Inked in Gray Press has acquired world English rights to A Death Worth Living by horror thriller author Trey Stone.
A Death Worth Living will be Trey’s second book with Inked in Gray Press. Trey’s first novella, At The Gate, was published on September 6, 2022. At The Gate is Trey’s first paranormal psychological horror, taking readers on a journey alongside Joseph, a man who has given up on life and seeks only an end to his misery. A visit to a haunted hotel, aptly named “The Gate.” The book addresses the struggles with mental health through the allegory of the haunted hotel.
A Death Worth Living is a lighter novella for those who enjoyed the introspective aspects of At The Gate. This story follows Jacob, dead at twenty and feeling robbed of what he thought would be a long and fruitful life. He’s met by a mysterious being whose job it is to guide him through his memories and into whatever comes next. Yet, the figure seems . . . familiar. As Jacob recounts his memories — some good, some bad, and some forgotten — he comes to the realization that he could have done some things differently. His guide, who call themself Eran, tells Jacob that he can change one thing, and only one thing about his past, if he dares.
This novella is different. It is a character-focused story that discusses the human experience: the love, the pain, the loss, the joy. Jacob must decide whether to alter a memory and change the course of his own history, or live with the guilt of not being the perfect son.
This narrative speaks to our own insecurities about life and the choices we make. We’ve all done things we regret, but we must come to terms with our humanity.
Inked in Gray is proud to publish this next release from Trey Stone! A Death Worth Living releases October 21, 2025. You can pre-order from our website now.
In the meantime, we’ve talked with Trey Stone about the upcoming release to give readers a behind-the-scenes peek of A Death Worth Living.
The book is about death, but it’s really about life. It’s about memories, about recounting one’s own story, it’s about reliving the past, and realizing how your experiences have shaped who you’ve become. Do we ever stop to think about why we are who we are? Do we realize when we changed? Do we even realize that we have changed? What if we could go back and make other choice, step in other directions. Would we want to? Would we dare to?
I spent a lot of time thinking about the past. Thinking about the places I’ve been, the people I’ve known, and who I was when I existed at that point in my life. It’s a comforting, but also sad thing to think about. Getting it down on paper, into this story, has helped me solidify it, helped me shaped me thoughts and feelings about who, why, and what I am.
What prompted you to write A Death Worth Living?
This book is very biographical in nature. There’s a lot of myself and my own experiences in it, and though I can’t really say exactly what inspired me to start writing it, I knew I just had to get this story down on paper. In one sense, I felt like I had to rid myself of it, in another, I had to find a way to relive it all, to work through it and figure out why all of this meant so much to me.
I spent a lot of time thinking about the past. Thinking about the places I’ve been, the people I’ve known, and who I was when I existed at that point in my life. It’s a comforting, but also sad thing to think about. Getting it down on paper, into this story, has helped me solidify it, helped me shaped me thoughts and feelings about who, why and what I am.
Without any spoilers, is there a character in A Death Worth Living who holds a special place in your heart?
Jacob, of course, whom I see a lot of myself in. But also, Eran. I’m not going to go into details, because I want the reader to experience Eran for themselves, to hopefully see what I see in that character, but let’s just say . . . we all need an Eran in our lives.
If A Death Worth Living had a soundtrack or theme song, what would it be?
There’s a song called ‘Last Sunrise in the Wasteland’ by ‘At The End of Times, Nothing’ which I find myself coming back to. I came across it when I wrote At The Gate, way back then, and it became a soundtrack to not just that novel, but to my whole writing process. Since then, I often keep it on repeat when I write, letting the beautiful song wash over me as I try to churn out the words. I did it again for A Death Worth Living, and I’m sure I’ll do it again for the next book I write. It’s become my muse, my steadfast companion.
If A Death Worth Living had a soundtrack or theme song, what would it be?
There’s a song called ‘Last Sunrise in the Wasteland’ by ‘At The End of Times, Nothing’ which I find myself coming back to. I came across it when I wrote At The Gate, way back then, and it became a soundtrack to not just that novel, but to my whole writing process. Since then, I often keep it on repeat when I write, letting the beautiful song wash over me as I try to churn out the words. I did it again for A Death Worth Living, and I’m sure I’ll do it again for the next book I write. It’s become my muse, my steadfast companion.
About Trey Stone
Trey Stone has studied archaeology in England, excavated burial sites in the Arctic, and has more guitars than underwear. He grew up on a farm in western Norway, and has a bunch of siblings, half-siblings, in-laws, and is uncle to at least nineteen kids. They’re all pretty awesome, as far as he knows. It’s difficult to remember who’s who anymore.
Trey as been telling stories for as long as he can remember, and when he’s not writing books or short stories, he enjoys playing guitar, hiking, and playing old video games. He currently live in Svalbard, where he enjoys the midnight sun and the polar night with his wife.
Trey Stone is also the author of At The Gate, A Form Of Revenge, A State of Despair and The Consequence of Loyalty. In his native Norwegian he’s written Fjordbeist. You can find Trey on Amazon, Goodreads, and Twitter, or on his website.
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