TRAVELING IS HARD

I like being in other places, but I don’t like traveling to other places. Do you know what I mean? Being crammed into a flying piece of metal with seats that practically force you to sit in a stranger’s lap is a special form of cruelty that only greedy airline CEOs could dream up from their private jets.

Trains. Oh, how I love them, but they do not have enough nationwide coverage. (If someone from Amtrak is reading this, please bring back your Writer Residency program.)

Road trips? I’d rather not. I do not recognize myself once I hit the Mass pike. Plus there are phantom hitchhikers to worry about.

But until I master astral projection, I’ll be flying and driving everywhere.

It’s only late April, but I’ve already traveled to Texas, Missouri, across Pennsylvania, and kind of everywhere in between.

TEXAS HAS A BIG LOVE OF BOOKS

The state of Texas loves It Came from the Trees, so of course I went to visit with young readers.

The PTA made this sign! I wish I had taken it with me.

I met with 3,000 (!!!) students in Humble, TX as part of their Battle of the Books program. The students were super hyped to talk about cryptids, especially skinwalkers, and other spooky subjects. Some kids are into pretty creepy stuff—the kind of stuff that keeps me awake at night, like rituals, Ouija boards, and Bloody Mary.

Gif by spongebob on Giphy

I was able to see how librarians are keeping literacy alive by encouraging reading. In this case, the librarian created the perfect camping scene to get students excited to read It Came from the Trees.

School library or favorite camping destination?

I received fan art. Look! (I made a funny face to stop myself from crying in front of the kids.)

Fan art for It Came from the Trees

Just as precious as the fan art were the book signings with the students. Every interaction was priceless, and my heart melted each time a kid placed a battered and well-loved copy of It Came from the Trees on the table. When I was a kid, I had books that looked similar—books that I pored over and read repeatedly from cover to cover and annotated and wrote my name and address in so that someone could return the book if it was lost. It was incredible to see that some young readers still have that same love of books.

Now, let me paint a picture for you. You walk into a building and there’s a Scholastic Book Fair right in front of you. Off to the side, an indie bookstore called The Book Readers Venue is selling books. You walk deeper into the building and find the gymnasium. The bleachers are packed with cheering fans. You might think there’s a [insert indoor sport] game happening, but no—the people are cheering for books! Kids are wearing literary-themed costumes. They’re huddled around homemade team signs with bookish puns as they try to come up with the correct answers to book trivia questions.

No, you have not died and gone to heaven. You are at the Humble school district’s Battle of the Books competition, and it’s one of the best things you will ever see.

How do we get Battle of the Books on CSPAN?

While the atmosphere buzzed with bookish energy, this event was bittersweet, as it signaled the end of my time in Texas, and also because the students were devastated when they answered a question wrong and were eliminated from the competition. On the one hand, it’s heartbreaking to lose a competition that you’ve spent months preparing for; however, on the other hand…these students had spent months eagerly reading dozens of books. (Some students were designated experts for It Came from the Trees.)

I’m not doing the moment justice. You had to be there. And maybe you can. How do we get this on CSPAN? It could air right after the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Some other highlights from Texas:

I got to see Down Came the Spiders at a Scholastic Book Fair, and I got to see the Scholastic edition of It Came from the Trees.

My millennial heart. 🥲

I visited two indie bookstores. Murder By the Book. It’s the best atmospheric bookstore for lovers of mystery and dark fiction. Bonus: The booksellers are so kind.

Murder By the Book

The Book Readers Venue is lovely and hosted me for an author event! Reach out to them for signed books and all your bookish needs.

The Book Readers Venue

And I ate delicious tacos! These tacos were so good that I ate them twice in three days. I also ate too many Krispy Kremes. No photos because I inhaled them.

The students cheered when I told them how much I love tacos.

ONWARD TO MISSOURI

From Texas, I traveled to Missouri for the University of Central Missouri’s Children’s Literature festival.

The 57th University of Central Missouri Children’s Literature Festival

I didn’t know what to expect, but the festival organizers were very hospitable, and they fed the authors and illustrators a lot of really good food. (Honestly, authors don’t want much. We want people to read our books, and we want food.)

While in Missouri:

I met incredibly kind authors and illustrators. We visited the children’s book and toy store of your dreams, and we ate really good Greek food at a vintage toy and videogame museum, where we spotted mini cows.

Retrograde

And I saw an original Corduroy drawing by Don Freeman.

Corduroy by Don Freeman

If you live in Missouri or Kansas—don’t miss out on this festival next year!

Even though I had a blast in Missouri, the word “tornado” kept popping up in conversations. Therefore, I didn’t sleep well the night before we left, because I was nervous about the lightning, wind, and sideways rain.

This is was my drive to the airport the next morning. You might think this is footage from the 1996 classic Twister, but you are wrong. This was my drive from Warrensburg to Kansas City…

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Oh, and as I was boarding a plane to head home to Pennsylvania, my editor shared exciting news—It Came from the Trees had made the USA Today Bestsellers list! After nearly two years!!

EVERYWHERE, US

Because I sometimes operate at 110%, I returned home from Missouri late in the evening, and the very next morning I presented virtually to librarians in Maryland as part of their Black-Eyed Susan Award programming. Later that afternoon, I joined fellow middle-grade authors for the Horror Writers Association’s Summer Scares panel, hosted by Booklist. You can watch the recording here!

See? I really have been everywhere.

Where am I headed next? I’m going to New York City for the Edgar Allan Poe Awards, hosted by the Mystery Writers of America. You can’t follow me there, but you can watch the live stream here. You can also join me at the following events, where I’ll have cemetery maps, bookmarks, stickers, and worms. 🪱

DOYLESTOWN, PA

Saturday, May 2, 2026 • 10 am • FREE
Bucks County Book Fest - ATTEND

PITTSBURGH, PA

Saturday, May 30, 2026 • 10 am • FREE
Pittsburgh Book Fest - ATTEND

PITTSBURGH, PA

June 4-7, 2026
StokerCon - ATTEND
I will not be attending every day of the con. More details to come.

BOSTON, MA

Saturday, September 26, 2026 • 11 am • FREE
Spooktastic Book Fair - ATTEND

WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING?

It Came from the Trees has made its way to Washington state, home of America’s favorite cryptid.

Trees is a 2027 Sasquatch Award nominee and a 2027 Evergreen Teen Book Award nominee!

It Came from the Trees made it to the PNW!

If you’re a librarian or reader in Washington, please know that I would love to visit the Pacific NW.

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Mystery James is also getting some attention in Rhode Island. As a former New Englander, I’m so pleased. And again, RI librarians, see gif above.

If you’re looking for signed copies of Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave, check with Thrillerdelphia, Copper Dog Books, Spark Books, The Otto Bookstore, and Riverstone Books.

If you want to preorder the second and final book in the duology, Mystery James Returns from the Grave, please do so at your local indie and hold on to your receipt.

That’s all for now.

I’m supposed to leave you with something actually scary, huh? I don’t have anything scary for you, but I do have something cool.

The bigfoot emoji is now live on apple and android phones! It’s the best emoji. Use it often so that Unicode will want to make more cryptid and creepy emojis. This image appears blurry in my email test sends. I wonder if that’s accidental or just Unicode committing to the bigfoot sighting bit, because have you ever seen a clear photo of bigfoot? 🤨 

REALLY—I HAVE MYSTERY JAMES NEWS TO SHARE

Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave has been nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award in the Best Juvenile fiction category!

These awards honor the best in mystery fiction, and I’m honored that my ghoulish girl’s cemetery shenanigans have landed her in such great fictional company. The winner will be announced in the spring.

(I wonder if this will give me street cred with crows.)

Mystery has also made it on to the preliminary ballot for the Horror Writers Association’s 2025 Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Middle Grade Novel. Thank you to the horror readers and writers who helped her get there. Here’s a worm for you. 🪱

If you’re new around here, you should know that Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave is the first book in a duology. The second and final book will hit indie bookstores and libraries in the fall. What’s that? You want to know what the cover looks like? OKAY!

HERE’S A COVER REVEAL

In Mystery James Returns from the Grave, spring break takes a terrifying turn when Mystery suspects a ghost has entered Garcia Graves & Funeral Home…and refuses to leave.

Cover by Devin Forst and Carol Ly

Spring break was supposed to be a time for relaxation, but for Mystery James, it quickly turns into a series of spine-chilling adventures. After a burial at Garcia Graves & Funeral Home, Mystery begins to suspect the ghost of one of Ellis Town's most eccentric residents may be lingering in her home...or worse, haunting it.

With her trusty arachnid companion, Coffin by her side, Mystery must contend with creepy mortuary salesmen, a sinister presence creeping through her Tía Lucy's home, and changing friendship dynamics, all while uncovering clues that lead her deeper into an increasingly complex—and personal—mystery.

Soon, the Olde Ellis Town Cemetery becomes the backdrop for a showdown between the past and the present, where Mystery must confront her deepest fears and uncover the truth behind the supernatural events that have plagued her since childhood.

ARE YOU SCREAMING?

If your bones are rattling and your spirit is screaming “More Mystery James!”—do me a favor and run to your library or favorite indie bookstore and tell them. Early requests show publishers, booksellers, and libraries how excited readers are for a book.

You can also add book two to your TBR on Goodreads and Storygraph.

Huh? You want to talk about Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave in person?

IF YOU LIVE NEAR PHILADELPHIA…

I’ll be at Thrillerdelphia, a new-ish indie bookstore near you!

Fellow children’s horror author Laura Parnum (The Haunting of Bellington Cottage) will join me for a haunting conversation about the book, and Anthony of Thrillerdelphia will host a hands-on mini workshop on ghost hunting, showing how real-world ghost hunting apps and tools work, how investigators use them, and letting attendees try them out around the shop.

And I’m bringing worms… 🪱

Join us Saturday, February 7 from 12:00-2:00 p.m. ET at Thrillerdelphia, where the frigid weather won’t be the only cause of chills.

That’s it for now. Take care of yourselves and your communities, creeps. Don’t let evil think that it has a chance to put down roots.

Now, how about a devilish story for the road? This episode of the Uncanny podcast is actually scary. Really—this story unnerved me to my core.

THE SHARP ICICLES OF WINTER ARE SINKING IN…

Recent temps have included 7, 12, and 19 degrees. Frost clings to windows and decaying grass. The frigid air nips at your nose. Everything is dead.

So, in this season of death, it seems like a good time to tell you a ghost story. Well, it’s really a story about sleep paralysis, but if you’ve experienced this totally haunting phenomenon, then you will probably agree that this is a ghost story.

Memory can be sly, especially when your brain is in the stages of REM and your mind is dancing between nightmares and reality. But trust that what I am about to tell you is the truth—at least as I remember it.

I have always been afraid of the dark.

Gif by 20thCenturyStudios on Giphy

At age 16, I slept with my bedroom door cracked so the hallway light could partially illuminate the dark corners of my room. My little sister (who was not terrified of the dark) was always highly annoyed by that hallway light, but I was the big sister, and I needed my sixty-watt nightlight!

For context, my childhood home is old, and my bedroom was on the third floor—an attic bedroom. Everyone knows that attic bedrooms are creepier than first or second floor bedrooms, but not quite as scary as basement bedrooms.

For as long as I could remember, my bedroom had strange vibes. I wouldn’t call it haunted, but there were times when I didn’t feel alone.

Once, my sister was hanging out in my room. I left to get something, and when I returned she screamed, “WHY IS YOUR BED SHAKING?”

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I DON’T KNOW WHY THE BED WAS SHAKING.

Because my parents’ house is in the city, I had always assumed that the bed sometimes shook because of trucks. You’re probably thinking, “Trucks?” But sometimes in urban areas, heavy trucks can make the streets rumble, and that’s what I assumed was happening.

Another time, while waiting for sleep, I looked over at my Lil’ Bow Wow poster (shut it!) and gasped. Reflected in the glossy surface of the poster, a face with a sinister smile stared back at me. I think I passed out from fear. The next morning, I told myself that the shadows and reflection of the hallway light had arranged themselves perfectly to look like a face. Pareidolia.

You get it. Strange vibes in that space.

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But the worst spooky thing happened when I was 16.

I don’t remember the exact day that this occurred. I don’t remember anything else about that day. Not what I ate or what I did. I don’t remember having a nightmare once I managed to fall asleep. (Whenever I reflect on this moment, I think it’s odd that I don’t remember having a nightmare or two that evening, because I had a lot of nightmares in my youth. I wouldn’t call them night terrors, but most mornings I woke up exhausted by whatever I had been battling during sleep.)

I remember that one moment I was sleeping and then suddenly I wasn’t.

I was alert—my ears picking up the sounds of my parents snoring from the floor beneath me.

My limbs were locked up, simultaneously numb and aching with fear.

The hairs on my body registered the coldness.  

My eyes rolled around in my head, desperate for my eyelids to open…or not…

Because it quickly occurred to me that I wasn’t alone.

I could feel it—something—lurking in the corner of my bedroom, right next to my closet door…the broken closet door that had a habit of popping open...  

My brain conjured an image of a man, large and balding, angry, and rendered in white and black like an old silent film. To scare you, I’m going to call him the black-and-white man.

Giphy

The black-and-white man didn’t say anything.

But he stood there, simmering with malice and his brows arched in anger. He was enjoying my fright.

Because I couldn’t open my eyes, I couldn’t confirm that the black-and-white man was really there, but I felt his presence, and I knew that if I didn’t find a way to unfreeze my body, he might take a step closer to me.

I wanted to move my arms and legs, cry out and hope that my sister or parents would hear me and come running, but I couldn’t do anything. I’ve never felt so helpless.

In reality, the moment probably lasted 5-10 seconds, but that night felt like an eternity.

At some point, my body caught up to my brain. I jolted. My eyes snapped open and rolled wildly around the room, searching for the black-and-white man!

But I was alone.

With feeling and fear in my limbs, I sprinted out of the room. I had to get away from that closet! Or else the black-and-white man would snatch me up and pull me away to some dark otherworld!

I stumbled down the attic stairs and burst into my parents’ room. I shook them awake and told them about what I’d just experienced.

And…that’s it…

I don’t remember what happened after that.

I’m sure I wanted to sleep in my parents’ room, but it’s also possible that I made my way back upstairs to my own room after I calmed down. I probably convinced myself that it was a nightmare that had seeped into my waking moments.

After that night, I went to the internet because I was desperate for an explanation. The world wide web gave me answers. I learned about the lore behind sleep paralysis and sleep demons. I learned about The Hat Man and the witching hour.

I wanted to know what had caused the sleep paralysis so that I could prevent it from ever happening again…

But you can’t predict when sleep paralysis will happen—at least I couldn’t—and after that initial experience, sleep paralysis haunted me two more times.

Both experiences happened during my college years. The black-and-white man didn’t return, but in both instances, I still felt like someone or something was in the room with me.

All three sleep paralysis experiences were awful, and I wouldn’t wish them on my worst enemy. (Well…maybe a few.)

I’m now 38 years old, and I haven’t experienced sleep paralysis in over a decade but…

DO YOU KNOW WHO ELSE SUFFERS FROM SLEEP PARALYSIS?

Cover by Devin Forst and Carol Ly

Mystery James. In addition to her ability to smell ghosts, she’s plagued by a sleep demon that will not let her rest. Mystery isn’t visited by the black-and-white man.

Her sleep demon is inspired by something worse—this frightening spectacle from Black Veil, one of my favorite stores in Salem, MA.

Photo taken at Black Veil in Salem, MA.

At events, I’ve been asked at least three times if I’ve experienced sleep paralysis. Yes, I have, and I poured my own very real fear into Mystery James’ fictional experiences with her sleep demon.

If you’d still like to read about sleep paralysis—even after everything I’ve written here—take a look at this sneak peek from the pages of Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave.

Art copyright © 2025 by Devin Forst | Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave

If you need holiday gifts for young readers, contact Copper Dog Books in Massachusetts or Riverstone Books in Pennsylvania to inquire about signed stock.

Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave is spooky, but if you’re looking for something that’s extra scary, watch The Nightmare, a documentary about sleep paralysis.

As we slide toward the winter solstice, I hope you’ll sit for a spell and let a spooky story give you the chills. Happy holidays, friends.

I SHOULD CLARIFY—

the topics of my books have made the news, everything from bigfoot to spider colonies to coffins.

I have tried to convince myself that I don’t love bigfoot as much as I used to, at least not since hearing more recent dogman encounters.

However, I can’t help but engage when I see headlines like these.

‘VERY CREDIBLE’ BIGFOOT SIGHTING REPORTED IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA 

PURPORTED BIGFOOT VIDEO FROM COLORADO 

If you don’t have time to read the whole article from WTAJ, here are the highlights:

“He continued by saying what ‘shook’ him was the way the creature moved across the highway. Not quick or jerky like a sprinter, but fast and smooth, almost seeming to ‘glide’ across the lanes. It was said the figure crossed the highway in about three seconds.” —WTAJ

“In addition to the main witness, two others reported seeing something that day, too. One person claimed in his report, ‘I just want to add I know what I saw, but don’t know WHAT I saw. I’m an avid hunter with +50 years in the woods. This was not a bear.’” —WTAJ

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Shocked? Me too, even more so when I discovered that this incident occurred just miles from my home. BIGFOOT IN MY OWN BACKYARD!

I’ve been preparing for this moment my whole life—preparing by staying indoors and reading about the sighting rather than going in search of the creature. I mean, y’all, if bigfeets wanted to be found, they would go to the farmer’s market.

Because bigfoot news is always BIG news, here’s another story about the elusive cryptid, all the way from England: TEENAGER HITS THE BIG SCREEN IN HUNT FOR BIGFOOT 

If these news articles piqued your interest in cryptids, consider reading It Came from the Trees from the safety of home. Guess what? If you really like reading the news, this cryptid camping tale is full of fictional news articles about the Beast of Backcountry.

Real News—It Came from the Trees is a New York Public Library Vibrant Voices Pick!

IN OTHER ALARMING NEWS,

on the border of Albania and Greece scientists discovered arachnids cohabitating on a web larger than 1,000 square feet!

If you have arachnophobia, skip this link.

THIS CAVE HOLDS A SPIDER WEB ‘MEGACITY’ THE SIZE OF HALF A TENNIS COURT 

If you don’t have time to read the whole story, here are the highlights:

“The vast ‘megacity,’ spanning more than 1,040 square feet—nearly half the size of a tennis court—is home to about 111,000 spiders of the species Tegenaria domestica and Prinerigone vagans, according to a study by a separate group of researchers.” —Scientific American

“A genetic analysis showed that the cave-dwelling spiders are becoming distinct from populations of the same species that live outside, suggesting they are adapting to the underground environment.” —Scientific American

Adapting to an underground environment? Different from populations of the same species living above ground? I think I’ve heard this story before…

Oh.

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I am not a bug person. In fact, I will die if a bug touches me. It’s true. However, I have learned to appreciate spiders after researching them for a book, and now I think of them as unpaid security guards for my home.

If you don’t like spiders enough to want an up-close look at a web almost as large as a tennis court, I have great news for you! You don’t have to travel all the way to the border of Albania and Greece to see thousands of spiders cohabitating. You can simply open a copy of Down Came the Spiders.

Real News—Down Came the Spiders was the subject of this Q&A

And remember, if you find a spider in your home, do not put it outside. House spiders are basically indoor cats, and you are not doing them a favor by putting them outdoors. Just relocate them to a safe place in your home. Out of sight, out of mind…and lurking.

FINALLY, GRAVEROBBING MIGHT SEEM LIKE A THING OF THE PAST—

when folks read by candlelight and wore entirely too many layers of clothing—but nope. Cemeteries are still being raided by thieves.

This bit of news isn’t about modern graverobbing, but it took me on a wild rollercoaster ride around the internet.

COFFIN TORPEDOES? SEE THE WILD IDEA 19TH-CENTURY INVENTORS HAD TO STOP GRAVE ROBBING 

According to Bethany Bruner’s article in The Columbus Dispatch, in 1878, Philip Clover, a Columbus-based inventor and artist, applied for a patent that would improve coffin torpedoes.

COFFIN TORPEDO. Yes, you read that correctly.

“Clover described the device as something an undertaker attached to a casket or to be hidden within the clothing of its occupant. The device would fire lead balls when discharged, according to the patent application.” —The Columbus Dispatch

From The Columbus Dispatch I made my way to Atlas Obscura.

VICTORIAN ‘COFFIN TORPEDOES’ BLASTED WOULD-BE BODY SNATCHERS 

Lucy Tiven covers Philip Clover’s invention and 19th century graverobbing in greater detail.

“On the night of January 17, 1881, a would-be body snatcher by the name of Dipper was killed by a blast in a Mount Vernon, Ohio cemetery. The attempted grave-robbery was a three-man operation, according to the Stark County Democrat. The explosion broke the leg of the second thief.” —Atlas Obscura

Tiven and scholars point out that coffin torpedoes probably weren’t mainstream or popular devices for preventing graverobbing, but now you have this strange, esoteric ice breaker to use at parties. You’ll be relegated to the wall in no time. Trust me.

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Finally, Atlas Obscura led me to the Library of Congress, where I read from The Pittsburg Dispatch. The old paper had a round-up of “Rattle Brain Ideas,” including cemetery explosives. You can read and download the original 1890 newspaper here (the coffin torpedo is mentioned in the bottom left column).

Now that you’ve learned about coffin torpedoes and resurrection men, consider this contemporary tale about a vampiric ghost and graverobber getting their comeuppance. Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave is available wherever you buy or borrow books.

Real News—Mystery James was one of SLJ’s 15 Twisty Mystery Titles for Young Readers

(If you need holiday gifts for young readers, contact Copper Dog Books to inquire about signed stock.)

I think this goes without saying, but if you rob a cemetery, may your entire line be cursed by the spirits of the bones at rest. Or cursed by the vampire of Highgate Cemetery.

Unfamiliar with the tale of the vampire of Highgate Cemetery? It’s actuALLY scary (and it partly inspired the story of Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave).

IN MY EARLY TWENTIES,

I put on my big girl pants and made my way to Boston for an unpaid internship in children’s publishing.

Before I left Pittsburgh, a handful of people looked at me with pity in their eyes and uttered some variation of, “Oh…you know it’s difficult to get into publishing, right?” (After much research, I did know that it was a notoriously difficult industry to break into.) “You have to know someone.” (I did not know anyone in the industry.)

But I did it. I found my way in, navigated multiple avenues of publishing, including textbook, magazine, and trade, and I stayed for 13 years.

Eventually, we had to leave Massachusetts. I grieved. Leaving my career was like losing a partner. Because despite the industry’s many promises in 2020, most houses were not truly willing to make publishing accessible to employees outside of New York City and eastern Massachusetts.

And then! A kiss from the universe. I managed to find a children’s publishing job that allowed me to work remotely. So, for two years I worked full-time hours during the day, cooked dinner, and then spent my evenings writing, sometimes well into the wee hours of the morning. Then I would wake up, rinse, and repeat.

On weekends, in between household chores and errands, I generated marketing and promo content for my books. Also a full-time job.

The work of writing and marketing was exhausting and expensive, but I did it because I was so excited to publish my first book.

But with 4 books scheduled to release within a 2-year period, I was fraying at the edges, and I was very close to crashing out (as the kids say).

My husband and I talked about what I would need to do to bring in roughly the same income as my regular job. While Pennsylvania is cheaper than Massachusetts, we still had to contend with capitalism and rising costs of everything.

I thought about my next steps a lot. The number one question I had for myself was: “What if it doesn’t work out?” My brain and anxiety always had a quick response: “That’s why you shouldn’t leave your job.”

For months, I asked myself this question multiple times a day. The answer was always the same, so I went about my regular job of responding to emails, attending meetings, and marketing other authors’ books.

But one day, something strange happened.

I asked and received a different answer.

Me probably: “What if it doesn’t work out?”

Giphy

A LOUDER VOICE: “BUT WHAT IF IT DOES?”

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To this day, I don’t know where that voice came from. It certainly wasn’t mine, and because it wasn’t my self-reproachful voice, I decided to listen to it.

Moreover, I felt like I owed it to the younger, less jaded and cynical version of myself to try writing.

Even if it meant I might not succeed. Even if it meant I might have to return to a corporate job that didn’t involve books or literacy.

I understood that leaving my publishing job meant that I might never again work in the industry that I had managed to successfully enter and navigate for more than a decade, and that was painful.

You probably think I felt a mild sense of relief after making this difficult decision. No more emails or meetings. No work travel. No more corporate politics.

On the contrary, I worried even more—about the gap in my resume, the state of the world, the state of publishing, and money, both earning it and depleting my savings with a pet, medical, or home emergency.

But I did it anyway, because when I worried that things might not work out, a voice that wasn’t mine said, “But what if it does?”

This week marks one year since I left my fulltime publishing job to pursue writing. It would be cool if I had a list of “Three Things I Learned While…”

That would probably be informative and fun to read. Something like that might even inspire you to write.

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But I don’t have that. I have only scribbles and random thoughts strung together with punctuation.

TAKE WHAT LESSONS YOU WILL.

However hard you think you will have to work, set aside more hours in the day to work even harder. Unless you are already famous or have a high-level personal cheerleader at a publishing house, you’re going to have to do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to shouting about your book. You have strong sales after a year? Great. But they’re not New-York-Times-bestseller sales, so work harder.

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Because one of my pet peeves is the glorification of the publishing industry, I’m going to be frank with you. Sometimes, hard work won’t cut it…and that’s not your fault.

Over the last year, I thought I would write a lot more than I have.

But it’s not easy to do something as free-spirited and fun as creative writing while being bombarded with news and updates about a government that actively hates its people and wants them to die—or at least keep those people financially depressed, uneducated, and unhappy.

There’s also the rampant book banning by people who have not bothered to read the things they “hate,” and instead of interrogating their feelings and/or making the logical adult choice to read other books, they spend their time trying to control what information others have access to.

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There are also constant cries about how sales for middle grade and YA and horror and books in general are down, so in an effort to keep up with salaries and six-figure advances, many publishers are pushing out more of the same. You’d like to write something new and fresh or strange and unfamiliar? Good luck.

This, however, is a problem that plagues all media and art. The silver screen belongs to the same handful of actors because for some, the promise of money is > their appetite for art.

Finally, there is not enough space on the internet for me to write about the perils of AI and the threat it poses to authors (and human beings and the planet), so I will simply quote Joe Hill: “You can be for humans or for AI but not for both. And remember that you are a human.”

I have joked about this, but it’s not actually a joke—not really. Trying to write in this current hellscape can leave an author feeling like they’ve made a Faustian bargain of sorts. Each day, it feels increasingly like the Crypt Keeper is narrating my life story. “Kiddies, tonight’s frightening feast of fiction is about an author who is about to discover that the pen isn’t mightier than the sword.”

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An author friend of mine once said, “Sometimes publishing makes me feel like a similar frustration to home buying. Like ‘why weren't you publishing in the 80s/90s as non-existent or a fetus? Then you could have been successful now!’” Many authors resonate with this sentiment.

It’s my fault and no one else’s if I am not successful at this writing endeavor. It has nothing to do with publishers or big chain bookstores and online retail or the monopolization of social media or the political climate or the chaos and capitalism of the world. It’s me. I am the problem…

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Which brings me to my final thought.

If you have not seen the show The Bear, you should. In one of the later episodes, Carmy’s sister, Nat, says to him: “You found something that you love…and it’s completely one hundred percent okay if…if you don’t love it anymore, because the most special part about it is that you were capable of that love.”

Before my first book was published, I loved writing. A lot. The proof is in my history. From the way I told my parents stories before I could read. In the way that I pounded the keys and printed each piece of fiction after we got our first computer in the ‘90s. In the way that I decided to pursue an MFA in writing for children so that I could try to become a better writer.

I WAS CAPABLE OF LOVING WRITING

enough to publish four books.

So, when the sourness started to creep in, I dragged myself around the house for months, worried that I had wasted the last 25 years of my life chasing a career I no longer wanted. Wondering if I was, in fact, the problem because I wasn’t satisfied.

Nat’s words stayed with me. It felt like she was speaking directly to me and telling me that it was okay to abandon writing.

But when you spend a lot of time alone and you’re anxious and unmedicated, you overthink everything. And I did. However, I eventually came to understand Nat’s words in a different way.

I did the thing. I wrote and published the books, and now I don’t have to do it ever again if I don’t love it enough to continue.

That thought sits on my shoulder whenever I feel like I am torturing myself with the marketing and business side of publishing.

For these reasons, throughout 2025 I’ve written only what I’ve needed to write. The words have come out feverishly and desperately when I simply couldn’t stall anymore. Over the last year I have taken little pleasure in writing. It feels like a chore for which I will not see a reward. Will children read and enjoy the books? That is my deepest hope. But I do not often get to see the reward of a child eagerly turning the page or clutching a book to their chest.

I could go back to a corporate job—if I can find one in this economy—but that would mean setting writing to the side for a while so that I can play the world’s worst game.

Nothing has worked out the way it was supposed to, or at least the way I thought it would.

BUT.

I will keep asking the universe what’s next? It’s the entity with the grand plan—not me—so I’m trying to trust that old adage: When one door closes, another one opens.

And not just any door—I’m hoping for fancy French doors with nice curtains instead of the Twilight Zone door I seem to have stepped through.

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It's been one year, and I have very little writing to show, but I have a lot of thoughts about how I would like to move forward in this world and industry over the next year. Despite my 2025 writing and publishing experience…this old skeleton still loves storytelling.

I still get excited about the prospect and promise of a new narrator and their shenanigans. If I sit at my computer and type, I can be distracted long enough to ignore the business side of publishing.

THIS BLOG POST COULD HAVE BEEN A JOURNAL ENTRY.

I am a big supporter of angry scribbling and tear-stained pages. (Social media is not a good substitute for a journal.) However, as Zora Neale Hurston wrote, “If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it.”

So I write this in case other authors have lost their spirit and are feeling morose about writing and the state of publishing and books. I don’t know if things will get better, but let’s keep writing and cross our fingers and hope for a booming book world.

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P.S. I don’t have an actuALLY scary moment for you this newsletter. The world is scary enough.

MYSTERY JAMES DIGS HER OWN GRAVE

Out today! Abandoned in a cemetery and raised in a funeral home, a girl who can smell ghosts must solve the mystery of a priceless heirloom stolen from her family’s business. Perfect for fans of Netflix’s Wednesday and Beetlejuice!

Cover art by Devin Forst; Cover design by Carol Ly.

THREE WAYS TO READ

Dying to read the book?
🪦 Buy a digital or physical copy from your local indie bookstore.
🪱 Borrow a digital or physical copy from your library.
⚰️ Listen wherever you get audiobooks.

ABOUT THE BOOK

13-year-old Mystery—who was abandoned in a cemetery and raised in a funeral home—is plagued by sleep paralysis and the smell of ghosts, but she’s used to that. Even though her life might seem “strange” on the outside, she loves it.

That is until a priceless heirloom goes missing and her family’s funeral home is in danger of being shut down. To clear her Tia’s good name, Mystery embarks on an adventure to figure out what really happened to the misplaced necklace.

But to do so, she must contend with the angry patriarch of the town’s wealthiest family, a sleep paralysis demon, a graverobber, and the ghastly vampiric ghost that’s lurking in the Olde Ellis Town Cemetery.

Look inside and read/hear an audiobook sample here.

WHERE TO BUY SIGNED COPIES

I’ll be haunting two indie bookstores! If you want a worm + a signed and stamped book, RSVP at the links below!

Friday, September 26 | 6:00 p.m. ET
Stories Like Me (in conversation with librarian Jocelyn Codner)
Pittsburgh, PA
RSVP

Friday, October 10 | 7:00 p.m. ET
Copper Dog Books (in conversation with horror author Josh Roberts)
Beverly, MA
RSVP

If you can’t make it to an event, you can still order signed copies from these bookstores. While supplies last.

PRAISE FOR MYSTERY JAMES

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!

“Fast-paced and deliciously thrilling.”—Kirkus Reviews

“The eerie, thrilling plot moves rapidly leaving breathless ­readers eager for the next chapter. Some unfinished threads by the end of the novel will have tweens awaiting the sequel.”—SLJ

“Russell crafts an engaging blend of supernatural adventure and classic whodunit with a Faustian twist…this will surely satisfy the curiosity of well-rounded Tim Burtons in the making.”—The Bulletin

“A great addition to the middle-grade horror canon.”—Booklist

“Hand this novel to middle grade readers who love thrills, detective work, and page-turning adventures.”—Literary Hub

“A new middle grade heroine you’re going to love.”—BookRiot

YOU ALREADY READ MYSTERY JAMES—NOW WHAT?

Appreciate you! Here are three ways to celebrate this ghoulish little book’s birthday.
🪱 Leave an honest review wherever you shout about books.
🪦 Ask your local bookstore or library to order the book for their shelves.
🦇 Post about it on socials! (This one is really easy. Just go to my Instagram page and hit share or repost on a photo or video that features the book.) Be sure to tag me or use the #MysteryJamesDigsHerOwnGrave hashtag.

Thank you for reading this far. The book has plenty of scary moments, so instead of leaving you with something actually scary, enjoy this footage of reading superstar Levar Burton. ::whispers:: He’s probably dancing because he just received his copy of Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave…

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It’s Leo Season in the House of Nox.

I share a birthday week with my husband and dad. (My husband is celebrating his 40th birthday this year, so be sure to wish him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!) 

All birthdays should be celebrated with balloons and buttercream icing, and that includes book birthdays…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to It Came from the Trees!

It’s hard to believe that It Came from the Trees is a tangible object that readers can hold in their hands. But like bigfoot, the book exists!

Happy Birthday to It Came from the Trees!

July 29, 2024, was one of the best days of my adult life.

After a lifetime of loving books and nearly three years of talking about It Came from the Trees, family and friends gathered to help me launch my own debut novel at Copper Dog Books—one of my favorite indie bookstores in New England.

Sadly, midnight release parties are a thing of the past; however, that is the only way I can accurately describe the excitement that seemed to pulse through the crowd at the book’s launch event. Dozens of readers, smiling and cheering on a book.

A HORROR BOOK!

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When I was a baby adult, running myself ragged around a new city and trying to build a life, the prospect of being an author seemed difficult.

In my late twenties, I had established my career, but I was exhausted all the time, so the goal of writing a book seemed unattainable.

By the time I was in my early thirties, corporate burnout was on the horizon, and the title of “author” seemed impossible—a fantasy!

I’ll be 38 years old this weekend, and I’m here to tell you that being an author does feel like a fantasy (some days) and it does have its difficulties (I suspect that will always be the case, at least for me), but it is not unattainable (so keep writing).

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Back to the festivities. We can’t party in the same room, but we can still celebrate together in spirit.

Five Ways to Celebrate:

ONE: Find your favorite book and read it. Set aside some time this week to read quietly and at a leisurely pace. Remember, reading is not a race, so take your sweet time and savor each sentence. I would also love it if you would comment on this post with what book you plan to read.

TWO: Donate to literacy organizations in need, and/or contact your local library to see how you can support their needs. I grew up on PBS’s educational programming and watched shows like Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego, Wishbone, Sesame Street, Mister Rogers, and Reading Rainbow, all of which gave me a love of reading and knowledge. So, if you’re able to, please consider donating to public media.

THREE: Be like Shalla-Bal and herald…

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BOOKS. Shout about books wherever and whenever you can. EVERYONE likes to read; some folks simply haven’t found the right book yet. Help someone find their book bestie.

FOUR: Read or listen to It Came from the Trees! If you like scary stories, campfire tales, dark, creepy woods, and hungry cryptids—this is the perfect summer book for you. If you’ve already read it and shared it with someone else, then consider reading other middle-grade horror books.

Middle-grade fiction is in dire need of your support. Children don’t leap from picture books to YA, so please guide them to the middle-grade/young readers section at your local bookstore or library. I promise, the perfect book is waiting for them.

FIVE: Have a piece of cake. This one is mandatory. Buttercream pairs well with books.

Thanks for celebrating with me! While the internet has allowed me to interact with readers from all around the globe, I miss the fervor that fills a room when readers have gathered together to buzz about books.

What else? 🤔

Have you preordered Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave from Copper Dog Books yet? Preorders show publishers that readers are excited about my books. Plus, if you preorder before September 7, you get all this spooky swag!

And in case you haven’t heard, I’ll be haunting some northeastern bookstores this fall. Join me if you want to jumpstart your Halloween season with talk of cemeteries, vampires, ghosts, and scary books.

You can RSVP at the links below. I know RSVPs don’t seem important, but they will help booksellers order the right amount of books and let me know how much book swag to bring to each event. Wouldn’t it be the worst if you were the last person in line and didn’t receive a map of the Olde Ellis Town Cemetery because you didn’t RSVP?! THE HORROR!

Friday, September 26 | 6:00 p.m. ET
Stories Like Me (in conversation with librarian and horror expert Jocelyn Codner)
Pittsburgh, PA
RSVP

Saturday, September 13 | 11:00 a.m. ET
Spooktastic Book Fair @ The Framingham Public Library
Framingham, MA
RSVP

Friday, October 10 | 7:00 p.m. ET
Copper Dog Books (in conversation with horror author Josh Roberts)
Beverly, MA
RSVP

Let’s All Scream for Cake and Ice Cream!

Along with cake and ice cream, there’s a rule that birthday parties must include screaming and games, so I will leave you with these games inspired by my little horror novel. I dare you to play.

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My summer is off to a chilling and thrilling start.

I’ve been to the movies to see 28 Years Later. Don’t listen to the haters—it’s worth watching if you’re not interested in a repeat of the previous two movies, and you want to see how society might develop in a post-apocalyptic world. Give Jody Comer all the awards already.

I have not been reading as much as I’d like to, but I recently finished The Witch’s Wings and Other Terrifying Tales by Tehlor Kay Mejia. The stories were highly entertaining, and I could easily envision them as actual Are You Afraid of the Dark episodes. Here are a few books I’m looking forward to reading later this year: Feral and Hysterical: Mother Horror’s Ultimate Reading Guide to Dark and Disturbing Fiction by Women by Sadie Hartmann, The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang by Stan Yan, and Girls Who Play Dead by Joelle Wellington.

I also traveled to Philadelphia to attend my first ALA conference. I had the best time! I FINALLY met my editor in person. I got to say hello to horror author pals like Laura Parnum (The Haunting of Bellington Cottage), Wendy Parris (Stage Fright and Field of Screams), Jannie Ho (Pumpkin and Beetle: Two Vampire Cats), and Adam Cesare (Clown in a Cornfield). I learned about so many horror books on the horizon, like Let’s Split Up and Let Me In Your Window. And finally, I fangirled over Tiffany D. Jackson (The Scammer and Blood in the Water), Rita Williams-Garcia (One Crazy Summer), Ellen Oh (Spirit Hunters), and illustrator Sam Kalda (Haunted USA: Spine-tingling stories from all 50 states)!

Did you copy the names of all those books? Don’t worry. I got you. 👈🏽

The incredible team at Playaway hosted me for a signing of It Came from the Trees, where I met friendly faces that I talk to on Instagram. Shout outs to librarians Lauren, Matthew, and Sara for swinging by the booth. They all celebrate books on social media, so give them a follow. If I know you from IG and you were at the signing and I missed you, let me know!

The team also gave me a copy of my book in the Playaway format, which is essentially an mp3 player-like device with the audiobook preloaded on to it. No wi-fi required. It’s so handy, and I hope these become available to the general public because I would fly through more audiobooks if I didn’t have to use my phone to listen to them.

Did I mention that I gave out 100 worms at ALA? 🪱 The worms were a hit. Some folks asked if they could eat them, another friend kept hers in her pocket as a fidget toy, and one friend styled hers as a ring.

Overall, ALA gets 10/10 stars. Would definitely go back. Here’s my 90-second video recap if you want more visuals.

Do you want a worm? 🪱 Preorder Mystery James!

If you couldn’t make it to ALA but still want your very own worm (and other swag), preorder Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave from Copper Dog Books before September 7, 2025. While supplies last. If you need another reason to preorder, Kirkus Reviews said the book is “a fast-paced and deliciously thrilling duology opener.“ Read the full review here.

I’ll also be haunting Copper Dog Books on Friday, October 10, at 7:00 p.m. ET for a store event, so if you want to celebrate cemeteries, ghouls, and the month of October with yours truly, RSVP today. This will help the staff know how many books to have on hand for the event, and it will help me know how many treats to bring. You can also order copies of Wednesday: Book of Outcasts and It Came from the Trees for signing. ::whispers:: Books make great gifts for the holidays. Plan ahead… 

It Came From the Trees in paperback!

Speaking of It Came from the Trees, it will be available in paperback on July 15!

Though I don’t approve of folks traipsing through the woods, especially with cryptids lurking about, my publisher wants me to tell you that you can slip this lightweight paperback edition of Trees into your backpack for summer camping trips. And if you’re eager to read Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave, the paperback edition of Trees includes a preview of my upcoming book!

Something chilling for the road…

This newsletter is one of few spaces where I can stay in contact with YOU, so thanks for sticking around. Let me know how you’re doing in the comments. And before you go, here’s something actually scary.

Radio Rental Podcast, Episode 44: Night Scope

This week has felt a little grim; however, there’s a spark in the darkness. If you’re feeling down, remember that communities are supporting their members, people are coming together to help each other, and citizens are showing that we don’t scare easily.✌🏽

Speaking of scary things—this year we only get one Friday the 13th, so let’s make it count.

Let’s Raise Some Spirits with a Galley Giveaway:

Do you want to win a galley of Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave along with some ghoulish goodies? Complete the following steps.

1. Read through this post and find the code phrase.

2. Add the code phrase and your contact info to this giveaway entry form.

That’s it! You’ve got one foot in the grave! (I know I’m using this phrase the wrong way, but stay on theme with me, please). The giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, June 19. The winner will be randomly selected and announced after June 20 and contacted via email. US ONLY. Must be 18+ to enter. 

Who Is Mystery James?

Abandoned in a cemetery and raised in a funeral home, 13-year-old Mystery James can see and smell the supernatural. She’s also plagued by sleep paralysis. Even though her life might seem “strange” on the outside, she loves it. That is until a priceless heirloom goes missing and her family’s funeral home is in danger of being shut down. To clear her aunt’s good name, Mystery embarks on an adventure to figure out what really happened to the missing necklace.

But to do so, she must contend with the angry patriarch of the town’s wealthiest family, a sleep paralysis demon, a graverobber, and the ghastly vampiric ghost that’s lurking in the Olde Ellis Town Cemetery.

“A new middle grade heroine you’re going to love.”—BookRiot

If this sounds like something you would like to read, enter the galley giveaway! You know what else would be so cool? If you added Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave to your TBR on Goodreads or Storygraph. This will show everyone that you aren’t afraid of ghosts, and other readers will learn more about the book.

And because I’m so excited to share this book with you, here’s an extra little treat. The book has a…MAP!

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I know, I know! Now calm down and check out the Olde Ellis Town Cemetery below. Ethereal, otherworldly art by the incredibly talented Devin Forst.

Don’t get lost along these winding pathways, especially after dusk.

In Other News…

I’m going to ALA Annual in Philly June 28-29. If you see me haunting the exhibit floor, wave hello! If you’re here for the galley giveaway code phrase, here it is: Garcia Graves & Funeral Home.

Librarians, educators, and booksellers—find me on the convention floor at ALA and I’ll give you a creepy🪱 treat. Just say these words: “Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave.” Tell your friends! (While supplies last.)

Oh, and on Sunday, June 28, at 2:30 p.m. ET, join me at the Playaway booth (#1527) where I’ll be signing copies of It Came from the Trees!

That’s all for now, creeps. The horrors abound but good usually triumphs over evil. Hang in there!

Of course I’m leaving you with something actually scary. Enjoy one of the most unsettling ghost stories I’ve ever heard.

June is National Camping Month. I bet you think I’m going to encourage you to go outside; however, quite the opposite is true—stay inside!

Why? Because the woods are full of creepy crawlies and high strangeness. If you think bigfoot is the scariest thing stalking the woods of the world, you’re wrong. There are other cryptids (like dogman), weird spots where time and space are wonky, and never, ever underestimate the threat of ticks.

You’re probably going to camp anyway. Fine. I can’t stop you, so instead of trying to steer you down a paved path of safety, I’ll reshare my rules and tips for summer camping. They might keep you safe out there.

Reading.

Reading is a much safer summer activity. Do you plan to read It Came from the Trees this summer? Have you already read it? If so, send me your summer reading photos. Let’s compile a summer camp photo album of It Came from the Trees out in the wild!

Why should you read it?

Here are three reasons why you should bump It Came from the Trees to the top of your summer TBR:

1. The book is full of mixed media, including news articles about missing people, blog posts about strange things in the woods, scout tips, and more.

2. It’s a creature feature! ‘Nough said.

3. It’s a quick read. You can finish it in six hours—maybe even faster depending on how quickly you turn the pages. (P.S. The audiobook is perfect to listen to around a summer campfire. Listen to a sample.)

Educators and Librarians

If you and your students are reading It Came from the Trees, check out this free, downloadable educator’s guide. Shout out to Megan at thespookyclassroom.com for creating this helpful resource!

And the Texas Bluebonnet Team has created this frightening fun resource to get young readers excited about the book.

Finally, if you need more summer camping horror recommendations, check out this list of 5 Scary Books for Young Campers, presented by Spooky Middle Grade!

Creeping Soon

Friday the 13th is coming…

Check back early next month for galley giveaway details for Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave!

That’s All, Creeps!

As always, here’s something actually scary!

Summer slashers and campfire tales, fall and its Halloween glamour and glee, and winter ghost stories to chill your bones. This might leave you wondering: What’s left for spring? But I’m here to tell you that spring can be just as spooky as any other season. Don’t believe me? Check out the news. And look out your window and see all the dead things that are coming back to life!

I’m doing my part to keep things creepy this spring by watching and reading a lot of babysitter and home invasion horror. I’m also making plans for the launch of Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave (wait ‘til y’all see the preorder swag!), and I’m I’m working on the second book in the duology.

What else…

I’m headed to Texas for the Texas Library Association Conference. If you’ll be there too, come say hello! My schedule of events with Random House Children’s Books is below.

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Why am I headed to Texas? In case you missed the news, It Came from the Trees is a 2025-2026 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee, so I’m headed to TX to talk up the book and say hello to librarians. The Texas Bluebonnet List aims to introduce children in grades 3-6 to a variety of books, and each year, more than 63,000 young readers from across Texas vote for their favorite titles from the list. Check out this short Q&A with the TX Bluebonnet team to hear more about the book and my deep fear of the woods.

It Came from the Trees is going to be a Wonderbook (only available at libraries and schools), and the print edition of the book is getting a second reprint!

Also, It Came from the Trees made YALSA's list of amazing audiobooks for young adults!

Are you in the mood for an unboxing? Galleys for Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave have arrived! Take a peek. I’ll be hosting at least one galley giveaway in the coming months, and I’ll be announcing preorder details, so be sure to keep your eyes on your email and/or Instagram.

Looking Ahead…

That’s All, Creeps!

As always, here’s something actually scary, courtesy of the Texas Bluebonnet team!

Dearly Beloved Reader,

We are gathered here to celebrate the life and cover reveal of Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave, but first…a brief love letter to cemeteries.

I discovered my love of cemeteries when I moved to Massachusetts at the age of twenty-three. These spaces of eternal rest quickly became therapeutic places that offered me quiet and inspiration, and if given the chance, I could have easily spent entire days meandering through Mount Auburn Cemetery or Sleepy Hollow Cemetery or the Old Burial Hill Cemetery. (Insert any New England cemetery, really.)

When my husband and I moved north of Boston, we unknowingly rented an apartment within walking distance of a cemetery. We moved into that apartment seven months before the pandemic hit, and in the months after March 2020, I can’t tell you how often we escaped to that cemetery—to reflect, to breathe when our tiny apartment felt too small, to run away from the sound pollution of 24/7 car traffic, and to step on crunchy leaves in the fall.

Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave is special to me because it’s a story about a young girl who finds life, death, answers, and comfort in a cemetery.

I’m excited to share the cover with you…

But!

If you want to see it, you’ll have to follow me into a cemetery at night. What say you?

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Wait!

Before we go—are you afraid of vampires? Grab some garlic. It probably won’t work, but grab it anyway.

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Okay. Are you ready? Are you scared?

Good. Grab your shovel and let’s dig.

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And because I can’t wait another second to share this with you…take a deep breath and feast your eyes on the cover of Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave!

Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave (September 2025, Delacorte Press)

Abandoned in a cemetery and raised in a funeral home, a girl who can see and smell the supernatural must solve the mystery of a priceless heirloom stolen from her family's business. Perfect for fans of Netflix’s Wednesday and Beetlejuice!

This deliciously creepy cover was illustrated by Devin Forst and designed by Carol Ly!

While growing up, I gravitated toward the ghoulish girls on the television screen, and nearly three decades later, I’m proud to add Mystery James to the canon of gothic “it” girls. I hope young readers will gravitate toward her and develop a soft spot for cemeteries after reading this book.

Please add Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave to your virtual TBR, and if you’re really excited to read about dead stuff, you can preorder the book now. (Hang on to your receipt!)

And because this book is so special to me, here’s an extra treat for you. Enjoy this short animated cover reveal.

Eternally Yours,

Ally

P.S. For those who are brave enough to stroll through a cemetery at night, here’s something actually scary.

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Last year, I wrote a creepy little book called Down Came the Spiders. What’s it about? I’ll tell 🕷️ you!

Twelve-year-old Andi loves everything about spiders—they're endlessly fascinating creatures. So when she finds a species she's never seen before at a classmate's Halloween party, she's over the moon. 🕷️ Until the spiders start to behave in unusual and threatening ways, that is. They can camouflage themselves incredibly well, they can jump higher than she's ever seen, and their webs are strong. Maybe even strong 🕷️ enough to trap a person . . .

Andi and her friends Carly and Devon try to find an adult to help, but make a terrifying discovery: the parent chaperones have been immobilized by the spiders. As the only ones who know 🕷️ what's going on, Andi, Carly, and Devon will have to take on the spiders themselves—before it's too late!

Why am I telling you about this book now? 🕷️ Because we have a cover!

A COVER!

A frightening cover.

🕷️ A perfectly spooky cover.

A cover that will give you heebie jeebies.

(Can you tell that I’m stalling? That’s because this cover has a big, HUGE spider on it, so if you are arachnophobic, now is your chance to run away…)

Go! Run!

I can’t hold it off for much longer! Get out of here!

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Okay, if you’re still here, that means you want to see the cover of Down Came the Spiders. Prepare yourself!

3 🕷️

2 🕷️

🕷️ 1

Coming December 2, 2025 from Scholastic

Arachnophobia meets Five Nights at Freddy's in this middle grade horror novel perfect for fans of K.R. Alexander and Mary Downing Hahn.

This creepy, crawly cover was illustrated by Jai McFerran and designed by Stephanie Yang.

Look for Down Came the Spiders at a Scholastic book fair or a bookstore near you this December! 🕷️

And Now for Something Actually Scary…

Head over to the Spooky Middle Grade blog to read a five-question interview with the star of this cover reveal…the spider.

Hey there! Happy holiday season! It’s been a while, and I’ve missed talking to you. Did you have a nice Halloween? What’s on your winter TBR? (I have a recommendation for you…) How about this UFO/UAP news? What are you watching? This holiday season I’ve watched Alien Romulus (5/5👽), V/H/S/Beyond (also fantastic!), Frogman, and Werewolves.

There’s no point in pretending like life doesn’t feel a little flat at present. So, I sincerely hope that you are finding community with the people who bring you joy and support.

I’m going to continue to talk about things that make me happy—reading and writing about strange subjects—and I hope you will continue to find comfort in books.

Visit the New Website

First, I’m beyond excited to share with you allyrussellbooks.com! My new website is alive and it would make Fox Mulder and Fi Phillips proud. Head over there for a behind-the-scenes peek at It Came from the Trees, real cryptid evidence, fun facts, and more.

Did You Hear the News?

It Came from the Trees has made the Texas Library Association’s 2025-2026 Texas Bluebonnet Award List!

The Texas Bluebonnet List aims to introduce children in grades 3-6 to a variety of books, and each year, more than 63,000 young readers from across Texas vote for their favorite titles from the list. Keep your fingers crossed that kids enjoy reading It Came from the Trees!

My Favorite Day of the Week Is…

WEDNESDAY! In case you missed the news…I GOT TO WRITE A WEDNESDAY ADDAMS BOOK!!! Are you celebrating with me?

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Book of Outcasts (May 2025) is a full-color, hardcover guide to the first season of Netflix’s Wednesday. This book will take you into Wednesday’s mysterious world where you’ll get to meet her friends and foes, explore Nevermore Academy and the town of Jericho, and learn more about the Outcasts seen in the show: psychics, Hydes, gorgons, sirens, werewolves, and more. And of course there are notes from Wednesday Addams herself!

Book of Outcasts (Wednesday), May 6, 2025 (Penguin Random House)

What Should You Read in 2025?

You can add Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave (Delacorte Press) and Down Came the Spiders (Scholastic) to your 2025 TBR!

And Now for Something Actually Scary…

I think that’s all the news from my haunted house. I’ll be sending you updates more regularly, so watch your inbox closely. Before I go, here’s something that’s actually scary. Cryptid hunters are whispering about this frightening footage from the woods of Massachusetts. What do you think—legit or hoax?

Define “You had to be there to experience it”?

Okay.

Gif by hoppip on Giphy

Obviously, I did not make The Blair Witch Project, but it made me.

There’s really no way to explain the Blair Witch hysteria that gripped the country when this movie released back in 1999. You really did have to be there to experience it. Even twenty-five years later I can still recall the fear and dread that seized my body each time the trailer came on TV.

Back then, the internet was still new and streaming wasn’t yet a thing, so I had to call dibs on the TV when The Curse of the Blair Witch “documentary” aired a few weeks before the release of the film. I sat and watched it with ghoulish curiosity.

Later that summer, I watched the movie in a crowded theater with two of my sisters, my cousin, and my aunt during a summer vacation in Connecticut. Heather’s screams. The abrupt ending. The unsettling silence that filled my brain when the screen went dark. All these things weighed on my eleven-year-old brain and heart as I left the theater with my family. Afterward, my aunt drove down a heavily tree-lined road to drum up some silly scares. I screamed and laughed with my sisters and cousin, but beneath the scary fun, my fear of the woods had taken root.

I won't talk about the second movie. Read into that what you will.

But fast forward to 2015-ish when my husband showed me a teaser trailer for a movie called The Woods—a seemingly generic horror flick about 4 hikers trekking through a haunted forest. I nodded and decided that I probably wouldn’t watch it. (I almost made the same mistake with The Cabin in the Woods, but I’m eternally grateful to Kellen for dragging me to the theater to see that masterpiece of horror.)

Fast forward again to July 2016. At San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that The Woods was actually a sequel to The Blair Witch Project! And you can bet that my position on watching the movie flipped faster than a pancake.

As one of my best friend once said, “Ally just walks in here with her terrible opinions…” (We’d had a disagreement about a beloved/hated book character.) I wouldn’t call this next opinion terrible, but it is unpopular, I think…

I love Blair Witch (2016)! It’s a solid follow up to the original film, and it can also stand on its own. It deserves more than the 2.5-star rating that it has on IMDB.

The story is sincere, as it features a younger brother in search of the older sister who suddenly and inexplicably disappeared from his life.

As far as characters go, I think it surpasses the original. Don’t sit around this campfire and claim that you had fond feelings for Heather or Mike because we both know that’s a lie. However, in Blair Witch (2016), most of the core four (sorry, Chad—it’s a good label) friend group is likeable.

The film uses unpleasant sounds to create scares, and it makes clever use of modern tech so that viewers don’t have to ask that age-old found footage question: “Why are they still recording?”

And finally, after nearly two decades, we get our first peek at the infamous Blair Witch. I had nightmares about the witch for weeks after watching the movie. Whenever I had to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, I avoided looking down the long, dark hallway so that I wouldn’t see the Blair Witch peeking back at me or reaching for me with her too-long limbs.

Much like Heather's screams in the original film, Lisa and Ashley’s sheer terror were palpable throughout Blair Witch (2016). And when I consider what the characters learned about the Black Hills Forest in the 2016 flick, I now rewatch the original film with a new sense of dread because Heather, Josh, and Mike didn't stand a chance. They were NEVER getting out of those woods.

When I realized that It Came from the Trees would publish on July 30, the exact same day that the original Blair Witch Project was given a nationwide release back in 1999, I got a little emotional. How fortuitous and fitting that my book would have such a special connection to the first story that made me exercise extreme caution of the woods—and on that film’s 25th anniversary no less! _{Psst…here’s the secret code word for giveaway #4: OWLET. For a chance to win a signed copy of It Came from the Trees, go to Instagram and share the code word with me via DM!}

As I told the audience at my book launch, without The Blair Witch Project, my book doesn’t exist.

Considering every sentence that precedes this one, you will understand why last April, when my husband shared news about a “reimagined” Blair Witch Project from Lionsgate and Blumhouse…I tensed up.

I’m reserving judgement. Generally, I’m okay with remakes and reboots because I understand that younger audiences often need an avenue to connect with original source material, and sometimes a bit of spring cleaning is in order.

However, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little worried. I worry that with this new Blair Witch Project, its extreme budget will show. I worry that it will be full of jump scares. (I am not opposed to jump scares. In fact, I love them. But I don't love it when they are the only tool used to thrill horror fans.) I worry that the acting will be obvious. I worry about unnecessary special effects. I worry about the direction of the new story. I worry that they’ll lose the thread of what made the original movie so special.

I worry.

But only time will tell.

I sincerely hope the new film will give modern audiences a “you had to be there to experience it” moment that’s worthy of this beloved franchise.

To the creators—please don’t kick the map into the creek! AND PAY THE ORIGINAL ACTORS WHAT THEY’RE WORTH!

And if you haven’t seen The Blair Witch Project or Blair Witch (2016)…what are you waiting for! You can watch both movies from the comfort of home, which means you don’t have to worry about mud, lost maps, ticks, and a centuries-old witch!

I had planned to write and share this blog post on July 30, 2024, but with work, travels to Boston, and book launch, this slipped through the cracks. I considered waiting until the next anniversary, but I missed the 20th anniversary, and I don’t want to wait another five years to share with you my deep connection to The Blair Witch Project.

The sun is going down and the campfire is ablaze, so it’s time for another GIVEAWAY! How can you win an advanced copy of It Came from the Trees? Details below.  

🔥 TODAY'S PROMPT🔥

Complete this jigsaw puzzle. After you’ve completed the puzzle, screenshot it and send it to my DMs on Instagram.

🔥 Enter by 11:59pm ET on Saturday, 7/20/24. I will randomly select a winner on Sunday, 7/21/24.

🔥 You MUST be following my Instagram account (@onedarkally) to win. (Don’t have Instagram? Don’t worry. I’ll host a future giveaway that won’t require an Instagram account.)

🔥 You must be 18+ to enter. If you're a young reader, ask the adult in your life for help.

🔥 US ONLY. (Sorry, Int’l friends. I’m unable to ship books out of the country right now, but stay tuned in case that changes in the near future.)

This giveaway is not affiliated with or endorsed by Instagram or Beehiiv.

Want to preorder It Came from the Trees? Please preorder from Copper Dog Books in Beverly, MA!

If you’ve already preordered from someplace other than Copper Dog, upload your receipt here.

Catch ya later, creeps!

Ally

With only two weeks left until pub day, I guess I should send a few copies of this book out into the wild. Pun intended.

Over the next two weeks, I'll be giving away 5 copies of It Came from the Trees. My sincerest apologies for not letting you know sooner because one of the giveaways ends on 7/17 at 11:00pm ET. To make up for this, I’ll hold a special giveaway that’s for newsletter subscribers only. Stay tuned for future details.

About the giveaways…

Each giveaway will happen once the sun goes down—because that's when scary things happen to Jenna and her troop...and because I work 9-5 and that's when I'm free.

I won’t tell you when the giveaways will happen, but the last one will definitely occur by July 26.

Each giveaway prompt will be different, so pay close attention to the rules.

So, if the campfire’s ablaze, then it's time to gather 'round for a giveaway!

Oh! And remember…
🔥 You MUST be following me on Instagram to win.
^{These giveaways are not affiliated with or endorsed by Instagram.}
🔥 You must be 18+ to enter. If you're a young reader, ask the adult in your life for help.
🔥 US ONLY. (Sorry, Int’l friends. I’m unable to ship books out of the country right now, but stay tuned in case that changes in the near future.)

Now, look at these beautiful books. SPINE-chilling, aren’t they? That’s a joke. Because these are book spines. Anyway, if you click that photo and hurry over to Instagram, you might have time to enter!

Want to preorder It Came from the Trees? Please preorder from Copper Dog Books in Beverly, MA!

Summer is here. That means bugs as big as your face. Extreme heat. Sticky skin. And air so humid we could slurp it through a straw. Yum.

It’s also camping season. That means campfires, s’mores, the great outdoors…and cryptids.

Studies show that in July and August, there is a 4,000% rise in cryptid sightings. This is a true statistic. Look it up if you don’t believe me. I guarantee you will find at least one news article about a recent lake monster sighting. If you do find one…send it to me? Please?

It Came from the Trees doesn’t publish for another 25 days, so it will not aid you in your battle against the outdoors. Therefore, I (someone who has never been camping a day in my life) would like to give you (a seasoned veteran of the outdoors) a few camping tips.

But first, a few book things…

Preorder Swag

It’s finally here! You can be the proud owner of a sticker pack, a bookmark, a postcard, and a signed bookplate when you preorder It Came from the Trees from Copper Dog Books in Beverly, MA. Why Copper Dog? Because you’ll be supporting one of my favorite indie bookstores, and Copper Dog is kindly hosting my book launch.

If you’ve already preordered the book like a good little scout, submit your receipt here.

Book Launch

Will you be in New England on Tuesday, July 30? Then join me at Copper Dog Books for the launch of It Came from the Trees! The details are below, but please follow me on Instagram (@onedarkally) to keep up with event details.

Tuesday, July 30, 2024 | 7:00 p.m. ET | 272 Cabot Street, Copper Dog Books | Beverly, MA

👻 Spooktastic Book Fair 👻

If you won’t be in New England in July but will be there in September, then join me at the Spooktastic Book Fair in Framingham, MA. I, along with a cackle of adult, YA, and MG horror authors (yes, that’s what a group of horror authors is called), will be taking over the Framingham Public Library to spook up the place before October.

Saturday, September 7, 2024 | 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET
49 Lexington Street | Framingham Public Library | Framingham, MA
Event Details Here 

Camping Tips

Now. It’s probably better if you just stay home. Watch a movie. Read a book.

But I’m certain you are like every horror protagonist, and you’re going to do the thing that you aren’t supposed to do. So, here are those camping tips I promised. (P.S. I cannot think of anyone—not a single person—who is more qualified to give you wilderness survival tips than a writer who is afraid of everything.)

1. Do not go to the woods alone. There’s safety in numbers…sometimes.  

2. Do not camp where there have been reported sightings of bigfoot, dogmen, ghost lights, or UFOs.

3. Stick. To. The. Trail. You will be tempted to step off the trail to look at one thing or another, but don’t do it.

4. Do not fall behind the rest of the group. Just don’t. You will end up in a different timeline or dimension. You will.

5. If you hear something call your name, never, ever respond. See also tip #3.

6. Do not go to the bathroom alone, especially at night. See tip #1. Something is out there, and it IS watching you.  

7. Make sure your flashlight has fresh batteries. The thing that’s watching you can’t get you if you stay in the light.  

8. Look over your shoulder often. Just in case.

9. Check for ticks. Do not share your sleeping bag with ticks.

10. You are NOT a detective or a park ranger. If you hear strange noises, do NOT investigate.

Thank you for reading this edition of actuALLY scary.

Is that a tick on your shoulder? 👀

🎶 Trick or treatSmell my feet 🎵🎵 Give me something good to read

Happy Halloween, creeps! I have a treat for you on the greatest day of the year…A COVER REVEAL!

The time has finally come to show y’all the cover for my middle-grade horror debut. And guess what, it’s actuALLY scary.

Are you ready?

THREE

…

TWO

…

ONE

…

AHHH!

The legend of Bigfoot gets a bone-chilling update in this scary story about a young girl and her scout troop who are willing to brave the woods to find her missing friend when no one else will. Perfect for fans of Daka Hermon and Claribel A. Ortega!

A big, HUGE thanks to artist Chris Shehan, who created the original art for this cover. It is both stunning and spine-chilling and I hope horror-loving kids will feel drawn to it.Carol Ly, thank you for suggesting Chris and for designing such an eye-catching and ominous cover. It whispers, “Do you dare?” to readers. Ali and Paige, thank you both for walking me through every step of this process! You’re both the best people any author could have on their team. Daka, I’m always at risk of fangirling when I talk to you…and this moment is no different. Thank you, thank you for the lovely cover blurb! (Please check out Daka’s books, Hide and Seeker and Nightmare King.)Amalie, thank you for the sweet words about my book. I only teared up a little. I can’t wait to read Bumps in the Night (February 2024)!Now, creeps—it’s HALLOWEEN. Treat yourself to a spooky book. Go on and preorder a copy of It Came from the Trees, coming July 30, 2024! A note about preorders: sometimes publishing systems take a little while to catch up. The book is currently showing up on B&N and Hudson, but it will appear on sites like Bookshop.org, BAM, etc. soon, so check back if you don't see it listed.

In the meantime, you can add It Came from the Trees to your Goodreads!

Before you go—I could use your help with some very important research…