Short stories are all fine and good, but when will you have a novel? All the answers I used to give to this question (which mostly came down to “I’m trying to find room in my life”) can finally be done away with, because The October Film Haunt is coming on September 30, 2025, courtesy of St. Martin’s Press.

Those of you who aren’t familiar with my horror stories will hopefully think that’s an intriguing title for a debut novel. If you’ve read my first fiction collection, Greener Pastures, you might be thinking about the short story “October Film Haunt: Under the House.” In the original 2016 piece, four scary movie fanatics run a blog called The October Film Haunt. Once a year, they visit the site of a different cult horror film, where they tap into the atmosphere of this hallowed ground in their writings. They locate the filming location of a strange YouTube video titled Under the House, and…it doesn’t go well. (That’s not a spoiler. After all, I didn’t title the story “April Film Frolic: In the Garden.”) The story is a sort of round-robin ode to found-footage horror, and I’m proud that it’s been one of my most popular works. I still see it referenced online all these years later.

The novel is not an expansion of this story but rather folds the original into a much larger canvas. It features different characters and a different film, directed by the mysterious Hélène Enriquez, who many fans believe also made Under the House. I wanted to write a much larger hug to horror fandom, and I wanted it to be SCARY. I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever written, and I hope you’ll put it on your calendar.

Here’s a little about The October Film Haunt from the publisher’s website:

[Paul Tremblay’s] Horror Movie meets the scope and emotion of Stephen King in this heart-pounding, magnetic tour de force novel, destined to become an instant classic, about a woman pulled into a cult horror film that is determined to have a sequel, by critically acclaimed author Michael Wehunt.

Ten years ago, Jorie Stroud was the rising star of the October Film Haunt – a trio of horror enthusiasts who camped out at the filming locations of their favorite scary movies, sharing their love through their popular blog. But after a night in the graveyard from Proof of Demons – perhaps the most chilling cult film ever made, directed by the enigmatic Hélène Enriquez – everything unraveled.

Now, Jorie has built an isolated life with her young son in Vermont. In the devastating wake of her viral, truth-stretching Proof of Demons blog entry — hysteria, internet backlash, and the death of a young woman — Jorie has put it all, along with her intense love for the horror genre, behind her.

Until a videotape arrives in the mail. Jorie fears someone might be filming her. And the “Rickies” – Enriquez obsessives who would do anything for the reclusive director – begin to cross lines in shocking ways. It seems Hélène Enriquez is making a new kind of sequel…and Jorie is her final girl.

As the dangers grow even more unexpected and strange, Jorie must search for answers before the Proof of the movie’s title finds her and takes everything she loves.

This riveting and layered horror novel unleashes supernatural terror in a world where truth can be manipulated, and nothing is as it seems. Beautiful and horrifying, with an unforgettable cast of characters, The October Film Haunt will shock and delight readers all the way to its breathless final page.

You can find blurbs from a whole bunch of my favorite authors at the publisher’s link, but I’ll share what the great Stephen Graham Jones had to say after reading The October Film Haunt: “The horror in here is palpable, and timely, and sticky, but the writing itself is just as scary: How can one pen have this many good lines in it?”

And why not share the amazing Paul Tremblay‘s thoughts, too? “Michael Wehunt’s rabbit punch of a novel is as beautifully written as it is affecting. The October Film Haunt cleverly deconstructs horror stories while at the same time constructing one that is so unique and steeped in 21st century paranoia and dread you won’t be able to read this alone at night. Speaking for a friend, of course.”

You can also find pre-order links on that same St. Martin’s Press webpage, if you’re so inclined. Hardcover, e-book, and audio editions will all be arriving on September 30. I can’t wait for you to meet Jorie Stroud and Coleman Smith and Hélène Enriquez and Proof of Demons and the “Rickies” and [REDACTED]. For now, I’m thrilled to finally have a new answer to “When will you have a novel?”

Pre-order at Bookshop
Pre-order at Barnes & Noble
Pre-order at Amazon
Or ask your favorite indie bookstore to order it for you and support local businesses!