It’s that time again. The moment when authors everywhere gently (or not so gently) start nudging readers about the B&N pre-order sale. I haven’t had a book in one of these since The Madness, and this one feels. . . different. Special, in a way I don’t quite have neat and tidy language for.

There’s a strange shift that happens when you become chronically ill. You start letting go of pieces of yourself, sometimes quietly, sometimes not so quietly (cue crying in the shower when you can make it that far). This book holds some of that. It’s set on a salt-licked Scottish island; The Picture of Dorian Gray meets A Cure for Wellness meets chronic illness as a kind of sob into the void, all wrapped up in a story about a very unsettling wellness spa.

Pre-orders, for authors, are a bit like a lifeline. They’re one of the clearest signals to publishers that a book has readers waiting for it. They help determine what happens next, for the book and for the author’s career. Truly, they’re one of the most meaningful ways to support the writers you love. They also help us pay our rent and buy food.

If The Wellness Retreat sounds like your kind of thing, I would love it if you took advantage of the pre-order discount. And hey, future you might appreciate having something eerie and beautiful waiting when autumn comes back around.

Some of the books I’ll be getting are:

The Temptation of Charlotte North by Camilla Bruce. I adore Camilla’s writing so much), and this one is described as a dark gothic fantasy set in an isolated community (say less).

The House of Cursed Daughters by C.J Cooke. “Three women, one ancient curse?” Um, yes please. If any of you read Teeth in the Mist, you’ll know I love a feisty female trio against an ancient curse.

Quaint Folk by Bitter Karella. Folk horror on an isolated island? SAY LESS. As you know, both The Seventh Sister and The Wellness Retreat are isolated island novels, so you might suppose I have a NEED.

Aviary by Maria Dong. Going undercover to her sister’s art program to investigate weird happenings? Yes. Immediately yes. As you can tell from The Wellness Retreat, I love a good undercover investigation into a creepy institution, art program or spa . . . especially when it’s a sister.

Monstera by Delilah S. Dawson. Sapphic botanical horror novella? Yes.

Our Strange Duet by Erin A. Craig. Phantom of the Opera is all you needed to say to me.

Also, The Seventh Sister, my other feral book baby is out in just under two weeks! She has a pre-order thing going on, check it out. I hope you’ll treat yourself to some forest rot folk horror while you await the salt-kissed wellness of (totally calming and not culty at all) The Wellness Retreat.

Chat soon,

Dawn