Tiny Threads
Forthcoming September 2024
A young woman gets her dream job working for a famous designer—and discovers the dark side of the glamorous world of fashion—in this gorgeously sinister novel of supernatural suspense.
Fashion-obsessed Samara finally has the life she’s always dreamed of: a high-powered job with legendary designer Antonio Mota. A new home in sunny California, far away from those drab Jersey winters. And an intriguing love interest, Brandon, a wealthy investor in Mota’s fashion line.
But it’s not long before Samara’s dream life begins to turn into a living nightmare, as Mota’s big fashion show approaches and the pressure on Samara turns crushing. Perhaps that’s why Samara begins hearing voices in the dark in her room at night—and seeing strange things that can’t be explained away by stress and anxiety, or by the number of drinks she consumes every night.
And it may not only be Samara’s unraveling psyche, because she soon discovers hints that her new city—and the house of Mota—may have been built on a foundation of secrets and lies. Now Samara must uncover what hideous truths lurk in the shadows of this illusory world of glamor and beauty, before those shadows claim her…
Reviews
"A fashion writer tangles with sinister secrets in this harrowing haute couture thriller…there’s enough masterful detailing and vividly imagined scares to keep readers on pins and needles. Horror fans shouldn’t miss it."
"Rivera not only weaves a thrilling psychological horror story, but also pays homage to the legions of skilled Latinx workers that go unrecognized in the fashion industry as well as many others. It’s an absolute stunner."
"TINY THREADS is a hallucinatory, irresistible tale about the slow unraveling of generational trauma, the intersection of beauty and violence, and the monstrous power of reclamation. Vicious, terrifying, and glamorous, with a character so real I felt her pulse in my own throat. You won't know whether you're devouring this novel or it's devouring you. Lilliam Rivera is a force."Katie Gutierrez, bestselling author of More Than You'll Ever Know
"Tiny Threads is a chilling and compelling tale of a young woman trying to find herself even as she's desperate to shed her past. Beneath the novel's irresistible world of fashion and style--and beyond the sinister, supernatural plot twists--there lies a story of erasure and grief that won't soon let you go. Let Lilliam Rivera's work haunt you."Edan Lepucki, New York Times bestselling author of the novel California
"Ephemeral and haunting, like rich, gauzy fabric, and layered in captivating prose. Tiny Threads is a modern Gothic jewel. Lilliam Rivera spins the fabric of grief, social structures, and painful secrets wrapped in ancestry and history that whisper to us in the night and challenge us in the day. "Cynthia Pelayo, Bram Stoker award-winning author
"Rivera shows you aside to the fashion industry you've never seen before. A searing novel."Erika T. Wurth, author of White Horse
"A shimmering supernatural thriller that interrogates the world of fashion through a sharp, critical eye. I couldn’t put it down."Sarah Rose Etter, author of Ripe and The Book of X
"This short Latina Gothic explores the dark, grotesque side of the fashion industry. Uprooting her life from Jersey to California, Samara finally lands her dream job at a legendary fashion house, but it's not all glitz and glamour. Think "Devil Wears Prada" but make it horror. The pressure put on Samara to excel at her new job crushes her, and she hears voices and sees disturbing images all around her. Samara realizes that her new town is built on a troubling foundation, and she must uncover the truth and face her own past. Tiny Threads is the BEST book I have read all year."Anna, bookseller at Underground Books (GA)
"I knew right away this book was FOR ME. A Latin horror set in the fashion industry with a main character who is slowly slowly losing her mind? I'm totally there. This book did not disappoint. Such a powerful story about running from generational trauma, but in this story, Samara runs straight into it. I love how strong and brave Samara is (because I would have packed and left), with a Latina main character there really is no other way. As a Latina, I saw so much of myself in Samara, and I'm so grateful for Lilliam Rivera for laying this character bare for everyone to witness."Nadi, bookseller at Lark and Owl Booksellers