The Hearse is Cursed... and other things
In this episode...
Hearsepower
In addition to reading Slashic submissions, organising preorders, working on a top-secret surprise project 🤭, my friend and colleague, Stephanie Sanders-Jacob has an incredible book coming very soon.
Of course, I am talking about Hearsepower, releasing September 8 by Slashic's sister press, SQUIRM Books. Preorder by clicking the image below!
Synopsis:
Death is in the driver’s seat.
Kayla steals the hearse.She always steals the hearse.
The 1963 Cadillac is the only thing that still feels like hers—a way to escape the weight of a dying family business and the shadow of her father’s death. Behind the wheel, the world goes quiet. Behind the wheel, she almost feels whole.
But lately, the hearse has a mind of its own. The horn blares without warning. Headlights flicker in daylight. The brakes fail at the worst times. And under the hood, something hungry is waiting.
As the engine’s curse unravels generations of family secrets, Kayla has to decide what she’s willing to sacrifice: her future, her friends, or the only piece of her father she has left.
A haunting, heartfelt story about grief, legacy, and the monsters that run in our blood—Hearsepower drives straight through the heart of what it means to let go.
Now... news about me...
Listen, I know I'm not the greatest at social media. I make videos now and then, but I just... it's not me. I feel like I'm boring or don't come off as authentic, and I don't want people to think that about me. So, I kind of shy away from that sort of thing. I am a lot more comfortable with text and images.
You may also notice I don't post a lot of personal content on my pages. I like to kind of keep myself to myself, which is weird for a publisher in some ways. So I am taking a step to add a "News about me" thing to my blogs. It's a chance for readers to get to know me, if they want to!
This one's kind of a doozy, but I promise they won't all be.
Without doing a typical bio, I just want to share something that has been going on for a while now; my husband's health. Back in April, he suffered a heart attack, and while in hospital it was made clear that he cannot have bypass surgery even though he needs it. His arteries are too weak. They also could not do stents at that time for the same reason.
As a result, he was put on a strict regime of medication for 12 weeks, which also consisted of attendance at a weekly cardiac rehab session designed to be a mix of education and exercise.
The 12 weeks has been and gone and we were told stents was the way forward at that point. The medication was looking to have cleared some of the arteries and strengthened the tissue enough for some intervention.
Well, last week we went to hospital and the surgeon stopped after putting a cameria into his veins, up his arm, and got a look at the state of his arteries. She said she would likely do more damage than anything else because of the state of his arteries.
And so the waiting game continues.
We're getting advice from friends who simply don't understand that he cannot exercise. It's been made clear that he can do 10 minutes per day of light walking, which he does. No more. The attitude of people around us, while caring, is actually exhausting us. So I write this not for advice or pity, but just because I want people to know a little bit more about me.
I'm driven by wanting the best for those around me. I am not financially incentivised at all, which explains why I left an extremely high-paid job to do session teaching at university. These last few months, I have been driven by wanting my husband's health to improve and to help him do that.
What does all this mean for someone with Borderline Personality Disorder?
Some of you might know that I have BDP. No, it is not bipolar; not even close. I won't go into detail about the condition except to say that it's essentially about emotional disregulation and the ability to handle stress in healthy ways.
My husband's health situation is not about me. It is about him. Yet, it is also about us. As a couple, we are navigating this together. Still, there are some things I cannot say or express, and BDP works overtime in those moments.
I withdraw.
I communicate less frequently.
I am not as outgoing or positive.
Intrusive thoughts begin to take up more space.
The list goes on. I was lucky enough to get into a Dialetical Behaviour Therapy Program last year (that's another doozy of a story!), which helped me with a lot of skills to remain effective while I am experiencing distress.
And you know? I'm really proud of myself. Because I am stressed. I am a little withdrawn and not as positive as I like to be. But this time last year, I was not able to work, I was having trouble sleeping, my masking performance was at 100% and draining me to the point of not wanting to get out of bed.
Now, even with the ongoing stress and uncertainty of my husband's health, and the added stress around being involved in a car accident (not my fault, folks!), I am still maintaining my effectiveness.
I'm not at 100% productivity, and I've learned to be okay with that. The more I push myself, the more I will burn out, which means I won't be able to be there for my husband. Yet, I am still keeping up-to-date with my responsibilities, both at work and at home.
Earlier I said that I am driven by wanting the best for those around me. While that is true, it is a cold reality that I can't help anyone if I don't help myself first. So if you see less from me on socials than normal, or if I don't reply to messages or emails as quickly as normal, just know that I'm doing my best to show up for people. I am just taking care of myself so I can come back to you later with the attention you deserve.
Well... now I feel super exposed and vulnerable, so that's enough about me! Here's a picture of my dog, Milo, to lift everyone's spirits!
Recent Releases
Extremities #1: Deadbeat was released July 15 and is the first venture into the choose-your-own-adventure queer horror series. Maxim Volk's entry is super fun, super camp, and super gory. It's a thrill ride you don't want to miss. Order a copy from the SHP Website or through the universal link here.
Have a look at Max's socials and give a follow if you like what they're doing!
Dean Cade gave us the SUMMER 1973 trilogy, which I've packaged up as an ebook bundle on the SHP Website. Click below to purchase. The trilogy follows Lane and James as they try to leave their small town, dreaming of a brighter future in California, or anywhere else they can be openly gay without fear of persecution. Cade brilliantly captures the vibe of the 1970s, and what's really amazing about this series is that a lot of the places mentioned in the books are still in operation today.
The publication of this series has an interesting history. Dean originally submitted to Slashic as a single volume and it was rejected. Except, for months and months after I read it, I couldn't get it out of my head. Not only was the story based on a real serial killer, but it also spoke volumes about anti-queer rhetoric in the US at the time, as well as depicting authentic cultural values around muscle car culture.
Simply because I couldn't stop thinking about it, I contacted Dean to see if it was still available and pitched the idea of a trilogy; that would enable a bit more detail and depth to be added without the single volume getting too chunky.
I'm so proud that I righted my initial wrong and that Dean's work was still available. It is such an asset to literature, but also to the Slashic catalogue.
Pieties by Marc Ruvolo is a story that not only lives rent free in your head, but builds an entire society up there. Interestingly, this one was also initially rejected by Slashic and found a home. When that press had to close its doors, I contacted Marc about Pieties, noting that I had made a mistake the first time. Clearly I am not perfect 😂 After having worked with Marc on his other novella, Waste Ground, it felt like a great fit to rehome Pieties with Slashic.
The great news is that this title is also getting an audiobook in the coming months, so keep an eye out for that on the homepage of this site and on the Haruspex Audio site!
Upcoming Releases
TT Madden's The Light-House takes you through a retro video game in which you are the main character. Choose your weapons. Choose your rooms.
Choose your death.
For fans of Try Not to Die...but this is better, as one reviewer said!
AJ Malachite's YOU SEE IT TOO offers readers the chance to enter a nightmarish bayou where the supernatural is not the only thing to worry about. Full of insane plots and less than ideal choices, see if you can survive!
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