I've been bad.

So I didn't exactly post with the frequency that I wanted to, but hey, it's a new year.

I have so many new things to share, and some things I cannot share just yet 👀

I’m at the cusp of releasing another YA. A dark fantasy that’s more spooky, Southern Gothic, and atmospheric than true horror. When I say cusp, I mean I’m only 32 days from releasing my sophomore book, THESE VENGEFUL WISHES!

Here’s a quick blurb: A vengeful female spirit with a thirst for justice ignites a teen girl’s rage in this new YA horror, perfect for fans of She Is a Haunting and House of Hollow.
And I woke up this morning to find a cute little orange banner waiting for me on Amazon.

Yes, the cover is actually that stunning. The Zando design team, designer Jenna Stempel-Lobell, and supremely talented artist Cesar St. Martin smashed it out of the park!

TVW also made this incredible list on Goodreads which has been an author goal of mine since I first started writing: Readers’ Most Anticipated Horror Novels for 2025 AND Nerd Daily’s 72 Of The Most Anticipated YA Books Of 2025

I’ve been seeing so many 2025 roundups on Instagram since the start of the new year with my book on it, and I can’t express how grateful I am or how truly full my heart feels.

Sorry to get sappy, it’s just that this writing gig is A LOT harder than I anticipated. Since I debuted with A Tall Dark Trouble, I’ve been slapped with the reality that as beautiful as it is to have accomplished this lifelong dream, publishing is a business at its core, and that comes with its pitfalls. Whenever you monetize art, you’re placing your hopes and aspirations in the hands of others, and that’s never an easy thing. When I craft now, it’s not solely with my own preferences in mind. I’m crafting to appease an audience, a publisher, and myself. More people are added to the mix which makes things harder, but not without its rewards as well. I love, love, love interacting with readers. Getting fan messages has been the absolute BEST part of this. When readers show up to my events clutching my book tightly to their chest, and their eyes alight with joy, I’m transported to another plane of existence—one of happiness. Those are the moments that remind me why I do this. So as anxious as I am to release yet another one of my stories to the world, I’m also incredibly grateful and excited. Each list that I make, each post that TVW appears on, is a little shell of happiness added to the sandy collection bucket.

And now onto how you can preorder!

If you’re telling yourself, err…I don’t know if I can handle a horror. Then I’m here to give you this handy guide. If you like this kind of media, then TVW is for you!

If you’re wondering what others have said, here’s some blurbs from some pretty cool authors:

What do you get if you preorder and submit your receipt to Preorder GIFT?

You get a custom temporary tattoo and a set of character art overlay prints of La Cegua, Ceci, and Jamie.

Tattoo design is by Lisandra Valdes (MY VERY OWN TALENTED SISTER!)

Character art is by JoleneArt and Audrey Estok

Offer open while supplies last! Winners will be notified via email after February 4th.

To preorder THESE VENGEFUL WISHES before February 4th, you can go to my linktree: VVMontalban Linktree

Follow along for more exciting news to come! Thank you all for being here <3

Love, Vanessa