Introduction
Welcome to the navigation page for the serialized version of my novella, Cherry Kills. If you’re a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Kill Bill, Jessica Jones, and—okay, the truth is, I don’t know what the fuck this book is like. I’ve been making shit up since we started marketing this lil piece o’ candy. What is punk-noir? What is punk writing? Does my prose pogo? Sometimes, sure, but it’s all rock n’ roll in the end, right? Anyway, this was my first book, and if you want to say you knew me before I made it TO THE BIG TIME, then you better at least skim this bitch.
Synopsis
Cherry Kills wants to be left alone. Unfortunately, her Alternates: an overprotective lug, a happy-go-lucky child, and a mute rabbit the size of a man, have other plans. They’ve haunted her since her father’s violent death, following her from grimy punk clubs to the TV-static halls of her apartment building. The doctor calls them hallucinations, symptoms of trauma. But when her Alternates start interacting with the world around her, Cherry realizes it might not be all in her head.
If you’re still not sold, here’s what the humans have to say about the story!
This book is a potent mix of fantasy, noir mystery, cosmic horror, and a dose of mythos. As the reader you will find yourself questioning what is real, and what is just in her head. Normal, sane, crazy, it's all the same in the world of Cherry Kills.
As a GenXer, I couldn't get enough of the '80's and early '90s pop culture references. This was just a fun read, and I zoomed through it. I've never been disappointed by this author's writing, and this was no exception.
The vibe felt to me like John Dies at the End crossed with Whalefall and dotted with the 80’s nostalgia of Ready Player One. I loved it. It was endearing, fun, well written, with horror flash-welded in, all paced well and cut up to perfectly sized bites.
McDonnell is so good at creating characters you want to fight for, and I wanted to fight for (and alongside) Cherry and her alternates from the first page.
It's pulpy in a great way, and the mystery's resolution is super satisfying.
Read more reviews on Goodreads…
Chapters
Normal Brains (Starting soon)
Nobody Here but us Chickens
Seven Years Earlier
Gotta Start Somewhere
Eight Years Earlier
6666
No More Crying in the Shower
The Cherry Show
Seven Years Earlier
Oasis or Blur?
Queen of Broken Brains
Eighty-sixed
Kill Your Television
Cherry, Cherry, Quite Contrary
Eight Years Earlier
Keep It Secret
Sorry, Babe
This Might Hurt a Bit
Mama?
Real Ones
Let’s Play Rabbits and Snakes
It’s Hard To Pronounce
Family
Waste No Wish
Psst! Paid subscribers to Automatic Writer get access to all current and past posts, plus the occasional goody. (Zines, books, stickers, music, additional content, etc.) And because I’ve learned I’m never satisfied with anything unless I’m giving a portion back to the community, 50% of the proceeds from your subscriber moola goes straight to InsideOUT Writers, a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing recidivism by providing services to young people navigating juvenile detention and life after incarceration.
Sean Thomas McDonnell is a contest-winning Bay Area-based author specializing in horror and dark speculative fiction. His debut collection, Beneath the Valley Oak—a fierce blend of western grit and creeping dread—sold out within 48 hours. He is a founding creator of The Midnight Vault anthology and the author of the standout story Blink Twice If You Can Hear Me. His breakout punk-noir novella, Cherry Kills, is available worldwide through Tiny Worlds Publishing.
That's a kick ass cover STM.