I know I fell off the face of the earth in April, but it was for good reason. I exhibited at BookCon last month (with my husband) for the first time since they shut their doors in 2020, and let me tell you, it was a TIME. I sold out of my newest release, ALL WE KEEP HIDDEN, before noon on the second day, which was absolutely phenomenal. My husband and I arrived a day early for registration and check-in, which allowed for some much-deserved "couple time" in Central Park. We definitely did this trip justice with first class flights, upscale dinners every night, and Uber Black transportation ,which might seem over the top to some, however, this was our first trip away together in THREE YEARS. It was also our first overnight trip away from the babies. So yeah, go big or go home.

Between BookCon, my birthday, Mother's Day, teacher appreciation week, and all of the end-of-year celebrations for school, I feel like I haven't been able to come up for air. Needless to say, I haven't quite finished our April Book Club read, but I am 70% of the way through and definitely plan to finish it before the end of this month so we can start fresh with a new indie book come June! I know our first Book Club read was fantasy and we're reading a thriller right now, so I'm kind of thinking to kick off summer, we could find a cozy mystery or cozy contemporary romance. If you have any indie recommendations in either of these categories, let me know!

Special thanks to R A Moreau for the advance reader copy! Here is my genuine review:

6 stars. I absolutely enjoyed this book!

You know when people say it had them “giggling and kickin’ their heels”? Well, that doesn’t happen for me often. Like RARELY. There I was gasping, laughing, swooning, AND kicking my heels while reading this book. 

Iris Ashbourne and Elliot Cross (the two main characters) were so well written. I could feel their relationship build throughout the story, and it just made every dialogue, scene, and detail feel intentional. These are two “monsters” who come together to ensure everything doesn’t fall apart while keeping their own secrets.

This adult paranormal romance is set at a university, and I devoured it. I loved it. This is the beginning of an interconnected standalone series, and I cannot wait to continue the journey.

Welcome back to another author interview! Today I'm joined by author Mikayla Randolph as we talk about her debut novel, Not Your Final Girl.

1. I always use this first question as a chance for you to introduce yourself. Say as much or as little as you want.

Hello! I’m an author based out of California who writes horror, fantasy, and thrillers. My favorite stories blend genres, invert tropes, and feature complicated characters, all while being a bloody good time. Beyond writing, I love adding too many books to my TBR pile, reading while cuddling with my dogs, and waffling between wanting to travel the world and wanting to never leave the house. 

2. Your debut book Not Your Final Girl released May 5th. How have you been feeling? Excited? Overwhelmed? Everything in between?

Yes! Absolutely everything, and it changes by the second. I’m frazzled, but mostly I’m feeling incredibly grateful. It’s a lifelong dream coming true, and I’m blown away by the support I’ve received. Close friends, family, former teachers, authors I've never even met, and so many members of the horror community, like you, have been so kind. The generosity and camaraderie have been astounding, and I appreciate it all so much.

3. What made you choose a slasher for your debut novel?

A slasher has been on my bucket list for a long time. My first stab at it was in college, and I think it frightened my poor roommate, who was not a horror fan. Since then, I’ve written a few other novels, from a post-apocalyptic story to a western, but once this idea clicked, there was no turning back. It was such a smooth writing process, too; it bled right out of me. 

4. Any specific films or media that helped influence your novel?

There were so many influences, and most don't seem like they belong together. Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’urbervilles was a primary inspiration, with this being a partial retelling. Beyond that, Scream, Heathers, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, and Men, Women, and Chainsaws by Carol J. Clover. Plus every slasher novel, movie, show, or game that I’ve enjoyed since I was far too young for them to be appropriate. 

5. What was your favorite scene to write? The hardest? 

Oh, that is difficult to answer and remain spoiler-free! For my favorite, I’ll say there is a scene with a shed, a wheelbarrow, and a surprise that was a lot of fun to write. The hardest was most likely the opening pages because I wanted to immerse the readers in that epic Final Girl climactic moment while introducing new characters.

6. Who was your favorite character to get inside the mind of? 

I loved them all, and bouncing between them was such a fun experience. It felt like I got to write five books in one! If I had to choose, I'd say Ashley because she challenged me the most. She is so confident and unrelenting that writing her perspective made me question how I phrase things and second-guess myself. I hope a bit of her spirit has stuck with me.  

7. Are you currently working on any other projects at the moment? If so, can you drop us any hints?

I’m currently querying my next novel, which I think of as a witchy X-Men horror noir. I'm also revising an "Eat the Rich" haunted house novella. 

8. Tell us what you've been reading lately? Your favorite 2026 book? What books are on your backlist?

I finally caught up on Something is Killing the Children and am enjoying Look What You Made Me Do, the Taylor Swift inspired horror anthology from Sobelo Books. My favorite book thus far is probably King Sorrow by Joe Hill. Sadly, I have far too many on my backlist, like Little Eve by Catriona Ward, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, and Writhe by Abby Vail. I'm a terribly slow reader and can't seem to stop buying more books. But I refuse to feel bad about it because even if I can never read them all, they look pretty on my shelf, and I’m supporting those authors and publishers. 

9. What books are you looking forward to releasing this year? How about movies?

I’m so excited for Worry Box by Chris Panatier, Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle, and, of course, Kiss Slay Replay from Rachel Harrison, who is an autobuy author for me. Movie wise my most anticipated was Ready or Not 2 and I loved it! I’m also looking forward to Supergirl though Woman of Tomorrow wrecked me at times. 

10. Did you have a playlist that you listened to when writing your book?

Yes, and I have a Spotify playlist available for it here. In particular, Chvrches’ Screen Violence album features a lot. 

Thank you again, Mikayla, for allowing me to do this interview! You can follow Mikayla on Instagram at mik_randolph.

This week has been a productive one, and it's really exciting to see the progress I've made on Death by TBR Books Press. The updated version of Small Town Slasher has been formatted. I will do one more pass on it before the publication date, but ePubs are now being sent out! One benefit of the FIRST VICTIM TIER (or higher) is digital ARCs! So if you sign up for it, you can receive an eARC of both Small Town Slasher and Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night: Another Halloween Horror Anthology. If you are already a member, just message or email me and I'll send it over.

If you haven't heard, the third Twisted Tales is Yuletide Horror, and after making some changes and receiving more support, I was able to move the release date back to THIS November. That means the next anthology will have an open call, most likely this summer. I'll be sending out a separate email over the next few weeks asking FIRST VICTIM TIER (and higher) what subject they would be excited to see as an anthology. One of the perks of being part of a paid tier is being involved in publishing decisions. Vampires? Werewolves? Witches? Liminal Spaces? Slashers? There are so many options and ideas I have and I don't want to release one in an area that has already had an anthology recently.

In between doing all of that I did find time to read and watch things.

BOOKS I update my Storygraph (deathbytbrbooks more than my GR Stephanie Rose)
The Dorians by Nick Cutter
Molka by Monika Kim
The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White

All of these kept me engaged in the story and that's the biggest trouble I have when reading.

Currently reading: Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle and Tea You at the Altar by Rebecca Thorne

Next Up - I received an uncorrected bound manuscript of The Secret Lives of Zombie Wives by Barbara Truelove and I cannot WAIT to start it this weekend!

SHOWS
NEW
24 in 24 Love cooking shows
Widows Bay Fun and hilarious. Cozy horror.
Euphoria I do NOT love this season but I have to finish it.

FILMS - I'm on LetterBoxd - horrormaven13
Faces of Death First horror film I've seen this year that I lived up to the hype.
Project Hail Mary Amaze amaze amaze!

Rewatches that I'm enjoying as I pretend to live in the late 90s/early 00s.
Daria
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The X-Files
Law and Order: SVU
The Hills

That's all for this week! I hope you get some time to read and watch and relax. Oh and I started a new Instagram for my personal nerdom. If you're interested my handle is: stephanieisspooky

xoxo

Spooky Girl

Hi!

I know just last month I switched our requests over to Bindery's Request a Rec feature...but it's still in Beta and I'm not a huge fan of how it functions yet so I am switching us back over to Google Forms. However, instead of sending out one form for two requests each month, I will have this one standing form that you can find HERE or in the #book-rec-requests channel over on Discord. You can fill this form out whenever you want, no deadlines, and expect a response within one week. You can fill it out as frequently (or infrequently) as you desire, though I can't guarantee I will be able to respond to more than two requests per month.

I should have gotten to everyone's requests from April by now, but if I haven't please either drop a comment here or reach out over on Discord and let me know so that I can get your recs to you ASAP!

Hi! Happy Friday to those who celebrate. (This is my long weekend to work, so I am typing this from my desk.)

With some recent answers in the poll (see previous post - it’s still live for voting), it appears as if y’all want a quarterly book club - to which I can make happen. I know we’re a month and a half into Q2, so I have chosen a small book in length but rich in history and importance:

Our inaugural Not A Phase Books Quarter 2 book club pick will be Merle Miller’s On Being Different: What It Means To Be A Homosexual; originally published in 1971 as an essay in The New York Times in defense of an article by Joseph Epstein condemning homosexuals written for Harper's Magazine.

In a time where being part of the LGBTQIA+ community is dangerous, I felt compelled to recall this book and how, in a period where The Stonewall Riots were happening on the cusp of The Civil Rights Movement, changes were happening, people were speaking out and speaking up, and fighting for our very rights that are being stripped away today that they fought so hard to receive.

I'd love for you to join me on Discord to discuss this book further. We will go in depth from the two articles that started it all, to what it means to be part of a growing queer community in 2026 and beyond.

I look forward to seeing you all over there.

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

I absolutely love reading Indian fantasy books, particularly when they’re written by Indian authors who portray our culture with the love and care it deserves.

Here are five of my favorite Indian fantasy books of all time and their synopses!

1) Burn the Sea by Mona Tewari

Abbakka Chowta never expected to be queen. The youngest of Ullal’s two rajkumaris, Abbakka has spent years in rigorous combat training to become her sister’s blade. But when the monstrous Porcugi attempt to lay claim to Ullal, Abbakka’s world―and fate―are upended.

The Porcugi―giant half-men, half-snakes who attack from the sea―haven’t been seen in Ullal since their failed invasion more than fifty years ago. But now, they’re back with vengeance and a choice: pay their tithes or suffer total devastation. Soon, Abbakka’s definitions of strength, subterfuge, and statecraft are put to the test. Will marriage to a neighboring king give her the resources she needs to protect her people . . . or will she watch her homeland be crushed beneath the waves of would-be colonizers?

A lush historical fantasy that reimagines the Portuguese attacks on South India in the 1500s and the fierce real-life queen’s story, Burn the Sea is an electrifying exaltation of female power and the value of freedom.

2) To Bargain with Mortals by R.A. Basu

In the colonized nation of Viryana, Poppy Sutherland lives between cultures. As the brown-skinned adopted daughter of the Viceroy, she is both rejected by white high society and alienated from the people of her native island. When she discovers her opportunistic fiancé’s plot to exile her, Poppy flees—straight into the clutches of the Jackal. 

Hasan Devar, the ruthless criminal known as the Jackal, has long been targeted for his family’s divine magic, a gift the colonizers have tried to stamp out. When his brother is arrested, he seizes Poppy as leverage. But Poppy has powerful secrets—and political ambitions—of her own. As allies, they could do more than just free Hasan’s brother and keep Poppy safe. They could topple the very power structures that hold them all back. 

The first book in the Reckoning Storm duology, To Bargain with Mortals is a stunning reflection on politics and purpose, blood and allegiance—and what we do with the histories we inherit. 

3) The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma

The Ravani kingdom was born of a prophecy, carved from unforgiving desert sands and ruled by the Ravence bloodline: those with the power to command the Eternal Fire.

Elena Aadya is the heir to the throne—and the only Ravence who cannot wield her family’s legendary magic. As her coronation approaches, she will do whatever it takes to prove herself a worthy successor to her revered father. But she doesn’t anticipate the arrival of Yassen Knight, the notorious assassin who now claims fealty to the throne. Elena’s father might trust Yassen to be a member of her royal guard, but she is certain he is hiding something.

4) Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel

A mother and a son. A goddess and a prince. A curse and an oath. A river whose course will change the fate of the world.

Ganga, joyful goddess of the river, serves as caretaker to the mischievous godlings who roam her banks. But when their antics incur the wrath of a powerful sage, Ganga is cursed to become mortal, bound to her human form until she fulfills the obligations of the curse.

Though she knows nothing of mortal life, Ganga weds King Shantanu and becomes a queen, determined to regain her freedom no matter the cost. But in a cruel turn of fate, just as she is freed of her binding, she is forced to leave her infant son behind.

Her son, prince Devavrata, unwittingly carries the legacy of Ganga’s curse. And when he makes an oath that he will never claim his father’s throne, he sets in motion a chain of events that will end in a terrible and tragic war.

As the years unfold, Ganga and Devavrata are drawn together again and again, each confluence another step on a path that has been written in the stars, in this deeply moving and masterful tale of duty, destiny, and the unwavering bond between mother and son.

5) The Legend of Meneka by Kritika H. Rao

Across the mortal and immortal realms, celestial dancers known as apsaras are revered for their beauty, allure, and enchanting magic. But Meneka knows that is not all they are. Trained as a weapon—a warrior—Meneka despises leaving each of her marks in thrall to her potent illusions. With every seduction Lord Indra, king of heaven, demands of her for his political gain, she craves her freedom more and more.

When a mortal sage’s growing powers threaten Indra’s supremacy in his own realm, Meneka seizes a rare opportunity. She strikes a deal—if she can seduce this dangerous man, Indra will allow her to forgo future missions. But upon meeting the sage, Kaushika, Meneka finds herself captivated by his energy, ignited by his empathy and passion, even though he threatens everything she’s ever known. Can she overthrow the man who is—little by little—stealing her heart, or is Kaushika seducing her instead? As war looms in the skies, Meneka must choose between her duty to protect her home, and the sage who is showing her what true love can mean.

Romantic, spellbinding, and empowering, The Legend of Meneka breathes new life into Hindu mythology to weave a lustrous tale of a woman discovering the cosmic power within herself. This first book in the Divine Dancers duology is a completely unputdownable adventure for lovers of romantasy and myth retellings.

Welcome to a new segment of my Bindery! Case Files will cover my weekly reading updates: finished books, current reads, and even book mail.

For now, consider this a beta newsletter—I’m going to see how it works with my content schedule before I fully commit. But I’m hoping it sticks, because I would love to refresh my Bindery with some exclusive content for Book Snoops and Novel Sleuths.

Psst, this was also a Cluesletter week! ICYMI, here’s a link.

This week’s reads:

• The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego (finished): I love an ambitious mystery and this one about a tour group stuck in a famous—and potentially haunted—labyrinthine library is as ambitious as they come. While slightly over-complicated, this was highly entertaining, and wonderful for fans of old books and dark curses.

• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (currently reading): Better late than never, right? I’m not a huge fan of domestic suspense, but I felt an obligation to try the book that more or less defined the genre, at least in this century. I’m enjoying the audio so far.

• The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley (currently reading): Just barely started this one, but I do love a public domain classic crime novel with a well-rounded, refined cast of characters. I also somehow forgot that Berkeley also wrote The Wintringham Mystery (1927), which I enjoyed, so it’s fun to return to his witty writing style.

• Murder Most Delicious by Danielle Postel-Vinay (currently reading): Also just barely started this one, but I so love a Parisian setting! And the premise of this one—of a sommelier who lost her sense of taste after COVID—is quite special.

This week’s book mail:

• The Inklings Detective Agency by John R. Kelly (out now!): In 1936 Oxford, England, literary greats including J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis team up with Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers to unravel a mystery. Yes to all of this. Yes, please.

• You’ll Be Sorry by Lisa Gardner (out Aug 4): A standalone thriller from an author I’ve always wanted to try! An abandoned lodge in a small mountain town? Sign me up.

• Beyond Honor by K.B. Brodsky (out Sep 1): A political thriller involving a paramilitary operative, a CIA analyst, and a Russian agent. First in a new series!

• Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley (out Sep 22): One of my most highly anticipated releases of the year! The first Miss Marple outing since 1976. Filling Agatha Christie’s shoes is no easy task, and I’m looking forward to seeing Foley’s take on our favorite older sleuth.

Yours mysteriously,

Manon

happy friday, friends!

I've been incredibly busy finishing final projects for school, but I'm still reading!

I've started All My Rage, leaning into an immersive read as I want to annotate as I'm reading, and I'm drawn into the story told from multiple POVs. If you aren't following along, make sure you check in for updates and to join the discussion!

I've also started Judge Stone on audio, and am loving Viola Davis as the narrator!

What are you all reading this weekend?

Vote for one of the books Will reads in June....

LINK TO JOIN FOR MAY 21st at 7pm EDT

Join our Inky Phoenix Book Club discussion of WAYWARD SOULS w/ Susan J. Morris popping in to answer questions on the last half!

Here are some of my thoughts on Chapters 10-14 (p. 165-241) of The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan.

This section feels weaker to me. I don't fully understand the inclusion of the interactions with the fathers and what it adds. Still, let's review the themes I've noticed.

Us vs. Them

I feel like the interactions with Tucker provide some clarity here. In a way, he sets himself apart from the other parents through his "wokeness" and they seem differently because he makes these distinctions.

The Expectations on Mothers

It made me so angry when it's brought up that a mother should have all their needs fulfilled through being a mother. Of course it's not true, but I've also never met a mother who didn't feel guilt when they had needs that weren't met through motherhood, as we should be ashamed to be full people. Perhaps this isn't as overt in our society as in the book's but it's definitely there.

Misogyny in a Patriarchal Society

I think this is most emphasized in the differences between the fathers' and mothers' training, down to the fathers not having to claim to be narcissists.

Additionally, we see Frida come to terms with the way Harriet will be seen by men as she grows up. And of course, there's the lesbophobia...can't have women being fulfilled apart from men and motherhood!

Additional Questions for Discussion

Did the fathers section make more sense to you than it did to me? I'm hoping someone can help me understand why it was included.

Note - contains image of NSFW book art.

me when I finally read my entire TBR:

I am a mood reader, which means I have trouble sticking to my TBR list. As much as I want to pick up random titles from my bookshelf and just dive in, I must stick to a reading schedule so that the Rebel Ever After podcast remains diverse, fresh and reflective of the genre's breadth.

So here's my best stab at an accountability measure! These are the books I want to read by the end of June. Half are by authors I already know and love, like Alicia Thompson and Emma R. Alban, while half are new to me.

I would love to know what you're vibing with lately. What should I add to my TBR?