Delilah S. Dawson
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delilahsdawson.bsky.social
Delilah S. Dawson
@delilahsdawson.bsky.social
17K followers 950 following 3.6K posts
NYT-bestseller, Stoker and Thriller award finalist, writer of horror, fantasy, YA, MG, romance, and Star Wars. Cowriter of the Tales of Pell. Also comics. Olympic lifter. She/her. aka Lila Bowen & Isla Jewell.
Links: https://linktr.ee/delilahsdawson
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delilahsdawson.bsky.social
Need a quick gift that will make you look very suave, cool, and intelligent? How about a book + a pair of novelty socks?
This is just a graphic that says GIVE A DELILAH BOOK TO SOMEONE COOL: ADULT HORROR EDITION: A HOLIDAY GIFT-GIVING GUIDE but I did use the American Horror Story font for some of it so it has a slightly creepy feel in juxtaposition to the holiday colors and holly and shit. House of Idyll is perfect for Musicians and Horror fans and could be paired with socks featuring unicorns or guitars or blood, your choice. Bloom is basically Hannibal but cottagecore girls and would pair well with socks featuring flowers, skulls, or meat. Guillotine is perfect for people who are mad at capitalism and would like to see billionaires punished in creative ways and would pair well with socks featuring roses, pearls, or orcas.
December 18, 2025 at 2:54 PM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
I get that to many people, the Cedar Waxwing is a normal bird, but I have never seen one here in Georgia before, which is why it is a BIG DEAL that I looked out my office window this morning and saw AN ENTIRE MIGRATORY FLOCK. #bucketlistbird
A Cedar Waxwing sits on a branch against an empty white sky, contemplating his crimes.
December 18, 2025 at 2:40 AM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
Please think of Books & Bewitchment when:
* you're making Most Anticipated lists for 2026
* you're preordering books from your favorite bookstore
* you're adding fun things on Goodreads
* you're planning your Book Club picks for next February
* you're craving boiled pnuts or chocolate mousse
Books and Bewitchment, which is in shades of mauve with touches of purple and blue, is surrounded by a parrot, a hammer, a mountain, a witch hat, a stack of books, and a VHS cassette for reasons that will require a thorough read on your part.
December 17, 2025 at 1:36 PM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
Really enjoying this serendipitous juxtaposition on my Insta feed.
Top: an image of a taxidermy squirrel on a stripper pole Bottom: A drawing of a raccoon that says CRITTERS ARE SACRED
December 10, 2025 at 10:53 PM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
Announcing:
The Books & Bewitchment Book Tour!
Coming to you next February with:
* cozy witch Romance
* small-town shenanigans in the mountains of north Georgia
* a parrot familiar with an attitude
* a hot handyman who can fix ANYTHING and even make chocolate mousse
Hope to see you there!
The Books & Bewitchment tour will be in Atlanta at All the Tropes on 2/3, Birmingham at Thank You Books on 3/4, Nashville, TN at B&N Cool Springs on 2/5, and Lexington, KY at Joseph-Beth on 2/6. More dates on slide 2. Tour dates continued: in Knoxville, Tn at Good Girl Books on 2/7, in Greenville, SC at M. Judson on 2/9, and at Malaprop's in Asheville, NC on 2/10.
December 10, 2025 at 6:21 PM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
We have a cheap little artificial Christmas tree decorated only with handmade cryptid ornaments and ghosts. The topper is a plush Nessie.
December 10, 2025 at 2:13 AM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
If you stayed with me through all that, please enjoy this pic of my cat Dwight beside the Cryptid Tree being cozy and happy without a single thought in his empty little head.
A tuxedo cat curls in a circle, showing flawless pink toe beans and luxuriant white whiskers. He looks so cozy and soft that you want to bury your face in his belly, which I did right after this pic was taken.
December 10, 2025 at 1:38 AM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
welp the cat's outta the bag
December 9, 2025 at 2:05 PM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
well this is very mysterious what could it mean ho hum
this is a graphic showing a BLURRED OUT book cover for Books & Bewitchment with some little map thingies and a car and some mountains and a book and OH BOY you will never, ever guess why, not in a hundred thousand years.
December 9, 2025 at 1:55 PM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
The e-book of BLOOM is on sale for $4.99 in the US, and the second slide would like to seduce you with succulent reasons to read it. All inks can be found here: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/736002...
Bloom, a spring/summer book, sits on a bed of snow surrounded by bokeh lights. She's probably freezing her cute tushy off, but she needs you to know that she is on sale right now. 4 blurbs. 5 emojis. I'm very sleepy. But just imagine Josh Malerman and Rachel Harrison saying really nice things about Bloom.
December 4, 2025 at 4:51 AM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
If you've got a middle grade Horror lover in your life, I've got a gruesome threesome of books that would make an impressive gift! RIDE OR DIE, CAMP SCARE, and MINE are available wherever books are sold, in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook!
RIDE OR DIE, CAMP SCARE, and MINE by Delilah S. Dawson are also pictured against a snowy winter backdrop, each wearing a festive bow. There's a giant cat in there, too, but don't worry about the giant cat. It's probably fine. Definitely not Godzilla-related.
November 24, 2025 at 5:48 PM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
Are you mad at billionaires? Me, too. That's why I wrote this book about punishing them in inventive ways.
Guess why it's called Guillotine.
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/763731...
Against a backdrop of dollar bills, the book Guillotine sits demurely opposite a quote from the NYT about Elon Musk being a trillionaire. It makes me so mad my hair hurts. Reading Guillotine will be very cathartic if you feel the same way. There is an audiobook, too.
November 20, 2025 at 2:28 PM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
Just a reminder that:
1. House of Idyll is a rock star Horror book
🎸
2. It has lyrics and liner notes, plus this banger of a song
🦄
3. A signed special edition is available from Books-A-Million in the US and @forbiddenplanet.bsky.social in the UK
November 19, 2025 at 8:58 PM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
Welp
Delilah has badly edited the cover of Bloom to call it Blossom. The head is no longer flayed, and there is no mention of violence or horror whatsoever. It's honestly kinda sick.
November 19, 2025 at 2:14 PM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
If you're thinking about award nominations or end-of-year lists, I hope you'll think of my 2025 releases. It was a scary year for me in more ways than one.
This subpar graphic features House of Idyll, Ride or Die, and Dungeons & Dragons Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd because they are all good books, Brent, and it would be cool if they were nominated for awards or end of year lists or even put on your holiday gift list.
November 19, 2025 at 1:53 PM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
Since Bluesky doesn't give me enough characters to truly express the depth of my hatred of the Soulless, Climate-Eating Plagiarism Machine:
This is a screenshot that reads: I understand that the people lobbing my inbox with AI slop will never see this, but I want to shout it for the people in the back: In regards to the creative life and my career and art, I hate AI with every fiber of my being. I will never use it or allow it to be used in my books. I make sure it's in my contracts. When asked to blurb books, I make sure it wasn't used for the cover. I shut it off in Microsoft Word and in my emails. I HATE AI. So if you try to sell me an AI product, I hate you. :) (Because Bluesky doesn't allow enough characters to absorb my true hatred of AI. Ptoo, ptoo, I spit on it the Soulless Plagiarism Machine.)
November 18, 2025 at 1:54 PM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
Here's the official Isla Jewell signature. Soon I'll tell you how to get one! And the US version, so you'll imprint on them both like a baby zebra.
The UK version of Books & Bewitchment is pictured along with a bookplate featuring a curly cursive signature in pink. The book is in cream with three shelves containing books, candles, cups, plants, and cauldrons. One of the books is Bloom, which makes me really happy. This is the US version of Books & Bewitchment, which is in shades of pink and mauve with little purple silhouettes of a woman and a man and swirling books, flowers, crystals, and a single parrot. The parrot is really important.
November 17, 2025 at 10:18 PM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
Just a reminder that:
1. I am Isla Jewell!
2. This beauty is out 2/3/2026!
3. She's up on NetGalley now!
4. If you'd like a preview of the Arcadia Falls world, check out my novella The Bartender and the Beast in the Canines & Cocktails novella from @hornedlarkpress.com.
This flowery graphic in lavender and turquoise highlights a few delectable facts about Books & Bewitchment, which are: Witchy bookseller, parrot familiar, competency porn, southern romcom, and cozy mountain town. Also, there is a murderous gang of turkeys, because that's what happens in the mountains.
November 17, 2025 at 6:22 PM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
Fun fact: This gorgeous, SIGNED IN BLOOD* special limited edition of House of Idyll can be found at Books-a-Million in the US and Forbidden Planet in the UK. Proof:
US: www.booksamillion.com/p/House-Idyl...
UK: forbiddenplanet.com/465305-house...
*yes ok fine it's red Sharpie WHATEVER
House of Idyll looks ESPECIALLY DASHING with a little green sticker showing that it is autographed. It kinda looks like the unicorn is pooping the sticker, but IT IS NOT. Everybody knows that unicorns don't poop. They vomit rainbows.
November 11, 2025 at 9:24 PM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
The biggest lessons I learned about tabling at cons:
* bring more books than you think you need (I brought 68 and sold out in 2 days; wish I'd brought 100!)
* have signage that starts conversations
* have freebies to get people closer
* have pitches ready
* make friends with your booth neighbors
Delilah's booth has stacks of books with shelf talkers and prices, plus a sign admitting she's an introvert but is eager to talk about Star Wars, books, Horror, Marvel, and gluten free cake. It worked!
November 10, 2025 at 3:03 PM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
Well, @twincitiescon.bsky.social was a delight! I sold out of books this morning before the con opened. Eternally grateful to @benpenrod.bsky.social and @lanpitts.bsky.social for the invite, to @johnjacksonmiller.bsky.social for all the help, and to my lovely boothmates, @btaworkshop.bsky.social.
Delilah, wearing a Vi Moradi sweater from Elhoffer Designs, poses with Chopper and Hera from Star Wars Rebels. CHOPPER MADE MUSCLES FOR ME, HE IS SO CUTE, I LOVE THEM BOTH SO MUCH.
November 9, 2025 at 11:30 PM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
Twin Cities Con day 2 was a blast! My goal tomorrow is to find homes for the last 2 copies of The Violence and the last two Sad Porg bookmarks because I am almost sold out (!?!). Everyone has been so kind. And my sign resulted in the gift of DELICIOUS gluten free cake from Aaron and Phoenix! <23
Delilah is so happy she's about to vibrate out of her body thanks to the gift of truly amazing gluten free cake from Aaron and Phoenix. I really can't stress enough how much Delilah loves cake. I arrived with stacks of 12 different books, and now I'm down to my last two copies of The Violence. This was the dire view this afternoon. I've been handing out Sad Porg bookmarks just so I'll have something to do. I really wish I'd brought more books! AAAAAARRRRGH NO WHY.
November 9, 2025 at 4:46 AM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
The post reads: There are no rabbits On the trampoline No squirrels skydiving On the air conditioner The cat is not holding a meeting In a dapper little suit But there’s a fat pit bull at the bus stop And a baby with chubby feet in a stroller And the air smells like fall Real life is happening all around you And it is more beautiful than garbage Vomited up by a machine that eats water and jobs I am begging you to unhook your brain And go eat ice cream on a bench Life is too short To stare at a small screen That turns your dreams into pretty pictures And your brain into mush.
November 8, 2025 at 2:27 PM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
For those kind folks who answered my question about how to table, here's how my booth at Twin Cities Con ended up. Having a lovely time, and it's not nearly as difficult to table as I thought it would be! Everyone is so sweet! And if you buy a Star Wars book, you can adopt a Sad Porg bookmark.
The endcap of Delilah's booth #756 shows her three Horror novellas from Titan, fetchingly stacked atop a Bloom tablecloth with cute lil shelf talkers of which she is exceedingly proud. The left side of Delilah's booth features her stand-up banner, which was a hUGE PAIN IN THE BUTT TO TRAVEL WITH, plus her IP work. She's already sold out of Thor & Loki! And should've brought more! Dang it! The right side of Delilah's booth at Twin Cities Con features Pure of Heart, Camp Scare, and The Violence, plus a sign that says INTROVERTED BUT EAGER TO TALK ABOUT BOOKS, STAR WARS, HORROR, MARVEL, AND GLUTEN FREE CAKE. Because honesty is the best policy. Four Sad Porg bookmarks are shown, including Mocha, Greg, Julian, and Glip. If you buy a Star Wars book from Delilah, you can adopt a Sad Porg. If you don't, they will be SADDER.
November 8, 2025 at 1:45 AM
delilahsdawson.bsky.social
Contemplating whether to take this stand-up author banner to Twin Cities Con, where I'm tabling for pretty much the first time. I fixed the top, where it's not attached. I'll be selling lots of IP work in addition to horror. Yea or nay?
A tall banner touting house of Idyll, Guillotine, and Bloom is just standing there, doing nothing, not contributing to household expenses or anything. Sheesh. What a mooch.
November 6, 2025 at 1:31 PM