Under Her Skin - (A Women in Horror Poetry Showcase) by Toni Miller & Lindy Ryan (Paperback)

About the Book

"Under Her Skin features the best in never-before-published dark verse and lyrical prose from the voices of Women in Horror. Centered on the innate relationship between body horror and the female experience, this collection features work from Bram-Stoker Award winning and nominated authors, as well as dozens of poems from women (cis and trans) and non-binary femmes."--

Book Synopsis

"Visceral poems pack an emotional punch, and yet, also hold a beauty, truth, and lyricism that cannot be denied... A message carried with strength by the entire volume." -Library Journal

2023 The BookFest Awards(R) Winner

A showcase of poetry from some of the darkest and most lyrical voices of women in horror.

Under Her Skin features the best in never-before-published dark verse and lyrical prose from the voices of Women in Horror. Centered on the innate relationship between body horror and the female experience, this collection features work from Bram-Stoker Award(R) winning and nominated authors, as well as dozens of poems from women (cis and trans) and non-binary femmes.

Edited by Lindy Ryan and Toni Miller, Under Her Skin celebrates women in horror from cover to cover. In addition to poems contributed by seventy poets, the collection also features a foreword penned by Science Fiction Poetry Association (SFPA) Grand Master and recipient of the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award, Linda D. Addison; interior illustrations by Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association Grand Master and recipient of the Horror Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award Marge Simon; and cover art by noted horror artist Lynne Hansen.

"Under Her Skin pair[s] body horror with verse to explore...the female experience, including the endless and sometimes surgical quest for unattainable beauty, the inherent and catastrophic violence of abusive relationships and societal expectations, and the frightening transformation(s) of motherhood." -Rue Morgue

Review Quotes

"The quantity of writers, known and unknown, as well as the diversity of voices makes this all but required reading for anyone interested in the various directions horror poetry can and will take." --Joshua Gage, Cemetery Dance

"Visceral poems pack an emotional punch, and yet, also hold a beauty, truth, and lyricism that cannot be denied... A message carried with strength by the entire volume." --Becky Spratford, Library Journal

"Under Her Skin pair[s] body horror with verse to explore...the female experience, including the endless and sometimes surgical quest for unattainable beauty, the inherent and catastrophic violence of abusive relationships and societal expectations, and the frightening transformation(s) of motherhood." --Rue Morgue

"Exquisite, bloody, and unflinching, Under Her Skin will leave you eviscerated and transformed. The collection features some of the strongest voices in horror poetry today as they slice open the female experience and hold up each glistening morsel for examination." --Geneve Flynn, Bram Stoker(R) and Shirley Jackson Award winner

"Powerful and visceral, the poems in Under Her Skin scream of the brutal realities women endure in life. These voices, long silenced, testify to the need for women to be treated as individuals with agency and rights, not pieces of property... A difficult read for those who endure. A necessary read for everybody else." --Christina Sng, Two-time Bram Stoker Award(R)-winning poet

"The fragile resilience of women is explored in this beautiful, brooding collection where every nook of the shadow feminine is prodded and exposed. The best in female dark poets have gathered together to examine the collective pieces that make up who we are. Without apology, these women share both fire and flaws, pinning it all to the page. They redefine what it means to be a woman. Raw and authentic, these poems bleed agony...but there is no defeat here. This isn't the poetry of victims asking for mercy. Rather they face the world, naked and unapologetic. They don't request acceptance. They forge their own place where they are perfect as they are, every scar an accolade. These are poems of blood and sinew, knitting our parts together in pain, the burdens placed upon our shoulders hefted and thrown back. All parts of the female physique are explored--Everything Under Her Skin--and every sum of her is breath-taking." --Angela Yuriko Smith, Bram Stoker Award(R)-Nominee

"...varied themes, approaches, and poetic structures create a diverse series of horror inspections. Under Her Skin is unparalleled in scope, creativity, and literary strength. It is highly recommended for any collection strong in women's writings, horror, or literary works." --Midwest Book Review

"Not for the faint of heart...Each word and phrase has been structured in such a way that the reader will experience an intense depth of emotion and feelings." --Gini Rainey, EGuide Magazine

About the Author

Toni Miller is one of the co-founders of the Ladies of Horror Fiction and the host of the Ladies of Horror Fiction Podcast. She also reviews horror and dark fiction at The Misadventures of a Reader and has published several non-fiction pieces in Aphotic Realm Magazine. Toni lives in the Sonoran Desert with her husband, son, and the spotted one. Lindy Ryan is the president and publisher of Black Spot Books, an imprint of Vesuvian Media Group. She is an award-winning and bestselling author and editor. Lindy currently serves on the board of directors for the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and was recognized as one of Publishers Weekly's Star Watch Honorees in 2020.