Beatrice Winifred Iker
Cover design: Lisa Marie Pompilio
Available ​November 18, 2025
This heart-pounding Southern gothic horror debut from Beatrice Winifred Iker, takes readers to Bricksbury University, the oldest and most storied HBCUs in the nation. But as one student is about to find out, a long history comes with a legacy of secrets.
Zora Robinson is an ambitious grad student at her dream program, the Appalachian Studies at Bricksbury university. When her thesis advisor suggests she research the local folklore about a beast roaming the woods surrounding campus, Zora finds a community uneager to talk to an outsider.
As she delves into the history of the beast, she uncovers a rumored secret society called the Keepers that has tenuous ties to the beast…and Bricksbury itself. Zora soon finds herself plagued by visions of the past, and her grip on reality starts to slip as she struggles to uncover what is real and what is folklore. But when a student goes missing, Zora starts to wonder if the Keepers ever really disbanded.
There’s something in the woods and it has its eyes on Zora.
Charley's Honky Tonk Mission
CHARLEY’S HONKY TONK MISSION is a lyrical picture book written by Beatrice Winifred Iker and illustrated by Miguelina Milien, out with Kokila/PRH in summer 2026. The book celebrates Charley Pride, America’s first Black country music star. It follows him on his mission to craft unifying and entertaining country music as he first dreamt of it from an idyllic cloud.