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Carmen Catena

@carmcatena

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726

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horror romance author
[the horrors persist but so do my characters]
rep: @taylorthomasbrent @julyfirstliterary

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When rival ghost hunters both land on a reality show set in a haunted house, they must overcome their rivalry and confront their deepest fears—and growing feelings—or become the next ghosts haunting the manor.

[the last image is very Rose (my protagonist)-coded] by @carmcatena

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2 months ago

I have a literary agent!!

I’m so ridiculously excited to announce that I’ve signed with @taylorthomasbrent at @triadausliteraryagency! I was blown away by his passion and editorial vision for my book, his focus on craft and career, and so much more.

[for my non-writers: Writers pursuing traditional publishing (as opposed to self-publishing) need an agent to sell their books to publishers. Sort of like actors and athletes have agents—someone who represents them, who negotiates their contracts, etc.]

This is the next big step towards my dream of being a published author, but I could never have gotten here by myself. My CPs, beta readers, and mentor have been absolutely invaluable. Writing SURVIVING SPIRITS was a whole ass journey (more on that later), and who knows what’s on the horizon for it, but I’m so grateful for the people in my life who’ve spent their time and energy helping me make this book the best it can be. Sounds trite but I literally would not be where I am without them.

I’ve shared a little about SURVIVING SPIRITS on here but swipe for the longer pitch 👻 by @carmcatena

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4 months ago

because I know y’all are dying 👻 to know more about SURVIVING SPIRITS—here’s a lil house tour

(designed by the incredibly talented, the canva queen, @natkikicwrites, with art by @millyillus)

#amquerying #horrorromance #horrormance by @carmcatena

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5 months ago

$horror, romance, horror + romance ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ by @carmcatena$

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8 days ago

september is always my favorite month but this year it was truly the stuff of dreams:

back to school
last few summer lake days
book events + meeting friends
went to ITALY and it felt like going home
did so much reading by the pool and at the beach
and celebrated so much more that i can’t wait to share! by @carmcatena

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15 days ago

honestly one of the biggest joys about writing has been making friends, and an even bigger joy is meeting them irl!!

Lenora and I have been writing together since last year, mostly at 6am, keeping each other accountable as we worked on our drafts. Well, her draft is now LEVEL UP FOR LOVE (available everywhere you buy books!)!! It was the coolest thing to meet in Lenora in person, play paparazzi for a bit, go to her book launch hosted by @sidequestbooks, and hold my copy of LUFL in my hands. 🖤 by @carmcatena

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a month ago

just so we’re clear!!

thanks @jazz_delapaz for the inspo 🫶🏼 by @carmcatena

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2 months ago

What is summerween??

I’m sure there are different opinions out there but for me, it’s as simple as a gothic/horror novel set in the summer.

I’ve read some absolute bangers lately that got me thinking about a summerween reading list:

🖤 THE HAUNTING OF LAVENDER HOUSE by @natkikicwrites
🖤 THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by Shirley Jackson
🖤 BAT EATER by @kylieleebaker
🖤 THE DRAVENHEARST BRIDES by @lindsay_barrett_books
🖤 KISS SLAY REPLAY by @rachelharrisonsghost

THE HAUNTING OF LAVENDER HOUSE and KISS SLAY REPLAY aren’t out yet (October and September, respectively), but I loved them both so much and highly recommend preordering!

What would you add to this list? by @carmcatena

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2 months ago

happy friday by @carmcatena

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3 months ago

I’ve wanted to see Muse live for years and I finally got to and it was a DREAM I just wish they played for hours and hours and hours

I’d always rather watch the show than take video so all I have are these shorts clips 🙃

I’d always rather watch the show than take video so all I have are these shorts clips 🙃 by @carmcatena

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3 months ago

lake daze w/ @natkikicwrites

now back to my edits 😎 by @carmcatena

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4 months ago

it’s officially summer, and I have the perfect gothic horror romance for your tbr

Y’all. THIS is a gothic novel, and one of the best blends of gothic horror and romance I’ve ever read. Like, if I was teaching a class on the gothic and/or genre blends, this book would be at the top of my syllabus. Equal parts haunting and romantic, it’s perfectly paced with its creeping, escalating dread that culminates in a fiery climax and a simmering romance that boils over so satisfyingly. If you looked up “horror with heart” in the dictionary, you’d see a picture of THE HAUNTING OF LAVENDER HOUSE.

A dual-timeline, dual POV story about Petra, in the present day, who travels to a small Croatian island to meet her grandmother and discovers her family is cursed; and in 1895, Magdalena, an outcast healer who gets entangled with the richest family on the island. Lavender House is what connects these two women through the decades, and I loved reading to find out how their respective stories would intersect.

One of my favorites elements is Lavender House itself. A pet peeve of mine is when people say “the setting was like a character!” when they just mean it was well-written and descriptive. Lavender House is *actually* a character, with its own distinctive voice and agenda, and we get its POV as interludes throughout, which I absolutely loved.

Natalie’s prose is GORGEOUS and so suited for this genre, seamlessly weaving together dread and beauty. THOLH is steeped in Croatian culture and folklore, and I very much related to the explorations of how it feels to not belong anywhere and what “home” means.

Natalie and I are friends, so I know how seriously she takes this genre, her research, and writing in general. Pre0rder this book so that you too can be swept away to a sultry Croatian island, meet a hot local, and fight a generational curse 🔥

#gothicsummer #croatia #gothicnovel taken in Croatia by @carmcatena

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4 months ago