June 2026.
Happy Pride Month, Little Ghosts!
Surprising no one who regularly tunes in to the Little Ghosts Newsletter… we have a lot going on here at the shop and offsite! At the time of writing this, I am helping vendors load in to our LGBTQA+ Artists’ Marketplace Day 2: The First One in Our New Workshop Space! We are still fine-tuning in, but it was done enough and pretty enough to have pals come sell their wares in there. We love to see it!
Toronto pals can catch us alongside other local small presses and booksellers at Books & Brews: Queer Edition! Located at Left Field Brewery in Toronto’s East End (Leslieville), everyone is bringing a big table of Queer Lit. Everything from Horror, Sci-Fi, Non-fiction, and YA… so no matter what you are looking to treat yourself to as a summer read, you are sure to find something for your list. LF has a ton of amazing locally brewed beers, sours, and seltzers & nonalcoholic offerings, too. Come with pals, browse the stacks, and hang out in a great space. Curating these PopUps is such a treat!
.Aaaaand… THIS IS NOT A DRILL! Phi has a book coming out with Little Ghosts Press!
RSVP to the launch here. Pre-Order the book here.
JULY EVENTS… with Phi!
Summer is.. ALSO BUSY!!
Friday, July 3rd, 6-8pm… WORK IN PROGRESS NIGHT!
Are you a Local Author? Come by and share your latest and spookiest with a room of writers and supportive folks. Read your own or summon a reader from the room if you’re feeling shy and receive valuable constructive criticism before your work gets sent out into the publishing wilds.
All attendees MUST bring work to read! It only works if we are all vulnerable- but don’t be scared. Your bookshop Dads are here and believe in you.
WORK IN PROGRESS NIGHT now has a $5 reservation fee. This $5 can be used for a beverage or taken off a book purchase night of! However, in the event of a no-show, fees will not be refunded. Event starts at 6pm, and we will stop seating attendees at 6:15. Please be respectful of our editor and our fellow writers.
Saturday, July 4th, ???
We’re at TERRORONTO @ the Tranzac Club in Toronto! Join us alongside a TON of amazing local vendors for what is like the Punk Rock Flea of Toronto.. BUT ALL HORROR.
Saturday, July 4th, 1-3pm… Signing: “A Dash of Demon” by J-F Dubeau
Miriam DuFour is at the end of her rope.
Kicked out of cooking school and living in her ex-boyfriend’s apartment, nothing in her life seems to be going right. That is until she inherits the estate of her dead great-grandaunt: a little café in the forgotten town of Achewillow.
Intent on selling the business and using the money to make a fresh start, Miriam visits Achewillow and discovers that the village sits firmly on the border between Vermont and Quebec. But that isn’t remotely the strangest thing about the place. There’s a cloud worshipping cult, a widow with a ghost husband, immortal raccoons, and something killing young women in the alleys.
As Miriam juggles demons, coffee, witchcraft, and baking, the town conspires to make her stay. Is it social pressure, financial hardship, or a family history that she hasn’t even begun to unravel? Only one thing seems certain: the answers to her questions are buried in the recipe books, mixing bowls, and coffee cups of the Achewillow café.
Friday, July 10th, 5-7pm… Signing: “The Haunting of Nicolas Cage” by Marco Mannone
Most men buy a sports car or get a tattoo during their midlife crisis –– Nicolas Cage bought the most haunted house in New Orleans. On the verge of bankruptcy, Nic sequesters himself inside the infamous LaLaurie Mansion in an effort to reinvent himself as a writer. But inspiration doesn’t come easy, and he soon finds himself getting more than he bargained for when his home’s dark past reaches into the present to claim his soul. Filled with macabre humor and existential terror, The Haunting of Nicolas Cage is an almost-true story about a man coming to terms with his fame and his fear.
Saturday, July 11th, 1-3pm… Signing: “The Unfinished Quest (& Other Horror Comics!)” by Robert Iveniuk and Lucas Nemeth
“The Unfinished Quest” is a dark fantasy comic set in the world of a broken unfinished videogame. Our heroes trek to find a seemingly all-knowing Sorcerer through a strange land in hopes to shine a bit of light on the mysteries on the corruption of their world, and maybe even find some meaning of their existence.
Plus some bonus horror comics from Robert and horror art from Lucas!
Sunday, July 12th, 1-3pm… Signing: “Slasher Summer” by E.L. Chen
In this campy love letter to the slasher films of the 1980s, seven friends reunite for a weekend of fun—only to be hunted down by a cold-blooded killer. But the real horror is not being able to escape who you were in high school...
The sleepy town of Cedar Lake Falls is best known as the shooting location of the campy ’80s horror flick Slasher. In high school, preppy Patrick, jock Jason, cheerleader Tiffany, stoner Freddy, goth Jennifer, and nerdy Michael had played the cast of Slasher during midnight showings, with virginal Carrie as the Final Girl, of course.
Years later, the friends reunite at the remote cabin where Slasher was filmed. They’ve changed since high school—Patrick came out, Mikey bulked up, and, well, Freddy’s still stoned—and they’re looking forward to a weekend to catch up. But when night falls, and the eponymous masked killer is spotted, the reunion takes a deadly turn. The friends discover their tires deflated and the phone line disconnected, and soon they’re being stalked by a mysterious assailant. Is someone trying to make their Slasher experience as authentic as possible?
One thing is for sure. Before the night is over, they each will have to take on the role they thought they’d left behind.
Friday, July 24th, 6-8pm… Little Ghosts Book Club Presents: “This Book is Full of Spiders” by Jason Pargin
WARNING: You may have a huge, invisible spider living in your skull. THIS IS NOT A METAPHOR.
You will dismiss this as ridiculous fear-mongering. Dismissing things as ridiculous fear-mongering is, in fact, the first symptom of parasitic spider infection -- the creature secretes a chemical into the brain to stimulate skepticism, in order to prevent you from seeking a cure. That’s just as well, since the “cure” involves learning what a chainsaw tastes like.
You can’t feel the spider, because it controls your nerve endings. You can’t see it, because it decides what you see. You won’t even feel it when it breeds. And it will breed. So what happens when your family, friends and neighbors get mind-controlling skull spiders? We’re all about to find out.
Just stay calm, and remember that telling you about the spider situation is not the same as having caused it. I’m just the messenger. Even if I did sort of cause it.
Either way, I won’t hold it against you if you’re upset. I know that’s just the spider talking.
Friday, July 31st, 6-8pm… QUEER FEARS! A Little Gay Book Club Presents: “Dirty Heads” by Aaron Dries
The story of a boy who dreamed of becoming a man… But dreamed up a monster instead.
You’re on the run. Marked. Don’t think about the kid you used to be when you’re homeless and dumpster-diving in the rain. Just eat whatever you find to keep your engine full. Because the shadow with too many teeth wants you tired.
You’re easier to catch when you’re tired.
It has hunted you since the summer of 1994, back when we confessed who we were through mixtapes. When every movie at the video store had dirty heads. You were thirteen and thought you knew who you were. Only the shadow with too many teeth knew you better. It still does. And it won’t stop. Not until you come home.
Back to where it all began.
KRISTIN’S KOZY CORNER…
Farewell, Union Station!
It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later: that’s how I’m looking at our approaching Union Station departure. While our time at Union is coming to an end, hopefully we’ll see some of you at LG OG on Dundas, and I’ll likely stop by to say hi to all the lovely people I’ve come to know.
What a time though! Four and half months have, for the most part, flown by in a haze of customers, questions, more questions, boxes of books, rideshares with boxes, streetcar/subway trips with boxes, early mornings, working on days off, and even more questions. While a lot of those questions have been for directions, or asking for newspapers (or stamps, notebooks - Union folk consider a newsstand!), most of them have been about books. The best part of that is how it usually begins, and that’s almost always with a general level of excitement over the mere existence of a bookstore in Union Station. People are SO EXCITED when they see a bookstore! All ages, all backgrounds, all walks of life - just pure joy at knowing there are books nearby. I’ve worked in and around books for a pretty long time, and I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve been told that “no one reads anymore”, or “physical books are dead, everything’s digital now” - those people are what I like to call, mistaken. Don’t get me wrong, we’re not printing money as an indie bookstore, but I can tell you that people love books, they love physical books, they love supporting an indie and they are so excited to talk with those that love them too. Even though many did not buy books (because horror and/or romance aren’t there thing), people still came in to say hi, to say they hope we’re doing well, to talk about how important bookstores are and they wish us continued success. This happens literally every day - books will never die.
Pros of spending most of my time at Union Station these last months:
Getting to introduce people to Little Ghosts Books. “There’s a horror bookstore in Toronto? That’s so cool!”. And then watching people see books and authors that they don’t see anywhere else; the same thing happens at our permanent location, but it’s always a joy to surprise someone in such a positive way. But really just again, seeing the excitement upon the discovery of our existence is pretty damn great.
Having regulars! Our pop-up regulars have been a huge part of my enjoyment each and every week - thank you so much for coming back over and over, it has been just wonderful getting to know you. I hope you’ll come visit us at our store!
Every time someone said that they don’t read horror, but still let me recommend books for them to try, because like most genre fiction there are so many degrees and types of horror. I will continue to maintain that there’s a horror book for everyone. And the best part of that is whenever they came back to either get another book, or just to tell me that they enjoyed what I suggested - they may not read another horror book any time soon, but they tried something different and liked it.
The staff at all the other stores on our floor that I got to know; such a lovely group of people and a really welcoming community. I will miss them quite a lot.
In addition to just the pure joy of talking about books all day, it’s the response to what we carry, to what we decided to put on the shelves at the pop-up - so many folk who just want to read good, weird, out there horror. And queer, DEFINITELY queer; which is the best. And the pop-up is currently FULL of all kinds of wonderful, queer horror - some classics, some new and everything in between. It’s been so much fun ordering even more queer horror to celebrate Pride Month and having great conversations - it is the best thing ever.
Cons of spending most of my time at Union Station these last months:
Not being home with my Little Ghosts family. Missing all the things that make working at our store so great, not seeing the people I’ve spent the last three years with every week, not being in our beautiful store - isolation is hard; even amidst the traffic and the lovely folk I’ve interacted with these months at Union Station, it isn’t the same and it’s been harder than I’ve likely admitted. It’s weird to both be part of something, while being apart from it.
Reading, or lack thereof. I just haven’t been able to read as much as I usually do, the pop-up keeps me very busy and well, sleep or chores often win.
Not knowing what it’s like outside; our permanent store has big, beautiful windows that look out on the world, plus our patio - you get to watch the world go by and it’s pretty great. At Union we are unfortunately not as lucky, and it’s weird to always be underground. I will not miss being one of the mole people.
As a lifelong night owl, 5:30 am alarms are the worst.
Books! I have done some reading, and am still reading several books, plus the growing pile (and my non horror reads) at home and at the store. But here are some highlights:
Muneca by Cynthia Gomez: This book, oh my gods this book. I missed subway stops (more than once) because of this book. Sapphic, witchy, the dangers of unseen forces, the wretched things the rich do, the love story! This book is wonderful and you should read it.
Nightjars by Michael Wehunt: The upcoming (September) novel by the author of ‘The October Film Haunt’ (which as you all know I LOVE). A man begins receiving creepy photos of himself and his father when he was a kid; but these aren’t things he remembers, or does he? Was his dad a murderer, is he? As the layers get peeled back and more is revealed this book gets more unsettling and - though I’m not finished yet - I will not read it at night.
A Reckless Indulgence by Aveda Vice: A siren and a half dragon/half human pirate, in a sort of enemies to lovers, high seas, sexy adventure? Yes please. A bit lighter than some of Aveda’s other books, but full marks for a spicy good time.
Next up:
The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer: The latest from the author of “We Used To Live Here”, is a perfect ‘the things we do for money’ story. The main character Macy, needs money so she takes a weird job that she found posted on Craigslist (honestly this can only end poorly), in a secluded house where she has to perform a series of strange rituals in order to keep an incomprehensible evil at bay.
Our Cut of Salt by Deena Helm: This comes out in September but I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this Palestinian horror novel, about three generations of women attempting to stop the haunting of their ancestral home, before the past drowns them all. Everything I’ve read about this is amazing and anyone I’ve talked to about it, loves it - can’t wait to get into it.
Not to mention the long list of queer horror that I just giddily look at every day; some I’ve read but want to reread, some I haven’t gotten to yet (waves at The Salvage by Anbara Salam in particular) - and I look forward to sharing what I got up and got into in next month’s newsletter. As well as what it’s like to be back with your family after such a long time away. Happy Pride everyone! I hope you get to celebrate in whatever way brings you all the queer joy! Love you!
ON WRITING… with Jay!
An Ode to Heavy Metal.
“I wouldn’t mind seeing, Sheep Detective.”
“…what?”
“Sheep Detective, The movie about sheep…detectives? Their Hugh Jackman is murdered and then-“
“I heard you. I just wasn’t ready for that sentence.”
“I have a soft spot for talking Farm animal movies.”
*LONG BLINK*
“They’re born into a kafeseque dystopia hellscape, and, almost immediately, their cruel, limited life is scheduled for execution only to appease faceless wealth hordersin feeding the masses they exploit! They literally have to defy a highly sophisticated, oppressive force through sheer innovation and collaboration.”
“Okay…we can watch Sheep Detective.”
“Hooray.”
This totally real and in no way exaggerated conversation leads us to today’s topic. Metal: Originally a subgenre of rock with a dash of blues, Heavy Metal emerged in the late 60s with bands like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. The aesthetic has taken on a life of its own, inspiring a slew of subgenres, such as quest metal, doom metal, black metal, death metal, glam metal, power metal, symphonic metal, nu metal, and three more that just sprouted up as you were reading this sentence. Along with music, Heavy Metal magazine helped proliferate the style with illustrated stories depicting dystopian wastelands, cyberpunk megacities, and barbaric fantasylands. Weapons were outrageous, vixens were just as voluptuous as they were dangerous, and villains were impossible galactic threats.
But that’s a wide spectrum. How does one genre have room for Motley Crue and Gwar? And what’s going on with the narratives? Other than hulking sensationalism, there aren’t really any commonalities. Well, not on the surface, but the subtext is an entirely different beast. While Heavy Metal’s visual and auditory spectrum covers… well, everything, its core principles rest on a very precise and fortified bedrock. While the images and lyrics regale indomitable adversaries and interminable challenges, the Heavy Metal philosophy is an unapologetic “fuck you” to those impossible odds.
After my father died, I had to take care of his estate and get my health-compromised mother into an assisted living facility. It seemed impossible. And after the funeral, I had to drop Chris off at the airport to go back to our home while I got my parents’ affairs in order. That drive back to my minus-one-parent’s house was grueling. I was homesick beyond reason, had no idea what I was doing, and had to see off the love of my life. I was in my Dad’s car at the time, and he didn’t have Bluetooth, but he did have satellite radio. I knew right where to go. Their metal stations. While most music genres’ core themes range from “but I really want to have sex with you” and “I miss having sex with you,” Metal’s only tenet is “everything sucks, succeed out of spite!” It was exactly what I needed.
Metal does not patronize its audience. It looks you dead in the eye and declares the odds are against you. But the odds are against all of us. That message transcends a medium and establishes an ideology that does not discriminate (except for black metal, what the fuck guys?). But despite war-ravaged fantasy lands and corporate cyber-futures, the fight for justice rages on to distorted riffs and grinding chords. And that’s why Babe remaining kind through the nightmare that is his existence is the most metal thing I’ve ever seen.
Write on, weary travellers.
A POEM… from phi!
Reasons to Keep Breathing
i. to see the moon again;
to let it remind me that no day
is ever the same as the one before;
Something, however small, will
always change.
ii. the tulips in front of my childhood home
are my favourite part of Spring.
the snow melts, and before anything else
begins to bloom,
the tulips stand tall and bright,
coloured full of life, asserting,
We are here.
it’s almost April.
I will see them soon.
iii. unexpected phone calls from friends.
the stories.
the laughter.
the spontaneity of it all.
the urgency of information needing to be pass along
right now and in person.
iv. to hear my cat chirp when I come home from work.
the way she wraps her tail around my leg
as if we are holding hands.
To hear him Yell.
Yes, Little One, I missed you, too !
Tell me more about your day.
v. every year, for Christmas, I am gifted with at least one bag of
pistachio nuts.
this is the only time of year that I get to eat them
and they are my favourite snack.
vi. to dance in the rain.
my favorite song
is the anticipation;
and the Thundering Chorus !!
and the Reckoning !
vii. to wear my favourite outfit.
the one that matches my eyes,
and the feather-down grass,
and the moss on friendly tree stumps.
It is a beautiful feeling
and I want to remember what beautiful feels like.
viii. it hurts, it hurts, it hurts,
but I want to know what hurt feels like
I want to know what it feels like
when my chest stops burning.
ix. to write this poem.
x. to keep breathing.
Retail Therapy:
xvii. Hey, Jealousy.
Contrary to the opinion of my husband, my coworkers, my friends, I am never doing enough. I want to ride in all directions at once. I want to see and do everything there is. I want to curate everything. I want to change the world.
I get struck with delicious envy when I see another shop, restaurant, artist, idea, event crop up- an enlivening tinge of “Ohhhh.. I should have thought of that.” Genuinely, I am a man with enormous compersion. I root for the success of everyone around me, I take joy in their joy, I fight alongside them when they need support for a battle that is bigger than they can take on alone. But I just.. want to be part of everything. It is a nuisance to me, the 24hr clock, the limitations of location, the terrible mortal coil and need to do things like eat and sleep. How rude I cannot be everywhere doing everything all at once. I am certain it is not the first time even in this newsletter series that I have said that when human cloning is developed I will be first in line and damn the consequences. Three more of me, please. Imagine all we could accomplish.
This year has already tested the limits of what we can take on, between the Union PopUp, our events calendar, our publishing schedule, the upcoming Little Ghosts Fest, and a few irons still in the fire TBA. I often felt stretched beyond my means, crabby, had burnout, etc. Still, when presented with opportunities to do some fun community building with our authors (published and yet to be) and new indie businesses… I rode! We enjoyed WIP IT OUT: Work in Progress Public Reading on the patio at Little Ghosts, and our Monster Smut reading night in Ottawa at the brand new Evermore Books.
Now that our bigger PopUp is coming to a close, I can get back to the scrambling around, the throwing down tables at small DIY Punk festivals, promoting our publications and indie horror alongside our in-house designed merch. I missed meeting new people in new towns, connecting with artists and zinesters, finding new ways to collaborate with creative people and lift them up. I feel the gulp of fresh air and chaotic energy coming, and I am filled with new life and relief.
On the subject of collaboration, we have begun testing events in the new Workshop space… and… it is looking good, y’all. We are about to put in some murphy tables, allowing for three stations of 4 each (5 if we get squishy). Then the spot will be available for YOU to run your thing during shop hours in a lovely semi-private spot. Writers workshops, zinemaking, crafting, indie film screenings… the list goes on. Keep your eyes peeled on our Events listing as it is about to get even more unhinged.
On a different topic (but one that, again, if you read this piece regularly you know is deep in my heart) I am helping to curate a Lost Landmarks Gallery Show down the street from Little Ghosts. I have been doing some small business advocacy work with the Better Way Alliance and this is culminating in an open call for paintings, prints, and sculptures of beloved third spaces and businesses we’ve lost over the years (usually due to the disproportional rise in commercial rent). I can’t wait to showcase spaces the community has loved- and have an important conversation about the culture we lose when we allow big companies to acquire large swaths of our storefront real estate. If you’re local, come to the show! If you’re elsewhere in Canada… let me know if you think there would be a gallery near you hosting something like this. It’s not just a Toronto issue. The affordability crisis is everywhere. I, of course, painted Honest Ed’s for the call graphic.
Also, don’t forget that we’re gearing up for our second LITTLE GHOSTS’ FEST!
This is our annual love letter to everything that makes Little Ghosts and the Horror Genre so special. Two days of vendors, panels, readings, and ending in a short horror film festival. Hosted Sept. 26 & 27th at Toronto’s Tranzac Club so SAVE THE DATE!
Vendors can still apply here.
Filmmakers can submit short films here.
Poster, panel schedule, and vendor list coming your way in the July Newsletter.