2025 Appearances, upcoming releases and social media updates

Posted on January 21, 2025 by Christina Henry

Hello, dear reader friends. I know, I know – last year I said I was going to try to be better about posting here but this year I REALLY MEAN IT. I’ve been primarily relying on social media for the last few years but with the death of Twitter and now everyone migrating away from Meta products it’s getting harder and harder to figure out how to reach readers. I’ve never been able to escape the feeling that if I post here I should really POST – like, basically write an article every time – but I probably need to reconsider. Maybe short posts are enough. Anyway, re: social media usage in general, this is what I’m using (or not) these days:

Threads: I’m there at @authorchristinahenry. This is where I’ve been posting most frequently if you want to see stuff from me. That could change as more people migrate to BlueSky.

BlueSky: I’m also there, @christinahenry.bsky.social. I’ve been trying to use it a little more lately, but it seems like it’s harder to get a conversation going there.

Instagram: Same as Threads – @authorchristinahenry. I post semi-regularly, but I’ve never gotten into making Reels or whatever they’re called because I don’t like to look at my own face on video. This is why I never opened a TikTok account, so don’t even look for me there.

Facebook: I have a fan page there but I pretty much only use it to post the occasional bit of book news – new releases, events, etc. I’ve never liked Facebook and it seems like it has gotten worse over the last few years – my feed is cluttered with random junk and it annoys me to even open the app. If you’ve tagged me there or responded to something I posted and I never acknowledged it I apologize. I just don’t really use it at all.

Twitter: I kept my Twitter account open only so that no one would try to pretend to be me on that site. I have not used it or even opened the app for several months. As with Facebook, it’s not a good place to tag me because I’m not posting there.

More and more authors are insisting that everyone should have a newsletter, but when I asked about this the other day on Threads it seemed 1) a bunch of authors were absolutely certain that readers were opening and reading their email, 2) a bunch of readers were saying they DIDN’T open or read these emails or they didn’t want more stuff cluttering their inbox.

And look, a lot of people open emails but don’t read them because they are just trying to clear the notification. I’m guilty of this myself. I’ve been contemplating a Substack for a while now but I’m not sure the juice is worth the squeeze if readers don’t want more email. Anyway, maybe I’ll try a newsletter later this year. If you’re on Threads or BlueSky and would be interested in this kind of thing from me, let me know, and also let me know what you like to see in terms of newsletter content.

My nineteenth book, THE PLACE WHERE THEY BURIED YOUR HEART, is currently moving its way through the editing process and will be out in November of this year. When I have more info and preorder links I will certainly post those here and on social media. The cover is absolute FIRE and I can’t wait to share it with all of you. The release date is a pretty late in the year and I’m debating whether or not to do a little book tour as I did in 2023. This may depend on interest so if you are a bookstore owner/manager let me know through my publicist, Yazmine Hassan, if you’d like to host – yhassan@penguinrandomhouse.com

Here’s a little blurb for THE PLACE WHERE THEY BURIED YOUR HEART to whet your appetite:

Now, on to the fun stuff! I’ve got a few appearances scheduled for this year already and I’d love to see you out there. Side note: if you want me to come to your town/festival, send a note to the festival organizers and ask them to invite me! They can contact my publicist at yhassan@penguinrandomhouse.com

My first appearance of the year will be in support of my fellow Chicago author, Cynthia Pelayo. I’ll be in conversation with her at City Lit Books on March 11th from 6:30-7:30. Please join us! Cynthia’s latest book, VANISHING DAUGHTERS, is absolutely beautiful and you don’t want to miss it.

In March I will also be attending the Third Coast Author and Book Festival in Grand Haven, MI on March 22nd. This will be a massive event with over 100 authors signing books and meeting fans. Don’t miss it!

On April 26th, 2025, I’ll be attending Concinnity 2025 in Milwaukee at Milwaukee School of Engineering, Diercks Hall, 1025 N. Milwaukee St. There will be panels and signing times – more info to come!

On Saturday, August 2nd, I’ll be at the Books and Brews Event presented by Books of Horror. This event was originally to be held at Scarlet Lane Brewing but they have had a venue change to the Wyndham Noblesville, Indiana. For up to date information and ticketing follow them on Instagram or Threads at @_booksandbrews_

Finally, I will be at Horror on the Hudson 2025. Reservations for this have not opened yet, so join their email list at horrorreaderweekend.com or follow them on socials at @christineharrold for updates!

GOOD GIRLS DON’T DIE – coming 11/14/23

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Christina Henry

I’m so excited to share the gorgeous cover for my next novel, GOOD GIRLS DON’T DIE, coming 11/14/23! More info to follow in the coming months, including a mini (very mini! It was all we could put together before the holidays!) U.S. book tour, maybe a festival appearance or two, and some fun giveaways. In the meantime, enjoy the cover and a special sneak peek of Chapter 1, plus lots of links to preorder.

If you follow any author on social media then you already know that preorders are extremely important. Publishers use preorders to decide their print runs for books, which impacts bookstore sales and exposure. Preorders can help determine if a book is ordered and shelved by your local bookstore or not (which is why it’s really important to order from your local store, if you’re able. Stores will frequently order and extra copy or two if they think there is demand). Preorders affect bestseller lists, because all preorders count toward first-week sales. Preorders can even impact whether or not an author gets a new contract, because publishers gauge interest for that author’s work through sales.

If you can’t preorder for any reason, though, don’t stress! You can still support your favorite author by liking and reposting/retweeting links on social media, telling your friends about your favorite books, and most importantly – asking your library to carry those books. So many books come out every year, and librarians don’t always know if there’s demand for every title. Requesting a copy at your local library increases visibility for authors and helps them find new readers.

All that said, here’s the cover and back cover copy for GOOD GIRLS DON’T DIE!

A sharp-edged, supremely twisty thriller about three women who find themselves trapped inside stories they know aren’t their own, from the author of Alice and Near the Bone.

Celia wakes up in a house that’s supposed to be hers. There’s a little girl who claims to be her daughter and a man who claims to be her husband, but Celia knows this family—and this life—is not hers…

Allie is supposed to be on a fun weekend trip—but then her friend’s boyfriend unexpectedly invites the group to a remote cabin in the woods. No one else believes Allie, but she is sure that something about this trip is very, very wrong…

Maggie just wants to be home with her daughter, but she’s in a dangerous situation and she doesn’t know who put her there or why. She’ll have to fight with everything she has to survive…

Three women. Three stories. Only one way out. This captivating novel will keep readers guessing until the very end.

GOOD GIRLS DON’T DIE is published by Berkley Books in the U.S.

Add GOOD GIRLS DON’T DIE to your Goodreads list here

Grab the U.S. edition from your favorite bookseller or one of these retailers:

Bucket O Blood Books and Records

Three Avenues Bookshop

Unabridged Bookstore

Volumes

Women & Children First

Audible

Amazon

SNEAK PEEK OF CHAPTER 1 OF GOOD GIRLS DON’T DIE

PART I – CELIA

CHAPTER ONE

mysterybkluv: who else here loves cozy mysteries best?

poirotsgirl: cozies are my fave, esp if they have recipes in the back

mysterybkluv: ngl it would be great to live in a small town where there are lots of low-stakes murders and I could solve them while working in my family restaurant

tyz7412: lol living the dream

“Mom.”

“Earth to Mom. Come in, Mom.”

“Mom, I’m going to be late for the bus!”

Celia shook her head. The small person beside her was blurry, out of focus. Did she need glasses now?

And why was this person calling her “mom”?

Celia blinked hard, once, twice, and the little person came into focus. A girl—maybe ten, eleven years old?—staring at her expectantly, holding an open backpack.

“What?” Celia asked.

“My lunch,” the girl said. “I need my lunch. Did you drink enough coffee this morning?”

Celia looked down. In front of her, on a white countertop, was an open cloth lunch bag. Inside it there was already a plastic bag of sliced apples, a bag of all-natural puffed corn snacks (cheese flavored), and a chocolate soy milk.

A piece of waxed paper lay unfolded on the counter. What is all this disposable packaging? I would never buy things like this.

“Mom!” The little person was getting really insistent now. “Sandwich!”

Celia couldn’t think. She needed this small girl to leave so she could organize her thoughts.

Why does she keep calling me “Mom”? I don’t have any children.

“Two minutes!” the girl screeched.

There was a loaf of wheat bread and a package of cheese from the deli next to the waxed paper. Celia took out two pieces of bread.

“One piece in half! Mom, what’s wrong with you today?”

“Sorry,” Celia said, cutting the single slice of bread in half. “How much cheese?”

“Two pieces! Come on, come on!”

You’re old enough to do this yourself, Celia thought as she folded the bread around the cheese, wrapped the sandwich in waxed paper and shoved everything in the lunch bag. The girl grabbed it, stuffed it in her pack and sprinted toward the door.

“Bye, love you!” she said as she threw the door open, then slammed it shut behind her.

Celia walked like a sleepwalker to the window next to the door and peered out. The little girl was running down a long inclined driveway toward what appeared to be a country road. Across the street there was nothing to see except trees, tall trees that looked like older-growth maple, oak and ash.

The little girl reached the end of the drive just as a yellow school bus pulled up in front of the mailbox. She clambered onto the bus and it pulled away.

She’s gone. Now I can think.

Footsteps sounded overhead and Celia glanced up at the ceiling in alarm. The steps moved across the floor, and a moment later Celia heard someone large coming down the stairs. She couldn’t see the stairs from where she stood. The kitchen was attached to a dining room on one side and a hallway on the other. Celia peered into the hall. The bottom of the stairs was at the far end.

A strange man rounded the banister and headed toward her, frowning at his cell phone as he walked. Celia backed away from him, her heart pounding. Her butt bumped into the edge of the counter. She scrambled around it and positioned herself close to the door so she could run if she needed to do so. She looked down at her feet. Socks. Not even slippers. There was a pair of low shelves positioned next to the door with shoes neatly arranged on them. One of those pairs should be hers. But would she have time enough to figure out which pair, put them on and get out the door?

“Hey, babe, I’ve got a ton of meetings this morning,” the man said. “I’ll stop by the restaurant at lunchtime.”

Who is he?

The man was very tall, at least six inches taller than herself, and she wasn’t a small woman. He had dark hair cut in what she thought of as “millennial fund manager” style and wore a well-tailored gray suit. He had a gym-toned look about him and altogether gave the impression of someone who belonged in a city. This impression was reinforced when he pulled on an expensive-looking wool overcoat. His shoes, Celia noted, were very shiny.

He leaned close to her and kissed her cheek absently, still looking at the phone so he didn’t notice the way she inched backward. She caught a whiff of his aftershave, something musky and heavy. Her nose twitched.

“See you later,” he said, and disappeared out the same door as the little girl.

Celia went to the window and pulled one blind up to peek out. The man who’d called her “babe,” the man who’d kissed her goodbye, had gotten into a black Audi SUV that was parked at the top of the driveway. He backed down the drive and pulled out onto the road, heading in the opposite direction of the bus.

An Audi. City guy, she thought again, and then wondered why she thought this.

Because I live in a city and I see those kinds of guys all the time, she thought, but the thought was like a stabbing pain in her head. She looked around the kitchen, then out the window once more.

Clearly, she did not live in a city. Why did she think she lived in a city?

News and new releases

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Christina Henry

Some quick release news for all of you – LOOKING GLASS, the final volume in The Chronicles of Alice, is now available! If you haven’t been able to get out to your local bookstore because of shelter-in-place orders, now is a great time to browse your local shop and pick up a few books. If they don’t have a copy of LOOKING GLASS in stock they can always order it for you.

Many local businesses have been hard hit by COVID-related lockdowns and bookstores need your support more than ever.

If you don’t have a local shop in your area a great alternative is Bookshop.org. Books ship directly from the distributor and the profits are distributed to local bookstores. You can check out their mission statement here.

In other news, the release date for THE GHOST TREE has been moved up to September 8, 2020. I’m so excited for all of you to read this book, which is very close to my heart. More information about THE GHOST TREE can be found here.

I’m extremely sorry that my U.K. tour for LOOKING GLASS with Tim Lebbon was cancelled due to the COVID epidemic. I hope to see all of you in the future.

Be safe, stay healthy and happy reading.