iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

I’ll be running the Virtual Cocktail Hour on Saturday at 8pm BST. Grab your ingredients so you can follow along! #RomancingtheGothic

Romancing the Gothic 2026 Conference
More Terrors Than Her Reason Could Justify
Cocktail Hour Recipe Guide

Prep mint syrup in advance:

1. Heat equal parts sugar and water on stove
2. Remove from heat and add several sprigs of mint
3. When cool, strain into a jar for storage

Death of the Italian

Mint syrup
Lime juice
Black sambuca*
Prosecco

(*White sambuca also works, but won’t look as goth)

Forest Fizz (non-alcoholic)

Sugar (any kind)
Pickle juice or fresh dill
Lemon juice
Cucumber juice
Seltzer
Rosemary sprig

How to make cucumber juice:

1. Grate a cucumber until you have about 1 cup
2. Squeeze through cheesecloth or a strainer until you have ¼ cup of juice

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

It’s that time a year again! #RomancingTheGothic is holding their annual all-virtual Gothic literature conference on August 22-23. This year is themed around the works of Ann Radcliffe. As always, I’ll be running the cocktail hour. Ingredient list below if you want to follow along with the demo.

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Caffeinated and ready to mingle at #ALAAC26! Find me at the Penzler Publishers booth (3418) during marketplace hours. And just wandering around until then.

Photo of me, a brunette woman with book earrings holding a pink starbucks drink

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Here’s one I got this week. I love [brief thematic description] themes!

Screenshot reading: “Your book Charles Todd immediately caught our attention. The title evokes [brief thematic description] themes that resonate deeply with our members, who are drawn to stories that move both the heart and mind.”

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

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.”

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

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. . 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.

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Here’s a Beezy letting me pet her tummy!

Fluffy black cat exposing her belly while a hand pets her.

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 31/03/2025

Beelzebub is a beautiful princess and also an ominous gargoyle.

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.

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

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

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

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.

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

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.

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

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.”

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

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!)

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

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.

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

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

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

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

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 20/10/2024

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

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 19/10/2024

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

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 29/09/2024

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

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 11/09/2024

Exciting to see a book we published hit the USA Today bestseller list!

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 02/08/2024

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

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 31/07/2024

Now she is a majestic pampered princess.

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.

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 31/07/2024

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.

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 19/06/2024

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

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 13/06/2024

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

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 07/05/2024

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

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 19/02/2024

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)

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 03/02/2024

Oh, I don’t think I’ve posted my foster kitty here, yet! This is Melmoth. He came up to me New Years weekend and asked to be taken home. Now he’s available for adoption: catcafebk.com/our-cats/?ca...

Photo of a tuxedo cat curled up on some blankets

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 02/01/2024

The Book Snake is complete! (I know the scale isn’t clear from photos, but it’s like 10 feet long.) I read 65 books this year in a nice variety of genres. I think I’ll make a snake again for this year, but will have to get some more yarn first…

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 25/12/2023

Per my last post, I’ve been tracking my books read this year with my Reading Log Snake. Check out my progress: (adding another green stripe as I type this)

Photo of crocheted snake with many colored stripes corresponding to the genre of each book read, as indicated by a color-coded key

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 08/12/2023

Ooh, I’ve never seen anything remotely like that one! This was one of my grandmother’s many many menorahs:

Photo of elaborate metal menorah with swirly designs and Hebrew writing incorporated into it

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 23/10/2023

I love the imagery here of a sort of vampiric cat. I couldn’t help picturing my sweet Beelzebub, with her cute little fangs. #AScareADay

Photo of a fluffy black cat sitting on a wood floor. Yellow eyes peer out from her void-like fur.

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 01/10/2023

Come visit me at the Brooklyn Book Festival today! I’ll be selling books for The Mysterious Bookshop and Penzler Publishers at Booth 214.

Selfie of woman in red dress (me) in front of a table full of books

Table laden with stacks of books. The table cloth reads Otto Penzler Presents: American Mystery Classics. A sign behind the table reads: The Mysterious Bookshop

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 28/09/2023

Bookish friends, I will be at the Brooklyn Book Festival this Sunday! Find me at Booth 214 representing Penzler Publishers and The Mysterious Bookshop. We’ll have plenty of mysteries and thrillers for sale, new and old, with several of our authors available to sign.

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 27/09/2023

Book snake update! I’ve officially surpassed my numerical reading goal for the year and it’s not even October.

Photo of a multi-colored crochet snake positioned around a piece of paper. The paper says 2023 Reading Snake Log and contains a color-coded key explaining that each band of color on the snake represents a book in a particular genre (black for horror, red for romance, green for sci-fi, etc)

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 13/09/2023

I’m running a giveaway at work! Check out The Mysterious Bookshop’s instagram for a chance to win an early copy of this chilling Christmas thriller: www.instagram.com/p/CxIuXzkrFL7/?ig…

Photo of a stack of books with one upright on top. The books are galleys of CHRISTMAS PRESENTS by Lisa Unger. A santa hat is perched on one of the books and Christmas ornaments sit on top of and beside the stack.

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 26/08/2023

I have hopped on the Squishables bandwagon. Look at this adorable Death’s-head hawkmoth!

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 25/08/2023

I’m running a Goodreads giveaway for work: Interested in a dark academia thriller that Joyce Carol Oates describes as “richly atmospheric and irresistibly readable”? Enter here: www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/371…

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 22/08/2023

I have become a cat pillow. Stuck here for eternity now.

Fluffy black cat resting her head on her owner’s wrist

Close-up of a black cat’s face. Her eyes are half closed and the tips of her fangs poke out of her mouth. Her owner’s arm can be seen beneath the cat’s head

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 19/08/2023

That moment when you realize you’ve got a real-life Long Furby living in your apartment…

Photo from the back of a fluffy black cat stretched up to look out a window in a way that makes her resemble the memes of creepy Long Furbies.

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 16/08/2023

I will once again be hosting the virtual cocktail hour for #RomancingTheGothic’s annual conference. Join us Aug 26-27 for a full slate of presentations on Witchcraft & the Supernatural in Belief, Practice & Depiction. For more info and tickets: eventbrite.com/e/644320508987

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 15/08/2023

Can’t make a new social media account without sharing some pictures of my cat. Everyone, meet my perfect demon princess, Beelzebub (Beezy for short):

Somewhat less elegant, the same fluffy black cat peers down from on top of a tall shelf, with just her head and front paws visible dangling over a corner

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 13/08/2023

So cool to meet @chucktingle.bsky.social at FlameCon today! Such a great panel.

Me (brunette white woman wearing a black face mask) taking a selfie sitting next to Chuck Tingle (internet-famous author wearing his signature sunglasses and pink bag over his face) as he speaks into a microphone.

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Julia O’Connell @juliajoyce.bsky.social · 11/08/2023

How about a Currently Reading for my first post here? Just about to finish listening to the audiobook for THE SLEEPLESS by @victormanibo.com and absolutely loving it! I am here for all the sci-fi thrillers/murder mysteries lately.

Screenshot of the audiobook for The Sleepless by Victor Manibo

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