NELL & THE NETHERBEAST

Twelve-year-old Nell just wants a delightful pet of her own. Unfortunately, she ends up finding the Netherbeast instead, a cat (or...something pretending to be a cat) who smells like rancid garbage and looks like he was hit by a bus. Nell's parents will probably (definitely) say no, but luckily, Nell is spending the summer away from home at her Aunt Jerry's Bed & Breakfast.

But things go downhill when Nell and the Netherbeast discover a grumpy ghost in the rumpus room, who keeps throwing tantrums, peeling the wallpaper, making the portraits cry, and exploding the piano. Talk about bad for business! Can Nell and the Netherbeast get rid of the ghost, save the B&B, and--toughest of all--convince Nell's parents that she's finally ready for her very own (unusual) pet?

Nell and the Netherbeast releases August 2023 from Andrews McMeel.

Behind the Book

Nell and the Netherbeast is my first book with ILLUSTRATIONS! And I love, love, love them. The illustrator is Ash Szymanik (they also did the cover), and their drawings are so fun and expressive. The Netherbeastiest!

This book is dedicated to my cat Collette, who is equal parts lovely and terrible. She is nowhere near as disgusting as the Netherbeast, but she does enjoy being horrible to other cats and peeing on the couch. There are pictures of her on this page for your viewing pleasure.

Do you enjoy terrible cats and/or creatures from the dark realms?