Happy Thanksgiving Faithful Readers!

Boy, 2020 has been one … helluva year. Between the COVID-19 global pandemic, the election and a whole host of other things I don’t care to mention in this forum, challenging doesn’t begin to describe what kind of year it’s been.

However, I still find things to be thankful for, and my faithful readers are right there at the top of the list. Three years ago last week, I realized a lifelong dream of becoming a published author. My first novel, The Dark Truth, was published by Trifecta Publishing House (to whom I am eternally grateful) November 17, 2017. It took 13 months to write the book and another six or so to bring it to market. My one-book deal quickly became a three-book deal, and The Dark Descent and The Dark Terror were published in fairly rapid succession. It’s amazing what one can accomplish when on deadline.

One of the things that I have come to enjoy is the book signing/reading event. Thanks to the support of Barnes & Noble and several independent booksellers, I was able to host three successful book tours. I met readers and shoppers in Alameda, Dublin, Sacramento, Davis, Modesto, Emeryville, Oakland, Manteca, Gilroy, Antioch, Concord, Folsom, and Hayward (forgive me if I missed anyone). I enjoyed many memorable interactions with hundreds of people. I’m thankful to each and every person who stopped by to buy a book, paused to chat or ask questions, and those who actually came to the bookstore just to see ME.

I’ve also had several opportunities to appear on radio and TV shows and podcasts to discuss the writing craft and promote my books. From Late Hits on SiriusXM NFL Radio to A Little Bit of Everything with Angelica Goncalves, I’ve been given fantastic platforms to discuss my passion.

Each book features an acknowledgements section, you’ll have to read the novels to see who has helped me along the way (wink).

Prior to 2020, I had rarely experienced rejection as a writer, if any. Sure, the redlined edits in the first thing I ever wrote for publication almost made me cry. But I learned. I hustled as a sports writer for a small newspaper in Baltimore covering Canadian football of all things. I learned. I spent 20 years working for a professional football team. I learned. However, this year, I’ve learned the pain of rejection – personally and professionally. I wrote a short story that I submitted to a few magazines that declined. And I experienced a professional setback. But I also experienced a professional writing win recently. So, it’s not all bad. I’m not going to get into detail because it’s not that kind of party. Let’s just say I have learned.

I just wanted to take a few moments and a few words to say thank you to everyone who has bought my books, those who have read or listened to them, the folks who left reviews, those who gave me a chance to talk about my work, the people who visit this website or follow me on Twitter or Instagram, or “like” my Facebook page and follow me there.

I truly hope that as this crazy, tumultuous year comes to a close, you can find something to be thankful for in your life. I hope you have been lucky enough to have not lost anyone close to you this year. If you have lost someone, I offer my heartfelt condolences.

I write for me. I publish and share for you. If my stories or posts have entertained you in any way, that makes me happy. I am truly thankful for all of you who have supported me and those who continue to do so. Thank you all. Rest assured, there is more to come. That’s a promise.

Happy Thanksgiving Faithful Readers,

Jerry

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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

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.

Dublin Event Was Great, One More Left

I had a great time at the Dublin, California, Barnes & Noble.

The Dublin, California, Barnes & Noble event very well. I had a great time, I met quite a few new readers, and Manny his crew of booksellers was fantastic. The first person I met was there just to see me and she bought the whole set! Even if they didn’t buy a book, several people stopped by just to say “hi” or ask questions.

I have one more event lined up for The Dark Terror book tour. The tour will wrap up at the same store where I held my very first book signing for The Dark Truth, the Arden Fair Barnes & Noble in Sacramento. This will be my third event at this location, and like Modesto, Barnes & Noble shoppers at Arden Fair have been very good to me.

I don’t think this will be the last event in support of The Dark Passage series. I have had a preliminary discussion with Books on B in Hayward about a Halloween event. A vampire-themed costume event at a quirky, fun indie neighborhood bookstore sounds like a helluva idea. Stay tuned for information about more events.

If you are in the Central Valley in northern California, come on out to the Arden Fair Barnes & Noble this Saturday starting at 11:00 a.m. I’d love to see you!

Only Two Events Left

The first three events on The Dark Terror book tour have gone well and there are only two more to go. After signings at Books on B in Hayward, California, and Barnes and Noble in Modesto, and the San Francisco Vampire Tour, I’ll be wrapping up with signings at the Dublin Barnes & Noble at Hacienda Crossings (tomorrow) and the Arden Fair Barnes and Noble in Sacramento next Saturday.

Tomorrow’s event in Dublin will be my second at that location and next Saturday’s will be my third in Sacramento.

Kitty Nasarow, a.k.a. “Mina Harker,” gives a great vampire tour in San Francisco. Photo by Tony Gonzales.

I hope those who are able can come out to one of the next two events. I have a lot of fun meeting new readers and catching up with old friends and acquaintances.

The Dark Truth, The Dark Descent and The Dark Terror will be available at both events, and of course I will sign them for you.

Of course, my writing endeavors have just begun and The Dark Passage Series isn’t over just quite yet. I’ve started work on a fourth installment. I hope you enjoy that as much as the three I’ve penned so far.

Third Book Tour to End Where First Began

Barnes & Noble Arden Fair in Sacramento hosted my very first book signing event when The Dark Truth was released. Now, unless I line something up after April 20, they will host the final event in The Dark Passage Series book tours. The Dark Terror book tour (as of now) concludes at the Arden Fair Barnes & Noble on Saturday, April 20. This will be my third event at the Arden Fair store. I hope you come out and see me.

Barnes & Noble
Saturday, April 20
11 a.m. – whenever
Arden Fair
1725 Arden Way
Sacramento, CA 95815
916-565-0644

Second Book Tour Comes to a Close

Yours truly at the Dublin, Calif., Barnes & Noble.

The book tour in support of my second novel, The Dark Descent, wrapped up yesterday with a signing event at the Dublin, Calif., Barnes & Noble store. Geographically, this store is centrally located and offered the best opportunity for friends and colleagues to stop by. Several did just that. So, thank you to the Cortez family, the Griffin-Bailey family, Wayne Deboe, Bill Soliday and Tony Khing for coming by, picking up a book or two and supporting my writing endeavors.

Since The Dark Descent’s release on April 23, I participated in two panel discussions and four signings. I sold dozens of books, handed out just as many bookmarks and postcards, and met even more folks. During the past two months, my first novel, The Dark Truth, was a finalist for the International Vampire Arts and Film Festival’s Golden Stake vampire literature award.

I’ve also had the opportunity to meet and hang out with some groovy authors – K.M. Riley, Mike Esola, Mark London Williams, and Samantha Heuwagen. It’s been great to get to know folks who share my passion for fiction writing. It’s also good to know that we are experiencing the same trial and tribulations as we begin our journeys, kick start existing careers or change directions along the way.

There have been some funny moments as well.

I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting all of the wonderful folks who have stopped by to chat, buy a book, take a postcard or just say “hi.” If you did take a postcard I hope you do decide to purchase and give The Dark Passage series a shot.

Different things work for different people when it comes to indie or small house book marketing. Some writers buy ads on social media platforms or Amazon, some send press releases to various publications, some make appearances on radio, television and podcasts. Some do readings. Some do all of these things and more. I have explored numerous avenues trying to get my books to readers. I have found that I enjoy book signings at Barnes & Noble stores as part of my marketing campaign.

I’m still finding way through these sometimes murky waters and those of you who have decided to take a chance on me and my novels because of a conversation we had at a bookstore – I thank you. And I’d like to thank everyone who has bought and read the books so far, my friends and colleagues who have come out to support, and those folks who stopped by just to see what it was all about.

You never know, I just may take the next book tour out of Northern California.

Thank You, Modesto!

Yours truly at the Modesto Barnes and Noble.

I know the headline seems redundant, but sincerely, Barnes and Noble Modesto was fantastic last weekend. My second event there went better than the first. Thank you to Josh Mckay who set it up and continues to support me.

I think Barnes and Noble Modesto needs to put me on the payroll. Apparently I have become the Barnes and Noble greeter. My book signing table was located near the entrance to the store and more than one person appeared to think I was a store employee stationed there to welcome them to the store despite the sign and stack of books that surrounded me.

One particular gentleman and I had a funny exchange. I said to him, “Hi, how are you sir?” He responded, “I’m looking for The Awakening.” I said, “I don’t work here.” Had I been on my game, I would have asked, “Which one?”

“You’re useless,” was his retort. Other shoppers nearby overheard and enjoyed a hearty laugh. As he asked customer service about the book he wanted, I called out to him, “I’m just sitting here breathing your air.” He responded with, “I guess you are.”

A young lady waked by. I gave a similar greeting and she responded pleasantly. She proceeded to the nearby new released rack. A woman walked in right behind her. I asked, “Do you like vampire stories?” She replied, “My daughter does,” and gestured to the woman who had just walked by me. We had a good laugh and she purchased a copy of The Dark Truth for her daughter.

I look forward to my next event at the Modesto Barnes and Noble. Thank you to Veronica, Eddie and German, and all of the new people I met and especially those who purchased The Dark Truth and/or The Dark Descent.

Thank you, Arden Fair!

Yours truly at the Arden Fair Barnes & Noble on Saturday, May 26, 2018, which just happened to be World Dracula Day.

This past Saturday, the Arden Fair Barnes & Noble hosted a book signing for yours truly, it was my second such event at that store. I have enjoyed my two best book signing sale days at this location. The staff is courteous and helpful, and the customers are wonderful.

Many people stopped by to chat, and even if they didn’t purchase, many walked away with a postcard or a bookmark. Both The Dark Truth and The Dark Descent were available and I was stunned by how many folks purchased both books.

The event coincided with World Dracula Day – the anniversary of the first publication of one of my greatest influences, Dracula by Bram Stoker, May 26, 1897. I didn’t plan it that way but it’s heady stuff to be signing copies of your vampire novels on the anniversary of the publication of this seminal work.

Thank you, Arden Fair Barnes & Noble. I hope to do another event with you.

More events are planned. I still have three on the calendar. I will be at the Modesto, Calif., Barnes & Noble for the second time this Saturday starting at noon.

Then, on Sunday, June 10 at 3 p.m., I will be part of a panel discussion with fellow authors Samantha Heuwagen, K.M. Riley and Mark London Williams at the San Francisco Comic Con at the Oakland Convention Center in downtown Oakland, Calif.

The last event currently on the calendar is a book signing event at the Dublin, Calif., Barnes & Noble along the I-580 corridor at Hacienda Crossings.

Please come out to one of my events, I’d love to see you. Pick up a signed copy of one of my books and chat vampires, Gothic horror, literature, or just stop and say “hi.”

Dublin Barnes & Noble Locked In!

All my East Bay peeps! I’ll be at the Dublin, Calif., Barnes & Noble the weekend after Father’s Day on Saturday, June 23, starting at 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, June 23
2:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble
Hacienda Crossings
4972 Dublin Boulevard
Dublin, CA 94568
925.560.1495