C.J. Weiss

A haunted house novel with a twist. The main characters are supernatural experts who know the ghosts going in, but more powerful forces than ghosts prowl the haunted house, and they've been biding their time. Garrett Mueller proposes to his girlfriend, Marie Renault. She rejects him, distressing him until he learns why. Her family watches over a haunted house, where every several years a Breach opens to the world of the dead. Everyone related by blood or oath must return, or the Breach widens, endangering the family and world at large. To marry Marie, he must also bind himself to that house. The Renaults estimate a week until the Breach opens, offering Garrett a short trial period. Despite the risks, he will try it for the woman he loves. The Renaults are professionals when it comes to the supernatural, and they’ve always prevailed. Only, as the week progresses, the family discovers this Breach is shaping up to be one of historically dangerous proportions. Risks mount higher as secrets leak out, threatening to divide the family. And even if Garrett changes his mind, it might be too late to leave. Secrets Gnaw at the Flesh differs from other haunted house novels in three key ways: 1. The characters are supernatural experts who are equipped to "fight" the ghosts, but the house has its own tricks. 2. Strong personalities and backstories add a dimension interpersonal drama that will leave the reader unclear on who to trust. 3. Worldbuilding is closer to something you'd find in fantasy or sci-fi. This novel is the second in the Virulent Nightmare Origins series and can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in any order. Virulent Nightmare Origins A Broken Clock Never Boils (2022) Secrets Gnaw at the Flesh (2023) TBD (2025) TBD (2026)