The Epistle

Awards nominations, special editions, and a companion novel teaser

Welcome back to the Epistle, my holy pleasure-seekers. Whisper the password at the door, duck in under the gothic arches, and don your crown of flowers. I’ve got a jumbo newsletter for you today filled with all sorts of goodies, plus a teaser aesthetic for the A DOWRY OF BLOOD companion novel. Let’s dive in together.

News

A British Fantasy Award Nomination

I’m truly floored to share that A DOWRY OF BLOOD has been nominated for a British Fantasy Award among industry luminaries Chuck Wendig, Stephen Graham Jones, Premee Mohamed, Cassandra Khaw, and Catriona Ward. I’m in such incredibly company on this list, and I’m overcome with gratitude simply to be nominated.

On a personal note, it absolutely boggles the mind that an indie press debut absolutely suffused with blood and eroticism and religious imagery made it onto a list like this, and I’ve had my little cry and my celebratory cocktail about it, to be sure. This book has been propelled forward primarily by word of mouth, so I can’t thank each and every one of you, dear readers, enough.

A Brazilian Translation

That’s right, A DOWRY OF BLOOD is going to Brazil! I’m so incredibly grateful to the entire domestic and foreign rights team, to my wonderful agent Tara Gilbert, and to my magnificent readers for helping to get this book into yet another territory! And of course, thank you to DarkSide for taking on my bloody little book!

A Special Signed Edition

A special signed edition of A DOWRY OF BLOOD will be featured this October in The Bookish Box’s adult box! Featuring an exclusive cover, sprayed edges, SCORCHING interior art (I’m not lying when I say the artist brought the spice) and a brand new bonus short story featuring everyone's favorite vampiric consorts (oh, and a hot priest 😇), this is a collector's edition you don't wanna miss!

A Companion Novel Aesthetic

As you can probably tell, I’ve had to keep my lips zipped about pretty much everything about the A DOWRY OF BLOOD companion novel. All I can say is that it’s set in the same world as the first book, and that it’s based on another work of classic literature. Hopefully I’ll be able to leak more details to you soon, dear readers, but until then, enjoy this sensory aesthetic I made to convey to ~vibes~ of book two.

A New Short Story and Title Reveal

The treats abound this month! To celebrate hitting 1,000 newsletter subscribers, I’m going to share an exclusive, never-before-seen sci-fi short story with you sometime very soon. This short story is X-files meets exvangelical angst, and it’s got:

✨plucky female reporters

✨aliens that might be angels

✨religious trauma

✨male/female friendship

✨reluctant prophets

✨a hearty helping of cosmic horror

Are you ready for the title reveal? Drumroll please!

Everything I’ve Been Loving Lately

A Fully Funded Kickstarter

I’m over the moon to share that, with your help, we fully funded the UNTHINKABLE queer gothic Kickstarter! Thank you so much for supporting emerging queer voices in the gothic genre by raising over 11,000 pounds! I’m so excited to be writing the introduction for this truly wonderful anthology.

That’s all I have for you this month, dearly beloveds. Be safe and well until we two meet again!

-Saint