A Year Inside The Madhouse: Looking Back at a Wild Ride

It’s a year to the day since the Madhouse audiobook was released through Tantor, and honestly, it feels like only yesterday. They say that time flies when you’re having fun, but when you’re navigating the dark, twisting corridors of a project like this, time seems to operate a little differently.

Reflecting on the last twelve months, I am struck by how much this story has shaped my life. Madhouse was by far my most successful standalone book to date. For months after its release, I was consistently seeing those KDP bonuses roll in, which was a thrill in itself. But more importantly, it was the book that caught the attention of an LA movie producer and, of course, the team at Tantor Media, a gigantic audiobook publishing company.

When those conversations began, I knew I had to protect the soul of the project. There was one specific condition that was a total deal-breaker for me: the voice of the book. Thankfully, I successfully got it written into the contract that my dear friend, Kim Bretton, was the narrator. She brought a dimension to the story that I could never have achieved alone, and I remain incredibly grateful for that collaboration.

Madhouse is the book that has surprised me more than any other, and it’s the book that’s taught me more than any other. It opened up doors in the industry for me, but it also opened up doors in my mind—psychological and creative pathways that continue to help me to this day.

I often question whether I would have had the confidence to write my latest protagonist, Erin, if I hadn’t first written Mitzy. The two are very different characters, living in very different worlds, but they possess some of the same core vulnerabilities. Seeing how readers connected with those vulnerabilities has been one of the most rewarding aspects of this journey.

More than any other book that I’ve written, Madhouse constantly surprises me. From unexpected, glowing reviews by other horror authors to inquiries from agents, it’s truly the book that keeps on giving. I am constantly humbled by the feedback that comes my way:

• ★★★★★ “This is the wildest story I've ever read. It is filled with tension and terror.”
• ★★★★★ “Twisted, dark, violent, and uncomfortable but also impossible to put down.”
• ★★★★★ “The single most horrifying book I've ever read.”
• ★★★★★ “Completely and utterly insane.”

(I still haven’t clarified if that last one was about me or the book, but since it’s five stars, I’ll take it as a compliment!)

Thank you to everyone who has listened, read, and shared this story over the last year. It has been a wild, terrifying, and deeply rewarding ride. Here’s to many more stories to come.