“interactive” fiction

Every year, Meredith and Aveline have done serial Halloween-themed novellas during the month of October. Essentially, every day we’ll put up a part, and then readers can comment with their suggestions for the main character, and the next section is written based on those comments! Check out this Twitter thread for more details about how these are run.

Something Rich and Strange by Meredith Katz (Halloween 2024)
An urban fantasy romantic drama with a pansexual male protagonist and two male love interests. 58,000 words.

In this return to the Uncanny Valley, Star (which is short for “Son, That Ain’t Right”) a shapeshifting fairy racehorse finds his jockey under some strange spell, apparently targeted at getting access to Star’s sidhe lover and boss. As Star digs deeper into this, not just his friends, but his track and then his whole city become at risk. But who could be doing this, and why do all the attacks seem so very personal? (Set in the Uncanny Valley world, but can be read alone.)

[Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | [break] | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14 | [break] | [break] | Day 17 | Day 18 | Day 19 | Day 20 | Day 21 | Day 22 | [break] | Day 24 | Day 25 | [break] | Day 27 | Day 28 | Day 29 | Day 30 | Day 31 | Finale | Epilogue | Author Q&A]

Body of Work by Meredith Katz (Halloween 2022)
A spooky high-fantasy story about an academic at a magical university. Primary M/M pairing. 62,000 words.

Conjurations professor Augustus Pennywright has some odd secrets: a missing chunk of his past, a mysterious husband, and secrets from his childhood he’d rather not come to light. But when a new professor is hired to teach at his university who seems very familiar, and some of his work starts to go missing, Augustus is going to find that what seems like interdepartmental drama is inherently tied to his unknown past.

[Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | [break] | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | [break] | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14 | [break & summary so far] | Day 16 | Day 17 | Day 18 | Day 19 | Day 20 | Day 21 | Day 22 | [break] | Day 24 | Day 25 | Day 26 | Day 27 | [break] | Day 29 | Day 30 | Day 31 | Day 32 | Day 33 | [break] | Day 35 | Finale | Wrap-up and Q&A]

That Which Lingers by Aveline Reynard (Halloween 2021)
An urban fantasy romance story with multiple love interests across the queer spectrum. Pan, nonbinary, polyam protagonist. 85,000 words.

A grumpy paranormal informant, Webb, would love to be viewed as nothing more than a NPC in other people’s stories instead of having to become the lead in their own. But when a vampire and a wizard walk into their shop and inform them they’ve been set up—that the people they’ve helped have been sent to their probable vampiric deaths—Webb is forced to reluctantly get involved. At least if it’s vampires, it surely won’t involve their traumatic past with the fae! (Set in the Uncanny Valley world, but can be read alone.)

[Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14 | [break] | Day 16 | Day 17 | Day 18 | Day 19 | Day 20 | [break] | Day 22 | Day 23 | Day 24 | Day 25 | [break] | Day 27 | Day 28 | Day 29 | [break] | [break] | Day 33 | Day 34 | Day 35 | Day 36 | Day 37 | Day 38 | Day 39 | Day 40 | Day 41 | Day 42 | [break] | Day 44 | Day 45 | Day 46 | Day 47 | Day 48 | Day 49 | [break] | Finale | Epilogue | Wrap-up/Q&A]

Final Call by Meredith Katz (Halloween 2020)
A surreal gaslight fantasy-horror story with multiple possible interests. Bi protag, primary M/M relationship(s). 40,000 words.

Lucien is an actor: a ritual role where he must steer a sacrificial play in tribute to the Exalted Lords who occasionally deign to observe. Day after day, he will help build to a finale which he won’t know about until he gets there. Starring alongside him is a firebrand actress with a mysterious past, and a man who looks very much like him but acts strangely remote. With missing hearts and shifting roles, with the world at threat and a new Lord threatening to ascend, what will the closing night bring?

[Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14 | Day 15 | Day 16 | Day 17 | Day 18 | Day 19 | Day 20 | Day 21 | Day 22 | Day 23 | Day 24 | Day 25 | Day 26 | Day 27 | Day 28 | Day 29 | Day 30 | Conclusion | Author Notes/Story Q&A]

A Little Night Magic by Meredith Katz (Halloween 2019)
An urban fantasy romance story with multiple possible interests. Bi protag, primary F/NB relationship. 52,000 words.

Vivian is a witch with no real ability beyond a little fortunetelling, sent in exile from her coven after too much romantic drama. Now living in the city of Branwin, ON, Viv is just learning the neighborhood when one of the local fae collapses in front of her. Viv is drawn in to try to protect them with what little power she has … even if it might result in a war between the fae and human worlds! (Set in the same world as Uncanny Valley, but can be read alone).

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14 | Day 15 | Day 16 | Day 17 | Day 18 | Day 19 | Day 20 | Day 21 | Day 22 | Day 23 | Day 24 | Day 25 | Day 26 | Day 27 | Day 28 | Day 29 | Day 30 | Epilogue | Author’s Notes/Story Q&A]

Crafting Love by Meredith Katz (Halloween 2018)
A Lovecraftian romance story with multiple possible love interests. Bi protag, primary M/M relationship. 52,000 words.

Jay Park has recently inherited an old house in Kingsport from his aunt Grace. He expects it to be quiet in this small town but … well, Grace hid uncanny secrets around the house, the neighbors are cultists, and old gods are threatening to invade through the Dreamlands, leaving Jay having to save reality with the help of his otherworldly new cat and his strange but handsome next-door neighbor.

Uncanny Valley by Meredith Katz (Halloween 2017)
A paranormal romance story with multiple love interests. M/M and M/NB. 45,000 words.

Tam Lynes wakes up on the morning of his twenty-first birthday to find that his twin brother Ash had been promised to a witch and has already been taken. To get him back and break the contract, Tam’s going to have to deal with the denizens of Branwin town’s paranormal district, from witches to weredogs, form vampires to shadowy shapeshifters!

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14 | Day 15 | Day 16 |Day 17 | Day 18 | Day 19 | Day 20 | Day 21 | Day 22 | Day 23 | Day 24 | Day 25 | Day 26 | Day 27 | Day 28 | Day 29 | Day 30 | Epilogue| Author’s Notes/Story Q&A

Septimus and Sweet by Meredith Katz (Halloween 2016)
A haunted house story with one love interest; Romantic Cosmic Horror (Cosmic Romance?). M/M. 28,000 words.

The unfortunately-named Septimus Boon goes to hang out at his new boyfriend Damien Sweet’s familial house in the woods for Halloween, little knowing what’s lurking below the house or the transformation that Damien will go through before the night is through.

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14 | Day 15 | Day 16 | Day 17 | Day 18 | Day 19 | Day 20 | Day 21 | Day 22 | Day 23 | Day 24 | Day 25 | Conclusion | Author’s Notes/Story Q&A | Art – by a friend, Mikage