Happy New Year! I’m excited that the Peninsula Book Collaborative gave me an opportunity to do an author meet and greet at their bookstore.
I hope you can make it.
-Derek
When: March 7, 2026, 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Where: Peninsula Books, 441 Westlake Center, Daly City, CA, 94015
First five attendees receive a FREE copy of my book, “Being Followed”!
In Being Followed, author Derek Muk tells the story of Claire Goldman, a strong, independent writer whose life takes a terrifying turn after she begins receiving threatening letters tied to her latest book. As the danger escalates, Albert, her ex-husband and former college sweetheart, re-enters her life, determined to protect her, and possibly rekindle a love they once shared.
Blending horror, mystery, suspense, thriller, and romance, Being Followed is inspired by real-world events that have shaped the nation, exploring how personal lives collide with a growing darkness.
Learn More About the Meet and Greet here: https://peninsulabooks.org/event/author-meet-greet-derek-muk/
I was interviewed by Uncaged Book Reviews and I’m one of the featured authors in this month’s issue, alongside some other great writers. It was a fun interview and I’d like to thank Cyrene and the magazine for interviewing me and featuring me.
In the interview, I discuss my latest books and also talk about my writing process.
Interview link: https://online.fliphtml5.com/blsto/frkt/#p=1
I was just interviewed by the great and awesome Jason White on his podcast. A major thank you for having me on your show. I had a blast talking to you. That was fun!
We had a great conversation about my writer origins and how I started as an author, about authors that inspired and influenced me, about me being a fan of the speculative fiction and movie genres, and about my writing process and my stories and books. We also discussed my latest book, “Being Followed”, as well as my other books, “The Demon Seeds” and “The Hanging Man.”
I received this excellent book review of Jeremy from Mike Rankin of Horror Bookworm Reviews.
It’s obvious Derek Muk’s Jeremy shows a passion for the unusual, strange and the disturbing. When you least expect it, the story blindsides with voice-vomiting exclamations from the darkness. Within everyday routines, a compelling storyline of the supernatural takes place.
Check out Mike’s full review here: https://horrorbookwormreviews.com/2024/11/01/jeremy-by-derek-muk/
-Derek
New Novelette, Jeremy. Available Now!
Today is the official release day of my paranormal horror novelette, “Jeremy”. For me personally, it’s a great, positive way to welcome the autumn season. You can feel the cool, crisp chill in the air now (you need that jacket when you go out now), and you can see the late afternoons/evenings getting dark faster.
Visit Shadow House Press and grab your copy of the book: https://www.shadowhousepress.com/products/jeremy-by-derek-muk
-Derek
I’m thrilled and excited to announce that my novelette, “Jeremy” (an Albert Taylor paranormal mystery/adventure), will be officially released by Shadow House Press on September 20th.
Here are the pre-order links for the novelette (ebook and paperback):
https://www.shadowhousepress.com/products/jeremy-by-derek-muk
Click to Purchase on Amazon
The paperback edition of my new novella, Being Followed, is available now. Nice to have a physical paper copy of it; to feel the texture of the paper and cover in my hands. And to smell its pages is almost like a priceless feeling. I like the convenience of e-books (great for traveling and the fact they don’t take up physical space), but there’s just something special and unique about an actual paper book, especially one that you’ve written.
I’m excited to share the paperback cover reveal for my new novella, “Being Followed”, which will drop sometime in June. More news to follow. The great artwork is by Adrian Baldwin. Thank you, Dean M Drinkel.
BOOK REVIEW TIME: Here’s a fantastic review of my novella, Being Followed, by book reviewer, Steve Stred.
Thanks so much, Steve!
-Derek
Review Excerpt:
Click for Kindle Edition
We live in some of the most infuriating times. It doesn’t matter where you look, or how you filter your news, every day feels darker, light dimmer, hope a fading belief of a decade ago….in the world of fiction, this is also a boom time. No matter where a writer looks, something is going to piss them off and inspire them to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard.
Derek Muk is one such writer. And in this, his newest release, he’s angry, he’s pissed off and he writes with a feverish heat throughout.
Throughout, it’s a difficult read with deep themes that are honestly tough to digest. I see the news. I read the stories, watch the clips, but I don’t personally directly experience any of this. I’m a 40 year old white guy. I try my best to be an ally, to be there for those who need me and to know I’m a safe space, but I don’t get notes left on my car, graffiti painted on my home, or death threats emailed to me. I don’t get yelled names in public, or have strangers come up to me and wish me dead or spit on me.
…Muk’s novella directly addresses that. It hits to the core of it and it’s a novella that I loved and I hated equally. I loved it because of how Claire and Albert are such strong, solid characters and strong, solid people. I hated it because it reads far too close to non-fiction than anything of this nature should.
Check out Steve’s full review here: https://stevestredauthor.ca/2024/03/08/book-review-being-followed-by-derek-muk/
Here’s a new, excellent review of my novella, Being Followed, by Nora Peevy (book reviewer for Hellnotes).
Thank you so much for the review, Nora! I really appreciate it.
-Derek
Review Excerpt:
Click for Kindle Edition
WOW. Derek Muk’s “Being Followed” is a hard pill to swallow, making America look at the seedy underbelly of White Nationalism rebranded throughout our nation’s history and around the world from generation to generation before, during, and after the rise of Hitler. Muk had this to say about his novella in his interview with Steve Stred, “The book was inspired by racial tensions sparked by the 2017 Charlottesville, VA rally, the January 6th coup … of the US capitol, and the murder of George Floyd, and the fascist atmosphere of the Trump Presidency.” Never has our nation perched on a powder keg of politics ready to explode, as it has in the past eight years. It’s been festering like a slow infection just below the skin for decades because America refuses to address the issues surrounding White Nationalism, but Muk shines a light on the ugly wound. Wielding a sharp blade of honesty cutting to the bone, every word chosen with a surgeon’s precision highlights the plight of our world and national politics. Having a BA and an MA in Social Work, he holds a deeper insight into society and diverse groups of people, which is displayed in his novella.
Check out Nora’s full review here: https://hellnotes.com/book-review-being-followed/
I was happy and excited to discover this morning an awesome review of my new novella, Being Followed. Christina Pfeiffer, indie horror reviewer at Uncomfortably Dark, wrote a fantastic review of the book. It really made my day, and brightened it up and made it positive. 🙂
Check out Christina’s Review here!
-Derek
I’m excited to announce that it’s the official launch day of my new book, “Being Followed”!
OUT TODAY!
“Being Followed” by Derek Muk
(cover design by Adrian Baldwin; artwork by John Hain)
I’m excited and thrilled to announce that my new mystery/horror/romance novella, “Being Followed”, will be released on January 31st.
This one is a little different than others that I’ve written. It’s a bit of a departure because I rarely dabble in the romance genre (and rarely get political in my writing), but that’s because I was inspired/influenced by current events happening in the world. It was hard to ignore because it affected many people, but it was nice and refreshing to mix things up and go in a different direction this time instead of doing the usual paranormal thriller/monster of the week kind of story.
A major shout out and thank you to my beta readers, my editor, and to Mr. Dean M Drinkel for making all this possible!!
Here’s a link for an interview I did about the new release:
https://demainpublishingblog.weebly.com/home/being-followed-by-derek-muk-author-interview
Here’s the pre-sale link: https://www.amazon.com/Being-Followed-Derek-Muk-ebook/dp/B0CSC7HTK8
“Here ye, here ye, my friends, little boys and girls, and ladies and germs, come on down to the carnival and see the legendary Hanging Man in all its glory in the haunted house before summer ends…..come get your tickets at the booth for some summertime fun and thrills and some good, old-fashioned cotton candy, popcorn, and lemonade.”
– from the carnival barker.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐧 by 𝐷𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑘 𝑀𝑢𝑘
𝖢𝗈𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗀𝖾 𝖿𝗋𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗍𝗒 𝖺𝗅𝗎𝗆𝗇𝗂 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗆𝗒𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗂𝗈𝗎𝗌𝗅𝗒 𝖻𝖾𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗄𝗂𝗅𝗅𝖾𝖽 𝗈𝖿𝖿, 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝖻𝗒 𝗈𝗇𝖾. 𝖲𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗌𝖺𝗒 𝗂𝗍’𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗄 𝗈𝖿 𝖺 𝗋𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗅𝖾𝗌𝗌, 𝖻𝗅𝗈𝗈𝖽𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗋𝗌𝗍𝗒 𝗉𝗌𝗒𝖼𝗁𝗈𝗉𝖺𝗍𝗁 𝗌𝖾𝖾𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗏𝖾𝗇𝗀𝖾𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖺 𝗉𝗅𝖾𝖽𝗀𝖾 𝗁𝖺𝗓𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗀𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝖺𝗐𝗋𝗒 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝟣𝟫𝟩𝟢𝗌. 𝖮𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗌𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗎𝗅𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗌𝖾 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗂𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝖺 𝖼𝗎𝗋𝗌𝖾.
𝖯𝗋𝗈𝖿𝖾𝗌𝗌𝗈𝗋 𝖠𝗅𝖻𝖾𝗋𝗍 𝖳𝖺𝗒𝗅𝗈𝗋 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗀𝗋𝖺𝖽𝗎𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗍𝖾𝖺𝖼𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝗍, 𝖩𝖺𝗇, 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗇𝗈 𝗌𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝖾𝗂𝗋𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗀𝗋𝗎𝖾𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝗅𝗈𝗈𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌. 𝖢𝖺𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝗁𝗂𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗀𝗋𝗂𝗌𝗅𝗒 𝗎𝗇𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗂𝗍𝗒 𝗆𝗎𝗋𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗂𝗍’𝗌 𝗍𝗈𝗈 𝗅𝖺𝗍𝖾?
The Occult Files of Albert Taylor 