About Me

About Caryn

Caryn Larrinaga is a multiple award-winning mystery and horror author whose chief obsessions are ghosts, cats, and the occasional unspeakable horror. Her works include the Amazon bestselling Soul Searchers Mysteries series (Donn’s Hill, Donn’s Shadow, and Donn’s Legacy), Mouse Trap, Superhero Syndrome, Dread Softly, Galtzagorriak and Other Creatures: Stories Inspired by Basque Folklore, and the forthcoming supernatural mystery When You Wish Upon the Dark. She has also written for a tabletop RPG and various podcasts, literary journals, newspapers, and zines. 

Caryn’s awards include the League of Utah Writers Gold Typewriter and the Cat Writers Association Muse Medallion. In 2021, she was named Writer of the Year by the League of Utah Writers. She is an active member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the Cat Writers Association, the League of Utah Writers, and the Utah Chapter of the Horror Writers Association.

A Basque-American author and Utah native, Caryn is best known for her works of supernatural horror, many of which include or were inspired by concepts and creatures from Basque folklore. The Basque concept of being states that “everything which has a name exists,” and Caryn brings her nightmares to life on the page simply by giving them names.

When she isn’t indulging in all things eerie, you can find Caryn catering to her feline overlords, burying the bodies of her many murdered houseplants, and navigating life with epilepsy (because even her neurons enjoy a good plot twist). 

Selected Reviews

“I gleefully devoured Donn’s Hill in two days. Larrinaga’s friendly, conversational tone made this book a joy to read. Not only did she write funny dialogue, she masterfully crafted frightening and gruesome scenes laden with suspense.” – Sci-Fi & Scary Starred Review

“Larrinaga has a way of taking you into strange, fantastical POVs without ever making you wonder how you got there…” – Fallen Fiction Reviews

“Larrinaga blends high suspense, tense mystery, a poignant account of finding friendships and loyalty, and a touching narrative to craft this hard-to-put-down paranormal mystery series.”
– The Prairies Book Review

“Definitely pick up this book. It’s spooky and touching and will leave you with a satisfying feeling when all the details are neatly tied up in the end. I anticipate Larrinaga’s future works, as they are sure to be just as gratifying.” – Reads & Reels

“Great pacing with the action being mixed in with humor, touching moments, eerie happenings, and reflection.” – Dab of Darkness

“Who knew the slightest creak of a floorboard could be unnerving in written form.”
– C.R. Langille

Publications

Novels, Novellas, and Collections

  • Donn’s Hill (The Soul Searchers Mysteries, Book 1) (Twisted Tree Press, 2017)
  • Galtzagorriak and Other Creatures: Stories Inspired by Basque Folklore (Twisted Tree Press, 2017)
  • Superhero Syndrome (Twisted Tree Press, 2017)
  • Donn’s Shadow (The Soul Searchers Mysteries, Book 2) (Twisted Tree Press, 2019)
  • Donn’s Legacy (The Soul Searchers Mysteries, Book 3) (Twisted Tree Press, 2020)
  • Dread Softly: A Collection (Twisted Tree Press, 2021)
  • Mouse Trap (Timber Ghost Press, 2023)

Novelettes and Short Stories

  • Hide and Seek (Self-Published, 2015)
  • “The Fishermen,” Apocalypse Utah: A Collection of Utah Horror (Griffin Publishers, 2017)
  • “A Friend in Need,” A Year of the Monkeys (Infinite Press, 2018) and The NoSleep Podcast (2019)
  • “Watchers’ Warning,” From A Cat’s View Vol. II (Post-to-Print Publishing, 2019)
  • “Bad Luck Bridget,” Cat Ladies of the Apocalypse (Camden Park Press, 2020)
  • “The Thing Inside Jacky Jensen’s Garage,” The Function of Freedom (LUW Press, 2020)
  • “No Soliciting,” They Walk Among Us: A Collection of Utah Horror (Forty-Two Books, 2019)
  • “Until Death,” The NoSleep Podcast (2020)
  • “The Bump,” Mother Ghost’s Grimm: Volume 2 (Nocturnal Sirens Publishing, 2020)
  • “Family Time,” The Witching Time of Night (Salt City Genre Writers, 2020)
  • “For Scrying Out Loud,” Wasatch Witches: A Collection of Utah Horror (Fear Knocks Press, 2021)
  • “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” Don’t Break the Oath: Women in Horror Vol 4 (Kandisha Press, 2021)
  • “Never Alone,” Out of Time: True Paranormal Encounters (Timber Ghost Press, 2022)

Professional Organizations

  • Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (Full Member)
  • Horror Writers Association (Active Writer)
  • Cat Writers Association
  • League of Utah Writers

Awards and Nominations

  • The League of Utah Writers Adult Fiction Silver Quill (Winner) for Donn’s Hill (2017)
  • The Dragon Awards (Finalist) – Horror Novel for Donn’s Hill (2017)
  • League of Utah Writers Speculative Fiction Contest, Third Place for “A Friend In Need” (2018)
  • The League of Utah Writers Short Fiction Contest, 2nd Honorable Mention for “The Devil’s Way Out” (2019)
  • League of Utah Writers Speculative Fiction Contest, 1st Honorable Mention for “No Soliciting” (2020)
  • The League of Utah Writers Adult Fiction, Recommended Read for Donn’s Legacy (2021)
  • The Cat Writers Association Communications Contest, Certificate of Excellence for “Bad Luck Bridget” (2021)
  • The Cat Writers Association Communications Contest, Certificate of Excellence for Donn’s Legacy (2021)
  • The Cat Writers Association Muse Medallion for Donn’s Legacy (2021)
  • The League of Utah Writers Writer of the Year (2021)
  • The Typewriter Awards, Gold Typewriter for “For Scrying Out Loud” (2022)
  • The Olive Woolley Burt Awards, First Place for “But I Live Here” (2022)
  • The Olive Woolley Burt Awards, 1st Honorable Mention for “Premium Request” (2022)
  • The League of Utah Writers Silver Quill Award for Novellas (2023)
2018 League of Utah Writers Short Fiction Contest, 2nd Honorable Mention – “The Devil’s Way Out”
2018 League of Utah Writers Speculative Fiction Contest, Third Place – “A Friend In Need”
2017 League of Utah Writers Adult Fiction Award, Silver Quill – DONN’S HILL
2017 Dragon Awards – Finalist, Horror Category – DONN’S HILL
Cat Writers Association Muse Medallion – Donn’s Legacy

Presentations, Panels, and Interviews

2019 Salt Lake Gaming Con Panel: “A Symphony of Terror: Creating Atmosphere in Horror Roleplaying”
With:
C.R. Langille, Joe Borrelli, and Caryn Larrinaga
2017 Basque Cultural Day: Caryn Larrinaga’s “Galtzagorriak and Other Creatures”
2018 LTUE Panel: “Someone Else’s Hero”
With:
Caryn Larrinaga, David Farland, Kathryn Purdie, and  Todd McCaffrey(M)
9/8/2017 Interview with Dungeon Crawler’s Radio for Superhero Syndrome
3/20/2017 Interview on Park City TV’s “Mountain Views with Terry Burden”
3/10/2017 Interview on Dungeon Crawler’s Radio for DONN’S HILL
3/8/2017 Plain Donuts Interview for DONN’S HILL
3/7/2017 The White Room, Ep.16: Caryn Larrinaga

An Interview with Caryn Larrinaga, by Jeff Kivela of Buttonholed Book Reviews (January 16, 2017)

Saturday Spotlight, by Martin McConnell on WriteFarmLive.com (March 4, 2017)

An Interview with Paranormal Mystery Author Caryn Larrinaga! by Clare Kauter on ClareKauter.com (March 14, 2017)

Podcast: Interview with Caryn Larrinaga, by Bryce Beattie on StoryHack.com (March 22, 2017)

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