May, 2026
Gearing up for summer!
April is always brutal for academics. Discerning followers may have noticed that my weekly stories dropped off - I didn’t even have the bandwidth to schedule them! That’s how crazy this time of year is.
But never fear! School is out and I have a whole summer to write, play, plan, and plot the release of The Jehovah Project! The first blurb is in, and it is good!
With The Jehovah Project Ladd delivers a clever, riveting exploration of the shades of gray that inhabit human morality. This book is a thought-invoking wild ride from beginning to end, as we follow Drake’s adventures on an undercover assignment riddled with impossible choices and inconceivable realities. — Elizabeth S. Devecchi author of A Whisper in the Dark
What I’m Working On
Immediately, I’m busy with three things: planning for upcoming events, writing, and planning a book launch. Let’s mix things up and go backwards, shall we?
The Jehovah Project needs a cover before I can set a release date. So that’s the next hurdle: I’ve sent ideas to my publisher, and now it’s just a matter of working with the designer until we’re all happy. Have a favorite thriller cover? I’d love to hear in comments.
In addition to working on my next full-length novel Grandmother Bone, I also have a novella in progress; its called Ghost of Jupiter. I work best when I bounce back and forth between projects. One is a creature feature and the other is cosmic horror - I’ll let you decide which is which!
Lastly, events! June means STOKERCON and I am hard at work getting ready. I’m on a fun panel, doing a reading, and of course, selling books.
One of the things I love about horror is how political it is. The Stepford Wives is the most well-known trad wife horror, but it’s a whole sub-genre. Being in a female body in a country in which the highest levels of administration embrace the most toxic forms of masculinity, taking women’s control from our bodies, threatening to repeal the 19th Amendment, and return us to the home “where we belong,” has spawned a whole slew of books, films, and shows grappling with the horror of womanhood. You better believe that this panel will have some rage!
My publisher, Winding Road Stories, started a tradition last year of publishing a horror anthology leading up to StokerCon. This year it’s called Darkness at the End of the Road and you can get a FREE e-copy! (You can unsubscribe from the newsletter anytime after you receive the anthology.) It’s also available for purchase as a hard copy. Featuring my short story “Mother Doll Sets Fires.”
You can pick up last year’s anthology, All Roads Lead to Hell, featuring my story “Full Dark, No Stars.”
What I’m Reading
Amazing, given how busy I’ve been, but I managed to read Elizabeth S. Devecchi’s new book The Shadow Beside Her and The Comfort of Black by Carter Wilson.
The Shadow Beside Her is a creature feature set against the backdrop of World War II in northern Italy. It’s nicely written and well paced. I just wanted more of the monster!
The Comfort of Black is a fast-paced thriller where nothing is what it seems. Thrillers are always fun: they suck you and and don’t stop. Wilson writes women well and I know for a fact that he’s a pantser. Pantser writing is often unpredictable because the author didn’t know where the story was going! It’s a ton of fun.
What I’m Watching
Cuckoo is conceptually very unique with one heck of a wild creature. Hybrid? Mutant? Not sure what it is, but it’s a neat idea. It’s extremely disorienting, which I love. The POV is tight on Gretchen (played by Hunter Schafer), and we only know what she knows. Which isn’t a lot! If you love eerie character interactions, disorienting plots shifts, weird creatures, and ambiguous story-telling, hook this one up!
We are told that Mother Mary is “not a love story” and it is also “not a ghost story.” I’d agree: it is neither of those things. It’s a possession story, but the demon is obsession. It is a gloriously beautiful film with a soundtrack that makes the experience like watching a music video. It also stars the incomparable Michaela Coel opposite Anne Hathaway.
Fun Photo
The horror themed tattoo leg sleeve I’m finishing up pays homage to some of my favorite stories. Anyone know what these figures are? Where my horror fans at?
Great stuff, Catlyn...thanks, and I'm looking forward to digging into these recommendations. Best of fortunes at STOKERCON!
I love reading all about this! The craziest thing is that I can read all about this. Looking forward to reading your next book.