Hi nerds,

I told you in our last post about our new e-commerce book shopping option, and with that comes discount codes! I am happy to revamp our paid member benefits.

At $5 a month at our Supporter level, you now will get 10% off on all in-store and online shopping, both on books and merch.

At $12 a month at our Sustaining Member level, you now will get 20% off on all in-store and online shopping, both on books and merch.

If you've been thinking about upgrading to paid, even at $5 a month, I hope this gives ya the nudge to do.

There are somehow 5,702 people subscribed to this newsletter. If even 100 of you subscribed at $5 a month, we'd be able to commit a meaningful chunk of change every month to donate to the causes we care about, expand our in-store programming, throw more free events while still paying our staff to work them, and provide our shop dog Maggie with unlimited treats.

At the end of the weekend, 9/20, I will be emailing out the new discount codes to all paid members at both tiers. Consider this a membership drive baby.

While I have you, I'd love to tell you about a very cool pre-order campaign we are participating in for Buzzard by Inez Ray. Not only should Buzzard being our book club pick for November be enough to get you to pre-order, but now the publisher is donating a portion of every pre-order we generate before 9/27 to a local reproductive rights organization, the Abortion Fund of Arizona. Order the book here for pickup or to be shipped to you if you're in the US.

That's it for me today! Love you! Mean it!

CJ

Welcome back to another author interview! Today I'm joined by indie author Tori Newton. She joins me today to chat about her two books Calling Eldritch Hayes and No One Lives In Alva Anymore.

1. I always use this first question as a freebie to introduce yourself. Tell us as little or as much as you would like.

    I'm Tori, a 37-year-old (38 come December!) indie author from South Carolina. I'm SC born and raised and love drawing inspiration from my home state for nearly all my projects. I primarily write Southern Gothic horror and paranormal thrillers. When I'm not writing, I'm usually watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Daredevil, or Sons of Anarchy. Or I'm bingeing something spooky. I have three cats: Abby, Bones, and Scout and a rough collie named Jamie. They keep me on my toes and constantly vacuuming. I actually have a degree in music from the University of South Carolina (go Cocks!), where I sang opera for four years. But my degree isn't entirely going to waste. I serve as the contemporary worship leader for my church, so I'm still very much involved in music. 

2. You are the author of two books, Calling Eldritch Hayes and No One Lives In Alva Anymore. Care to tell us about them?
    Calling Eldritch Hayes was my debut novel--a paranormal thriller about a recovering alcoholic who can see spirits (no pun intended). It stems from the old wives' tale that a baby born with a veil over its face (a thin layer of placenta that has to be removed) can see into the spirit world. My maternal great-grandfather was born with one, and I've heard many stories about his gift. But Eldritch Hayes despises his ability and does everything in his power to stay away from seeing beyond the natural world. Because he doesn't just see ghosts. Eldritch can see demons, and unfortunately, one rolls into town wrapped up in the meat suit of a local contractor and has its sights set on our boy. The book tackles subjects such as religious trauma, grief, and addiction, and it has a killer soundtrack. Because I love my readers, I included a QR code in the front of the book that takes you straight to the Spotify playlist. I originally released it in May of 2024 under "Tori Lewis," but after I went back to my maiden name, I released a revised second edition July 10th of 2026. The new edition is bigger and better than the original. The perks of being self published! 

     No One Lives in Alva Anymore might be the project I'm most proud of. I really fell in love with the characters in that story, and I've missed them every second of every day since the book's completion. It's a Southern Gothic werewolf thriller about a found family of misfits in Depression Era, rural South Carolina. It's gory, suspenseful, and waaaay more romantic than initially intended, but I've learned to just let the characters do their thing at this point. Alva delves into subjects like identity, grace, and the question of "where does man end and the monster begin?" Plus, it's loaded with a whole lotta sass, courtesy of 10-year-old Bea. Though originally published in October of 2025 under "Tori Lewis," the second edition of No One Lives in Alva Anymore was rereleased under my maiden name July 10, 2026 as well. 

3. Was one harder to write than the other?

     They're both so different, but I think Alva was more challenging. There are a lot of moving parts in that book that have to line up perfectly, and since it's a period piece, a lot of research was required. Then there was that whole thing where I couldn't stop crying as I wrote the last several chapters. 

 

4. Are you working on any projects currently?

     I just started drafting my third book--working title: Ashes for Abel. It's a Faustian tale about a '90s/'00s alt rock band named (you guessed it!) Ashes for Abel. They made a deal to get to the top, skyrocketed to fame, then fell apart. But now, since '90s/y2k nostalgia is all the rage, they get pressured into reuniting for a brand-new album and a reunion tour. I'm sure it'll work out fine for them. Just as long as the entity they made the deal with doesn't decide to reappear and collect his due in the most horrific ways possible... But yeah, I'm sure it'll be fine.

     I'm also participating in a horror anthology called The Lantern Keepers: 13 Voices of Contemporary Horror. It releases November 10 and all proceeds will go to the ASPCA. 

5. In each book, which character did you resonate with the most?
    When it comes to Calling Eldritch Hayes, I'm Eldritch all the way. I actually used his story to work through some religious trauma and church hurt I experienced as a teenager and young adult. I put him through the ringer because I felt like the same had been done to me when I was younger. Eldritch helped heal some major mental and emotional wounds, and he'll always be a huge part of who I am. 

    As far as Alva goes... I am Lorabelle. And I mean that in the sense that I literally inserted my whole self into that character. If I was balancing illegal wine-making, raising a feisty, ten-year-old smart aleck, and dealing with my love interest's peculiar, monthly malady, I'd probably handle it about as well as she does. I'll leave it to the reader to decide if that's a good thing or not. 

6. Do you have any routines or rituals that help you write?
    If I'm writing in the morning, I gotta have a cup of coffee. In the evening? A glass of red wine. I honestly don't have much in the way of a routine or ritual. If I can get the doc open, I'm doing great. 

7. What have you reading lately?
    I've actually been reading a lot of non-fiction. I've been diving into one of Billy Graham's books on angels for research purposes, which has been fascinating, and I have two books on the crusades waiting in the bull pen. Since spooky season has arrived, I'll be starting my annual Dracula reading soon. 

8. Any upcoming horror books you're excited about?
    The Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong sounds like it's gonna be a wild ride; and since I'm all about terrifying Appalachia, When the Night Comes Knocking by Katherine Daniel.

9. Have you watched any good spooky shows or movies lately?

    I've mostly been watching a lot of true crime docs and shows about real-life hauntings, so nothing terribly new. I've started watching my usual countdown-to-Halloween flicks, such as 2010's The Wolfman (which critics apparently hated--a fact that fills me with rage), Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow, Halloween (1978), etc. But right now, I'm juggling those with yet another Sons of Anarchy rewatch. 

10. Any underrated authors/books you would love to give a shout out to?

     As far as horror goes, I recommend Abby I. Draper's upcoming release, Red Remains--a chilling novelette which mixes poetry with prose and such a beautiful way. I had the pleasure of being an ARC reader for this one, and it's spectacular. Here's the blurb: "The girl loves her twin brother--everyone does--but is it too much to ask for some focused attention? When a ghost-like creature brings the girl a gift on her fourteenth birthday, she doesn't care how alarming it is because it's all for her. But as the ghost learns to communicate, he demands more from the girl until he is all she knows...until everyone she loves vanishes and only red remains."

You can follow Tori on Instagram here and visit her website here.