Success In the Press: Dirty Suburbia by Sara Hosey

“Distinguished, engrossing, splendidly entertaining.” - Kirkus Reviews

★

“Distinguished, engrossing, splendidly entertaining.” - Kirkus Reviews ★

From the Author: Dirty suburbias are working-class neighborhoods in which girls who are left to fend for themselves sometimes become predators, as well as affluent communities in which women discover that money is no protection against sexism, both their own and others'.

One young woman sets up her abusive, cheating boyfriend, hoping he'll get arrested so that she can rescue him and win him back. A teenager arranges to meet up with an older man she's met online playing video games; she brings a knife with her, just in case. A middle-aged divorcee attempts to rekindle a romantic relationship with her high school English teacher, who happens to be a former nun. A struggling academic falls in love with a Henry David Thoreau impersonator, and a well-adjusted grad student goes home for Christmas only to be repulsed by her family's casual cruelty.

Despite the ugliness and injustice, they face, as well as the failures of their families and communities, these characters often find relief in friendship and connection, and sometimes, even discover meaning and cause for hope.

““Distinguished, engrossing, splendidly entertaining.””

— Kirkus Reviews

Our Take: Gritty, intimate, and unflinching, Dirty Suburbia is a collection that lingers. These stories examine the quiet violence and fierce resilience of girls and women navigating spaces that should protect them—but often don’t. Sara Hosey writes with empathy and edge, offering a mirror to suburbia that’s cracked but deeply reflective. It’s a bold, clear-eyed exploration of power, survival, and the complicated ways women come of ageand come undone. Perfect for readers who love short fiction that’s sharp and bracingly real.

From a Reader: “The characters are devastating and wonderful and so familiar. […] The writing is mesmerizing, poetic, and gritty. It’s literary without ever being boring. Every story in this collection stomped on my heart and then picked it up and handed it back to me.”

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Success In the Press: Hate Follow by Erin Quinn-Kong

2022 Women’s Fiction Writers Association Rising Star Awards Finalist ★ 2021 Writers League of Texas Manuscript Contest Finalist

★

2022 Women’s Fiction Writers Association Rising Star Awards Finalist ★ 2021 Writers League of Texas Manuscript Contest Finalist ★

From the Author: Influencer Whitney Golden has it all: beautiful, photogenic children, a handsome new boyfriend, a gorgeous house, and designer clothes and beauty products that arrive on her doorstep every day. After spending years building her brand as a widowed mother of four (including twins!) to over a million followers, the thirty-seven-year-old is at the peak of her career.

It all comes to a screeching halt when Mia, her teenaged daughter, announces she’s tired of the social media life. She wants nothing more to do with her mother’s online brand—and demands that not just she, but her siblings and their deceased father be removed from Whitney’s Instagram, blog, and just about everywhere else on the internet.

When Whitney doesn’t agree, Mia does the unthinkable: She sues her mother. What started as a family spat turns into a monumental case about child privacy, individual agency, and modern parenting that shatters Mia and Whitney’s relationship and wreaks havoc on both their lives. As the case ignites a media firestorm and unrelenting online bashing from a Greek chorus of internet snarkers, Whitney has to decide whether she’s willing to risk everything she’s built to win back her daughter.

““...a sharp and satirical novel that explores the complexities of social media, online personas and real-world relationships, as a woman navigates the consequences of a viral feud and the blurred lines between public and private lives.””

— The New York Post

Our Take: A sharp, timely novel about the blurred lines between family and followers, Hate Follow explores the dark side of influencer culture with wit, heart, and just the right amount of chaos. At the center is a mother-daughter conflict that spirals into a legal and emotional storm, raising big questions about privacy, parenting, and identity in the digital age. This one’s for readers who love drama with depth—especially when it unfolds under a ring light.

From a Reader:

“Erin Quinn-Kong reminds us there are two sides to every story with this powerful, vivid, and relatable page-turner that's nearly impossible to put down.”

Bragging Rights:

2021 Writers League of Texas Manuscript Contest Finalist

2022 Women’s Fiction Writers Association Rising Star Awards Finalist

Excellent review from the New York Post!

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