Acquisition Announcement: Two Horror Novels by Bitter Karella

Orbit is thrilled to announce that we’ve acquired two new horror novels from Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author Bitter Karella, to be published on the Run For It list starting in Winter 2028.

First up is a Gothic horror novel where a tourist on a pilgrimage to uncover the mystery of his family’s shrouded past finds himself trapped in an abandoned castle in Bavaria, only to discover a clan of inbred aristocratic vampires dwelling in the catacombs, eager for fresh blood, perfect for fans of The Starving Saints and Blood on Her Tongue.

The second book will be a campus horror novel where an enterprising student journalist’s roommate goes missing, and, fearing the worst, she infiltrates a secretive fraternity where her roommate was last seen, and uncovers a cult-like conspiracy at the heart of the school, perfect for fans of Camp Damascus and Cuckoo.

If you are interested in learning more, you can find Bitter at bitterkarella.com or on Instagram @bitterkarella.

Bitter Karella is the writer and horror aficionado behind the twice Hugo-nominated microfiction comedy account @Midnight_pals, which asks what if all your favorite horror writers gathered around the campfire to tell scary stories. His work has appeared in Seize the Press, Tenebrous Press’s Your Body in Not Your Body, and Ghoulish Books’ Bound in Flesh. She also dabbles in cartooning and text game design.

Orbit US editor Angelica Chong acquired World English rights from Julie Gourinchas at Bell Lomax Moreton. Editorial director Jenni Hill has acquired UK rights for Orbit UK.