Happy Holidays Everyone! Support Your Local Bookstore

This year has been unprecedented in so many ways, for yours truly as well. The global Coronavirus pandemic rages on, large numbers of people are out of work or working from home, businesses continue to suffer as in-person patronage is restricted or shut-down all together. That doesn’t mean there isn’t optimism or reasons for hope. The holiday season is upon us, and as we have to take extraordinary precautions or cancel plans altogether, we can still find reasons to be thankful and rejoice – hence the proclamation in the headline.

I have never been a particularly optimistic person, and if you’ve read my books, you know that I lean into the darker things in life and entertainment. My escapism leads me into the macabre. It helps me deal with the realities of day-to-day life. My reading and movie and TV watching is on the darker side as well.

But you might be surprised to know that I adore the holidays. It helps that, to me, the holiday season starts with Halloween. One of the areas of the economy that has been hit the hardest are independent bookstores. A GoFundMe was started to save City Lights in San Francisco, and now it’s in the news that The Strand in New York is in big trouble as well.

There is a tremendous convenience ordering from Amazon, especially this time of year. And when it comes to books, Amazon and Barnes & Noble are great ways to order reading material online. However, if you can support your local indie bookstore in someway, I encourage you to do so.

My books are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble online yes, and many times Amazon will drop the prices (for whatever reason), and Barnes & Noble stores here in Northern California have been tremendously supportive of yours truly. However, numerous local indie stores have been supportive as well. If they offer in-store shopping or curbside pick-up, please try to support them this holiday season. Of course, I’d love for you to pick up a few copies of my writings, but hey, that’s up to you. If they don’t carry my books in-store, ask for them or you can order through their online store (if they have one).

So, if you have a book lover on your holiday shopping list, or just need new books for yourself, try to support your local indie stores.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Books on B – Hayward, California
Books, Inc. – Alameda, California
Mockingbird Books – Tracy, California
The Avid Reader – Davis, California
City Lights – San Francisco

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What to Do What to Do

I hope everyone reading this is healthy and safe during your respective COVID-19 stay-at-home situations. It seems like every network morning show has been chronicling efforts to avoid boredom during this global pandemic. Many people have been locked down with their families, often with small children, and have been finding ways to while away the hours. From binge watching, video games, and Zoom chats to making masks and finding ways to support local businesses – folks have gotten very creative.

The past few years I have made a concerted effort to read more books. I am guilty of acquiring books and not reading them on multiple counts. Sometimes it is the mere shopping and purchasing that excites me. I love books and I loved being surrounded by them. So, a couple of years ago I challenged myself to read more. And as successful as I was in that endeavor, nothing has contributed to my reading fix as this shelter-in-place reality.

I reset the count every January and I started the year off strong with five books completed up until March 5. Since stay-at-home, I have read 19 more for a total of 24 for the year so far. I have never read so much in my life. And my selections have been all over the place. From science fiction, Stephen King, and thrillers to Beat, classics and controversial – I have been all over the place with my selections. Of the 24 I have read, I think I have only disliked four.

I have recently written on my personal blog that I am a fan of Stephen King and I was mortified at how little of his work I have actually read. I list him as one of my greatest influences, yet, to-date, I have only read 18 of his books. As much as I have taken the opportunity to burn through my TBR pile, I have decided to read the last three novels in Dean Koontz’s Jane Hawk series, and then binge read King. I have a stack of King’s books, novels and short story collections, at the ready. I won’t have to buy any new ones of his for quite awhile. I only hope I can maintain my current pace.

It is commonly accepted that to be a good writer, one must read and read a lot. I subscribe to this theory. You would think that during this situation I would be writing a lot as well. I am not an anxious person by nature, nor do I suffer from anxiety. However, there is a paralyzing cloud hovering over my creativity. I have written about 9,000 words in my current project, not nearly as much as I probably should have in two-and-a-half months. For those of you who have read my books, and enjoyed them, rest assured more is coming. Once the idea spigot was turned on, it has yet to shut off. I just need to get past the malaise I find myself in.

So, if you are bored and looking for something to do and you have yet to crawl into your preferred reading nook with a good book, might I suggest you do so. And if I may be so bold, I encourage you to curl up with one of mine. Obviously, Amazon is always open, but if you can find a way to support your local indie bookseller, I hope that you would.

Talking Books on a Great Podcast

Not too long ago I had the opportunity to be a guest on an award-winning podcast – A Little Bit of Everything with Me with Angelica Goncalves. As much I love reading and writing books, I may enjoy talking about them even more.

Check this out, it was a lot of fun.

The Dark Passage Series Pricing Update

Every so often, Amazon adjusts the prices for my books. All three trade paperbacks in The Dark Passage Series – The Dark Truth, The Dark Descent, The Dark Terror – retail for $14.99 each. Also, on Amazon, you can purchase the Kindle editions for $2.99 each. Right now, you can get The Dark Truth for $4.47, The Dark Descent for $14.99, and The Dark Terror for just $3.72. The Dark Truth is also available for free with Kindle Unlimited.

The first two books are also available as audiobooks on Audible and iTunes. If you sign up for a free Audible trial, you get your first book free.

As always, you can order from Barnes & Noble and any number of independent retailers’ online stores. Right now, the first and third books are $1.50 off at Barnes & Noble’s website. For San Francisco Bay Area residents, the books are available at select Barnes & Noble stores.

Unfortunately, these prices are always subject to change without notice. If you haven’t had a chance to pick up a copy of any of my books, now is a great time. Get the whole set or get the one you haven’t read yet.

As always, thank you for your continued support.

My First Book Festival and a Special Halloween Treat

I decided to take a plunge recently and buy a table at the Great Valley Bookfest. I have been tempted to attend or have a table at other book festivals and just haven’t seen my way clear to do either. As an author, you just can’t beat the price for a table in Authors Alley.

My table at the Great Valley Bookfest.

My table was next to one occupied by a couple of prolific fantasy authors, John Harrison and C.E.R. Ellwood. We hit it off and had a great time chatting about writing and book marketing. I also sat with and enjoyed talking with J.L. Rallios, author of The Gopher & the Erstwhile Wizard.

I didn’t know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised at how well organized and staffed the event was. There were plenty of of helpful volunteers on hand as well. I met some great new readers and had fun chatting with everyone who stopped by my table.

My set up at Books on B.

This past weekend, I had a return engagement at Books on B in Hayward, California. I teamed up with fellow author Jay Hartlove for a special Halloween signing. As always, Renee Rettig, the proprietor of the store, is always the hostess with the mostest.

Jay and I, in costume, enjoyed chatting with shoppers and new readers. Books on B is a fantastic indie bookstore, one I highly recommend if you are ever in Hayward.

Great Valley Bookfest

Hey everyone, I’ll be at the Great Valley Bookfest in Manteca, California, on Saturday, October 12, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. I’ll have a table on Authors Alley. Come by and see me. You can buy copies of my books – The Dark Truth, The Dark Descent, and The Dark Terror – and I’ll have bookmarks and postcards to hand out as well.

The Promenade Shops at Orchard Valley aka Bass Pro Center
Hwy 120 at the Union Road exit
280 Lifestyle Rd.
Manteca

I hope to see you there!

Halloween Team-Up

I am teaming up with author Jay Hartlove for a Halloween event at Books on B in Hayward, Calif., on October 26.

I am happy to announce that I am teaming up with author Jay Hartlove and the fine folks at Books on B in Hayward, California, for a special Halloween book signing/reading event!

The fangtastic festivities are set for Saturday, October 26, from 3 – 5:00 p.m. and Jay and I will serve as the lead-up to ZombieCon Hayward, which staggers along starting at 5:00 p.m.

As you know, I write horror fiction and The Dark Passage Series – The Dark Truth, The Dark Descent and The Dark Terror – will be available. Jay writes urban fantasy and his novel, Goddess Chosen, the first in the Goddess Rising series, will be available.

Jay and I will regale our undead audience with select readings from our works and we will mesmerize with discussion about our tales. Costumery is highly encouraged.

This will be my third event at Books on B and I can’t thank the enchanting proprietor, Renee Rettig, enough for her willingness to host an evening of incantations and conjuring.

A Different Avenue

Almost everyone with whom I have had the privilege of discussing my fiction writing tends to ask me similar questions about my influences. Why did I write a vampire series? Why do I love Gothic horror? Who are my favorite writers? What are my favorite books?

I recently volunteered to write a review of my favorite horror novel for a fantastic UK-based website called Kendall Reviews. I thought it would be a great way to contribute to a groovy site and get my name out to a new audience.

I could tell you more about the site and its founder, but it’s easier to just link you there and have you check it out for yourself. If you like horror and you are looking for new material or you are looking to re-discover old frights, this is a great site to do all that and more.

I chose Dracula by Bram Stoker for my review project. I took the time to re-read the book and I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Dracula has influenced me in so many ways over the years. The character and the novel helped form much of my entertainment tastes from an early age and served as a gateway book to many more delectable horrors over the years.

Head over to Kendall Reviews and check out my take on my favorite horror novel.

Chilling Trailer for The Dark Truth

Not that long ago I debuted a new trailer for my first book, The Dark Truth. Voiced by my audiobook narrator, Cheryl May, and produced by Paul Kraushaar, this extended trailer draws you into the world of newly-minted vampire Elizabeth Danae Rubis. Check it out, and then go order the book – on sale in trade paperback from $4.42 from Amazon.com.

The Dark Terror Book Tour Comes to a Close

The Dark Terror book tour has come to a close. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to buy a book or just chat. For those of you who walked away with just a bookmark or a postcard, I hope you give the books a read. 

Yours truly at the final event of The Dark Terror book tour at the Arden Fair Barnes & Noble in Sacramento. This was my third event at Arden Fair, which was also the location for my first ever.

Thanks to Barnes & Noble Dublin (Manny and his staff), Modesto (Alisa and her crew) and Arden Fair in Sacramento (Erik and his crew), and Books on B (the inimitable Renee Rettig) in Hayward, California, for hosting me and helping to make this tour successful. Thank you to Kitty Nasarow for the team up with her San Francisco Vampire Tour. Thank you to Cheryl May, my audiobok narrator, for coming down for the Books on B event. And of course, thanks to my publisher, Trifecta Publishing House.

I met quite a few new readers this time around and re-acquainted myself with some loyal ones as well. Friends and coworkers stopped by, some acquaintances did as well. I encourage any and all who purchased books to drop a review when it is convenient for you to do so.

If you didn’t get a chance to come out and get a book, head over to the “Where to Buy” page and order a copy in your favorite format or for your preferred device.

So, a big thank you to everyone who continues to support my novel writing endeavors. As I am fond of saying, I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I love writing them.