Ally Russell's Blog

I put on my big girl pants and made my way to Boston for an unpaid internship in children’s publishing.

Before I left Pittsburgh, a handful of people looked at me with pity in their eyes and uttered some variation of, “Oh…you know it’s difficult to get into publishing, right?” (After much research, I did know that it was a notoriously difficult industry to break into.) “You have to know someone.” (I did not know anyone in the industry.)

But I did it. I found my way in, navigat...

Out today! Abandoned in a cemetery and raised in a funeral home, a girl who can smell ghosts must solve the mystery of a priceless heirloom stolen from her family’s business. Perfect for fans of Netflix’s Wednesday and Beetlejuice!

Dying to read the book?
🪦 Buy a digital or physical copy from your local indie bookstore.
🪱 Borrow a digital or physical copy from your library...

It’s Leo Season in the House of Nox.

I share a birthday week with my husband and dad. (My husband is celebrating his 40th birthday this year, so be sure to wish him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!) 

All birthdays should be celebrated with balloons and buttercream icing, and that includes book birthdays…

It’s hard to believe that It Came from the Trees is a tangible object that readers can hold in their hands. But like bigfoot, the book exists!

Happy Birthday to It Came fr...

My summer is off to a chilling and thrilling start.

I’ve been to the movies to see 28 Years Later. Don’t listen to the haters—it’s worth watching if you’re not interested in a repeat of the previous two movies, and you want to see how society might develop in a post-apocalyptic world. Give Jody Comer all the awards already.

I have not been reading as much as I’d like to, but I recently finished The Witch’s Wings and Other Terrifying Tales by Tehlor Kay Mejia. The stories were highly entertaining,...

This week has felt a little grim; however, there’s a spark in the darkness. If you’re feeling down, remember that communities are supporting their members, people are coming together to help each other, and citizens are showing that we don’t scare easily.✌🏽

Speaking of scary things—this year we only get one Friday the 13th, so let’s make it count.

Do you want to win a galley of Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave along with some ghoulish goodies? Comp...

June is National Camping Month. I bet you think I’m going to encourage you to go outside; however, quite the opposite is true—stay inside!

Why? Because the woods are full of creepy crawlies and high strangeness. If you think bigfoot is the scariest thing stalking the woods of the world, you’re wrong. There are other cryptids (like dogman), weird spots where time and space are wonky, and never, ever underestimate the threat of ticks.

You’re probably going to camp anyway. Fine. I can’t stop you, so ...

Summer slashers and campfire tales, fall and its Halloween glamour and glee, and winter ghost stories to chill your bones. This might leave you wondering: What’s left for spring? But I’m here to tell you that spring can be just as spooky as any other season. Don’t believe me? Check out the news. And look out your window and see all the dead things that are coming back to life!

I’m doing my part to keep things creepy this spring by watching and reading a lot of babysitter and home invasion horror....

Dearly Beloved Reader,

We are gathered here to celebrate the life and cover reveal of Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave, but first…a brief love letter to cemeteries.

I discovered my love of cemeteries when I moved to Massachusetts at the age of twenty-three. These spaces of eternal rest quickly became therapeutic places that offered me quiet and inspiration, and if given the chance, I could have easily spent entire days meandering through Mount Auburn Cemetery or Sleepy Hollow Cemetery or the Old ...

Last year, I wrote a creepy little book called Down Came the Spiders. What’s it about? I’ll tell 🕷️ you!

Twelve-year-old Andi loves everything about spiders—they're endlessly fascinating creatures. So when she finds a species she's never seen before at a classmate's Halloween party, she's over the moon. 🕷️ Until the spiders start to behave in unusual and threatening ways, that is. They can camouflage themselves incredibly well, they can jump higher than she's ever seen, and their webs are strong....

Hey there! Happy holiday season! It’s been a while, and I’ve missed talking to you. Did you have a nice Halloween? What’s on your winter TBR? (I have a recommendation for you…) How about this UFO/UAP news? What are you watching? This holiday season I’ve watched Alien Romulus (5/5👽), V/H/S/Beyond (also fantastic!), Frogman, and Werewolves.

There’s no point in pretending like life doesn’t feel a little flat at present. So, I sincerely hope that you are finding community with the people who bring y...