Dawn Kurtagich.

The cover reveal for BLOOD ON THE WIND 🩸🕯️🖤 is coming on November 15th! That’s seven days from today! How about a snippet from one of the first chapters of my angry girl to celebrate?⁣
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𝑷𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕, 𝒂𝒔 𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒚 𝒂𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏.⁣
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“𝐖𝐞’𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐰,” 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐫. “𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐞, 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞.”⁣
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𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞.⁣
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𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐦… 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐥𝐥.⁣
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On October 28th I'll be in discussion with A.R James about THE MADNESS, BLOOD ON THE WIND, DRACULA and the enduring allure of the Vampire. Come join us!

Say the word "vampire" and there's usually one name that immediately comes to mind: Dracula. And one of the most famous quotes from Bram Stoker's masterpiece? "Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!"

Stoker certainly gave the idea of the vampire a big kick into mainstream consciousness with Dracula, but what of its legacy? That's something A.R. James and Dawn Kurtagich. will discuss at our event on 28 October. We've just seen an outline of their discussion and Holy F*ck this is going to be amazing. Gothic feminism and the enduring lure of Dracula? Wait til you hear more about this one...

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Join us to talk vampires with writers, academics, and folklorists - the vampire as horror, as metaphor, as romantic lead, as a creature of folk tales and fiction alike. Writing the Occult: Vampires will happen online on 28 October 2023, from 1pm-9pm UK time (that's 8am-4pm East Coast time US, 5am-1pm Pacific time, and from 11pm Sydney time). It will be recorded for those who can't make it live. Tickets on sale NOW!

To skip the guff and go straight to the good stuff, head to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/writing-the-occult-vampires-tickets-715897186757

Full speaker bios and details at writingtheoccult.carrd.co

Or RSVP to our Facebook event: Writing the Occult: Vampires

Say the word "vampire" and there's usually one name that immediately comes to mind: Dracula. And one of the most famous quotes from Bram Stoker's masterpiece? "Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!"

Stoker certainly gave the idea of the vampire a big kick into mainstream consciousness with Dracula, but what of its legacy? That's something A.R. James and Dawn Kurtagich. will discuss at our event on 28 October. We've just seen an outline of their discussion and Holy F*ck this is going to be amazing. Gothic feminism and the enduring lure of Dracula? Wait til you hear more about this one...

____

Join us to talk vampires with writers, academics, and folklorists - the vampire as horror, as metaphor, as romantic lead, as a creature of folk tales and fiction alike. Writing the Occult: Vampires will happen online on 28 October 2023, from 1pm-9pm UK time (that's 8am-4pm East Coast time US, 5am-1pm Pacific time, and from 11pm Sydney time). It will be recorded for those who can't make it live. Tickets on sale NOW!

To skip the guff and go straight to the good stuff, head to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/writing-the-occult-vampires-tickets-715897186757

Full speaker bios and details at writingtheoccult.carrd.co

Or RSVP to our Facebook event: Writing the Occult: Vampires

There's one title that comes to mind as soon as people say "vampire": Dracula. Award-winning YA horror author Dawn Kurtagich. has taken that title and spun it on its head for her debut novel for adults, written under the name Rook Bergen. She'll join us to chat about the enduring lure of Drac 🧛‍♂️
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Dawn Kurtagich is an award-winning horror author. Her debut novel, THE DEAD HOUSE, was a YALSA Top 10 Pick, An Audie Award Nominee and an Earphone Award Winner. It has been optioned for TV by Lime Productions. She is also the author of THE CREEPER MAN / AND THE TREES CREPT IN, NAIDA and TEETH IN THE MIST, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Orion Children's Books. She writes adult fiction under the name Rook Bergen.

By the time she was eighteen, she had been to fifteen schools across two continents. The daughter of a British globe-trotter and single mother, she grew up all over the place, but her formative years were spent in Africa—on a mission, in the bush, in the city and in the desert.

She has been lucky enough to see an elephant stampede at close range, a giraffe tongue at very close range, and she once witnessed the stealing of her (and her friends’) underwear by very large, angry baboons. (This will most definitely end up in a book . . . ) While she has quite a few tales to tell about the jumping African baboon spider, she tends to save these for Halloween!

When she was sixteen, she thought she'd be an astronomer and writer at the same time, and did a month-long internship at Cambridge's prestigious Cavendish Laboratories. At the age of 25, she received a life-saving liver transplant.
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Writing the Occult: Vampires will happen online on 28 October 2023, from 1pm-9pm UK time (that's 8am-4pm East Coast time US, 5am-1pm Pacific time, and from 11pm Sydney time). It will be recorded for those who can't make it live. Tickets on sale next week via Alex Davis Events.

I'll be doing a fun event in September, and I'll have details to share soon! Watch this space!

🩸 BLOODY GOOD NEWS! 🩸 I'm beyond thrilled to be able to share that my feminist, gothic Dracula retelling, THE MADNESS, set in moody North Wales has found a home with and will be hitting shelves in May 2024. That's only 10 months away! 😲 🎉

THE MADNESS is my moody, modern ode to gothic fiction, to Dracula, and to North Wales. It is a story about trauma, friendship, female power, and—of course—blood. I'll be chatting about the whole mad (wonderful) journey over the coming days, weeks and months, and I hope you'll come along for the ride. It will be published under my pen name, Rook Bergen.

Three things you can expect from THE MADNESS:

🩸 Broody, dark romance
🩸 Moody, Welsh folklore
🩸 Fierce, female friendships

Official Announcement:

Dawn Kurtagich writing under the pseudonym Rook Bergen's THE MADNESS, pitched as a feminist retelling of Dracula set in the moody Welsh countryside where anything—real or imaginary—could be lurking in the shadows, to Sara Rogers at Graydon House, in a six-figure deal, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in Summer 2024, by Joelle Hobeika and Laura Barbieri at Alloy Entertainment, with the assistance of Victoria Marini at High Line Literary Collective, and on behalf of Chelsea Eberly at Greenhouse. The author is currently represented by Victoria Marini (World English).

✨Surprise!✨

I’m so excited to be appearing beside such wonderful UKYA talent in this anthology, out from Scholastic in September. Pre-order links are live!

We lost a legend today.

Sprayed edges 💛🧡💛

There is always room for a pretty sprayed edge. 💛🧡💛

Hard at work.

It’s the last week of . What will you be reading? 🌿

If I can stop one heart the breaking
I shall not live in vain
If I can ease one life the aching,
or cool one pain,
or help one fainting robin
into his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
🌿

Now that I've handed in two projects that took up a lot of brain space, I have a little breathing room to get back to Teeth in the Mist 2. The process of writing this book has been immensely joyful.🌲 There's a huge contrast to the me who wrote the first book. The book’s dedication—“For those who scream in silence”—is a testament to how I felt back then. I've learned so much since— and I'm thankful for that evolution. I'm more at home with myself now than I have ever been. This time around there's a profound sense of freedom as I write—the words come in a torrent so that I forget my surroundings for the hours spent in this Conjure world. 🖤 It reminds me of how writing felt before I was published, when I was a child scribbling in the back of my schoolbook, afraid of being caught.

Time to read a book and say goodnight. 🕯

Finished something fun today! Can’t wait until I can talk more freely about it 💛

Go and open the door.
Maybe outside there’s
a tree, or a wood,
a garden,
or a magic city.

Go and open the door.
Maybe a dog’s rummaging.
Maybe you’ll see a face,
or an eye,
or the picture
of a picture.

Go and open the door.
If there’s a fog
it will clear.

Go and open the door.
Even if there’s only
the darkness ticking,
even if there’s only
the hollow wind,
even if
nothing
is there,
go and open the door.

At least
there’ll be
a draught.

Miroslav Holub

Excited to get into this work of art. 🕯

Throwback to when I met the incredible at the launch of her debut novel T.H.U.G. I miss going to in-person events! 😭

A good day 🌿

Spent a beautiful day with mum yesterday. She gave me this book, which sounds so good! Silent Scream by Angela Marsons. I believe there are fourteen novels in this series so far. Chuffed to bits to belong to a bookish family! 📖

Q: How often do you see your parents?

I recently found the old concept art for . The final product wasn’t very far from this! A model had to be hired because of licensing issues and I was able to pick from a portfolio—a very cool and surreal experience! I also got a say in her outfit, and I love the final result. Concept covers give authors a chance to see a basic idea of what their books will look like and to give creative input in rare instances. My publisher gave me wonderful freedom, for which I’m grateful. I loved the whole process! I can’t wait to share the title and cover for book 2! 😍

Huge thank you to for the beautiful gifts in the mail! Mark of the Wicked by , which I’ve been wanting to read for ages, and this beautiful piece of art, which Cécile said reminded her of Teeth in the Mist (I love it! 🖤), and which will sit on my gallery wall soon! Thank you, my sweet friend! You’ve made my day!

Q: Have you read this book? 🥀

“As long as you write it away regularly, nothing can really hurt you.” ~ Shirley Jackson 🖋

Thinking about that time (tonight) that I hosted LWH while vaguely cosplaying as a character from TEETH IN THE MIST 2. 🤔

Horror authors gather in a haunted library to consume the blood of their unsuspecting victims… or some linguini. Cheers, ladies!

𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹⁣
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𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵.⁣
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𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯--𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘨𝘦'𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘯.⁣
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𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦-𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘖𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴. 𝘖𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘮 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦.⁣
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𝘛𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥. 𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶?⁣
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I love this cover, and I'm deeply intrigued by the summary. Is this one on your radar? 🥀

Happy International Women’s Day! 🪴

I had the pleasure and honour of reading Ephemeral by , and I was completely enthralled! I don’t think I’ve ever wanted a movie more than I want this one. Someone, please make it! 🪐

Ephemeral won the science fiction category of the PAGE Awards and the Shore Scripts contest, as well as making the semi-finals list of the Academy’s Nichole Fellowship—and it deserves every accolade it gets.

This script was cinematic and emotive, and showed the best of humanity. I adored it. 🖤

Thank you for sharing it with me, Lisa!

Have you ever read a script/screenplay that made you desperate for the movie to be made?

Happy weekend! What is everyone reading? 🪴

Daffodils (the national flower of Wales) to celebrate St David’s Day—the patron Saint of Wales. Daffodils represent rebirth and rejuvenation as well as joy and happiness; with today being sunny with blue skies here, it feels like a fresh start and a new season.
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Do you have a national flower where you live? What is it?
Later I’ll have pancakes for Pancake Day! 🥞

Found some creepy things in the woods—including, but not limited to: creepy old children’s bicycles that are FOR SURE haunted, a 1960s car that is slowly being reclaimed by the land, and a zombified structure with chains cemented into the walls. My new playground.

Happy Valentine’s Day! 🖤 Today I’m out in the mountains, soaking up this stormy weather. How are you spending the day?

Work on has officially begun. 🖤