Exclusive Cover Reveal: Grim Root

A darkly humorous gothic horror novel pitched as The Bachelor meets The Haunting of Hill House, in which a group of women on a reality TV dating show must compete for the hand of an eligible bachelor by spending a week in a haunted house. Two of the women find themselves drawn to one another, a complication neither of them expected, and when the bachelor suddenly dies, the remaining contestants find themselves trapped in a dark and twisted new game only one woman still wants to play.

When I asked about the experience of writing Grim Root Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, author extraordinaire, had this to say:

“Okay so my not-so-secret shame is that I unironically love reality TV dating shows. I like them for the caricatures, the big manufactured drama, and for the behind the scenes wildness. Putting people in hyper stressful situations and then filming them? There’s horror in that. So I wanted to write a novel that’s both a love story to and a satire of the genre. And that’s Grim Root!”

Rob Carroll, founder and creative director at Dark Matter Media, added:

“If reality television is a Faustian bargain for fame, then Grim Root is the devil winking at the audience. A brilliant work of horror comedy that's equal parts satire and shock, this one hooked me from the very first line. It knows its target, and it gleefully goes for the jugular.”

Release Date: June 3, 2024

Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam is the author of the short story collection Where You Linger & Other Stories and the novella Glorious Fiends. Her fiction has appeared in over 90 publications such as LeVar Burton Reads and Popular Science, as well as in six languages. By day, she works as a Narrative Designer writing games. She lives in Texas with her partner and a mysterious number of cats.

Don’t forget to preorder your copy today!

In the meantime, care for yourself and the people around you. Believe that the world can be better than it is now. Never give up.

—Gailey