Tag: bookreview

Women in Horror Interview Series: Sonora Taylor

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Sonora Taylor is an American horror writer known for blending psychological dread with surreal and often unsettling themes. Her work frequently explores identity, body horror, and emotional trauma through novels, novellas, and short stories in the modern indie horror scene.

Can you talk about your latest book and what readers might find appealing about it

My next book is a novelette called “Passing Glance,” which appears in SPLIT SCREAM VOL. 8: CURSED PLACES. It’s about a woman who attends her friend’s 30th birthday party at an eccentric mansion filled with mirrors that may or may not be cursed. It’s based o a wild museum I went to in Washington, D.C., called the O Street Mansion, which is filled with quirky decor that gives the place a sinister vibe. I walked through it, though, I felt like the place itself wasn’t haunted, but the mirrors definitely were. I think readers will enjoy how twisty and strange it is, with something creepier around every corner. I sometimes felt as discombobulated as the main character while writing her journey! It’s coming out April 21 from Tenebrous Press, and you can preorder it here.

What’s a book you can’t stop recommending?

Sky Daddy by Kate Folk. It’s a novel about a woman who is romantically attracted to airplanes. She believes it’s her fate to be chosen by a plane who will then “marry” her by melding their bodies into one–ie, crashing. So, she spends a lot of time each month flying planes in the hopes she’ll be chosen, but this desire hits a hiccup when her best friend at work starts to hang out with her more often in their off-hours. It was so strange and wonderful, and the depiction of the female friendship was really great.

Can you explain your writing process? What inspires you?

Most of my stories start with one thought, and that thought is usually “Wouldn’t it be funny if”, but with something that’s not that funny unless you share my gallows humor. For instance, “Wouldn’t it be funny if a serial killer’s mom was so proud of them, they hung up their trophies like A+ tests on a cork board?” became Without Condition. From there, I try to dig deeper into more than just that thought, and usually end up with something much darker but also much richer.

Is there a snack or drink that gets you into a writing mindset?

Ooh, good question. Probably tea. I try not to eat while I’m writing (I’ve been trying to be better in general about not doing other things while I eat). I’m a tea fanatic and have so many different kinds.

Are there any horror tropes you especially love in books or films?

Haunted houses. I love a good ghost story. Stories from the perspective of the killer, because I find a fractured mind much scarier to inhabit.

Who’s your favorite final girl?

Selena from 28 Days Later. Though I guess both she and Hannah survived. Still, she’s amazing. 28 Days Later is my favorite horror movie. (I don’t acknowledge the sequels)

Are you currently working on anything new?

I am working on two longer stories: one about a TV cooking show host embarking on a “good for her” change in career, and a ghost story about the spirit of a little girl blamed for children’s deaths in her neighborhood, and her one surviving friend’s quest to discover the truth about her.

Bio:

Sonora Taylor (she/her) is the award-winning author of several books and short stories, including Errant Roots, Little Paranoias: Stories, and Without Condition.  She also co-edited Diet Riot: A Fatterpunk Anthology with Nico Bell. Her short stories have been published by Tenebrous Press, Rooster Republic Press, PseudoPod, Kandisha Press, Camden Park Press, Cemetery Gates Media, Tales to Terrify, Sirens Call Publications, Ghost Orchid Press, and others.

Her short stories and books frequently appear on “Best of the Year” lists. In 2020, she won two Ladies of Horror Fiction Awards: one for Best Novel (Without Condition) and one for Best Short Story Collection (Little Paranoias: Stories). In 2022, her short story, “Eat Your Colors,” was selected by Tenebrous Press to appear in Brave New Weird: The Best New Weird Horror Vol. 1. In 2024, her nonfiction essay, “Anything But Cooking, Please,” was a Top 15 finalist in Roxane Gay’s Audacious Book Club essay contest.

She co-managers Fright Girl Summer, an online book festival highlighting marginalized authors, with V. Castro. She also serves on the board of directors of Scares That Care.

Her latest short story collection, All the Pieces Coming Together: Collected Works, is out now from Manta Press. She lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband and a rescue dog.

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Women in Horror Interview Series: Joni Chng

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Joni Chng is a horror author with many of her stories appearing in various anthologies.

Can you talk about your latest book or story and what readers might find appealing about it?

I’ll just recommend my three latest published short stories:
Becoming the Deathless, published in the Into the Dread Unknown anthology in 2025, if you love Slavic mythology. This is a villain origin story sort of retelling of how Koschei the Deathless attained his immortality. It’s the first retelling I ever did, and I had fun with it.

Next, check out my first fantasy story published, Moonlight City of the Hidden Ones in A Spoonful of Malaysian Magic by Malaysian indie publisher, Teaspoon Publishing. It has extensive world building that will be explored in my future work.

My third recommendation is Faceless Portraits in The Big Book of Malaysian Horror Stories. I thought I invented a phobia for my protagonist when I wrote this story in the midst of the pandemic lockdown. It was only when I was giving this recommendation that I learned from a quick Google search of “fear of faceless people” about masklophobia – an irrational fear of people with hidden, obscure and absent faces, often rooted in an inability to read emotions, creating feelings of uncertainty and danger. I’m proud to say I was quite on point with my main character, but there’s more to his avoidant personality and masklophobia in the story. This anthology was published in 2022, with my story being one of 20 (but the illustration for my story is the cover art). If you want to explore horror beyond western media, I highly recommend it.

What’s a book you can’t stop recommending?

Misery by Stephen King. It’s technically and conceptually brilliant and a good introductory book for those getting into King’s work and horror fiction in general. It was my first King book. It is a must-read for aspiring writers looking to improve their craft. The first few pages that introduce us to the protagonist and his predicament are so masterfully written that you can feel a sort of phantom pain from the descriptive prose alone.

It also shows that horror can come in so many forms that it needn’t have a ghost or serial killer.

Can you explain your writing process? What inspires you?

I tend to work within my own pocket universe, which I continue to build and expand with each story I write. This fictional universe of mine is an alternative to our current reality; there is magic, there are mythical and divine beings, and weird science. Every time I start a new project, whether it’s a book or short story, I go into this universe and see what kind of stories can be told from there, with its laws are at play. So, with a very few exceptions, if you see any of my stories published in anthologies and journals, know that they all take place in the same universe.

Inspiration comes to me everywhere, really. Culture, history, myths, folklore, the latest scientific discovery, from observation, even something mentioned in passing in a conversation or a comment under a social media post can spark an idea. You can’t be a good storyteller without a curiosity and a certain love for the pursuit of knowledge. Every rabbit hole I ventured down is a potential building block for my universe.

Is there a snack or drink that gets you into a writing mindset?

Usually just morning coffee before I start working. I make it a point to not eat while I work; it’s not a good habit conducive to focus, not to mention having food around your workspace can be a messy disaster waiting to happen. What if you get crumbs in your keyboard or worse, spill something over your work? So, yeah…not recommended.

Are there any horror tropes you especially love in books or films?

I have a special love for religious horror or holiday horror (that is not Halloween), just about anything that juxtaposes a happy occasion with something dreadful and morbid. There’s something so undeniably unsettling about finding a deeper darkness behind what’s supposed to be sacred, holy and joyful. And once you see it, you cannot un-see it.

My particularly favorite is something called the “clashing of red and white” often done in Chinese language media. In Chinese, a “red affair” refers to auspicious, happy events associated with celebration, usually weddings, with red being an auspicious color. Meanwhile, white is the color of mourning. A “white affair” refers to sombre events associated with death. So, the ghost bride is a common trope. There’s also a belief in Chinese culture that if a person is killed dressed in red, the spirit will return to seek revenge. What would make for a more wrathful spirit than being killed on one’s wedding day, right?

Visually, with the traditional Chinese wedding procession, the bride is carried to her husband’s house seated inside a box-like sedan chair. It’s not that different from a funeral procession with the deceased being carried in a coffin (essentially another box). When you think about it, a wedding is symbolically a woman’s funeral, where her identity and personhood dissolves.

Who’s your favorite final girl?

I have a few, but for now, the one I can think of is Margot, in the movie, The Menu, played by Anya Taylor-Joy. She survives because of her empathy for the villain and quick-thinking.

Are you currently working on anything new?

I’m currently on the last leg of revisions for my first novel and hoping to start shopping for a publisher by mid-2026. It is an urban fantasy, set in Malaysia where I live. It will be the first book in a series of standalone but interconnected novels set in the same universe. It has fae folks, Chinese Gods, Hindu Gods and vampires walking among humans. That’s all I’ll say about it without giving away too much.


For a taste of this corner of my universe, read my aforementioned short story, Moonlight City of the Hidden Ones.

You can find more of Joni’s writing here: jonichng.substack.com

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Women in Horror Interview Series: Pascale Potvin

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Pascale Potvin is a bit of a triple threat, author, filmmaker, and actress.

Can you talk about your latest book and what readers might find appealing about it?

Game Over Books recently published Demondust, or On Wanting and Killing Men, my short story collection that I guess is self explanatory—the demon that is loving men and the dust that is killing them. But the book is not just about those things. In general, they’re stories for people who like quieter, interior, self-inflicted horrors of any gender/kind. In a context where thought is the ultimate masochism, the horror skews abstract and unreliable, in itself, as a means of getting into your head if you’ll let me.

What’s a book you can’t stop recommending?

Lolita is one of the best works of literary horror—change my mind…

Can you explain your writing process? What inspires you?

My process can be all over the place, also depending on what genre or form I’m working with. Before I was medicated, horror was my saving grace and a cathartic means of ‘fictionalizing’ things that were too real. More so then, but even now, my writing sparks the most at night when my inhibitions are lowered. Across genres, a lot of it starts with a big existential or metaphysical question (which horror just lets me answer in the most deranged way available.)

Is there a snack or drink that gets you into a writing mindset?

Honestly, wine, but the problem is it’s also an easy road to losing focus. So I actually really like non-alcoholic white wine for that purpose (the *vibes*).

Are there any horror tropes you especially love in books or films?

I love an unstable body. Possessed, transformed, decaying, etc. We could write a million original stories from that trope—and we will—because it’s a terror so inherent to us. Even more than that, I love an unstable reality: my favourite type of book or movie is probably the kind where I have to go and Google “___ ending explained” and can lie there reading reddit threads of speculation before bed.

Who’s your favorite final girl?

Good question. Maybe Maxine from X!

Are you currently working on anything new?

Yes, a lot of little things and a new screenplay. I’ve co-written a book of autofictional/experimental erotic horror that has been ready to go for a while now. The working title is Gasps That Seduced Even Ghosts as They Flew By. One of its main pieces is coming soon in an anthology titled SMUT, so I hope to get to share more about it then.

Find out more about Pascale at her website: pascalepotvin.com

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Women in Horror Interview Series: Renee Thomasin

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Renee Thomasin is a writer of 90s/Y2K nostalgic horror. She has written Pixel Pefect and Best Friends Forever.

Can you talk about your latest book and what readers might find appealing about it?

My most recent short story is called “Pixel Perfect,” and it’s my commentary on the dangers that existed in online diet culture spaces. This story appeals to readers who remember that time period firsthand or those who want a peak into the dark side of y2k and body horror.

What’s a book you can’t stop recommending?

Can I list more than one? I have been recommending The Blueprint by Rae Giana Rashad and The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Canas.

Can you explain your writing process? What inspires you?

I am very much a “shiny new idea” person, so I’m always jotting down ideas for different stories. This can deter me from current works in progress, but it’s just how my mind works. I find inspiration and ideas flow when I’m driving or on a walk. As a full-time teacher, I have to force myself to get into a creative flow, which can be a challenge when your cup is empty at the end of the day. I always start in a notebook and sometimes find it difficult for my ideas to flow when it’s just me and a keyboard. I find inspiration in the world around me and always have some sort of mood playlist where I let my imagination take over.

Is there a snack or drink that gets you into a writing mindset?

I typically like some sort of latte, hot or iced depending on my mood, my water bottle with pink lemonade electrolytes, and something bubbly like a ginger ale. I’m somewhat of a drink goblin, haha. But coffee definitely sets the mood!

Are there any horror tropes you especially love in books or films?

I enjoy some body horror and gothic elements and always enjoy a vampire retelling. I’m also drawn to grief and nostalgic horror.

Who’s your favorite final girl?

Janelle Monae’s character, Veronica/Eden, in Antebellum is a powerful final girl. I’ve also been drawn to movie Wendy Torrance as well.

Are you currently working on anything new?

Yes, I am working on a reimagining of The Stepford Wives but as dark, pink academia, as well as a 90s YA horror novel.

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Women in Horror Interview Series: Kerry E. B. Black

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Kerry E. B. Black is a horror writer from Western Pennsylvania whose work explores the dark corners of the imagination. She writes across multiple forms—poetry, young adult fiction, short stories, and novellas—crafting creepy tales that explore the darker side of life.

Can you talk about your latest book and what readers might find appealing about it?

I’m eagerly awaiting the release of Witches in the Air, a book of poetic essays about witchcraft from an historic, cultural, and modern perspective. It’s a huge project, but one that was profoundly moving to me.

My brother, Chris Blickenderfer, hand drew the cover art, and it is GORGEOUS! (He’s so talented. He’s made hand-drawn, original pieces for all of my short story collections and my other poetry collection as well, and they’re amazing works of art.)

What’s a book you can’t stop recommending?

My favorite book last year was Bat Eater by Kylie Lee Baker. I love when a book touches and teaches me, and this novel certainly achieved that.

Can you explain your writing process? What inspires you?

Inspiration is a tricky thing. It’s like a weird, electrical impulse that zaps the brain, leaving a charred after-scent that can’t be ignored. Strange things inspire me. An interesting word can do it. A news story. An intriguing, historical image or a visit to a place.

I start projects when I know how they will end. Once I have a pretty clear image of the conclusion, I draft. So, I suppose I’m a modified “pantser,” in that I have certain things that must happen before that conclusion, but I don’t outline in the traditional way.

As a busy, working mom, I have to steal time to write, which means I usually sit at my computer in the wee hours of the morning. I curl up on the couch, a cat or two at my side, and type until my eyes cross or I doze off. Some day, I hope to have an actual desk and regular operating hours. Haha.

Is there a snack or drink that gets you into a writing mindset?

I make sure to stay hydrated while I write. Water and tea do the trick.

Are there any horror tropes you especially love in books or films?

I enjoy a Gothic setting, a folksy character or creature, a story with creeping chills, and tales that make me think.

Who’s your favorite final girl?

I admire Lt. Ripley, from the Alien franchise.

Are you currently working on anything new?

Witches in the Air is in the hands of my editor, Deb Sanchez at my Publisher, Tree Shadow Press. I hear it will be released soon.

In the meanwhile, I’m working on a folk horror novella and am compiling a latest collection of short stories.

You can keep up with her writing at: https://kerryebblack.com/

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Women in Horror Interview Series: Rachel Bolton

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Bram Stoker Award–nominated horror author Rachel Bolton crafts chilling short stories that probe the powerful intersection of horror and feminism. Through unsettling atmospheres and sharp insight, she explores how fear, identity, and womanhood collide—revealing the darker truths that lurk beneath the surface.

Can you talk about your latest book or story and what readers might find appealing about it?

My latest story is “Moonglow,” it will be appearing in an anthology later this year. Protagonist Alice loves to lie and she is very good at it. She’s smugly faking a pregnancy at her workplace. Alice is terrible but she has become one of my most favorite characters. She has a great voice.

Did I mention “Moonglow” has some fun body horror?

What’s a book you can’t stop recommending?

I’m a bookseller, so I am constantly recommending books. I’m often suggesting Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield, Herculine by Grace Byron, The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey, and White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi.

These are all very different books within the speculative/horror genre. Each one deeply affected me both as a reader and a writer. There were moments where I needed to pause to appreciate the writing, emotionally and stylistically.

Can you explain your writing process? What inspires you?

I am a believer in Octavia E. Butler’s advice on the importance of habit as a writer. This is the third year where I am tracking both my word count and editing time. This is both a boon and problem. I love that I can see how much I’ve gotten done, but then I am judgemental about the quantity of my work. I feel I never do enough.

I settle in at my computer, pop my headphones on, and get lost for a bit in the story. I consider myself a “Planster.” Outlines are helpful guides, but it’s good to let the characters and plot develop in ways you hadn’t expected. I’ve had characters override my storytelling choices a few times.

Is there a snack or drink that gets you into a writing mindset?

I love a hot cup of tea at my side. If I’m being honest, there are several empty seltzer cans on my desk right now.

Are there any horror tropes you especially love in books or films?

My two great horror subgenre loves are body horror and psychological horror. If they meet, all the better. A great example of that would be Rose Glass’ Saint Maud. The ending still haunts me. I’m a big fan of women with unusual desires, and Julia Ducorneau did that twice with Raw and Titane. Sisterly cannibalism and car fucking!

Above all, I appreciate writers who are willing to take an idea to extremes. Half measures don’t create good books or movies. A great literary example of that is Gretchen Felker-Martin’s Black Flame. That book is so damn good.

Who’s your favorite final girl?

My beloved Ellen Ripley. Sigourney Weaver looks so much like my mom! My mom would also kick some alien ass. I love Ripley for her drive to survive, her compassion, and how she doesn’t tolerate idiots. “They can bill me!”

Are you currently working on anything new?

I’m currently working on a novel about a woman whose wife gets absorbed into their home, now her body is their house. The wife is incredibly happy about this, the protagonist, privately, is not. Problems ensue. Body horror and psychological horror come together here. I’m having a lot of fun as I get to know these two ladies.

You can keep up with her writing at: https://rachelmbolton.wordpress.com

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Women in Horror Interview Series: Holly Knightley

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Holly Knightley is a compelling horror writer, known for crafting dark, gripping tales that always deliver unexpected, sinister twists.

Can you talk about your latest book and what readers might find appealing about it?

My short story, Piggy, just came out on Feb 15th! It was an average day when Alley Faye found a five-dollar bill on the ground with a message: Here piggy, piggy, piggy. Greed is a sin, and you just let me in. This quick 38-page read will keep readers on their toes until the last page. This story has true crime vibes with a stalker who has a thing for the story of ‘The Three Little Pigs.’

What’s a book you can’t stop recommending?

We are talking women in horror, and I would be remiss not to say ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley. It is one of my favorite books, if not my favorite. Shelley explores themes of morality while giving her readers one amazing monster story where who is the ‘real’ monster is always in question. There is a reason this story still haunts readers today, it is simply brilliant.

Can you explain your writing process? What inspires you?

Most of my stories are inspired by my real-life experiences or moments that have made me pause. You know, that feeling that you get when something unsettles you? I explore why things make me feel the way I do, often using the supernatural to tell the story. My process usually goes the same. Something makes me pause to think and my brain whispers the story to me. If I have the time, I will outline the entire story the moment it pops into my head. If not, I will at least get down the vibe and characters and come back to it later.

Is there a snack or drink that gets you into a writing mindset?

Coke Zero. I am totally addicted to it and can’t start my day without it. I have a can in the morning, sometimes two—that’s when I know it’s going to be a good writing day.

Are there any horror tropes you especially love in books or films?

I love the haunted house trope. Nothing scares me more than a haunted house. When I was a child, I always thought: Just leave. As an adult, I realize you can’t just leave, which has made this trope and genre scarier for me. Throw in an unreliable narrator and buried secrets, and I’m hooked.

Who’s your favorite final girl?

This is a hard question, there are so many great final girls, but I am going with Ellen Ripley, Sigourney Weaver’s character from ‘Alien’. She’s badass and hot as Hell.

Are you currently working on anything new?

Yes, I have a new haunted house mystery thriller coming out July 16th entitled Cadbury House. This is such a fun mashup between the haunted house trope and haunted object trope. The story is pure chaos, in the very best way, and I can’t wait for it to be read!

You can keep up with her writing at: https://hollyknightley.com/

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Behind the Scenes: This Fever Called Living

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Juliette’s isolation is drawn from my own sense of disconnect as a teenager living in Sicily. Early readers of This Fever Called Living have noted how jarring it feels to encounter modern technology in a setting that seems steeped in history. The truth is, living in Sicily felt just as contradictory. You had modern conveniences like cell phones and the internet, but step outside, and you were surrounded by ancient ruins. Every town seemed like a remnant of whichever empire had once claimed it. This jarring mix was intentional, just as the repetition is. I often find certain phrases looping in my mind, or a song on repeat for hours. Repetition becomes a kind of self-soothing mechanism, a way of coping with the noise of the world.

The passage of time in the novella is intentionally ambiguous. In the present, everything unfolds between January and February, stretching into early March. The past, however, is set in the summer of 1998. As a teenager, time moved in strange ways—winters felt endless, while summers seemed to slip by in a blink. Time itself felt hazy and distorted, and I wanted to capture that sense of unraveling in Juliette’s journey.

This Fever Called Living is a fever dream drenched in tragedy.

The novella comes out March 3.

The Plot Summary:

A dark retelling/mashup of Carmilla and The Fall of the House of Usher.

Palermo, Sicily 1999.

Juliette suffers from a rare illness that keeps her hidden from the sun. Her winter days at Villa Astrid are filled with isolation and gnawing hunger, haunted by fragmented memories of a summer she can’t quite piece together.

Then Elenoire arrives.

Mysterious and magnetic, Elenoire captivates Juliette in a way that’s both thrilling and terrifying. There’s something dangerous about her, something Juliette can’t name. She knows she should keep her distance, yet all she can think about is kissing her.

Meanwhile, young women are turning up dead across Palermo. Whispers of a serial killer spread through the city, but Juliette suspects that something darker is at play. Something not entirely human.

You can pre-order the book HERE.

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Interview with Viggy Parr Hampton

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Viggy Parr Hampton has carved out a prominent place in the horror world. With her spine-chilling books and the popular podcast Horror Humor Hunger, she’s become a go-to expert on everything from horror history to the darkest, most unsettling facts. Now, with her latest release, A Veritable Household Pet, she’s ready to haunt our nightmares in a whole new way.

Can you talk about your latest book and what readers might find appealing about it?

My latest book, A Veritable Household Pet, is horror of a different stripe than usual. Darla Gregory receives a transorbital lobotomy at the age of eleven, and she is never the same. The book follows her life in the aftermath of the surgery, as well as the life of her older sister Ellie, who acts as her caretaker and the reluctant scribe for her story, injecting her views where relevant. A Veritable Household Pet explores a suite of very real terrors, rooted in true history: medical malpractice, family trauma, toxic relationships, mental illness, caregiver fatigue, misogyny, the loss of autonomy and identity, and so much more. It’s my favorite book yet, because it will make readers feel for the characters incredibly deeply.

You always do so much research for your books, what’s something you found out when researching that was surprising or horrifying?

One of the most horrifying pieces of information I came across directly inspired the title of the book. While doing my research on lobotomies, I kept finding before and after photos of patients. In the before photos, the patients would invariably look unkempt and unwell, and in the after photos, while they looked well-groomed and might even be smiling, their eyes looked completely vacant. One such before and after photo even had a caption that said the post-lobotomy patient was ‘a veritable household pet.’ The way these patients were treated as infantilized, docile creatures is both heartbreaking and horrifying in equal measure.

What’s a book you can’t stop recommending?

My Lobotomy by Howard Dully is the memoir of a man who received a lobotomy at the age of 12. It was a pivotal source for my research, but it’s also one of the most fascinating books I’ve ever read in its own right. I will never stop recommending this one!

Can you explain your writing process? What inspires you?

Every time I sit down to start a new novel, I think: Wait a minute, what am I doing? Every novel feels like its own microcosm, but here’s my general process. First, I spend a few months (or even longer) letting the ideas build up and marinate. I keep a notebook with bits and pieces of ideas, and when those ideas start to outgrow the pages, I move them to a document in my writing processor of choice, Scrivener. Then, I make note of any research I’ll need to do—books to read, movies to watch, podcasts to listen to, etc. After I’ve done enough research that I feel ready—or, if the characters start knocking on the proverbial door too hard, whichever comes first—I’ll start writing. I’ve been a plotter in the past, but now I’m a certified pantser.

In terms of inspiration, I pull things from everywhere—articles I’ve read, stories I’ve heard, history I’ve researched, places I’ve been. All of my books have some thread of truth or history running through them, which I think makes them that much punchier.

Is there a snack or drink that gets you into a writing mindset?

Lately I’ve been really loving having a cup of hot green tea next to me. It’s relaxing, and it helps signal my brain that it’s time to get down to business.

Are there any horror tropes you especially love in books or films?

I love two things: an unreliable, complicated narrator and an unhappy ending! It’s horror, after all—I don’t want to come away from it smiling!

Are you currently working on anything new?


My fifth novel, Ripped Up the Middle in Two, will publish in late July, and I’m currently getting that one in shape. It’s a creature feature motherhood horror about a postpartum mom who thinks there’s an evil fairy in the woods that wants to steal her baby. I’m also about to start work on my sixth novel, which will be a time travel-spin on the haunted house story.

A Veritable Household Pet is now available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites.

You can keep up with her writing at: https://viggyhampton.com/

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Why Audiobooks Might Be Your New Favorite Thing 🎧📚

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If you love stories but struggle to find time to sit down with a book, audiobooks are about to become your best friend. They’re convenient, cozy, and honestly kind of magical. Whether you’re commuting, cleaning, walking, or just lying on the couch pretending to “rest your eyes,” audiobooks let you enjoy books anytime, anywhere.

Here’s why audiobooks deserve a permanent spot in your daily routine.

You Can Read While Doing… Literally Anything

Folding laundry? Driving? Cooking dinner? Audiobooks turn everyday tasks into mini adventures. Suddenly, errands feel less boring and more “main character energy.” You’ll be amazed at how quickly you get through books without ever cracking one open.

They Make Stories Come Alive

A great narrator can elevate a book to a whole new level. Different voices, accents, emotion—it’s basically a private performance just for you. Some stories honestly feel better in audio form (yes, we said it).

Perfect for Busy Schedules

Audiobooks fit seamlessly into even the busiest lives. You don’t need to block out quiet time or carry a physical book around. Just pop in your headphones and press play—storytime is officially flexible.

Easy on the Eyes

Screen fatigue is real, and audiobooks are a refreshing break. No staring, no scrolling, no squinting—just close your eyes and listen. It’s relaxing and productive, which feels like winning.

They Help You Read More (Without the Pressure)

Audiobooks remove the pressure of “keeping up” with reading. You can go at your own pace, rewind if you miss something, or speed things up when you’re hooked. Before you know it, you’ve finished way more books than usual—and it feels effortless.

Perfect for Every Mood

Feel like something light and fun? Queue up a rom-com. Want motivation? Try a personal growth listen. Need comfort? A familiar narrator can feel like a cozy conversation. There’s truly an audiobook for every mood and moment.

Final Chapter

Audiobooks aren’t cheating—they’re just reading with a glow-up. They make books more accessible, more fun, and way easier to fit into real life. So grab your headphones, press play, and let the story come to you. 🎧📖✨

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