A Independent Press Awards Distinguished Favorite!
Hey everyone! I’m thrilled to announced that The Monsters Among Us has been named a Distinguished Favorite in the Independent Press Awards!
Press release below:
The 2026 Independent Press Award recognized "The Monsters Among Us" by Kent Priore in the category of Horror as a distinguished favorite.
The competition is judged by experts from different aspects of the book industry, including publishers, writers, editors, designers, booksellers, librarians and professional copywriters. Winners and distinguished favorites are based on overall excellence.
“The Monsters Among Us” by Kent Priore
Seth’s life until now has been a product of a diabolical, evil Truman Show, his entire upbringing a façade orchestrated for malevolent purposes. After his beloved dies, he undergoes a demonic metamorphosis, which causes the world’s fictitious walls to crumble.
As he tries to piece a semblance of his life back together and move on, he meets friends who inspire, but even more harsh truths are revealed, perhaps too difficult to cope with.
The very existence of life and reality is exposed as a machination of grotesque gods. And to defeat them, Seth will have to fill his emptiness, for which there’s only two options…bring the world to ruin, or learn to transmute his pain into strength.
Fans of "Jerusalem" by Alan Moore, “The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath, or “The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakovor will enjoy “The Monsters Among Us.”
In 2026, the INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD saw a large participation from well established authors and publishers across the globe, including those residing in Australia, Canada, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Kingdom, and the United States. Authors such as Greg Broadmore, Kent Priore, Brad Feld, Judith Briles, Tony Jeton Selimi, Michael Pronko, Jack Fritscher, PhD, Nate Regier, PhD, Lawrence Kane & Kris Wilder, and Miriam Udel were among the winners list chosen from thousands of entries.
Publishing houses included Forbes Books, Friesen Press, Historium Press, Johns Hopkins University Press, Mad Cave Studios, Northwestern University Press, Princeton University Press, She Writes Press, The History Press and University of California Press.
The 2026 INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD recipients reflect the incredible momentum within the independent sector," stated Gabrielle Olczak, INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD President and Award Sponsor. "Independent voices are no longer just an alternative; they are leading the way in literary innovation. By highlighting these winners, we are celebrating a global community that refuses to be sidelined and continues to set new benchmarks for excellence."
—
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Graduated from Bard College with a BA in the Written Arts, Kent Priore is an author of dark literature, genre-blending epics and vignettes, where dark romanticism meets modern psychology for a macabre but hopeful depiction of inner struggle and the human ability to endure, and perhaps even prevail. He has a fascination with humanity and is one of the few to believe that despite our many weaknesses, we are far stronger than we often think. He wishes to show that strength to those darker individuals, burdened by lonesomeness, poor mental health, and other forces perceived to be out of their control, as well as show them that all is not lost.
He is a fierce advocate for mental health awareness and for greater acceptance of neurodivergence. For this reason, themes of mental health are pronounced and ever present in his work, both the devastating and the hopeful aspects of it.
Come meet him at these upcoming events:
StokerCon 2026 in Pittsburgh, PA
June 4th-7th, 2026
Dreaming Dirty in Maryland in Baltimore, MD
June 13th, 2026
Getting Witchy With It in Salem 2026 in Peabody, MA
October 10th, 2026
Books and Chocolate in Hershey, PA
November 21st, 2026
ABOUT THE AWARD
The Independent Press Award (IPA) is a prestigious annual book awards program specifically designed to honor excellence in the independent publishing community. It is open to self-published authors, small presses, and university presses worldwide. The Independent Press Award is announced every spring and is open to independent authors and publishers.
Gabby Olczak
Independent Press Award
+1 973-969-1899
gabby@independentpressaward.com
Goodbye 2025, Hello 2026!
Happy New Year everyone!
I just wanted to take a moment to wish you a happy near year and fill you in on everything (thus far) that you can look forward to in 2026!
And I also wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support you’ve shown me this year. I’ve only been a published author for just under four months, and yet my debut, The Monsters Among Us, has been highly rated, won the Firebird Book Award, and nominated for a bunch more. Thank you, truly. All I’ve ever wanted was for people to read my work. You all have helped me accomplish that dream.
But without further ado:
My poem “Bleak Visions” was recently published! And while this is 2025 news, I wanted to mention it because the physical version of the zine is not yet up, but is coming soon! But if you want a PDF version, you can snag one here.
And for 2026’s timeline:
My short story “A.I. HE[ART]” will be published in March, and then followed up with the much anticipated sequel to Firebird Book Award-winning novel, The Monsters Among Us, on May 5th, IN THE WAKE OF GODS. I’m hoping to set up a Barnes & Noble signing for it, but I will certainly be doing an early giveaway, so look forward to that in April!
Also, make sure to use that Christmas money on a copy of The Monsters Among Us if you haven’t already! You’ll get the most out of In the Wake of Gods if you read that first.
As for my signings, you can look forward to seeing me at the following events:
StokerCon 2026 in Pittsburgh, PA
June 4th-7th, 2026
Dreaming Dirty in Maryland in Baltimore, MD
June 13th, 2026
Getting Witchy With It in Salem 2026 in Peabody, MA
October 10th, 2026
Books and Chocolate in Hersey, PA
November 21st, 2026
With more to come! Unofficially, you can expect to find me at the Brooklyn Book Festival again. I am merely waiting for sign ups to go live. There are a few other events I have in mind as well, but those are less certain so I’ll withhold those for now.
On the topic of events though, you may have noticed a few missing from the above lineup. Unfortunately, the Potions and Pages signing in Salem, MA and the Black Hearts Author signing in Nashville, TN have been cancelled by the event hosts. Very frustrating, but thankfully in regards to the Salem event, as you can see in the above itinerary, I was able to secure a different event in Salem to replace it. So, if you were hoping to see me at Potions and Pages (supposed to be in May), you can now come see me in October instead at Getting Witchy With It in Salem.
One other cancellation, or rather, a very likely cancellation, is the Books in Denver event I announced I would be attending a while back. The event is still happening, I just more than likely won’t be able to make it. When signing up, I thought that it would be an all day event. Turns out it lasts for a mere four hours, and considering I would have pay for flights from NY to CO, plus a hotel, for four hours of selling books…it’s just not worth it. And for that I greatly apologize to anyone in the Denver area who hoped to see me there. If things change, I will say so in a later newsletter, but its simply not feasible right now. Especially since I have a wedding and honeymoon to pay for.
Which, by the way, book sales help a ton with. So please buy The Monsters Among Us and In the Wake of Gods! The latter, by the way, is 25% at Barnes & Noble with promo code PREORDER25 until the 1st. Don’t miss out!
But over all, happy new year everyone! I hope 2026 brings us all many things to cherish and be happy about.
End of the year Round Up…
Hey everyone!
At the time of writing, it’s December 16th, and the year is swiftly coming to a close…but not without a slew of last minute and very exciting news!
First off—The Monsters Among Us has been nominated for the Indie Ink Awards! And readers can vote for it starting TODAY in the following categories:
Best Mentor Character
Best Morally Gray Character
Best Setting
Writing the Future We Need: Mental Health Representation
Writing the Future We Need: Neurodivergent Representation by a Neurodivergent author
Please consider voting for it! You all have the power to send the book to the next round, and I would be eternally thankful for your support!
Secondly, I am thrilled to announced acceptances of two my works!
My short story, “A.I. HE[ART],” a sci-fi/horror story, will be serialized in issues of 1 & 2 of Cinder Magazine!
My poem, “Bleak Visions,” will appear in Deathwish Poetry Magazine’s Hallow-zine!
The first issue of Cinder Magazine will release in March, and the Hallow-zine’s release is imminent—I’ll be sure to remind you about both!
…
Also, The Monsters Among Us has won the Firebird Book Award for Best Dark Fantasy Novel! It has also been nominated for the Shirley Jackson Award, as well as the Eric Hoffer Award!
Once you’re done reading The Monsters Among Us, make sure to preorder its sequel:
IN THE WAKE OF GODS — 5/5/26
The Abyss Borne Gods, Book 2
Seth's new life was hard to create, after taming his inner demons in THE MONSTERS AMONG US. And now, raising a child, he finds himself riddled with worry—one specific worry: "will she be too much like me?"
Want more, but can’t wait for Book 2? Then you can find my psychological horror/magic realism short story, “A State of Emergency,” in After Dark, a horror/thriller anthology.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Hey all,
It’s been a while since the last blog post—since September, right before the release of THE MONSTERS AMONG US. And for good reason, as I’ve been immensely busy promoting the book, traveling for book signings, while editing the sequel and writing book 3.
But I wanted to write a quick blog post to say…HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Because without your support, things would not be going as well as they are!
Here’s a few things I’m thankful for:
I'm thankful for THE MONSTERS AMONG US winning the Firebird Book Award for Best Dark Fantasy Novel, and I’m thankful to Rowan Prose Publishing for publishing the book, and for nominating it for the Shirley Jackson Award! I spent six years writing this story, and now it's out in the world and...dream achieved.
I'm also thankful to everyone who has read it! And especially those who have reached out afterward to tell me how much they enjoyed it...another dream achieved.
Lastly, and most importantly, I'm thankful to have gotten engaged to the love of my life, Katarina Markota. She treats me better than I thought anyone ever would, and for the first time, I feel understood, cherished, loved...my ultimate dream achieved. Until the wedding, anyway.
To those who haven’t read THE MONSTERS AMONG US yet, now’s your chance:
The book is currently on sale for BLACK FRIDAY until December 1st, as long as you buy it directly from me. It will be signed copy, and can even be signed by my lovable fur-associates, Poe and Yakutia (I made stamps from molds of their paw prints!).
IN THE WAKE OF GODS is also on sale for BLACK FRIDAY, for only .99 cents! Make sure to lock in that preorder price and get ready for release on May 5th!
Again, thanks everyone for supporting and enjoying my work. I wish you all the very best of Thanksgivings, and a lovely holiday season to come,
Kent Priore
Kentember is here!
Hey everyone! We are finally in September, or Kentember as I called it once in a social media post a handful of days ago—whatever, the month is here, and that means so are TWO OF MY STORIES.
Published TODAY, in After Dark, a horror thriller anthology from Rowan Prose Publishing, is my dark magic realism/psychological horror story “A State of Emergency.” Make sure to grab a copy! You won’t want to miss what is probably my favorite short story I’ve written.
And if (or rather when) you want more after that small taste of my writing, do not fear for my debut novel is finally here…in exactly one week from today! On September 9th, THE MONSTERS AMONG US will finally raze the world in hellfire. Monsters will be fought, gods will be felled. Seth will undergo a metamorphosis which will make the confines of the world crumble, revealing a dark but illuminative truth…will he be strong enough to endure it? Or will he let the world be destroyed? Preorder a copy and find out when the book releases on September 9th!
But until then, check out what these amazing and brilliant authors said about it:
Praise for The Monsters Among Us
"Kent Priore writes like a natural about the supernatural, and The Monsters Among Us is a marvelously dark and true novel. American fiction has found a terrific new voice."
—Joseph O’Neill, PEN/Faulkner Award-Winning Author of Netherland.
“Supernatural storytelling at its best, this vivid cinematic novel takes the reader on an imaginative journey through what could be considered end of days. The Monster’s Among Us is a masterful creation and a must read—even for those who aren’t fans of fantasy/horror.”
—Joni Marie Iraci MFA author of Vatican Daughter, and Reinventing Jenna Rose.
“I was intrigued from the first sentence, determined to spend the night speed-reading so I didn't have to remain in suspense any longer.”
—Ella Dupuie, author of Fractures of the Fallen
“THE MONSTERS AMONG US is a transgressive tale of supernatural pulp phantasmagoria, written by an author with Biblical-sized storytelling ambitions. Kent Priore provides a Weird Tales, dark fantasy take on Testaments Old and New, crafting a tale as shocking as it is thought-provoking.”
—Patrick Barb, author of ABDUCTED
“Buckle up for a fast-paced novel that straddles action-adventure and existential dread (and hope!). Deliciously diabolical and at times deranged, Priore’s world is one of darkness, Inferno level devilry, despair, but also friendship and love. Elements of demon-hunting grit meet splatterpunk aesthetics for satisfying showdowns and a compelling read. The metamorphosis of Seth, both internal and external, from prologue to epilogue, choked me up. While my life does not look like his, I found him relatable, and human, even when he wasn’t. On one hand, this is a book of exciting magic and incredible stakes. But on the other, and at its heart, it is a story of finding one’s self and realizing the world, flawed as it is, is worth fighting for.
I will watch Priore’s writing career with interest.”
—Arlo Z. Graves, author of Black Rose and The Ice Moves for No One
A published author…surreal.
This feels surreal.
The Monsters Among Us is only a few weeks away from being published, and this feels surreal.
I’ve mentioned this before, perhaps not here but generally, that The Monsters Among Us took six years to write. The concept was first conceived way back in 2016. That alone felt surreal to write. I was a mere boy then and now I feel so much older. But that’s when the book was first born, in its naïve state, in all its raw incompleteness. A form that is completely unrecognizable, in that initial stage. But then I went to college. For me, to further myself and succeed in life, but also to write this book.
Well, it wasn’t for the book at first. It was purely to figure out what I wanted to do with myself. I wasn’t even an author then. Though I did have a love for storytelling. Which was something drudged up when I sought out career advice from a professor at my first school, Dutchess Community College. He offered guidance to the class and I took him up on it. After much deliberation, we kept returning to a single point: throughout my entire life, I’ve had a love for storytelling.
Stories have helped me survive my struggle with bipolar disorder. No matter how bad my depression, how horrid my anxiety, I had stories. First in the form of video games, manga and comics, then of course novels. My life circled storytelling—the core of who I am.
So that professor suggested that I write him a short story in lieu of my final paper— “I’m aware of your writing abilities already, so just write a two-page paper instead of the full eight, just so I have something on file. I know you would ace it anyway. But in addition, write me a short story, and I’ll give you my thoughts when you turn in your final,” is what he said to me.
I was nervous, but ecstatic. This was something new—I had never written fiction before. But this was exciting, it was something new, something that would change my life forever.
“Kent! I really enjoyed this!” he said. “This is even more complex than a short story though and I can see this being developed into a two-hundred-page novel!”
To be fair, I’m paraphrasing when quoting this professor. It’s been nine years, after all. But this was the essence of what he said. His enthusiasm, his belief in me. The fact that he definitely specified that it could be a two-hundred-page novel. That part I remember word for word.
And I’m happy to say that I’ve developed it much further than he anticipated. The Monsters Among Us being a 360-page novel, with an even longer sequel to come in May, and two more books to capstone the series later. He made that possible, by believing that I could do it. Considering where I was in life at that point, feeling alone, worthless, no one to believe I could do anything (I even went off to college out of spite, for my parents didn’t think I could do it. Being bipolar and all, and due to how society views people with neurodivergence. I’m happy to say I proved everyone wrong about that, but more on that in a moment). Thanks to that professor, I believed I could, and therefore I did. A theme ever-present within The Monsters Among Us.
Two years after that fortuitus short story, the naïve origins of The Monsters Among Us, I graduated from Dutchess Community College and went on to continue my academic career at Bard College. My talents would be pushed to their limits and then even further there. And I am thankful for every moment of it.
As if the courses weren’t challenging enough, I spent the entire two and a half years there with The Monsters Among Us in the back of my mind. Brewing, fermenting, festering¸ expanding alongside my intellectual growth. And during my downtime, winter and summer breaks, throughout those two years, I dove deep into philosophical waters, having read The Will to Power, Beyond Good and Evil, and Thus Spoke Zarathustra. For these texts had something I needed to be able to write The Monsters Among Us to the best of my ability. When you read the book on September 9th, you’ll see these names pop up, alongside quotes at the beginning of each part of the book. But that’s all I can say on that. The purpose of this blog post isn’t to spoil but to recount the years of effort that went into writing The Monsters Among Us.
But I strategically read those books in time for my senior year, when I would have to write the novel for real. I had written a draft in 2018, but it had been criticized to hell during my moderation, which is what Bard College calls the process of declaring a major. It was so harshly criticized that I was convinced I would be denied entry into the Written Arts department, as was a real possibility. But I guess something about my work was good, as I was admitted in the end. I was of course happy about that, but even more (at least retrospectively) that they criticized The Monsters Among Us, for it was in that moment I decided to rework everything in accordance to their criticisms and use the new and improved version of The Monsters Among Us as my senior project.
And thus began an extraordinarily stressful year. But in the end, it was thoroughly worth it.
My advisor, Joseph O’Neill, PEN/Faulkner Award-winning author of Netherland, called my senior project, or Sproj as it was often called, a marvelous work and gave me an honors grade. He also went on to blurb the book more recently, stating:
"Kent Priore writes like a natural about the supernatural, and The Monsters Among Us is a marvelously dark and true novel. American fiction has found a terrific new voice."
During my time at Bard, Joseph O’Neill had only read the first half of the book (I finished it six months later after graduation), so this blurb is fresh and in reference to the book as a whole.
On the topic of professors who enjoyed The Monsters Among Us, I mentioned in a blog post in June about a professor who passed away, another mentor to me, what she said about the book:
“In all my years of teaching, I’ve never read such an extraordinary piece of work.”
So, I succeeded in college, and in writing this book. But years still would go by before it would get picked up by Rowan Prose Publishing. Two years and over 300 rejections…I worried it would never get published and even gave up, for a moment. I was planning on shelving it, giving up the dream. But thankfully, unlike when I first started college, I have an amazing support system now in the form of my incredible, amazing fiancée, Katarina Markota. She convinced me not to give up, to keep trying, “someone will publish it eventually,” she said. And what do you know, two weeks later, fittingly on Valentine’s Day, I signed the publishing contract for The Monsters Among Us.
Believe me, the trek to get here has been long and far more tempestuous than I can possibly convey here on my blog. Multiple friendships shattered, relationships soured, mental health plummeting so abysmally low that I eventually ended up in the hospital. The road has been rough, to say the absolute least.
But in three weeks’ time, the book will finally be published. And believe me, the fact that you all will be reading it, that it’ll be on your shelves both digitally and physically, makes me happier than I can possibly state. But I can tell you this—the struggle was worth it.
And it feels surreal.
Inspirations for THE MONSTERS AMONG US—The Abyssal Plane
Today I’m writing about some very specific inspirations for THE MONSTERS AMONG US.
First, I want to briefly touch upon the neurodivergent focus of the book. The main character, Seth, is a twenty-six-year-old man with bipolar disorder. In a lot of ways, his struggles, his being a slave to what I’ve been referring to in marketing material as a demonic version of The Truman Show, was inspired by the first twenty-six years of my life. Keyword: inspired by. Obviously, the book is a work of fiction. I was never enslaved by demons or any sort of supernatural beings! But more seriously, it’s important to note what I mean by being inspired by my life, I mean inspired by the emotions I felt:
The pain, the lonesomeness, the chaotic swing of emotions, the amplification of the severity of what I felt vs what actually occurred. Basically, my goal for this book was a lofty and ambitious one. Those who have read Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, will know what I mean: my goal for The Monsters Among Us was to take command of the bipolar experience, and weave it into the very structure of book’s narrative. I took Seth’s chaotic, flailing emotions, and guided the narrative through the lens of his pain. When he’s depressed, the pace. slows. but. intensifies critically within him. When Seth is manic, anxious, angry, thepacemayswiften or growmorechoatic as he lashesout! And like the spotlight effect that those who experience anxiety and paranoia know all too well, when he’s being selfish, the narrative focuses in on him—but when he grows, the camera pans outward, becoming less about him and more about the loved ones by his side and the great, beautiful world they inhabit together.
This is a difficult quality to convey here, within a paragraph of a short blog post. But in the novel it works wonderfully. I spent six years writing it to make sure of that. To make sure that I could place the reader within the mind of someone with bipolar disorder, thus helping those like Seth, like me, feel less alone, and to make those who don’t understand neurodivergence, understand it. This is a rollercoaster I’m placing the reader on. Buckle up.
But as stated above, the neurodivergent aspect of the book is best experienced through reading it. What I’m more interested in talking about today is where the book’s theme of great human potential comes from.
When writing the book way back in 2018, I had the stakes, the characters, the magic system. What I didn’t have yet was what tied it all together. Why do the characters have magic? What does the magic mean in terms of literary value and metaphor? How do I tie the cast and contemporary setting into what occurs within scenes that take place thousands of years before it? Where does everything come from?
Well, let’s start there. At everything.
When I first began writing, of course I heard that classic piece of writing advice, show don’t tell. So, I figured, why not show everything? And do so in a way that ties everything together. We are all products of events and circumstances. We exist within the context of everything which has come before us. I wanted to explain everything. I wanted to explain the origins of the world: not in the way science has with the Big Bang, but in a way that was fruitful to the narrative I was writing, one rich in the supernatural, and in religion criticism. And so, I explained the world.
But how did I? You’ll have to read it to get the full picture, but as I stated above, when I first started, I was a bit lost as to how to tie it all together. There was something vital missing. And, one day in college, asleep in my dorm room, I had a nightmare.
It was standard fare, cliché horror movie stuff: I was in a cabin in the woods. Alone within its creaky walls, which shook furiously over and over. To the point where the very fabric of the world was distorted, shimmering like a stone clunking into the surface of a pond. And it intensified further until a wispy grey smoke cloud with a rageful face broke through the front door and smothered me to death—causing the same ripples distorting the walls of the cabin to run through my body. Over and over, this loop continued, until I awoke in a cold sweat, feeling those same tremors running through my chest in the real, waking world.
I was having heart palpitations which transcended the boundary of dream and reality. And furthermore, I was terrified, for this dream which has nothing to do with The Monsters Among Us, reminded me of one other time I had a looping dream where what was occurring within the dream extended into the real world as well; twenty years before, when I was just eight years old.
I texted a friend and asked him to meet me in my dorm as soon as he could, for I was frightened, and needed an interlocutor. I’m of the sort that likes to talk out my thoughts, for only then can I comprehend them fully. I suppose that’s why I write: I type out my thoughts and feelings, and I come out at the other end of a novel understanding myself all the better for having created something.
When my friend arrived, I explained the dream I just had, and more importantly, I explained the dream I had when I was eight (a brief trigger warning for a bleak dream and its dark analysis):
There was a vast, empty white space. A void that held nothing but me, and an iron maiden. How eight-year-old Kent knew what an iron maiden was is beyond me, but that’s what it was. A coffin standing upright, with spikes on the inside. Within this dream, I stared at the iron maiden, before walking steadily onward, entering it. The doors would close upon me, and I would feel pain. It would open again, and I’d walk out, as if in reverse, before walking back in again. The loop continued until I awoke, frantically reaching out to my legs, pain surging up and down them.
In retrospect, I understand this to have been growing pains. But for it to have existed within dream and reality was so surreal, it stuck with me for years to come. And when told about this, my college friend said, “Well, it’s clear that even then you just wanted to die.” And he was right. Looking back, that dream could be seen as a dark omen. Alone, adrift in an empty void, trapped in a loop of constant pain. The real-world emotions I mentioned above that inspired Seth’s struggle in The Monsters Among Us, this is where it began. The omen sent by that dream, warning me that I would spend my life alone, with no friends but the pain I was trapped with. It all came true…and would again. So, as I sat there, panicking at 28 years old, the memory of this dream having returned, revealing an existential truth that my life thus far had been entirely out of my control, that my brain, taking on the role of Judas, led me subconsciously along the trail dictated by this dream—but then my friend said:
“But I think it’s important to consider…you described the place as a white void. Usually voids are depicted as black; nothing inside. Perhaps this white void is the opposite? Perhaps it isn’t actually empty, but a place of infinite potential?”
It’s been seven or so years since then, so I’m paraphrasing his words, but this was the core message of it. And I don’t think I ever told him, but that discussion blew my mind wide open; it unlocked parts of myself I had never considered, and provided that missing piece of The Monsters Among Us: the White Abyss.
Through that conversation, and after years of philosophical reading, the White Void became the White Abyss, for an Abyss implies a great deal of unknown things lurking within its depths, a vast, infinite potential. And it’s the White Abyss, a mysterious realm within The Monsters Among Us that explains everything; the origin of the world, the origin of magic and what it means, the origins of so much more that I cannot talk about. I’m already venturing on spoilers here, but it’s a spoiler meant to entice you. And I hope it will—I hope you’re enticed to learn more about the Earth and its white shadow, and how it fuels all things; the nightmarish horrors found within our world, as well as the great potential for art and intellect, for creativity and everything great and wonderful that we human beings can do.
For each and everyone of us can amount to great things, if only we can brave the abyssal plane. As Seth will when the book releases on September 9th. I hope you’ll join him on this dire struggle through the dark and terrifying, beautiful White Abyss.
In Remembrance of a Mentor
A Death in the Family
June 9th, 2025
There’s a stillness in the air. The room made dark from the grey sky beyond the walls of my home library, obscuring the early morning light. No life stirs from the overhead lamp. My desk lit only by the standing lamp to the right of my desk. My girlfriend sits to my left, at her desk, entrenched in her own work. Our cat, Yakutia, lay asleep in her window perch to my right. And our dog, Poe, asleep as well upon the living room couch, alone, on the other side of the house.
Where no life stirs, within the thick, oppressive silence of loss.
And as I sit here, pondering what to write and the best way to write it, I’m staring out at the trees beyond our home, standing still as statues. And just as lifeless. No creaking of swaying branches, none of Nature’s kinetic lifeforce to be seen. And it’s no wonder, with the news I recently received…when on May 28th, a college wide email arrived in my inbox alerting me of the tragic death of Rebecca Cole Heinowitz, a beloved professor and mentor to me.
I’ve become something of an expert in dealing with death. Much of my life, but thankfully no longer, I’ve stumbled my way toward the casket. Wishing for death, dreaming of suicide, anything to relinquish me from the pain of being bipolar. Of how excruciating it is to think and feel, when one’s life operates along dual poles. And then with the death of my best friend on June 7th, 2023, when I was destroyed, my soul annihilated, nothing left of me…the one silver lining was that little could ever hurt like that again. And I was right—though I’ve now learned that there are different kinds of pain, of grief.
I first met Professor Heinowitz on my first day at Bard College. So anxious I insisted on being fifteen minutes early, I made my way up the creaking steps of Aspinwall, where my British Romanticism was class was held. Entering a room full of empty seats, I was the first to arrive—aside from a woman at the far end of the table, books sprawled out in front of her.
She was diligently writing in a notebook, while glancing occasionally to an open laptop. Her short, black curly hair dangling just above her dark horn-rimmed glasses. There was something about her, a sharpness, radiating from her. I didn’t know why, at the time. At first, I didn’t realize she the professor, for in most of my classes throughout college, the professors were usually last to arrive. And besides, I was an older student, and I figured, she could be too. And as the room filled with other students, no one behaved in any way that would alert me to her being the professor either. But then, she spoke.
It was immediately clear what the tone of that class would be for the entire semester. Sitting here now, in this dark room, thinking upon my time in that class—its as if the lingering storm clouds have parted, with blinding sunlight breaking through. The passion she had! The way it radiated from her, rippling palpably through the air, affected everyone in the room. Her insight, her immense intellect, so magnetic, so thickly concentrated you could touch and taste it. Getting to sit there, listening to her speak about the Romantic literary movement, of the romantics being in awe of the sublime, of their pursuit of truth and knowledge in Nature as opposed to finding it within religion, within God—it was an honor listening to her, bathing in her illuminating intellect, so intoxicating that it converted me immediately. From then on and now and forever, I am a student of the Romantic school of thought, I am forever a student of Rebecca Cole Heinowitz.
In fact, and she didn’t know this, but about a third of the way through that semester, I panicked. As I left class, baffled and in awe of the conversation that day, as I was after every session of class, having my mind blown, my understanding of literature and the confines of critical thought radically expanded, I had a horrifying realization: In just a handful of weeks, this class will end and I might never get taught by Professor Heinowitz again!
This was unacceptable. For her class was life-changing; it set my career as an author down a path it would never veer from. I needed more of it, I needed more of Rebecca Cole Heinowitz. So, I left class that day and rushed straight to the campus center and into the school store. Clinging to the wall of books by Bard professors, eyes frantically reading the spine of each, I found a single copy of her book, Rewriting Conquest: Spanish America and British Romanticism, 1777-1826. It was $85 and I was a poor college student—I bought it without hesitation.
I’m sorry to say I haven’t read it yet, nor her poetry book Daily Chimera which I also bought a couple years later. Though that’s okay. Because for now, with her no longer here, they can serve their purpose; to allow me to hear Cole’s voice again, to bask in her illuminating intellect on a rainy day when I need to feel her inspiration once more.
But thankfully the conclusion of that class wasn’t the end of my interaction with Cole, but very much just the beginning.
This won’t mean anything to you, dear reader, but I’m writing this blog post with the same structure and style as the journal entries in my memoir, The Plague Journal. It won’t mean anything to you, because as of this post, that book has yet to be published. Though I bring this up because I wouldn’t have ever written that book if not for Cole Heinowitz.
In a lot of ways, the first part of the book belongs to her as well. The insight she brought to the project, her enthusiasm for it, how she, after reading a particular line, proclaimed, “This is poetry!” The passion she felt for this book and for me, distilled in me a confidence I had never known before. Again, that fierce, illuminating intellect of hers bled past the confines of her mind and body, and into me. Suddenly, I was a better writer. Through her guidance and support and love for what I was doing, I felt like I could do anything.
By then I had already begun going over to her cabin in Boiceville, NY—I had started dog sitting for her about halfway through that first semester. When asking the class if anyone would like to watch her dog, every hand in the room sprung up with the same passionate enthusiasm we felt radiating from Cole. It was likely do to my age and maturity, but I’m glad she chose me.
From there, I bonded more and more with her and her husband and their dog, and eventually, I was alerted to the need for an extra credit on my transcript and was advised to reach out to a professor to request an independent study course. My first and only thought was Cole.
She agreed, and in requesting to make it as easy as possible for both us, she suggested a simple premise; she asked about my hobbies outside of reading and writing, and I mentioned that I love hiking, that Nature soothes me. An interest I would find that she and I shared. With that settled, she provided me a copy of Thoreau’s essay, “Walking,” and told me to go on a hike, read the essay, and then write something, anything, based on the blended experience of hiking and reading.
What I produced was the beginning of a memoir, though neither of us knew it then. With each week I would hike a different trail and write another piece. As organic as Nature herself, a narrative was slowly building, a story which illuminated my inner struggle, my pains and emptiness born from my being bipolar, and being alone during the advent of COVID-19. This was significant not only for the sake of the book being written, but through the voyeuristic pages, Cole got to know me better and better, and in turn I got to know her better. And it was then I realized why I felt such an allure from her. I had an inkling that she dealt with something similar to my bipolar disorder (details were never exchanged, though from attending her funeral service virtually, I know that she indeed suffered from at least depression, as was mentioned by her mother). So, the writing of this book was as therapeutic as it was a deepening of my bond with Cole. I could it feel it, that inexplicable deepening of a connection between two people, an illumination of their understanding of one another.
And this connection meant the world to me, as this period of my life was one of the loneliest I’ve ever experienced. My family and I weren’t on great terms, and we spoke very little, if ever. I didn’t have any friends, or at least not ones that took the time to see me. And when COVID hit, the eviscerating weight of my isolation was on the brink of killing me.
But it didn’t, because of Cole, who through my bonding with her, her husband, her dog, I was given a new family—she told me as such, with a smile, sad but full of feeling, after I revealed to her the broken tether to my actual family. She included me in hers, and made me feel whole again.
A few months ago, I had asked her to blurb the memoir. A publisher had requested the manuscript and wanted advance praise for it as well. Cole wanted to blurb it, but there was a time restraint. I told her not to worry, and I would let her know once it was published, and that I thought she would love what I went on to do with it. She told me, “I have no doubt.”
I wish she was still here.
There is so much I must thank her for. Bonding with her helped me survive not only my loneliness, my mental illness, but she also simply helped me survive my time at Bard. Even the title of my memoir, The Plague Journal, was her doing. She had said, “What you are doing with this project, this Plague Journal, is truly special and I think people would enjoy this. You should get it published, perhaps through a small press.”
But that’s not all, as she was a part of my senior project board. I didn’t request her to be, as in the face of her immense intellect, I was scared. What if this brilliant woman, who I respect so highly, hated my book? The thought paralyzed me, but by chance she was assigned to me anyway (or perhaps she chose me? I’ll never know). But when meeting with my board, after they had reviewed what was the first half of my upcoming debut novel, The Monsters Among Us, I was overwhelmed by the sheer adoration and praise they gave it. Cole included, who said, and I’ll never forget these words, “In all my years of teaching, I’ve never read such an extraordinary piece of work.”
I was overjoyed, but dumbfounded. Cole Heinowitz was an actual genius. For her to speak so highly of my novel honors and baffles me even today. I hope she knew how much her words impacted me. For without them I might not have gotten to where I am now. Publishing is a cold, uncertain and precarious industry. Two years went by before the book was contracted. And the desolation, the possibility of failure weighed heavily upon me through it all. But I was able to persevere because of Cole’s words.
I could still write more, but this has gone on longer than I had anticipated. And rightfully so, for the loss of Professor Cole Heinowitz is a severe one, and I mourn her and for the future Bard students who will never get to take a Cole Heinowitz course. They will be profoundly missing out.
There are certainly different kinds of grief. While this doesn’t hurt in the same way as when I lost my best friend, losing a mentor leaves its own kind of void, a craterous absence within my chest. I wanted her to see me become a published author. And I dreamt of publishing my memoir as well and getting to converse with her about it over coffee, at her cabin, by the edge of the Esopus Creek. Our dogs playing, rummaging around in the dirt and grass as we evaluate the work. A fantasy that will no longer come true. Though I know she would be proud.
I have no doubt.
THE MONSTERS AMONG US—Character Spotlight: Zarathustra
Hey everyone!
It’s time for another character spotlight. The final spotlight, and another character of great mystery, who’s allegiances may be a bit muddied and unclear…
Zarathustra
A god from another world that lays at the center of all worlds. Born from the point of origin of all things, The Womb of the One Mind—a collective unconscious which births all life. Zarathustra is one of many Abyssian gods, created for the sole purpose of aiding sentient life across all dimensions in their time of need. But upon finding that the peoples of one dimension had evolved to the point of gods being superfluous to them, those gods breathed their last and dissipated into nothingness.
Growing fearful of this undeniable fate, the remaining gods descended upon those evolved people and devoured them, consuming the wills of sentient life in the name of self-preservation. Zarathustra, appalled by the actions of his fellow Abyssians, cursed the word “god” as he fled and created a new world to hide within… and it was there he bled out the Abyss from within himself, an extension of The Womb of the One Mind, and also created new life—the twin siblings, Satan and The Seductress.
Zarathustra is a god originating from eons upon eons before the Earth was ever a thought, but to learn more about this deeply mysterious figure and how he connects to the events of THE MONSTERS AMONG US, make sure to read the book when it releases on September 9th, later this year!
Click here to preorder!
Also, check out the book trailer for THE MONSTERS AMONG US.
THE MONSTERS AMONG US—Character Spotlight: The Abysslings, Adam and Eve
Hey everyone!
It’s time for another character spotlight. Or spotlights, plural, as this one covers not one but two characters. Both deeply mysterious, nonhuman figures.
The Abysslings, Adam & Eve
Born from the eyes of a god, The Abysslings, Adam and Eve sprouted from the vast, empty whiteness of the Abyss. Sent by their Father as intermediaries between the realms, they attempt to guide both Seth and Melphis on their journey for Hell’s Throne, while withholding knowledge of a conflict growing ever larger beyond Melphis’s paltry ambitions.
They have pasty, stark white skin and blindingly bright teal hair, made within the image of their father—and housing his eyes. And it was a few years before the events of THE MONSTERS AMONG US where Seth first catches a glimpse of Adam, the stranger passing by, dropping a peculiar locket before vanishing into thin air. Leading Seth confused and giving the towns folk more reason to attack his mental illness; belittling what Seth saw as a hallucination.
But that was only the first of many times Seth will meet this mysterious Abyssling, and eventually he also meets his sister, Eve. But this mysterious duo only causes more tension between Seth and Melphis, as their language, riddled with vagaries, only gives them more questions than answers. But little does Melphis know, these Abysslings are a link between the Earth and a world much vaster than he knows—raising the stakes far higher than Hell’s Throne.
Click here to preorder!
Also, check out the book trailer for THE MONSTERS AMONG US.
THE MONSTERS AMONG US—Character Spotlight: The Seductress
Hey everyone!
It’s time for another character spotlight. One you didn’t see coming, for she is too deeply mysterious.
The Seductress
Sister of Satan, a character enveloped in great mystery, in deep secrecy to the point of existing to no one and yet the world spins on at her command. All demonkind, even the Sins and Satan himself, shiver in her presence. For there is no one more fearsome, more awe-inspiring.
Raised together at the beginning of all things, The Seductress and Satan were fond of each other as children, bonding together as siblings. Even formulating a plot to control the world to their own selfish purposes. But as the weight of many eons pressed upon Satan’s shoulders, tension and mistrust grew between the siblings. Leaving Satan no choice but to create a plot of his own against The Seductress in order to survive…
There is much to be learned about The Seductress, but as she is the most secretive character in THE MONSTERS AMONG US, you’ll simply have to read the book to find out more!
Click here to preorder!
Also, check out the book trailer for THE MONSTERS AMONG US.
THE MONSTERS AMONG US— CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT: SATAN
Hey everyone!
It’s time for another character spotlight. One of the story’s major villains, but also one you don’t know as well as you might think. For he is a beast mired in eons-long secrets.
Satan
The King of Hell. The Dark Lord. Master of lies and deceit. He is all these things, but also so much more. Discard your preconceptions of the Satan many have come to known from The Bible. This is not a goat-headed fiend, nor a loquacious little red man with a pitchfork. Much like Melphis who knows nothing of Hell, you know nothing of Satan.
Even his biblical history is a lie. But you’ll have to read the book to learn the truth.
A hulking beast forced onto all fours by his sheer weight. Long horns curve backward toward wings of bone sprouting from his back, with a few black feathers stuck to charred pieces of flesh dangling off the bones. Many rows of teeth as long as railroad spikes, chattering loudly as he speaks. This grotesque god with the power to break Seth’s bones as he’s pinned to the floor, with the mere motion of his eyes. Hell is Satan’s domain, and all souls are his to command. And thus, Seth is forced into a new life as a demon and sent to kill the Melphis.
And like the Seven Sins he commands, Satan has his own secrets—ones which precede the Earth and humanity. The circumstances of his being in Hell, these are things he does not want. Hell’s Throne is of no interest to him. All he wants is to return to his lost paradise.
Click here to preorder!
Also, check out the book trailer for THE MONSTERS AMONG US.
THE MONSTERS AMONG US— CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT: THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS
Hey everyone!
It’s time for another character spotlight. Or rather, spotlights, plural. For this time we cover a collective, a group of horrid monstrosities.
The Seven Deadly Sins
Pride, Gluttony, Lust, Envy, Sloth, Greed, and Wrath. Elite demons and the seven pillars of control placed on Earth by Satan. Melphis seeks to slay the Seven Sins, as their function stands in the way of his ultimate goal, Hell’s Throne.
For as long as there have been humans, there have been the Sins. Corrupting human souls, ripening them to Satan’s particular tastes, then funneling the souls to Hell for the Dark Lord’s consumption. This is what Melphis tells Seth as he recruits the newborn demon to his cause. For slaying the Sins would slow the process of human souls being transported to Hell, thus theoretically weakening Satan, allowing Melphis and Seth to slay the king of Hell.
And powerful as Melphis is, he could not possibly defeat the Sins on his own. They are no mere demons but instead creatures of immense power. But even with Seth’s help, this is no easy feat to accomplish. Because despite Melphis’s great knowledge and preparedness, the Sins hold secrets even he is not aware of. He will come to know that the words spoken to him by Greed 4000 years prior, upon the cliffs overlooking Hell’s Sea of Flames, are very true. That he knows nothing of Hell.
Click here to preorder!
Also, check out the book trailer for THE MONSTERS AMONG US.
THE MONSTERS AMONG US— CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT: SASHA
Hey everyone!
It’s time for another character spotlight. Another companion to Seth, and one who was my favorite character to write. For she is deep and complex, fun and upbeat but also fierce and strong. For she overcame a horrible pain, and as such is not only a bright guiding light for Seth, but she is also the pinnacle of what all humanity should strive for.
Let’s get to it.
Sasha
Found during a demon hunt in colonial Massachusetts, Sasha is Virdeus’s adopted daughter and heir to The Demonslayer Guild. In modern times, she’s over 300 years old. But just as is the case with all other members of The Guild, magic keeps her young, as she resembles a healthy twenty-six-year-old woman—but one who is far wiser.
Though wisdom, as is often the case, is derived from suffering. Prior to being found by Virdeus, Sasha was a victim of daily abuses from her biological father. A trauma which would take centuries to fully heal from and become the strong woman Seth meets along his journey.
Playful and upbeat, but also a hardened warrior with a focused mind for science, Sasha acts as a guide to Seth alongside Virdeus, after taking an interest in the demon with a trait never before seen in his kind—emotion. This interest blossoms into romantic attachment, one that Seth also falls into. Though without awareness as his continued pursuit of his beloved blinds him to what could be if only he moved on.
While Seth is ridiculed by Melphis, and lectured by Virdeus, Sasha opts to see the best in him. For you see, he’s just like her. After 300 years of life, she has had ample time to discipline her inner turmoil. But there was once a time where her emotions were as volatile as Seth’s, and along her path of growth, she’s also made plenty of mistakes.
A fact that prepares her to forgive as a catastrophe strikes The Guild.
Click here to preorder!
Also, check out the book trailer for THE MONSTERS AMONG US.
THE MONSTERS AMONG US— CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT: VIRDEUS
Hey everyone!
It’s time for another spotlight! A character whose unnatural presence in the world will make you wonder, “just how many layers does this onion have?” as THE MONSTERS AMONG US continues to shock and surprise.
Virdeus
Over 9,000 years old, Virdeus is a man from another era. One who, after the deaths of his wife and child, meets Melphis. And, as Virdeus despairs, the demon gives him the gift of magic. Through which he receives a prolonged lease on life.
Taking on a messianic role, he saves thousands of suffering souls with the same gift he received from Melphis, thus creating a new family in the form of the Demonslayer Guild; a group of magical humans seeking to protect humankind.
While grooming his adopted daughter for his replacement as head of The Guild, a rift in morals and values grows within the ranks of the Demonslayers, imploring Virdeus to seek out Melphis, after not meeting since that very first time. Once more he needs the demon’s help.
With his daughter by his side, Virdeus is a well of guidance and wisdom when they finally meet Seth. Though all he can do is hope that his words reach the newborn demon’s ever more problematic ears. After all, Virdeus knows a thing or two about what problems magic can bring, because fun fact, Virdeus’s name came from squishing two Latin words together: Vir meaning Man, and Deus meaning God. The first of his kind, with a long past laden with many mistakes.
Click here to preorder!
A book trailer for THE MONSTERS AMONG US also recently dropped! Check it out.
THE MONSTERS AMONG US— CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT: MELPHIS
Hey everyone!
It’s time for another character spotlight. The first of Seth’s found family, and one he finds difficult to trust, but ends up having more in common with then he first thought.
Melphis:
A gifted sorcerer and demon who defected from Satan’s ranks, when after a hundred thousand years of servitude, he noticed for the first time the eternal suffering of a human soul, thus triggering great pain and unease in him.
At the sight of a dimension of unknown origin, words are whispered into his ears, prompting him to covet Hell’s throne. He then seeks the aid of Seth to ensure his victory over Satan.
But something isn’t quite right with him, as memories from a past life are revealed to have been depressed and hidden from him by forces beyond his understanding, beyond the Hell he seeks.
Click here to preorder!
A book trailer for THE MONSTERS AMONG US also recently dropped! Check it out.
THE MONSTERS AMONG US— CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT: SETH
Hey, everyone!
Get excited, because this is the first of many character spotlights: the tempestuous main character of THE MONSTERS AMONG US:
Seth
Seth is a neurodivergent, bipolar twenty-six-year-old whose entire life, unbeknownst to him, is orchestrated by demons. After his beloved dies, Seth undergoes a demonic metamorphosis which causes the world's fictitious walls to crumble.
From there he’s thrusted into a primordial quarrel of gods. Yet another life he never asked for, but one he must live through while learning to control his pain lest it destroys him and his new found family.
Fun fact: The name Seth is Hebrew, meaning “Anointed One,” as well as being an alternate spelling of Set, the Egyptian god of chaos, turmoil, and storms. So, it goes without saying that his inner journey of self-improvement is going to be tempestuous at the very least… but will he learn the error of his ways and be reborn as a new, better person? You’ll have to read the book to find out!
Click here to preorder!
A book trailer for THE MONSTERS AMONG US also recently dropped! Check it out.
COVER REVEAL!
The cover for THE MONSTERS AMONG US is here!
Thank you to everyone who has engaged with the reveal. Your likes, comments, and sharing helps a ton. And now, the countdown begins. Still a year away, but the release date is September 9th, 2025!
That’s all for now; going to keep this blog post short and sweet, to keep the focus on the reveal. But make sure to preorder a copy! Ebooks preorders are up, with paperbacks and hardcovers available soon:
https://books2read.com/u/m27rzr
Seth’s life until now has been a product of a diabolical, evil Truman Show, his entire upbringing a façade orchestrated for malevolent purposes. After his beloved dies, he undergoes a demonic metamorphosis, which causes the world’s fictitious walls to crumble.
As he tries to piece a semblance of his life back together and move on, he meets friends who inspire, but even more harsh truths are revealed, perhaps too difficult to cope with.
The very existence of life and reality is exposed as a machination of grotesque gods. And to defeat them, Seth will have to fill his emptiness, for which there’s only two options… Bring the world to ruin, or learn to transmute his pain into strength.
Cover reveal is imminent!
This month’s post is going to be brief, as there’s only one topic of importance to talk about! And boy, have I been eager for this to come. It was exciting to sign the contract, but to have nothing else to share for so long, well, oof. It’s been agonizing.
After six long months of waiting, we are finally approaching the cover reveal for THE MONSTERS AMONG US.
That’s right! In three weeks from tomorrow, the cover for the novel will be unveiled. That’s August 23rd, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled and follow me on all my socials because I will surely be making a big deal out of it over there. And I cannot wait.
Again, keep the date in mind:
August 23rd – cover reveal for THE MONSTERS AMONG US
Or, do you want to be the first to see it early? Then you may want to subscribe to my newsletter!
Get excited!
On waiting…
I was hesitant to write this blog post, as it wasn’t too long ago that I was a struggling writer with no publishing credentials. So, I know how it feels to see published or soon-to-be published authors complain about the publishing process. Because at least they are getting published. But it’s due to the reality of what I’m feeling that I have literally nothing else to talk about right now.
The waiting doesn’t get better. Before signing the contract, I was simply waiting for someone to see my book’s worth. Now after signing, I’m waiting for the large span of time before its publication to pass. And its crazy to me that I’ll be experiencing two birthdays before the book releases. Again, I am immensely grateful to be in the position to publish my book at all. But I’m also so eager for my career to fully start.
I suppose I don’t have much else to say about this. Just that the waiting is hard. And I’m eager to be offered more publication deals to be excited about in the meantime. This slow crawl to publication is making me anxious for so much more.
But much of my life has been one long, slow crawl. Sitting here in my study, I’m thinking about all the good things I have in my life. Glancing up the wall in front of me, my Written Arts degree hangs proudly. The silence of my home today contrasts greatly with the vibrancy of laughter and contentedness experienced up until bringing my girlfriend to the airport yesterday. The walls of books surrounding me, a collection of acquired knowledge throughout my years of writing, leading to signing a publication deal. These are all amazing gifts that I first had to work incredibly hard over an excruciating amount of time before I could attain them.
Some cliches are just true. All the best things in life take time. That’s truer still, in this precarious and painfully slow industry.
I’m grateful though, to have had to wait for so many other great things. Bard College is a rigorous and intensely difficult school. Graduating from there is no small feat. And it was as humbling as it was illuminating, and I left my college experience not only with a degree and a written book (THE MONSTERS AMONG US, out 2025!) that won an honors grade, but also a family. Two professors provided me with a sense of community I never had before and helped me survive one of the most tempestuous periods of my life. I will always be thankful for them, and so trust me when I say, my continued admiration for my alma mater is not to be mistaken for the same admiration that Andy Benard from The Office has with Cornell. He was an idiot whose parents paid his way through college, and never amounted to anything more than his college years. But I am an author who has been enriched and deepened and saved by my college. Many years were spent there, waiting for that degree; for a chance to prove myself. And eventually, it came.
The same can be said about my love life. One failure after another, ill-fitted souls destined for nothing but catastrophe. I always felt unique to a point where I could never be understood. And if one can never be understood, then one can never be loved. Not truly. So, I always figured I’d be alone forever. Chipping away at novel after novel, a secluded, neurodiverse hermit. But in the love I’ve found in my aforementioned girlfriend, for the first time in my life I’m finding that it’s possible to feel loved after all. Over a decade of dating, and so much pain, while waiting. But I’ve found it at last and it’s all the sweeter for having waited.
Again, some cliches are just true. And it will be all the sweeter after waiting all this time for THE MONSTERS AMONG US to be published. And there are some exciting things to share on the horizon: next month, on August 23rd, the cover for THE MONSTERS AMONG US will be revealed. And I am so, so excited to share it with you all.
The wait until then… amplifies my satisfaction.