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.

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The Dark Terror Book Tour Underway

Audiobook narrator Cheryl May reads a passages from The Dark Terror at Books on B.

The Dark Terror book tour got underway at Books on B in Hayward, Calif., today and I had a wonderful time. My audiobook narrator, Cheryl May, was able to attend and she delivered a stirring reading of a chapter from my new book.

Renee Rettig, the proprietor of Books on B, is a breath of fresh air and she hosted a fabulous event complete with snacks and customers. This is the second event I have had the pleasure of holding at Renee’s fantastic neighborhood bookstore and it looks like it won’t be the last. We are already discussing doing something fun for Halloween!

Thank you to all who attended today – my friends, store customers and loyal readers. You make writing and sharing these stories that rattle around in my head that much more enjoyable.

The next event is set for Saturday – I’ll be at Barnes & Noble in Modesto, my third event at that location. The event gets underway at Noon. I look forward to seeing some familiar faces as well as meeting new readers.

A Team-Up of Vampiric Proportions

I am teaming up with The Vampire Tour of San Francisco for a special private tour for readers Saturday, April 6, starting at 7:00 p.m.

The Dark Terror, available in trade paperback, Kindle and e-book as of March 18, is a bloody, vampire noir from Trifecta Publishing House of Port Angeles, Wash., set in modern-day San Francisco. Elizabeth Rubis, the foul-mouthed vampire with the acerbic wit, develops even more new abilities as her demonic evolution continues. She desperately must elude the authorities while pursuing her maker and tormentor. This story of supernatural transformation and bloody revenge can only come to a violent conclusion in a battle between the forces of good and evil, and the bewildered.

The award-winning tour is $25 per person, payable on location at the meeting point on the corner of California and Taylor streets, across from Grace Cathedral. All three books in The Dark Passage Series will be available for purchase and tour goers will have the opportunity to win a complete set along with other prizes.

The Vampire Tour of San Francisco is a walking tour of the beautiful Nob Hill area of San Francisco. The stops are: Grace Cathedral, the Nob Hill Cafe, Huntington Park, the Pacific-Union Club, the Fairmont Hotel, and the Mark Hopkins Hotel. This special event will also highlight specific locations from the books.

More information is coming soon!

Drum Roll Please: Presenting the Cover and Release Date for The Dark Terror

For the third time in two years I have the distinct pleasure in making a book release announcement and a cover reveal. I revel in all aspects of the writing and publishing process and I must admit, the cover reveal is almost as exciting as publish day. I am proud to announce that Book Three – The Dark Passage Series, The Dark Terror, is set to release on March 18, 2019. I frankly can’t wait.

I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to write three novels in less than three years. The Dark Terror represents the conclusion(?) of a trilogy of dark, gritty, bloody vampire tales set in modern-day San Francisco. I have a created a character I have grown to love, respect, cherish, and even fear. Elizabeth Danae Rubis is a reflection of yours truly, dare I say an alter ego. She is a foul-mouthed vampire with an acerbic wit and an unquenchable thirst. She has learned, changed and grown much during her evolution. I have been walking around in her skin for the better part of three years and she has been a lot of fun to write. Her fate you ask? You’ll have to read the book.

Thank you to my publisher, Trifecta Publishing House of Port Angeles, Wash., this cover is the best of the three is I do say so myself.

The Dark Truth and The Dark Descent are on sale now. Get ready for the final installment, The Dark Terror, coming March 18, 2019!

Meet Me at The Avid Reader in Davis

The Avid Reader

I’ll be signing copies of my first two novels, The Dark Truth and The Dark Descent, at The Avid Reader in Davis, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 28 starting at 7:30 p.m.!

What: Book signing with yours truly
Where: 617 2nd Street, Davis, CA 95616
When: Friday, Sept. 28, 7:30 p.m.

Meet me at Books Inc. in Alameda TONIGHT!

I’ll be signing copies of my first two novels, The Dark Truth and The Dark Descent at Books Inc. in Alameda, Calif., TONIGHT at 7:00 p.m.

What: Book signing with yours truly
Where: Books Inc., 1344 Park St, Alameda, CA  94501
When: Wednesday, Sept. 19, 7:00 p.m.

Announcement: The Dark Truth Now an Audio Book!

First came the manuscript, then came the publishing deal, the trade paperback and the Kindle and e-book.

And now … drum roll please …

I am happy and proud to announce that The Dark Truth, my debut novel, which dropped in November 2017, is now available as an audio book! Thank you to my publisher, Trifecta Publishing House, and my fantastic narrator, Cheryl May.

My words come alive through Cheryl’s voice. Now you can hear and experience the terror and excitement of this thrilling tale of modern Gothic horror!

Great Signing at Books on B

Yours truly ready to receive readers at Books on B.

Some months ago, a co-worker who hails from Hayward, Calif., recommended that I try to land a signing at an independent bookstore in her neighborhood. I contacted Renee, the proprietor of Books on B. After some back-and-forth correspondence, Renee and I came to an agreement for Saturday, July 28.

B Street in Hayward is a thriving hub of activity with restaurants, boutiques, and micro breweries. Books on B is in the middle of it all. The moment you walk into the shop, the smell of books fills your nostrils. It is intoxicating if you are a bookstore nerd like I am. A varied, eclectic selection lines the shelves and Renee and her effervescence twirl around the store like a whirling dervish helping customers and playing hostess.

There was a great turnout for the event. It was a nice mix of my friends from both work and my neighborhood, store regulars and curious shoppers. I signed books, chatted about my novels and read excerpts from them. Renee provided a snack tray and beverages.

A nice group gathered to listen to me read.

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area and find yourself at the end of I-580 or along the I-880 corridor and you love books, be sure to stop in to Books on B. It’s a quaint, cozy shop and you’ll definitely find something great to read. There’s plenty of parking in public lots behind the little plaza as well.

Thank you to everyone who came out and indulged me, and thank you to Renee for hosting me at her fantastic store. I look forward to the next event at Books on B.

I have two events coming up. The first is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 20, at Books Inc., in Alameda, Calif., time TBA, and the second is The Avid Reader in Davis, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. If you live in Northern California, come on out, I’d love to see you.

The Film Adaptation that Started it All

Since I became a novelist, many people have asked me how I “got into vampires.” My typical response is that I have been a fan of Gothic Horror since I was very young, that I read Bram Stoker’s Dracula when I was nine years old or so and that I have just been drawn to the genre.

While all of that is true, there is one film that started it all – Dan Curtis’ Dracula starring Jack Palance as Stoker’s titular vampire king. This 1974 made-for-TV movie scared the living daylights out of a then-four-year-old me. Now, I have no idea why my mother had this on the 19-inch Zenith when I was at that tender age. But, I was quite taken with Palance and of course, the character of Dracula.

The digitally remastered film is now available on Amazon Prime video and I just watched it in its entirety for the first time in 45 years. Palance, although uneven, is commanding as Dracula. The great Richard Matheson, author of I Am Legend, penned the screenplay for this version. Liberties were taken and characters were omitted but several elements that many adaptations remove from the source material were included.

Dr. Jack Seward, Renfield and Quincey P. Morris are omitted, Lucy Westenra is now the Count’s long-lost love interest, and Jonathan Harker … well, you’ll just have to watch the film. Mina and Van Helsing remain, along with Arthur Holmwood.

The lavish set pieces and countryside scenery add to the richness of the production and they are reminiscent of the many Hammer Gothic Horror productions. There is a fair amount of fangs and blood, especially for a made-for-TV production.

If you are a fan of the genre and Dracula in particular, this is a more than acceptable entry in the canon. Check it out on Amazon Prime.

And the fact that I first saw this film when I was four years old certainly explains quite a bit.

Meet Me at The Avid Reader in Davis

The Avid Reader

I’ll be signing copies of my first two novels, The Dark Truth and The Dark Descent, at The Avid Reader in Davis, Calif., on Friday, Sept. 28 starting at 7:30 p.m.!

What: Book signing with yours truly
Where: 617 2nd Street, Davis, CA 95616
When: Friday, Sept. 28, 7:30 p.m.