Introducing THE POSSESSION OF ALBA DÍAZ
I am absolutely beside myself to announce that my next book, THE POSSESSION OF ALBA DÍAZ, is forthcoming from Berkley Summer 2025.
This one took its tithe of blood, sweat, and tears. It’s been a difficult year where the punches kept coming. I kept writing. I kept pushing. I’m very tired now, but I am also very proud of the work I did.
THE POSSESSION OF ALBA DÍAZ has so many things that I love: stark mountainous landscapes; the gleam of mercury in low light; the messy 18th century; plague; grimoires; love interests with long hair and a slutty little earring; conversations about Janissary coffeehouses; and, of course, a heaping serving of the supernatural.
It has things that scare me: first and foremost, demonic possession, but also the passionate, righteous faithful; the threat of losing one’s autonomy; long ocean voyages; and dark, twisting passages in a (haunted) mine.
I have also seen the cover. It is SEXY. Which is appropriate for this, my next foray into the genre of horromance, a portmanteau of horror + romance that I did not coin but honestly feels tailor-made for my work. Here’s a quick teaser:
The enormously talented Vi-An Nguyen at Berkley has graciously given me yet another red dress cover and I literally COULD NOT be happier. I can’t wait to share more with you all in the weeks to come.
In the meantime, I have a short story to write before the end of the year and some copyediting to do, but the #1 item at the top of my to-do list is baking. ’Tis the season, after all. I’ve had a whack at pan de muerto (success!) and conchas (KICKED MY ASS) in preparation for what will be my most difficult Día de los Muertos to date. Today, on this gloomy, misty October day in Seattle (what a pitch perfect opening to the start of Scorpio season!), I have a craving for pumpkin snickerdoodles.
Off I shuffle to the kitchen!
in spookiness and in spite and in all things Scorpio,
Isabel xxxx
