Holly Riddle 👻

Is there any greater feeling than finishing up a shiny new manuscript? I think not. I'm in love with this gothic horroromance about a woman who deals in death and her broody ex who's the only one that can save her.

What do you meeeeeeean, it's already August? Read some good stuff in July. Rachel Gillig continues to amaze. Get the hype behind Fourth Wing. I'm sadly running out of Carissa Broadbent books. And I'm almost finished drafting a horroromance about the Grim Reaper.

I've been about as active here as usual (read: not at all) but I'm resolved to post a monthly reading update. 😅 Otherwise, I've been soaking up the summer + working on a horroromance WIP about a Grim Reaper framed for murder and the hot ex who needs to clear her name. 😌

☀️ May reading roundup, feat. two infuriating book club reads, one book that reminded me to never have children, and one book that thrilled my inner Twilight-loving teenager. I'll let you guess which was which. ☀️ (Graphic design is clearly my passion.) #amreading #booktwt

@brigibeee It is one of my absolute favorites! Top-tier comfort movie.

Monthly reading check-in! April's been a lil less hectic for me. Home repairs are finally wrapped up and our household only broke one bone this month. 😅 Still splitting a very limited amount of time/energy between three WIPs, including time last week researching body farms. 👀

@Bear_Attorney @FLSchwizer @thekiagency Congrats!!!!! So excited for you!!

✨ ANNOUNCEMENT ✨ I'm so, so thrilled to announce that I'm now repped by the wonderful @FLSchwizer at @thekiagency!! From the moment we talked, I knew Fab really understood my gothic horror novel and I'm super excited to see what's in store for my doomed siblings ✨

@ehsleeta ALSO THAT 🥲

@TheHollyRiddle That's such a smart way of looking at it. I just feel like I've been doing this for SO LONG so I need to hurry tf up because I've already wasted so much time with books that went nowhere 😩

Not to be negative on main but oof man some days it really is a struggle to get words down when you are your sole motivation and there is nothing to look forward to but more work that has a high chance of amounting to nothing in the end anyway.

@ehsleeta I've finally realized that when I push myself, I only end up (1) outpacing the industry bc sub takes so long, so there's no point writing multiple books per year and (2) burning myself out. So even though my instinct is to write, write, write, I'm trying to go slow this spring.

@TheHollyRiddle Ugh I'm so sorry 😭😭 I can handle it fine most days but ugh some days are just killer.

@ehsleeta Same. I am. so. tired. 🙃

I'm going to keep going but pushing through gets pretty exhausting.

March was a tough month, tbh. Our house is a construction zone. Anxiety has been high. I hammered out another 20k on horroromance WIP. For April, my goal is to really step back and take care of myself. If it's not bringing me joy, I don't want it. (Kim Cattrall said it better.)

Time for me to crawl out from under my rock to post the books I read in the last month. 😅 Loved Diavola but my fav was likely Somewhere Beyond the Sea. Chauncey fan club for life. 🐙 After reading one (1) book in Feb., I'm back on pace to exceed my goal of 50 books read in 2025.

@kaitarford Same thing with writers! I'm seeing so many publications/orgs specifically say they don't want to hear from writers who use AI, or they're requiring their writers to sign agreements that they won't use AI.

I know designers are worried but I'm seeing so many people looking for designers who don't use AI. Lets be real: AI can't replace creativity. AI art has no soul.

@BeccaACarter @___eb__ 😂😂

@___eb__ The way the first one made me think of @TheHollyRiddle's book 😭

Gm

@AriannaSidd @ARFrederiksen Love this!! Congrats @ARFrederiksen 🥳

so so thrilled to announce my newest client @ARFrederiksen ! I am so pumped for AR’s Danish coastal gothic horror you have no idea (plus all of AR’s other AMAZING projects) studying abroad in Denmark has prepared me for this moment!! 🇩🇰🌊

@BeccaACarter 👀

THE EMAIL I JUST GOT

@BitaBehz One of my absolute favorites!

finished east of eden

Help me pick!

Getting back to drafting! Should I work on... 👻 Horroromance about the ferrier of souls and her forensic optographist ex? 🔥 Fantasy about the crushing weight of capitalism, complete with spontaneous human combustion? ✨ 1930s cult horror inspired by the Abbey of Thelema?

Too late to the trend? 👀 No surprise my lore started with shipping couples that were clearly toxic. 🤷‍♀️ (Not pictured: My undying love for Heathcliff x Catherine)