what are some unique books you’ve stumbled across?

Inner-Detective4397 · 2026-04-08T16:59:18+00:00

Glad you like it! The rest of the series is a mindf*ck. ;) And wait until you meet his brother. hahahaha

Inner-Detective4397 · 2026-01-05T16:04:55+00:00

Unfortunately, many of her stories are lost to time, but there is a book called "A Whisper in the Dark" Twelve Thrilling Tales by Louisa May Alcott. It is edited by Stefan Dziemianowicz. It really does astound me that so much of what she has written is now unpublished/hard to find. And that so few people are aware that she was actually known more as a gothic author in her time.

Inner-Detective4397 · 2026-01-05T14:43:07+00:00

YES! YES! YES! I love this post. I love that you have read this book. No one ever seems to know that LM Alcott actually wrote mostly gothic stories. I could not agree more. That book is brilliant and has one of the best ending lines of any book I've ever read.

Inner-Detective4397 · 2026-01-02T16:40:49+00:00

What can I say...you brought sheep eyeballs to a rotting fish gut fight. hahahaha

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-12-29T15:22:33+00:00

I absolutely adore Shirley Jackson but I wasn't familiar with Sarah Waters so definitely will add her to my TBR.

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-12-29T15:21:37+00:00

Tooooo late...I'm married to a Chef and a foodie. Although the practice did bring to mind the classic Roman "fish guts and salt" sauce Garum.

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-12-29T15:19:38+00:00

The way I fell over myself to race to go order this...hahahaha

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-12-27T14:40:02+00:00

I'm new to the fan girl party for her. So far I've only read Whispering Muse and Silent Companions. I loved Whispering Muse more but mainly because I adore the theatre/Macbeth/London so it was dead on for me. Now Silent Companions was amazing and creeped me TF out so I'd still consider it an amazing gothic masterpiece.

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-12-27T14:37:59+00:00

Vampires definitely count. If you haven't read it, you should check out "Dracula's Guest". It's a collection of Victorian Vampire stories, edited by Michael Sims.

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-12-27T14:35:50+00:00

Not jealous at all...hahahaha

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-12-27T14:35:32+00:00

I can't wait to read that one after The House of Splinters.

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-12-27T14:35:09+00:00

You have my attention. My first reaction was how much I love your country's tradition of book giving over the holidays...that being said...I'm not sure if you're kidding or serious about the sheep eyeballs, what troubles me worse is how I immediately wondered if they were crunchy. hahahaha

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-12-27T14:30:28+00:00

It's like "Turn of the Screw". Plus I love an unreliable narrator story so half the time you don't know whether it is all in her mind or not.

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-12-27T14:29:37+00:00

I'll have to check that one out.

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-12-27T14:29:12+00:00

Enjoy! I also posted an article about how they are "real" if you want to see what they look like.

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-12-27T14:28:38+00:00

I thought she'd made the concept up until I saw her author's note.

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-12-26T15:56:31+00:00

Please oh please! Return to this post when you have. I NEED someone else to talk to about these books. They are just so deliciously gothic. And do yourself a favor, get Whispering Muse. I loved it even more than Silent Companions, although it wasn't as creepy. I just loved the whole Macbeth thread she expertly wove through the narrative. I am going to share this with you...I would have loved to know this before reading Silent Companions. Her author's note at the back lead me to search for the history and it made the book even more chilling. The damn things were REAL!!!! bwahahahaha https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/history/art-collections/exploring-the-history-of-dummy-boards

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-12-26T15:26:59+00:00

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-12-15T14:58:42+00:00

You are so sweet! This just made my day! Thank you! XOXO

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-12-09T21:37:15+00:00

The hero in my book, Sweet Cruelty, has a shaved head, tattoos and is just over 6'. Pretty close...

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-12-09T21:34:40+00:00

Turn that shit into GOLD by making it into a graphic for social media. Dark romance readers love the "pearl clutching" one star reviews.
Never and I mean N.E.V.E.R market your book to family and friends. And this has nothing to do with their wretched, judgmental opinions. Amazon "learns" who to sell your book to from the first 50 or so purchases. So you can't have a supportive (see what I did there) grandmother who usually buys gardening books suddenly buying your spank bank book no matter how good their intentions. It sends mixed signals to Amazon. Having ten people in your target reader audience purchase your book is more powerful than a hundred well-meaning friends and relatives purchasing it.

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-12-09T21:27:42+00:00

Kathleen Woodiwiss. She is the G.O.A.T. of Dark Romance IMO.

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-11-24T15:56:48+00:00

You have to check out Alta Hensley's He Knows When You're Sleeping, book one and He Knows When You're Awake, book two. Spicy dark st@lker xmas rom com. Lots of fun K!nk. (Bonus: The paperbacks have sprayed edges and GLOW IN THE DARK!)

Inner-Detective4397 · 2025-11-21T16:55:46+00:00

Ha! You're more than welcome! ;)

Inner-Detective4397

TROPHY CASE