Hi, Kathryn! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I’m a YA horror writer who used to be a research scientist but decided imaginary monsters are more fun than killer microbes. I live in Oxfordshire, UK, and spend most of my time writing weird stories or hanging out in creepy places looking for inspiration.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

Most authors will tell you that they wanted to write from a young age. I didn’t. Instead, I was really into bacteria and ended up becoming a microbiologist, before discovering National Novel Writing Month and deciding to give it a go on my commute to work. I wrote an appallingly bad book about a zombie uprising among the elderly, that was thankfully lost to the world when someone stole my laptop. But I’d already been bitten by the writing bug and I haven’t stopped since.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: The Redwall series by Brian Jacques
• The one that made you want to become an author: Legend by Marie Lu
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Your latest novel, Our Wicked Gifts, is out July 7^th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Toxic billionaires sell their souls!

What can readers expect?

Deals with the devil, strange magic, rich people behaving terribly, and the perils of falling in love with the wrong person.

Where did the inspiration for Our Wicked Gifts come from?

I was watching the TV show Succession and I immediately knew I wanted to write a book about a toxic family of billionaires, but with murder and magic. I’ve always loved writing about awful people and what’s worse than a family who’d happily sacrifice each other to the devil if it meant getting what they want?

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I enjoyed writing Allegra, in particular. She’s the family matriarch and the worst of a bad bunch. Her levels of selfishness and manipulation know no bounds. There’s one scene where she forces her entire family to keep a vigil at her bedside when she’s in no way dying – even asleep, she has them all wrapped around her little finger.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

My writing process tends to be extremely chaotic and painful. At one point, I decided to give up on Our Wicked Gifts and write about the murder of a UFO hoaxer told in the style of a true crime documentary. Thankfully, my agent gently encouraged me to stop being ridiculous. Every word is a challenge, but I think that’s why I love my job.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently writing another YA fantasy with magic and murder, as well as an adult book about cannibals.

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?

I recently enjoyed All Hail Chaos by Sarah Rees Brennan, and Augusta Pine Does Not Exist by Emily Lloyd-Jones, and I can’t wait to read Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo.

Will you be picking up Our Wicked Gifts? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Kathryn Foxfield, Author of ‘Our Wicked Gifts’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

While summer is often associated with relaxation, light-hearted books, and beach reads, it is also a great time to dive into the darker side of fiction! If you want to add some thrills to your summer reading list, consider these twelve young adult titles, ranging from summer camp mysteries to this year’s hottest new horror.

All The Dead Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley

A summer nannying position goes awry when Marin discovers a dark secret about the family she is working for. Offered the job by her favorite author and her late mother’s childhood friend, Alice Lovelace, Marin is initially excited to work for the family. But as Marin spends more time with them, she starts noticing peculiar behavior and strange occurrences, which leads her to realize that the Lovelaces are not at all what they seem.

Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare

After the death of her mother, Quinn, and her father relocate to the seemingly normal middle-of-nowhere town of Kettle Springs. What was supposed to be a fresh start turns deadly when a series of murders begin at a party celebrating the town’s founding.

The Counselors by Jessica Goodman

Ava, Imogen, and Goldie have been going to the elite Camp Alpine Lake since they were kids. Now they are back as counselors, ready to take on a new role. This summer is different, though, when a boy is found dead and Goldie knows she saw Ava nearby.

This Delicious Death by Kayla Cottingham

Three years ago, a new sickness known as the Hollowing grew rapidly, causing a portion of the population to have a craving for human flesh. Scientists were able to find a cure—fake human meat—that would cause the world to return to normalcy. To celebrate their high school graduation, Zoey and her four friends attend a music festival, but the fun ends when attendees drop dead and people affected by the Hollowing are unable to control their cannibalistic urges.

Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury

Told from two perspectives through different timelines, this novel offers a different approach to the haunted house story. Daisy sees ghosts. It’s unavoidable, considering she lives in a city populated by millions of people. When Daisy’s mother calls, informing her that she has inherited a mansion, she gets to start fresh, but things take a turn when Daisy soon discovers that the property is haunted. A decade later, light is brought to the haunted mansion as horror podcaster Brittney decides to investigate cases about missing Black girls overlooked in the media.

Good Girls Die First by Kathryn Foxfield  

Thinking of going to a carnival this summer? You might want to rethink making plans after reading this murder-filled supernatural debut. Ava is among the ten teens who received an invitation to the abandoned carnival island, Portgrave Pier. Believing she is being blackmailed, she accepts this invitation without hesitation. Little does Ava know, the invitation is just the beginning of a twisted game where each teenager must fight to keep their deepest secrets hidden.

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

After the strange death of his twin sister, Mars visits the Aspen Conservancy Summer Academy, a place where his sister attended each summer. The camp is known for its strict and traditional ideas, which makes it a toxic environment for Mars, but he is desperate to find the answers surrounding his sister’s death. At the camp, he is introduced to a mysterious group of girls known as The Honeys, and he suspects they have just the answers he is looking for.

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

Grey, Vivi, and Iris mysteriously vanished when they were children, only to turn up a month later with no memory of what happened. They reappeared with their original hair turned white, their eyes black, and matching scars on their throats. When the oldest sister, Grey, disappears once again, Vivi and Iris are left with a sense of deja vu. The sisters will do anything to get Grey back, even if it means venturing into the depths of their dark and forgotten past.

House of Roots and Ruin by Erin A. Craig 

Twelve years have gone by since the events of “House of Salt and Sorrows”, and Verity, the youngest Thaumas sister, has spent her entire life confined within the walls of Highmoor Manor. Verity yearns for a taste of the outside world, so when she receives an invitation to paint a portrait of the Duchess’s son, she happily agrees. Her oldest sister, Camille, on the other hand, is hesitant to let her go and reveals that Verity has been seeing ghosts without her knowledge.

None Shall Sleep by Ellie Marney

Emma Lewis is a sole survivor of an attack by the horrific young serial killer, Simon Gutmunsson. Travis Bell is the son of a murdered police officer. The teenagers both carry personal scars from their encounters with violence and are recruited by the FBI to interview young serial killers and study cold cases. When a killer targeting teens is on the rise, Emma and Travis find themselves caught in a dangerous game of cat and mouse, where their own lives may be at stake.

Together We Rot by Skyla Arndt

In this slow-burn romantic horror set to be released on August 29, Wil Green wants nothing to do with her former childhood friend, Elwood. She’s convinced that his family is involved in her mother’s disappearance. When Elwood flees unexpectedly and seeks her help, Wil reluctantly agrees to meet with him. Together, they dig deeper into Elwood’s family’s history, and Wil realizes that there may be more to their strained friendship than meets the eye.

You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

For horror fanatic Charity Curtis, summertime means working at Camp Mirror Lake, where its visitors pay to get scared. As Charity prepares for the closing nights of the facility, she realizes her coworkers are nowhere in sight. What she doesn’t know, however, is that this summer will be different from any other, as the line between fiction and reality begins to blur and the horrors of Camp Mirror Lake become all too real.

The post Spooky Summer YA Book Recommendations appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Kathryn Foxfield’s Come Out, Come Out, Whatever You Are, which is out now!

Welcome to the reality game show that’ll scare you to death! Have you got what it takes to last the night?

On the reality show It’s Behind You!, five contestants competing for prize money must survive the night in the dark and dangerous Umber Gorge caves, rumored to be haunted by the Puckered Maiden, a ghost who eats the hearts of her victims. But is it the malevolent spirit they should fear, or each other?

As the production crew ramps up the frights, tensions rise and the secrets of the cast member start coming to light. Each of these teenagers has hidden motives for taking part in the show. But could one of them be murder?

SIXTEEN

We find Marla lying outside the cheese shop, by the village square. She’s on her back with her limbs splayed and her eyes open and unblinking. I approach slowly. She doesn’t move. Behind her, the campfire is burning low. The flames send freakish shadows flitting across her face. There’s blood in her hair.

“Marla?” I whisper, crouching down beside her. I lower my head to listen for breathing.

“Oh my god, Marla,” Python says. “Is she dead?”

Suddenly, there’s an ear-splitting scream. Marla is not dead. She launches herself off the ground and clamps her arms around my neck. The girl’s small but bizarrely strong. We roll over so she’s pinning me to the floor, getting dirt and ash all over my already-filthy suit. She cranes her face toward mine.

There’s a vein on her forehead that looks ready to burst, and she’s baring her teeth like a zombie.

“This is all your fault!” she cries.

“Marla, calm down.” Liam drags her off me and holds her around the waist while she kicks and screams, clawing at the air in an effort to disembowel me with her manicured fingernails. Cameraman Carl is the most animated he’s ever been, following Marla’s every flail with the camera.

“Oh my GOD, oh my GOD,” Python says.

“Stop that!” Abbie orders. “You’re acting like children.” “This is all her fault,” Marla screeches. “She burnt that doll. She’s made the Puckered Maiden angry.”

She stamps hard on Liam’s foot and he releases her with a yelp of pain. Blood dribbles down her temple.

“Marla, your head,” Abbie says. “You’re hurt.”

“I fell over. I hate this place. And you know what? I’m done.”

Marla turns and marches off, through the model town, then into the first cave with its fiberglass grave- yard. We all trail after her as she feels her way past the angels and crosses. We follow her into the entrance tunnel. Cameraman Carl struggles behind us, panting under the weight of his camera. It’s a sign of how pissed off Marla is that she doesn’t check if he’s still filming her. We reach the locked door.

Marla doesn’t hesitate. She walks up to the sign that reads “It’s behind me, let me out” and hammers on the door. Cameraman Carl jogs over to join us, swearing under his breath. We all step aside for him in shocked silence. I always thought Marla would snap first; I knew I could break her. But even so, this is surprisingly dramatic.

I’m reminded of this time with my mom where I went an entire day answering “Why?” to everything she said. It was funny right up until the point she snapped. She screamed at me so loudly my dad came racing in from the garden thinking someone was hurt.

Marla is hurt, but the seconds drag by and the door remains closed.

“Let me out, I’ve had enough,” Marla shouts. “Let me out. Please!”

There is silence. And I know then. No one’s coming. “Marla,” I say. “There’s no one there.”

“What do you mean?” Python says. “This is how the show works.”

They all look at me, confused. “You all sat through the health and safety talk, right?” I say. “The one with the risk assessment on licking mold?”

“So what?” Marla sniffs, pausing her hammering.

“So, if the health and safety team is worried we might get an upset stomach from licking the walls, they must be crapping themselves over that head injury about now.”

Mr. Health and Mr. Safety should be racing in with doctors and lawyers and release forms to sign. Marla should be in a neck brace with an air ambulance landing outside.

Instead, silence. Cameraman Carl peers up at the wall- mounted camera over the door, lowering his own.

“You’re right,” Liam says. “If someone was watching us from the outside, they’d already be in here to take Marla to the hospital.”

There’s a pause while the truth sinks in. The power cuts, the flickering lights, the fact that nothing happened after the séance. I’d thought it was all part of the show. But now I don’t think it was.

“Oh my GOD,” Python says. “We’re on our own.”

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘Come Out, Come Out, Whatever You Are’ by Kathryn Foxfield appeared first on The Nerd Daily.