar, often sexually charged literary worlds of contemporary writers like Fannie Flagg, Monique Truong, and Randall Kenan speak to this connection between queerness and the South. Heidi Siegrist explores the boundaries of negotiating place and sexuality by using the concept of Southernness—a purposefully fluid idea of the South that extends beyond simple geography, eschewing familiar ideas of the Southern canon. When the connection between queerness and Southerness becomes apparent, Siegrist shows a Southern-branded queer deviance can not only change the way we think about literature but can also change Southern queer people's lived experiences. Siegrist gathers a bevy of undertheorized writers, from Kenan and Truong to Dorothy Allison and even George R. R. Martin, showing that there are many "queer Souths." Siegrist offers these multiverses as a way to appreciate a place that is often unfriendly, even deadly, to queer people. But as Siegrist argues, none of these Souths, from the terrestrial to the imaginary, would be what they are without the influence and power of queer literature.

New York Times-bestselling author, Grady Hendrix (Horrorstör, Paperbacks from Hell), savagely satirizes Victorian adventure fiction in this steampunk smackdown full of decapitated heads that sing, Tong wars, bacon sex, German holiday demons, and the Potato Homunculus! Some of the most popular stories ever released on audio fiction platform Pseudopod, the White Street Society tells the tales of a band of 19th Century gentleman adventurers who investigate the supernatural, often with violence, sometimes with science. Sending up 19th century fears about women, Germans, the Irish, Chinatown, Southerners, politicians, and anyone who wasn’t the “right” kind of person (read: male and white) this collection of cases contains shocking details that are sure to tighten the corsets and spin the mustaches of all gentle readers. Animals and pregnant women are advised to KEEP AWAY from “The Hairy Ghost!”, “The Corpse Army of Khartoum!”, “The Yellow Peril!”, and “The Christmas Spirits!” as well as the shocking new story premiering in this collection, “The President Who Would Not Die!” For those bold readers who desire a strong blast of nonsense, allow us to introduce you to the supernatural wonders that these bold men of the 19th century were compelled to shoot, poison, burn, and beat to death with shovels, all in the name of PROGRESS!

The Best Resource Available for Finding a Literary Agent, fully revised and updated No matter what you're writing--fiction or nonfiction, books for adults or children--you need a literary agent to get the best book deal possible from a traditional publisher. Guide to Literary Agents 30th edition is your go-to resource for finding that literary agent and earning a contract from a reputable publisher. Along with listing information for more than 1,000 agents who represent writers and their books, the 30th edition of GLA includes: Hundreds of updated listings for literary agents and writing conferences Informative articles on crafting effective queries, synopses, and book proposals (and the agent query tracker) Plus, a 30-Day Platform Challenge to help writers build their writing platforms Includes 20 literary agents actively seeking writers and their writing

Nat Cassidy is at his razor-sharp best again with his horror novel Nestlings, which harnesses the creeping paranoia of Rosemary's Baby and the urban horror of Salem's Lot, set in an exclusive New York City residential building. Most Anticipated Horror Books of 2023—Paste Magazine, Goodreads Most Anticipated Crime Fiction of Fall 2023—Crimereads October's Best Sci Fi and Fantasy Books — LitHub, Bibliosanctum Ana and Reid needed a lucky break. The horrifically complicated birth of their first child has left Ana paralyzed, bitter, and struggling: with mobility, with her relationship with Reid, with resentment for her baby. That's about to change with the words any New Yorker would love to hear—affordable housing lottery. They've won an apartment in the Deptford, one of Manhattan's most revered buildings with beautiful vistas of Central Park and stunning architecture. Reid dismisses disturbing events and Ana’s deep unease and paranoia as the price of living in New York—people are odd—but he can't explain the needle-like bite marks on the baby. Other Books by Nat Cassidy: Mary: An Awakening of Terror At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

NOMINATED FOR A SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARD AND BRITISH FANTASY AWARD "This rich and masterful collection of horror highlights both up-and-coming and established authors in an interesting twist on the standard anthology [...] Highly recommended for longstanding horror fans and those readers who may not think horror is for them. There is something for everyone in this one." — Booklist This new anthology contains 20 original horror stories, 16 of which have been commissioned from some of the top names in the genre, and 4 of which have been selected from the 100s of stories sent to Flame Tree during a 2-week open submissions window. It is the first of what will hopefully become an annual, non-themed horror anthology of entirely original stories, showcasing the very best short fiction that the genre has to offer. Contents List: BUTTERFLY ISLAND by C.J. Tudor RESEARCH by Tim Lebbon SWANSKIN by Alison Littlewood THAT’S THE SPIRIT by Sarah Lotz GAVE by Michael Bailey WHEREVER YOU LOOK by Ramsey Campbell SAME TIME NEXT YEAR by Angela Slatter MINE SEVEN by Elana Gomel IT DOESN’T FEEL RIGHT by Michael Marshall Smith CREEPING IVY by Laura Purcell LAST RITES FOR THE FOURTH WORLD by Rick Cross WE ALL COME HOME by Simon Bestwick THE IMPORTANCE OF ORAL HYGIENE by Robert Shearman BOKEH by Thana Niveau MURDER BOARD by Grady Hendrix ALICE’S REBELLION by John Langan THE MIRROR HOUSE by Jonathan Robbins Leon THE NAUGHTY STEP by Stephen Volk A HOTEL IN GERMANY by Catriona Ward BRANCH LINE by Paul Finch FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.

This truly epic adaptation of Kieron Gillen's Loki series spans the nine realms as the reborn trickster struggles to walk the hero's path and save the universe from an epidemic of fear. The god of lies has been reborn, but will young Loki be Asgard's savior? When Earth is plagued by an epidemic of fear, ancient prophecy says only Thor can stop the monstrous threat of the Serpent, but without help from Loki, Thor is certain to fail. Aided by a handmaiden from Hel and a demon puppy, Loki must risk everything to find redemption—or doom himself for eternity. Either way, a Nightmare lies in wait hoping to rule the world and Loki will have to risk everything on his craziest scheme of all! Meanwhile, new gods threaten to disrupt the status quo, throwing everything out of balance. Loki must act as a responsible ambassador, but will the nine worlds end in Surtur's fire? In this brand-new prose novel inspired by the epic comic series by Kieron Gillen, young Loki must cross the realms to reclaim his own story, outwit ancient enemies, struggle to do the right thing, and avoid falling in love.