Julia O’Connell
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juliajoyce.bsky.social
Julia O’Connell
@juliajoyce.bsky.social
790 followers 430 following 550 posts
Publicity Director at Penzler Publishers; Freelance editor; Book blogger at The Gothic Library. She/her ✡️📚
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juliajoyce.bsky.social
Got to check out The Twisted Spine (Brooklyn’s new horror specialty bookstore) and see @claymcleod.bsky.social perform some stories from his new collection Acquired Taste.
Photo of the front window of The Twisted Spine bookshop Photo of the hardcover book Acquired Taste by Clay McCleod Chapman. The cover depicts a hand holding a pale-colored axolotl Photo of Clay McCleod Chapman reading in front of a crowd Signed title page of Acquired Taste, along with a sticker of the image from the book’s cover. Above Clay’s signature, he has written the words “Nom nom nom.”
September 10, 2025 at 1:57 AM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
This year’s Romancing the Gothic virtual conference will take place on August 23-24 and is themed around the ghost stories of M.R. James.

I’ll be hosting the virtual cocktail hour. See the recipes above so you can follow along.
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More info/tickets here: www.tickettailor.com/events/roman...
Romancing the Gothic 2025 Conference: A Warning to the Curious Cocktail Hour Recipe Guide. Prepare shrub in advance: Mix 2 cups of strawberries with 1 cup of granulated sugar Leave in fridge to macerate for 1-2 days Strain out solids to get liquid strawberry syrup Add one part red wine vinegar to two parts syrup Store in fridge indefinitely until ready to make mocktails, cocktails, sodas, and more! Lost Hearts (Non alcoholic): Strawberry Shrub Seltzer Lime juice Strawberry garnish The Archdeacon’s Obituary: Gin Dry Vermouth Absinthe Pomegranate seeds for garnish *The key to this cocktail is stirring!* Come prepared with a nice long spoon or swizzle stick, a cocktail shaker or tall glass, and plenty of ice.
August 1, 2025 at 6:47 PM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
Here’s a Beezy letting me pet her tummy!
Fluffy black cat exposing her belly while a hand pets her.
July 7, 2025 at 9:50 PM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
I’m ready!
Brunette woman stands in her living room wearing a white gown and a black cape and holding a candela. She’s looking over shoulder as if there is something frightening behind her.
April 20, 2025 at 2:04 AM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
Beelzebub is a beautiful princess and also an ominous gargoyle.
Photo of a fluffy black cat sitting elegantly in a sunlit window. She is in profile, looking out the window, and the fur on her front shines reddish in the glowing evening light. The featureless silhouette of a black cat looms from on top of a tall cabinet, stark against the white ceiling. Although you cannot see her eyes, you get the impression that she is staring down at you.
March 31, 2025 at 3:05 AM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
Can’t wait to sink my teeth into this one.
Photo of THE BUFFALO HUNTER HUNTER by Stephen Graham Jones (signed Strand edition) held up in front of a wall of old, leather-bound books in The Strand’s Rare Book Room
March 19, 2025 at 1:15 AM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
Got shiny new finished copies at the office today!

GLITTER IN THE DARK by Olesya Lyuzna is a debut queer historical mystery, coming out April 1!
When a nightclub singer goes missing, intrepid reporter Ginny Dugan chases clues through the shadows of Harlem’s speakeasies and Broadway’s theaters.
February 25, 2025 at 11:08 PM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
Some good news today: The cat I’ve been fostering for over a year has finally found his furever home!

Melmoth is already settling in quite nicely at his new home in the Bronx.
Photo of a tuxedo cat curled up on an orange towel inside of a blue carrier, staring straight at the camera.
January 19, 2025 at 8:55 PM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
It’s in Publishers Weekly, so it’s official:
I’ve been promoted to Publicity Director at Penzler Publishers!
Screenshot of the “Job Moves” section of a Publishers Weekly email with the relevant section circled. It reads “Julia O’Connell is being promoted to publicity director at Penzler Publishers and can be contacted at Julia@PenzlerPublishers.com.”
January 7, 2025 at 4:02 PM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
All Malibu wants for Christmas is for someone to love him as much as he loves this catnip candycane…

Adopt Malibu: www.petfinder.com/cat/melmoth-...

(NYC area, Feel free to share this post!)
December 14, 2024 at 9:59 PM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
It’s beginning to look at lot like Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop!
@mysteriousbookshop.com
Artistic photo of a fake skull wearing a red Santa hat, sitting on a wood table A photo of a store window with a big poster showing the book cover for CHRISTMAS CRIMES AT THE MYSTERIOUS BOOKSHOP, edited by Otto Penzler, with copies of the book propped up around it. The cover has a cozy vibe and looks a bit like an embroidery sampler. The subtitle reads “Twelve Tales of Seasonal Suspense Set in the World’s Oldest Mystery Bookstore.” Photo of a brunettes man in a blue sweatshirt placing a skeleton ornament on a small Christmas tree. You can see the shelves of the bookstore in the background A shot of the interior of the bookshop, with dark wood shelves lining the walls and rolling ladders along them. You can’t really see, but there are colorful Christmas string lights lining the tables and shelves.
December 5, 2024 at 12:46 AM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
Now that I have a bunch of followers, can I interest you in a cat?
I rescued Malibu last December and have been fostering him ever since but he’s been struggling to find a forever home.
He’s a young, playful neutered male found on the streets of Brooklyn
More info:
www.petfinder.com/cat/melmoth-...
Photo of a tuxedo cat wearing a Christmas-y, red-plaid jingle-bell collar, sitting on the kitchen floor, looking expectantly up at the camera Photo of a tuxedo cat, curled up cutely on a red blanket, with his head upside down to the viewer and his paws up near his chin Photo of a tuxedo cat rolling around on a purple carpet, making a silly, exaggerated face with wide eyes and a wide mouth as he attacks a red-and-green toy Photo of a tuxedo cat crouching on a wood floor beneath a kitchen table and bench, with wide yellow eyes staring intently as if he’s about to pounce
November 19, 2024 at 3:49 PM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
Hello new followers!
I am an in-house publicist for an indie publisher of mysteries, thrillers, & true crime.
I also blog about gothic/horror/fantasy/whatever books I like.

Currently excited about this debut queer 1920s noir coming out next April: GLITTER IN THE DARK by Olesya Lyuzna:

💙📚
Book cover with text reading “Glitter in the Dark. A novel. Olesya Lyuzna” against a geometric art deco pattern of gold lines. Behind that is a shadowy blue-green image of a blonde flapper woman wearing a string of pearls
November 14, 2024 at 2:19 AM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
Oh, yes! We published these two before I started working there, so I hadn’t been thinking of them to recognize a recurring character. But with the nurse uniform on the cover, of course!
We’ve done American Mystery Classics editions of Miss Pinkerton and The Haunted Lady.
Book cover of an American Mystery Classics edition of MISS PINKERTON by Mary Roberts Rinehart, showing a woman in a nurse’s uniform walking down stairs Book cover of an American Mystery Classics edition of THE HAUNTED LADY by Mary Roberts Rinehart, showing a woman in a nurse’s uniform walking down stairs while holding a candelabra
October 20, 2024 at 10:42 PM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
I have fallen behind on #AScareADay, but it’s because I was partying in a cemetery tonight instead of reading, so I feel like that’s a valid excuse.
Will try to catch up tomorrow!
Photo of a full moon rising over a mausoleum, which is topped by a statue of an angel
October 19, 2024 at 3:44 AM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
Had a great time working the Brooklyn Book Festival today! Even if we did get a bit rained on.
Photo of me (a brunette woman wearing a Halloween “christmas sweater”) standing in front of a display of mystery and thriller novels
September 29, 2024 at 7:53 PM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
Exciting to see a book we published hit the USA Today bestseller list!
Image of hardcover book: Safe Enough and Other Stories by Lee Child. The cover shows what looks like the silhouette of a man digging a grave next to a car with its trunk open. Lee Child’s name is nice and big against a blue sky. Overlapping the image of the book is a sticker that reads “USA today bestselling booklist” In the bottom right corner of the image is a logo for The Mysterious Press.
September 11, 2024 at 9:22 PM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
I will once again be hosting the cocktail hour for Romancing the Gothic’s annual conference on August 24!

See the ingredient lists below if you’d like to follow along and make our featured beverages.

More info on the conference here:
devilsandjustifiedsinners.wordpress.com
August 2, 2024 at 8:51 PM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
Now she is a majestic pampered princess.
The most beautiful fluffy black cat you’ve ever seen sits elegantly in profile in front of a sunlit window The same fluffy black cat sleeps in the middle of a bed with light gray sheets, with her head resting on the pillow and her eyes shut.
July 31, 2024 at 1:56 AM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
Six years ago today, Beelzebub was still a little street kitten conning everyone in the neighborhood into feeding her.
Photo of a tiny black kitten on a dark sidewalk at night. One eye gleams while the rest of her sort of melts into shadow. The fingertips of a hand are reaching out to pet her.
July 31, 2024 at 1:53 AM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
Melmoth, my foster cat, is still available for adoption!

Learn more here:
catcafebk.com/our-cats/?ca...
Photo of a tuxedo cat lying on the ground and making a silly expression with his tongue out as he plays with a ribbon toy
June 19, 2024 at 5:49 PM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
Still looking for a home for our foster cat Melmoth!

He is young and healthy, bold and playful.

More info: catcafebk.com/our-cats/?ca...
Tuxedo cat lies on a wooden floor, playing with a ribbon toy. He looks excited and silly, with his tongue out and his eyes wide as he grabs the ribbon
June 13, 2024 at 6:13 PM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
Happy #WorldGothDay from me and Beelzebub!
May 22, 2024 at 2:19 PM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
It’s a busy pub day at Penzler Publishers!
We’ve got Debbie Babitt’s latest suspense novel THE MAN ON THE TRAIN; BLOOD RUBIES, a debut thriller by Mailan Doquang about a gem thief in Bangkok; and SS MURDER by Q. Patrick, the latest in our America Mystery Classics line
Photo of 3 books propped on a ladder in front of a bookshelf: The Man on the Train by Debbie Babitt, Blood Rubies by Mailan Doquang, and SS Murder by Q. Patrick
May 7, 2024 at 5:16 PM
juliajoyce.bsky.social
Mystery-lovers in the NYC area,

The Mysterious Bookshop in Tribeca is looking to hire a part-time bookseller to work on Saturdays!

💙📚
Tweet from The Mysterious Bookshop reads: 🚨WE’RE HIRING!!!🚨 Are you a mystery reader looking for a Saturday gig? Become a mystery bookseller with a Saturday job! (Looking for someone on Saturdays only) (Write to ryan@mysteriousbookshop.com with resume and cover letter to apply)
February 19, 2024 at 10:52 PM