I'm bringing author interviews back on Bindery! Today I'm joined by the amazing Annie Neugebauer. Neugebauer is the author of several horror books that we will be talking about today!

I have read both The Extra and The Other and loved them! I will definitely be checking out You Have To Let Them Bleed.

Let's Dive into the interview!

1. I love to use this first question as an introduction. Feel free to tell us as much or as little as you want about yourself!

Hi! Right now most people know me as the author of The Extra, a novella from Shortwave that has expanded into The Outsiders Sequence, a shared-universe sequence of novellas consisting of The Extra, The Other (this June), and The Spare (next March). I’m also the author of You Have to Let Them Bleed, a short story collection that’s out now. I’m also a poet, blogger, and novelist.

2.When did you first start writing? Was it always horror or did you write genres as well?

I’ve always been writing, even as a young child, but I began pursuing it seriously when I graduated from college in 2007. I’ve written many novels, but I’ve built my way toward publication with poems and short stories. I love writing in many genres, but I’d say horror is my home base. I’ve been drawn to the dark side for as long as I can remember.

3. @blankets_books from instagram/bindery would like to know What was your inspiration behind The Extra? Any books or media that helped influence the book?

 The Extra wasn’t directly influenced by any other media, believe it or not. I had not yet even seen The Thing, its most common comparison. (I have now; it’s stellar!) The idea of an extra person came to me organically, and the protagonist and situation were inspired by my husband’s former job.

4.Do you go camping and hiking? If so, what has been your favorite trail/campground?

I love camping and hiking! I’m never happier than when I’m outside somewhere beautiful. Camping in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado is by far my favorite area to return to. I’ve also had beautiful experiences in Austria, Hawaii, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Minnesota. One of my most memorable hikes was the Glacier Gorge trail (9 miles) in the Rocky Mountain National Park.

5. You also have a short story collection called You Have to Let Them Bleed that released in March. Care to tell us a little more about that one? Do you have a favorite story from it?

You Have to Let Them Bleed brings together some of my most successful short fiction from almost two decades of publishing stories. It’s framed by a “collector” who’s gathering shadowlings and sorting them by color. Probably the most well-known story is “So Sings the Siren.” I don’t have a favorite per say, but I’m really proud of and excited about the original in the collection, “The Baby.” It’s just wackadoo in the best way. Folks are loving it.

6. What can you tell us about The Spare (releasing 3/9/27), the third book in The Outsiders Sequence? 

The Spare takes place in the Texas Panhandle at a family camping reunion. As with each of these novellas, the less you know about it going in, the more enjoyable the actual read is. I will say that it, like The Other, is not a direct continuation of storyline and characters from the first two books, but it does bring in elements from each in a way that makes them all most satisfying when read in order. It shares the same tense vibes and unsettling concepts as the first two.

7. Do you have any writing routines or rituals that help you write?

I wish! I prefer to write at home in a quiet setting, no music or background noise, with my computer setup that includes a special mouse that helps my wrists/shoulder. Other than that, I write when I can through the hecticness of parenting and working. Weekends, evenings, mini-trips, nap times, days off, whatever I can pack in.

8.What have been your top three 2026 horror releases? Movies?

 I don’t know that I’ve read any 2026 releases so far this year. I’m a backlist reader for sure. My most recent favorites are all at least from last year: The God of the Woods by Liz Moore, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, and Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker. Movies are the same way. Recent favorites were Sinners and Weapons.

9. What are a few of your favorite backlist horror books?

 Kind of working my way back from when I read them: Nestlings by Nat Cassidy, We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer, Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman, the whole Cal Hooper trilogy by Tana French, The Reformatory by Tananarive Due, Mister Magic by Kiersten White, and then I get so far back everyone probably knows them all. (At this phase in my life, the only time I’m on top of a trend is if I’m lucky enough to set one.)

10. Any upcoming horror books you're excited about? Movies?

 I love Paul Tremblay and hate A.I., so I’m really looking forward to Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep, and Rachel Harrison’s Kiss Slay Replay sounds super fun. I’m even further behind the curve on movies than I am on books, so I usually wait until something is so good that my close friends literally force me to watch it. (It’s not cool, but it’s a pretty effective screening process.) I’m cautiously optimistic about two of my favorite scary books being adapted for film: Josh Malerman's Incidents Around the House and Paul Tremblay's A Head Full of Ghosts. I have that book-lover’s fear of a movie not doing my mind’s vision of a beloved book justice.

Use the space below to add in anything else you'd like to say! 

I have a couple of really big pieces of news coming any day now, so be sure to follow me online @AnnieNeugebauer and subscribe to my blog newsletter here https://annieneugebauer.com/subscribe/ to get the good stuff. :)

Special thanks again to Annie Neugebauer for the opportunity to interview her! All books mentioned here can be found below. If you have not read any of Annie's works, be sure to pick up The Extra (out now) and pre-order The Other (June).

Your Curated Guide to Next Month’s Must-Reads!

Prepare your shelves! May 2026 is shaping up to be a monumental month for readers, featuring the highly anticipated return of Kathryn Stockett, a new interstellar mission for Murderbot, and a chilling survival thriller from Nora Roberts. From the rainy coast of Tofino to the ghost-infested slums of Hong Kong, next month's lineup offers an escape for every type of bibliophile.

Tip: Many of these titles are released in a stunning Deluxe Limited Editions featuring stenciled edges, foil stamping, and exclusive artwork. These versions are often restricted to first print runs, so pre-ordering is essential to secure your copy!

🖱️Tap the link to visit our complete May Pre-Order Masterlist on Bookshop https://tinyurl.com/4kdh329w 

Disclosure: If you buy books linked to our site, we may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookshops.

or Amazon https://tinyurl.com/2rspu4ax 

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. 

🗓️Releasing May 5, 2026: The Super Tuesday of Books

• The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett: A triumphant return from the author of The Help, following three underestimated women in 1933 Mississippi who hatch an audacious plan to reclaim their lives.

• Platform Decay by Martha Wells: The eighth installment of the Murderbot Diaries finds our favorite SecUnit volunteering for a rescue mission that requires ugh extended eye contact with humans.

• Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel: At seventy-seven, Pepper Mills is adjusting to a retirement community in Austin when she receives shocking news: she’s pregnant.

• Five by Ilona Bannister: A high-concept mystery centered on five strangers waiting for a London train; the reader knows one will die in five minutes and must decide who deserves to live.

• Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister: A UK mother’s Texas vacation turns into a nightmare when her daughter is kidnapped, and the ransom demand is not money, but an unthinkable act.

• Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune: After being dumped the morning of her wedding, Frankie agrees to go on her honeymoon to the rainforests of Tofino with her lifelong best friend, George.

• The Parisian Chapter by Janet Skeslien Charles: In 1995 Paris, a young novelist working at the American Library discovers a box of archives that may link back to heroic WWII librarians.

Also Releasing May 5:

• A Little Bit Bad by Cassandra Neyenesch (Mystery)

• A Zoom with a View by Jess Cannon (Mystery/Romance)

• The Daisy Chain Flower Shop by Laurie Gilmore (Romance)

• The Girl with a Thousand Faces by Sunyi Dean (Fantasy/Horror)

• Verity Guild Deluxe Edition by Mai Corland (Fantasy/Mystery)

• The Undergrads: Student Union Deluxe Edition by Julie Murphy (Romance/Humor)

🗓️ Releasing May 12, 2026

• The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny: An international thriller reaching from Tiananmen Square to the White House, where a mother and daughter must decode an ancient secret language to prevent global catastrophe.

• The Forgotten Midwife by Laura Anthony: A dual-timeline story connecting a woman in 2023 New Jersey to a 1954 Irish convent for fallen girls.

• Seek the Traitor's Son Deluxe Edition by Veronica Roth: A fantasy epic where a soldier and a ruthless general are bound by a prophecy that will leave only one of them standing.

• Deathbringer Deluxe Edition by Sonia Tagliareni: A death mage seeking the truth about her sister’s death at a magical institute forms an uneasy alliance with a poison mage.

Also Releasing May 12:

• First and Forever by Lynn Painter (Romance)

• Hart's Landing Deluxe Edition by Melanie Harlow (Romance)

• Broken Dove by Dani Francis (Romance/Sci-Fi)

• The Bone Door Deluxe Edition by Frances White (Fantasy/Horror)

🗓️ Releasing May 19, 2026

• Take Me with You by Steven Rowley: A college professor’s life is upended when his husband of thirty years steps into a strange beam of light in their backyard and disappears.

• An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong: Modern homicide detective Mallory Mitchell, still living in Victorian Scotland, is summoned to a seance to investigate a ghost's murder.

• The Shippers Deluxe Edition by Katherine Center: A witty romance set on a cruise ship where childhood best friends team up for fake flirting that turns dangerously real.

• All Us Saints by Katherine Packert Burke: A literary family drama following the St. Cloud family as they reenact a traumatic family tragedy on its 19th anniversary.

Also Releasing May 19:

• Mortedant's Peril by RJ Barker (Fantasy/Mystery)

• The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh (Popular Fiction/Mystery)

• Murder at the Hotel Orient by Alessandra Ranelli (Mystery)

• The Hope Keeper by Heather Webb (Historical Fiction)

• Forty Love by Jane Costello (Romance)

• Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow (Fantasy/Romance)

• Startup Hell by Caitlin Rozakis (Fantasy/Humor)

• The Kings' List Deluxe Edition by Jade Presley (Fantasy)

🗓️ Releasing May 26, 2026

• The Final Target by Nora Roberts: An author moves to a tiny Oregon town to escape a harrowing assault, but her fixated stalker believes it is his job to protect her.

• The Divorce by Freida McFadden: After a brutal split, Naomi becomes obsessed with her husband’s new girlfriend, leading her toward a dark and dangerous discovery.

• The Martian Deluxe Edition by Andy Weir: A special anniversary hardcover of the bestseller, featuring sprayed edges and new illustrated endpapers.

• A Curse of Beasts and Magic Deluxe Edition by Jeaniene Frost: A woman hiding a Beast inside her must ally with the Warden of mythic gateways to stop a sinister plot.

Also Releasing May 26:

• Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan (Romance)

• A Queen Crowned in Flames by Hazel McBride (Fantasy)

• The Rainshadow Orphans by Naomi Ishiguro (Fantasy/Sci-Fi)

• Wings of Life Deluxe Edition by Meghan Le Fay (Fantasy/Romance)

• Bone of My Bone Deluxe Edition by Johanna Van Veen (Horror/Fantasy) 

❓️Which of these May releases is at the top of your TBR pile? Let us know in the comments!

Hello, everyone!

I have a few questions for you.

1. Would you like to see book reviews on this feed?

2. How often would you like to see updates? I'll post a poll below!

Thank you for your valued input!

Till next time!

P.S. Ryn is currently reading an ARC of Kiss Slay Replay by Rachel Harrison...what are you reading?

Now for the discussion of the third section of Good People by Patmeena Sabit (In the Garden and A Witness from Every Nation, pages 193-249). A quicker section, but what a place to stop! Not as hard for me as this is my 2nd read, but if it was my first read I don't think I could stop here.

I'll admit, I felt a little jealous by the community around the Sharaf family in the immediate aftermath and thought it was quite the contrast to the other neighbors, being afraid of stepping in in any way.

Some additional questions for discussion:

• Were you expecting Zorah's death?

• What are the lessons that can be learned from the Afghani community?

• What stood out in the comparison and contrast the Afghani immigrant and American responses to these events?

March was a rewarding month for reading! I finished six books by and about Black and South Asian folks. Here's what I read and my thoughts:

Looking For Love In All The Haunted Places by Claire Kann

• Black Asexual• Paranormal Romance •

Looking for Love in All The Haunted Places is about a woman named Lucky Hart who has an affinity for the supernatural but most people don’t believe her. That is, until she hears about a production company struggling to keep actors in a show that takes place in a notoriously creepy, sentient Victorian named Hennessee House.

This is Lucky’s chance to conduct the type of investigations she’s been dreaming of! It just so happens that this opportunity leads to an instant connection w/ Maverick Phillips, the show-maker whose voice soothes Lucky every time she listens to his podcast. Despite this easy connection between them & exciting experiences w/ Hennessee House, Lucky realizes that she might have to fully open up in order to win over both.

I’m in love with this book! It’s mysterious, cozy, whimsical, complicated, & deep. Lucky is hilarious & self-assured. Her approach to exploring this creepy house is what makes this story so cozy. I also love Maverick because he’s attentive, emotionally honest, & values open communication. This story is addictive!

Stuck In The Country With You by Zuri Day

• Black Contemporary Romance •

Stuck In The Country With You is a cute & sexy love story about second chances & growth.

When her great uncle passes away, Genesis returns to her hometown & finds out she inherited his farm. His sons are pissed, but their father made it clear he wanted Genesis to have it. While dealing w/ this complicated family drama, Genesis realizesthat her former fling lives next door. It’s not exactly a happy reunion when she sees Jaxson again, speaking w/ her uncles but she can’t deny the attraction that still simmers within her.

I kind of liked the messiness of Genesis & Jax’s story & their chemistry was good. I appreciate the way Jax carried himself, too. I also felt like the storyline was realistic. It made sense that her great uncle would bequeath her the farm since she was the one to spend the most time w/ him. I just wish there was more clarity on what the solicitor meant by the notion that he had to guard against the sons. The pace was a little awkward toward the end & the very last word seemed out of place, too. Aside from that, it was an entertaining read!

Goddess Of The River by Vaisnavi Patel

• Hindu Epic Re-imagining •

Vaishnavi Patel’s Goddess of the River is a fascinating re-telling of some of the Mahabarata from the perspective of the goddess Ganga. For context, the Mahabarata the longest poem ever written & is one of the two foundational epics of Hinduism known as the Itihasas. Patel published a retelling of the other epic, the Ramayana before this one.

In this version of the story, Ganga & her beloved godlings are curse by a powerful sage, forcing her to give birth to each of them as humans after marrying the Kuru king Shantanu. To free each of the godlings from their earthly bodies, Ganga must do the unthinkable, but Shantanu stops her before she can finish her final task.

We follow Ganga and her only living child Devavrata, later known as Bhishma, through a series of events flowing from his choice to live as a human in a world of men constantly seeking power.

Goddess of the River was just as transporting as Patel’s 1st book Kaikeyi. Although the cast of characters was a little hard to keep track of at times, I never grew tired of the story & still thought about it after it ended.

The Marriage Narrative by Claire Kann

• Queer & Neurodivergent • Black Contemporary Romance •

The Marriage Narrative is a contemporary marriage-of-convenience romance w/ a twist. We’ve got Zinnia, a successful business owner who decides that she doesn’t have to wait for love if she treats her love life like a business, too. Her Plan: to get to know people through “trategic meetings” & choose someone to get to know & marry within 30 days. Zinnia’s besties think this idea isn’t going to work but then, Zinnia meets Jordan, the owner of a coffee shop chain & the shy one of his family’s reality tv franchise. 

Since his only way to spend time w/ his family is to be on the show, Jordan agrees until production tells him to marry his ex for the plot. When Jordan meets Zinnia, he’s convinced that her marriage contract would be mutually beneficial. This isn’t Zinnia’s ideal way to start a marriage, but something about Jordan urges her to agree. Cue a much messier experience than either of them anticipated!

There’s something about the way that Clare Kann writes Romance that brings me feelings of joy, comfort, and validation. This is the second book I’ve read by her and I’m realizing that I love most of the characters because they feel real. They feel like people I might know and I also recognize some of my own tendencies and thoughts in Zinnia. 

Zinnia is outgoing, adventurous, clever, silly, but she’s also thoughtful and patient. She has her own insecurities but, when confronted by hardships, she doesn’t give up so easily. I love all of these parts of her! Her connection with Jordan felt earnest, steady, sweet, and surprisingly steamy!! I’m kind of obsessed. None of the characters are perfect, but I love the Jordan does his best to learn from his mistakes as quickly as possible without losing sight of Zinnia’s perspective. That’s hard to do irl so he’s got my stamp of approval!

I bought a copy of this book as soon as I finished listening to it. I think you’ll understand if you pick it up, too!

Son Of The Morning by Akwaeke Emezi

•Queer Black • Paranormal Romance•

In Son of the Morning, we meet Galilee Kincaid, the black sheep of a matrilineal clan outside of the city of Salvation. For as long as she can remember, Gali felt something missing, until she meets Lucifer Helel.

Lucifer is the head of security for her friend’s wealthy Nigerian family & is guarding a relic Galilee & her besties hope to see. As soon as they speak, Gali senses that he’s not human, but that doesn’t staunch her growing desire for him. Lucifer knows that Gali is also not human, a fact she’s likely unaware of. When he tells his other guards aka the princes, they decide they should destroy Galilee Kincaid. Leviathan is especially hell-bent on eliminating this threat to Luci.

Despite knowing the danger their connection puts them in, Gali & Luci can’t let go which risks shattering their world’s existence.

As you may have guessed from that description, this book is wild! I love that Galilee is a powerful Black woman w/ ride or die friends who follows her intuition. Like many of the protagonists in Emezi’s novels, Gali’s ability to let herself be vulnerable is part of what makes her powerful. She’s allowed to feel everything & so is Lucifer. Emezi also gives us a fascinating retelling of Lucifer’s fall from grace. He’s no longer this 2-D rendering of an evil biblical figure, but someone who is curious & increasingly self-aware. It’s no surprise that their passion is scorching hot! Just be prepared for the story to pick up QUICKLY after the intro.

Devil Of The Deep by Falencia Jean-Francois

• Afro-Caribbean & Queer Historical Fantasy •

Devil of the Deep is a Black, queer tale you don’t want to miss!

Lu, a Lieutenant Fleet Officer is on a misson to find a powerful talisman which happens to be in the hands of a teen, runaway mermaid. On this voyage, he discovers that woman he thought dead for 5 years is alive & captaining a pirate ship. Lu is shocked that the love of his life is the notorius “Devil of the Deep” & she’s in possession of the very mermaid he’s been tracking: Pearl Highwater.

With her uncle’s help, Pearl has escaped the underwater cult followers of the sea god, unknowingly holding the key to finding her people’s lost island--A key that could unlock a world of hell for all.

Jean-Francois took me on an adventure I didn’t even know I was craving! If y’all have been searching for Caribbean/Haitian Fantasy, you need to pick up this book. It’s lush, action-packed, & has a transmasculine protagonist. Each mc gets space to grow, which I really appreciate. It’s also fantastic to read a book that depicts how diverse pirate crews were. Dive into this book ASAP!

A MODERN GOTHIC HORROR?? Say less! This is the book I am leaning towards, so I have TWO options in case you want to save it for spooky season instead.

Demons clash with inheritance claims as secrets unfold and violence is unleashed over twelve harrowing hours trapped in a house with the worst thing imaginable: family.

Fireblooms by : speculative Queer YA romance set in a town that uses technology to prevent hate speech and bullying. SPECULATIVE LGBTQ ROMANCE, COMPLEX LATINX FAMILY DYNAMICS

And I'll Take Your Eyes Out by A.M. Sosa: Debut following a queer Chicano’s cannon-shot into adulthood amidst familial turmoil and the suffocating violence of Stockton, California in the early 2000s.