Books / Something Borrowed, Something Blood-Soaked


Winner of the Indie Horror Book Award for Debut Collection
A young woman's fears regarding the gruesome photos appearing on her cell phone prove justified in a ghastly and unexpected way. A chainsaw-wielding Evil Dead fan defends herself against a trio of undead intruders. A bride-to-be comes to wish that the door between the physical and spiritual worlds had stayed shut on All Hallows' Eve. A lone passenger on a midnight train finds that the engineer has rerouted them toward a past she'd prefer to forget. A mother abandons a life she no longer recognizes as her own to walk up a mysterious staircase in the woods.
In her debut collection, Christa Carmen combines horror, charm, humor, and social critique to shape thirteen haunting, harrowing narratives of women struggling with both otherworldly and real-world problems. From grief, substance abuse, and mental health disorders, to a post-apocalyptic exodus, a seemingly sinister babysitter with unusual motivations, and a group of pesky ex-boyfriends who won't stay dead, Something Borrowed, Something Blood-Soaked is a compelling exploration of horrors both supernatural and psychological, and an undeniable affirmation of Carmen's flair for short fiction.
Available now from Amazon, Audible, Barnes & Noble, and Unnerving.
Purchase a Signed Edition
You can also purchase a signed edition of Something Borrowed, Something Blood-Soaked for $18 (plus $4.15 shipping and handling) using the Buy Now option below.
Events
Oct 10, 2025
Time: 5-7pm
Barnes & Noble Smithfield
John Christa Carmen & Thomas D’Agostino in conversation as they discuss "How to Fake a Haunting".
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Time: 5-7pm
Barnes & Noble Smithfield
John Christa Carmen & Thomas D’Agostino in conversation as they discuss "How to Fake a Haunting".
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Oct 11, 2025
Time: 3-4pm
Rhode Island Reading Festival
Rhode Island Reading Festival at Providence Public Library, 150 Empire St, Providence, RI 02903, hosted by Symposium Books.
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Time: 3-4pm
Rhode Island Reading Festival
Rhode Island Reading Festival at Providence Public Library, 150 Empire St, Providence, RI 02903, hosted by Symposium Books.
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Oct 12, 2025
Time: 1-3 pm
Q&A and Book Signing
Christa Carmen will be at Ink Fish to answer questions and sign copies of How to Fake a Haunting.
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Time: 1-3 pm
Q&A and Book Signing
Christa Carmen will be at Ink Fish to answer questions and sign copies of How to Fake a Haunting.
More
Anthology Showcase
"Blood of My Blood"
The Rack: Stories Inspired by Vintage Horror Paperbacks
Greymore Publishing
Go ahead...spin THE RACK, if you dare. But don't say we didn't warn you.
Featuring stories by: Christa Carmen, Max Booth III, Clay McLeod Chapman, Richard Chizmar, Johnny Compton, Kristin Dearborn, Philip Fracassi, Laurel Hightower, Larry Hinkle, Stephen King, Gwendolyn Kiste, Ronald Malfi, Bridgett Nelson, Candace Nola, Errick Nunnally, Cynthia Pelayo, Rebecca Rowland, Jeff Strand, Steve Van Samson, & Mercedes Yardley.
Read More
The Rack: Stories Inspired by Vintage Horror Paperbacks
Greymore Publishing
Go ahead...spin THE RACK, if you dare. But don't say we didn't warn you.
Featuring stories by: Christa Carmen, Max Booth III, Clay McLeod Chapman, Richard Chizmar, Johnny Compton, Kristin Dearborn, Philip Fracassi, Laurel Hightower, Larry Hinkle, Stephen King, Gwendolyn Kiste, Ronald Malfi, Bridgett Nelson, Candace Nola, Errick Nunnally, Cynthia Pelayo, Rebecca Rowland, Jeff Strand, Steve Van Samson, & Mercedes Yardley.
Read More