by V. Castro
First published 2025
Valentina leads a group of creatures who inhabit The Pink Agave Motel. She manages the daily operations and keeps her supernatural guests in line. When someone dies violently on the property, consumed in a carnivorous attack, Valentina faces a crisis. The murder could expose her existence and destroy everything she has built. She must solve the killing before authorities discover the truth about her motel. To investigate, she teams up with the dead person's friend, a grieving man who doesn't know what Valentina really is. The other stories in this collection feature a displaced woman drinking alone at a coastal bar, motel guests who break free from sexual restraints, and aliens who adopt seductive human forms. Each tale blends desire with danger, mixing Mexican folklore with feminist themes. Castro creates scenarios where love becomes predatory and intimacy turns deadly.
Genres: fantasy, horror, contemporary, magical-realism
Vibes: dark, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Pink Agave Motel
244 pages · Paperback · CLASH Books
Content warnings: sexual-content, violence