“With her adult horror fiction debut, Royce presents a novella of a young woman trying to escape the demons of a past that refuses to let her go.”
Maxine Forest goes back to her childhood home after a serious accident leaves her in dire financial straits. The empty house is now home only to the painful memories of her abusive father and her mother’s reluctance to leave him.
With her parents nowhere to be found, her past remains unchanged, held together by the whispered remnants from her mother that things could change. Escaping her parents’ sins should be easy, but those same sins are inherent to her genetic design.
Escape is impossible. Succumbing, and metamorphosis, are inevitable.
Why we’re excited about this book:
Eden Royce has thrilled young readers with her wild imagination, but now it’s time for something for adult horror readers. The author of Root Magic and Conjure Island, the collections Spook Lights: Southern Gothic Horror I and II, Royce’s short fiction has appeared in such publications as Blackened Roots: An Anthology of the Undead, and Apex Magazine among others. With her adult horror fiction debut, Royce presents a novella of a young woman trying to escape the demons of a past that refuses to let her go. Suzan Palumbo (Countess, Skin Thief: Stories) says Royce “…revolutionizes the haunted house genre by embedding beating hearts into its walls. Royce balances memory, trauma, guilt, morality and immediate danger with a touch as delicate as a butterfly’s wing.” and V. Castro (The Queen of the Cicadas) says: “Eden’s voice from the very start of Hollow Tongue captivates you and does not let go until the end. This story moved in directions I didn’t anticipate. I want more of this in horror!”
Why Eden is excited about this book:
“I’m excited for the release of Hollow Tongue because I love the storytelling options a novella-length book offers and I’m so happy it’s regained traction in the publishing industry. Also, I’ve been writing Gothic horror and dark fiction for younger readers for a while now, and I’m excited to be writing longer works of dark fiction for the adult market again. Seeing this book’s cover reveal and getting the early blurbs and reviews is such a boost. It feels like a return home, and not in the reluctant, resigned way that Maxine (main character of Hollow Tongue) finds herself returning home to face the past. This upcoming book release feels like a joyous homecoming that’s a stride into the future.”
Forthcoming from Raw Dog Screaming Press 20 June 2024, Hollow Tongue (part of the Selected Papers from the Consortium for the Study of Anomalous Phenomena) by Eden Royce is available for pre-order now.
BOB PASTORELLA
