See the cover for Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez

See the cover for Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez

If you’ve been watching Debutiful’s social media recently, you may have already spotted the cover for Mayra in a recent summer book mail hype post. If you haven’t, get ready to be blown away.

Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez is a modern, gothic horror set in the swampland of Florida. Gonzalez, who hails from Hialeah, Florida, introduces readers to two estranged friends who reunite in a house in the Everglades. What follows is an unsettling and propulsive journey into the madness of friendship all while being haunted by their very surroundings.

Set to release on July 22, the book is available for pre-order. You can read stories and previous work by Gonzalez that has appeared in McSweeney’s Quarterly ConcernBOMB Magazine, Kenyon Review Online, and Taco Bell Quarterly, among others, on her website.

Debutiful is pleased to reveal the cover, designed by Andreea Dumuta, of Gonzalez’s debut alongside a Q&A with the writer to get a behind-the-scenes look at how the cover came to be.

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Genevieve Hudson’s Boys in Alabama explores what it means to be queer in the Deep South

Genevieve Hudson’s Boys in Alabama explores what it means to be queer in the Deep South

Genevieve Hudson’s debut novel Boys of Alabama comes with a lot of buzz. After he debut story collection Pretend We Live Here mad a big splash in 2018 with their electric prose and fascinating characters, this book builds on those skills they so carefully displayed across the stories.

Boys of Alabama is about Max, a boy who may or may not bring dead animals back to life. When his father is transferred from his German company to Alabama, Max becomes entwined with Pan, a confident boy who wears dresses and believes in and is fascinated with witchcraft. The book expertly dissects queer coming-of-age and refreshingly leans into teenage love, lust, drama, and growing pains.

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