The Dead and the Dark(100)

Thank you to Kelly Jones, my Writing in the Margins mentor, who has always held the door open for aspiring writers. Thank you for listening to all my venting and for always offering to connect me with writers who really know what’s going on. Doing this whole thing one time was exhausting; I can’t imagine how you’ve done it a dozen times!

Thank you to Trisha Kelly, Adrienne Tooley, and Ashley Schumacher for being early readers and supporters of this odd little story. Thank you to Andrea Gomez for your help pushing this book to a deeper level. Thank you to the Tea Time crew: Rachel Diebel, Anna Loose, Ingrid Clark, Maylen Anthony, Lauren Cashman, Adrian Mayoral, Camille Adams, Sylvie Creekmore, and Mike Traner. Thank you to Courtney Summers, Dahlia Adler, Emma Berquist, Francesca Zappia, and Erica Waters for reading and loving The Dead and the Dark. You’re all incredible writers and it means the world to hear your kind words about my girls.

Thank you to Red Dead Redemption, Riverdale, Sharp Objects, Holes, Johnny Cash, Westworld, and all the other strange pieces of media I devoured while trying to figure this book out. Thank you to the towns of eastern Oregon I visited while trying to bring Snakebite to life—I hope you see yourselves represented in these pages.

Lastly, my family. Thank you to Carly for being the original hype-man for my creative pursuits. Thank you to Dad and Grandma for your patience while waiting to see if this writing thing would pay off. Thank you to Davis for always believing I could do this. Thank you to Mom for always saying this dream was practical, for sacrificing so much for us, and for always being home for me. I am beyond lucky to have you. This book is for you.

Thank you to everyone who helped create this story about two girls looking for love in a world of hate. I hope you like what it’s become.





About the Author


COURTNEY GOULD writes books about queer girls, ghosts, and things that go bump in the night. She graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and publishing. Born and raised in Salem, Oregon, she now lives and writes in Tacoma, Washington, where she continues to write love letters to haunted girls and rural, empty spaces. The Dead and the Dark is her debut novel. You can sign up for email updates here.