Rob Costello
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cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
Rob Costello
@cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
1.7K followers 4.6K following 420 posts
(He/him) Stoker, Lambda, & Locus Award nominated author, anthologist, and teacher. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈

https://linktr.ee/cloudbusterpress

AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS (Lethe Press)
WE MOSTLY COME OUT AT NIGHT (Running Press Teens)
THE DANCING BEARS (Lethe Press)
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cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
Join Sarah Aronson for a 90-minute lecture and discussion about how to pitch your book and yourself.

When: Wednesday, June 25, 2025 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm ET
Where: Online
Cost: $30*

*Recording available for those who can't attend live

More info: www.eventbrite.com/e/rs-present...
Picture of a smiling woman wearing a hat next to white text against a brown background that reads: R(ev)vise and Shine Presents: Life’s a Pitch . . . and Then You Thrive! with special guest Sarah Aronson www.saraharonson.com Wednesday, June 25, 2025 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm ET Cost: $30* *A recording of each session will be available for 30 days after the event
June 24, 2025 at 1:05 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers.
1/20
The cover of The Folk Keeper, by Franny Billingsley featuring the illustration of a young girl holding a candle and peering into a basement tunnel
June 19, 2025 at 9:06 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
Southern Tier Peeps: I will be at Card Carrying Books and Gifts in Corning, NY this Saturday, June 21 @ 5:00 pm for a reading from AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS, plus a Q&A and signing!

I hope to see you Saturday!!!
White Text against a blue background (featuring the silhouette of a mirror ball) that says: Card Carrying Books and Gifts Presents: An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys Reading and Q&A with Author Rob Costello Saturday, June 21, 2025 @ 5:00 pm ET Card Carrying Books and Gifts 15 E. Market St. Corning, NY 14830 Below, a head shot of Rob Costello, a bearded white man, beside an image of the cover of the YA novel by Rob Costello, which features the title - An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys - in black text against a red background surrounding an image of a Polaroid photograph featuring the silhouette of a young man gazing out a bedroom window. At the bottom in white lettering is the logo for the publisher, Lethe Press
June 18, 2025 at 12:38 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
Ooh, fun! Here we go...
June 17, 2025 at 3:35 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
Wow. Not every Sunday you wake up to a reader review like this.🥹

(And btw, I do teach setting at The Highlights Foundation and R(ev)ise and Shine! 😊)

www.cloudbusterpress.com/an-ugly-worl...
Five star Goodreads review dated May 25, 2025 that says: Beautiful book, gorgeous writing This author should teach a masterclass in describing setting - every place felt beautiful, gritty, ugly, real. This is likely one of the most envelope-pushing YA books on the market. It’s also incredibly necessary. This book is real, raw, gritty, ugly… yet somehow beautiful, hopeful, and bursting with love. The characters are complicated, difficult, and real. This book made me feel things. Highly recommended. An image of the cover of the forthcoming YA novel by Rob Costello, which features the title - An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys - in black text against a red background surrounding an image of a Polaroid photograph featuring the silhouette of a young man gazing out a bedroom window. Below the Polaroid photograph, a blurb reads: "An astonishing novel of discovery, heartache, and redemption." -Erin Entrada Kelly
May 25, 2025 at 3:08 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
Ahh! Writing achievement unlocked! An actual, honest-to-God, unambiguously positive Kirkus review of AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS!!!

Read the full review: www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews...

Find out more & buy links: www.cloudbusterpress.com/an-ugly-worl...
An image of the cover of the forthcoming YA novel by Rob Costello, which features the title - An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys - in black text against a red background surrounding an image of a Polaroid photograph featuring the silhouette of a young man gazing out a bedroom window. Above this image, text against a white background that reads: Kirkus Reviews “An engrossing tale full of spiky attitude that masks roiling emotions.” —Kirkus Reviews
 Buy now wherever books or audiobooks are sold
May 15, 2025 at 4:38 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
So excited for this fantastic review of AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS in Independent Book Review!

Read the full review: independentbookreview.com/2025/05/09/b...

Buy the book: www.cloudbusterpress.com/an-ugly-worl...
An image of the cover of the forthcoming YA novel by Rob Costello, which features the title - An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys - in black text against a red background surrounding an image of a Polaroid photograph featuring the silhouette of a young man gazing out a bedroom window. Besides this image, gray and red text against a white background that reads: What People Are Saying About AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS "With its powerful exploration of toxic masculinity, generational trauma, and the struggle to find joy in a harsh world, this novel challenges readers to reflect on how society shapes young men and the struggles they face in embracing their true selves.” -Samantha Hui, Independent Book Review Lethe Press, Audiobook coming soon from Tantor Audio
May 9, 2025 at 1:59 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
FREE tickets still available for tonight's Zoom launch of AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS featuring me and my very special guest, Jennifer Richard Jacobson, in conversation about the book. I hope you'll join us!

Click here to reserve your spot: www.eventbrite.com/e/rs-present...
An image of the cover of the forthcoming YA novel by Rob Costello, which features the title - An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys - in black text against a red background surrounding an image of a Polaroid photograph featuring the silhouette of a young man gazing out a bedroom window. Besides this image, white and yellow text against a beige background that reads: R(ev)ise and Shine! Presents: In Conversation: An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys with Jennifer Richard Jacobson & Rob Costello Wed. April 30, 2025 @ 7:00 pm ET FREE There are also head shots of a bearded white male (Rob Costello) and a white female with salt and pepper hair (Jennifer Richard Jacobson) above the R(ev)ise and Shine! logo, which features a graphic of a sunrise over an open book. Below that is a link to www.revise-and-shine.com
April 30, 2025 at 2:24 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
It's Independent Bookstore Day! Why not celebrate by purchasing a copy of my debut novel, AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS, from your local independent bookstore?

May I suggest a few favorites?

@lethepress.bsky.social
An image of the cover of the forthcoming YA novel by Rob Costello, which features the title - An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys - in black text against a red background surrounding an image of a Polaroid photograph featuring the silhouette of a young man gazing out a bedroom window. Above this is a banner advertising Independent Bookstore Day, April 26, 2025 Beside this, text reads: An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys Available (in stock or to order) at these fine Independent Bookstores: Buffalo Street Books Ithaca, NY Protagonist Books & Coffee Dryden, NY Odyssey Bookstore Ithaca, NY Black Walnut Books Glens Falls, NY Author’s Note Medina, NY Sulfur Books Clifton Springs, NY Children’s Book World Haverford, PA Underdog Bookstore Moravia, CA Bear Pond Books Montpelier and Stowe, VT
April 26, 2025 at 3:05 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
Happy book birthday to my debut YA novel, AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS!!!

Check out the new trailer...

Available now from @lethepress.bsky.social wherever books are sold.

Find out more: www.cloudbusterpress.com/an-ugly-worl...
April 22, 2025 at 2:07 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
Yay!!! Pre-orders of AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS are already making their way to readers ahead of tomorrow's official launch!

(H/t to Dan Clay for sharing this wonderful picture with me, and thanks to Melissa Killian for sharing another on Insta!) 1/
An image of a hand holding a copy of a YA novel by Rob Costello, the cover of which features the title - An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys - in black text against a red background surrounding an image of a sepia-toned Polaroid photograph featuring the silhouette of a young man gazing out a bedroom window. Below the Polaroid a blurb reads "An astonishing novel of discovery, heartache and redemption" -- Erin Entrada Kelly.
April 21, 2025 at 2:29 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
Thanks, Gabino! This one isn't horror, but it's the book of my heart, my debut YA novel, queer, edgy, and very raw...

Comes out April 22 from @lethepress.bsky.social: www.lethepressbooks.com/store/p735/9...
An image of the cover of the forthcoming YA novel by Rob Costello, which features the title - An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys - in black text against a red background surrounding an image of a Polaroid photograph featuring the silhouette of a young man gazing out a bedroom window. Besides this image, gray and red text against a white background that reads: What People Are Saying About AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS “An astonishing novel of discovery, heartache, and redemption. Costello writes unapologetically about surviving in a broken world against all odds. Truly unforgettable.” -Erin Entrada Kelly, two-time Newbery Medalist and National Book Award Finalist Lethe Press, Release Date: April 22, 2025 An image of the cover of the forthcoming YA novel by Rob Costello, which features the title - An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys - in black text against a red background surrounding an image of a Polaroid photograph featuring the silhouette of a young man gazing out a bedroom window. Besides this image, gray and red text against a white background that reads: What People Are Saying About AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS “Costello has created multi-dimensional characters who are raw, imperfect, and utterly human… An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys is a deeply moving novel about finding self-acceptance and communal joy amidst life’s messiness.” -Samantha Hui, Independent Book Review Lethe Press, Release Date: April 22, 2025
April 18, 2025 at 10:47 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
Join writer and Tarot reader, S Maxfield, as R(ev)ise and Shine! hosts "Tarot for Writers: Character Magic"

When: Wednesday, April 16, 2025 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm ET

Where: Online

Cost: $30*

(*A recording will be available for all tickets holders for 30 days.)

www.eventbrite.com/e/rs-present...
A head shot of white, non-binary author S Maxfield against a pink and black background with the Ace of Swords Tarot Card in the lower left hand corner. Text reads: Revise and Shine Presents: Tarot for Writers with Special Guest S Maxfield. Wednesday, April 16, 2025 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm ET Cost: $30* *A recording of each session will be made available for 30 days after the event for all ticket holders. Revise and Shine logo of a sun rise over and open book. Link in bio and at linktr.ee/essmaxfield
April 9, 2025 at 4:22 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
What: SCENE STUDIES w/ Erin Entrada Kelly

In this two-day intensive, students will analyze scenes from a wide range of novels to discuss character, pacing, dialogue, subtext, and other elements of craft.

March 22 & 23th, 2025

Click to find out more:
www.eventbrite.com/e/revise-shi...
Headshot of a young woman in black, the author Erin Entrada Kelly, besides an orange background with white text that says: SCENE STUDIES with Erin Entrada Kelly In this two-day intensive, students will analyze scenes from a wide range of novels to discuss character, pacing, dialogue, subtext, and other elements of craft. Students will learn the characteristics of effective scenes and revision strategies to apply what they learn. Open to writers of all levels and genres. When: Saturday, March 22 & Sunday, March 23, 2025 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm ET both days Where: Online Cost: $195* *For those who can’t attend live, a recording of each session will be made available for 30 days after the event for all ticket holders.
March 19, 2025 at 11:08 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
Another amazing blurb for AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS, this time from the incomparable Nancy Werlin. I'm so thrilled!!! ❤

Pre-order now: www.lethepressbooks.com/store/p735/A...

@lethepress.bsky.social
An image of the cover of the forthcoming YA novel by Rob Costello, which features the title - An Ugly World for Beautiful Boys - in black text against a red background surrounding an image of a Polaroid photograph featuring the silhouette of a young man gazing out a bedroom window. Besides this, gray and red text against a white background that reads: What People Are Saying About AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS “Toby's coming-of-age trainwreck reads like the tensest of thrillers and hurts like your worst teenage memory. It's gorgeously written, ultimately healing, and absolutely unforgettable.” -Nancy Werlin, National Book Award Finalist for The Rules of Survival Lethe Press, Release Date: April 22, 2025
March 19, 2025 at 3:21 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
For answers to all your questions about kid lit anthologies, please join me, Nora Shalaway Carpenter, and @erinentrada.bsky.social, for this FREE panel on March 20 @5:00 pm ET: calarts.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Hosted by @vcfa.bsky.social
Purple background featuring three heads for the writers and panelists Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Erin Entrada Kelly and Rob Costello. Below that the lext reads: How to Get Noticed by Anthologists and What to Expect When You Do Date & Time: March 20, 2025 05:00 PM ET on Zoom Hosted by the MFA for Writing for Children and Young Adults Program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts
March 15, 2025 at 5:53 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
I am thrilled and honored to share the first (of several) blurbs for my debut novel, AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS:
www.cloudbusterpress.com/an-ugly-worl...

This one comes from one of my very favorite writers, Christopher Barzak!
March 10, 2025 at 2:18 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
If you'd like to offer an honest review of my debut novel, AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS, on Goodreads, Amazon, or wherever, please DM me & I'll arrange for you to receive a digital ARC! @lethepress.bsky.social

Click here to find out more about the book: www.cloudbusterpress.com/an-ugly-worl...
March 7, 2025 at 10:57 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
Hey gang! Happy March!!! I'm excited to announce that I am running a Goodreads Giveaway for 10 signed ARCs of my debut novel, AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS, now through March 31, published by @lethepress.bsky.social!

Enter now to win: www.goodreads.com/giveaway/ent...
Image of the red and black book cover for AN UGLY WORLD BEAUTIFUL BOYS against a white background announcing a Goodreads Giveaway of 10 signed ARCs of the book, which is the debut novel by Rob Costello, published by Lethe Press, and release on April 22, 2025. The giveaway runs through March 31, 2025.
March 1, 2025 at 3:41 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
HOLY SHIT!!!!
Image headlined BRAM STOKER AWARD NOMINEE announcing that the anthology WE MOSTLY COME OUT AT NIGHT, edited by Rob Costello, has been officially nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. A picture of the book cover as well as the official red and gold seal of the Bram Stoker Award are featured against a blue, star dappled background.
February 23, 2025 at 4:08 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
I can't tell you how excited I am that my debut novel, AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS (coming April 22, 2025 from @lethepress.bsky.social, is now going to be an audiobook, too, from the great folks at @tantoraudio.bsky.social!

Thanks to my amazing agent, @marielamba.bsky.social!!! ❤️
February 19, 2025 at 5:12 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
I'm delighted that my Pushcart-nominated short story "Siren," which was originally published in the Fall, 2024 issue of the Cape Cod Poetry Review, has been reprinted online in this month's issue of my absolute favorite publication, The Dark!
www.thedarkmagazine.com/siren/
Cover illustration of a skeleton among a field of swords disintegrating in a burst of magical energy. From The Dark Magazine, issue 117, February 2025, featuring stories by Nelson Stanley, Rob Costello, Steve Rasnic Tem, and E.M. Linden.
February 1, 2025 at 11:35 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
COVER REVEAL!!!!

I'm so excited to share the cover of my debut novel, AN UGLY WORLD FOR BEAUTIFUL BOYS, coming April 22, 2025 from @lethepress.bsky.social

Find out more and pre-order here: www.lethepressbooks.com/store/p735/A...
January 6, 2025 at 3:28 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
This is such a tremendous thrill for me!

@pseudopod.org has chosen my flash story "The Njogel" from THE DANCING BEARS: QUEER FABLES FOR THE END TIMES for its 2024 Anthologies and Collections Showcase!

What an absolutely gorgeous and layered reading by Justin Riestra: pseudopod.org/2024/12/27/p...
December 27, 2024 at 4:39 PM
cloudbusterrob.bsky.social
Yay! So excited for this!!! They've done such a wonderful job producing Michael Thomas Ford's haunting mothman story from WE MOSTLY COME OUT AT NIGHT:

pseudopod.org/2024/12/20/p...
December 21, 2024 at 3:50 PM