Beyond the Void

Mary SanGiovanni Newsletter, Issue 8 January 2025

Hi there! I’m horror author Mary SanGiovanni, and this is the eighth issue of my author newsletter. Thanks for reading!

Changes in the New Year

Before I get to what’s on the horizon, some quick updates from 2024. I could say (and it would be true) that 2024 was both a difficult and insanely busy year for multiple reasons, not the least of which was opening a new bookstore and getting a new job in addition to part-time teaching, but I don’t want to sound like I’m making excuses. I want you all to feel seen and heard and appreciated, because believe me, I do appreciate you. Your support, whether you’ve realized it or not, has kept me going this past year during some dark moments of self-doubt, when I honestly wondered whether it was worth continuing to do what I do. I can’t not write, and you all reminded me why that mattered, so thank you. You’ll never fully know how much I needed that.

So, to that end:

PERSONALIZED STORIES: Those of you I still owe stories to have been BEYOND patient. My priority for January and February of 2025 is to finish and mail out those stories. I offer my sincerest apologies that you’ve had to wait so long and completely understand if you are frustrated and no longer wish to wait; if that is the case, please contact me at marysangiovanni@hotmail.com and we’ll work out something in terms of a refund or trade. If you are willing to continue to be patient just a little longer, I promise you my priority is to get these done and out to you. Thank you for the patience you’ve shown so far, and for your faith in me. I know it was a leap, and I really don’t want to let you down any further. One way or another, you’ll be compensated for your patience — and I WILL get those stories done.

PATREON: Let’s face it, folks. I’m not good at keeping up with Patreon content. I hate to admit to failure, but I tried and it’s not a good system for the way I work. It’s not fair to the folks who have continued to subscribe that my output is so irregular. I’ve decided to cancel my Patreon and fold the concept into a paying level here, as I understand I can offer occasional pay content. I’m going to explore that here this afternoon.

NEWSLETTER: I plan to send out this newsletter monthly. A newsletter is more or less useless if it doesn’t go out. So plan on receiving one during the first week of the month going forward.

NEW STUFF:

STRANGE STONES, my novella with Ed Lee, is up for pre-order and will be out from Clash Books on January 21st. Not to toot our horns, but in STRANGE STONES, there is a part written by Ed Lee which is one of the most beautiful, surreal, and thoroughly expert passages of cosmic horror I’ve ever read. Oh, and a nasty, grotesque monster shenanigans scene, and...uh, yeah. I wrote that.

THE EVERYWHERE HOUSE continues to make the rounds and collect kind words from some fantastic authors, and I have every confidence in my agent, Elizabeth, that we’ll have some good news on that front soon. As far as the limited edition hardcovers from Thunderstorm, they are now officially sold out.

NULL ( a sequel to THRALL), is slated to be finished at at the publisher by April.

I am also working on a new novel, a cosmic horror/demonic possession story tentatively titled THE BOY FROM THE CAVE, which I may have some news on in the new future.

My short story collection, WHISPERS FROM THE UNCANNY VALLEY, I have slated to finish for May or June.

I may also soon have news regarding a film version of my novella, FOR EMMY, coming soon.

Finally, I feel it’s time to let folks know that I have been slowly but steadily constructing a dark, surreal fantasy-horror series for many, many years, and I intend to introduce it to the world with short stories in this coming year. One such story, “The Suture Kings,” set in this world already, appeared in Cullen Bunn’s sword & sorcery anthology, SWORDS IN THE SHADOWS. I plan to take a kind of Robert E. Howard approach, publishing short stories and eventually novellas that set up information about the extensive world-building, history/historical figures and events, etc. before getting the first novel published. That novel, by the way, is tentatively titled THE DREAMARCS Book 1: WAKEWALKER. Think JRR Tolkien meets THE NEVERENDING STORY…with a little David Lynch thrown in.

This month’s cosmic horror recommendation: Todd Kiesling’s COLD, BLACK, AND INFINITE. I’m reading this now, and I can say that Todd has both mastery of language and a profound understanding of the true horror underlying any great work of cosmic horror.

That’s it for this month. Thanks for subscribing. I’ll see you next time.