Evan J. Corbin's Blog
November 7, 2025
JINGLED, Release Day!
Today’s the day — JINGLED is officially out in the world.
I started writing this book during a moment when it felt like the country had split into two parallel realities — not just politically, but emotionally and socially. You’d turn on one channel and hear about one version of America; switch to another, and you’d think you’d landed in a different universe entirely. Families stopped talking, conversations turned brittle, and even the smallest things — a holiday greeting, a yard sign, a news headline — became loaded with tribal meaning.
JINGLED grew out of that sense of disconnection. It’s a satire about what happens when those cultural divides become so deep that we stop recognizing each other at all.
The story follows Matt Daughtry, a young man who returns home for Christmas to parents who live in an entirely different world — one fueled by talk shows, conspiracies, and “common sense” platitudes. But what starts as a familiar family tension quickly spirals into the surreal: Americans across the country begin celebrating Christmas every day. Flights stop running, offices close, and millions quit their jobs to stay home and live in an endless holiday loop.
Through humor, absurdity, and just a touch of heartbreak, JINGLED explores what happens when ideology becomes identity — when the stories we tell ourselves about “us” and “them” become so powerful that they override reality itself.
It’s a satire about our collective echo chambers, but it’s also a story about family, forgiveness, and the faint hope that maybe, beneath all the noise, we’re still capable of finding one another again.
I wrote JINGLED for anyone who has ever argued at the dinner table, muted a relative on social media, or wondered how two people can live in the same country — or even the same house — and see entirely different worlds.
I’m incredibly proud to finally share it with you. If you enjoy dark humor, speculative fiction, or novels that hold a cracked mirror up to our culture, I think you’ll find something to love in this story.
I started writing this book during a moment when it felt like the country had split into two parallel realities — not just politically, but emotionally and socially. You’d turn on one channel and hear about one version of America; switch to another, and you’d think you’d landed in a different universe entirely. Families stopped talking, conversations turned brittle, and even the smallest things — a holiday greeting, a yard sign, a news headline — became loaded with tribal meaning.
JINGLED grew out of that sense of disconnection. It’s a satire about what happens when those cultural divides become so deep that we stop recognizing each other at all.
The story follows Matt Daughtry, a young man who returns home for Christmas to parents who live in an entirely different world — one fueled by talk shows, conspiracies, and “common sense” platitudes. But what starts as a familiar family tension quickly spirals into the surreal: Americans across the country begin celebrating Christmas every day. Flights stop running, offices close, and millions quit their jobs to stay home and live in an endless holiday loop.
Through humor, absurdity, and just a touch of heartbreak, JINGLED explores what happens when ideology becomes identity — when the stories we tell ourselves about “us” and “them” become so powerful that they override reality itself.
It’s a satire about our collective echo chambers, but it’s also a story about family, forgiveness, and the faint hope that maybe, beneath all the noise, we’re still capable of finding one another again.
I wrote JINGLED for anyone who has ever argued at the dinner table, muted a relative on social media, or wondered how two people can live in the same country — or even the same house — and see entirely different worlds.
I’m incredibly proud to finally share it with you. If you enjoy dark humor, speculative fiction, or novels that hold a cracked mirror up to our culture, I think you’ll find something to love in this story.
October 28, 2025
JINGLED, a novel by Evan J. Corbin
AVAILABLE FOR EBOOK PRE-ORDER
RELEASE ON NOVEMBER 7, 2025
Matt Daughtry has always felt as if he and his parents inhabit parallel universes—his defined by the urbane ideals of the Northeastern liberal elite, theirs by Southern conservatism, homespun “common sense,” and talk show-fueled conspiracies. His homosexuality remains an open secret, something they prefer to ignore rather than confront, much less accept. When he and his sister return home for Christmas, it’s the wrong sibling who brings a boyfriend for the first time.
What begins as a tense but familiar holiday visit soon turns surreal. Flights are canceled. Pilots and flight attendants inexplicably take leave. Within days, seventy-eight million Americans fail to return to work. Their explanation? They just want to spend more time with their families. After all, Christmas can be every day when you’re with family.
Matt’s parents—and millions of others—have fallen prey to a bizarre condition, trapped in an endless Yuletide loop, content to celebrate forever as their debts climb, the economy collapses, and reality itself unravels. The cause appears to be an addictive algorithm powering an evangelical shopping app called MerryNet, which delivers both bargains and blissful delusion in equal measure.
At first, Matt wants no part of it. He’s spent a lifetime trying—and failing—to reason with his parents. Why should this time be any different? But when the syndrome spreads nationwide, he uncovers evidence that it may not be a coincidence, but a calculated act of ideological warfare. Faced with a choice between silence and truth, Matt realizes that exposing the conspiracy may cost him his career, his safety, and his sanity. Yet if he doesn’t act, the country may surrender completely to its digital holiday trance.
With the help of his boyfriend and sister, Matt must uncover the origins of the so-called “Christmas Syndrome” and confront the deeper divisions tearing both his family—and the nation—apart.
PRE ORDER
RELEASE ON NOVEMBER 7, 2025
Matt Daughtry has always felt as if he and his parents inhabit parallel universes—his defined by the urbane ideals of the Northeastern liberal elite, theirs by Southern conservatism, homespun “common sense,” and talk show-fueled conspiracies. His homosexuality remains an open secret, something they prefer to ignore rather than confront, much less accept. When he and his sister return home for Christmas, it’s the wrong sibling who brings a boyfriend for the first time.
What begins as a tense but familiar holiday visit soon turns surreal. Flights are canceled. Pilots and flight attendants inexplicably take leave. Within days, seventy-eight million Americans fail to return to work. Their explanation? They just want to spend more time with their families. After all, Christmas can be every day when you’re with family.
Matt’s parents—and millions of others—have fallen prey to a bizarre condition, trapped in an endless Yuletide loop, content to celebrate forever as their debts climb, the economy collapses, and reality itself unravels. The cause appears to be an addictive algorithm powering an evangelical shopping app called MerryNet, which delivers both bargains and blissful delusion in equal measure.
At first, Matt wants no part of it. He’s spent a lifetime trying—and failing—to reason with his parents. Why should this time be any different? But when the syndrome spreads nationwide, he uncovers evidence that it may not be a coincidence, but a calculated act of ideological warfare. Faced with a choice between silence and truth, Matt realizes that exposing the conspiracy may cost him his career, his safety, and his sanity. Yet if he doesn’t act, the country may surrender completely to its digital holiday trance.
With the help of his boyfriend and sister, Matt must uncover the origins of the so-called “Christmas Syndrome” and confront the deeper divisions tearing both his family—and the nation—apart.
PRE ORDER
March 7, 2025
Asher and the Prince
I was notified yesterday that Asher and the Prince: The Apex Blade is a finalist for the Young Adult Fiction book of the year from the Forward INDIES literary awards! Winners will be announced in June.
November 24, 2024
Asher and the Prince - FREE map
If any of my followers would like a free map to follow along as you read Asher and the Prince, just email or message me! You can also receive one by joining my mailing list by texting Corbin to 55444.
October 5, 2024
Asher and the Prince
I'm delighted to announce that my newest book, Asher and the Prince is available for eBook pre-order on Amazon!
Asher Snow is no ordinary peasant. Seventeen-year-old Asher’s sharp mind and selfless devotion to others have always set him apart in a kingdom where survival hinges on luck and cunning. When he crosses paths with a powerful witch, Asher seizes the chance to make a wish—only to be dismayed by the witch’s condition that it be a selfish wish. But to avert a looming war, Asher must play a dangerous game.
Feigning love for the kingdom’s handsome prince, Asher persuades the witch to grant his seemingly selfish desire for the prince’s love, believing it to be the key to preventing a war. But as he weaves his web of deceit, Asher is entangled in a perilous journey where power, betrayal, and forbidden love collide. As political tensions rise and the threat of war looms on the horizon, Asher must decide if his risks will lead to his salvation—or his undoing.
Asher and the Prince: The Apex Blade is a thrilling blend of medieval fantasy, LGBTQ romance, and science fiction, where a forgotten past may be the key to salvation. Will Asher’s daring gambit secure his future—or set in motion a fate darker than he ever imagined?
Asher Snow is no ordinary peasant. Seventeen-year-old Asher’s sharp mind and selfless devotion to others have always set him apart in a kingdom where survival hinges on luck and cunning. When he crosses paths with a powerful witch, Asher seizes the chance to make a wish—only to be dismayed by the witch’s condition that it be a selfish wish. But to avert a looming war, Asher must play a dangerous game.
Feigning love for the kingdom’s handsome prince, Asher persuades the witch to grant his seemingly selfish desire for the prince’s love, believing it to be the key to preventing a war. But as he weaves his web of deceit, Asher is entangled in a perilous journey where power, betrayal, and forbidden love collide. As political tensions rise and the threat of war looms on the horizon, Asher must decide if his risks will lead to his salvation—or his undoing.
Asher and the Prince: The Apex Blade is a thrilling blend of medieval fantasy, LGBTQ romance, and science fiction, where a forgotten past may be the key to salvation. Will Asher’s daring gambit secure his future—or set in motion a fate darker than he ever imagined?
January 20, 2022
Mailing Lists
Hi Everyone --
I'm working to grow my newsletter list. If you'd like to join (and you're in the United States), merely text 33777 and follow the prompts. I'll offer a few random subscribers free copies of my recently-published sequel, Atonement Camp For Redemption?
Enjoy my work? If so, please consider adding and voting for the work on the Goodreads lists you think most appropriate!
Best wishes,
Evan
I'm working to grow my newsletter list. If you'd like to join (and you're in the United States), merely text 33777 and follow the prompts. I'll offer a few random subscribers free copies of my recently-published sequel, Atonement Camp For Redemption?
Enjoy my work? If so, please consider adding and voting for the work on the Goodreads lists you think most appropriate!
Best wishes,
Evan
January 17, 2022
Atonement Camp for Redemption
Atonement Camp for Redemption is now available on Amazon in both print and as an eBook!
I hope you get the chance to check it out and leave your reviews!
The book was partially inspired by The Velvet Rage by Dr. Alan Downs. That work explores several stages that gay men often go through to overcome their internalized shame for being gay and finding that, ultimately, true validation comes from within. I'd highly recommend reading his non-fiction work. The book also takes inspiration from themes of restorative justice, particularly the work in post-apartheid South Africa.
Join Rick as he continues down the well-trodden road toward accepting himself as a gay man. Coming out of the closet was the first step, not the finish line. Along the journey, Rick learns to separate real love from the all the fool's gold we find before we meet "the one." Readers said they wanted more drag queens and more romance. I listened and I hope it hits the mark for you all!
I hope you get the chance to check it out and leave your reviews!
The book was partially inspired by The Velvet Rage by Dr. Alan Downs. That work explores several stages that gay men often go through to overcome their internalized shame for being gay and finding that, ultimately, true validation comes from within. I'd highly recommend reading his non-fiction work. The book also takes inspiration from themes of restorative justice, particularly the work in post-apartheid South Africa.
Join Rick as he continues down the well-trodden road toward accepting himself as a gay man. Coming out of the closet was the first step, not the finish line. Along the journey, Rick learns to separate real love from the all the fool's gold we find before we meet "the one." Readers said they wanted more drag queens and more romance. I listened and I hope it hits the mark for you all!
January 8, 2022
Atonement Camp for Redemption
Pre-order the sequel to Atonement Camp for Unrepentant Homophobes today! The eBook is open for pre-order with a January 14th release date. The print version should be published on or about the same time!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Q194NLT/...
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09Q194NLT/...
February 15, 2021
Beta Readers Wanted
I've finalized my first draft of the sequel to Atonement Camp for Unrepentant Homophobes. The new novel, Atonement Camp for Redemption, shows that coming out of the closet is just the first step gay men take to overcome the internalized shame so many feel for their sexuality. More camp. More romance. More adventure. Reach out today if you'd like to volunteer as a beta reader!
January 8, 2021
Atonement Camp Sequel In Development
By popular demand, readers are asking for a sequel to Atonement Camp for Unrepentant Homophobes.
Readers challenged me to give more experiences at the camp and offer some more romance. I won't disappoint! I'm finalizing the third act to the sequel and I'm even more proud of it than the first book. This will blow you away!
Writing takes time. After writing "The End," that's no more than a new start. Next, I send it to beta readers and listen to what they say. I rewrite aspects of the work to take their observations into account. Next, a developmental editor pushes me to make character arcs and themes as bold as I can. This is followed by more editing on my part. Then, a line editor works with me to make sure I convey the work in the intended manner. Lastly, a copy editor works to help me find the (many) typos that afflict my nighmares and make me wish I paid more attention to the litany of teachers and professors who tried their best to help me along, even before I realized I'd ever write a novel. Meanwhile, in the background, a talented cover designer is working to make sure the artwork reflects the content.
This all takes several months and thousands of dollars to do it right. I know I won't (likely) earn back what I invest.
Why do I do all this? First, it's fun. More importantly, I want to make sure you get to read the best I can offer you. You deserve no less. Thank you all!
Readers challenged me to give more experiences at the camp and offer some more romance. I won't disappoint! I'm finalizing the third act to the sequel and I'm even more proud of it than the first book. This will blow you away!
Writing takes time. After writing "The End," that's no more than a new start. Next, I send it to beta readers and listen to what they say. I rewrite aspects of the work to take their observations into account. Next, a developmental editor pushes me to make character arcs and themes as bold as I can. This is followed by more editing on my part. Then, a line editor works with me to make sure I convey the work in the intended manner. Lastly, a copy editor works to help me find the (many) typos that afflict my nighmares and make me wish I paid more attention to the litany of teachers and professors who tried their best to help me along, even before I realized I'd ever write a novel. Meanwhile, in the background, a talented cover designer is working to make sure the artwork reflects the content.
This all takes several months and thousands of dollars to do it right. I know I won't (likely) earn back what I invest.
Why do I do all this? First, it's fun. More importantly, I want to make sure you get to read the best I can offer you. You deserve no less. Thank you all!
