Hi Friends,

I thought I would make my May reading update public this month. I typically will keep these paid members only, mostly so I can be a little more honest than I can on social media. I'm not saying now is the time to upgrade, but today I released a WHAT FEEDS BELOW update, an update on the THIRD book from our imprint and will likely be doing a cover reveal for our second book CRACKS soon (so yeah, maybe I am saying now is the time to upgrade!)

Before I get into the update: I LISTED 150 books for sale, many under $5

Shot out to anyone who buys multiple books at once because I have a ton of big boxes I'm dying to get rid of!

I read 15 Books in May. And got a little bit of everything this month.

1. Old School Indian by Aaron John Curtis

   This was our book club pick for Good Day To Read Indigenous and I thought it was fantastic. It's a coming of middle age story, and to be honest, I think we need many more of these! It follows Abe, a man with a debilitating autoimmune disease who in a last ditch attempt to get healed, goes back to the Rez to consult a healer. The prose here is perfection. The characters are SOMETHING ELSE. There is so much about language and love. If you didn't get a chance to read along for book club, I still suggest checking this one out.

1. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

   Well, it was a book. Anyway. There are 2 things that are true about me. One, if everyone is talking about it, I want to talk about it. And 2. I LOVE BOOKS ABOUT INFLUENCERS. This book was...fine. I was entertained for at least 65% of the book. The ending totally fell apart and pissed me off. I don't think it is worthy of all the hype, but I also don't find it interesting enough to be worthy of all the attention and criticism either.

2. Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

   There are times when you read a book and you know this book is going to be for me, but other people might hate it and this is definitely one of these books. It's a book for anyone who loves a book with immaculate vibes over plot. It's dark academia gothic that is impeccably written. Do we need to know what the hell is going on anyway?

3. Lethal Kiss by Taylor Grothe

   TAYLOR IS A MASTER AT HORRORMANCE. This book made me want to read 10 more books just like it. Sapphic. Gory. Dark Academia. Monsters. It drops 10/20 and it is one I THINK YOU SHOULD PREORDER RIGHT NOW.

4. Heartbeat Braves by Pamela Sanderson

   This is an Indigenous romance that centers around the Crooked Rock Urban Indian Center, it's book one of a four book interconnected series. We follow Rayanne who is just trying to do a good job and make changes and then a new leader puts his nephew, Henry, is charge and Rayanne has to work with him. I usually do not care for workplace romances, but because of the unique setting and the cultural significance this one really worked for me. I enjoyed all of the characters here, so I'm looking forward to continuing the series.

5. Native Love Jams by Tashia Hart

   Short and sweet Indigenous romance. This follows Winnow and Niigaani and they have a rough first meet, but end up working so well together. I love a book that centers on FOOD. This is a very sweet story, with memorable characters that is LAUGH OUT LOUD funny.

6. When Stars Have Teeth by Dani Trujilio

   WHOA this Indigenous romance was STEAMY. Buffy does not want a man, but she finds one anyway. Buffy works at the Urban Indian center and just wants to get her job done but is struggling with a non-native board. Santiago is a HOT immigration lawyer. She wants a booty call. He wants BUFFY.

7. The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez

   This is an atmospheric fantasy reimagining the golem story. It's folklore. It's sapphic. There is political intrigue and yearning. It's a moving tale with impressive prose.

8. Bad Words by Rioghnach Robinson

   HOLY SHIT. THIS IS THE BEST ROMANCE I HAVE EVER READ IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. This book releases October 6. PREORDER IT IMMEDIATELY. This is a romance about a book critic and a debut author who gets DESTROYED by said critic. This is ENEMIES to FRIENDS to THIS BETTER LAST FOREVER OR I WONT SURVIVE. A lot of interesting stuff about creativity, on the publishing industry, the book world, social media. I NEED MORE PEOPLE TO READ THIS. The banter. Did I mention the banter? WHEN THEY FINALLY BECOME LOVERS. OMG. Every time I put this book down, I would think about it. I will 100% reread this annually.

9. We Are All Guilty Here (North Falls #1) by Karin Slaughter

   Karin Slaughter is the best living thriller writer. You can disagree in these comments, but you'll be wrong. Everything she writes blows me away. The twist at the end of this book. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? No, not that twist. The twist after that twist. Two teenage girls vanish. A detective with baggage thinks she's solved it. Fast forward, two more girls vanish.... but it can't be the same man? Can it? Just give Karin Slaughter the awards every time she picks up a pen. Please.

10. Girl, Forgotten (Andrea Oliver #2) by Karin Slaughter

    So, naturally, I had to go on a Karin Slaughter binge. Who killed Emily Vaughn on prom night in 1982? All of her friends are suspects. This is a sequel to Pieces of Her and while I think they can be read as separate stories, there are connections to the first book that just make starting there worth it. PLUS, all Karin Slaughter's thrillers are to die for.

11. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune

    Wow, I think Carley Fortune just unseated Emily Henry as my fave contemporary romance author. This book was perfection to me. A second chance romance about Persephone and Sam, told in the present and as their time as teens. All we know is they split up because of something Percy did...and MY GOD when we learn what. I thought I would hate that. I didn't. It worked so well for me. This couple. Could NOT put it down.

12. Meet Me At The Lake by Carley Fortune

    Decided I was going to read all of her books in pub order. This should have been a book for me. Dirty Dancing references. A couple who spends an entire day together like the Before Sunset/Sunrise movie trilogy but NO. NO. What. NO.

13. The Lemon Twist by Élan Les Vies

    This is mystery set in the 80s that follows an ice skater suffering memory loss who gets a postcard from her sister that's been missing, with one word written on it: HELP. Lots of puzzles to solve. And a TWIST like no other.

14. This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune

    Heck yes. The joy I felt reading Every Summer After is back! This follows Lucy who falls for her best friend's brother (A trope I thought I would hate. NOPE!) They have to stay apart, but yet they hook up every year. I LOVE SUMMER ROMANCE. What can I say?

    Have you read any of these? What's on your June TBR?

I have found the 3rd book that I want to publish.

We still have to go out with an offer, they still have to accept it. It's a whole thing- and I've been here before and they don't always accept, but as of right now, I WOULD LOVE TO PUBLISH THIS BOOK.

It's very different from the books that I am publishing so far and it wasn't the book that I was looking for, but it is a book that found me and I don't think that I'm going to be able to let it go.

If I read horror, will I like it?

I think if you only read books that are found in the horror section, probably not.

But if you dip your toes in other genres, you're going to love it. People are going to love it.

Here are the Audible tags I could see for the book: Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal.

I think the book would sit most comfortably in fantasy or mystery, but romance fans, especially fans of Mimi Matthews, will be drawn to this, too!

It's a little bit Jane Austen style comedy of manners, a bit mystery, a bit paranormal fantasy, and A LOT of fun. It's very clever.

What's it about?

It's 1875. We've got a Chinese matchmaker who matches people by reading astrology. We've got a vendor and his fortune telling parakeet. We've got some local gangsters. We've got a shaman.

Our matchmaker has been asked to do the impossible- find a suitable match for A WHITE WOMAN!

It gets a bit complicated because the woman is supposed to be married off to her father's legitimate wife's brother who has.......something SERIOUSLY wrong with him?

This book is the perfect fall read. Perfect for spooky season. It's a little spooky. It's a little mystery. It's a little cozy with a little gore. Perfect to curl up with some hot cocoa on a rainy day.

I also really like that, similar to What Feeds Below, we have some chapter openers that are notes and letters and think this could be really cool for design.

I think that while not entirely genre specific, the book falls under the mission of stories that haunt and heal.

I would love to know what you all think? Are you ready for something a little different?

I'm gonna add some potential vibes below.

When I opened this email:

I SCREAMED.

I CRIED.

I THREW UP.

It's FANCY. It's PRESTIGIOUS! And it is so WELL DESERVED.

This doesn't go public until tomorrow (9am PST, if you would like to repost!), so shhhh!

What Feeds Below has received a KIRKUS STARRED REVIEW!

Best friends Petra and Jade live in an orphanage on the outskirts of a rundown city that’s grown up around the Void, a mysterious chasm that’s miles deep and wide.

Desperate to escape their grinding poverty, the 17-year-old girls work together as divers, guiding wealthy, thrill-seeking tourists on excursions into the complete darkness of the Void, with its carnivorous plants and vicious, cunning predators. The divers risk losing limbs—and their lives—and few ever reach the Void’s Sixth Layer, where lies the ancient city of Obscuris, which sank into the earth long ago, taking a mysterious power source and advanced technologies with it. A successful dive to Obscuris would secure the girls’ financial futures, but dark-haired, timid Petra is too afraid to try, despite Jade’s pushing. Only when green-eyed Jade, who’s pale-skinned with auburn hair, goes missing during a botched dive does Petra screw up her courage. Together with fellow diver Flint, who has dark-brown skin and a prosthetic leg and to whom she was once close, Petra heads back into the Void for what she promises herself will be her very last dive—all the way to the Sixth Layer. But what she finds in the deep is peril, pain, and something genuinely shocking. This gory novel moves at a fast pace, and its strengths include its lush and innovative worldbuilding, gruesome body horror, and unflinching commitment to the bleakness of its narrative.

A nail-biting tale set in a beautifully rendered world of darkness and danger. (Horror. 14-18)

WOW!

I'm going to talk more about what this means for What Feeds Below tomorrow to the entire community and I don't want to be too repetitive I just wanted to thank everyone so much because this book would NOT be possible without paid subscribers, so thank you so much for supporting this community!

This quote is obviously long, but what we are using for promo is already up on Amazon and Kobo! Check it out! <3 <3

Friends,

I'm sorry, I've been mostly absent recently. I've been covering for a colleague in my day job, and likely will be for sometime and I also am going through a major life event which I'm not quite ready to discuss publicly yet, but I'm doing what I can when I can, so I hope you'll remain patient with me. These next few months might be a little spotty.

If you missed my earlier announcement, I am on the hunt for our third book.

I have gotten some great pitches and submissions (and we've only just started looking).

I think a lot of that speaks to our reputation, both the reputation of Bindery, and specifically Boozhoo Books. We are publishing SOME BANGERS.

I picked up a story last night that is giving me a very similar feeling to the feeling I got when I read both What Feeds Below and Cracks: WOW. Wholly unique. I already told our acquisitions director that I THINK I MIGHT HAVE FOUND THE ONE.

The story was pitched as a horror and I don't think that's the right category and I don't think that really matters. I think this is what I want my imprint to be known for: Unique stories, told from voices that don't always get the chance to be heard. Unputtdownable stories. Consumable stories. Stories that come to life off the page.

I can't say much more than that on this public page. I will be sharing some plot points and more about the story to my paid members this weekend, so if you have been thinking about upgrading, not only do you get arcs of all our books and support this incredible imprint and mission- YOU GET THE SECRETS EARLY. Upgrade to $5 and hop in our exclusive paid members discord channel.

(I've also got a super secret What Feeds Below paid update coming this Sunday and the cover for Cracks is going to be available to paid members SOON!)

Thanks so much for supporting this imprint, y'all! It's because of you that these stories are coming to life.

Absolutely devastated and disgusted to hear the news this morning that Tor Nightfire has picked up Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell.

Felix Blackwell is a white man who decided to include Indigenous characters in his horror book, drawing heavily on Native American culture (because he talked to one person and got approval. LOL). All the Native characters in the book end up dead.

I talk about it here and

here (his reddit response WAS DISGUSTING)

Every time I do an Indigenous horror recommendation video, someone recommends this book because they think the author is Native. (because who else would have the audacity?)

Anyway, I'm unfollowing anyone supporting this book and any author who decides to blurb it is going on an automatic DO NOT READ list for me.

Disgusted with Tor Nightfire. Truly

Friends,

So happy to share that Kristy Park Kulski is now a STOKER AWARD WINNER for Best Anthology: Silk & Sinew: A Collection of Folk Tales from the Asian Diaspora.

Kristy’s next novel CRACKS is a haunting historical horror and the second book being published by our imprint! Coming April 27!

Cover reveal coming soon!

Congrats, Kristy!!!

Friends,

We finally got in numbers from Kobo and our partner bookstores (did you know that if you order a paperback copy from certain bookstores, you get a cool poster?!)

Drum roll, please. We are at 472. 472/1000!

Do you know what this means? We are only 178 preorders away from

THE PEN!

I think the ebook will stay at the $3.99 range for awhile! We’ve got 4 months to hit 1000! I think we can hit 650 in 1!

I’ve also got a big What Feeds Below secret, but I have to wait to tell you! Stay tuned!

We made it to Friday! (Barely, over here. I've been hit with major exhaustion, so I'm resting up for Bay Area Book Festival on Sunday, where I'm moderating an Indigenous romance panel!)

I just got our preorder numbers in@ Do you want a drumroll? I'm not musically inclined.

We have climbed to 361.

I'm not going to lie you, this climb to 1,000 feels like climbing a mountain unprepared, wheezing, out of breath, cursing at the mountain!

I've heard a lot of people say (and especially early reviewers!) that they can't wait to grab a copy of What Feeds Below when it comes out. PLEASE DON'T WAIT. We want our first author to be a best seller, and pre orders are going to be what makes that happen.

If you don't want to miss a $3.99 sale, grab the ebook today! (available wherever ebooks are sold!) This is the cheapest this book is going to be. There are over 2,000 of you supporting this imprint, getting this newsletter. Only 18% of you have grabbed a copy of the book!

I told Tatiana last night that I wanted this imprint to be known for making a big bang! I want to shock and disrupt trad publishing with what we can do together as a community. We have 459 Netgalley reviews with a 5 STAR average rating. People are buzzing about this book. I want to make sure that Tatiana gets the first week she deserves: BEST SELLER. Can you help us make this happen?

If you have already preordered your copy, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

If you've already read and reviewed the book, please keep talking about it! Check out this COOL POST from one of our members <3 and dont forget to tag me

at fromthemixedupdesk

and Tatiana at thebuffwriter

Let us know down below if you've already place a preorder!!!!

Please join me in extending a huge congrats to Kristy Park Kulski, author of our Spring 27 book, CRACKS, on all of her award nominations this season

Silk and Sinew has been nominated for:

Bram Stoker award

Shirley Jackson award

British Fantasy award

Congrats, Kristy!

I cannot wait to share more about Cracks with you all! (Hoping a little cover preview coming in for paid subscribers soon!)

Let’s take a look at what we’ve accomplished and where the world can take us!

What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote Bonne, a horror fantasy releasing this October!

Cracks by Kristy Park Kulski, a literary horror releasing next April! (name change soft launch)

I’ve been thinking a lot about what might come next and I’m adding a couple of more categories! Here is what I’m interested in:

Indigenous Authors- horror, thriller, romance, coming of age or cozy mystery

Horror written by women of color

Horrormance! (Friends, I read Lethal Kiss by Taylor Grothe and I need more of this!)

Thrillers! written by women of color

Let me know down below what would excite you!

(Sitting on a manuscript? Email me)