My short novel of occult horror, Rites of Extinction, has made the Bram Stoker Awards preliminary ballot in the category of Superior Achievement in Long Fiction. This humbling and unexpected bit of news took my by surprise yesterday, and I couldn’t be more grateful to be listed alongside all this astounding talent.
Let me include a link to the Bram Stoker Awards site right here so you can dig all the names on the preliminary ballot. I mean, for real, just look at all the freakin’ rockstars here!
While writing Rites of Extinction, I knew I was doing something different (for me). I felt my next novel had to be indicative of the sort of fiction I was looking to write, as opposed to the things I’d previously done. Rites was the kind of project that brings trepidation, and while writers are always terrified of that initial wave of public reception, I forced myself to stay the course and deliver the exact book I felt in my gut.
It helped, of course, that author and publisher C.V. Hunt was willing to give Rites of Extinction a home at Grindhouse Press. I continue to be a big fan of that label, and of Hunt’s writing, so when someone you truly respect is willing to take a chance on your work, it certainly helps set your mind at ease.
And the reception has been amazing. From blurbs by genuine influences like Bryan Smith, to a five star review in Scream Magazine, and a steady stream of good gospel from countless book bloggers, podcasters, and bookstagrammers (too many to list here, though I’ve been working on a post about their general importance to this industry)… let’s just say I’ve been humbled by the book’s reception.
Which brings me back to the Stokers. This is not a nomination. What it means is that the book has been shortlisted and could potentially be nominated. That’s super cool. And for those who might like to learn more about this process, Becky Spratford has published a very helpful and informative guide on this subject on her great blog, RA for All.
Web traffic is up in the wake of yesterday’s announcement. So for those unfamiliar with Rites of Extinction, here’s a little blurb (with a link to buy below). And if you’re an HWA voting member and would like a copy of the book, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.
Some truths will do anything to avoid being found Rebecca Daniels is a down-and-out private investigator on the hunt for her daughter’s killer. The trail leads to Bright Fork, a sleepy New Hampshire town where Rebecca discovers this is no ordinary manhunt. Her investigation becomes a tangle of brutal killings, secret rituals, and terrifying visions that force Rebecca to question reality. This is more than an opportunity to take revenge on the one who tore her family to pieces. It’s a chance to confront the darkness growing inside of her, the madness that threatens to possess her entirely.
True Detective meets Hereditary in this unsettling occult thriller.
“Hallucinatory, poetic & visceral at the same time. An impressive feat.” – Bryan Smith, author of The Killing Kind and 68 Kill
“Serafini’s prose has never been surer and as polished as in Rites of Extinction. It’s easily the best thing Matt has published to date, but I’m pretty sure it won’t be the best thing he will ever do.” – Mark Sieber, Horror Drive-In
Rites of Extinction is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook today.Â
Like this:
Like Loading...