A New Year TBR, a Sequel, and Bookish News
New Year news from author L.C. Marino
Hey friends! Welcome to 2025.
Remember my TBR from my last newsletter? Yeah?! Well, I’m happy to report, I read ONE book from the list (Cadaver Bone from Wendy Dalrymple). So let’s start the New Year with a reset, shall we? I’m reading these in the next few weeks. I started Chopping Spree last night. Take me to the mall, Angela Sylvaine!
Chopping Spree from Angela Sylvaine
Only Darkness from Yolanda Sfetsos
EynHallow from Tim McGregor
Rest Stop from Nat Cassidy
Cranberry Cove from Hailey Piper
Kill Your Darling from Clay McLeod Chapman
The Triangle Forest from Edward Flora
For what it’s worth, I have several very good reasons for the lack of TBR progress over the past two months. For starters, I’m a husband and father and it’s the holidays so…yeah. But, wait there’s more! I’m cofounder of an indie press and we’ve been neck deep in reading submissions and processing edits for several novels and novellas. So, technically, I’m reading nonstop, I’m just unable to share what I’m reading. *Sigh*
Okay, I've got a few book updates for you and plans for a busy first half of 2025. Let’s dive in!
Bless the Mother Audiobook and Hardcovers are Here!
As I said in last month's newsletter, this may be my favorite book of the series. The new audiobook is alive and kicking! I remain incredibly grateful for Erika Calvert’s haunting narration of this series. You deserve to have it injected into your ears. Treat yo self.
And the hardcovers are FINALLY here! I’m thrilled to kick off 2025 with shipments of all signed hardcover preorders. I am eternally grateful for the extremely patient readers who preordered these hardcovers directly from me and waited for the print and distro to catch up to the rest of the world. We’ve waiting MONTHS and now the wait is over!
Okay, here's another kick ass GoodReads review of Bless the Mother from Mae:
“This book takes place many years after book one and you MUST read book one to understand what is going on. In this installment, we come back into the lives of Abigail and Constance as they struggle with adult responsibilities such as what to do with the scary house that tried to kill them. This book is scary and thoughtful just like the ones that came before it. It also has a twist that will punch you right in the gut, even if you are expecting it. I will say no more because, well you know, spoilers!”
Only Survival Remains News
Only Survival Remains, the second book in my post-apocalyptic EMP survival thriller series co-authored with Zach Bohannon, is in the hands of our masterful editor! I was 100% engulfed in writing this book during the final few months of 2024 so if you’re looking for reasons (excuses?) why I didn’t return your email or why I asked you the same question several times, blame this book. But, damn it was worth it!
This story picks up right where book one ended and leads to some dark, violent places with an ending you won’t soon forget, post-apoc friends. Only Survival Remains is currently available for preorder if action thrillers are your jam. As I’ve said a few times, my comparison for this book is the movie Taken meets the end of the world. Sounds fun, right?
Still need to get the first book in your brain? You can enjoy it in paperback, ebook, or audiobook. I’m a big fan of the audiobook thanks to Chris Abernathy’s gritty narration. Check out the audiobook here!
2025 Look Ahead
I’ve got all the goodness planned for the first half of 2025! Here are the highlights:
Only Survival Remains release - Early 2025 TBD
Banish the Dead release - March!
AuthorCon V - March 28-30
Horror on the Rappahannock - May 2-4
StokerCon - June 12-15
Also, my podcast, The Suspense is Killing Me, is back with weekly episodes through the moth of January! I’m stoked to bring you amazing conversations with some wonderful authors including
, Michael Clark, Stephen Schreffler, Dana McSwain, Edward Flora…and Clay McLeod Chapman! Yeah, I’m pretty excited about this lineup of shows.Okay, I’ll stop with the madness now. Let’s kick all the 2025 ass, friends.
Be good humans to each other.
Respectfully,
LC Marino