Don’t Go to Sleep Publication Day!

It’s August 2nd, and that means my next book, Don’t Go to Sleep, is finally out in the wild and ready for purchase. It’s always a long process from first writing a book to finally seeing it in print, and it’s a great feeling to have it done at last.

Here’s the review from Kirkus:

After a yearslong reprieve, the Axeman who haunts survivor Gianna’s nightmares stalks New Orleans’ Italian grocers again.

In this true-crime reimagining of the infamous Axeman of New Orleans with a supernatural spin, the hunter becomes hunted by one of his surviving victims. Seven years ago, Gianna and Enzo were brought together through shared trauma—both of their families survived brutal attacks by an ax-wielding intruder. After 17-year-old Gianna’s reoccurring nightmare of the attack changes in a threatening way, the Axeman strikes again. Believing her dreams are connected to the killer, Gianna and Enzo scour her nightmarish visions for clues, and the grisly crime scenes pile up. Aside from the Axeman’s terrorizing of New Orleans’s maligned Italian community, the city also simmers with the tension of the Great War abroad and the 1918 influenza pandemic; readers will feel déjà vu as they learn about the historical reception of face masks and lockdowns. The supernatural elements—Gianna and the Axeman’s connection, an Italian fortuneteller—offer eerie plot tendrils to follow (though some of these are dropped) and come into play in ways that heighten the dangers during big scenes. The graphic violence grounds the story and stakes. Gianna’s parents emigrated from Italy as young adults; Enzo is third-generation Italian American. Their romantic storyline is perfunctory but does not distract from the story’s tension. A delightfully dark historical cat-and-mouse game blending the psychic and psychological. (author’s note) (Historical supernatural thriller. 14-adult)

If you’d like to support the book (or me), here are some things you can do:

• Buy the book. This kind of goes without saying, I’d guess, but buying the book is really important, especially in the first week of release. I’ve got a third book in with my publisher right now, and I’m hoping they agree to publish it. I expect they’ll be looking at the sales figures for this current book when they’re making that decision. Here’s a handy link to the book on Amazon.
• Review the book. Whether it’s on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, or just on Facebook or Twitter, reviews really do help. (Good reviews help more, of course . . .) I think the first reviews can make a bigger impact than later reviews. They influence people when they’re thinking about buying the book.
• Spread the word about the book. You don’t have to review it; you can just share this post and raise visibility.
• Request the book from your library. I’m all for libraries (clearly). Checking the book out from your public library, or asking that they buy it so you can, is also wonderful, and free for you.

At any rate, thanks so much to all of you for your support. It’s really appreciated. Happy reading!

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Like what you’ve read? Please consider supporting me on Patreon. Thanks to all my Patrons who support me! It only takes a minute or two, and then it’s automatic from there on out. I’ve posted the entirety of my book ICHABOD in installments, and I’m now putting up chapters from PAWN OF THE DEAD, another of my unreleased books. Where else are you going to get the undead and muppets all in the same YA package? Check it out.

If you’d rather not sign up for Patreon, you can also support the site by clicking this DON’T GO TO SLEEP Amazon link. It will take you to Amazon, where you can buy my books or anything else. During that visit, a portion of your purchase will go to me. It won’t cost you anything extra.