Dearest readers,
It is I, Lady Whistledown. Nah, just kidding. This isn't that type of blog. I do unabashedly love Bridgerton, though. It's like a guilty pleasure without the guilt. Anyway, while you might find some opinion pieces on this site now and then (because this is the internet, and my opinion is important and always correct), I've created this site as a one-stop shop for keeping up with what's happening in the indie horror book world.
About two years ago, I discovered the indie horror scene on accident while scrolling through TikTok. I made the decision that I wanted to start reading again, something I hadn't done in years at that point. I was on the hunt for horror books specifically, horror being a genre I've loved since I snuck downstairs to watch Jaws from behind the couch, unbeknownst to my parents, when I was five years old. I was of course aware of the Stephen Kings and Clive Barkers of the world, but I was looking for something more. A quick search on TikTok took me to the accounts of various horror book reviewers, and I started making my list. The first book that really caught my attention was Woom by Duncan Ralston. I downloaded it on my hand-me-down Kindle, and I fell in love.
After a few months of devouring recommendations I'd found through these reviewers, I noticed that I kept seeing the same 10 or so books being talked about. I get it. You talk about the books that everyone is reading. That's how things go "viral." It's the way of social media. Those accounts were the impetus of my new obsession, but I felt like they weren't enough to sustain it. One day, I came across the TikTok account of the one and only Aron Beauregard, author of The Slob, another book that was making its social media rounds. He'd mentioned something about a group called Books of Horror. I figured maybe I'd find something more there. I had no idea that I'd find my people.
What I found was a community of people who loved everything from the horror classics to the brand new indie debut authors, and they loved to talk about it. Dozens and dozens of recommendations and reviews were being posted every day. People were asking questions like, "Does anyone know of a book that takes place in the Southwestern US in the 1920s and involves cannibalism, clowns and a character that's missing a toe?" And people had answers. They had several answers. I was in awe. On top of that, many of the authors were in the group itself, supporting each other, responding to reviews and questions, and interacting with the readers.
It wasn't long before I found myself wanting to really be a part of this amazing group of people beyond just reading books. I wanted to help nurture this little corner of the literary world. One of the things I started to notice was authors working so incredibly hard to get the names of their books out there. In a group where hundreds of posts are happening a day, posts by authors who are advertising their books easily get buried. For some of them, it's the only advertising they're doing. Sometimes it's hard to get a professional website up and running, and sometimes working with some of the big sites out there (*cough* Schmamazon *cough*) is a pain in the ass. Another issue that was brought to my attention is how difficult it can be to market events taking place within the community. Things just get missed. Either members don't know where to look for them, or there's too much to sift through to get to them.
Alas, The Heart of Indie Horror was born. It really wasn't that dramatic. It came to me on one of those late nights where your brain is moving too quickly to let you sleep. I spent over an hour on the phone with one of the most encouraging and supportive people I know, and the next day I started planning. So, here it is. My little baby. My tiny contribution to the community I've learned to love so much. On the righthand side of the site, you'll see some pages. There are event pages broken down by month and a new releases page.
On the event pages, you'll see the date, time, and location of the events. I try to link the ticket page or the website itself to provide more information. I am not affiliated with any of the events (with the exception of Books & Brews 2 in 2025), so if you have any further questions, please use those webpages to contact the event coordinator. I'm simply just trying to consolidate this information in one place so it's more accessible. On the new releases page, I'll have lists organized by date of new releases happening within the community for about a four-month timeframe. I've also linked the storefront or Amazon page for each title.
If you are planning or know of an event happening in your area that is primarily focused on horror and/or books, you can contact me in any of the ways listed on the lefthand side of this site. The same goes for any authors who have an upcoming release. No matter what, if your event is hosting horror and/or indie authors, or if your book is an indie horror title, I will list it on the previously mentioned pages. In addition, I will be doing occasional features on certain events and new releases. I can't feature every single title and every single event, but I will choose some (based on vibes alone, really) to post on this main page. I hope you enjoy this place I've created, and I hope it does end up being of some use.
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