Blog Archives
Where the Grass Don’t Grow and Vultures Sing
Where the Grass Don’t Grow and Vultures Sing is a gritty and unsettling collection of twelve speculative fiction stories that mix horror, science fiction, and dark fantasy into a cocktail that’s as jarring as it is addictive. Rosick sets the tone with raw, twisted narratives full of morally ambiguous characters and grotesque, often bleak, realities. Each story paints a picture of a world that’s almost like ours, but far more violent, broken, and bizarre. Whether it’s alien overlords feasting on human suffering, ghostly reckonings in small-town America, or dystopian futures ruled by invasive surveillance and social decay, Rosick pulls no punches. His introduction frames the collection as the culmination of decades of writing and rejection, driven by a persistent, almost obsessive need to tell the truth in the form of fiction.
Reading these stories felt like being dragged through a dream that’s halfway between terrifying and tragic. Rosick’s prose is coarse and visceral. In “For the Entertainment of the Gods,” for example, I felt a mix of horror and awe, watching the protagonist endure a psychic deathmatch for the amusement of alien gods. It wasn’t just the violence that disturbed me; it was the idea of what people would trade for survival. “Death Calls on Mr. Smith” is a slow, aching story about aging and the crushing weight of grief that never heals. Rosick’s ability to flip between brutal and tender in just a few pages surprised me.
Some stories felt a bit too on the nose or a little rushed toward their endings, like “The Covenant of the ARC,” which was strong in setup but heavy in its dystopian commentary. There were moments where I wanted a deeper dive or just a bit more finesse in the delivery. Still, the strength of Rosick’s voice and the conviction behind each story made up for the occasional rough patch. What I appreciated most was the honesty. These aren’t sanitized, neatly packaged tales. They’re messy, human, and more than a little feral. They reminded me of the kind of stories that live in the back of your mind, buried under the daily routine, waiting to crawl out when you least expect them.
If you’ve got a soft spot for dark speculative fiction that punches hard and lingers longer, this collection is worth your time. Fans of writers like Philip K. Dick, Clive Barker, or Joe Lansdale will feel right at home in Rosick’s unsettling worlds. Where the Grass Don’t Grow and Vultures Sing reads like a haunted mixtape of pulp nightmares.
Pages: 289 : ASIN : B0F1Z4GPG5
American Eugenics Movement
Trail of the Zombies follows a trio from the Nightfall Detective Agency as they unravel a sinister conspiracy tied to eugenics, Indian boarding schools, and a nefarious project called the Utopia Institute. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Great question. I had recently heard of the recent stories about the mistreatment of Indian children in boarding schools and read/mostly watched several documentaries on the subject in researching the beginning of Trail of the Zombies. I also am a fan of the works of Edwin Black and his book, War Against the Weak, told about the height of the American Eugenics Movement which coincided with the timing of the persecution of the Indian children. I also wanted to portray zombies in the way they were meant to be depicted. Recent works and movies/television series inspired by Day of the Dead and The Last Man on Earth show them as flesh-eating monsters. Those are actually ghouls, not zombies.
What kind of research did you do for this novel to ensure you captured the essence of the story’s theme?
This kind of supplements my response to question one. I read and watched a lot of material like many documentaries on the persecution of the Indian Children, the American Eugenics Movement, and actual Zombies. You can find all the sources I used in the Acknowledgement section of Trail of the Zombies.
The Trail of the Zombies crosses many genres. What books or authors were the biggest inspiration for you?
Good question. I mentioned Edwin Black and his book War Against the Weak. That really helped. Universal Horror and Horror movies of that era from other studios like White Zombie were inspirational as well. Mystery-Noir works also guided me as well as the writings and shows of Rod Serling like The Twilight Zone. Historical Fiction like those by James Michener also influenced me.
I hope the series continues in other books. If so, where will the story take readers?
The next book in the Case File Series will be Fury of the Vampire and it will come out before Halloween this year. It picks up right where Trail left off and our heroes will have to solve a political assassination, prevent widespread contamination of a local water supply, stop the antagonists from creating an alternative reality, and combat a powerful Jinn. I think readers are going to enjoy it when it comes out.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
For the first time since coming into their office, Simon struggled to lift his head, the bullet hole in his eye becoming more evident.
“To find out who killed me.”
Thus begins the next thrilling adventure for the Nightfall Detective Agency.
Vampire Detective Tori Jacobsen and Werewolf Detective Bram Mueller are drawn into the shadowy depths of the Utopia Institute to both solve the murder of the late Ira Simon and the reports of abuse of the Native American Students and those deemed unfit to attend there.
Set in 1929, just outside Marana Arizona, the pair unearth a web of dark secrets.
The Institute is a front for a sinister plot.
Evil Forces, once thwarted in their pursuit of the Eye of Aten, are now bent on creating an army of Zombie slaves from the people held at the Institute.
The ultimate goal?
A hidden Aztec treasure that could fund their designs for world domination.
Tori and Bram must race against time to prevent the ushering in of a new Dark Age of Terror.
If they fail, the world will descend into chaos and repression.
The stakes have never been higher.
Between the Living and the Dead
Between the Living and the Dead is a haunting, heartwarming, and genre-defying novella that follows Cavilla, a teenage girl straddling two worlds—the realm of the living and a shadowy, spiritual in-between. After a tragic summer that claimed the lives of her closest friends and beloved cat, Cavilla discovers she can interact with the dead and navigate otherworldly dimensions shaped by Peruvian mythology. With ghosts for companions and an inquisitive mind sharpened by Agatha Christie mysteries, Cavilla becomes an unwitting detective and guardian between realms. Her journey is not only about uncovering truths behind ghostly unrest but also confronting her own fractured identity, cultural roots, and hidden family secrets.
From the first page, I was hooked. Sophie Jupillat Posey’s writing is vivid, lyrical, and brimming with emotion. She captures Cavilla’s inner world with poetic detail while keeping the pace sharp and unpredictable. What stood out most was the voice—raw, funny, intelligent, and very real. Cavilla isn’t some tropey “chosen one”; she’s awkward, stubborn, observant, and relatable. Her relationships, especially with her friends Niko and Angelica, are full of warmth and wit, while her dynamic with Tia Luz Marina is tense, layered, and heartbreaking. The blending of supernatural mystery and Latin American folklore felt seamless, adding richness without ever turning preachy or heavy-handed.
The novella doesn’t hand anything to the reader. The metaphysical elements—different realms, time loops, ancient gods—are murky by design. It can be a little disorienting, especially in the middle chapters where time and space stretch like taffy and you’re not sure what’s real. But that confusion mirrors Cavilla’s own experience, and it made me lean in more. This book doesn’t play by the usual rules, and I appreciated that. The story makes space for grief, healing, and cultural rediscovery without trying to tie everything up neatly. It left me with more questions than answers, in the best way.
I’d recommend Between the Living and the Dead to readers who crave more than just thrills in their supernatural fiction. If you like your ghost stories tangled with myth, memory, and mystery—and told by a smart, fiercely curious teen girl who talks back to gods and ghosts alike—this book’s for you. Perfect for fans of Nina LaCour, Isabel Allende, or early Neil Gaiman. It’s weird, wild, and wonderful.
Pages: 112 | ASIN : B0DRYZJFK9
Bloodbound: Extreme Temperatures
Extreme Temperatures is a gritty and emotionally-charged supernatural novel that dives deep into the tumultuous life of Hunter, a vampire with a demon’s blood and a chip on his shoulder the size of Texas. The story kicks off in a raucous biker bar, where Hunter’s thirst for blood, for identity, for understanding sets off a chain of events that unravel his past and ignite his inner turmoil. Alongside complex allies and lovers like Gibson and Kai, Hunter battles not just external enemies, but the firestorm erupting inside him as he begins to literally burn with the onset of his demon puberty. The narrative explores themes of identity, betrayal, found family, and the painful journey toward self-acceptance, with a cast of supernatural beings navigating loyalty and loss in a world that’s as violent as it is emotionally raw.
I enjoyed the writing style. It’s brash, fast, and pulsing with tension. The prose punches through scenes with vivid violence and palpable emotion. There’s blood, there’s sex, there’s fire—sometimes all at once. And somehow, it works. The balance between raw supernatural action and aching vulnerability is impressive. The characters don’t just react to their world; they bleed through it, and the world bleeds right back. Hunter is infuriating and lovable all at once. He’s damaged goods, and you feel every splinter. Even when he lashes out, you get it. You want to scream at him, then hug him, then scream again. And that, to me, is good storytelling.
The story isn’t for the faint of heart. It hits heavy emotional beats—abandonment, identity crisis, the scars of betrayal—and it does so while vampires are biting throats and werewolves are shifting mid-fight. At times, I found myself reeling, not because the plot was confusing (it’s actually paced very well), but because the emotional intensity rarely lets up. The stakes are always high, the emotions raw, the danger close. Still, the underlying themes hit home: what does it mean to be yourself when your origins are ripped away? How do you forgive someone who shattered you without meaning to? And how do you keep from burning the world down when you’re on fire inside?
Extreme Temperatures is a wild and heartfelt ride. It’s angry, it’s tender, it’s fierce, and it’s not interested in sugarcoating the path to healing. This is a book for readers who like their vampires with more bite than brooding, who crave supernatural drama that digs into the heart as much as it tears through flesh. If you enjoy character-driven stories where the monsters are just as broken as the humans they once were, this one’s for you.
Pages: 240 | ASIN : B0DZYQX31N
Mysterious Stranger
Inescapable follows a 17-year-old boy dreaming of escaping his small-town life, whose life takes a strange turn when a vampire and a witch move into town, and bodies start mysteriously piling up. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I find small towns intriguing because everyone knows everyone – and everyone talks about everyone. It’s like a soap opera. It can be great because there usually is a sense of community, but if you don’t fit in it can also be very lonely. When I was Dylan’s age – and I think it’s the same for most teenagers – I always felt like an outsider in my small town and I desperately wanted to leave. I loved stories about teenagers befriending the mysterious stranger who had just moved to town and turns out to be a vampire or a witch. But it got me thinking… What if – unlike in most YA vampire stories – the newcomer isn’t the good guy?
In many contemporary coming-of-age fiction novels, authors often add their own life experiences to the story. Are there any bits of you in this story?
As I said I’m from a small town. It is not as remote as Berlin, New Hampshire in Inescapable but everyone knows everyone there as well. I’m also really lucky to have an amazing mom – just like Dylan. We don’t have the same dynamic as Susan and Dylan, but I drew from my relationship with my mom to paint a convincing picture of Dylan’s.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I wanted to explore the concept of the vampire as an outsider – someone on the fringes of society who lives by their own rules – and what happens when they meet a human outsider. The concept of “monster” in general is something that I dive into in the book as well. What makes a monster? Who is the good guy, who’s the bad guy?
Friendship and family are an important topic, too. Who are we without the people who love us? And can we choose our own family?
Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?
The next book will dive deeper into the vampire lore of the Immortal-Blood-Gift-universe. You’ll meet new characters and Dylan will face new challenges. I can’t really say much more without spoiling Inescapable. So go ahead and read it!
Author Links: GoodReads | Instagram | Website | Amazon
As bodies start piling up, each one more gruesome than the last, the town suspects a wild animal is to blame. But Dylan’s world is turned upside down when he learns that Marie is a vampire and Molly, the daughter of his mother’s new boyfriend, is a witch who believes Marie is responsible for the murders.
As Dylan finds himself drawn deeper into the supernatural world, he must make a choice: embrace the darkness within or fight for his humanity. But with a bloodthirsty monster on the loose and no way to return to his old life, Dylan’s decision may already be made for him.
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Set against the backdrop of 1980s horror, “Inescapable” is a chilling coming-of-age tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. If you enjoyed “Stranger Things,” you’ll love this thrilling tale of magic, monsters, and self-discovery.
Don’t miss out on this gripping read.
LITERARY TITAN 