Trey Stone's Blog

Darkness is rapidly descending over the Arctic, and it’s been a hectic last few weeks.

While I’ve been whittling away at a future novel and working on the release of my upcoming novella, A Death Worth Living, the sun has slowly been dipping below the horizon. These days we lose about 20 minutes of daylight every

day, and around the 26th of October the sun won’t rise above the horizon again until February. Honestly, I love it, and I can’t wait until we descended into total darkness and the polar night envelopes us completely, sometime around mid-November. There’s something calm and soothing about it that just brings a stillness to my soul.

I’ve been so mesmerized by this coming darkness that I completely forgot about another project my publisher and I have been working on – the audiobook version of my 2023 psychological horror novel, At The Gate – and now it’s finally here!

At The Gate follows the story of Joseph Podwall, a miserable and sorrowful travel writer who checks into The Gate with one simple mission – to not make it out alive. But mysterious happenings and the disappearance of another guest keeps Joseph from his battle against his inner demons, and he disappears down a rabid hole of the unbelievable. Days go missing, people are acting strange, and nothing is what it should be.

The audiobook is read by the talented Edward Baker, who brought The Gate to life in a way I can’t even describe. The narration is incredible and the book sounds amazing, and I’m very excited to finally share it with all of you. It’s going to be the perfect read for the Halloween season.

Check out At The Gate on Audible Today

Also – my publisher is currently offering promo codes for the audiobook if you’re interested in reviewing the book. So please, if you have a book blog, post about books you love on social media or write reviews – get in touch! I’d love to get a copy into your hands.

At The Gate by Trey Stone

And as always, please check out all my books and stories below. If you’re into psychological horror, crime thrillers, or science-fiction and fantasy, you’ve come to the right place! Bye for now!

Find all my books and stories here

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It’s finally here! My next book – A Death Worth Living – releases on 28 October and I finally get to share the beautiful cover art with you.

Pre-order today at Inkedingray.com

A Life Relived

Jacob, dead at twenty and feeling robbed of what he thought would be a long and fruitful life. He’s met by a mysterious figure whose job it is to guide him through his memories and into whatever comes next.

Yet, the figure seems . . . familiar. As Jacob recounts his memories — some good, some bad, and some forgotten — he comes to the realization that he could have done some things differently. His guide, who calls themself Eran, tells Jacob that he can change one thing, and only one thing about his past, if he dares

A Death Worth Living by Trey Stone

I’m very excited to finally share this book with you. I’m super happy with how the cover came out – it really tells you so much, without really giving anything away – and I can’t wait to hear what you all think of this next one.

Thanks again for being a reader – your support means everything to me.

And as always, please check out all my books and stories below. If you’re into psychological horror, crime thrillers, or science-fiction and fantasy, you’ve come to the right place! Bye for now!

Find all my books and stories here

Trey Stone’s Books

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My next book, a spec-fic/Bangsian fantasy novella titled A Death Worth A Living, is due out in just about a month – and boy am I excited!

So excited in fact, that I’m offering to get it in your hands four weeks early!

My publisher and I are currently inviting eager readers to sign up for ARCs – Advanced Review Copies – for those especially interested in diving straight into my new book.

A Death Worth Living is a speculative fiction about a boy who dies, far too early, but finds himself with the opportunity to relive parts of his memories. Honestly, he has no choice, and once he gets going, he’s not even sure he likes it.

What follows is an exploration of life, death, family, friendships, love, tragedy, and grief, and a search for the meaning of all those things that suddenly disappear when everything fades to black. It’s a biographical and self-exploratory book, and I’m really proud and excited to share it with all of you.

If this sounds like something you’re interested in, sign up for an ARC through my publisher’s website right here.

Otherwise, you’ll have to wait for the official release – 28 October.

Thanks again for being a reader – I’m very excited to hear what you think of this next one!

And as always, please check out all my books and stories below. If you’re into psychological horror, crime thrillers, or science-fiction and fantasy, you’ve come to the right place! Bye for now!

Find all my books and stories here

Trey Stone’s Books

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And we’re back! Another fantastic book by the great Brandon Sanderson.

I wrote in my last review of a Sanderson book, the prequel to this, that I found Shadows Of Self to be the weakest book in the whole Mistborn series so far (other than perhaps only Secret History). I was a little worried that perhaps this book would follow along the same path but I’m happy to report that my worries were completely unfounded – because this book is great!

Again we follow Wax, Wayne, Steris and Marasi, but this time we see the gang split up. After a kandra makes contact with Wax, trying to recruit him to investigate the existence of an ancient artifact and a missing kandra spike, only to have Wax refuse, Marasi decides to help instead. It’s only later that Wax decides to follow along, after a disturbing photograph reveals that his long-lost sister might be involved.

Much of the book is very familiar to any reader of the Mistborn series, and if you’ve read the first two books in this second quadrilogy, then you’ll know exactly what you’re getting into. However, what I really loved is that the gang moves out of familiar territory when they travel to the town of New Seran. Finding themselves away from home and their daily comforts, the stakes really ramp up fast – and there’s a whole array of new mysteries, intrigue and conspiracies on the line.

I particularly loved how much new and exciting world-building Sanderson crammed into this book. There are new places like mentioned above, but also new technologies, magics, and perhaps most exciting, new people. I thought I had a pretty good grasp on the lay of the land and how the Mistborn universe worked, but Sanderson never fails to throw spokes in the wheel and change things up. And it’s really, really cool to read.

I wasn’t that excited to carry on with the Mistborn series after I finished the last book, and I took some time away from steampunk fantasy to read some non-fiction and to sit down with the first Hannibal Lecter book, Red Dragon, among other things. But now I’m definitely hooked again, and I can’t wait to carry on with the fourth and final book!

Have you read the Mistborn series yet? Anything else by Sanderson that you’d recommend, or other authors with series that have amazed you recently? Let me know in the comments!

And as always, please check out all my books and stories below. If you’re into psychological horror, crime thrillers, or science-fiction and fantasy, you’ve come to the right place! Bye for now!

Find all my books and stories here

Trey Stone’s Books

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A great sequel to the fantasy epic!

The first book in Ryan Lanz fantasy series, The Silver Crystal, was a wondrous, enchanting world full of magic, war, secret societies, intrigue, and mystery, and The Way Of Stones doesn’t hold anything back. It starts right where the first book let off and tightens the noose immediately. The stakes are higher, war is looming ever closer and the tension keeps you at the edge of your seat.

The story still follows Rhael, former bounty hunter now turned semi-outlaw and desperate to find his way in the world. No longer surrounded by a bunch of comrades, he clings to a much smaller group of friends in this second book. He’s lost and strungout, but determined to right the wrongs that were done to him and I enjoyed following him and Gobo on their quest. At the same time, there are many more pieces moving on the board of war.

In the city of Abalreen, The Order is rebuilding after what culminated at the end of book 1, but in the shadows they are working on something more, something darker. Out in the wilderness, The Corrupted are trying to fend for themselves, building a home where they can be left alone, but at the same time working on how to hit back against those who would harm them. Commander Levras is also back in action, with much more page time than in the first book, carrying with him his own, personal vendetta.

All in all, there’s a lot going on and The Way of Stones reads like an incredibly large and captivating fantasy epic, laying down the foundation and building to what I can only imagine is an exciting conclusion.

At the same time, I felt like the book dragged a bit, particularly in the middle, with many drawn-out scenes and long passages, and though they were never dull, they often felt like they didn’t lead anywhere. Maybe it was just me and my headspace at the moment, but I felt my attention drop at times. It also didn’t help that certain words and phrases were used that kept pulling me out of the fantasy setting – The Corrupted are often called ability users, for example, and the ragtag bands of misfit warriors who dwell in the forests usually just refer to themselves as groups. I don’t know, it’s probably just a me problem—but occasionally I missed that fantasy vibe.

But please, don’t get me wrong! To conclude, this is a great fantasy read and a strong sequel—though I admit I liked the first book better (the curse of every great first book)—and it sets up the story for an exciting third installment!

Oh, and I still absolutely love Gobo.

What do you think? Have you read anything exciting lately? Come across any good books, any hidden gems, or perhaps something you didn’t like at all? Let me know in the comments! I love it when people get in touch.

And as always, please check out all my books and stories below. If you’re into psychological horror, crime thrillers, or science-fiction and fantasy, you’ve come to the right place. Bye for now!

Find all my books and stories here

Trey Stone’s Books

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I never knew sleep could be this interesting!

I recently started listening to a lot of new podcasts – I love having them on my ear when I’m doing monotonous, brainless work in the office, and the range of stuff that’s out there these days is incredible, so it’s very easy to find something new and interesting. There really is something for absolutely everyone.

Lately, my interests have shifted towards science and education, often specifically about health and exercise, and I remember one of the podcasts had Matthew Walker on as a guest. It was truly a fascinating episode, the stuff this guy knows about sleep is eye-opening, and it really stuck with me.

I also recently moved (to an island in the Norwegian Arctic, no less) and after a few weeks up here in the frigid North, I figured I ought to sign up for a card at the local library. After sorting that out, one of the first books that met me on the shelves on my way in was this exact book: Why We Sleep, by none other than Matthew Walker.

It’s been absolute ages since I borrowed a book from a library. Probably close to 25 years. But I’m very glad this was the one that broke my fast.

I’ll say it again: I never knew sleep could be this interesting.

I’ve had a weird relationship with sleep all my life. I’ve always struggled to fall asleep. Since as long as I can remember, I’ve always been lying there, staring into the darkness, waiting for sleep to engulf me. My wife’s the polar opposite: she’ll pass out the second she hits the pillow – no joke! And when I was younger, until mid to late twenties, I was always a night owl. I would stay up looong into the night (because I couldn’t fall asleep anyway) and I’d get up right before I had to leave for work, jump out of bed, skip breakfast, and head out the door.

When I first lived in the Arctic, six years ago, that all changed. During my first winter, when I first experienced polar night (total darkness, twenty-four hours a day) something weird happened to me. I saw no point in staying up late anymore. It was dark all the time anyway, right? If I wanted to sit there and read, watch TV or play video games, I might as well do it in the hours after I went to bed instead of before.

Since then I’ve been a morning person. Complete 180-degree change. Now I go to bed by 9:30, if nothing gets in my way, and I’m up by 5.

And I’m sorry I’ve been rambling about my personal life – but if I’d read this book sooner, I’d probably have made the switch way earlier.

The thing sleep does to your brain, your hormones, your blood chemistry, your body composition, your mind, your personality, basically everything is wild. Sure, I knew it was important, everyone knows it’s healthy to get a good night’s rest, but at the same time, we’ve all burnt the candle in both ends at certain points in our lives and felt fine, right? Hell, the last six months I slept around 5 hours a night, and I felt amazing. I got so much done!

But the stuff that Walker presents in his book, all the new, groundbreaking research, the fascinating – and horrifying – studies, the weird, but vital functions sleep serves will have you thinking very differently about how much time you spend in bed in the future, I promise.

Honestly, if you plan on reading just one non-fiction book this year – or even just one book at all – I want to strongly suggest that it’s this one. (Maybe after you’ve read my At The Gate first. You’ll want to be able to sleep well after that one).

Have you read Why We Sleep? What did you think? Do you have any other non-fiction recommendations for me? Let me know in the comments! I love it when people leave comments.

And as always, please check out all my books and stories below. If you’re into psychological horror, crime thrillers, or science-fiction and fantasy, you’ve come to the right place! Bye for now!

Find all my books and stories here

Trey Stone’s Books

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Whoa!

I don’t know what I expected, but it definitely wasn’t this.

I’ve been fascinated by Hannibal Lecter since I was a young teen and first saw Silence Of The Lambs sometime in the early 2000s. Since then I’ve seen every movie, adaption, remake TV series I’ve ever come across based on the incredible characters – but for some reason I never considered reading the books!

Last year it suddenly struck me that, of course there must be books, someone must have written all of the stuff I’ve been watching over the years, and I went looking for a name. I returned with Thomas Harris, and an incredible urge to dive into the series.

I didn’t have any expectations beyond the usual: a thriller about a serial killer (or two) and the haunted, but talented investigator whose job it is to put them all away. I figured it would be the standard recipe, and that its fame would be ascribed to the fact that it was perhaps particularly well-written or maybe the first in a type of book that was particularly vile and dark.

Well, let me tell you, there’s nothing usual about this. It doesn’t compare to any other thriller I’ve ever read.

First off, let me start with saying I love the pace. There’s nothing wrong with a short, fast book, that’s not afraid to just throw the story right in your face, lay it all out there, and not beat around the bush. In fact, I find it refreshing.

Now, with that out of the way, let’s talk about the pace. Because boooy, this book is fast!

It dives headfirst into everything, running at full sprint towards the plot and not bothering with giving us much, if any, backstory at all. Like I said already, it’s refreshing, at the same time, it’s very different.

I’m left with two feelings: as if I’ve read only half a book, one where half the pages were torn out at the end of each chapter; and with a desperate need to read The Silence of The Lambs, the follow-up which ended up selling over 10 million copies.

Because the characters are fantastic. The story is great too, the little of it there is, but I yearn to get to know both Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter better.

To sum up: an incredibly short, but really fascinating book. Can’t wait to read more Thomas Harris.

Have you read Red Dragon or other books in the Hannibal series? Anything else by Thomas Harris that you’d recommend, or other authors with series that have amazed you recently? Let me know in the comments!

And as always, please check out all my books and stories below. If you’re into psychological horror, crime thrillers, or science-fiction and fantasy, you’ve come to the right place! Bye for now!

Find all my books and stories here

Trey Stone’s Books

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I’m almost annoyed that I haven’t read this sooner, it’s that good!

I’m not just talking about this book, but the whole of the Mistborn series in general. Considering that Brandon Samderson has been a name that has been whispered about for a while, it’s weird that I didn’t grt around to reading him sooner, even though I did read the first Mistborn book a while ago, and that I got through Skyward, ages ago. Then again, I’m not really a person who’s first to get on the band wagon…

But anyway! The reason I’m saying all of is because this series is fantastic! I hadn’t really dawned on me how much I’ve been missing having a massive, expansive fantasy world to escape to, one that you can trust to be there for you whenever you need to return. One that you’ll know will be exciting and magical, and fun and mysterious every, single time, and one – thankfully, since it’s Sanderson – that you can trust there’ll be more, and more, and more of. Honestly, it reminds me a bit of coming back to playing a video game, like World of Warcraft, which I kept coming back to for years.

At the same time, this is probably the weakest book of the two trilogies and the whole Mistborn saga, except for maybe Secret History, though I feel like that’s in a category of its own. I often found myself zoned out and struggling to pay attention, and occasionally I felt kind of bored. Maybe it’s just me, and maybe it’s a combination of my personal headspace around the time I read this + increasingly high expectations from a series (and author) I know to be very great, but I just felt like I kept waiting for something more, for some bigger, more exciting thing to happen.

But the ending makes it all worth it, I promise you that. Because the book was never actually boring, and it wasn’t like I was about to put it away, it was just that I sat there waiting for something more as I was reading along. And that more comes at the end of the book, don’t you worry. And it builds incredible expectations for book 3 in the series.

I’m taking a brief break from the Mistborn series now, just because there’s another couple of books I want to get through, but I can’t wait to jump right back in and carry on. I’m looking so forward to it.

Have you read the Mistborn series yet? Anything else by Sanderson that you’d recommend, or other authors with series that have amazed you recently? Let me know in the comments!

And as always, please check out all my books and stories below. If you’re into psychological horror, crime thrillers, or science-fiction and fantasy, you’ve come to the right place! Bye for now!

Find all my books and stories here

Trey Stone’s Books

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Exciting news everyone – I have another book coming out in October!

I’ve again paired up with Inked In Gray Press, the publisher who released my psychological horror, At The Gate, back in 2022. This time, we’re releasing a novella called A Death Worth Living – a very different and introspective story, about looking back at one’s life and trying to figure out if it was all worth it, in the end. It’s a book that will make you think, a story that will leave you with a lot of questions. Read more about the A Death Worth Living in the official announcement from the publisher below.

I’m super proud of this book, and I’m so happy that’s finally seeing the light of day. This is definitely the book I’ve written that has most of me in it, in the sense that it’s very biographical. I’m looking forward to sharing it with all of you, and I can’t wait to hear what you think.

And I’m even more excited to say that you can already pre-order it! Just follow the link below to find pre-orders, the official blog announcement, and the book page from Inked In Gray. Oh, and if you’re interested in reading an advanced review copy, make sure to sign up to Inked In Gray’s newsletter.

Official Blog Announcement Official Book Page

Inked in Gray Press Announce: A Death Worth Living by Trey Stone

A Death Worth Living will be Trey’s second book with Inked in Gray Press.  Trey’s first novella, At The Gate, was published on September 6, 2022. At The Gate is Trey’s first paranormal psychological horror, taking readers on a journey alongside Joseph, a man who has given up on life and seeks only an end to his misery. A visit to a haunted hotel, aptly named “The Gate.” The book addresses the struggles with mental health through the allegory of the haunted hotel.

A Death Worth Living is a lighter novella for those who enjoyed the introspective aspects of At The Gate. This story follows Jacob, dead at twenty and feeling robbed of what he thought would be a long and fruitful life. He’s met by a mysterious being whose job it is to guide him through his memories and into whatever comes next. Yet, the figure seems . . . familiar. As Jacob recounts his memories — some good, some bad, and some forgotten — he comes to the realization that he could have done some things differently. His guide, who call themself Eran, tells Jacob that he can change one thing, and only one thing about his past, if he dares.

This novella is different. It is a character-focused story that discusses the human experience: the love, the pain, the loss, the joy. Jacob must decide whether to alter a memory and change the course of his own history, or live with the guilt of not being the perfect son.

This narrative speaks to our own insecurities about life and the choices we make. We’ve all done things we regret, but we must come to terms with our humanity.

Inked in Gray is proud to publish this next release from Trey Stone! A Death Worth Living releases October 21, 2025.

As always, please check out all my books and stories below. If you’re into psychological horror, crime thrillers, or science-fiction and fantasy, you’ve come to the right place! If you do end up checking them out, please, let me know what you think! Alright, bye for now.

Find all my books and stories here

Trey Stone’s Books

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It’s been a busy year for me. On top of releasing my first Norwegian novel – a Young Adult fantasy adventure called Fjordbeist at the end of May – prepping for a release concert with my band Maryon for our second album, For What, at the end of June – my wife and I also decided to quit our jobs, rent out our house, and move to Svalbard(!) – which is basically the North Pole.

Well, the book is done, the album is out, and the move is all over with – and we’re slowly starting to settle in. And with things finally slowing down (at least a little bit, kinda, almost), it suddenly struck me how I’ve neglected my writing.

Thing is, I already started writing the sequel for Fjordbeist, about six months ago. In the beginning it was going well. I was excited about the book coming out, and I was getting really into developing the rest of the story and taking it further, beyond where book 1 ends. However, as the weeks and months rolled by, and as my wife and I got busier and busier, I wrote less and less.

I keep a spreadsheet for every book I write. I keep daily tallies, write little notes to myself about things to fix, edits I have to remember to make, and where to take the story next. Well, I opened the spreadsheet for book 2 this morning, and man, it had been much longer than I thought since I’d written anything at all.

At first, it made me really down. Made me feel like shit, really. How had I neglected my writing this much? How had I just… forgotten about the book I was supposed to be writing?

Then I remembered something. A little piece of writing advice I got when I first started out – and probably the best piece of advice I’ve ever gotten about anything.

“It’s all part of the process.“

It’s such a simple phrase, at first it doesn’t really sound like it means anything profound at all. And it probably doesn’t, not really. But it makes so much sense, when you really understand what it means.

It’s all part of the process. It doesn’t just apply to writing, it applies to everything, every endeavor you might find yourself undertaking, be it creative or otherwise, but I was told this at a point in time when I was struggling particularly with writing.

I was complaining to a friend that I wasn’t getting anywhere. That it was taking too long, that I was stuck in a rut, and that I felt overwhelmed. They very nonchalantly told me: “Yeah, well that’s all part of the process.”

I don’t think they realize what an impact that little sentence had on me, but it helped, a lot, and to this day it’s probably the best advice I’ve ever got. Whenever I feel like I’m underachieving, if I feel like I’m stuck, or if I feel like I’m not doing enough, I remind myself of that little nugget of wisdom.

And what it means – sorry, I know I’ve been rambling on for a while now – is just that those times when you’re stuck, those times when you’re not doing enough, those are also part of it. They are part of the sum of it all! Being a writer isn’t just about writing, it’s also about those times you’re not writing. It’s about those times you’re having experiences, coming up with ideas, and being stuck – so that you can become unstuck and develop your story further! No one ever got to the top of a mountain by walking downhill. At the same time, there’s definitely going to be some dips and bends that make it feel like they’re not taking you closer to the top.

So, the next time you’re struggling, the next time you feel like you’ve failed, haven’t worked hard enough, achieved enough, or accomplished the things you set out to – remember that all of that’s part of it. It’s all part of the process.

And that’s alright.

As always, please check out all my books and stories below. If you’re into psychological horror, crime thrillers, or science-fiction and fantasy, you’ve come to the right place! If you do end up checking them out, please, let me know what you think! Alright, bye for now.

Find all my books and stories here

Trey Stone’s Books

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