In this interview, Cullen discusses the differences between his work in comic books and his debut horror novel, Bones of Our Stars, Blood of Our World, his advice for other writers, and more.

Name: Cullen Bunn
Literary agent: Charlie Olsen, InkWell Management Literary Agency
Book title: Bones of Our Stars, Blood of Our World
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release date: November 11, 2025
Genre/category: Horror
Previous titles: Uncanny X-Men, X-Men: Blue, Magneto, and various Deadpool miniseries for Marvel Comics, including the New York Times bestseller Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, and his creator-owned series The Damned and The Sixth Gun for Oni Press and Harrow County for Dark Horse Comics, as well as his middle grade horror novel Crooked Hills, and his short story work collection Creeping Stones & Other Stories. He also writes Venomized for Marvel, PumpkinHead for Dynamite, Subspecies for Action Lab, Shadow Roads for Oni Press, Regression for Image, Unholy Grail, Brothers Dracul, and Dark Ark for Aftershock Comics, and Harrow County for Dark Horse.
Elevator pitch: A masked killer stalks the residents of Wilson Island, viciously murdering victims and harvesting organs for an unknown purpose. As the body count rises around her, Willa Hanson begins to wonder if the ongoing slaughter hints at a much more sinister, much older, and much hungrier evil.

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What prompted you to write this book?

For quite a while now, I’ve made my living writing comics and graphic novels, but I started out writing prose. Comics are a very collaborative process. I work with editors, artists, inkers, colorists, letterers, and (sometimes) other writers. I wanted to do something that was almost 100 percent me though, and a novel offered that opportunity. I’ve long wanted to tell a kind of “switcheroo” story, one that starts out one way, then throws caution to the wind and completely changes directions. That’s what I did with this book. 

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

It’s hard to say, really, because I often have ideas that percolate for years and years (sometimes for decades) before I commit to bringing them to life. For the novel itself (and this was after outlining and planning was done), it took a little under a year to write. That time, of course, reflects that I was also working on several comic book series at the same time. The idea changed a little during creation. Despite my outlines, I found myself wanting to expand on ideas in ways that can’t be done with, say, a comic. Comics are all about economy. I might’ve gotten lost with the power of no constrictions! The story definitely got more and more weird as I wrote it!

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

I don’t know that there were surprises. The publishing process was quite different than working in comics. First and foremost, comics for most publishers, especially the Big Two (Marvel and DC) work on a much faster timeframe. It was nice to have a little more breathing room to tell the story the right way. The editorial process took a little getting used to, with my editor offering amazing notes, some of which dug up more track than I might have liked, but that did vastly improve the story. And that was before the copy editor got involved by also offering great notes and catching tiny little details I had missed. With a comic, if I make a minor mistake, the artist might save the day. With a novel though, I’m on my own. I’m overwhelmingly appreciative of the editorial team for having my back!

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I’ve challenged myself to write comics, novels, short stories, screenplays, and role-playing games over the course of my career. Each of those mediums have their own quirks. I’m pretty adaptable, but anyone who thinks they can move from one medium to another without some growing pains is fooling themselves. As mentioned earlier, it surprised me how much I wanted to add and expand. Every editing pass, I found myself fighting to stop adding new ideas, new scenes, new characters, and expanded descriptions. If I hadn’t locked it down, I might still be writing an insanely unwieldy and never-ending book. 

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

My first thought is that I want readers to be entertained. This is a fast-paced story. As I wrote it though, I laced in quite a few mysteries. To my way of thinking, I’ve provided the answers to those mysteries. However, I don’t necessarily spell it out in black and white. That’s not the way horror works. That’s not the way the world works. I’m much more interested in hearing reader interpretations of this story. 

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Just one piece? That’s tough! Lately, though, I’ve been thinking about creativity. A lot of writers I know spend months or years developing ideas for their story, but they never just sit down and write the thing. Creativity isn’t just ideas. It means actually creating something! I’d rather see someone jump headlong into a story without knowing where they are going, making mistakes along the way, dropping the ball, losing the plot, because fixing something is a lot easier than fixing nothing!

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In this interview, Thomas discusses the moral sacrifices on the pursuit of happiness that helped inspire his new horror novel, Darker Days, his hope for readers, and more.

Name: Thomas Olde Heuvelt. My last name “Olde Heuvelt” is old Dutch dialect and means “Old Hill.”
Literary agent: Jenny Savill at Andrew Nurnberg Associates
Book title: Darker Days
Publisher: Harper Books (U.S.), Bantam (U.K.)
Release date: October 23, 2025
Genre/category: Horror, mainstream
Previous titles: HEX, Echo, Oracle
Elevator pitch: In Lock Haven, a small town in Washington State, the residents of one gilded street seem happier, healthier and more prosperous than most. This charmed life comes at a cost, however, in the form of an annual human sacrifice presided over by a dapper, devilish entity known as the Accountant. Darker Days unfolds as a chilling exploration of the price we pay for our pursuit of happiness and how far we’re willing to go to protect those we love.

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What prompted you to write this book?

For years, I wondered what originality I could bring to horror with my Dutch background. We have no literary tradition of horror. Dutch people are very practical, secular, not superstitious, and frankly, quite boring. But then I figured: I’ll embrace that. A few years back, I wrote a novel called HEX, in which the upstate New York townsfolk deal with the witch with stitched-up eyes in their midst in the most practical way: When she pops up in your bathroom, you just hang a towel over her face and take a shower. The Dutch way, in other words. This novel changed my life: People around the world dug its quirkiness and the book was sold to over 25 countries.

In Darker Days, I again embrace Dutch practicality, but in a darker, more existential way. I was intrigued by the sacrifices we all make in the pursuit of happiness. We fly to vacation while we know we’re destroying the planet. We want cheap clothes and food and gladly look away from child labor or animal rights. It’s a Faustian bargain we can’t escape, even when we generally want to do good. So, I figured: What if a group of people had made an actual deal with the devil, requiring them to make an annual human sacrifice? How would you practically deal with that? We don’t want to just pick someone at random and kill them. No, the Dutch way would be to look for people who want to die—the terminally ill, the depressed—and offer them a deal they can’t refuse. Ethically dicey, but I knew I found my novel.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

I wrote Darker Days in six months, but it was eight years in the making. I had the idea right after I finished HEX, but I didn’t want to repeat the small-town trope, and I felt I wasn’t ready yet to tackle its subtleties and sensitivities. So, I wrote two very different novels in between: Echo, my gothic homage and a possession-by-mountain narrative with a beautiful gay love story at its core; and Oracle, about a 17^th century Dutch sailing ship that one morning pops up in a tulip field and makes enyone who boards it disappear. But Darker Days never left my mind, and now I felt ready. The core idea was still the same, but the deets develop as I go. I just plan ahead two or three chapters, and I have a sense of direction, but other than that, I discover the story as I go along. A bit scary, sometimes.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

The characters, always! They’re the heart of any story; they bring a story to life. And I love, love, love the characters in Darker Days. I chose to tell the story through the eyes of the members of one family: an American dad who’s a judge and struggles with the ethical consequences of the bargain; a Brazilian mom married into the pact; and two children who don’t know why their lives seem so perfect. The 10-year-old son is a jazz piano virtuoso and has a weird obsession with WWII, and the 15-year-old daughter is an Olympic hopeful with bipolar disorder. They are all generally good people, but their happiness and secrets turn against them during the Darker Days in November, creating all sorts of tensions. The family dynamic is the perfect vessel for a horror novel, because what binds them is love and the fear of losing that love. Throw in a bunch of horrible neighbors, each with their own twisted motivation, and you can imagine what a blast I had.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

One big surprise was realizing just how much the publishing world has changed in recent years when it comes to book length. Darker Days started out at 165,000 words in Dutch—almost 500 pages. Dutch tends to be wordier than English, so the translation brought it down to about 150,000, but then I ended up cutting another 15,000 words in edits. Then it was offered to U.S. publishers, and even though a lot of them loved the premise, the characters, the core themes; the word count was still problematic for many. Higher paper costs and distribution expenses probably pay a part there, but the main reason is the fact that we’re all suffering from diminishing attention spans. We’re constantly bombarded with impulses through our phones—social media, clickbaits, ads, reels, the state the world is in—and not only does it spawn FOMO, it spawns brain rot. I hear it everywhere: Readers have a harder time focusing on big books. Sure, Stephen King and Dan Brown still get away with it, but for everyone else, it’s becoming a tougher sell. My Taiwanese and Thai publishers for instance are considering splitting Darker Days into two volumes, which works out fine for this story since it spans two years, roughly the same in word count. But it’s a sign of the times, and it worries me.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

A scary ride, for starters. I want to make you sleep with the lights on. I want to make you laugh, I want to make you cry, but most of all, I want to make you scared shitless. Because the stories that touch our emotions are the stories that stick with us. Then, and only then, I want to make you think. Darker Days has everything in it to make you think, but it’s never my objective to tell you how to think, or to preach morals. Morals are boring. I just want to tell you a story.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Aside from the clichés—read, write, all true—I’d say: Go look for what makes you uniquely you, and find a story only you could write. Just like I draw on my Dutch, practical background to put fresh spins on familiar horror themes, you’ll have to dig within yourself and find what defines you. It’s the sum of all your life’s experiences, heartaches, triumphs and traumas. Once you discover the stories only you can tell, half the work is done. If you’re interested in more from my studio, sign up for my newsletter at OldeHeuvelt.com. It’s not a commercial newsletter—I hate those—but just an intimate place to share my stories, musings, and writing advice directly with my readers and fellow writers.

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(Keeping Young Readers Engaged with Alyssa Colman)

In this episode of “Writer’s Digest Presents,” we’re chatting with author Carson Faust about writing southern gothic fiction, his debut novel If the Dead Belong Here, how to perfect styles of writing you admire as a reader, and more.

About Carson Faust

Carson Faust is two-spirit and an enrolled member of the Edisto Natchez-Kusso Tribe of South Carolina. He is the recipient of fellowships from the McKnight Foundation and the Jerome Foundation. His fiction has appeared in Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology. He lives in Minnesota. Learn more at CarsonFaust.com, and follow him on Instagram.

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From The Episode

“Horror is a way to bring the past directly to the page. “

“I’m interested in survival as a collective action more than the hyper individualistic, ‘one person will survive’ aspect. I think the characters that are most successful in getting closer to what they want are the ones who find one another, support one another, and build on each other’s knowledge. None of them [the characters] agree, which is actually their strength. None of them are exactly the same in how they think of the world, but it’s all of those perspectives coming together that allow for some version of—as close to success as one can get in this incredibly flawed world that we have.”

“Craft is not something that happens when you shut the word out and you emerge from your chrysalis a savant. It happens when you engage meaningfully with the world in whatever way feels more correct to you.”

Watch or Listen Below

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Honestly, I never planned to be a director or producer, either. I loved drama class in high school (shout out to Mr. Rickel!), but acting for a living seemed about as impossible as playing in the NFL. I’ve always loved movies—which I’m realizing sounds like a banal dating profile statement a la “I’m a foodie” or “travel is my passion”—but I never actually thought I’d make them myself.

(The Differences in Writing Novels vs. Scripts.)

When I was growing up, making movies, books, or comics for a living seemed like an impossible dream. Sure, I dabbled with writing stories, and I even made a short film in high school—a thinly-veiled rip-off of Clerks called “Carousel,” about a depressed and tyrannical amusement operator with a substance abuse problem.* But that didn’t feel like a real short film, nor did the stories I wrote feel like real stories. Now, the worst thing you can do as an artist is question the legitimacy of what you’re producing, if it even is art, but I wouldn’t learn that for a long time.

The point is, filmmaking never felt like a viable path for me, so I spent my 20s doing stupid things I didn’t really enjoy because they sure passed the time, didn’t they?

The thing that got me into filmmaking was actually horror fiction. I’d gotten pretty serious about writing prose and had a few small successes, so I applied to grad school at UCR-Palm Desert, hoping to hone my craft. The only problem was, you couldn’t just write fiction. You had to pick a “cross,” sort of like a minor. So I said what the heck, let’s try this screenwriting thing.

My professor, Joshua Malkin, and I immediately hit it off. He’s a horror nerd and co-wrote Cabin Fever 2, amongst other projects. While the idea of learning the screenwriting format seemed super complicated, I was game to give it a shot.

This is probably the part where you’re expecting me to say, writing scripts isn’t easy, but I never thought it would be. There’s a reason why it’s such a hyper-selective field, to the point where you can even earn a living as a screenwriter and still not get anything made.

They don’t call it Hollyweird for nothing, right? 

I don’t think any kind of writing is easy, but there’s degrees of difficulty. If you have more constraints format-wise, that ups the difficulty level. See, in a novel you have the advantage of interiority. You can convey thoughts and feelings in a straightforward manner. In film, you don’t have that same advantage. You can use a voiceover to similar effect, sure, but VO can be cliche or even passe depending on who you talk to. It can be a crutch.** You have to think of new, creative ways to convey things to the audience without simply telling them.

Writing movie scripts was like learning to walk all over again. Instead of just riffing, like I do when I’m writing prose, I had to write with intent. I needed to take a second and picture the scene in my mind.

Eventually, I got the hang of it. Enough that a movie I co-wrote actually got made*** and a short film I wrote and directed won a couple awards. Which is cool, but even cooler? I was able to take what I learned as a screenwriter back to my fiction. My prose is more visual. When I’m writing a scene in a novel, I tend to picture it as a movie scene in my head. What the characters look like, what they’re doing, each action, even if I’m not writing it down per se (there’s only so many times a person can nod, right?). And it’s paid off wonderfully. One of the most common things I hear from readers—besides what’s wrong with you—is that my work is “cinematic.”

Pretty neat, for sure.

The other interesting change I noticed was that I got much better at plotting. Pre-grad school, I was a confirmed pantser. I liked to feel my way through each book. While some books can get away with being more mood or voice pieces, depending on the genre, a screenplay is a precision instrument, part work of art in and of itself, but primarily a blueprint that directors, actors, editors, stunt people, visual effects artists, set dressers, and all the rest can build upon. Architects can’t improvise their way through a building design, and screenwriters can’t improvise their way through a script, or the whole thing will fall apart.

Writing screenplays forced me to practice plotting. Now, when I’m planning a book, I’m doing so much more intentionally, thinking through beats and arcs and individual scenes, making sure the whole thing hangs together before I type “Chapter 1.” And for my fellow pantsers out there, this has not diminished the sheer fun I have writing prose one iota. In fact, it’s made writing a less anxious experience. I know exactly where the story’s going next, which frees me up to discover all the strange and wonderful sights to see in between.

So no, I never thought I’d be a screenwriter. And I certainly never imagined that screenwriting would inform my fiction to the degree it does. Which is funny, because when you’re in any creative field, imagination is your bread and butter. Finding new ways to use your imagination, new ways to express your creativity, doesn’t just open potential paths you never dreamed possible.

It also makes the journey along the one you’re already on that much more interesting, and that much more fulfilling.

*****

*I had smoked approximately 3 pots at this point in my life and absolutely hated alcohol. Boy, have times changed! 

**Morgan Freeman excepted

***A Haunting in Ravenwood, available on Amazon

Check out Brian Asman’s Man, F*ck This House here:

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In this interview, Tanya discusses writing about the dichotomy of womanhood in her new novel, Her Wicked Roots, her advice for other writers, and more.

Name: Tanya Pell
Literary agent: Marcy Posner @ Folio Literary Management
Book title: Her Wicked Roots
Publisher: Gallery Books
Release date: October 7, 2025
Genre/category: Gothic horror
Previous titles: Cicada
Elevator pitch: A young woman searching for her brother finds herself lured to an isolated manor and its lush gardens run by an enigmatic botanist and her peculiar daughters. But pretty flowers can be deadly and there may be more than just secrets buried on the grounds of the estate.

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What prompted you to write this book?

I used to teach high school English and “Rappaccini’s Daughter” was part of my Gothic curriculum. I’ve always loved the story, and I saw a post suggesting the need for a Gothic novel based on the story. Probably a day or so later I read an old skipping rhyme about deadly nightshade and men taking advantage of girls. It was one of those lighting moments authors get. I saw Lady Evangeline and her daughters so clearly. It had to be a mother instead of a father like the original story. Poison is, traditionally, a woman’s weapon. But words and manipulations can be just as deadly, and what more toxic relationship than mother/daughter? I suddenly knew exactly how the story would unfold from beginning to end, and the words poured out.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

I started writing Her Wicked Roots in 2022 and went out on submission in 2023, but my first agent went on maternity leave, so it sat around in inboxes. When she returned, I sold Cicada and Her Wicked Roots continued to wait its turn. January 3rd of 2024, my agent quit the industry, which pulled Her Wicked Roots from submission. Luck would have it that Jess Macy (literary associate) saw my lament about being back in the query trenches and sent me a DM asking for the manuscript. I had a call with her and Marcy Posner—my current agent—three days later. 

Of course, it has already been on submission, and when that happens, you have to make adjustments. Marcy, Jess, and I looked at the spreadsheet and decided to give the book a facelift. I already had a new title in mind, and we aged up the characters to sit more firmly in the NA/adult space. I was also more interested in pushing the book as Gothic horror, and they both agreed. We spent a month tweaking it, put it out on sub, and the first offers came in exactly two months later.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

It was a learning curve, and I was asking my agent, editor, and author friends questions all the time. I still am. I am constantly asking someone what I should be doing. I’m a recovering honor student, and it shows.

Plus, I had been writing strictly in the horror space. My short stories are dark and my novella is a comedy horror! But here was my queer, Gothic garden book that could comfortably slip between genres. She wasn’t all one thing, but a little of many things. Gothic is not exclusive to horror, but often contains elements of fantasy and romance, and even mystery. Pitching Her Wicked Roots meant emphasizing I was writing under a larger umbrella. So, it’s been great to see early readers and influencers in the romantasy sphere just as excited as the Goth girlies and the horror fans. 

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

There is a discovery process along the way. Somewhere in the second draft, I started looking at certain characters and considering their mythology. What was their story before Edenfield and the events in Her Wicked Roots? Thinking about their origin stories definitely changed a few key points in the book. There were more than a few moments of, “Oh? OH!” 

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

Her Wicked Roots is not just a love letter to Gothicism, but a reminder of what it means to be young, naive, and hopeful. When you take those first “big girl” steps into the world, you’re so sure that you’ve done most of your growing already. I wanted readers to follow Cordi on her journey from a black and white world into color and see her wrestle with her confidence; to watch her learn that people contain multitudes. This is, in a lot of ways, a story about the dichotomy of womanhood. Before she arrives at Edenfield, Cordi is under the impression that people are either good or bad, and she even struggles to see herself as nuanced. I think a lot of us struggled with this almost Disneyfication of the world as we moved through our 20s. I want readers to love and engage with the story, but I also hope they recall what it felt like to have their view of the world challenged for the first time. To remember what that growth and change felt like and to consider the paradox of being a woman. 

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Always shoot your shot. Write the story you always dreamed of writing and don’t worry about trends. Hang out at the end of the signing line and ask your favorite author if you can buy them a drink and pick their brain. Send them a DM or email with your questions! This actually works, I promise. I think I have a 100 percent success rate. Ask for things because the worst thing you will probably hear is, “No.” Take the shot anyway.   

The post Tanya Pell: On the Many Genres of Gothic Storytelling appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, Philip discusses how a stay at an old hotel helped inspire his new horror novel, The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre, his hope for readers, and more.

Name: Philip Fracassi
Literary agent: Copps Literary Services
Book title: The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Release date: September 30, 2025
Genre/category: Horror
Previous titles: Available on his website
Elevator pitch: Brimming with dark humor, violence, and mystery, The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre is a blood-soaked slasher sure to keep readers guessing until the very last page.

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What prompted you to write this book?

While on a cross-country book tour for my novel, Boys in the Valley, my wife and I stayed in an old hotel in Virginia. I made the comment that it seemed more like a retirement home than a hotel, and my (dark) imagination took over from there as my two favorite words popped up my brain: What if?

What if there was a serial killer in a retirement home? How would the residents react? What if the police didn’t believe them (they’re old, after all). What if folks had nowhere to go, nowhere to run?

The next morning, I typed up a pitch called The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre and sent it to my agent, who loved it. A few days later, I was pitching it to my editor, who was totally on board, and away we went.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

I sent the pitch to my agent on October 3, 2023, and the book is going to be released almost two years later to the day, on September 30, 2025. Which, in my experience, is a pretty quick turnaround from conception to physical book.

The original idea, and the original characters that sprouted in my mind, hardly changed at all during the process. Even the title of the book stayed the same. I think when you have a strong idea right off the bat, when the entirety of the story just lands in your lap, the final product ends up being pretty close to what you first imagined. That’s how it was for Autumn Springs. It was a lightning bolt, fully formed.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

Because this book was the second contracted title for the publisher, it all went very smoothly. Since we’d just released my novel Boys in the Valley in 2023, there weren’t any significant changes in the modus operandi between the two projects. If anything, I was glad that we had the cover art for the new title ready a lot earlier than the prior novel, which allowed me to get a solid jump on creating an early buzz with PR outlets and social media. Best case, you’d like to have finished cover art a solid 6-8 months prior to the release date or, if possible, closer to a year. Never too early to start promoting.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

The biggest surprise for this book was that I wrote it without an outline. And believe me, that wasn’t by choice. I’m a huge outliner when it comes to my novels, and it’s important to me to have every chapter figured out before I start writing. That way I can focus on the prose and dialogue and descriptions and not have to wonder what’s going to happen next. It also allows me to seed elements early on for the reader that will pay off later in the story. For some reason, however, I was mentally blocked from outlining Autumn Springs, which made me anxious, especially given that it’s a mystery/thriller and there were a lot of characters and a lot of moving pieces. Ultimately, I found the process of “pantsing” the story interesting, but I’d prefer not to do it that way again if I can help it.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

All my books are written with the intention, first and foremost, to be entertainment. I want readers to enjoy the experience of reading the stories, to have fun, to emotionally connect with the characters, and hopefully find some delight with the prose. For Autumn Springs specifically, my hope is that readers experience all the thrills and chills that come with reading a good mystery/thriller, but I’d also hope that they forge an empathetic bond with the characters, because they’re all near and dear to my heart, especially my protagonist, Rose DuBois.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

The number one piece of advice I always share with writers is to persevere. Writing is a tough business. It’s incredibly isolating, and you spend a huge amount of your career dealing with negativity and rejection. In my experience it helps to keep the blinders on, keep my nose to the grindstone, and do the work that I love doing. Publishing is the ultimate roller coaster of highs and lows, but if you block out the noise, focus on the storytelling, and keep working, you’ll have a great shot at achieving your personal goals.

The post Philip Fracassi: It’s Never Too Early To Start Promoting appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, Rushby discusses all the research that went into writing her new historical fiction, Slashed Beauties, her advice for other writers, and more.

Name: A. Rushby
Literary agent: Edwina de Charnacé (MMB Creative) and Jason Yarn (Jason Yarn Literary Agency)
Book title: Slashed Beauties
Publisher: U.S.: Berkley/Penguin; U.K.: VERVE Books, Australia: HQ/HarperCollins; India: Hachette
Release date: September 23, 2025
Genre/category: Historical book club fiction
Elevator pitch: Slashed Beauties is about Eleanor, Emily, and Elizabeth in 18th-century London whose lives become magically and murderously intertwined when they meet an anatomist with a wicked plan and about young antiques dealer Alys in present day London who must find a way to break her cursed connection to the trio.

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What prompted you to write this book?

I first came upon the idea for Slashed Beauties after seeing an anatomical Venus in a museum in Vienna. This 250-year-old, ultra-realistic medical wax model of a woman was naked except for some lustrous pearls at her neck. She had long flowing locks of real hair, dewy waxen skin, an erotic expression, and … her entrails on display. I was quite literally mesmerized. To the modern eye, she was an uncanny collision of art and science, and I immediately knew I would have to weave a tale around this complicated creature.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

It took a very long time, indeed, as historical fiction takes so much research. I usually begin with several months of reading around the subject I’m interested in (in this case medical wax anatomical models), and while I knew these would form the basis of the plot, I struggled for some time to figure out the story I wanted to tell. It wasn’t until I stumbled across some further research that detailed real women who worked in and around Covent Garden, in London, from 1757-1795 that my characters truly began to take shape and I was able to decide upon the journey I wanted to take them on. After this, everything came together far more quickly, and I was soon off and writing my dual narrative, weaving a tale around antiques dealer Alys in the present day and Eleanor in 1769 London.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

Slashed Beauties was a total book of the heart—I had no real reason to write it (I am an established author in the children’s space), but I wrote it anyway for the sheer love of it. When I began pitching this tale of murderous wax anatomical models, I thought people would honestly take several steps backward, turn, and begin running. But they did almost the opposite! Editors worldwide really connected with the themes in the novel as well as the characters themselves, and I’m overjoyed to see the book published in a very exciting, coordinated international release.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I was surprised to find how much I felt for the antagonist. Writing her story and her very sad backstory truly did make me understand the saying, “The antagonist is the hero/heroine of their own story.”

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I hope they’ll find it uplifting, despite the bittersweet ending (I don’t think that’s a spoiler!) and that they’ll come away mulling over some of the themes—particularly when it comes to bodily autonomy, choice, and freedom. And I really hope they don’t guess the twist.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

After publishing more than 30 books, my greatest piece of advice would be to write what you love, rather than to try to write what you think other people will love, or what the market is looking for.

The post A. Rushby: On Writing for the Love of the Story appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Unfortunately, we’re not able to feature every book that we read and love in the magazine. But since we’re more than halfway through 2025 (can you believe it?!), I wanted to share some of the books I’ve read so far this year that I’ve loved, some that will be coming out this year that you should preorder, and I’ll post some links so you know when you can get your hands on them too.

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Horror

The Whistler by Nick Medina

Published: September 16, 2025

Back of book description: For fear of summoning evil spirits, Native superstition says you should never, ever whistle at night.

Henry Hotard was on the verge of fame, gaining a following and traction with his eerie ghost-hunting videos. Then his dreams came to a screeching halt. Now, he’s learning to navigate a new life in a wheelchair, back on the reservation where he grew up, relying on his grandparents’ care while he recovers.

And he’s being haunted.

His girlfriend, Jade, insists he just needs time to adjust to his new reality as a quadriplegic, that it’s his traumatized mind playing tricks on him, but Henry knows better. As the specter haunting him creeps closer each night, Henry battles to find a way to endure, to rid himself of the horror stalking him. Worried that this dread might plague him forever, he realizes the only way to exile his phantom is by confronting his troubled past and going back to the events that led to his injury.

It all started when he whistled at night….

What I loved about it: This narrative is a wonderful example of how to entwine past and present and to show how backstory can guide not only character development but present action and plot as well.

Galloway’s Gospel by Sam Rebelein

Published: September 16, 2025

Back of book description: 2009: Rachel Galloway is bored in class. She spends the dreary fall days sketching in her notebook—adorable pigs munching on her boring teachers—and imagining a utopia where all the horrors of Burnskidde High School disappear. But when her classmates start to believe this utopia could be real, Galloway finds herself at the center of an elaborate, and quickly spreading, new religion. Before long, the town is split between believers and nonbelievers. As tensions rise and the rituals become more dangerous, Galloway can’t be sure what’s real and what’s not, or who she can trust.

BURNSKIDDE: CULTWATCH

2019: This is the cryptic message that Renfield County Guard Rachel Durwood receives from her colleague Mark, mere days after he’s disappeared. Mark’s note leads Durwood to the town of Burnskidde, famously sealed off from the rest of the county ten years ago. Now, she discovers a small, insulated community preparing for the rapture and, seemingly, their collective demise. In order to save Burnskidde from itself, she must piece together the fallout from 2009 and avoid being swept up into the monstrous cult herself.

As Rachel Galloway watches her life spiral out of control, Rachel Durwood navigates a world where history, horror, and faith collide. Despite being separated by a decade, Galloway and Durwood may be closer to each other than they realize. But even together, will they be able to stop Burnskidde’s impending doom?

What I loved about it: I wrote about Rebelein’s The Poorly Made and Other Things in a previous article. This novel revisits Renfield in a new and interesting way, and stays in that story for much longer than the previous collection. This is a wonderful book to read if you’re thinking about writing stories all set in the same universe, utilizing the same world-building, but that explores an entirely new story or aspect of the world.

Crafting for Sinners by Jenny Kiefer

Published: October 7, 2025

Back of book description: Ruth is trapped. She’s stuck in her small, religious hometown of Kill Devil, Kentucky, stuck in the closet, and stuck living paycheck to paycheck. After her manager finds out that she lives with her girlfriend, Ruth is fired from her job at New Creations—a craft store owned by the church that dominates life in Kill Devil.

In an act of revenge, Ruth attempts to shoplift some yarn but is caught red-handed. Instead of calling the police, the employees lock her in the store—and attack her. As Ruth fights for her life using only the crafting supplies at hand, she plunges deeper into the tangled web of the New Creationists, who are hiding a terrible secret that threatens not only her but the entire town.

Urgent, scathing, and utterly original, Crafting for Sinners cements Kiefer’s status as a dazzling new star in horror.

What I loved about it: This is a horror that doesn’t take itself too seriously—sometimes a little bit of humor helps to make the horrors that much more horrifying!

Mystery

To Kill a Queen by Amie McNee

Published: November 11, 2025

Back of book Description: When Queen Elizabeth I is nearly assassinated, the rebellious heir to a criminal legacy seizes an opportunity for a better life.

London, 1579. In the treacherous alleyways of London, Jack has left behind the life of petty crime, hoping to atone for the past by rooting out murderers. As the eldest child of a notorious and infamous figure who controls the slums, Jack has no safe place to land and dreams of a future off the streets. When an attempt is made on the Queen’s life, it falls to Jack to catch the would-be assassin and fight for a different future.

With the help of a coroner, Damian, a sultry barmaid with a secret, and the criminal connections from Jack’s past, the unlikely investigator dives into the case. But the former thief’s informants keep turning up dead, and every lead seems to vanish just when it feels within reach. As Jack follows the trail deeper into danger, the question becomes: who can truly be trusted? 

With the promise of security and redemption hanging overhead, Jack must uncover who orchestrated the assassination attempt before time runs out in this historical mystery, perfect for fans of Tasha Alexander.

What I loved about it: The representation of queerness and mental health in a historical novel is always a really interesting concept, but add layers of mystery and intrigue and any reader will be hooked!

Nonfiction

No Tea, No Shade by Kennedy Ann Scott; Alexis Michelle; Olivia Lux; Julie J; Lagoona Bloo; Nina West

Published: September 23, 2025

Back of book Description: Intimate, hilarious, and inspiring essays by celebrated drag queens Lagoona Bloo, Julie J., Olivia Lux, Alexis Michelle, Kennedy Ann Scott, and Nina West.

Kennedy Ann Scott was awarded Teacher of the Year in Nashville, Tennessee. Olivia Lux starred in Rent and Kinky Boots. Julie J raised more than $100,000 for trans and LGBTQIA+ organizations. Lagoona Bloo is currently starring on the Off-Broadway hit Drag: The Musical, and Alex Michaels received a stellar review from the New York Times for their role in La Cage Aux Folles at Barrington Stage Company. Nina West received an honorary doctorate in May 2024 and is a well-known entertainer, having worked with everyone from Glenn Close to Kermit the Frog.

When these gorgeous queens dress up in their stunning gowns with picture-perfect makeup, haters label them as inappropriate and unlawful. They are entertainers, not predators. Drag is an art of self-expression that, at its core, affirms and uplifts LGBTQIA+ people.

No Tea, No Shade is a collective anthem written by six drag queens who believe in equality, peace, and a world that loves and respects all people. The defiant legacy of drag will endure fearmongering and hate because their hearts have endured the unthinkable, their courage has been relentlessly tested, and to be blunt, they have the balls to prevail.

No Tea, No Shade features thirty essays written by six talented queens. They discuss:

• Social activism, Drag Story Hour, and education.
• Coming out, gender, and equality.
• Parenting, relationships, setting goals, and rejection.
• Celebrating womanhood, family, and image.

Despite the pervasive danger of being authentic and real, these drag artists have chosen to fight for LGBTQIA+ rights and not give up. They remind us—and others who will listen—that a person’s identity shouldn’t be marginalized to genitals. Identity categories are not as important as we have been led to believe. The shade cast on drag is just a scapegoat. It is a distraction that political figures and trolls use to lure people away from caring about serious issues like gun violence, poverty, and racism.

No Tea, No Shade shines a light on a community of people who are paving the way for a better world and holding the light for others to step up.

What I loved about it: While memoirs can be very powerful, the blending of multiple voices and the way the political, cultural, and personal are all blended in these essays makes it an incredibly powerful read for audiences of all walks of life.

When All the Men Wore Hats by Susan Cheever on the Stories of John Cheever

Published: October 28, 2025

Back of book Description: A sympathetic and illuminating account of the stories of John Cheever, and the intersecting life and work of the legendary writer John Cheever, as told by his eldest daughter.

The Stories of John Cheever, published in 1978, brought together some of the finest short fiction ever written. The collection was honored with the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and it would go on to sell millions of copies and to define the American short story and shape generations of writers. Cheever’s chronicles of modern life both emerged from a distinctly American culture and also created it―inspiring everything from “Mad Men” to a Raymond Carver story, from rock songs to a “Seinfeld” episode.

Growing up, Susan Cheever, John Cheever’s eldest child and only daughter, read what he read, heard what he heard, bantered and gossiped with him and her brothers and mother at the dinner table, and later watched her father type on the cheap yellow paper he favored. A daughter much like Susan appears in many of Cheever’s stories, and a family much like theirs is at the center of his writing.

In When All the Men Wore Hats, Susan Cheever looks back on her father’s work and seeks to understand the connections between art and life. How did a bit of local gossip, a slice of Greek myth, and a new translation of Madame Bovary somehow become a brilliant gem like “The Country Husband” or “The Swimmer”? In her 1984 book Home Before Dark, published two years after her father’s death, Cheever wrote movingly about her father and the secrets he kept, but here, years later, she tells the story of the remarkable stories themselves, six of which appear in full in the book’s appendix.

What I loved about it: One of the hardest aspects of writing about real people is figuring out the balance of showing the truth while protecting the person’s privacy. This novel takes an interesting approach by analyzing the writer and the way that his life played a role in his artistry and vice versa.

The Tragedy of True Crime by John J. Lennon

Published: September 23, 2025

Back of book Description: In 2001, John J. Lennon killed a man on a Brooklyn Street. Now he’s a journalist, working from behind bars, trying to make sense of it all.

The Tragedy of True Crime is a first-person journalistic account of the lives of four men who have killed, written by a man who has killed. Lennon entered the New York prison system with a sentence of 28 years to life, but after he stepped into a writing workshop at Attica Correctional Facility, his whole life changed. Reporting from the cell block and the prison yard, Lennon challenges our obsession with true crime by telling the full life stories of men now serving time for the lives they took.

These men have completely different backgrounds―Robert Chambers, a preppy Manhattanite turned true crime celebrity; Milton E. Jones, a 17-year-old coaxed from burglary into something far darker; and Michael Shane Hale, a gay man caught in a crime of passion―and all are searching to find meaning and redemption behind bars. Lennon’s reporting is intertwined with his own story, from a young man seduced by the infamous gangster culture of New York City to a celebrated prison journalist. The same desire echoes throughout the lives of these four men: to become more than murderers.

A first-of-its-kind book of immersive prison journalism, The Tragedy of True Crime poses fundamental questions about the stories we tell and who gets to tell them. What essential truth do we lose when we don’t consider all that comes before an act of unthinkable violence? And what happens to the convicted after the cell gate locks?

What I loved about it: Generally, with this kind of true crime, we’re getting the story from someone completely removed from the case or family and friends of the victims. The way that this book handles the genre from a different perspective makes it even more powerful for the reader and asks them to confront preconceived notions they might have had.

Romance

Daddy Issues by Kate Goldbeck

Published: November 18, 2025

Back of book Description: Sometimes love shows up where you least expect it—right next door.

At twenty-six, Sam Pulaski expected to be thriving in her academic career, living on her own in some exciting city. Expectations meet reality: She has massive student loan debt from studying art history, a dead-end service industry job, a situationship that’s equal parts intoxicating and toxic. And she’s been crashing in her mom’s condo—at least it’s not a basement?—for the last five years. If she can finally get accepted into a PhD program and get out of Ohio, the adult life that’s been on hold for half her twenties will finally begin.

Her mom’s new neighbor, Nick, is the ultimate grown-up. His adult life began the moment his nine-year-old daughter, Kira, was born. Her happiness is Nick’s only priority, especially in the wake of divorce. There’s nothing he won’t do for Kira, including giving up his globe-trotting career for something more stable . . . like managing a chain restaurant.

Sam has zero interest in an ultra-dependable guy pushing forty; frankly, she’s a little afraid of kids. But with just one thin wall separating the two condos, Nick proves difficult to avoid. His quiet confidence forces Sam to grapple with the other men in her life: her emotionally derelict friend-with-benefits and her actually derelict father. As her unexpected connection with Nick heats up (and steams up his minivan windows), Sam finds herself falling fast for a man whose life is steady and settled—while hers is anything but.

What I loved about it: Sam’s voice is punchy and real from the very get-go—if you’re looking for a book where a character feels like a real person, definitely pick up this book and study it!

The Princess and the P.I. by Nikki Payne

Published: September 16, 2025

Back of book Description: Fiona Addai is ready to set her plan in motion. To honor the anniversary of her brother’s death, she’s going to steal back his brilliant invention from the ruthless corporation that stole and claimed it as their own. As a famed Reddit detective known as @Princess_PI, Fiona has used her online connections and sleuthing skills to time every step down to the minute. But with one disastrous misstep, instead of getting justice, Fiona finds herself accused of murder.

Maurice Bennett is no stranger to insomnia. These days, he’s not losing sleep over the cases he’s solving—but running from the one he couldn’t. Instead, he’s been settling for small-time scandals that don’t stir up the guilt he’s buried. But when he spots Fiona Addai at the center of a murder investigation, something clicks. And for the first time in a long while, Maurice feels that old spark of intrigue.

However, Fiona is not the helpless damsel she appears to be. Sure, she needs Maurice’s help to clear her name, but she’s got conditions of her own: She wants a crash course in real-world detective work. Maurice isn’t exactly thrilled. With every late-night stakeout and tension-filled interrogation, their partnership, rife with tension and unexpected chemistry, unravels a dangerous web of corporate crime and familial secrets. To bring the real killer to light, they’ll need to trust each other, and that might be the most dangerous gamble of all.

What I loved about it: Romance is a genre where the forced proximity can sometimes be a stretch, but the entire romance depends on the characters spending time together. This book takes those old tropes and ideas and gives them a fresh, fun life—add in a murder mystery, and you got yourself a hook that will snag the reader and not let them go.

The post Some More Books to Look Forward to in 2025 appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, Scarlett discusses how her love of horror films helped inspire her YA horror novel, How to Survive a Horror Movie, the joy of finding a supportive book community, and more.

Name: Scarlett Dunmore
Literary agent: Silvia Molteni, PFD, London
Book title: How to Survive a Horror Movie
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Release date: September 9, 2025
Genre/category: Young adult
Elevator pitch: With a plot twist sure to make you SCREAM, this is a love letter to slasher films that will keep you guessing until the last page.

Bookshop | Amazon
[WD uses affiliate links.]

What prompted you to write this book?

I have always loved horror films; the thrill of a jump scare, the shocking plot twist, the unfolding of exposition as we piece the clues together to solve the mystery of who the killer is. This book is a homage to all the great horror films and horror movie directors, from Romero to Craven and Carpenter, and to all the film fans too.  

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

I started writing this novel during a COVID lockdown in the U.K., when the world became very quiet. As a former film student, I plotted the story using a three-act film structure, where I considered location, backdrop for key scenes, then scene order, etc., until I had my first full draft of the novel. Then came the tough part—editing! That took the longest time. Ideas didn’t really change but they did evolve and become more fleshed out, as did the characters. I originally had more murders but the cast became too big and overwhelmed the story, so I decided to pare back to maintain a tighter plot.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

Finding a supportive book community was a wonderful learning moment for me. I have met so many readers and writers along the way. And, I was surprised at how many horror film fans there are; in fact, there are a lot of us out there! And I loved getting to engage with these movie fans and readers at book events, and talk about our favorite horror movies or our favorite horror writers, or sometimes, even our favorite movie theater snacks! (It’s popcorn for me, by the way, with extra butter and Skittles mixed in.)

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

The plot twist at the end was very surprising for me. I hadn’t intended for that reveal but with every draft the story kept leading me back to that same moment, that same character, so I had to just go with it. Now I can’t imagine the ending going in a different direction. It’s funny when the story takes over like that.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I hope fellow film fans and horror readers like me get a fresh twist on a much-loved premise. I hope they get immersed in a story and in a character’s journey like I do when I pick up a book.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Don’t get caught up in the small details when it comes to your first draft. Let the story flow, follow your instincts and worry about editing later. Your first draft will be your messiest, but it will also be the truest and bravest version of your story.

The post Scarlett Dunmore: Your First Draft Will Be Your Messiest appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, Skyla discusses how she was able to navigate her personal grief while writing her new YA horror romance, House of Hearts, how she completed revisions on a 12-hour flight, and more.

Name: Skyla Arndt
Literary agent: Claire Friedman
Book title: House of Hearts
Publisher: Viking BFYR / Penguin Random House
Release date: Sept 2, 2025
Genre/category: YA Horror Romance
Previous titles: Together We Rot
Elevator pitch: A scholarship student infiltrates the secret society at her new boarding school to find clues about her friend’s death—only to fall down a rabbit hole of ghosts, curses, and deadly romance.

Bookshop | Amazon
[WD uses affiliate links.]

What prompted you to write this book?

I wanted an escape and House of Hearts was the perfect rabbit hole to fall into. Every time I sat down at the computer, reality would bleed away, and I’d be swept into a gothic, lush fairytale. I wanted a world I could get lost in—and that desire to escape only grew tenfold when grief struck in my personal life. At one point, if I wasn’t writing, the real world would close in and bury me alive. My own heart became entangled with my main character’s grief—we were both grieving and, with time, healing, too.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

“Second Book Syndrome” hit me like a truck (and then put the vehicle in reverse to finish the job). Fellow authors weren’t kidding when they said the second book is typically the hardest to write. I was recovering from the worst burnout of my life and suddenly struck with an insurmountable uphill battle: Write another book.

I wrote 20,000 words of one idea, scrapped it, wrote 20,000 words of that idea, scrapped it. Rinse and repeat, ad nauseam. For a horrifying moment, I considered the possibility that I’d never write another book again. Perhaps Together We Rot was it for me! This, of course, was the burnout talking, but at the time it felt awfully real. Part of this fear came from the sudden shift in attention: writing for myself versus writing for an audience. I had to come up with an idea that would not only fit my “author brand,” but also the demands of the current market. So much (entirely self-inflicted) pressure!

House of Hearts was born as a “secret project” I cradled close to my chest. The first draft was an utter mess—it was silly and self-indulgent and for my eyes only. I wrote purely for the joy of writing and crafted a world that I had fun diving into each day. (The first version even had vampires if you can believe it). It took two years of revision and research to finetune it into the book it is today! Despite all of its many changes, HoH has kept its heart from the very beginning … pun intended!

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

House of Hearts taught me how much I love the “research” portion of drafting. Together We Rot was set in a world so familiar to my own, so this was the first project where I genuinely had to research to do this story justice. I Googled rich boarding schools, explored local New England flora and fauna, and genuinely had an absolute blast the whole time.

Beyond learning how much I love Google deep dives, HoH also taught me what I’m personally capable of. Not only did I prove to myself that I can write a second book, but I also learned how to work under pressure. My deadline ended up colliding headfirst with an international trip—it would’ve been easy to push my book out another year, but I was determined to see it through! I completed a round of revision on a 12-hour flight and lived to tell the tale. (Thank you airplane wifi!)

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I definitely wasn’t expecting to be hit with grief halfway into revision. My cat, Pyro, was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of lymphoma shortly after I finished my first draft. It was very difficult to transition from writing with him on my lap to feeling his loss resonate through my home. I had no idea how I was going to write about love and loss when I was experiencing such fresh grief of my own. Despite having a writing extension for Pyro’s grief, I found myself inexplicably drawn back to the keyboard. What previously seemed impossible became therapeutic. I channeled so many feelings of loss and anger into this book that previously weren’t there.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

With a world that’s more terrifying and volatile than ever, I want to give readers a safe escape to retreat into. House of Hearts was my world for the last two years and I hope readers find the same comfort in its pages as I did.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

It’s easy to be your own worst critic. Try being your own cheerleader instead! You’ll hear one thousand nos in publishing, but you only need a couple yesses—and the first one should be from yourself. It’s so easy to be disheartened in this field; publishing is flooded with setbacks and rejections, but to keep pushing, you need to believe in yourself above all else. You can and you will.

The post Skyla Arndt: On Learning To Work Under Pressure appeared first on Writer's Digest.