Muse Publications

09/30/2025

LAST CALL: We're down to the last hours for the Once Upon a Gothic Kickstarter! I'm delighted that we've reached our fifth stretch reward of $20,000—we now have one last goal to aim for before it all comes an end at 5pm ET October 1st. Our hearts are filled with gratitude to all of our backers. We can't wait to get these spooky season book babies out to you! Thank you all!!!

A reminder: once the Once Upon a Gothic Kickstarter ends, the special edition signed hardcovers will not be available. Nor will the exclusive backer-only perks or stretch rewards that go to everyone who made a pledge during the campaign. These include an original short story by Paulette Kennedy, a masterclass with Heather Webb, and much more from myself and Nancy Bilyeau—details below! To pledge for books, link in bio and first comment. And again, a huge thank you from all of us!!!

09/26/2025

LAST FIVE DAYS! We’re nearly to our fourth stretch goal of $17.5k—many thanks to all who have backed the Once Upon a Gothic Kickstarter! A reminder that these exclusive books will only be sold directly due to their special design format—no Amazon, no BN ever. They’re also more than a book, they’re an experience. Each book comes bundled with special backer-only perks that won’t be offered after the Kickstarter ends.

ICYMI the Once Upon a Gothic book series features original retellings of Dracula, Frankenstein, Northanger Abbey & Phantom of the Opera through the eyes of their heroines by myself, Nancy Bilyeau, Paulette Kennedy, and Heather Webb. With each book's unique Tęte-Bęche flip book format—read one side for the retelling, flip the book for the original gothic—these books are meant to be as deliciously enticing as the stories themselves. Plus you get the satisfaction of supporting the creators instead of a corporation. Win-win all around!

09/23/2025

ONE WEEK TO GO! A quick Once Upon a Gothic Kickstarter update: we've met our third stretch goal of $15,000. Huge thanks to all who have backed our passion project! We're delighted to unveil new stretch goals, which include a Zoom masterclass with the amazing Heather Webb on the art of story. So, if you're a writer or any other kind of storyteller, you definitely want in on that!

Finally, if you haven't had a chance to check out the Once Upon a Gothic special editions, here's a peek at all four of them. Each flip format book comes with an autographed vellum insert and other exclusive details that will not available after this Kickstarter ends. Nor will these books be sold anywhere.

The Once Upon a Gothic book series features original retellings of Dracula, Frankenstein, Northanger Abbey & Phantom of the Opera through the eyes of their heroines by myself, Nancy Bilyeau, Paulette Kennedy, and Heather Webb. With each book's unique Tête-Bêche flip book format—read one side for the retelling, flip the book for the original gothic—these books are meant to be as deliciously enticing as the stories themselves. Only on Kickstarter and for one more week!

09/13/2025

An update on the Once Upon a Gothic Kickstarter: First off, many, many thanks to everyone who have bought books already—we're floored by your generosity! We’re delighted to report that we're already closing in on our first stretch goal of $10,000. (Yay!) Once we reach that goal, it will unlock a Backers-only AMA Zoom with Muse founder Kris Waldherr and the other OUAG authors: Heather Webb, Nancy Bilyeau, and Paulette Kennedy. Have questions about publishing? Lay them on us. Want advice on dealing with creative blocks? We're your experts! Even better: the Zoom will be recorded for those who can't make it. (To back the Kickstarter, link in bio and first comment.)

ICYMI Once Upon a Gothic is a four book series that brings the stories of gothic literature's most compelling female characters out from the shadows:

• The Last Bride by Paulette Kennedy reveals the tale of Ileana, Dracula’s final bride.

• The Heiress of Northanger Abbey by Nancy Bilyeau imagines Catherine Morland’s fate beyond her fairy-tale wedding to Henry Tilney.

• Unnatural Creatures by Kris Waldherr reawakens Frankenstein by bringing to life Victor’s mother Caroline, bride Elizabeth, and servant Justine.

• The Phantom’s Apprentice by Heather Webb casts Christine Daaé as a heroine of agency amidst the shadows of the opera.

These original retellings are paired with the original texts of Dracula, Frankenstein, Northanger Abbey, and The Phantom of the Opera in a unique Tête-Bêche flip book format: read one side for the retelling, flip the book for the original gothic. So, essentially they're two books in one!

To help us reach our stretch goal, link in bio and in first comment—and thank you, thank you, thank you!

09/09/2025

WE'RE LIVE! The Once Upon a Gothic book Kickstarter launched this morning. Already we've been named a Kickstarter Project We Love and made our first funding goal. Perfect for spooky season, Once Upon a Gothic brings the stories of gothic literature's most compelling female characters out from the shadows:

• The Last Bride by Paulette Kennedy reveals the sensual, chilling tale of Ileana, Dracula’s final bride.

• The Heiress of Northanger Abbey by Nancy Bilyeau imagines Catherine Morland’s fate beyond her fairy-tale wedding to Henry Tilney.

• Unnatural Creatures by Kris Waldherr reawakens Frankenstein by bringing to life the poignant experiences of Victor’s mother Caroline, bride Elizabeth, and servant Justine.

• The Phantom’s Apprentice by Heather Webb casts Christine Daaé as a heroine of agency and desire amidst the shadows of the opera.

The retellings are paired with the original texts of Dracula, Frankenstein, Northanger Abbey, and The Phantom of the Opera in a unique Tête-Bêche flip book format: read one side for the retelling, flip the book for the original gothic. To celebrate, we're offering two early bird perks that are good for the first 48 hours. So, we hope you'll take a moment to check out the campaign page—and remember, the early worm gets the ghost.

Dracula, Frankenstein, Northanger Abbey & Phantom of the Opera retold through the eyes of their heroines by four bestselling authors.

09/05/2025

We're delighted to reveal the official campaign video for the Once Upon a Gothic book series, which will be launching on Kickstarter very soon! :D

08/05/2025

It's a big day at Muse Publications! An unboxing video for the first softcover book proofs of the Once Upon a Gothic book series, coming the fall on Kickstarter, which features original retellings of Dracula, Northanger Abbey The Phantom of the Opera, and Frankenstein. The series is designed by me and edited by Heather Webb. (Psst! For first dibs, make sure to follow the campaign on Kickstarter.)

07/27/2025

🎃🕯️ *Spooky season is creeping in … and we have the perfect giveaway for your autumn reading list!* 🕯️🎃

The Once Upon a Gothic book series launches on Kickstarter this fall—but you can win an early set ahead of publication! Enter the Once Upon a Gothic Sweepstakes for a chance to win a complete signed softcover set of four hauntingly beautiful gothic retellings by four bestselling and critically acclaimed authors:

🦇 The Last Bride: A Novel of Dracula by Paulette Kennedy
🏰 The Heiress of Northanger Abbey by Nancy Bilyeau
🎭 The Phantom's Apprentice by Heather Webb
⚡ Unnatural Creatures: A Novel of the Frankenstein Women by Kris Waldherr

Each book includes the original novels by Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, and Gaston Leroux in a cleverly designed dual book format ... all the better for reading by candlelight on a stormy night. Perfect for fans of gothic fiction, dark romance, and timeless tales with a twist!

Enter below or by visiting tinyurl.com/OUAGsweepstakes — and good luck to all who enter!

The small print: Giveaway ends September 1, 2025. US only.

07/20/2025

Our latest Kickstarter is in prelaunch! Follow it here:

Dracula, Frankenstein, Northanger Abbey, & Phantom of the Opera retellings by 4 bestselling authors. Packaged with the original novels.