Debut Novel, Called from Darkness, Coming Early 2027

The news is out. Called from Darkness, my debut novel, is coming in early 2027!

I am overjoyed by the response. Since I broke the news, I have been met with so much encouragement and support. Thank you to each and every person who sent me a text, replied to an email, or commented on a social post. Your enthusiasm and shared happiness has really made my week.

Now that the dust has settled, I want to share some additional information, as well as my feelings about the whole thing.

About Called from Darkness

Called from Darkness is a paranormal horror novel with a romantic subplot. It is not Christian fiction. It is scary and gruesome in parts, but it is not profane. It is emotional and sensual, but it is not erotic. It does not turn away from discomfort—it stares it down until it yields. 

Here is the elevator pitch that got me the book deal (more on that later):

Nurse Erin Adams has spent her life begging the Divine for mercy from hellhounds, beasts sent to devour the sinful. In the isolated commune of New Covenant, survival depends on strict devotion. When her younger brother is sent into the wilderness on a scouting mission, Erin defies authority to follow. The mission ends in disaster—a hellhound kills multiple men and gravely injures her brother. Erin is blamed and exiled from the commune. Alone in the world she was raised to fear, Erin must face both the creatures of her nightmares and the beliefs that shaped her if she ever wants to save her brother, even if it means losing him in the process.

Called from Darkness has been in the works for nearly half of my life. I started this story when I was a teenager after a visit to my grandparents’ rural farm in North Dakota. We visited them a few times when I was an adolescent, and those visits were always met with feelings of curiosity and unease.

I grew up in the suburbs of a major metropolitan area. A neighbor was never more than a stone’s throw away. My grandparents lived nearly eight miles from the nearest town, and only a small handful of people lived nearby. If you stood on their street—a nameless, numbered county road made of rocks and dust—you could turn your head either way and watch it extend all the way to the horizon. There was an emptiness and loneliness about the place that unsettled me, and one night, during my last visit to North Dakota, I had a nightmare.

I was running—no, sprinting—down their gravel road, and something was chasing me. I didn’t know what it was, but it had eyes that glowed red like embers and sharp, white teeth. The ground shook with each of its footfalls. No matter how fast I ran, I couldn’t outrun it. No matter how far I ran, I couldn’t shake it. I woke from that dream in a cold sweat and jotted down what I could remember in the Notes app on my phone. 

Those muddy details are what led to the first draft of Called from Darkness. I wrote about the first third of the story and shelved it—life got busy, and I didn’t have time to write fiction, but that story always stuck with me. A few years ago, my mom brought me a box of some of my things, and I found the original manuscript. Despite it reading like fanfiction of some of my favorite young adult novels of the time, the story began to haunt me again. So I rewrote it. And now it’s being published. 

About the Publishing Deal

Called from Darkness is being published by a small, independent traditional publisher called Spinebreaker Books. They came on the scene this year and have already published a handful of high-quality books in the horror genre.

When I set out to get my novel published, there were three pathways available to me:

1. Big Five traditional publishing

2. Independent traditional publishing

3. Self-publishing

While I know many successful self-published authors whom I respect the hell out of, I knew I wanted to try to work with a traditional publisher first. There is credibility in having your work published by someone else. There is validation in a professional wanting to invest in your work. I have craved both credibility and validation in my work for a long time, and while self-published authors can still attain those things, it takes a lot more time and effort to get there on your own. 

I only queried independent publishers that accept submissions directly from authors. I knew I wanted to work with a publisher that would give me creative control of the final product, which is not always the case with larger publishing houses.

Called from Darkness will go through several rounds of edits, cover design, and typesetting before it’s available to the public. We anticipate the book to release in early 2027, likely in February or March. 

How I’m Feeling About All of This

Overjoyed. Satisfied. Excited. Anxious. Hungry. I’m a mixed bag of emotions right now. 

I’m overjoyed by your support. This little community I’ve built through EmilyBabbitt.com and social media over the past few years has come out in full force to show their support for my work. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

I’m satisfied because I reached a goal. I wanted to have a signed publishing contract before my birthday. I did it with a month to spare. 

I’m excited for all that’s to come. 

I’m anxious about how the book will be received. I think every author worries about this to some extent. Will people like it? Will they think I’m nuts after reading it? 

I’m hungry for more. Now that I have one book on its way to print, I’m eager to work toward the next one.

Again, thank you for your support! I’m really looking forward to sharing Called from Darkness with you and the world. I’ll be sharing updates through my reader (email) list and social media, as well as some updates here on the blog. Please consider sharing my website with friends and family whom you think would be interested in my work!