#the erstwhile tyler kyle

[noa-nightingale]

Hello yes I would like to share a book rec with y'all! :3

Recently, I finished reading The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle by Steve Hugh Westenra and, folks, it is GOOD.

It's queer! It's creepy! It's horror comedy from a trans author! Here's a short description from the author's bluesky: "A cryptid-hunting Youtuber follows a (fake) video of his presumed-dead mom to an isolated island that was once a gay conversion camp & may house the monsters he swears aren't real."

A longer description can be found on the author's website.

I really really enjoyed this book. Monsters! Cryptids! Gay stuff! Drag! Body horror! :D

I've not been this invested in a book in a good while. It's intense and it pulls you in. The characters are excellent (there are also not enough queer characters over thirty who are still figuring out themselves and their love life, and this book delivered; plus, I also loved the character of Conrad Uphill, you'll get it when you read it ^-^), the story is so well-structured and well-written and the longer I read, the more I got into the "just one more chapter" mindset.

The author was kind enough to send me a free eBook but tbh that is not the reason I have so many good things to say about this book. You are really rooting for the main character Tyler, the use of language in this book is fun and fascinating, there are more elements that just the straight (hah) story (e.g. diary entries, which I also love in a book), and you know that ya queer is always a sucker for creatures and gore.

There are some twists and turns that I did not see coming, and it is amazing how close you feel to the characters.

I'll get the paperback as soon as I have the money; I really want this thing on my bookshelf. Highly recommended, and you get to support a trans author in addition to getting a great story. Plus, I loved reading this for Pride Month. <3

[amonsteronmaplestreet]

"Highly recommend this one. It's got shades of Stephen King at his best." —Steve Hugh Westenra, author of The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle

On the side of an old abandoned building, in an old abandoned shopping center, there is a Mouth.

It's a human mouth; and one that's big enough to drive a car through. It stands open and unmoving, teeth and tongue exposed to the world.

The first people to find it are a bunch of teenagers, among them the Dowel brothers: Freddie and Simon. They're just kids, and the thing about kids is that they're curious and they're reckless. It's not long before the brothers find themselves in the center of a terrible tragedy.

Word spreads. Tempers flare. Fingers are pointed and bonds are broken. In the wake of an awful loss, a community grows sick, and Simon's life begins to crumble apart.

And through it all, the Mouth remains open and unmoving, hungry and waiting. It calls, and one day soon, it will be answered.

4.6 Stars on Goodreads!

Get it from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CV7RVG3Y

Get it from Elsewhere: https://books2read.com/u/bPw1eY

[cyrereads]

October Releases (2023) - Indie Authors Edition

Here is a list of a few indie authors who have releases this Oct! Please check them out and support our small authors <3

The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle - Steve Hugh Westenra (Oct. 13th) A washed-up thirty-year-old actor and reluctant cryptid investigator, Tyler is used to playing the Scully to his best friend Josh’s Mulder on their stupidly popular YouTube channel. But when Tyler receives previously unseen footage of the B movie bombshell mother who abandoned him eighteen years ago— genre(s): horror

Posthaste Manor - Carson Winter, Jolie Toomajan (Oct. 18th) Everyone has a story about Posthaste Manor. None of the stories end well, but that doesn’t stop the hopeful from hoping and the desperate from trying. This composite novel stands as both history and eulogy of one very haunted house, as recounted by artists, real estate agents, and beloved family pets; by the debauched, the dead and the dying, and anyone looking for one last chance. genre(s): horror

Blood & Flowers - mars adler (Oct. 31 🎃) No one has been able to set foot in the D’Arcy family’s ancestral home for the last twenty years. The family was forced to relocate, and the only place they could find was close to their rival family, the Kanes. Proximity and years of anger have brought the situation to a boiling point, and it’s only so long before all-out war ensues. As a last attempt at peace, the Kane patriarch sends his half-witch, half-vampire advisor, Elio, to help one of the D’Arcy sons try to unravel the house’s mysteries. The only problem? Elio and Valerian D’Arcy hate each other. Years of mediating for their families have left them embroiled in a bitter rivalry, and unable to trust each other. genre(s): vampire, queer, novelette

Δάιος: A Call Me Icarus Novel - Andromeda Ruins (OUT NOW!) The Elysians are here to protect us. They uphold order, they keep citizens safe… unless you are their kid. When you are the child of an Elysian you get to see what they are truly like. You get to see their fears, their anger, their hatred. You get to be subjected to their wants and whims. Most importantly, you get to be trained by the ‘best of the best’ to become an Elysian yourself. At least that’s what we were told. We weren’t told what that training would cost us. What it would do to our bodies and our minds. How it would make us into what the Elysians really are, mindless abominations. genre(s): retelling

Herald of the Witch's Mark - Kellen Graves (Oct. 20) Saffron finally has the one thing he's always a chance to attend school. To be able to do so alongside Prince Cylvan, even while glamoured as a high fey and pretending not to know one another, Saffron is eager to finally experience the education he's always dreamed of. But the expectations of being a perfect fey lord are suffocating enough, and are only made more difficult as the unfettered rowan magic in his body runs wild. genre(s): fantasy, queer, romance, m/m

The Witch of Borygen Marsh - Lysander Arden (Oct. 31 🎃) Corliss is a witch, but their specialty is black magic and necromancy. And there's nothing sexy about that-or is there? Atticus makes a deal with them, but can he survive three nights in that dark cabin in the marshes? The appearance of an undead ex-boyfriend, nightmares that plague the two of them, and the promise of ultimate pleasure may be more than Atticus can handle.

In The Garden Of Echo - H.S. Wolfe (Oct. 31 🎃) Echo and Ender have existed nearly as long as the earth itself. They’re hungry, in love, and indestructible. For centuries they’ve wandered across continents feeding from their favorite food source - humans. But the mess they’ve left in their wake starts their prey on the path of discovering that they are not what they seem. After being forced to curb their feeding and go into hiding, a tragic incident leads Echo and Ender to learn about what they are, and the power they are truly capable of. genre(s): horror, queer

Rosemary & Iron - Dorian Valentine (Oct. 22) When a ritual to restore Mana goes wrong and sends him into the distant past, Célestin Edevane seeks the help of a strange man inhabiting an even stranger estate in order to prevent the calamity that destroyed Mana. Faced with a fascinating world unlike his own, filled with vampires, fae, witches and old gods and an unexpected love affair...will he even want to return to his time? genre(s): fantasy, queer, vampires, romance

The Misfit Mage and His Dashing Devil - M.N. Bennet (OUT NOW!) Apprentice mage Wally spends his days cataloging rare artifacts and dreaming about finally mastering his magics and living the adventures he’s always desired. Bez, a once mighty devil who craves the freedom of the outside world again, despises his confinement inside a powerful object. His only company now comes from the mages working within the archives he’s stored. Among them, the most annoying of them all, an anxious and considerate Walter. genre(s): fantasy, queer, paranormal, m/m, romance

As The Light Goes Out - Olive J Kelley (Oct. 31 🎃) When Boston born and bred Simon Abbott buys an obsolete lighthouse on the coast of Maine, he envisions turning it into a short-term rental with nothing but a HGTV understanding of renovation and heaps of gay audacity. The current caretaker of the lighthouse, Bruce Cadogan, sees right through Simon’s confidence and, in a last ditch attempt to save his quaint New England hometown’s charm, asks for three days to convince Simon not to go through with his plan, or he’ll help him with the renovations himself. genre(s): contemporary, mental health, queer, novella

Knight - Elle Samhain (Oct. 31 🎃) Avery isn’t sure she should even still be alive after Morgana’s Legion left two Reapers dead… and one Saved. She and her friends have located the fifth and final Knight of Od placed in the realm of the living by the Beldam - the Knight of Spirit. The oddball Princess Yumi has waited with bated breath and uncertain heart for the Berserker Witch. Can she be trusted to resist the demon she harbors? The ragtag band of Reapers must confront the monsters of their own pasts before they can ever hope to save the future.

Reborn - Seth Haddon (Oct. 24) When the Rezwyn Empire mysteriously cuts diplomatic ties with the Kingdom of Usleth, merchant lord Oren Radek is sent to investigate. But when he discovers a coup brewing against the emperor, Radek's life and his country's safety is suddenly under threat. Izra Dziove, visionary advisor to the Rezwyn Emperor, is trying to hold the turbulent Rezwyn court together while being plagued by dreams of his fated man. But when Izra’s adversaries launch an attack on the diplomatic party from Usleth, he is forced to take action to protect them and prevent a war. genre(s): fantasy, queer, m/m, romance

King of Hell - Morgan Dante (Oct. 17) Still need to scratch that Good Omens or Supernatural itch? Laurențiu, a vampire staked by his ex-lover's husband, only craves one thing: revenge. In Hell, as a courtier for one of the kings of Hell, he's consumed by it and willing to make a deal to kill the man, Anthony, who turned him into a vampire and abandoned him. genre(s): queer, romance, fantasy, vampires

Devour - Dae Storm (Oct. 17) When Renee Reynolds finds herself dumped by her long-term boyfriend in the middle of the pouring rain on her birthday, she wishes she could escape from her life. Standing furious in the middle of the street, Renee sees something she was never meant to, bringing herself to the attention of a very hungry... feline monster. Unable to outrun the creature from beyond the realm of her beliefs, Renee is left in the claws of her captor: Hale. Hale cannot let a human go knowing what she is; but there's something different about this one.

Outfield Assist - Cat Giraldo (Oct. 17) Outfield Assist is an MMF polyamorous romance with a guaranteed HEA. It's book 2 in the Dominating the Diamond series and can be read out of order or as a standalone.

The Ghosts of Reeser Morrigan - Amara Lynn (Oct. 13) Robert Wutherford is a warlock who runs a shop in the town of Yverwood, though his services as a warlock mostly go unneeded in a town filled to the brim with magically gifted. He spends most of his days with his nose stuck in romance novels, wishing he were in one. When a mysterious client shows up at his door claiming to be in need of his services, Wutherford doesn't believe him. Reeser Morrigan has a ghost problem, so he claims. A warlock couldn't be what he needs… Wutherford agrees to observe Reeser for one night to assess the situation. Once Wutherford witnesses what the true problem is—that Reeser is visited by a new spirit out to devour his soul each night—he realizes he might be the only one who can help, as he possesses the rare wender affinity with souls.

a special thank you to Monster Manor on twt for providing some of the titles on this.

please SHARE and spread the word so we can show our indie authors some much deserved love <3

[the-novel-approach-reviews]

Review: The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle by Steve Hugh Westenra

Title: The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle Author: Steve Hugh Westenra Publisher: Self-Published Length: 450 Pages Category: Horror, Mystery Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: Despite some issues, I liked this book. The claustrophobia of the island lent itself perfectly to the feelings Steve Hugh Westenra wanted his readers to feel; that is, isolated and trapped. Reviewed By: Lisa Blurb: Tyler Kyle…

[amonsteronmaplestreet]

There is a Mouth, on the side of an old abandoned building. No one knows where it came from. No one knows how it came to be. But it's there. It's open. And it's hungry.

"This was one of the weirdest, most creative novellas I’ve ever read."

—River Gardner, author of Goodbye, Valentine

"HIGHLY recommend this one. It's got shades of Stephen King at his best and for me was a rare example of a novella that felt well-suited to its length. The fact that Seann's not famous yet baffles me."

—Steve Hugh Westenra, author of The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle

"This is such a creatively chilling short story... The Maw felt like a Stephen King novel, and while not overly graphic or gory, was so unsettling."

—Jess Please, @QuestionableReads Instagram

"Another winner from Seann Barbour"

—Jenny Ashford, 13 O'Clock Podcast

Pre-order it now:

Kindle US | Kindle UK | Kindle CA | Kindle AU

B&N Nook | Apple Books | Rakuten Kobo

[amonsteronmaplestreet]

Did you know I've been nominated for some awards? Consider voting for me in the Golden Scoops, hosted by The Sinister Scoop! My book The Maw is nominated in the category Awesomest Novella, and I've been nominated for Author to Keep an Eye On! Toss some votes my way!

Also maybe consider voting for some friends? The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle by Steve Hugh Westenra (Most Bestest LGBTQ+ Release), Your Blood and Bones by J. Patricia Anderson (Favorite Horror-Adjacent Works), and Good-Bye, Valentine by River Gardner (I Just Threw Up in My Mouth a Little)!

Vote here: https://www.thesinisterscoop.com/post/voting-is-open

[cyrereads]

My iNdie November tbr!

I got a little excited and preordered some books!! They will be my november tbr. The only other time I have actually made a tbr for a month was my spooktober reads. So this is new in multiple ways. New books, new authors, and trying something new!

If you are interested in reading either of these authors, here are the titles and links. Now, some of them are on KU I believe, but if you can spare the few dollars to purchase the book, it would really help the author! And remember, leave a review! <3

The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle - Steve Hugh Westnra

Tyler Kyle doesn’t believe in monsters.

A washed-up thirty-year-old actor and reluctant cryptid investigator, Tyler is used to playing the Scully to his best friend Josh’s Mulder on their stupidly popular YouTube channel. But when Tyler receives previously unseen footage of the B movie bombshell mother who abandoned him eighteen years ago—footage linked to an isolated island in the Canadian wilderness—the mystery is one conspiracy he’s determined to investigate. The fact that following the scent gives Tyler an excuse to run away from the “straight” Josh, whom he drunkenly made out with, is just the cherry on the shit sundae.

But Echo Island isn’t what it seems. Its eerily scenic veneer hides a twisted secret buried in its roots as a gay conversion camp, and as Tyler retraces his mother’s footsteps, he discovers a supernatural connection between the residents and the island—one they seem to think Tyler and his mother share.

Even worse, the footage of Tyler’s mom came from someone on the island–a stalker whose obsessive fascination with both Tyler and Josh is about to make Tyler wish he hadn’t gone this one alone. Puppeteered by his stalker, searching for his mother, and debating whether it’s possible to queerbait yourself, Tyler comes to realize that it doesn’t matter so much whether you believe in monsters, if they believe in you.

THE ERSTWHILE TYLER KYLE is an adult horror comedy for fans of GHOST FILES, BUZZFEED UNSOLVED, and TWIN PEAKS.

Posthaste Manor - Carson Winter, Jolie Toomajan

NEVER TRUST A HOUSE WITH A NAME.

Everyone has a story about Posthaste Manor.

None of the stories end well, but that doesn’t stop the hopeful from hoping and the desperate from trying.

This composite novel stands as both history and eulogy of one very haunted house, as recounted by artists, real estate agents, and beloved family pets; by the debauched, the dead and the dying, and anyone looking for one last chance.

Raise a glass in celebration. Just don't linger within its walls for long.

Blood & Flowers - mars adler

No one has been able to set foot in the D’Arcy family’s ancestral home for the last twenty years. The family was forced to relocate, and the only place they could find was close to their rival family, the Kanes. Proximity and years of anger have brought the situation to a boiling point, and it’s only so long before all-out war ensues.

As a last attempt at peace, the Kane patriarch sends his half-witch, half-vampire advisor, Elio, to help one of the D’Arcy sons try to unravel the house’s mysteries. The only problem? Elio and Valerian D’Arcy hate each other. Years of mediating for their families have left them embroiled in a bitter rivalry, and unable to trust each other.

Elio only accepted the offer because his real mission is to find any vulnerability in the D’Arcy family to exploit. Finding a weakness in Valerian should be easy, but Elio’s priorities shift to survival as the house traps them inside and starts playing deadly tricks on them.

Elio and Valerian must rely on each other as the house tests them and drives them closer than either one of them could have imagined. As they face threats neither one of them could have imagined, Elio and Valerian become entangled in deadly desires with dire consequences. Their relationship will be changed forever, if they make it out alive.

In The Garden of Echco - H.S. Wolfe

Echo and Ender have existed nearly as long as the earth itself. They’re hungry, in love, and indestructible.

For centuries they’ve wandered across continents feeding from their favorite food source - humans. But the mess they’ve left in their wake starts their prey on the path of discovering that they are not what they seem.

After being forced to curb their feeding and go into hiding, a tragic incident leads Echo and Ender to learn about what they are, and the power they are truly capable of.

Pig Heads - Daegal

Peter Crimth is a killer, and undisclosed disposal of the bodies is paramount. In a small California town, secrets can become urban legends, and Jimmie Pratt, a local pig farmer, keeps the darkest of them. The local Sheriff, Kenneth Burgrin, has little expectations and likes it that way. Knowing more about Jimmie than he would like, he soon learns monsters come in different shapes and sizes.

[noa-nightingale]

This was specifically about three people btw:

@ohmsbeliever33 who gifted me an entire year of WatcherTV (I still can't believe you actually spent your hard-earned, real, actual, existing, human money for me).

@waywardmillennial who gifted me a Steven Lim Appreciation Project WatcherTV zine 2024 (and donated to the Asian Pacific Community Fund for it, also with her hard-earned, real, actual, existing, human money).

And Steve Westenra who sent me his entire book The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle via e-book, just like that. The actual, real, existing, human book he wrote. The entirety. Over 400 pages. Just like that.

I can never repay you! You are all so cool and lovely and wonderful! Argh!!!

Y'know, sometimes people are so fucking kind to me and it still always baffles me. I don't know what to do with that. I am so extremely grateful for it but I am also absolutely flabbergasted.