ARC Giveaway & Newsletter Swap with Dawn Kurtagich, Author of THE MADNESS

And (belated) cover reveals and other updates!

Hi Reader,

It’s been awhile! Today, I’m so excited to share a special edition of The Diabolical Digest: a newsletter swap with the incomparable author of The Madness, Dawn Kurtagich! Dawn is here to answer a few fun question about herself, her writing, and what she’s been reading/watching/listening to. If you’d like to win an ARC of Dawn’s forthcoming gothic horror novel, The Madness, as well as some awesome swag comment down below and subscribe to both this newsletter and Dawn’s newsletter for a chance to win! And if you’d like the chance to win a copy of An Academy for Liars you can head over to IG and follow the instructions in this post (if you’ve already entered by subscribing to our newsletters and commenting down below this will count as an extra entry to both giveaways!). We’ll be closing this giveaway at the end of July, so enter while you can!

But before we get into Dawn’s interview, I want to give you a few quick updates about An Academy for Liars!

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You may have seen over on IG that the US cover (designed by Katie Anderson) was revealed over on Tor with an exclusive excerpt!

Isn’t it gorgeous? Katie did an absolutely fantastic job. It’s truly the dark academia cover of my dreams!

Just yesterday, the UK cover was released with this super cool trailer (see below)! I’ve literally watched it more than a dozen times at this point. I love the music, the vibe, and the way the little moth flutters across the screen.

You can pre-order a the US edition of An Academy for Liars here or the UK edition here. If you’d like a signed and personalized copy of the US edition, you can pre-order one at Wayfaring Booksellers.

I’m so excited to be in the swing of things. So much of being an author is about what you do alone—something I’ve talked about at length in past newsletters—and it feels daunting, but good to finally be able to share things again. I’ll have more updates for you soon!

Now, with all of that out of the way, I’ll pass the mic over to Dawn!

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1. What is your first memory of writing?  I was a late bloomer to books. As a dyslexic child, words were the scariest thing on the planet. The letters would twist and bend out of shape whenever I tried to catch them. Instead, I took to making comic strips. I filled reems of paper with the most melodramatic and slightly warped stories (even tiny Dawn had a grotesque mind!). A convergence of elements changed my life, all because of my mother. She bought me two items that opened the world of words to me: Animorphs volume 1, and a leather-bound journal. At twelve, I wrote my first novel in that journal, along with illustrations (pencil, except for the blood, which I coloured a vivid red..!)—and never looked back.

2. What was your favourite childhood read? Animorphs will always hold a special place in my heart for being the novel that opened the world of reading for me. There was something so alluring about the first few lines… My name is Jake. That’s my first name, obviously. I can’t tell you my last name. It would be too dangerous. It was my first encounter with a first-person account; I felt as though I had stumbled on something secret. Something important. Like pandora, I couldn’t resist opening the box and taking a peek inside.

3. Pick a quote from an upcoming release to tease us! “Beware and do not tempt the attentions of the evil one, master of death, nor his stygian lord, the Arglwydd Gwaed, who roams the midnight paths, seeking out heedless travelers.”

4. What does your writing space look like?

 [Note from Alexis, isn’t this gorgeous?!]

5. What are you currently reading, watching, and listening to? I just finished reading At Dark I Become Loathsome by Eric Larocca. It is a gorgeous, brutal novel that goes places most fiction doesn’t dare. I found myself fascinated and (more than a little) obsessed with the main character and the means by which he survives his particular, tragic history. It releases in January 2025. I’m also reading Don’t Let the Forest In by C.G Drew, which is a lush, botanical, romantic nightmare that releases this October. I’m busy watching Twin Peaks for the first time and loving the whole eerie experience. I’m a big Lynch/experimental fan. I’m also contemplating my annual Xena re-watch. A must. As for music, I’ve been listening to the playlist I created for my 2026 novel, which is set on a remote Scottish island. One track on repeat from that list is Metroma by The Sei. Just beautiful.

Thanks so much for having me, Alexis! <3

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Both The Madness and An Academy for Liars are both available for pre-order now!

Until next time,

Alexis