exlibrislarsen

If you’re not hearing Christmas music yet on your “favorite” light rock station, give it a minute. But let’s slow down a second. This is the month of thanksgiving. Sorry, let me try that again. This is the month of Thanksgiving–capital ‘T’. It’s coming … November 23rd. Turkey. Stuffing. Pumpkin pie. Maybe a little football. Let’s not whip by that.

But another date to circle is Saturday, November 18th. That’s when I’ll be at the Tinley Park Author Expo, signing copies of my ghosts and gangsters novel, THE BLACKENING OF FLESH in which a lonely high school graduate’s house is inhabited by the ghosts of five Prohibition-era gangsters–who are planning more than a heist … or a haunting.

The past won’t stay buried.

If you’re looking for something a little more, um, upbeat, you’ll find plenty of humor, romance, fantasy, and self-help among the mystery, history, science-fiction, suspense, thrillers, and more. With more than 25 children’s, teen, and adult authors on hand, you’re sure to find something that appeals to you, or readers on your holiday gift list.

Sorry. Too soon?

Plus, the more authors you visit, the better your odds of winning a special gift basket filled with an Amazon gift card, bestsellers, and some library swag. Each author will be handing out drawing tickets in addition to talking about their publications, the craft of writing, and topics related to their preferred genres.

It all happens Saturday, November 18th from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Tinley Park Public Library at 7851 Timber Drive in Tinley Park. No registration. No tickets needed. Just come ready to find a new title or two.

Christian A. Larsen is the author of the novels LOSING TOUCH and THE BLACKENING OF FLESH, now available from Post Mortem Press.

At first blush, it might seem like horror writers never get out–that we spend our lives hunched over a manual typewriter, tapping out nightmares barricaded in our homes like Dr. Muñoz from H.P. Lovecraft’s “Cool Air”, but we were out in force last night. Stephen King and his son, Owen, visited the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee as part of their tour to promote their collaborative novel, SLEEPING BEAUTIES. To the horror community, what better excuse is there to come out for a few hours and associate with the living?

It was our Woodstock.

I attended the event with Rondo Award-winner Justin Hamelin, author of THICKER THAN BLOOD, and Stephen King enthusiast Will Reckling, who helped us navigate from the Illinois border to downtown Milwaukee, got our beers and nachos for us at Mo’s Irish Pub, and was the best darn Event Dad a kid could ask for. Also in attendance were fellow writers Dawn Napier (STAR PACK), C.A. Verstraete (LIZZY BORDEN, ZOMBIE HUNTER), W.D. Gagliani (WOLF’S BLIND), and David Benton, author of the upcoming novel, FAUNA (watch out for that one because it’s really good).

Me, some guy in the background, and Justin Hamelin at Mo’s Irish Pub.

The stage was bare except for a couple of chairs and a small table between them when the Kings walked out and sat down to talk to each other and to us, “just folks”. After both Stephen and Owen made some brief and informal introductory remarks, they each read a short passage from their new book together, and then asked each other questions. New questions every night, they said. Owen joked that by the end of the book tour, he might ask his dad when he last cut his toenails.

Now I’m wondering what Stephen King’s toenails are like. Horror.

Photo courtesy of Event Dad.

We weren’t supposed to record the event, and I wasn’t taking notes, so right now in the cold light of dawn I’m having trouble remembering everything they talked about, but at some point (and it might have been during the audience Q&A session), Stephen talked about what inspired him to write IT. He said he was living in Boulder at the time, and he was crossing a bridge wearing cowboy boots that knocked on the wooden planks. That reminded him of “Three Billy Goats Gruff”. Instead of a troll under a bridge, what if the monster lived in the sewers? He also apologized to clowns everywhere.

The evening ended with everyone getting a hardcopy of SLEEPING BEAUTIES, and 400 people even got copies flat signed by both authors. I didn’t get a signed one, but at least two people mentioned above did. Overall, not a bad way to end September.

Now bring on Halloween!

Christian A. Larsen is the author of the novels LOSING TOUCH and THE BLACKENING OF FLESH, now available from Post Mortem Press.

Less than a buck? Yes, please.

It’s October. Time to check the couch cushions for spare change, because for a limited time, you can pick up select eBook titles from Post Mortem Press for just 99¢, including LOSING TOUCH, my story about an unemployed family man who tries to take control of his life with his newfound ability to walk through walls.

Featuring a foreword by New York Times-bestselling author Piers Anthony, LOSING TOUCH won the Preditors & Editors™ Award for Best Horror Novel and the DRAWA® for first novel.

I realize that you may already have LOSING TOUCH if you’re reading this blog, but I didn’t forget about you. With Post Mortem Press’s “31 Days of Discounts” sale, you can download each of the following eBooks for 99¢, which I super recommend:

• NECROMANCER by C. Bryan Brown
• JASMINE’S TALE by Brian Dobbins
• THE BARN by Jason Downes
• THE LORD SAID UNTO SATAN by Hugh Fox
• THE SHATTERED VISAGE LIES by Brian Koscienski & Chris Pisano
• TRY NOT TO BURN by Michael Matula
• PINS by Jessica McHugh
• TRULY, DEEPLY DISTURBED by Andrew Nienaber
• FIVE WORDS IN BLACK by Ian D.G. Sandusky
• SANTA MUERTE by Cynthia Pelayo
• I’M NO PI by Alan Zacher

The above titles retail for as much as $5.99, so hey … strike while the iron’s hot because it’s going to be a long winter. And if you’re a fan of single-sitting reads, collect these fine collections/anthologies for your personal Kindle library, just $1.99 each:

• BACK ROADS AND FRONTAL LOBES by Brady Allen
• DARK DOORWAYS by Eric Beebe
• RED WINE AND WORDS by Emma Ennis
• IN LOVE, IN WATER by P. Andrew Miller
• BONE WHISPERS by Tim Waggoner

Skip a couple vending machine snacks and you’ve got even more options, like THE BLACKENING OF FLESH or any of these fine books for just $2.99:

• TOXICITY by Max Booth III
• THEY ARE AMONG US by C. Bryan Brown
• UNITED STATES OF THE DEAD by Kenneth W. Cain
• WITCH’S CARTEL by Brian Dobbins
• THE BOGEYMAN by Jason Downes
• DELLWOOD by Ginny Gilroy
• FEARFUL SYMMETRY by Brian Koscienski & Chris Pisano
• SECOND CHANCE by Michael Matula
• BLACK DEATH OF BABYLON by Edward J. McFadden III
• STZ by Andrew Nienaber
• THE MISSING by Cynthia Pelayo

And then there’s these new and favorite novels for just $3.99. Prime rib for the price of ground chuck:

• DEVIL IN BLACK CREEK by D.R. Bartlette
• OUT OF THE WOODS by William D. Carl
• (dis)COMFORT FOOD by Brad Carter
• THE DRAGON, THE WITCH, & THE DETECTIVE by Brian Dobbins
• WHAT DO MONSTERS FEAR? by Matt Hayward
• RABBITS IN THE GARDEN by Jessica McHugh
• DEMONS, DOLLS, AND MILKSHAKES by Nelson W. Pyles
• THE SONG IN THE SQUALL by Nathan Singer

Click on those links. It won’t cost you nothin’. And if you’ve read any of these titles and are so inclined, please leave a review and help spread the word, but first and foremost, now’s the time to take a flier on an eBook. All it costs is the jingle in your pocket.

Christian A. Larsen is the author of the novels LOSING TOUCH and THE BLACKENING OF FLESH, now available from Post Mortem Press.

The past won’t stay buried.

The leaves? They’ll be turning soon, and if you play your cards right, so will the pages. The 6th Annual Oswego Literary Festival returns October 7th from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and I’ll be personalizing copies of my ghosts and gangsters novel, THE BLACKENING OF FLESH, as well as the anthologies QUALIA NOUS, GOTHIC BLUE BOOK V, and THE GHOST IS THE MACHINE. But if horror’s not your thing, don’t worry: over 40 area authors will be participating.

Donna Seaman, author of IDENTITY UNKNOWN, will lead a discussion entitled: “Reading with Intent: The Art of Book Reviewing” at 11:00 a.m. Seaman’s work has been featured on “The Download” and “After Hours” on WGN-AM (720), “Chicago Tonight” on WTTW-TV (Ch. 11), and reviewed in such newspapers as The Seattle Times and The Washington Post. Get there a little earlier, and you can thrill the shorties with Kathy Elstad’s presentation, “Kids Come and Meet Miss Polka Dottie” at 10:30 a.m.

After you’ve picked up a new title or three from the attending authors, browse for bargains at The Friends of the Library Fall Used Book Sale, and be sure to enjoy live performances by students from the Fox River Academy of Music and Art. No cover charge and no admission fees. Just fine art and fine reading in the heart of Kendall County. It all happens at the Oswego Public Library at 32 West Jefferson Street on Saturday, October 7th!

Christian A. Larsen is the author of the novels LOSING TOUCH and THE BLACKENING OF FLESH, now available from Post Mortem Press.

Get your new Fall read on and support a great cause at The 4th Annual Showcase of Authors presented by The Threshold, Incorporated. I’ll be signing copies of THE BLACKENING OF FLESH of September 23rd from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Stockhausen Center in West Bend with these authors leading the way:

• THREE’S A CROWD by David Benjamin
• TRIPLE ZINGER by Jackie Granger
• KOKOPELLI by Donald L. Ensenbach
• TALES OF PESHTIGO PUTZER by Kerry Kiesow
• SIMPATICO by Joan Parsons Kuraitis
• MELTING POINT by Nicolette Pierce
• THE KID WHO CLIMBED THE TARZAN TREE by D.W. Rozelle & C.A. Grooms
• THE DOOR TO LOVE by Nancy Sweetland
• LIVING WITH A CHEETAH … OR MORE by Michael Young

In all, more than twenty authors will be personalizing some of the best-kept secrets in mystery, thrillers, romance, comedy, science-fiction, memoirs, folk tales, dark fantasy and more. Win some prizes, browse the craft fair, and come nice and hungry, because Schwai’s Meats and Sausage will be grilling.

After you’re done munching, come check out the titles for sale. THE BLACKENING OF FLESH is about a high school graduate who’s house is haunted by five Prohibition-era gangsters, and they’re planning more than a heist or a haunting. I’ll also be signing short story anthologies such as GOTHIC BLUE BOOK V, THE GHOST IS THE MACHINE, and QUALIA NOUS, which also features a tale by Stephen King.

The past won’t stay buried.

A portion of the event proceeds benefits The Threshold, Inc., a community organization dedicated to creating opportunities for people with disabilities. So come on down (or up) to the Stockhausen Center in West Bend on September 23rd from 10:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., and get a new book to fall into.

Christian A. Larsen is the author of the novels LOSING TOUCH and THE BLACKENING OF FLESH, now available from Post Mortem Press.

It’s the beginning of August. Back to school ads are already popping up like weeds. Summer is on the back nine, but it’s not over yet. It’s the first Saturday in August. The sun is out. Do something fun outside by heading to Round Lake Beach and the 2nd Annual Lake County Authorfest from 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., where you’ll find award-winning mysteries, thrillers, horror, fantasy, science-fiction, books for kids, travel books, cookbooks, memoirs, and so much more.

What’s that? Kids? Yep, bring the kids! Activities include children’s book readings and face painting—not to mention a community art project hosted by the Grayslake Art Alliance that visitors of all ages can take part in. You can also win a prize in the raffle or in the scavenger hunt. Plus, enjoy some live music by the Gardiner Jazz Combo and Here Comes Summer. And come hungry. There will be food. There will also be authors:

• Richard Bell (LIFE SEEMED GOOD, BUT….)
• Robb Chase (BROKEN DAGGER)
• John Clark and Cheryl Clark (SORROW’S ASHES)
• Donna Codell (THERE ARE NO ALLIGATORS IN HEAVEN)
• Trisha Daab (THE NOT-SO-EVIL STEPMOTHER IN THE MOST MAGICAL PLACE ON EARTH)
• Mitch Davis (FINDING RICHARD)
• Dennis F. Depcik (WOULDN’T IT BE SOMETHING)
• Dwight E. DeRamus Jr. (DISAPPEARING DADS)
• Joni Downey (SHAPE UP WITH HEALTHY HIPPO)
• Catherine Finger (SHATTERED BY DEATH)
• David John Ford (CONFESSIONS OF A SMALL TOWN MINISTER)
• Mitchell Granger (JACK STRYDER AND THE LOST LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA)
• Justin Hamelin (THE DARKEST CORNER)
• Elizabeth Harmon (PAIRING OFF)
• Ruth Hull Chatlien (BLOOD MOON: A CAPTIVE’S TALE)
• E.M. Kaplan (FULL SLAB DEAD)
• Kathryn Knapik-Kick (THE MANY TALES OF SAMMY THE CAT)
• Christian A. Larsen (THE BLACKENING OF FLESH)
• Audrey N. Lewis (EVERYBODY HAS A STORY…. THESE ARE OURS…..)
• Gail Lukasik (DEATH’S DOOR)
• Patricia McClure-Chessier (LOSING A HERO TO ALZHEIMER’S)
• M.P. McDonald (ISOLATION)
• Sue Myers (DECEPTION)
• M.E. May (UNSCRUPULOUS)
• Papa V (VANISHED)
• Jerry Peterson (ICED)
• Georgann Prochaska (THE CASE OF THE EX WHO PLOTTED REVENGE)
• Dawn Napier (WORLD OF DRAGONS, WORLDS OF MIST)
• William D. Napier (WHEN WATCHERS ASCEND)
• David A. Rench (THE NEW AQUARIAN SPIRITUAL FOOD FOR THOUGHT DIET)
• Randy Rossi (THE LAST MAN TO LIVE THE REAL AMERICAN DREAM)
• Kimberley Schumacher (MY LETTERS TO AMY)
• Jean-Michel Smith (AUTONOMY)
• tel (INK ON PAPER)
• Christine Todd (PINS)
• C.A. Verstraete (LIZZIE BORDEN, ZOMBIE HUNTER)
• C.J. Warrant (FORGETTING JANE)
• Charlene Wexler (LORI)
• Jeffrey Westhoff (THE BOY WHO KNEW TOO MUCH)
• Donn G. Ziebell (GORKY, RUSSIA: FIRST MAN IN)

Profits from Lake County Authorfest support The Ray Bradbury Museum project in Waukegan. Bradbury, a Waukegan native, spent much of his formative years at the Carnegie library at 1 North Sheridan, which inspired so much of his work, including DANDELION WINE, SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, and FAREWELL SUMMER. The Ray Bradbury Museum project seeks to open an interactive museum in the same space, inspiring future generations’ creativity.

Sponsors include Hotel EMC2, Meijer in Round Lake Beach, the Round Lake Beach Cultural & Civic Center, Century 21 of Mundelein, the Writers Bloc, and M. Fisher Studios Photography.

Christian A. Larsen is the author of the novels LOSING TOUCH and THE BLACKENING OF FLESH, now available from Post Mortem Press.

Mysteries and mayhem. Supernatural chillers and super-science thrillers. Something for the kids. Young adult fiction and fiction for grownups. Travel. Memoirs. Food for the soul. Food for the stomach. Live music, too. In other words: you’ll find something for everyone at the 2nd Annual Lake County Authorfest on August 5th at the Round Lake Beach Civic Center.

Brought to you by This Old Book in Grayslake, Lake County Authorfest will feature more than 35 authors at this family-friendly and admission-free event:

• Richard Bell (LIFE SEEMED GOOD, BUT….)
• Robb Chase (BROKEN DAGGER)
• John Clark and Cheryl Clark (SORROW’S ASHES)
• Donna Codell (THERE ARE NO ALLIGATORS IN HEAVEN)
• Trisha Daab (THE NOT-SO-EVIL STEPMOTHER IN THE MOST MAGICAL PLACE ON EARTH)
• Mitch Davis (FINDING RICHARD)
• Dennis F. Depcik (WOULDN’T IT BE SOMETHING)
• Dwight E. DeRamus Jr. (DISAPPEARING DADS)
• Catherine Finger (SHATTERED BY DEATH)
• David John Ford (CONFESSIONS OF A SMALL TOWN MINISTER)
• Mitchell Granger (JACK STRYDER AND THE LOST LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA)
• Justin Hamelin (THE DARKEST CORNER)
• Elizabeth Harmon (PAIRING OFF)
• Ruth Hull Chatlien (BLOOD MOON: A CAPTIVE’S TALE)
• E.M. Kaplan (FULL SLAB DEAD)
• Kathryn Knapik-Kick (THE MANY TALES OF SAMMY THE CAT)
• Christian A. Larsen (THE BLACKENING OF FLESH)
• Audrey N. Lewis (EVERYBODY HAS A STORY…. THESE ARE OURS…..)
• Gail Lukasik (DEATH’S DOOR)
• Patricia McClure-Chessier (LOSING A HERO TO ALZHEIMER’S)
• Sue Myers (DECEPTION)
• M.E. May (UNSCRUPULOUS)
• Papa V (VANISHED)
• Jerry Peterson (ICED)
• Georgann Prochaska (THE CASE OF THE EX WHO PLOTTED REVENGE)
• Dawn Napier (WORLD OF DRAGONS, WORLDS OF MIST)
• William D. Napier (WHEN WATCHERS ASCEND)
• David A. Rench (THE NEW AQUARIAN SPIRITUAL FOOD FOR THOUGHT DIET)
• Randy Rossi (THE LAST MAN TO LIVE THE REAL AMERICAN DREAM)
• Kimberley Schumacher (MY LETTERS TO AMY)
• Jean-Michel Smith (AUTONOMY)
• tel (INK ON PAPER)
• Christine Todd (PINS)
• C.A. Verstraete (LIZZIE BORDEN, ZOMBIE HUNTER)
• C.J. Warrant (FORGETTING JANE)
• Charlene Wexler (LORI)
• Jeffrey Westhoff (THE BOY WHO KNEW TOO MUCH)
• Donn G. Ziebell (GORKY, RUSSIA: FIRST MAN IN)

New to the event this year is the Youth Creative Writing Contest for kids ages 4 to 8, 9 to 12, and 13 to 18. Winners in each category win a $50 This Old Book gift certificate and an Authorfest goodie bag. Pieces should be no longer than 2,000 words and the deadline to enter is July 24th. Click here for more information.

A portion of the proceeds go toward the Ray Bradbury Museum project in Waukegan, which seeks to restore the Carnegie library at 1 North Sheridan Road where Bradbury spent his formative years and (some would argue), the Greentown of DANDELION WINE, SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, and FAREWELL SUMMER had its genesis.

There it is … less than 20 miles from my front door.

But come August 5th from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., your destination isn’t Waukegan–it’s 2007 Civic Center Way in Round Lake Beach for the 2nd Annual Lake County Authorfest. Have something to eat, listen to live music, get your kids’ faces painted, and don’t forget to pick up a couple of new books while you’re there!

Christian A. Larsen is the author of the novels LOSING TOUCH and THE BLACKENING OF FLESH, now available from Post Mortem Press.